WTN: T'giving- Huet, Canon, CFE, Piper, ArnotR, Foillard

Thanksgiving eve I thawed choucroute and opened the 2002 Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emile Riesling. Man this is in a nice place. Pear, peach, lime zest, and rocks. Lots of rocks. Plenty of acid but without any hard corners. A-

My first Thanksgiving without Betsy since marriage (visiting her mom). I went over to her sister’s for a snack and a drink. The 2008 Huet Clos du Bourg Vouvray Sec is a fun burst of honeycomb, wax, and apple. Some floral notes with air. Drinking well already. B+

Ruby the hound and I went over to friends’ for the big meal. We started with crudite with tzatziki, smoked scallop canapes on endive or green apple with yogurt/dill, and charcuterie (pate, pork rilletes, pastourma).

2008 Piper-Heidsieck Brut Champagne
French toast, apple, citrus. Ripe brioche notes, apple, orange zest. Dosage a bit high. Good but doesn’t scream great vintage. B

They did a big spread - turkey, dressing, gravy, Brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes with pecans, salad, marinated celeriac, pumpkin pie, apple pie.

2013 (I think) Arnot-Roberts Syrah
This was decanted a while but still remained a little tight. Quite structured, but nice future - black plum, pepper, little herby note. But for drinking now B-/B

2013 Foillard “Cuvee Corcelette” Morgon
Red and black cherry, smoke, nice slightly gamey meat notes. Full bodied, structured but easy to drink, quite good. B++

Back home, 1983 Ch. Canon (375 ml)
Cherries, mushrooms, earth, incense. Fully mature, in a nice place from half. B+/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.

[David M. Bueker]

That 2002 CFE is soooo goooood.

2013 Foillard “Cuvee Corcelette” Morgon
Red and black cherry, smoke, nice slightly gamey meat notes. Full bodied, structured but easy to drink, quite good. B++

Some like to hold these things longer, but '13 Beaujolais is in a great spot for my tastes. Working through '13 Descombes Regnie VV and Morgon VV and both are great in their own way. More resolved texture and harmony than in the early years, but still plenty of fruit - and why not drink them now.

[Jenise]

What Rahsaan said.

Our Thanksgiving was spent with non-wine people--he drinks beer, she loves making cocktails, but they've never served wine to us. So I just offered to bring some as a contribution to the meal. To my surprise, they served a Sicilian white they'd fallen in love with on a trip there, and it was nervy and minerally and what you'd hope for but not expect from non-wine people, though not a label I've seen here. Feu D'o. I took a Washington Zinfandel, a 2015 Portteus--inexpensive, a bit oaky but fruit forward due to the warm year--the kind of wine that does real well with non -wine people with some recipes from David Leite's book on the food of that country and I was right, Mike the beer guy loved it. Also, a 2010 Cvne Imperial because the menu was slanted in a Portugese direction. I was surprised by the firmness of the tannins--Bob and I still found it eminently drinkable and it was our favorite of the two, but because of them our hosts preferred the Portteus. Those will smooth out in a couple years.