A short-notice dinner invite to start a long holiday weekend was graciously accepted by my buddy Ronnie, his lovely wife Lilet and charming daughter Maggie, while son Andrew’s out on his last-weekend-before-start-as-NYU-freshman meditation retreat … in some music club in the Village. Chalk this up to another fun, good-eats-and-drinks, and an enjoyable time spent with the Martinezes.
1998 Lopez de Heredia Tondonia Rosado, Rioja
Light, refreshing, and soft. Notes of melon and white peach, with just the slightest hints of mineral and earthiness. Me like this … and an easy crowd-pleaser. B+
2000 Bonneau du Martray Corton Rouge Grand Cru, Burgundy
A dark Burgundy whose color belies the medium-bodied mouth feel. Not heavy-concentrated, as its color also seem to suggest. Some tea, ripe cherries and a tinge of harshness, but which did not distract when drank with food. Served with oven-poached wild salmon, and over time it showed to be a netter match with the next course of convection-roasted crispy pork belly. Un-spectacular, yet a good enough drink with a simple dinner fare. B
1981 Lopez de Heredia Vina Bosconia Gran Reserva, Rioja
This bottle took our dining pleasure a notch higher. An expressive bouquet featuring fresh-baked confection, fruit and wood. Orangish red and more transparent than the Burgundy. Albeit the high acidity, it was smooth, sexy, compact. Hinted of fig, cinnamon, with nicely layered red fruit. Took on both salmon and roasted pork belly and nicely held its own with either dish. Not as lengthy on the finish as I would have hoped for, but this bottle drank very nicely tonight. A-
1983 Ch. Brane-Cantenac, Margaux
A little funk on the nose, which quickly dissipated to be replaced with tertiary notes, including leather, dried fruit, herb and fresh meat. Mature red, the bottle is in good condition but somehow was not complementary of the cheese course that it was opened with. Resolved tannin, some acidity and abbreviated bursts of blue and red berries. I’ve always preferred this producer’s ‘83 to the ’82 mainly for having more power and muscle, but this bottle appear to be closing in on the tail end of its best drinking window. Good, but not as good as previous ones. B
Ramon