Wednesday’s nor’easter had a quiet start compared to previo us Fri, but winds and heavy snow were pretty fierce by end of day. I lost l arge hunks of 2 trees (to go with lost fence from Fri), but miraculously di dn’t lose power either time. So we celebrated with duck confit over greens along with cauliflower, salad, and the 2011 Jadot “Clos des Couchereaux” Beaune 1er. Nice balance of tannin, fruit, and acid. Black cherry and herb, some light oak notes. This does have a distinct gree n note, more piney than anything. Some folks have claimed that 2011 is simi lar to 2004 as far as pyrazines or ladybug taint, but this didn’t r emind me of ‘04. B+/B
With a sous vide adaption of an Ottolenghi chicken recipe with fennel and t angerine, we had couscous, summer squash with za’atar, mushrooms, a nd 2015 Falkenstein Herrenberg Spatlese Feinherb (AP 03 16). Citrus and pit fruits, floral, zippy acids and good finish. Young but exciting. A-/B+
Betsy’s quartet joined with the pianist Doris Stevenson to perform the Dvorak Piano Quintet as well as the world premier of a quintet by Zacha ry Wadsworth at Bargemusic Saturday. Afterwards we stayed in Brooklyn and a nice small group had dinner at Paulette’s Bistro in Fort Greene. N ice salads (I shared a kale “caesar” with white anchovies w ith Muneko), most of us had the special of striped bass with a beet risotto , Betsy had the moules. She had a glass of the 2015 F.Thienpont Entre-Deux- Mers. Crisp, grassy, good example of straightforward inexpensive white Bord eaux. B- I liked it a bit better than a bottle of the 2014 Domaine Chene Macon-Villa ge that didn’t have a cut I expect from ‘14, a rather round though clean Chardonnay. B-/C+
Sunday I got out sous vide device again to make salmon with citrus zest and herbs, plus we had lentils with a walnut oil dressing, roasted brussels sp routs salad.
2013 Ziereisen “Rhini” Spatburgunder Clean sappy fruit, black raspberry and cherry, tangy, mineral, could be a r inger in a lineup of village Moreys. A good deal at $30, then Posner had of fered it Saturday for $25, but sold out by time I tasted and ordered. A-/B+2016 Artuke Rioja Fresh, bouncy, crunchy red fruit, fun. Great deal in inexpensive Rioja. B/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 p arty where it was only choice.Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivi ty, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.