Saturday evening I picked up Betsy at the airport. While I've missed her cooking over last couple weeks, I'm not quite enough of an ass to ask her to make dinner after traveling (while lugging a cello AND a tamboura). So I had made a recipe for a Portugese chicken & rice casserole in the crockpot. Recipe was a bit underseasoned, but ok. Wine was the 2002 Robert Chevillon Bourgogne Passetoutgrains. I think on release I was a little disappointed in this wine, but it has really filled out nicely. The gamay seems to add a bit of strawberry to the bitter cherry fruit, there's nice lively acidity, with some notes of mushroom and damp forest floor on the finish. Excellent QPR- is this my last one? Sad. B+
Ok, FINALLY, on Sunday night I get to have a home-cooked dinner that's not cooked by me. Betsy made steamed artichokes, braised short ribs, and mashed potatoes. I stick to seltzer during the artichokes, then with the short ribs go with the 1999 Karl Lawrence Cabernet Sauvignon (375). Even a Europhile like me should open a good CalCab now and again, and this one hit the spot. Probably deserved a couple more years in the cellar, but drinking very nicely right now. Dark fruit and vanilla on the nose, big black plum and blackcurrant flavors on palate. There's some toasty oak with those vanilla notes, but it's complementing rather than overpowering the fruit. Tannins are present but ripe. Nice wine. A-/B+
The wine that Betsy used for braising was the 2004 Wrongo Dongo (Jumilla), and I tried it with the leftovers on Monday (Betsy and David had gone to dinner with David's grandparents). This has a yellowtailish label, and is aimed towards same market (I assume this was brought to a party, I certainly didn't buy it). Probably pretty successful in that market- competently made, big dark fruit, some tannins to give it body. But this is just too sweet and low-acid for me. C+/B- Luckily there was some leftover Chevillon PTG to see me through dinner.
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.