With an herbed pork tenderloin, cauliflower with parmesan, and brown rice, the 2003 Kellerei Kaltern "Caldaro" Lagrein (Alto Adige). Slightly lifted nose. Simple and grapey. Puts on a little weight during the night. But there are better Lagreins out there, why waste one's time? B-/C+
Thursday Betsy made a chicken breast dish with asparagus, and we tried the 2004 Pinson Chablis. Chalky minerality, clean pear fruit, actually a very fine effort for a Chablis AC wine. B+/B
Friday was tax day. Our accountant came over and did his thing, and then as is our tradition his wife joined us for dinner. Betsy had marinated hanger steak, with salad and a barley pilaf side. Jim the taxman/mystery novelist likes CdP, so I served the 1998 La Gardine Chateauneuf du Pape. This has opened up substantially in the last year. Ripe raspberry and blackberry fruit overlaying a mediumbodied wine with resolving tannins, there's a little note of anise and lavender. Nice modern (but not especially oaky) CdP. B+/A-
Jim's wife Dana only drinks whites, we finished off the Chablis and then went to the 2004 Joseph Drouhin "Laforet" Mâcon-Villages. Clean if simple wine, pear and apple fruit with a little bit of lemon zest. No complexity, but a good effort for the $7-8 price. B
Tonight Betsy made a ham-lentil soup, seared scallops, with some leftover barley. Wine is the 2004 Clos Roche Blanche Sauvignon (Touraine). Citrus/grapefruit fruit with a little gooseberry and a lot of grassy notes. Good acidity, clean finish, bright and clean wine. Excellent QPR. B+/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.