Betsy had invited some friends of hers to dinner. Too many folks to sit down at our table, so we did buffet style. Menu was some of our summer favorites, a chicken salad with tarragon (from Danny Kaye, apparently), as well as Cambodian corn, appetizers of fig/proscuitto and smoked trout/horserasdish, and a few other munchies. Plan was to eat on patio, but heat was ferocious, so we stayed in AC.
I served two whites and one chilled red:
2001 St. Urbans Hof Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Kabinett (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer) Nice clean peach and lime flavors, a steely minerality on finish. Much better than a previous bottle (probably because this came from a more dependable source). Still, a little short on the finish, nothing stunning here. B
1999 Plantiers du Haut-Brion (Pessac-Leognan). Medium-bodied, a little grass over a base of apple and lemon/lime fruit. A little oakiness, but not obtrusive. Not bad, but there's a slight oxidative note on the finish, this is not tasting especially fresh. Unfortunate reminder that for my tastes, Bordeaux blanc is seldom a deal. B-
2002 Chevillon Bourgogne Passetoutgrains Good crisp acidity, bright strawberry and cherry fruit, lively finish. Fun slurping wine. With some air fruit shows as darker and more serious,with a little damp earth. Good $10 wine. B/B+
A guest had brought the 2000 Castello di Borghese Hargrave Vineyard Merlot (North Fork). A bit too much oak showing at moment, all vanilla ice cream with cherries. A little soft for me. There's pretty decent concentration for a Long Island Merlot, but finish fades and this doesn't grab my interest. B-/C+ Nice night.
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.