Local group met Friday for a Languedoc-Roussillon tasting. Beautiful night on Fred’s deck, we arrived to find cheeses, a fish terrine, and a grilled octopus salad. Soon followed by a nice artichoke salad.
2020 St.. Hilaire (Blanquette de Limoux)
Easy, a little sweet/cidery, light. Gets extra nod for being a bit of history. B-
Blind Rose #1 - light, empty, dull 2023 Reine Juliette Rose C+/C
Blind Rose #2 - more verge, decent acids, but just a hint of mousiness. 2021 La Patience Rose (Costieres de Nime) B-
Blind White- - I got Picpoul, from bottle shape and slight hint of spritz. Light body, good acids, quiet citrus fruit, hint of pepper. 2023 Moulin de Gassac Picpoul de Pinet B-/B
With the reds, Fred’s great beef daube with olives accompanied by rice.
Blind Red #1 Ripe, black currant and pepper, maybe a little tired. 2016 Ch Fontanes Pic St Loup B-
Blind Red #2 - this is more like it, fresh and snappy, raspberries and mountainside. 2021 Apparente B+/B
Blind Red #3 lovely, red fruits and sandalwood, light but with rich flavors, I’m saying not Grenache and am told it’s 100% Grenache! 2020 Danjou Banessy Estaca (Cotes de Roussillon) B+/A-
Blind Red #4 no guesses as it’s mine, but I’m disappointed. I used to really like Oupia (for this and Heretiques), but this is big, ripe, and extracted, though it has some nice earth and herbs. . 2020 Ch. d’Oupia Minervois B-
Blind Red #5 - feels fruit is a little tired, red fruited with some peppery spice. 2015 Ch., Maris (Minervois) B-
Blind Red #6- black plum and cassis, a little cedary, still a bit tannic. 2018 Mas de Daumas Gassac. B/B+
There was a late wine, 2019 R.A.S, that I didn’t note info on. Very light and grapey, easy.
Fun night, beautiful walk home,
The Bill Mays Trio was playing at Maureen’s Jazz Basement in Nyack, a friend is the drummer, so we went with another couple Saturday. Great show, we had pizzas, hummus, and salad, I had a glass of the Campuget rose (Costieres de Nime I think). Unsure of vintage, but an easy to drink rose with decent acids and finish. OK choice on a hard list. B/B- (the show was an A)
Sunday Dana invited her cousin to watch NBA game with her (at his house!), before that we had them for dinner on the patio. Assorted dim sum/dumplings from store, Betsy made a great stir fry with fresh rice noodles, vegetables, shrimp, scallops, and squid. Plus Chinese broccoli
2019 Huff Pettenthal Trocken
Tangy acids, lots of extract, citrus and green apple with a chalky finish. Very impressive, but more impressive than delicious at moment. Have one more and will make effort to put away. B for drinking now, A- potential I think
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.