Monday Betsy made a vegetable pot pie (fennel, leek, potato, and asparagus, sour cream filling, puff pastry). Wine was JM Selequee “Solessence” Extra Brut Rose Champagne.
Snappy, crisp and tart but not hard,. Pit fruits and cherry, citrus zest A-/B+
No wine Tuesday (grilled chicken, discard scallion pancake, grilled mushroom and Japanese eggplant, ban chan)
Betsy made Sabzi (Afghan version, lamb and spinach stew)with challaw (Cardomon rice)
2006 Texier Brezeme Cotes du Rhone. Lovely, black cherry and raspberry, herby/wild grass, campfire. Round texture but with good acid backbone, what a fun wine. B++
Thursday was mussels with fennel (seeds and bulb), over pasta, with
2015 Louis Michel Vaudesir Chablis Grand Cru (375 ml). I like Louis Michel a lot, but the 2015 shows a bit more than producer. Ripe pear, peach, definitely not snappy but there is some balance. B
Crispy turkey with za’aatar/olive rice and spinach
2002 Olga Raffault "La Popliniere" Chinon
This was a drink now cuvee, should have been consumed many years ago, found in a forgotten mixed vase.but there’s actually still some tangy red fruit. It’s pretty short, and gets a little volatile after a while, but a survivor. B-
2005 Guion Cuvee Prestige Bourgueil
This wasn’t just a survivor, but an achiever. Dark fruit (plum and cassis), earth, a little barnyard funk, a pleasant hint of CF pyrazines on finish. Not just held up well, offering some complexity and has room to go. B+/A-
Saturday crab cakes, yu choy, and 2019 Goodfellow Temperance Hill Chardonnay, New bottling for me. A little flint and matchstick, Lemonhead with orange peel, tangy acids, fun wine. 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.