WTN: Trollinger, St Julien, 2.5 Chardonnays

Tuesday was wineless, so happy to have a small dinner for Betsy’s niece (home for spring break) Wednesday. Smoked salmon appetizers, salad, shrimp risotto

2013 JP Brun/Terres Dorees Beaujolais Blanc
Fresh, crisp and clean, with a floral topnote over pit and apple fruit. Lovely and a fine value. Get more B+

2013 Cazin “Le Petit Chambord” Cheverny
Light, citrus, clean. I think based on past vintages this is SB/Chrd. Nice, easy to like. B

Thursday I dug a path through melting snow to my Weber, first time I’d grilled in a while. Grilled skirt steak and squash, with brown rice and kimchee. Wine was the 2002 Ch. Gloria, Soft acids, a little tannin, black & red plums backed with a little mocha. Pleasant enough, but not really drawing interest. Maybe an awkward period, but I think there’s just not a lot of there there. B-/C+

Friday was black snapper roasted with tomato and olives, a barley/quinoa dish made with corned beef/cabbage broth, and spinach. Wine was the 2012 Christian Moreau “Vaillons- Cuvee Guy Moreau” Chablis 1er. Good acids, full, flinty mineral note over white fruits. With air some citrus and maybe a hint of vanilla, but no real overt oak aromas. Bigger style of Chablis. B+/A-

Saturday Betsy made Bolognese sauce over pasta, and I opened the 2013 Knauss Trollinger (Wurttemberg). OK, so it’s not Italian, but it’s same grape as Schiava. Light, good acids, juicy and easy. Could have used a bit more body for this dish, but I could see this as a summer picnic red. 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.

[David M. Bueker]

2002 was not a year for the smaller wines. I am likely to dig up a 2002 Barton sometime soon. Will see how a bigger St. Julian fared.

I tend to like (not love) 2002 Medocs. I think the problem here was an attempt to make a softer easier style in a vintage which was neither soft nor easy. Midweight but stern would be my descriptor of vintage. I would guess Leo-Barton would show better, but I'll hold my 3 bottles of LB a bit longer.

I should have added a retaste of the Cheverny a day later showed much more SB character.

I developed an appreciation for Christian Moreau Chablis wines after a couple sessions at the Nantucket Wine Festival. I hope he is there again this May.