Dinner Monday on patio with grilled pork chops, stuffed squash blossoms, sauteed amaranth, and salad, the 2012 FX Pichler “Loibner Burgstall” Riesling Federspiel. Cool white peach and apple flavors, rocky, long, crisp. I like this a lot, though as usual waver re the FX premium (this is a $30+ Federspiel). B+/B
Tuesday I skipped wine with leftovers before heading to city to lead some camp kids on a "midnight run" (a cat herding adventure). Last night forecast swung back and forth re whether we’d have an evening thunderstorm, they decided to go ahead with the Estherwood concert. I met friends for a picnic: crab salad with avocado and tomato, duck rillettes, green salad, snap peas, and more. Nice evening- towards end it got dark and windy and most fled, we hung out and got rewarded- it cleared, a nice breeze, and pleasantly cool. Multiple wines were tried
2006 Thomas-Labaille Les Monts Damnes Sancerre
Quite full on opening, balanced, white fruits, mineral. Within about 30 minutes it's showing oxidation, developing cidery notes. 8 is maybe pushing for most Sancerres, but I expected a bit more based on bottle a few years ago. I did note a blue-tinged cork ala some Premox Burg reports. B+ on opening, C+ with time.
2013 Giraudon Bourgogne Aligote
This was a little screechy for my tastes, tart and lemony. B-
2013 Baudry Chinon Rose
I’ve heard interweb murmurs this is a bit of a let down vs. previous vintages, but for me this is another winner. Bright focused red fruit, lifting acids, a bit of citrus peel, rocks on the finish. B++
2013 Sacha Lichine Rose
Light, easy, refreshing, B-
2013 Houchart rose (Cotes du Provence)
Quite floral, tart/not quite ripe strawberries, light. B/B-
Fun night with good friends
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C drinkable. 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.