With rack of lamb with berbere, whole wheat couscous, bok choy, the 2000 Lopez de Heredia Tondonia Reserva. I’m a big LdH fan but this wasn’t saying much, high acid, more oak than fruit, I’ll hold rest, for now B-/C+
Friday we went to Sripraphai in Queens for a belated 60th party for brother-in-law. Nice assortment of dishes- tom yum goon, watercress with squid and shrimp , drunken noodles, kao soy (egg noodles with tofu), shrimp curry, Chinese broccoli with crispy pork, and fried sea bass
1959 Umberto Fiore Gattinara Spanna Riserva
Stood up for 2 weeks, carefully double-decanted, surprisingly dark. Knew a terrible match with food, but honoring the birthday. But who what a weird nose. Volatile, with some wet cement meets paint thinner. Actually when you got past nose (hard to do) it had fairly full sweet fruit, red cherry with spice. But that nose…….C/C+
2009 AJ Adam Hofberg Kabinett
Much better with food! Drinks more like a Spatlese (or old school Auslese), plenty of sugar, some weight, bright red apple with ginger and rocks. B+
Saturday was Ruby’s 3rd birthday, and we hosted a party/lunch. Guests included a Cavapoo, an Aussie Shepherd mix, a beagle mix, a Griffon Bruxellois, and a Bernadoodle puppy. Their people enjoyed hot dogs, snacks, and hot cider. I had intended to open a Mulderbosch Faithful Hound, but the beagle’s person is a winegeek so I upgraded to the 2001 Edmunds St John Bassetti Syrah. Yum! Black fruit, smoke, and a hint of grilled meat - to be fanciful I’d say possibly marinated in soy! Some light tannin in background, good acidic balance. Took remainder to a dinner party that night where it had held up well, with a little leather added. A-
That night we went to some friends’ apartment for a dinner party. I brought smoked bluefish on watermelon radish canapes, someone else brought fried green tomatoes with remoulade. Dinner was a pork/butternut stew, fennel/apple slaw, and rice.
NV Jose Michel Rose Champagne
Red berries and cherries, competent, brisk. B-
2015 Bergstrom Cumberland Reserve Pinot Noir (Willamette)
Red berries and spice, fairly full, good structure. My first Bergstrom, I liked. B/B+
2015 Eva Fricke Kiedrich Riesling (Rheingau)
Good acids, dry to point of austerity, better with stew that on its own. B
Betsy had a very long recording day Sunday, I did dinner, and her sister and brother-in-law joined us for late dinner. Oysters, butternut soup, 5 spice duck breast over sauteed savoy and daikon greens, roasted rutabaga and shallots, mizuna/pear/chevre salad. Kath had been apple picking and brought pie for dessert.
2018 Pepiere Clos des Briords Muscadet
Another stellar Briords, apple, citrus and saline with herby notes. Plenty of acid, rich but taut. Oystershell finish. This should age well, but unless I hide bottles I fear I will drink young. A-/B+
1959 Vietti Barbaresco
Since the Gattinara hadn’t shown well Friday, I opened this, decanted 2 hours before dinner. Much more typical color (pale) and nose. Some nice dried red fruit but more defined by dried floral notes and leather, some brown sugar on finish, fun. B/B+
1999 Lafarge Volnay Vendanges Selectionnees
wow, 20 year old village wine and it's still a bit tannic, acidic, and shutdown. But with time it begins to unfold, black cherries and a bit of mocha, some mushroom, real acidic backbone. No hurry here 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.
