TN: Good week of moderately priced wines

A very good week of wine, with none truly expensive. I recently picked up orders from Chambers St, Wine Cellarage, and Grapes, and was happy with results.

With grilled shell steaks, sauteed mushrooms, potatoes, & salad, the 2011 Vissoux/Chermette "Poncie" Fleurie. Really showing well, black raspberries and mocha, tangy acids, light supple tannins, this could age but I really enjoy this night. B++

Thursday was angel hair pasta with mussels and zucchini, cooking wine was the

2011 Bella Vita Pinot Grigio (Veneto). Clean, crisp, citrusy, what more could you want in $8 PG? B-

But with dinner we actually drank the 2009 Pascal Cotat "Les Monts Damnes" Sancerre. A bit much for the food, but a very good wine. Ripe almost tropical fruit at first, though it seems more citrusy with time. Balanced acids, good length, very good if not great by Cotat standards. B+

There was a cooking wine the following night too, the 2011 Iche "Les Heretiques" - recipe needed 3 cups, and I didn't take notes of the remaining

1+ ounce, but it was as usual a satisfyingly real wine.

Dinner was coq au vin, carrot and zucchini saute, & salad w/avocado,. with:

2009 Drouhin " Clos des Godeaux" Savigny-les-Beaune Midweight, elegant yet with firm tannin and fruit, black cherry and smoke, classy for a village wine. B++

With sockeye with herbs, quinoa, asparagus:

2008 Clemens Busch Pundericher Marienburg Grosses Gewaches OK, this could make a GG believer out of me. White pit fruits, ginger, flowers, with an acidic backbone and minerally finish. Very long. Delicious. A-

With pork tenderloin roasted with a kind of ratatouille-ish assortment of vegetables:

2012 Les Baux Gourgonnier Rose Good value, classic Provencal rose flavors, good food wine. B

With toor dal, okra, & salad

2010 Clemens Busch Pundericher Marienburg Riesling Kabinett Clean, fresh, tasty Kabinett but without the excitement of its GG brother (of course, considerably cheaper!). B

With stirfried beef with Sichuan pepper & salt, a combination of asparagus, squash & snowpeas in a soy dressing, and brown rice:

2006 Peybonhomme les Tours (1er Cotes du Blaye) OK, this isn't going to be a good ringer in a Pomerol tasting. But very nice for what it is- a rather oldfashioned/classic minor Bordeaux, with plums, tobacco, and cedar. Drinking well. B/B-

With "oven-fried" catfish, quinoa, and leftover dal:

2011 Villalin Quincy There was a period where I drank a fair amount of Quincy (mostly Mardon,but others too) but I don't think I've had one in a few years.I should! This was quite delightful- Granny Smith and gooseberry, a little freshly mowed grass, good acids, good finish. Lighter than a good Sancerre, but thats what I expect from Quincy. B/B+

With salmon with radish leaf pesto, green beans, brown rice, watercress:

2011 Foillard "Cotes du Py" Morgon Fresh, silky, all red berries and earth. There's a bit of tannin, good acids, nice length, this seems a bit tight but very nice wine underneath. B+ (with potential)

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.