Friday teriyaki sockeye, pasta with radish leaf pistou, salad, and the 2013 Descombes Brouilly. Crunchy red fruits, bright acids, a little herb. Tasty and fun. B+
Saturday some friends got back from 2 weeks in Central Europe. We put a little Asian bent to dinner, figuring that’s not something they would have probably had in Prague, Vienna, or Budapest. Appetizers were smoked salmon and uni toasts; Champagne was the NV Serveaux “Carte Noire” - fleshy, a bit sweet, yeasty. OK but I liked this more previous try. B-
First sitdown course was a David Chang recipe, cured (coriander/Sichuan pepper/sugar/salt) hamachi over a edamame/horseradish puree with furikake. The puree was great (used a fresh horseradish root from garden), but I had bought sliced yellowtail from Japanese market because the whole YT at HMart had dull eyes- too much surface space. Great flavors, but too intense/salty. I’ll do again, but with a single whole piece. Wine was the 2008 Nikolaihof “Im Weingebirge” Gruner Veltliner Federspiel. Lemon, orange peel, a whiff of white pepper. Midbodied, ready to go. B+
Main course was a Nobu recipe for lobster salad, with a cucumber salad and brown rice with nori. Wine was the 2014 Terre Dorees (JP Brun) Beaujolais Blanc. Midbodied, appley fruit, floral, some chalk. B/B+
We also had a couple of Gamays
2011 Domaine des Billards St Amour
This has shut down a bit since last time I tried, it’s quiter but a nice midbodied Beaujolais. Cherry and raspberry, earth. B in partial hibernation
2013 Lapierre “Raisins Gaulois”
Fresh, fruit, fun. B/B+
With turkey bolognese, broccoli, and kale/tomato salad, the 2011 Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva. A bit tight, fleshes out with air. red plum and dried cherry, saddle leather, a bit of smoke, lots of grip. I’ll give this some more time. 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.