Monday I made some radish leaf pistou (was making pesto and discovered lack of pine nuts) but then discovered previously made basil pesto & shiso/scap e pesto, used those on my pasta instead. Wine was the 2005 Kuen Hof Sylvane r. Big but with good acids, herby, peach. Different and tasty. B+/A-
Tuesday AM I was working from home for an hour or so. Did a harvest from vi negar crock, found more mother than vinegar so decided to add some wine. Pu t most of a bottle of Chilean red left by a guest in and set aside enough f or a glass that night. Dinner was roast chicken, broccoli, salad, wine was the 2013 Charles Gonnet Mondeuse Chignin VV. Very floral, crunchy red fruit s and herbs, spicy. Not very complex, but quite pleasant. B+/B
Then I tried a glass of the 2013 Root:1 Heritage Red (Maipo), Blackberries and blueberries, low acids, sweet. Not my style. C+ The more I tasted the m ore I worried about my vinegar. A red wine vinegar solera is pretty stable, but this tasted like it had noticeable residual sugar. I had put most of a bottle into a mostly empty crock, and thoughts of bacterial growth scared me. To lower RS % I put in 7/8s of a bottle of 1996 Fonterutoli (Mazzei) Ch ianti Classico. Plummy, soft acids for Chianti, holding well at almost 20.. B
After some humid days suddenly there was a dry cool breeze Wednesday, perfe ct for picnic with friends outside concert at Estherwood. I carried shrimp, cuke/shiso salad, cheeses, shared with friends who in turn shared caprese, salmon tartare and wines:
NV Chartogne-Taillet Brut Rose (disgorged 12/2008) Strawberry and citrus zest, overlaid with spices and toast. Full bodied, we ll balanced, drinking well but I think I'll try to finish these in next cou ple years. B+
NV Brochet Brut Loire bubbly. Green apple with a little cider edge, fresh, but a little emp ty. B-
2014 Collestefano Verdichio di Matellica So tasty, crisp and fresh. B++2013 Gaspard Pinot Noir (St Pourcain) My first St Pourcain, Fred says actually in north Auverge but classified as Loire. Herbal in a good way, dark plum and berry fruit, light tannin, good acids. Fun and a good value at $14. B+/B
2011 Garnier "Les Tailles" Another lighter red, CF centric I think, light bodied, tannins a little gri tty, the herbal here comes across more as slightly unripe. Not bad but seve ral CFs I like better around for under $20. B-Brotherhood Pinot Noir I neglected vintage on this but wish I had neglected trying. C
Thursday I went to city, then to Jack Studios in the Starrett-Lehigh Buildi ng in Chelsea. Incredible huge space (with amazing views) for an experienti al exhibition and silent auction set up by a friend. Exhibitions by 20 phot ographers, very well attended. Snacked on some passed hors d'oeuvres. Plent y of Champagne flowed, from a house I wasn't familiar with. But I quite lik ed the NV Paul Goerg Blanc de Blancs Champagne. Crisp, fresh, and light, mo re on the Taittinger side of the scale than the Krug, white fruit (pear) wi th light touches of baking bread and chalk. Nice length, refreshing. B+ There was also a Ferrari Carano Fume Blanc being poured (I think 2013, but at distance so can't swear)- I remember this as being oaky in past, but did n't get that here- apples, a little gooseberry, fuller but not oaky. 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.