TN: 98 Gloria, 05 Pernot

Today was the last day of the fall season at NYCO, I tried to come up with something nice for dinner with an exhausted Betsy. I roasted a leg of lamb (garlic/anchovy/rosemary rub) with potatoes, cremini, carrots, etc. Originally I was eying a "splurge" wine to celebrate the fact I'll see her more for next few months, but then realized I needed a cup of red wine to make the sauce- rather than open 2 bottles I downgraded a bit, to the 1998 Ch. Gloria (St. Julien). A nice soft round Medoc, showing better as the tannins have integrated (never a really tannic wine, but I thought the tannins seemed to have a bit of a hard/unripe sense earlier). Black and red currant with a bit of cigarbox, nothing to get excited about, but a decent showing for '98 Left Bank. B

But the weekend's winner (over 3 nights) was the 2005 Paul Pernot Bourgogne Blanc. Sweet Bosc and Bartlett pear fruit, just a little hint of toasted oak, nice texture. Fruit is ripe but acidity is lively. There's a stony minerality that really grabs one's attention. Nice finish for the level. Better than a lot of village Pulignys for my tastes. A solid B+, but straight A for value.

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. 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.

As always, thanks for the notes. We tend to do a fair amount of Ch. Gloria, as it was acquired by my wife's family - Ch. St Pierre, though they do not recognize any of the US branches of the family. We still drink their wines though!

Not familiar with the Paul Pernot, but will find it (if it exists in AZ), as we are great fans of many white Burgs, and obviously cannot drink them every night. The pear notes are ones that I look for. TomS's Ch. Burbank is a good example of a domestic (US) Chard with those elements. My wife does a great pear, Gorgonzola (or Maytag) with candied pecans, salad, and I love to pair a good Chard with it. In days of yore, Sullivan, Napa, CA, did a lovely Chard from their little plot, right outside the tasting room. It crumped, and was replanted in Merlot, some years back ('02?), and the sourced Chard have never lived up to that little plot. Paul Pernot it is - on my shopping list!

Again, thanks for the TN's.

Hunt