Wednesday I had to speak at a panel at a college in the city, Betsy had dinner before I got back but saved me a plate- skirt steak , broccoli, and mushrooms. I’m a Domaine Bart fan, but the 2011 Bart Fixin didn’t impress me as much as the Marsannays and upper end bottlings always have. Black cherries, a bit clunky, not flawed but lacking in charm. B-/C+
Thursday she made seafood with cioppino-esque flavors, we opened the 2013 Baudry Chinon rose. Oops, is this my last of these? Lovely crisp minerally wine, that works well with a variety of foods, I need to make sure not just to buy “enough for summer picnics”, need this year round. B++
Friday we went to a Thai restaurant in Scarsdale with friends. Salad, larb, calamari, & mixed seafood in a panang curry , I carried along the 2002 Zilliken (Formeister Geltz) Saarburger Rausch Spatlese. Vibrant, a pointe, lime and slate. Good length, fresh, but with some complexity from age. B+/A-
Cooking wine Saturday was the 2013 La Vieille Ferme blanc (Cotes du Luberon). I don’t gravitate towards Rhone-ish whites, but this always is a dependable inexpensive white. Moderate acids, apricot and peach, some nut and saline notes. B/B-
Betsy picked her mom up in Newark, dinner was Daniel Boulud’s tagine with chicken, preserved lemons,and cauliflower with a side of king trumpets & collards. I went downstairs for a Rhone, came back with a Piedmont. I liked the 2010 Pasquale Pelissero “Bricco San Giuliano’ Barbaresco as a $20 wine, so very happy as a $12 Barbaresco. Structured, with firm but balanced tannins and acids. Black cherry, floral, moderate length. B
Sunday Betsy had a concert at Tenri Center in city while I was speaking at an interfaith service in Bedford. I was home first, in the unseasonal warmth I grilled a spiced pork tenderloin and vegetables (squash, peppers, eggplant). Her mom was with us, and the wine was the 2011 Schafer-Frohlich Felseneck Grosses Gewachs, Lovely full bottle of drier Riesling, citrus and pit fruits, vibrant acids, excellent length. Gets better and better. Firm, young, gingery, minerally. Knockout! A-
Some old friends of Betsy’s from CA joined us for dinner Monday. Some tomato/basil bruschetta, starter was the NV Janisson-Baradon Brut Selection. A bit high in dosage for my tastes, sweet apples and candied fruits, not very complex, but works as an apertif. B-
First course was roasted cauliflower with pea sheets, a pea pesto,. and a feta/cauliflower cream. Wine was the 2007 Pinson “Les Clos” Chablis Grand Cru. I wouldn’t call this premoxed, but I would call it totally mature (which is shocking for 7 year old GC). Full, apples and nuts, big and somewhat rounded. B
Main was roasted salmon with rice and salad. A couple of Pinots
1996 Montille Volnay 1er
Pretty, crisp raspberry and cranberry fruit, a bit of tannin, some light mushroom aromas. B+/A-
2008 Kistler “Cuvee Elizabeth” Pinot Noir
Good news is there’s surprising acids. But that can’t make up (for my tastes) for that jammy sweet fruit profile. Big, in your face. I can find appreciation of the Kistler Chardonnays, but this is just not for me. C
No wine Tuesday as we made it to Georgia ahead of Wed’s nor’easter.
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.