No wine Monday (scallops with an Auslese Riesling sauce), but Tuesday with grilled Hmart chicken and Chinese broccoli opened two:
2019 Goodfellow House Block Pinot Noir
Red fruited, baking spices, but really fairly tight, and tightly structured. Needs some time to loosen tannin and open. B/B-for drinking now, but very hopeful,
2017 Domaine du Vieux Lazaret Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc (375)
Good acids for CdP blanc, floral with some pit fruit, good for category I just don’t love category. B-
Wednesday was salmon/tofu soba noodles with ponzu-scallion sauce
2006 Leitz Rudesheimer Birschofsberg Spatlese Riesling Trocken
White peach, ginger, snappy but not austere, quite fun.B+
Thursday rack of lamb, with mushroom barley and spinach , and the 2007 Pradeaux X- 10 Ans d’Elevage Bandol. Just what it says- a Bandol that spent 10 years in barrel. Full, black cherry and plum, sandalwood, good length. Not typical Bandol, not sure I’d run out to buy more, but interesting. B+/B
Friday grilled bbq chicken, portobellos, squash, radicchio, and asparagus . The2018 Finca Luna Beberide Mencia (Bierzo) is a lighter styled (though deep color) Mencia, bright acids, floral, light juicy red fruit. B+/B
Saturday oysters, grey sole, cauliflower with pimenton. leftover barley,.salad, Wine was the
2017 Pepiere Briords Muscadet. All the S words- saline, seashell,sapid, stony, savory. .Maybe not the electric tension of the raciest vintage, but still zippy and delineated. Delicious. A-/B+
Over to sister in laws for Easter lunch(lupper?)
We brought appetizers
Deviled eggs,
Finocchiona, smoked scallops, smoked trout canapes, radish leaf pesto on radish
Cal made
Incredible carrot/ginger soup with chili oil and kale.
Salad
Ottolenghi Pomegranate brisket, mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts
Orange/almond cake
2020? Artner Rose- round and a bit short. C+
2020 Boulay Sancerre - tense, typical, tasty. B
1985 Forman Cabernet Sauvignon - best showing of this one. Mature but not tired, mostly resolved tannin, red currant fruit framed with cedar and menthol. Tasty. A-
Home late afternoon, by 8 we were a little hungry, had a small supper of ham, cauliflower, salad.
2018 Hirsch Rieid Lamm Gruner Veltliner
I think I’m going to stop buying Hirsch. The wines are always impressive, but for my tastes seldom delicious. Full, ripe, almost tropical, with some heat on backend. B-
Monday was caramelized shallots and tomato estratetto on red lentil pasta, broccoli rabe, and salad.
2020 Pepiere La Pepie Muscadet
Maybe this doesn’t have the complexity of Briords, but it's so fresh and lovely, Slightish hint of spritz, sea breeze, green apple and citrus zest. Outstanding value, 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.
