With a sheetpan dinner of coriander chicken and brussels sprouts, the 2016 Brundlmayer Ried Heiligenstein Riesling. Young, powerful, maybe a touch closed down. Petrol, green apple. (Note I actually wrote down 2006, but pretty sure from memory and notes this was 2016). B/B+ for now
Strip steak, truffled potatoes, salad, and the 2017 Sadie Family Treinspoor Ouwingerdreeks. Old vine Tinta Barroca from South Africa, not something I have often! Reminds me of a ripe Rhone Syrah- juicy black fruit, a touch of smoked meat and leather. Moderate acids, firm tannin, good finish. Betsy especially liked. I was happy with it at price I paid ($40ish0, would be less thrilled at retail $60+. But glad to try, don’t think I’ve ever had Tinta Barroca outside a port blend. B+/B
Teriyaki salmon, fava beans, rice with furikake, & salad, with th 2020 Lapalu Beaujolais-Villages
Glou glou in all the right way. Juicy red cherry and cranberry, light, fresh, with a prickly hint of fizz. Fun without trying for complex. B+
Cool weather is really here, so time for choucroute (ham bone, bacon, knackwurst, garlic sausage, pork chop),
2019 Emrich-Schönleber “Mineral” Riesling Trocken
Zippy, Zappy, Snappy. Dry, vibrant lime fruit, a hint of ginger, stony finish. B++
1989 Trimbach “Cuvee Frederic Emile” Vendagnes Tardives
Rich, honeyed, just off dry. Long, complex. With apple, petrol, flint, & smoke, one of my all time fave Rieslings, hitting on all cylinders. A-/A
Oysters, skate with a pepper/caper brown butter, an eggplant/tomato/pepper Napoleon with tomato coulis (from a vendor at farmer’s market, I didn’t make) leftover potatoes, salad. I’ve had some variability, this bottle of the 2010 Boulay “La Comtesse” Sancerre was fully mature with some almond nuttiness, but not tired with tangy grapefruit and Granny Smith, herb, and a chalky finish. B+
Betsy played Bargemusic Sunday (great concert with a Mozart quartet, live premiere of a Victoria Bond quartet, and a piano quintet by Amy Beach). Afterwards I was hoping to find a place for dinner in Brooklyn Heights, Jeff G said I should be looking in other direction, we went to one of his suggestions, Atrium Dumbo, and it worked out perfectly. Betsy had great mussels in a curry sauce and good smoked duck, I had a fun beet salad and reginetti (new pasta to me) with lamb shoulder. We had 3 glasses of wine:
2020 Sete Cepas Albarino
Peach, a little grass, moderate acids, easy. B
2019 Kimich Deidesheimer Herrgottsacker Riesling Trocken (Pfalz)
From a liter bottle.. Fleshy, nectarine and mango, hint of spritz. B-
2020 Vincent Paris Syrah (VdP Collines Rhodaniennes)
Wow, this was a fun surprise. Juicy, red and black berries, a little underbrush. Straightforward and fun, nice glass for money. ($14)
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.