Thursday we went to Red Hat for a friend's birthday, her husband was paying so I didn't want to have more than one of the overpriced BTG offerings (others had a cocktail to start). The (vintage unknown) Drouhin "Chardonnay'" (LaForet Bourgogne I think from spying across room -wasn't the time to be winegeeky) was pretty good -ripe, crisp, no apparent oak. But at $13/glass not a value. Did well with both the delicious octopus starter, and my ok fluke (needed a bit more crispness to crust). Not a great wine night, but a great friend night.
Dave and his girlfriend joined us again for dinner on a snowy Friday, they were ok with mostly leftovers. We started with some chilled shrimp
and cocktail sauce, with the NV LaMarca Prosecco. Bright, light, and easy, a touch of apparent sugar, orangeade and apple juice. B-
Dinner was pasta with Bolognese sauce, butter bean salad, broccoli, and Indian carrots.
2009 Montesecondo Rosso (Toscano IGT)
Very light color, but nice depth of flavor. Red cherries and plums, earth, oregano. Good acidity, light to medium body, good length. Betsy and I both liked, think the kids would have liked a bit more fruit centric. B+
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.