Mostly me cooking this week, Betsy has been playing a ballet gig where rehearsals end at 7, so we've had late dinners, on the patio in the lovely cool weather.
With broiled lemon sole, cauliflower with pimenton, snow peas and salad, the
2008 Drouhin Vaudon (Joseph Drouhin) Chablis 1er Cru. This is a generic 1er, a combination of Mont de Tonnerre, Mont Milieu, and 2 vineyards I'd never heard of. Crisp, steely, a bit austere at first but opens up. Classy, minerally, very good. B+With grilled tofu 2 ways (one in a kecap manis sauce, other in a lemon marinade), corn, asparagus, and pizza Margherita, the NV Pinon Touraine Rose and the X bottling of the Marcel Lapierre Raisins Gaulois.
The NV Pinon is the newest release,the 2007 version. Sweet red fruit with an attractive bitter streak, very nice wine but I think I liked the previous version a tad better (heretic!). B
NV (2010) Lapierre "X" Raisins Gaulois. Joy juice! UNcomplicated, fresh, friendly, fun. Bright berry and black cherry fruit, good acids, holds well overnight, at least as good as the IX for me. B+
With grilled lemon/basil chicken, potato salad, and hot & sour coleslaw, the 2008 Fourrier Bourgogne Blanc. At first pour I think Craig has oversold this to me- it seems austere and tight. But with food this showed quite nicely- intense citrus fruit, no apparent oak but plenty of apparent structure, lovely wine. I think I might hold these and concentrate on drinking my 09 Pernots, which seem more forward. Great suggestion from Craig. B+/A-
Dave prefers red, so there was also the 2009 G. Descombes Morgon. He drinks a glass, I take a small pour after dinner- muted, not showing much at all. I assume it is closed down, but when I sample the folllowing day, the real issue is apparent- it's corked. Apparently just below my sensory threshold for TCA on day 1, just "fruit scalping" but the damp cardboard is there in background on day 2. NR
With pork tenderloin in a mustard/soy/tamarind sauce (I admit it, loosely based on a Paula Deen recipe- the horror!), whole wheat pearl couscous, and leftover slaw, the 2009 JJ Christoffel Erben "Urziger Wurzgarten" Riesling Kabinett. Big, sweet, could easily be Spatlese, but has truly zippy acidity. Peaches, cherries, good length, very nice wine. B+/A-
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.