Monday we had dinner at some friends. He was cooking some Indian recipes, we were asked to bring wine. I tend to opt more for beer, but I'll make do. Seemed to me the best options were bubbly or offdry (and not an expensive bottle of either); I decided to opt for bubbly. When we arrived, however, I started by pulling out a 2002 Cline Red Truck. Jim is a mostly red guy, so I reversed usual order. Lighter-weight, soft, easy. A wine that could pass for a simple decent Côtes du Rhône. Red fruit with a bit of grapiness, a little smoky note to make a little more interesting. I wouldn't go searching, but ok for a party. B/B- With a couple of curries, the NV Zardetto Prosecco Brut. Light and easy bubbly, just a tad off-dry with white fruit and a touch of yeast. Not exciting bubbly, but decent at standing up to the spice of the curries, and a bargain at $9. B
Tuesday Betsy was working, David and I had some turkey meatballs in gravy his grandmother had made. The wine was the 1998 Marc Colin Chassagne-Montrachet rouge. Fruit seemed light and reticent at first, and there were still some noticable tannins.Some air put some weight on the black cherry fruit, and developed a light hint of earth and mushrooms. Pretty decent. The next night I ate at office before a meeting. When I got home that night Betsy and I shared a glass of the red Chassagne. Tannins faded, still some freshness to the fruit. A bit more of the mushroom/forest floor aromas. Not a great Burg, probably a B on my easy scale, but a great deal at $10 from a closeout bin.
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 Dale
Dale Williams Drop "damnspam" to reply