WTN: Drouhin, ESJ, Pepe, Lagune, & more

A great streak of weather led to lots of nice al fresco meals.

I had a simple dinner with Hmart marinated chicken Friday, and the 2007 Jadot “Narbantons” Savigny-les Beaune 1er. I like 2007 (more than most), I like Jadot (more than most), and Narbantons is a vineyard I really like. And it’s recolte, eleve et mise en bouteille par Jadot. But somehow this wine left me cold. Light red fruit, some mushroom, slightly clipped finish, seems to be fading. B-/C+

Saturday had over a few friends= lovely night on patio. Oysters, scallop/avocado/hakurei/shiso crudo, quail, grilled corn, potato salad, burrata caprese, lamb chops, sausage

NV Bremont Cuvee Prestige Champagne
Recent release, fuller, fairly high dosage, good complexity. Mark remarked more Krugish than Comte-ish. B/B+

2018 Goodfellow Richard's Cuvee Whistling Ridge Chardonnay
Some matchstick/reduction, fairly muted, Mark (who brought) was disappointed. It actually was far more open on night 2. A nice wine that needs time.

2010 Drouhin Marquis de Laguiche Morgeot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er
This on other hand is a nice wine in its prime, really at a nice place. Pear, lemon zest, hazelnut, good acids and long rich finish. A-

1979 Ch. La Lagune
Bright 1979 acid, hightoned red fruit, tobacco turning toward ashtray. An elegant older dowager on the downslope but still interesting. B/B-

1998 Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Perfumed, exotic, exciting nose, on the palate it’s a bit more sedate, brambly red and black fruit, moderate finish. B+

Fun night with old friends (who didn’t really know each other before)

Sunday I had swordfish, rice, and salad with the 2016 Edmunds St John Heart of Gold (screwcap). A forgotten bottle I ran across, never intended to cellar even for couple years. . Lovely fresh lemon with a bit of seashell, good persistence, fun.B+

Wanted to get together with friends before they headed to CA for 6 weeks. Oysters, glazed sausage canapes, ribeyes, potato salad, squash, salad on patio

NV R de Ruinart Brut Champagne
Big, briochey, could use a little more zip. B/B-

2019 Yves Martin Sancerre Chavignol
Zippy, limey citrus fruit, floral, long. B++

2015 Darnaud Dardouille St Joseph
Pretty structured, black fruit, somewhat monolithic at moment. 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.

[David M. Bueker]

I am discovering via trial and error that the Goodfellow Pinots can be enjoyed at almost any moment (though some older bottles have shown that good things are there for those who wait), but the Chardonnays DEMAND air/time.

[Jenise]

I love your patio dinners. Oysters, quail and lamb all in the same meal. I think I try too hard to make everything matchy-matchy according to some theme that only I see instead of just letting individual ingredients speak for themselves.

Had and enjoyed that Bremont, and I like your friend's categorization.

Limited experience, but thought the Ribbon Ridge and Dundee wines drank well off bat, it's the better SVs that seem to demand time.

Jenise, less a plan, than (1) Betsy not being here, (2) different wines I wanted to serve for different people, and (3) different foods I know people like. And lots of dishes I could do before people arrived (crudo, grilled quail & squash were room temp, salads) or required only a few minutes (shucking, finishing sous vide racks, etc). I don't love SV steaks, but like lamb or pork.

Wow, SV used twice, different meanings.

[Jenise]

Either way it all sounds posh, cohesive and delicious.