Today was the last day of the fall season at NYCO, I tried to come up with something nice for dinner with an exhausted Betsy. I roasted a leg of lamb (garlic/anchovy/rosemary rub) with potatoes, cremini, carrots, etc. Originally I was eying a "splurge" wine to celebrate the fact I'll see her more for next few months, but then realized I needed a cup of red wine to make the sauce- rather than open 2 bottles I downgraded a bit, to the 1998 Ch. Gloria (St. Julien). A nice soft round Medoc, showing better as the tannins have integrated (never a really tannic wine, but I thought the tannins seemed to have a bit of a hard/unripe sense earlier). Black and red currant with a bit of cigarbox, nothing to get excited about, but a decent showing for '98 Left Bank. B
But the weekend's winner (over 3 nights) was the 2005 Paul Pernot Bourgogne Blanc. Sweet Bosc and Bartlett pear fruit, just a little hint of toasted oak, nice texture. Fruit is ripe but acidity is lively. There's a stony minerality that really grabs one's attention. Nice finish for the level. Better than a lot of village Pulignys for my tastes. A solid B+, but straight A for value.
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.