Tuesday I had fish/meat balls from HMart in ramen with some veggies, sort of a fake pho.
The 2015 Ique Malbec was straightforward and easy- plush berry and plum fruit, no apparent oak, light tannins. This would do well as house red in a tavern/burger place. B-
Wednesday I was supposed to be picking up Betsy at LGA, but mechanical difficulties delayed first leg enough she knew she’d miss connection, so she spent another night in Sacramento. The hound and I went over the hill to some friends, where a bass player and his lab from Brooklyn were also visiting. Dogs had a ball, and so did humans. Started with macadamias, pate, and home-smoked salmon
2015 Cantalupo “Il Mimo”
Fuller style of rose, comes across as heavy and maybe a little hot. B-
2013 Raventos “De Nit” Cava Brut Rosado
Pale, crisp, fresh Raspberries and strawberries, light floral notes. B+/B
Then ribs, slaw, tomato salad, and baked beans
2013 Tensley “Lite: Syrah
And lite it was (12.3 abv I believe). I quite liked - bright berries, floral funk, bright and lively. B+/B
2008 Adanti Sagrantino di Montefalco
Big, somewhat extracted, but holds it well. Black plums, some cocoa, some tannin. B/B+
2014 Guy France “Bouquet de Syrah” (VdP l’Ardeche)
Reductive syrah nose. Just too rubbery for me. Possible it blew off, but hound and I walked home. For pop n pour C/C+
Thursday I DID pick up Betsy, and took her home to an assortment of mostly leftovers. Ribs, steak, caprese, bok choy, and squash. Wine was the 2014 JP Brun/Terre Doree “L’Ancien” Beaujolais VV. Lovely cherry and raspberry fruit, earth, forest floor. Lively, with more tannin than you normally get in Beaujolais AC, no hurry on these. 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.