My friends Fred and Alex had one of their table d'hote events Sat night. I drove to Hastings (parking in a legal overnight spot- no driving after dinner!) and joined a fun group of 35 or so. Alex did a very good job with the food: Salmon mousse crostini with capers Arugula, pomegranate, pear & gorgonzola salad Verrine of leek soup Lamb curry with basmati rice, raita, mango chutney, mint/cilantro chutney creme brulee
Fred has selected some nice wines NV Delacroix Brut Pleasant, appley, crisper than I remembered (new lot?), clean flavors which is enough in cheap bubbly for me. B-
2009 Billaud-Simon Chablis Nice midweight Chablis, balanced, maybe a bit tight, green apple and flint. B2009 Ch. Haut-Lavigne "la Miss" Cotes de Duras I had liked the base version of this, but this is a nice step up. Round flavors of honeydew and nectarine, but there is nice crispness. Little hints of grass and oak, this would be a good ringer in a white Bordeaux flight. Will probably get a couple of these. B+
2009 Guillot-Broux Macon-Cruzilles Gamay. Red fruit, flower/geranium notes but not overwhelming, nice spiciness, but a little short on finish. Still, refreshing, and I enjoyed more on a second pour. Rob says his neighbor said "this tastes like good wine someone poured water in", but I think she's a CaliPN drinker. B2008 Domaine du Colombier Chinon Vieilles Vignes Rounder/softer than I expected, green bell pepper over red fruits, not very long, ok Cab Franc. B-
1989 Ch. de Fonsalette Cotes du Rhone Reserve I brought this one. Double-decanted (lots of sediment) beforehand, this is pretty classic mature Southern Rhone. Dark fruit core, smoke and meat, nice herbal accents in reserve. Not much tannin left so not planning on aging much more, but the fruit is fresh enough to not be frantic. With time some coffee and earth emerge. Very happy with this recent purchase. A-Sunday I made roasted mushroom/tarragon chicken, roasted broccoli, Rancho Gordo baby limas, and sauteed bok choy. Had to go through 2 wines:
2010 JP Brun "L'Ancien" Beaujolais VV Corked, damn, too bad seemed nice underneath.2009 Rochette "Cuvee des Braves" Regnie In the "is 2009 too ripe" arguments I'm a 2009 fan, but this wouldn't be the wine I'd make my argument with. A little rubbery/reductive at first, that quickly blows off, leaving a nice glass of Generic Red Wine. No, it's better than that, actually tasty, but it is fairly ripe and lowacid, not really what I'm looking for in Cru Beaujolais. B-/C+
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. 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.