Came home from a speech, sauteed some flounder, had that with some maki Betsy had left me, salad, and the 2011 Ridge Estate Chardonnay. Nice crispness for Cali Chard, but this is really quite oak-marked. Maybe it’ll integrate in time, but not on my dime. B-/C+
Thursday I grilled pork tenderloin with cumin, fennel, and coriander, gave Betsy some wine choices, she said “pink bubbly.” I went with the Agusti Torello Mata Trepat Rosat Brut Resrva cava (disgorged 11/2011), Nice wine- strawberries, orange zest, chalk. Nice mousse, good length. B+
I broiled some bluefish with a dijonnaise sauce, with broccoli & rice, I had opened the
2012 Bzikot Bourgogne Blanc. Nice clean lemony Chardonnay fruit, minerally, this is more Chablis-like than CdO-ish to me (and I like it). Holds well over couple days due to good acids, gets more green apple-ish. B+/B
But I was itching to open the 375ml of the 2008 Chidaine “Clos de Breuil” Montlouis I had picked up on closeout at Grapes, and thought that would be a great match with the bluefish - and it was. Very floral, a little wax, cidery apples, well-balanced, snappy. B+/A-
Saturday Betsy was in Philly and I was soloing, dinner was braised venison and leftover vegetables, with the 2004 Ch. Talbot (375 ml). Quite forward, lower acid, coffee, black plum, nice drink now Bordeaux in a more modern style than I anticipated from Talbot. B
A friend dropped by Sunday afternoon and I opened the 2013 La Clarine Farm rose. This is an odd wine- cloudy (unfiltered/unfined) with an orange tint, in many (most) ways it reminds me more of an “orange” wine than a traditional rose. Citrus peel, plum skin, smoke. Odd wine I find more interesting than tasty. B-/C+
That evening I walked over the hill to some friends for dinner. A jazz bass player was visiting from Paris, and a nice little group convened to welcome him (Betsy joined later as she drove in from Philadelphia). With snacks the NV Ployez-Jacquemart “ Marie Weiss” Brut Champagne. Apple pie with cinnamon, medium bodied, fine mousse. Not especially complex but a nice value in $25 Champagne (a thin category). B
Dinner was spaghetti with meatballs and sausage and a salad with beets, and there was wine:
1995 Mastrobernardino “Radici” Taurasi
Double-decanted before I walked over, I was a little worried about VA and a pruney note when decanting, but that was gone by time we drank. Black cherries and plums, earth, leather. A bit of tannin remaining. B
2004 ? Solaria "123" Brunello di Montalcino
Ripe cherry, some oak gloss, round for Brunello (or at least to what I remember BdM being). B-
2011 Parusso Nebbiolo (Langhe)
This is simple Langhe but it’s got some structure. Redder fruit, spice, good. B/B+
Monday I made a nice dal, but no wine as I was taking a group from John Jay College around city on a service trip. Tuesday I came home and made some mushrooms (oyster, bluefoot, shiitake) and turnip greens before heading to Scarsdale for a concert. Betsy’s quartet did an early Mendelssohn quartet and then were joined by her sister for a Brahms viola quintet. While she mingled afterwards, I headed home and threw (cooked, thawed) duck legs in oven. When she arrived we had the 2001 Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny. Lovely showing with some air- black cherries, spice, earth, smoke. Nice acids, just a hint of framing tannin, long, just what one would want in a mature village wine. A-/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.