David was in town and it was his birthday, so we made a lobster, bok choy, & udon dish (Ludovic Lefebvre recipe). Really called for Riesling, but I had a birthyear wine handy, the 1988 JN Gagnard ?Les Caillerets? Chassagne Montrachet 1er. Old school mature white Burg- lemon and peach fruit, smoke and hazelnut, a touch of oxidation (appropriate for age). Not the deepest or most complex, but good. B+
His cousin and her boyfriend were in town for a wedding, so Sunday Betsy?s sister and BIL hosted a family luncheon party. Smoked bluefish canapes, smoked duck breast, salumi, roasted peppers to start, followed by caprese, avocado and corn salad, cold poached salmon and pesto pasta salad
1988 Machard de Gramont ?Le Clos Blanc? Pommard 1er This was a giveaway bottle, in a lot of Burgundy (all the rest were white, I wonder if someone rookie saw the blanc and thought it was!). Impressively fresh fruit for 31 years and a 3rd tier producer, but after the tart cherry/raspberry fruit there wasn?t a lot there, alive but not real interesting. B-2010 Boulay ?Les Monts Damnes? Sancerre Classic, taut, chalky. Great fruit, lots of mineral on finish, nice balance and length. B+/A-
That night it was just Betsy and I, we needed to use up some tomatillos and so she made chicken enchiladas. Wine was the 2001 Max Ferdinand Richter Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Spatlese. Lime, citrus blossoms, it?s got that electric 2001 acidity but not the complexity of the best 2001s. B+
No wine Monday (tofu and leftovers), but Tuesday a friend offered to drop some tomatoes and I invited him for dinner (Betsy is at Music Mountain). Pork tenderloin, chevre-stuffed peppers, okra, pattypan, and shorbat jarjir. We drank leftover Riesling, but also opened the 1976 Domaine de Chevalier rouge- another throwaway bottle (lot with 78 DDC which I like) and quite low expectations. But this really isn?t that bad- tart red and black cherry, some cigarbox, just a hint of ashtray but it actually seems to dissipate with air. Very light for Bordeaux, finish is short, sure it was better 20 years ago (but probably always light)., but certainly drinkable, which is more than I expected 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 party where it was only choice.Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.