Friday I was solo with some flounder with braised leeks and the 2010 de Villaine Bouzeron Aligote. Tart and tangy (which is what I want in Aligote). Bright acids, lemon fruit, stony. Very good. B+/B
With Betsy in Philadelphia I was happy to be invited to friends’ home for dinner, welcoming an Alsatian former neighbor. Nice dinner with foie gras, Thai shrimp soup, and white beans and wild boar sausage.
2011 Hugel Riesling
Moderate acids, pit fruits and apple, nice. B
1999 Trimbach “Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre” Gewurztraminer
Full bodied, just a distant hint of sugar, light petrol notes. On the palate peach, litchi, and ginger. A little smoky with air. Good showing. B+/A-
1999 Felsina Fontalloro
This was difficult to judge- I had my whites in a regular white wine glass, but the second glass was a beautiful but not so practical stem - small and flaring. Nose seemed muted, on palate soft black cherry, a bit of tannin remaining. I’ve generally liked more. B-?
I seldom drink spirits, but I did try a small sip of an Armagnac made by one of Alex’s relatives. I’ve gotten to point that the heat is so distracting I taste little else. Fun night, though as the lone non-Francophone I occasionally got lost.
Sunday night Betsy returned, and I had dinner ready- red beans “burgers” in pita with lettuce, tzatiki, mushrooms, and onion, Wine was the 2012 Barou “Cuvee des Vernes” Syrah. Light bodied, fresh, black cherry and blackberry, nicely balanced. Fun little wine. B
Monday was family St Paddys dinner- corned beef and cabbage (plus shrimp, mainly for the pescetarian SiL) and a couple of wines:
2012 Vollenweider “Wolfer Goldgrube”Kabinett
great acids, crisp Granny Smith fruit with a squirt of lime, a mountain brook minerality. A-/B+
1975 Langoa-Barton
Opened as I thought the BiL might enjoy a red, and figured the Bartons were Irish. I’ve liked this more before- there’s still a nice fruit base here, but it seems to be drying out on finish, and without a steak to balance it seems the tannins are still gritty. B-/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.