Friday started with a glass of the 2011 Donnhoff Oberhauser Leistenberg Rie sling Kabinett. Citrus (lime), green apple, full mouthfeel, vibrant acids, good length. B+
Dinner was leftover cassoulet and red cabbage, with the 2007 Chandon de Bri ailles “Ile de Vergelesses” Pernand-Vergelesses 1er. Crisp and zesty, w ith cranberry and raspberry fruit, smoke, and coffee notes. Good acids, lig ht tannins, fresh and fun. Really an overachiever. B+/A-
Saturday was roast chicken with herb butter, broccoli, and pain perdu with a mushroom sauce, cooking and dinner wine was the 2010 Carillon Bourgogne B lanc. Good acids, lemon and pear, hint of hazelnut, nice wine. B+
Sunday we went to a dinner party at home of some friends, appetizers were a bit Mad Men era- I did rumaki, Nancy made parmesan/onion/mayo toasts that she said she remembered from childhood (60s). Also a bit of my pate, plus p rosciutto/melon./balsamic, and olives and salami.
NV Lallier rose Delicate, sweet cherries and orange zest, quite nice. B+
NV Gruet Brut Is this correct? Apple cidery, sweet edge, I usually like Gruet for the pri ce but this is simple and soft. C+/C
There was a salad with jicama & orange
2010 Terrazze Della Luna Pinot Grigio Trentino Very light, but decent acids, green plum and lemon, ok as something of a pa late cleanser. B-/C+Main course was a fish stew, kind of a cioppino style (with a little anise edge from some sambuca).
2006 Jean Noel Gagnard “Caillerets” Chassange-Montrachet No pox here, but lots of 2006ness. Tropical, rich, a bit on the fat side. B ig, full, and long, but needs more zip to be classic. B2006 Nicale Brunello di Montalcino Modernista BdM, lots of oak, good acids though, rather plush, but not reall y Sangiovese like much less Brunello-like. B-
No wine Monday, we had pizza before I took a college group around city. Tue sday was littleneck clams & pasta, tofu with peanut sauce, and arugula sala d
2011 JP Brun Beaujolais Blanc Apples, peach, a bit of chalk. I thought 2011 was supposed to be a fairly h igh acid vintage in Beaujolais, but this seems to have a little pudge, good but not my favorite vintage. B/B-2011 Lafage “Novellum” Chardonnay (VdP d’Oc) Rounder Chard fruit, a little cheesy, a bit flat, this was really just a co oking wine -clean enough for that, and who’s complaining at $6. . C+
Tonight Betsy made chicken in vinegar as well as potato/carrot gnocchi in a butter/sage/parmesan sauce and a salad. Wine was the 2008 A Vita Ciro Ross o Classico, interesting wine. Bright cherry with a hint of darker fruits, n o apparent oak, fairly floral nose good acids, some light tannins. Well pri ced and I’ll get more. B+/B
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.