WTN: Piedmont, Burgundy, Marche, Champagne

Friday we went to a dinner at some friend’s new condo in Scarborough, I carried a 2004 Kesseler Spatlese that I thought would go with the Goanese curry, but another couple had to cancel and I would be only drinker, so I decided to just gave the Riesling as hostess gift. Falafel,Goan shrimp curry, roast vegetables, salad. And seltzer! Betsy didn’t need to drive home.

Saturday we hosted a family dinner, BIL’s mom and brother were in town.

Potato chips, smoked scallops
NV Gosset Grande Reserve
From an auction lot, this has more dosage than recent releases, but it’s well integrated. Fuji apple, dough, caraway seed. An almost flinty note to finish.Fun. B/B+

Sauteed scallops with chives, Caprese
2024 Collestefano Verdicchio di Matelica
Snappy, lime and nectarine, a leafy edge, some mineral on finish. Clean, fresh and refreshing, and a very good value. B+/B

Chicken meatballs, egg noodles, green salad
1996 Andrea Oberto Vigneto Rocche Barolo
Dark, tarry, red cherry but more tar than fruit. Resolved tannins, ready, fairly, simple and not very long for a Barolo from a great vintage. But perfectly quaffable. B-

Butter poached lobster with corn and marinated heirloom tomatoes
Kale with prosciutto
2022 Fichet Meix Sous le Chateau Meursault
Lovely balance, apple, hazelnut, orange zest and touch of oak. Good grip, chalky mineral finish.
A-/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.

I carried a 2004 Kesseler Spatlese that I thought would go with the Goanese curry, but another couple had to cancel and I would be only drinker, so I decided to just gave the Riesling as hostess gift...

That's nice of you. Do you have more? Sounds like it could be a rare bottle at this point. But that's the way life goes sometimes...

[David M. Bueker]

Ooh…butter poached lobster

KAthy doesn't drink, and Susan has a glass occasionally, but they were discussing an upcoming dinner with Kathy's son, and I knew he's into wine and likes Riesling. And yes I have more.

David, this is a favorite recipe, and much simpler than Thomas Kellet's:

James Boyce's Lobster Salad With Corn and Tomatoes
4 servings
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
Salt and black pepper, to taste
4 (1 pound each) live lobsters
Large bowl ice water
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter (divided use)
1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 sprig fresh thyme
Kernels scraped from 2 large ears corn, preferably white
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, preferably white
4 assorted heirloom tomatoes, cored and quartered
1 to 2 tablespoons (or to taste) good red wine vinegar such as
Minus 8
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
Finely minced zest of 1 orange
Grapefruit-infused olive oil or extra virgin olive oil

In a large pot, combine the white vinegar, peppercorns, bay leaf and a handful of salt with 1 gallon water and
bring to a boil. Poach lobsters for 4 minutes, just until shells start to turn bright red, then plunge into ice
water. When lobsters are cool, break them apart and extract meat. Split the claw meat into 2 pieces and cut
the tail meat into 1/4-inch slices. Reserve.

Put 2 tablespoons butter in a small saute pan over medium heat. When butter melts, add the shallot, garlic and
thyme. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until shallot is softened but not colored. Add the corn and
balsamic vinegar and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the corn is browned and no longer
tastes starchy. Cool briefly, taste and season with salt and black pepper.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small saute pan (you could transfer the corn to a bowl and reuse
the pan) and warm the poached lobster – you don't want to let the lobster cook much more – until it is glazed
with the melted butter. Meanwhile, toss the tomatoes with the red wine vinegar and chives and season with
salt and black pepper to taste.

Portion tomatoes among four plates (cut sides down so they lay flat), mound a few spoonfuls of corn on top,
then top each of the corn and tomato piles with lobster, laying sliced tail pieces on top. Season each salad
with a spoonful of the butter the lobster was warmed in, a drop of red wine vinegar and a pinch of orange
zest. Drizzle a ring of oil around each salad and serve.