Thursday grilled some tuna steak, with a ratatouille variant (initially gri lled vegetables, and added white beans) and salad
2014 Mas de Gourgonnier Rose ( Baux-de-Provence) I've liked this a lot, but thought this bottle a bit flat when sipping at f irst. Yet eating with the tuna seemed to bring it to life. Strawberry and r aspberry, tingly acids, invigorating. B+/B
2014 la Louvetrie Muscadet Light, leesy, with chalk and seashell notes. Very good QPR. B
Friday I was in charge of dinner again, steamed a couple lobsters, with a b arley/rice medley and broccolini. Wine was the 2000 Ramey "Hyde" Chardonnay . Big ripe and tropical at first, but mellows and gets some more apple frui t with a hazelnut accent. Big but balanced, good length. Wood is integrated , just a little toast note and that hazelnut accent. I quite enjoy and it h olds up well overnight. B+
Satiurday we walked over to some neighbors' home, they greeted up with asso rted dips and cheeses, and the 2013 Domaine d'Elise Petit Chablis. Fresh, b right, light with lemon and apple flavors. B
Main course was steak grilled directly on hardwood, with roasted vegetables and green salad with figs and goat cheese, I had brought over the 2002 Roy "Le Val" Auxey-Duresses 1er. Ripe and open, red plum fruit, a little earth , pleasant but not compelling. B-
Sunday we had some friends and family over. Started with smoked salmon, ven ison pate, and the 2012 Raventos i Blanc del Nit Cava Rosado, Big, nice bit ter cherry fruit, a hint of earth, but less deep than a couple of earlier v intages. Nice though. B/B-
Ron had brought back littlenecks from a RI trip, so first sitdown course wa s clams I grilled with fried garlic
2014 Collestefano Verdichio di Matellica Crisp, citrusy, minerally, great value. B++
2014 Pepiere (Ollivier) Muscadet (Sevre & Maine Sur Lie) Worthy companion to the Collestefano, as always one of the great values in white wine. Seashell/saline minerality, snappy, great cut, refreshing. B++
Betsy was happy to be home and free to cook, and made a lot for main course
- shrimp/scallop skewers, tomato/mushroom/squash skewers, a slaw with a tah ini dressing, a rift on Caprese, and a pasta salad with peas and pesto. It was so much food we realized during dessert (a berry cobbler) that we had n ever put out the tomato/mushroom/squash which was first thing on grill. :(
2014 Terre Nere Etna Rosato I've liked this before, but this seems clunky to me this night. B-/C+
2005 Pascal Cotat "Les Monts Damnes" Sancerre Quite ripe, comes across as a little hot at first taste (in dim light on p atio I didn't try to see abv) but air seems to bring balance. Citrus, quinc e, and tropical fruits, big but with good acids and plays well with food. B y end of evening it was powerful but pleasing. I will say that tasting remn ants on Tuesday they were shot. B
Monday I dined in city at Racines, but was back home on a sweltering Tuesda y. Too hot to eat outside, but I did grill some chicken, which we had with leftover vegetables and the 2014 Tinhof Blaufrankisch Rose. Light and slurp able, but no real complexity, good on a hot night. B-
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine , B a good wine, C drinkable. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice.Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectiv ity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.