Betsy had a busy day, went quite simple with dinner Monday- pita pizzas with mozzarella, basil, roasted peppers, and mushrooms. Wine was the
2002 Huet Vouvray Brut. I'm 94.2% sure I pulled this from the box with the first release. Just a whisper of a pop, light petillance leads to a very gentle and delicate mousse. Lemons, apples and bread dough, with a chalky mineral finish. Good acids, great finish. I nurse some through the evening, a fine wine that I sometimes forget is bubbly. Rich, intense, complex, balanced. There's a bit left that I look forward to trying on Tuesday, but Betsy foils me by using for salad dressing. A-
Dinner Tuesday is elbow pasta with mussels and a dill/creme fraiche sauce, along with a endive/lettuce salad with lemon/chenin dressing. Wine is the 2009 Pepiere/Ollivier Muscadet. This version is fuller/ riper than most years, but still has that backbone of racy acidity. She sells seashells by the seashore. Citrus, minerals, saline. Great length, balance, a fantastic value at $10-13. I'm sure there will be those who preferred more lean vintages, but this hits the spot for me.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.