With clams and cherry tomatoes on pasta, the 2018 Fraga De Corvo Godello
Light spritz, saline, bright and tasty. B
With dry-aged ribeye, honeynut squash, rice and salad, the 2001 Ch. Giscours. Pretty tasty mid-modern Margaux, dark berries, cocoa, and a little vanilla. Sweet fruit but balancing acids, some tannin. B+/B
With scallops, collards with tahini, and rice, the 2018 Benito Santos “Saiar” Albarino has granny smith apple, citrus, and a little mineral on finish, B
We went to a small jazz club in Nyack where a friend’s quartet was playing. Betsy got a cocktail, and I should have had a beer, but decided to try the wine list. Did I want to dare trying the Purple Malbec or Lady of Spain Cava?. No, but didn’t do that much better
Oyster Bay Pinot Gris
Sweet canned pear fruit, but at least some decent acids, tangy finish. Not good but at least drinkable. C+/B-
Indaba Mosaic Red
Whoa. Sweet and harsh, volatile, hard clipped finish. I couldn’t drink this. D
I didn’t have any Bourgogne at home to cook with (I am NOT cooking with 1er Burg) so thought I used the 2012 CVNE Cune Rioja Crianza for marinade. But when I tasted the remaining ounce, I discovered I’d actually opened the 2010 Cune Gran Reserva. Oops, but not a big waste, decent Rioja but not special.
Betsy made the coq au vin, and we took dinner to some friends. Appetizer was bluefish and herbed ricotta on watermelon radish or hakurei turnips
2010 F. Carillon “Combettes” Puligny-Montrachet 1er
Ripe and honeyed, but with good acidic backbone, nice length. B+/A-
1978 Steltzner Cabernet Sauvignon
I’ve had wines from Stelztner fruit, but never one they produced. I really enjoyed this Blackcurrant and plum fruit, lots of herby notes, lush but with a sense of brightness. A-/B+
2004 Bonneau “Reserve de Celestins” Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Red and black cherries, sweet, licorice and smoke. Powerful but not monolithic CdP, a treat to taste, but I preferred the old CalCab. B+
Fun night with great people
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.