With Betsy out of town, was invited to friends’ home for dinner. Their son was in town, and his best friend who was joining Navy today also joined us. I carried over some boquerones to make canapes, they had out the 2011 Avinyo Cava Brut Nature Reserva,. Dry and crisp, honeycrisp with a touch of cinnamon. Nice value. B/B+
Dinner was spaghetti with meatballs and sausage, with salad and onions in vinegar. Some reds:
2006 L'Oca Ciuca Brunello di Montalcino
Raspberry and cranberry, a little leather, some tannin, balanced acids. B/B+
1997 Mastroberardino Taurasi Radici
Red fruits, a little lifted, still some rather coarse tannin, some tobacco and herb. With air it takes on a little roasted edge. B-
2011 Marion Cabernet Sauvignon (Veneto)
Big, sweet, a touch raisiny, not my style of CS. C+
Saturday I made kielbasa and kraut. I simmered the kraut in wine, then slowcooked with cabbage. Cooking wine was the 2014 Ravines Dry Riesling. Good acids, sweet peach fruit, nice but a little short. B-
2013 Karthauserhof Riesling Grosses Gewachs
No one would call this short. Ginger, slate, lemon zest. Intense and long. A-
Sunday I picked up Betsy at airport, a quick stop at home for her to drop cello and change clothing, and then to a pre-Chinese New Year dinner. I didn’t get a look at bottle of a serviceable Prosecco. When we went to table (dumplings, chicken with mushrooms, tofu with celery, steamed red snapper, rice, my cucumber salad, etc)
2010 Domaine du Chalet Pouilly Pouilly-Fuisse
Others liked this, but I thought flat and showing incipient premox. A little oxidative, a hint of caramel, drink up. C+
2013 Ravines Dry Riesling
Seemed a bit longer and more bracing than the ‘14 the day before, fresh and easy. B/B+
1998 Vieux Chateau Charvin
Black fruits, herbs, a little coffee. Midbodied, smooth tannins, easy and popular. B
Fun night. No wine tonight (tofu tikka masala, cardamom rice, bok choy).
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.