Friday was teriyaki salmon, soba with dipping sauce, wawa choy (baby napa)
2017 Lapierre Morgon (S)
Juicy, easy, straightforward. B/B+
Saturday great Berkshire pork chops in lemon caper sauce, rice, broccoli,
2006 Meo-Camuzet Freres & Soeurs Argillieres Nuits St. Georges “1er
This is the negoce arm of M-C. Still a bit of vanillin oak, but balanced by large scale but cool black cherry fruit. Accents of coffee, cocoa, and cedar. Big for sure, but I enjoyed. Nice classy finish. B+
Cooking wine was the 2021 Manuel Quintano Rioja Blanco. Sweet peach and melon, some floral notes, not especially long but hey it was like $8. B-/C+
Sunday some black seabass, acorn squash, baby bok choy
2020 Pepiere Clisson Muscadet
Full rich vintage of Clisson but there’s plenty of balancing acid. Citrus and seashell, very long minerally finish. A-
No wine Monday with Hmart chicken , rice, Shanghai tips before a trip to city.
Spent Tuesday AM in jury orientation (due to T’giving not called in till next week), back to work, then over to local high school to make sure buses arrived ok for their annual dinner for homeless. Then home for a steak dinner with friends
Smoked salmon, shrimp cocktail
2020 Fichet Auxey-Duresses blanc
Rich lemon and pear, apple blossoms, fine chalky finish. B+
Flannery ribeye, baked potato, spinach, salad
2000 Lafleur-Gazin (Pomerol)
My friend loved it, I thought it ok in a generic Merlot way, but disappointing for 2000 Pomerol. Tannins are resolved, very soft acids, round red plum fruit. B-
Wednesday roast cod loin, leftover acorn squash, salad
2021 Pieropan Calvarino Soave Classico
Sweet lemon and peach fruit, citrus blossoms, and a little wax. Nice depth, long finish, this is classic and classy. B+/A-
We had people over late afternoon Thanksgiving, which gave us plenty of time to get ready. 10 people, friends and family.
We started off with domestic caviar (hackleback and paddlefish), with blinis or potato chips, with creme fraiche and egg.
Suenen Oiry Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Champagne
(2018 base, disgorged 3/2022, 3 g/l) Pear, lemon zest,biscuit dough, precise and elegant, I really loved. A-
Sat down to a first course of Mark’’s delicious marinated shrimp
2008 Fevre Montee de Tonnerre Chablis 1er
Snappy acids, clean Granny Smith fruit with grapefruit zest, long rocky finish. A-/B+
Then the groaning board of mostly traditional foods:
Betsy did the turkey and gravy
I made two trays of dressing- one oyster, the other vegetarian (apparently no one was currently vegetarian , my info was out of date). A little too sweet.
Cal brought “Sweet potatoes Anna” with prunes and apples as well as Brussels sprouts with shallots
Judy brought a delicious salad
Assorted wines
2021 Schafer Frohlich Felseneck GG
Electric and majestic, with grapefruit, flint and herbs. Long smoky finish. Powerful but filgreed. A-/A
1997 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Laurene Pinot Noir
After liking a recent 1998 regular and liking even more the ‘99 regular, I was looking forward to a DDO “reserve”, But was a bit disappointed. There’s some black cherry fruit, but it’s lost without any structure, neither acidic or tannic. What’s the point? Unsure if vintage, bottling, or bottle. C+
1989 Pichon Lalande
An old favorite. Beautiful bottle, decanted after travel so a little murky but really showed nicely, especially after a couple hours of air. Cassis, berries, cigarbox, with a touch of green tobacco leaf. Very long finish. A-
1997 Jadot Corton-Pougets
Nice black cherry, forest floor, smoke, nice soil driven finish, B+
Nancy brought tres leches cake and an apple pie, Kath an apple pie, and I had out a Jasper Hill Harbison as I don’t do dessert (but I do dessert wines)
1989 Trimbach Cuvee Fredweric Emile Selection Grains Nobles (375 ml)
I’m a huge ‘89 Trimbach fan, but really give the edge to the drier wines. This is surely pleasant enough- honey, apricot, petrol, but it’s not that long and not that complex. Still, a perfectly pleasant wine. B
1959 Domaine de Maligne Coteaux du Layon
I have no memory of buying this wine. But recently when moving it in cellar I realized my hand was wet- seeping through capsule. I set upright and thought “I’ll open next time Cal is here’ (he’s a ‘59 as is Betsy). When I went to bring it upstairs I realized of course it’s leaking- I can see the cork floating! Just remove capsule and pour! Ok, so I pour into a decanter. Horrible dark color. But you know- I didn’t really hate the wine (Mark did, but Cal actually liked). Nose is dank and oxidized, but to me palate is at least interesting- sweet, caramelly, maple syrup, apricot jam. Like if you mixed a Loire moelleux with a PX sherry. OK, objectively not really good, but subjectively the best dessert wine with a floating cork I’ve had all year! C+/B-
Really wonderful Thanksgving with family and friends
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.