Tuesday no wine with lemon/dill salmon, zucchini, broccoli, and leftover za’atar rice
Wednesday steamed lobster, with pasta and green puttanesca.
2024 Tiberio Trebbiano
Lemon, peach, and a little lemongrass. Zingy/zesty acids, tangy mineral finish. Lovely wine and great with the pasta, but maybe something a bit broader would have worked better with the lobster (I usually do Chardonnay).,But great value, B+
Thursday headed to city to Il Corso for a small dinner. We were inside so missed Manhattanhenge, but a great time including friends who have been out of the area for several months
We had pulpo (with potatoes, olives and tomatoes, best dish of night), calamari, and arugula/pear salad. My main was veal Milanese, which I have liked there more before.
2017 Ultramarine Heintz Rose
Strawberries and cream, a little anise note, good persistence and elegant mousse. I think this was last vintage of UM I really enjoyed. B+
1996 Giacosa Santo Stefano Barbaresco
This was pretty reticent at first, dark fruit and a little tar, but with air it opened with black cherry, balsam, and road tar. B- to start, A-/B+ at end
1998 Conterno Cascina Francia Barolo
Redder fruits, roses, some earthy mushroom notes. Young but tasty. B+
1998 Giacosa Falletto di Serralunga Barolo
Black cherries and plums on nose but with a bit of a roasted note, some dark fruit and tar on palate but a little clipped. This is ok, but think there might have been a little heat damage at some point in the past. This bottle B-
2000 Cavallotto Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe Barolo Riserva
Ready willing and able, lush red and black cherries with anise and incense. Drinking very well, yum. A-
2005 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo
Loads of tannin, but some good dark fruit and floral notes. Flavors are great, but structure a tad too much for me at moment (others loved). B+/B for me drinking now, will be better.
1997 Delesvaux "Carbonifera" Coteaux du Layon
I’ve had Delesvaux before but never heard of this bottling. This is like Essencia, but with less acid and more alcohol. Dark dark color, thick and unctuous, this is just too intensely sweet for me to really enjoy, but sugarheads loved. Interesting though. B
Fun night, lovely weather for walk to Grand Central and then walk home from train.
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.