Spicy coconut mussels, Shanghai choy tips, rice
2015 Willi Schafer Graacher Domprobst Kabinett #3
Nectarine, apple blossom, citrus zest. Balanced acids, creamy mouthfeel yet retaining lightness, minerally finish with good length. B+
Snow melted enough I could make it out to grill some gochugaru pork and king trumpet mushrooms, served with sesame Chinese spinach and leftover rice
2023 Extradimnensional Yeah! Evangelho Mourvedre
This is redder fruit than I expect from Mouvedre, but lovely in a cherry/cranberry crunchy style. Peppery, spicy, deep with a meaty note. Young,needs time, but fun now anyway. B+/B for now
Over to friends for dinner. Alex used to have a restaurant in Paris, now just cooks for fun, and boy did we have fun
Before dinner by the fire- oysters duck prosciutto, olives
NV Filipa Pato 3B Rose Extra Brut
Light froth, raspberry and strawberries, white pepper. B/B-
First at table course was sauteed scallops and leeks with pink peppercorns and a touch of curry
2023 Domaine Landron-Chartier Melon B
I didn’t get a close look at this, unsure if Muscadet or not. A little saline note, high acids, a touch of green,certainly drinkable but maybe a bit overcropped. B-/C+
Then Lapin a moutarde and celeriac puree
2009 Jadot Clos des Chenes Volnay 1er
With some air drinking nicely. Black and red cherry, cocoa, touch of smoke. I’m not sure I’d go for Volnay blind, a bit more burly, but unsure if that is vintage or Jadot. Still, rather tasty B+
2022 Billards St-Amour
Young, tangy, raspberry and cranberry, quite floral. Ripe but apparent tannins, no hurry here. B+/B
2023 Pommier Hauterivien Petit Chablis
More sweet apple fruit than Chablis reserve, straightforward and easy to drink. B/B-
Endive and beet salad, cheeses, and desserts followed
We went with BIL and SIL to Coqodaq. We did the Bucket List (2 waves of chicken, the original fried and then a round of glazed, chicken consomme, some great ban chan- scallion salad was my fave-, and soft serve ice cream with passionfruit). Also had chicken nuggets with black truffle and fries. Everything delicious! Biggest Champagne/bubbly list in country, great choices, but as I was only winegeek (and the driver) ordered from the 100 Under $100 section.
NV Vix-Bara Blanc de Blancs Champagne.
This is made by Cecile Grongnet (they also had the Grongnet BdB on the Under $100, but I have that at home). Grapefruit, Granny Smith, some chalk and oystershell. Vigorous mousse, fine 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 the only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.
