Thursday was fish tacos, and usually I’d go for something lighter the Burg, but I wanted to try the 2018 Pernot Bourgogne Cote d’Or (blanc). Nice balance, good acids, full citrus and apple fruit, some citrus blossoms. Nice for level. Did they just start listing Cote d'Or in name? Don't remember before. B/B+
Friday was first time for an al fresco socially distanced dinner at friends. We went retro and brought rumaki, with the 2015 Sidonio de Sousa Brut Nature Rosado Cava. Bright, tangy, refreshing, with cherry and strawberry. B
There first course was grilled clams with garlic and lemon, served with the delicious
2018 Collestefano Verdicchio di Matelica . Saline, oystershell, citrus and peach. B+
Chicken satay, rice salad, mango/pepper salad
2009 St Innocent “Zenith” Pinot Noir
I used to buy SI wines regularly, but have never tried this vineyard. Raspberry/kirsch, a little sensation of heat (but I checked, 13.5), a creamy cherry-cola note. Not totally my style. B-
Pretty amazing weather, invited some friends for a visit across yard. Pate, soppressata, hummus, etc - she had Chablis, he wanted red so I opened the 2007 Vallana Boca. Nice showing - fragrant, cherries with rose petals, a little tar. This was low $20s a few years ago, good value B+
After they left, we had a few oysters before dinner
2018 Gilbert Picq Chablis
Crisp, lemon and a little wet rock, snappy acid finish. Good value. B
Dinner was veal chops with sage, lemon risotto, spinach
2005 Joseph Voillot Volnay Vieilles Vignes
I thought a village Volnay might be approachable, oops,this is still wrapped in some tannin, and not really appealing. Nose of barnyard meets ashtray, ripe but slightly rough cherry fruit, this doesn’t seem balanced or very tasty. My first disappointing ‘05 I think C+
Another couple for a visit, similar menu to day before, but with addition of Betsy’s gravlax (Gabrielle Hamilton recipe) and some pickles (ramp, carrot, turnip). They wanted pink, opened the 2019 Thibaud Boudignon Rose de Loire. Light, cranberry and strawberry, refreshing if not memorable. B-
Dinner was grey sole, garlic scape pesto on fusilli, salad
2016 Fraga do Corvo Godello
Ripe pear and peach fruit, good acids, minerally, I quite like. B+
No wine with dinner Monday (kimchi pancakes), but afterwards our Zoom group opened 8 bottles of the 2015 Les Fillottes (Pomerol). A new wine by the Thienpont family (VCC), I’m just not that used to drinking young Bordeaux these days (I used to eagerly taste each new vintage, but as I generally like claret with at least 20 years, lately less excited about things to drink in my late 70s or 80s). So this was a stretch for me. The oak was so dominant at first, though I really think it was spicy and likely to integrate well. Red plummy fruit, a little herb note, there is a bit of that Pomerol lush textural note. For me for drinking now B-, but I think this might be quite the respectable Pomerol when it matures, and it’s not priced badly for Pomerol.
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.