We had an early dinner Saturday, with a fish stew with shrimp, mussels, halibut , scallops, and vegetables, along with the 2006 JM Brocard "Domaine Ste. Claire" Chablis. Nice effort for regional Chablos, Gala apple and lemon, a good note of chalk especially on finish. Not especially long, but satisfying and a good value at $14 (but a bigger rounder wine might have done better with the rich stew). B
We dropped off Betsy's parents and niece at her sister's, then went to friends who were having an early Epiphany party, complete with gallete des rois. I was too full to sample the gravlax, salads, or cheeses, but did sample all the wines:
NV Piper-Heisdeck Brut Champagne Light and fresh, apple pie and a little floral note. BB+
2006 Wild Rock "The Infamous Goose" Sauvignon Blanc Better than another vintage I had of this. A bit thin, but reasonable NZ SB character with gooseberry, kiwi, and a little grass. Simple and innocuous. B-
2000 Ste. Colombe (Cotes du Castillon) This has aged better than I expected. Resolved tannins, lively black plum fruit, good length, nice texture. B+/B
2000 Ch. Duplessy (1er Cotes du Bordeaux) Another nice 2000 surprise. Plum and berry fruit, some earth and cigarbox, maybe a tad shorter than the Ste Colombe, but very good for under-$10 Bdx. B
2005 Finnegan's Lake "Fin." Cabernet Sauvignon This drew raves from many, I found overripe and short. Sweet, jammy, yet lacking in concentration. C+
Nice party with great conversations.
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