Our local non-serious wine group was scheduled to do Zinfandel/Primitivo, but our host suddenly had a family emergency. So I volunteered to host. Had some pork/mushroom mousse, foie gras, white anchovies, a couple of cheeses, Fred stopped at Murray’s at Grand Central and brought some more cheese.
Wine #1 2002 Ridge “Geyserville” (Sonoma)
For my tastes this is a pointe. Still some fresh brambly fruits, with some forest floor and splce notes. Balanced, ripe but bright, very nice, I should buy more Ridge zins. A-/B+
Wine #2 2012 Oak Ridge Reserve Ancient Vine Zinfandel
Rounder, touch of vanilla, red berry fruit, some liked more than I did, but reasonably restrained for Lodi.. B/B-
Wine #3 2013 Cline Zinfandel (California)
Simple and straightforward, light with dark berry fruit, but this is $9 so perfectly reasonable. B-
Wine #4 2014 Palmento Galilei (Cantina di Sava) Primitivo (Puglia)
Sweetest wine of the night, a little roasted, a touch hot. C+
Wine #5 2010 Cameron Hughes “Lot 313” Field Blend
Beginning to get a little tired, a little tobacco, slightly jammy plum and blackberry fruit. B-
Wine #6 2014 Tratturi (misread label as Iralluri at first) Primitivo (Salento)
Red berriies, some spice, a little smoke. Fun little wine. B/B+
Saturday the snow rolled in, and I alternated between shoveling, going to office, and prepping for cassoulet. Tosca was cancelled (after Betsy drove to city) so she returned and we had spicy turkey meatballs on spaghetti and broccoli rabe. Wine was the 2007 Donkey and Goat “Recluse” Syrah. Lighter style of CA syrah, nice balance, smoked meats over light black fruits. Some mushroom, a little spice. B+
Sunday when she got back from Lincoln Center some friends joined us for cassoulet. I had discovered the quart of duck fat I had planned on had been given away, but a cup of fat mixed with olive oil did the confit just fine. Not what I think of as traditional- duck, sausages, pork belly and skin, beans of course, but also celeriac, turnips, & smoked turkey wings. But it worked! Nancy brought a spinach salad with fennel and apple.
2011 Juve y Camps “Reserva de la Familia “ Brut Nature Cava
Dry, crisp, fresh rolls and lemon. Not very long, but good QPR. B
2000 Bernadotte (Haut Medoc)
Fully mature (but no hurry), sweet black plums and a little black currant, tannins resolved, moderate finish. B
2007 Lafond Roc-Epine Chateauneuf-du-Pape
OK, so good news is this is not hot or jammy as I feared for 2007 CdP. But it’s a pretty empty wine- sweet black fruits, low acid, not much tannin, just a bunch of sweet fruit sitting there.Others liked more. B-/C+
Monday was no wine, but a nice Persian casserole (potato, tomato, egg with “Indian spices” )
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.
