WTN: Wines and a cancelled party

Sunday we had a slow day around the house, doing some prep for a Labor Day party, watching the dog sleep, etc. Betsy made a late summer favorite, lobster with browned corn and fresh tomatoes. I opened the 2011 Closel “Jalousie” Savennieres - wool and wax, chalk, citrus fruits. Nice length for level, focused. Less successful than I hoped for match, but very good wine. B+

Good thing I only had a bit over a glass of wine with dinner, because after dinner Betsy realized Lucy had broken her stitches, and had an infection, and I spent most of the night at ER vet. Back home at midnight, hours of listening to crying dog. Next morning we cancelled Labor Day party (sorry folks, 40 people doesn’t go well with sick dog and sleepdeprived hosts). On Monday once dog was settled some freezing, some dropping off food at a pantry, a little lunch (grilled 5 lbs of lamb). For dinner we some tortellini with pesto that had been dropped off and the 2011 Edmunds St John “Heart of Gold” Clean, white pit fruits and lots of flowers, good acidic grip. B+/B

Tuesday dog was resutured, dinner was a seafood (mussels, scallop, and shrimp, with lobster broth) risotto, the wine was the 2007 Fevre “Bourgos” Chablis GC. Fresh, no sign of PremOx, rich, citrus, saline mineral notes. B+/A-

Wednesday was SOBER reported elsewhere. Tonight Betsy made an old fave, the Zuni Cafe chicken with figs. Cooking wine was South African, the 2011 Joostenberg Family Blend (mostly CB). More Clarksburg than Vouvray, a nice rounder wine with pear and peach fruit, lots of flowers, just a hint of wool. Nice bargain wine. B-/B

Dinner was on patio, with the 2011 Donkey and Goat “Helluva” Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley) I found this challenging, speaking more of “natural” than “delicious”. Tart cranberry and cherry fruit, good acids, earthy, but not making me want more, II want to like this more than I actually do. B-

And the hound is healing nicely (but hates the Elizabethan collar)

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.

I hope the dog continues to heal!

And the hound is healing nicely (but hates the Elizabethan collar)

Glad to know she is healing. Hope you have no more problems. I don't know of any dog that likes an Elizabethan collar but they are worse for some dogs than others. My bulldog had a real tough time with them and I am sure they are difficult for bassets as well.

the 2011 Donkey and Goat “Helluva” Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley) I found this challenging, speaking more of “natural” than “delicious”. Tart cranberry and cherry fruit, good acids, earthy, but not making me want more, II want to like this more than I actually do. B-

I have not tried D&G yet but this description could have been written by me for the first two Broc reds (Zin and Syrah) that I have tried. They tasted more like each other than anything else I have tried and the tart cranberry and acid is a good description. The closest thing that I have had to the Broc wines is my own homemade wine when in 2010 due to a family issue I harvested everything at the same day and co-fermented it all together. Its a blend of Aglianico, Barbera, Sangio, Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot & Syrah. Brix were low ranging from 20-22 and acids high. More floral than fruit on the nose. To say I was shocked to find a commercial wine that taste similar to this is an understament but to find two from the same producer was completely unexpected. I am sitting on my remaining Broc for a while to see if some time in the bottle helps.

Cats don't like the collars either as my daughter's 2 cats found recently..Now collarless, its like they were let out of jail..

Dale: I dont drink a lot of CB but had a Baron Herzog CB recently..nice but nothing to write home about..Cd you pls expad on "wool" as a descriptor? In the Herzog wine, I found some pear, some peach but not a lot going on ..

Dale: I dont drink a lot of CB but had a Baron Herzog CB recently..nice but nothing to write home about..Cd you pls expad on "wool" as a descriptor?

Drink some CB from the Loire and it will often be hard to miss! (Although I have no idea what it actually is chemically and whether it is from the grape or some of the local winemaking practices)

Thanks Jim and everyone, so far so good re healing

Glad to know she is healing.// I don't know of any dog that likes an Elizabethan collar but they are worse for some dogs than others. My bulldog had a real tough time with them and I am sure they are difficult for bassets as well.

Yeah, bulldogs are like bassets, thick necks that mean they need the larger sized collars, but short legs mean the collars hit ground unless they hold head up (with bassets, their life is their nose, so when I walk Lucy it sounds like a grader going down street as collar scrapes asphalt).

I have not tried D&G yet but this description could have been written by me for the first two Broc reds (Zin and Syrah) that I have tried

I haven't tried Broc yet, but on recommended list. This D&G was interesting, and I might have liked more with different food. We'll see how it has fared overnight.

Dale: I dont drink a lot of CB but had a Baron Herzog CB recently..nice but nothing to write home about..Cd you pls expad on "wool" as a descriptor? In the Herzog wine, I found some pear, some peach but not a lot going on ..

As Rahsaan says, pretty classic CB aroma descriptor, though my experience is mostly Loire. Like (clean) wet wool, or a jar of lanolin.

[David M. Bueker]

D&G Syrah has been in the interesting but not delicious category for me.

Rahsaan, Dale..thanks, got it, Lanolin, eau d' wet wool sweater..

Dale: I dont drink a lot of CB but had a Baron Herzog CB recently..nice but nothing to write home about..Cd you pls expad on "wool" as a descriptor?

Drink some CB from the Loire and it will often be hard to miss! (Although I have no idea what it actually is chemically and whether it is from the grape or some of the local winemaking practices)

Although I see it less often from the top producers these days. It is something I associate with "old school" Loire, wines that softened into a woolly, diffuse, brown sugar funk.

Dale: I dont drink a lot of CB but had a Baron Herzog CB recently..nice but nothing to write home about..Cd you pls expad on "wool" as a descriptor?

Drink some CB from the Loire and it will often be hard to miss! (Although I have no idea what it actually is chemically and whether it is from the grape or some of the local winemaking practices)

Although I see it less often from the top producers these days. It is something I associate with "old school" Loire, wines that softened into a woolly, diffuse, brown sugar funk.

Maybe related to sulfur?

Although I see it less often from the top producers these days. It is something I associate with "old school" Loire, wines that softened into a woolly, diffuse, brown sugar funk.

Maybe related to sulfur?

Sounds varietal to me, as I've tasted it too.

[David M. Bueker]

I am tasting it now in a barely premoxed 2002 Huet.