A couple glorious nights for eating on patio. Friday pave steaks, squash, sweet potato, & salad with the 2000 Ch. de Pez. Warm red fruit, a little mocha, soft tannins, a bit of leather. Nice enough but I would have guessed RB not St. Estephe. Ready to go. B/B Saturday grilled squid over garlic scape pesto linguine with a salad and the 2017 Collestefano Verdicchio di Matelica Sweeter fruit than I remember, but balanced by mineral/oystershell notes. B/B+
I also was making short ribs for following night, cooking wine was the 2017 Filliatreau ?Ch. Fouquet ? Saumur. Primary and grapey, maybe this will improve but not especially interesting now. B-
Sunday I picked up Betsy from a concert and we went to dinner at some dear friends. We started with garlic scape pesto crostini and tuna tartare, and the 2008 P. Cotat ?Monts Damnes? Sancerre. Citrus, a hint of wax, quite full but balanced with bright acids. Long and lovely. A-
Then short ribs, mashed potatoes, peas
1998 Ch. Figeac Black cherry and currant, minty/herby note, young and structured but already tasty. This has a ways to go from a development stage, but enjoyable now, and I think spectacular in future A-/B+ for now
We didn?t have dessert, so Mark offered to open another red, and it was spectacular. We enjoyed on patio while Nancy showed Betsy her garden.
1990 Ch. Leoville-Poyferre Ferric, cassis and tobacco, a little exotic spicy note, perfectly mature, perfectly structured. Very long. Really in a nice place, but no need to hurry. A/A-
Really fun evening.
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 party where it was only choice.Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.