Invited a pair of Franco-American couples for dinner Friday.
Chips, pheasant terrine
NV Grongnet Blanc des Blancs Champagne
Pear and green apple, rye toast, snappy finish. B+/B
2023 Domaine du Fossile Chinon Rose
One guest doesn’t like bubbles, loves Rose, loves Chinon, so subbed this in. And it works- crisp raspberry and cherry, strawberry leaves & herbs. New producer to me. B/B+
Scallop crudo with octopus and Korean radish
2021 Capensis Chardonnay (Western Cape)
Big but zippy, touch of oak, rich pear fruit with an underlay of hazelnut, very popular. B+
2014 Fevre Bougros Chablis Grand Cru
Young and somewhat primary, lemon, apple and oystershell. B+ with room to grow
Chicken/mushroom stew and salad
1999 Drouhin Charmes-Chambertin
Red and black cherry, saddle leather, rose petals.Full and delicious, seems fully mature, a bit of a surprise. B+/A-
1996 Bouree Chambolle-Musigny
Sweet red fruit, sandalwood, easy going and ready. I like 70s Bouree but have found some more recent Bour-Ring but like this. B/B+
2004 Dominique Laurent Lauvaux. St Jacques VV Gevrey Chambertin 1er
Hard oak, piney green, kirschy fruit, this hits the trifecta. C/C+
Finished with cheeses and flourless chocolate cake. Fun night (especially when conversation was in English!)
Saturday Vietnamese salmon (fish sauce caramel), rice with furikake, spinach
2012 F.X. Pichler Riesling Federspiel Loibner Burgstall
Full for Federspiel, tangerine and lemon with a touch of mint and ginger, good finish.B+
Sunday had a fun dish of clams, potatoes and bacon in bacon dashi (Benton’s 2 ways!) with Brussels sprouts and scallion pancakes (sourdough discard). While clams of course normally leads me to white, the super smoky bacon gave me pause, and I went with the 2022 Guion Bourgueil Rose. It worked! Light but with a sneaky persistence, tangy red and citrus fruit, good length. B but an A match.
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.