Friday Betsy made Japanese style pork curry, haiga rice, and salad, I opened the 2015 Selbach-Oster Kabinett ( no vineyard designation). Screwcap. Green apples, peaches, a little honeysuckle. Some sweetness, but not a Spatlese in Kab garb. Decent finish, moderate acids, not very complex but works well with the food. B-
Over to Fred’s for Loire red night, but he had a white opened to start and I brought one as well.Some nice broiled mussels to get into the Loire-feel.
2015 Pascal Janvier”Cuvee du Silex” Jasnieres
Sec-tendre, waxy, citrus and melon, tasty B
2005 Luneau-Papin “L d’Or” Muscadet
A wine pro said he didn’t know a Muscadet could last 12 years. I explained how good the 1989 was last week. Fresh, bright, good acids, lots of citrus peel and wet rocks, Drinking well but no hurry. A-/B+
The blinds reds
Juicy/grapey, bright red fruits, just a touch of herb. 2016 Chantalusserie Bourgueil. B/B+
Smokier, a bit deeper, but similar enough to guess Bourgueil again. 2016 Bel Air “Jour de Soif” Bourgueil B+/B
Mine, so no guesses. Soft, pretty red fruits, tree bark, tannins all resolved. Black olive with air. More mature than most from 90s, but tasty now. 2000 Olga Raffault Chinon B+
Darker fruits, black plum and cocoa, probably Chinon, young. 2015 La Vigne en Veron Chinon B+
I got appellation, but from verbal clues not tasting. Red cherry, smoke, a little floral note but without the geranium note I get from some Loire gamay. 2016 Salvard Cheverny rouge B
A little more complexity, black cherry and coffee, earth, firelogs. Very good. 2013 Hureau “Tuffe” Saumur-Champigny B+/A-
A non-blind bottle of 2013 Cousin “Pur Breton”Anjou was less poopy than I remembered, just a touch of barnyard, some redder fruits, decent finish. B
Fun night
Saturday we met some friends at the UWS location of Sushi of Gari, had a nigiri omakaze meal. Good fish, nice presentation - yellowtail with daikon, red snapper with lotus root, great uni,
fluke with soft boiled quail eff, salmon with broiled tomato, saba, shrimp, toro, scallop, and more.
Wine list had pretty tough markups, we went with a bottle of the 2015 Jolivet Sancerre. Medium weight, fairly ripe, grapefruit with a touch of tropical fruits, B
Sunday we went to Aberdeen in White Plains for dim sum- Shrimp and pork shumai, garlic chicken, beef with fried noodles, eggplant stuffed with shrimp, jalapeno shrimp, squid, and more. 10 people, Mark and I each carried a mag.
1997 d’Epire “Cuvee Speciale” Savennieres
Drinking very well from magnum, apple pie and green apple, wooly/lanolin nose, well-balanced, good finish. B+/A-
NV Pierre Péters “Cuvee de Reserve” Blanc de Blancs Champagne
I meant to check label to see what lot this was, but forgot. But I’ve cellared this mag at least a few years.
Chalky, Granny Smith and Meyer lemon, just a hint of baking bread. Good finish, fun. B+
Our neighbors’ open house was alcohol free, but dinner with friends at our place wasn’t. Sadly we didn’t have bones for the dogs, so they begged a lot.
With smoked salmon and hummus/smoked oyster canapes.
NV Besserat de Bellefon “Cuvee des Moines” Extra Brut Champagne
Crisp, light, easy style of Champagne. Surprised this is Extra Brut . B-/B
dinner was a Moroccan style chicken stew with couscous
1987 Val di Suga “ Vigna del Lago” Brunello di Montalcino
Still alive, but not very complex. Red fruit, no tannin, a little lifted. B-
2014 Baudry “Le Clos Guillot”
Now that’s what I’m looking for. Too young, but still tasty. Herby, juicy, long and balanced. Black raspberry and cherry, tobacco, herbs. Structured. Will try to keep hands off. A-
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.
