Last Tuesday I made turkey chili, with salad and the 2019 Emrich-Schonleber Mineral Riesling trocken. Chili was only lightly spicy and the trocken Riesling was a good match. Tangy lime fruit, slatey minerals, a little touch of ginger Long dry finish. B++
Friday we started with oysters. Cooking and oyster wine was the 2020 Tiberio Trebbiano. Citrus and pineapple, moderate acids, interesting. B
Main was tuna steaks in a tomato/olive/caper sauce, with the 2018 Monte Bernardi Chianti Classico Riserva. Perfumed nose with dark berries and balsam, solid black cherry fruit on palate, good acids, supple tannins. B+
Saturday went to SIL’s, Cal made a Japanese-influenced feast. Hiyayakko, miso soup, seaweed salad, and a big assortment of Western maki- California rolls (some uramaki), Alaska rolls, Boston rolls , etc.
NV Diebolt Vallois Blanc de Blancs Champagne
Lighter styled, very crisp, not deepest Champagne but a nice foil to the food. B
2020 Martin Chavignol Sancerre
I’ve liked this a lot more before. Ripe and tropical, seems to lack verve, a little nutty note. B-
Sunday we had 2 couples over for dinner. Started with some Momofulo style pickles (cantaloupe, apple, fennel) and smoked mussels
NV Vilmart Grand Cellier (Dec 2019 disgorgement)
Bright pear, apple and citrus zest, with slightest touch of almond, fresh and long. B++
Then scallop crudo and shucked oysters
2020 Piuze Terroir de Chablis
Chalky and oystershell mineral notes, lemon, grapefruit zest. Fine value. B+
1998 Couhins-Lurton Blanc (Pessac-Leognan)
Not oxidative or old tasting, some grassy notes, decent acid, but this is mundane as well as clipped/short. Has survived but not flourished. C+
For main we had Flannery ribeyes, Smoking Goose “kitchen sink” sausage, bucatini with ramps and dried morels, plus grilled ramps with ramp vinaigrette (so ramps 3 ways- we had a good forage day before). Also a nice salad. Finished with a lemon sponge, berries, and a couple of cheeses
1986 Diamond Creek Gravelly Meadow Cabernet Sauvignon
Mostly resolved tannins, fresh acids, black currants and berries with a little Cab green pepper note and a touch of tobacco, very nice. B+/A-
2021 Clos de la Roilette (Coudert) Fleurie
Raspberries, cranberries, with some spicebox and nutskin. Bright, pretty, elegant. Nice! B+
No wine with Monday dinner- bluefish, squash, salad and leftover bucatini.
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.