TN: Burgundy, Calabria, Nahe, Champagne, Oc, Trentino, NM

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. B

2006 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.

Reply to
DaleW
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I like Franzia Chillable Red in the big cardboard box. Have you ever evaluated that one? It seems to have hints of Oak and tannins and wild cheeries..a summer breeze and other sublte nuances such as that. Let me know. Thanks.

Reply to
bigwheel

Great!

Reply to
Ken Blake

Very interesting, Dale. From your note, I would say that you don't see any problems with drinking it now. Given CdB's reputation for making fairly backward wines, and the bigger nature of this cuvée, I'm a bit surprised at how open and approachable it seems. Are you going to put your other bottles away for the long haul? Should I try opening one of mine sooner rather than later?

That's odd. I was pretty underwhelmed by the '10, too, which seemed a bit round and plush for my tastes. Is there a pattern here?

Mark Lipton

Reply to
Mark Lipton

Corrections always appreciated! :)

Reply to
DaleW

I ruahed notes a bit. That's what the Donnhoff was for- the red was pretty tight, I put in decanter about 6 PM and ate about 7:45, wine was best after 9 (and good next day). I wouldn't hestitate to age. But it drank well with air. In my limited experience, most CdB except Corton and the biggest Voln ay & Pommard 1er don't shut down as hard as best CdN. But that's instinct n ot survey.

Re Brub- Looking at my notes I liked one bottle of 2010 and thought other o ff. Can't imagine JP changed vinification practices, but it is odd.

Reply to
DaleW

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