WTN: Burg, Rhone, Napa, Minervois, Dolcetto, etc

Thursday with bbq chicken, squash, and slaw, the 2010 Ch. d'Oupia Minervois Rose. This is fleshier than the Baudry that is my fave pink of the summer, but variety rules, and this is good enough to get more. Sweet red fruits, a touch of herbs, more fruit than mineral, nice change of pace. B+

Friday Betsy, her sister, niece, and mother drove back from Montreal, Canada Day and 2.5 hour border wait made for a late dinner. When they arrived I had in on table within minutes: grilled artic char, corn, and a sesame/cumin broccoli salad, Wine was the 2007 Sauzet Chassagne-Montrachet. Lemon and comice pear, quite minerally, a hint of hazelnut (oak I assume). Lovely, full, fine. B+/A-

Saturday we went to Briarcliff/Scarborough for dinner with friends. Started with pita chips with a salmon dip, hummus, and an herbed cheese, then a Thai-ish chicken/noodle dish, salad, and ending with fruit and a cheese plate (all 4 cheeses from a "live food" vendor, with probiotics- tasted pretty good for healthy).

NV Castellroig Brut
Clean, crisp, fine mousse, good value. B

2009 Sterling Sauvignon Blanc
served on the patio, I didn't see bottle at time but it was pretty clearly ripe SB. Tropical with a little note of gooseberry, no obvious oak, could use a bit more acidic zip, but ok. B-

2008 Pasquale Pelissero "Cascina Croce" Dolcetto d'Alba
Some tannins, low acidity, fruit forward with a grapey edge, clean but I'm just not a big Dolcetto drinker. B-/C+

2007 Besson Dupree Vacqueyras
Tannic, jammy, overripe, another 2007 Rhone that is just too too much for me. C+

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.

Maybe it's just me, but I equate Dolcetto with Beaujolais, even though I realize that Beaujolais can age nicely and I wouldn't attempt that with Dolcetto. I like them both in the afternoon with a simple lunch, and Dolcetto is what we drank each afternoon in Piedmont. It's also what I drank yesterday with lunch at Lupa with homemade pappardelle and duck ragu. For me, it's not a contemplative wine, but it's enjoyable when that grapey edge is balanced by brisk acidity, which is how I would describe the one I had yesterday.

I opened the `06 Francesco Boschis Dolcetto di Dogliani Vigna Dei Prey. Never been much of a Dolcetto fan, this wine was still quite tannic, tart fruit all over the palate, and not at all what I had hoped for. Did not improve much overnight.