Betsy used airline points to get me a WS sub, was flipping through last mon th when I saw the matching column featured a recipe by James Boyce. We love his lobster/corn/tomato salad, so I read recipe. Betsy makes a mean seafoo d risotto, but I was interested by the inclusion of , broccoli rabe. Friday Betsy decided to make it (clams, squid, shrimp) along with caprese & chico ry salad. I actually had (totally coincidentally) the recommended wine, the 2015 Feudi Di San Gregorio Falanghina (Sannio). Ripe peach and pear, good acid, touch of almond, easygoing. Could use a bit more length, but good QPR at $10. B/B-
Saturday afternoon I dropped some stuff for one of my groups in the city, a nd then headed to Vaucluse on the UES for the final session of the day of t he Heritage Auctions Blind Tasting Challenge. Lots of friends in the bar -s ome just finished the second session, the rest of us ready to test ourselve s (or in my case humiliate myself). Some nice appetizers were passed (duck croquettes with piquillo sauce, truffle gougeres, deviled eggs, more). A co uple of Champagnes (a Bereche and I think a Ulysse Collin) but I wasn? ?t taking notes, enjoyed both.
To table (I sat with 2 friends). 8 numbered wines (this time 1 white 7 reds ) in identical stems. 40 minutes. I think each time I second guessed myself I got farther away. Blind tasting with no feedback (I blind taste fairly o ften, usually I’m in a situation where we guess and are told no/yes as we narrow), its hard not to second guess.
Wine 1: I thought white Burgundy was obvious, young, good acids. and a litt le oaky. A retaste after I filled out my book made me a little worried, see med softer but I left guess (thankfully). Guessed 2010 Jadot Meursault Char mes, liked a lot.
2012 Joel Noel Gagnard Batard Montrachet (France/Burgundy/Chardonnay/2012/Puligny Montrachet/Batard Montrachet/Gagna rd)Wine 2: Guessed red Burg, ripe vintage. Can’t remember if I went Po mmard or Volnay on this one (see # 6) 2009 Pousse d’Or Corton Clos du Roi (France/Burgundy/Pinot Noir/2009/Corton/Clos du Roi/Pousse d’Or)
Wine 3: Not my style. Got Cali, but’s it. Big, superripe wine, I th ink I guessed Alban Syrah
2008 Colgin IX Estate Red (USA/California/ Cabernet-Bordeaux Blend/2008/Napa/IX Estate/Colgin)Wine 4: Boy, was this tannic. That should have put me in St. Estephe but I went Pauillac (I think Pichon Baron)
1990 Chateau Cos d’Estournel (France/Bordeaux/Cabernet-Bordeaux Blend/1990/St. Estephe/Cos D’Est ournel)Wine 5: If I wouldn’t have switched on this one, I woulda been a co ntender (but not a finalist). Some real barnyard stink, I wrote Cote Rotie on my mat but decided it was stinky with moderate acids and changed to 1995 Beaucastel. 40 pts down the drain (I wouldn’t have guessed Jasmin or 01 if I had gone CR).
2001 Patrick Jasmin Cote Rotie (France/Rhone/Syrah/2001/Cote Rotie/x/Jasmin)Wine 6: My other “shoulda stuck with it” . I originally had Bdx, though I was thinking ripe vintage, but the sweet red fruit and oak m ade me switch to riper styled Burgundy with some oak (I think Lafon Champan s, but it might have been Comte d’Armand Rugiens, see # 2)
1995 Chateau Troplong Mondot (France/Bordeaux/Merlot-Bordeaux Blend/1995/St. Emilion/Troplong Mondot)Wine 7: Probably wine where my initial gut was best. Clear edge, tar and re d fruit, but almost painful tannin, pretty sure Piedmont/Nebbiolo. I think my guess was 2000 Aldo Conterno Bussia Barolo (I was trying to encompass mu ltiple wines with the Bussia guess for vineyard, but later realized from a game theory point I should have just written Conterno for producer).
2004 Sandrone Barolo Le Vigne (Italy/Piedmonte/Nebbiolo/2004/Barolo/Le Vigne/Sandrone)Wine 8: Whoa, ripe, volatile, and I don’t want to drink. I guessed hot vintage Kistler PN, O points
2005 Greenock Creek Shiraz Seven Acres (Australia/South Australia/Syrah/2004/Barossa/Seven Acres/Greenock Creek)So I scored 235, not great but better than last year. Email came out Sunday with winners (invitees to the “finals” where the top 3 fro m 5 cities compete), my tablemate Paul got 305 and came in 2nd in NYC (winn er got 385).
That night on patio we had skirt and Denver streaks, yellow tomato caprese, leftover risotto (no seafood), I had decanted the 1990 Ch. Gazin (Pomerol) a bit earlier. Pretty lovely unroasted ‘90, black plums with mocha and leather, velvety texture, good length. Overachiever. A-
Sunday Betsy went to TX, my dinner was swordfish, long beans, collards, and salad. I opened the 2016 Romagnoli Flusia Rosato (Marche). Hello, white Zi nfandel. OK not that sweet, but sweet enough, round and empty. C/C+
Replacement was 2013 Jean Louis Chavy Puligny-Montrachet (in 375 ml). Moder ate acids, pear and a touch of earth, clean white Burg. 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.