With Betsy's chicken with figs, the 2002 Cuevas de Castillo "Cuvee RS" Rueda. Medium-bodied aromatic white wine, with lemon and mango fruit. A little hint of grassiness and even anise. Good acidity, seems dry (I guess the RS doesn't stand for residual sugar). I don't find myself pulled to this wine, but hard to argue with the $7 price tag. B
With an assortment of leftovers, the 2000 Agricola de Borja "Borsao" (Campo de Borja). The end of a case + I bought of this (for $3.99 a bottle). Soft yet not flabby, good raspberry and plum fruit, with a peppery spice edge to it. Medium-bodied with good structure for a $4 red. B/B+
We went to a birthday party Sunday for a former neighbor who is a great friend. Nice people, nice food, but not the great wine experience. I actually carried over a few opened bottles we had (now those are friends, where you can carry over your leftover wine) as well as a bottle of my (in)famous Thai Martinis. They're on a budget, so the wines of the day were the (I think 2002) Walnut Crest Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay in magnum. Now, I've had the WC Merlot before, though it was soft, anonymous, and inoffensive. But the Cabernet- whoa. Now this, to me, is bad wine. Soft (flabby) and really herbaceous. Green pepper and ..dill? (but not any other real oak notes). C- I would have drunk water, but luckily there was some leftover Rioja and Nebbiolo holding on in the bottles I brought. I didn't have the guts to try the Chardonnay.
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre at best. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice.
Dale
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