WTN: Bdx,. Burg, Loire, Champagne

Betsy got home Wednesday night, so Iwas happy she was cooking dinner Thursday while I made an early trip to city. Came back to duck breast over mizuna, with cumin carrot puree, and opened the 2002 Launay “Les Perrieres” Pommard Vignes Centenaire. Ripe red fruit, a little low acid, ready if not enthralling. B-

Friday was a variation of Buta Kakuni, with harukei turnips being added to the braised pork belly, served with the . 2019 Guion Bourgueil rose. Light, bright cranberry and raspberry, delicate, fun, good value. B

Peppered salmon
R de Ruinart Brut Champagne
Fuller style, toast and brioche over apple fruit, good length. B+/B

Lobster with corn and tomato and Minus 8 vinegar
2017 Joseph Colin "En Remilly" Saint-Aubin 1er Cru
Some oak, but bright white pit fruits and mineral notes, earthy and long. B+/A-

Dry aged porterhouse, baked potato. salad

1990 Ch. La Lagune
Corked, atrociously!

2000 Ch. Talbot (St. Julien)
Ripe ready and modern. Dark fruit, lots of mocha, some spice/incense. Tannins are easy, nice if not classic. B+

1998 Ch. Dalem (Fronsac)
Black plum, coffee, and a little cedar, ready to go. B


Oysters, lemon sole in panko, tomato confit with lime, honeynut squash, salad on Sunday
2018 Luneau-Papin L d’Or Granit Muscadet
Big yet lithe Muscadet, lemon and green apple, minerally/saline finish, nice length. 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.

Minus 8 vinegar.

Sent me to google for something I had never heard of before. You learn something new everyday. Although it appears they have multiple products. Which one was such a good match with the St Aubin? I always use acid/citrus/vinegar in cooking for balance, but won't necessarily include it in prominent amounts when matching with wine.

This was the original (ice wine vinegar). I was just saying on FLDG/kitchen that we've been making this recipe for years during corn/tomato season, but always just with good red wine vinegar. Since we aren't doing restaurants. we finally splurged($50 for 250 ml)

But I don;t think it was crucial to the wine match, we used a tablespoon for 4 portions. It did add more sweetness than the Ridge red wine vinegar we had used last couple times. But it's really not hard to match a good white Burg with lobster. Tomatoes are more problematic than vinegar, but these (oxheart, green zebras, and a yellow one I don't know) were fine. .

This was the original (ice wine vinegar). I was just saying on FLDG/kitchen that we've been making this recipe for years during corn/tomato season, but always just with good red wine vinegar. Since we aren't doing restaurants. we finally splurged($50 for 250 ml)

But I don;t think it was crucial to the wine match, we used a tablespoon for 4 portions. It did add more sweetness than the Ridge red wine vinegar we had used last couple times. But it's really not hard to match a good white Burg with lobster. Tomatoes are more problematic than vinegar, but these (oxheart, green zebras, and a yellow one I don't know) were fine. .

Sounds good. That is a splurge but we all have to pick our moments. And it's nice to support beautiful products that we want to continue to exist!

Oops, left off a wine Friday. The 1974 Oddero Barolo. Initial nose was seemingly maderized, but gave it some time in decanter. Comes back to life, but as an old dowager in her final days. Kirsch, dried leaves, "Russian tea" (Tang). Drinkable, more interesting than delicious. C+/B-