Saturday Betsy made veal chops with sage from Marcella Hazan, along with Marcella's asparagus/proscuitto bundles,and fettucine with a cream/parmesan sauce. Actually any of the three would have been a nice main course. In honor of the Italian orientation of the meal, I brought up an Arneis, which was corked. %$*(A%**(%
Next try, the 2002 Bründlmayer Langenloiser Grüner Veltliner (Kamptaler Terrassen). Very flowery nose. Moderately acidic, peach fruit with a hint of granny smith apple. There's just a hint of GV white pepper on the finish. Nice wine, just not up to the GV standards of the Nigl Privat. B+
Sunday was Mother's Day, and David and I made Betsy's breakfast,. I offered to cook dinner, too, but she demurred- cooking is something she finds joyful. Our Basset hound had given Betsy a D'Artagnan cookbook for Mother's Day, she (Betsy, not Lucy the hound)decided to make a duck dish from there. The breast is seared then poached. Served over asparagus and lettuce, with a sauce of asparagus, green peppercorns, tarragon, walnut oil, and raspberry vinegar. Then topped with blackberries. How's THAT for non-wine friendly? As this was basically a "drink water then have wine" dish, I didn't worry too much re a match. Just opened a wine I felt like opening, the 1996 La Louvière (Pessac-Léognan). While Betsy was cooking, we sipped a glass of the Bründlamyer, its floral characteristics even more pronounced now. I periodically checked on the Pessac rouge, it started a little tight but was quickly giving its all. Nose of earth and crushed blackberries (or am I smelling the ones on my plate?); palate of blackcurrant fruit. Some tobacco and mineral/gravel emerge with time. Nice, surprisingly mature. I don't really have a clear view of '96 in Graves, they don't seem as hard as the Right Bankers or as supple as the Médocs. I don't think this is going to improve much, B+ 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. Dale
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