Monday Dave took us out to dinner before he headed to CA, I had tenzaru soba but skipped wine (choices were “white” or “red”). Tuesday Betsy made a favorite dish- fried squid, assorted mushrooms,and slices of lemon, served over arugula with parmesan shavings. Wine was the 2005 Fevre “Montee de Tonnerre” Chablis 1er. Full, fresh, flinty, with excellent length. Delicious, and I’d say built for further cellaring, except for my dismal experiences with premox and Fevre. But nice drinking now- A-/B+
Wednesday was the final jazz concert of the season on the grounds of Estherwood, and weather couldn’t have been nicer. A nice mambo band, and a lot of friends just returned from France and elsewhere. Betsy had made a great honeydew/cucumber soup with jumbo lump crab, avocado, and tomato - nice recipe from from John ash via Jenise (viewtopic.php?f=5&t=51837 )
and a nice Nicoise salad using Ventresca. Others brought a variety including a fantastic thick
borscht, and homemade biltong (beef tongue jerky). Wines were shared
2013 Arnot Roberts Clear Lake Rose
Herbs, red fruits, spice, nice. B+
2009 Chidaine “Clos Baudoin” Vouvray
Needs a while to open up, when it does I like a lot. Tropical fruits, wax, wool, excellent length, just the right hint of sugar. I tell Alex (I think a distant cousin of Prince P.) that I think the vineyard is well served by Chidaine taking over. A-/B+
2009 Monje Tradicional(from Tenerife). Red fruited, licorice, spice. A bit grapey, but quite interesting. B/B+
2013 One Woman Sauvignon Blanc (North Fork, Long Island)
Grapefruit, apple, clean, a little rounder/softer than I like my SB. B-
2006 Domaine La Haute Fevrie “ Le Fief du Pegatine “Muscadet
Leesy, nice flavors, saline and citrus, drinking well but drink up. B+
Great night with 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.