Wednesday we headed up to Maine. A few days in south central Maine (lake country), in a lovely house next to a lake (surprise!). The first night oue hosts greeted us with a lovely dinner of salmon, farro with tomatoes, salad, & broccoli rabe, we also enjoyed the 2013 Colle Stefano Verdicchio di Matelica. Bright, crisp, lemony with a little nutty edge and good length. B+/B
Oops! So I packed up a box of wine to share. I was in a real hurry, looked and had 10 bottles (and space for 2 stems for later in week when we are in a different space in Portland). When I got to ME realized I had not emptied box first, so had 3 bottles of one wine, the 1992 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese. Betsy was cooking Thursday night- char sui pork (she had marinaded butt in NY), rice, chard, and salad (we also did a compartative tasting of 24.30, and 36 month old Parmiango that Lily and Steve had brought back from Italy, with plums), The Auslese paired well with the pork-
moderate sweetness, balanced acids, light petrol notes, pit fruits and lemon zest, not especially long or complex but in a really nice place and a good dinner wine. B+
Friday we spent most of day hiking, returning to help with grill night- sausages, mahi mahi, squash, eggplant, king trumpet , eggplant, Morrocan stryle flatbread, tomatoes. The guacamole wasn’t grilled (though tomatillos were broiled). Not dream match, but opened the 1970 Ch. de Pez. Uh oh, the cork is sunken and crumbly (I didn’t bring a Durand), I end up punching through and using a coffee filter. Actually color is good, and wine tastes quite alive. Cassis, smoke, and tobacco, a bit soft on the acid front, but pleasant. Final sip is showing ashtray and caramel, crascking up, but good showing before that. B
Saturday we started with Lily’s homemade gravlax and zucchini basil soup on the deck, with the NV Andre Bremont “Prestige” Grand Cru Brut Champagne. This probably has about 4-5 years in cellar under its belt, and it shows well from it. Complex, fresh, fine mousse, tarte tatin in the oven aromas, smoke, full yet lively A-
We moved inside with the 2007 Huet “Clos du Bourg” Vouvray Sec with Steve’s fresh
fettucine with tomatoes and balsamic, mushrooms with shrimp, and finally a blueberry custard cake. The wine seemed to be in a dumb period, with muted flavors, and I worried re premOx as there was a hint of oxidation, That faded and last sip was best, but I’ll leave my other bottle alone, Others liked, but for drinking now C+/B-
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.