Dave, his girlfriend, and her parents joined us for dinner last night, Betsy made a chicken “bouillabaisse “ , broccoli, and a salad, with strawberry galletes to finish
NV Clotilde Davenne Cremant de Bourgogne Extra Brut
Very dry, approaching austere, I think too stern for some but I enjoyed the zippy acids. B
2011 Tissot “Empreinte” Chardonnay (Arbois)
Full, just a hint of oak, pear and lemon fruit, good balance, not especially long but I think could do ok in a blind tasting of say village Chassagne. B
2012 Abbatucci “Gris Imperial” rose
Predictably the best match with the chicken bouillabaisse, accenting an complementing the anise notes. Light, crisp, good. B+/B
2001 Edmunds St John Syrah (California)
Apparently Steve Edmunds was in town, Jay had invited me to dinner but this family dinner was already planned. So I might as well open one of Steve’s wines (especially as Dave is leaning towards Berkeley). Black cherry, smoke, meat all combined in a luscious package. Tannins pretty much gone, but acids hold this up through dinner and beyond. One of the all time great $15 buys. A-/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.