Thursday I turned another year older, but we had a quiet night at home.
Started with a half bottle of NV Ployez-Jacquemart Extra Quality Champagne.
Fun bright with pear and lemon, fresh bread aromas. Elegant mousse, chalk/limestone finish. B+
Dinner was grilled HMart marinated chicken, rice, and a stirfry of nappa cabbage, kale, sprouts, and trumpet mushrooms
2025 Bastide Blanche Bandol rose
Red fruits, citrus zest, herby. Very versatile with food. B+/B
Friday we celebrated with friends. Looked like it might rain, but it cleared up and we ended up with a perfect early fall night on the patio
Cooking wine was the 2024 la Staffa Verdecchio dei Castelli di Jesi.
Grass and a strange lactic note, it had good acids for cooking but I didn’t really enjoy a taste of this. C+
Beet marinated gravlax with horseradish creme fraiche
2012 Glavier Emotion Blanc de Blancs Champagne
Much better than the 2013. Taut, with white apple and citrus zest, bouncy. B+
2024 Boulay Chavignol Sancerre
One friend doesn’t like Champagne (I still regard him as a friend).So opened this for him, and then I had some with the cheeses. Good core, with green apple, lemongrass, and lime zest. Cool mineral finish. Pretty classic. B+
Duck legs with mustard and panko, mushroom risotto, broccoli, salad
2007 Camus-Bruchon Savigny-Narbantons 1er
Red fruits, a little brambly note, touch of cocoa and leather. Good acids, not much tannin, easy to drink. B/B+
1998 Drouhin Clos des Mouches Beaune 1er
Round and ready, black cherry with a lot of earthy notes.Surprised me by seeming to gain a lot of perfumey complexity through evening. B+
1995 Ponsot Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes
On opening I really didn’t like this, a dominant beetroot note that I don’t associate with Burgundy.
But it smoothed out, more raspberry and black cherry, some sandalwood. Nice wine with air, but not really special or worth current coin. B+/B
Finished with Ossau Iraty and Camembert, key lime cupcakes
Someone gave me some summer truffles, so Saturday grilled lobster with truffle butter, leftover broccoli, risotto
2017 Fevre Bougros Chablis GC
More ready than a recent ‘14 Bougros, lemon and saline with oystershell. Very nice length. Complex and zesty. A-
Oysters, then scallops, baingan bharta , purple majesty potatoes, salad
2024 Lagar de Pintos Albarino (Val do Salnés)
Citrus, mineral, fresh and refreshing. B/B+
Monday Korean pork tenderloin, Nappa slaw with gochujang dressing, sweet potatoes
2021 Coudert Clos de la Roilette Fleurie
Lighter brighter vintage,Brambly raspberry with green herbs. Not a lot of weight here but plenty of character, I think 2021 was a hard vintage for Beaujolais but this is a nice wine. B+/B
Off to Italy!
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.