Came home from a speech, sauteed some flounder, had that with some maki Bet sy had left me, salad, and the 2011 Ridge Estate Chardonnay. Nice crispness for Cali Chard, but this is really quite oak-marked. Maybe it'll integrate in time, but not on my dime. B-/C+
Thursday I grilled pork tenderloin with cumin, fennel, and coriander, gave Betsy some wine choices, she said "pink bubbly." I went with the Agusti Tor ello Mata Trepat Rosat Brut Resrva cava (disgorged 11/2011), Nice wine- str awberries, orange zest, chalk. Nice mousse, good length. B+
I broiled some bluefish with a dijonnaise sauce, with broccoli & rice, I h ad opened the
2012 Bzikot Bourgogne Blanc. Nice clean lemony Chardonnay fruit, minerally, this is more Chablis-like than CdO-ish to me (and I like it). Holds well over couple days due to good acids, gets more green apple-ish. B+/BBut I was itching to open the 375ml of the 2008 Chidaine "Clos de Breuil" M ontlouis I had picked up on closeout at Grapes, and thought that would be a great match with the bluefish - and it was. Very floral, a little wax, ci dery apples, well-balanced, snappy. B+/A-
Saturday Betsy was in Philly and I was soloing, dinner was braised venison and leftover vegetables, with the 2004 Ch. Talbot (375 ml). Quite forward, lower acid, coffee, black plum, nice drink now Bordeaux in a more modern s tyle than I anticipated from Talbot. B
A friend dropped by Sunday afternoon and I opened the 2013 La Clarine Farm rose. This is an odd wine- cloudy (unfiltered/unfined) with an orange tint, in many (most) ways it reminds me more of an "orange" wine than a traditi onal rose. Citrus peel, plum skin, smoke. Odd wine I find more interesting than tasty. B-/C+
That evening I walked over the hill to some friends for dinner. A jazz bass player was visiting from Paris, and a nice little group convened to welcom e him (Betsy joined later as she drove in from Philadelphia). With snacks t he NV Ployez-Jacquemart " Marie Weiss" Brut Champagne. Apple pie with cinna mon, medium bodied, fine mousse. Not especially complex but a nice value in $25 Champagne (a thin category). B Dinner was spaghetti with meatballs and sausage and a salad with beets, and there was wine:
1995 Mastrobernardino "Radici" Taurasi Double-decanted before I walked over, I was a little worried about VA and a pruney note when decanting, but that was gone by time we drank. Black cher ries and plums, earth, leather. A bit of tannin remaining. B2004 ? Solaria "123" Brunello di Montalcino Ripe cherry, some oak gloss, round for Brunello (or at least to what I reme mber BdM being). B-
2011 Parusso Nebbiolo (Langhe) This is simple Langhe but it's got some structure. Redder fruit, spice, goo d. B/B+Monday I made a nice dal, but no wine as I was taking a group from John Jay College around city on a service trip. Tuesday I came home and made some m ushrooms (oyster, bluefoot, shiitake) and turnip greens before heading to S carsdale for a concert. Betsy's quartet did an early Mendelssohn quartet an d then were joined by her sister for a Brahms viola quintet. While she ming led afterwards, I headed home and threw (cooked, thawed) duck legs in oven. When she arrived we had the 2001 Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny. Lovely showing with some air- black cherries, spice, earth, smoke. Nice acids, just a hin t of framing tannin, long, just what one would want in a mature village win e. 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 p arty where it was only choice.Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivi ty, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.