TN: Zins, minor 2000 Bdx, Cali Syrah, CdP, etc

Our local non-serious wine group was scheduled to do Zinfandel/Primitivo, b ut our host suddenly had a family emergency. So I volunteered to host. Had some pork/mushroom mousse, foie gras, white anchovies, a couple of cheeses , Fred stopped at Murray's at Grand Central and brought some more cheese.

Wine #1 2002 Ridge "Geyserville" (Sonoma) For my tastes this is a pointe. Still some fresh brambly fruits, with some forest floor and splce notes. Balanced, ripe but bright, very nice, I shoul d buy more Ridge zins. A-/B+

Wine #2 2012 Oak Ridge Reserve Ancient Vine Zinfandel Rounder, touch of vanilla, red berry fruit, some liked more than I did, but reasonably restrained for Lodi.. B/B-

Wine #3 2013 Cline Zinfandel (California) Simple and straightforward, light with dark berry fruit, but this is $9 so perfectly reasonable. B-

Wine #4 2014 Palmento Galilei (Cantina di Sava) Primitivo (Puglia) Sweetest wine of the night, a little roasted, a touch hot. C+

Wine #5 2010 Cameron Hughes "Lot 313" Field Blend Beginning to get a little tired, a little tobacco, slightly jammy plum and blackberry fruit. B-

Wine #6 2014 Tratturi (misread label as Iralluri at first) Primitivo (Sal ento) Red berriies, some spice, a little smoke. Fun little wine. B/B+

Saturday the snow rolled in, and I alternated between shoveling, going to o ffice, and prepping for cassoulet. Tosca was cancelled (after Betsy drove t o city) so she returned and we had spicy turkey meatballs on spaghetti and broccoli rabe. Wine was the 2007 Donkey and Goat "Recluse" Syrah. Lighter s tyle of CA syrah, nice balance, smoked meats over light black fruits. Some mushroom, a little spice. B+

Sunday when she got back from Lincoln Center some friends joined us for cas soulet. I had discovered the quart of duck fat I had planned on had been gi ven away, but a cup of fat mixed with olive oil did the confit just find. N ot what I think of as traditional- duck, sausages, pork belly and skin, b eans of course, but also celeriac, turnips, & smoked turkey wines. But it w orked! Nancy brought a spinach salad with fennel and apple.

2011 Juve y Camps "Reserva de la Familia " Brut Nature Cava Dry, crisp, fresh rolls and lemon. Not very long, but good QPR. B

2000 Bernadotte (Haut Medoc) Fully mature (but no hurry), sweet black plums and a little black currant, tannins resolved, moderate finish. B

2007 Lafond Roc-Epine Chateauneuf-du-Pape OK, so good news is this is not hot or jammy as I feared for 2007 CdP. But it's a pretty empty wine- sweet black fruits, low acid, not much tannin, ju st a bunch of sweet fruit sitting there.Others liked more. B-/C+

Monday was no wine, but a nice Persian casserole (potato, tomato, egg with "Indian spices" )

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.

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DaleW
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