Thursday we went up to Fable Farm, where we get our CSA from, for a dinner (in a hoop house greenhouse, sides rolled up, cute setting).
Some great bread followed by:
Honeynut squash with a salsa made from the seeds and a zingy cider sauce
Halibut wrapped in fig leaf
Mushroom ravioli with more mushrooms
Berkshire pork , mole sauce, grilled apples
Cinnamon bread with baked apples
2015 Thomas Morey “Dents de Chien” Chassagne-Montrachet 1er
Rich, ripe and full, but with balancing acids, pear and just a hint of butterscotch, nice tangy finish. B+/A-
2002 Sylvie Esmonin Gevrey-Chambertin VV
This was a disappointment. A little volatile, some oaky notes still, some hard tannins as well. Kirschy nose, don’t know what happened here. C+
2005 Chevillon Bourgogne
Replacement. Red and black cherries, earth, hint of sandalwood. Resolved and ready. B/B+
Friday was slow-roasted pork spare ribs, sweet potatoes, broccoli rabe,salad
2019 La Bastide Blanche Bandol Rose
Pale, classic, tangy, and tasty. B+
Saturday oysters, then a squid/mushroom salad, corn
2010 Boulay Comtesse Sancerre
A really tasty mature Sancerre, but clearly more mature than other bottles I’ve had. Clear variation here. Citrus, seashell, but also some nutty notes. B+/B
Some friends for dinner on patio
Smoked scallop canapes, radish leaf pesto on radishes
Oysters
Lobster salad (Japanese-esque, shiso etc)
Short ribs with potatoes
Salad
Melon
NV Moutardier Pure Meunier Brut Nature Champagne
Tangy, pit fruit, baking bread, nice flavor profile but this is a bit too austere for me. B-
2018 Morgen Long Chardonnay (Willamette)
White fruits, a touch of oak, nice balanced acidity. Fresh and tasty B+/B
1967 Marchesi di Barolo Barolo
Lifted nose, cinnamony spice over macerated cherries, some leather and dried rose petals, this is fun but definitely getting on. B
2005 Haut Bergey (Pessac-Leognan)
Ripe, still some structure, black plum and a little rocky gravel, still a bit of oak gloss, a bit more modern than my preference but very popular at tables. B
Our weekly Zoom group did Edmunds St John, the 2013 North Canyon and the 2016 El Jaleo. I only opened the former. The 2013 Edmunds St John North Canyon Road- Fenaughty/ Barsotti Syrah was a tight tight wine when first opened. It improved dramatically with a couple hours of air- restrained black fruits, smoke, smoked meats. Lithe and long. This needs time, but will be a good long term wine IMHO. B+/A-
I think most enjoyed the El Jaleo, but found it a bit simple side by side with the Syrah. I think everyone enjoyed the idea of “California take on Spanish grapes.”
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.
