With oysters, black sea bass, barley and green salad, the 2018 Fevre Vaillons Chablis 1er. This was rich and interesting, but at moment I think the ripeness of the vintage is more apparent than the terroir B/B+, but I think I have one more that I will try to revisit in 5-19 years
Trying new gas attachment to Ooni, some artichoke and prosciutto pizza, with the the 2015 Bart “Champs Salomon” Marsannay Very young, some tannic structure, but juicy black cherry fruit, woodsmoke, some damp soil notes. Drunk too young (and I think my only one),but I enjoyed.B+/B
Memorial Day was hot, but not too bad in shade. We had a large group of friends in the yard for a party (all vaxxed, everyone masked if inside for a minute). We made pickled ramp guacamole, mango salsa, potato salad I grilled porterhouse, teriyaki salmon, weisswurst, hot dogs, ribs. I also grilled some lemon chicken brought by others Betsy and I are still learning to use the Ooni, made a few pizzas- zucchini and lemon, asparagus and prosciutto Others brought pork belly, pancit (Filipino glass noodles), grain salads, green salads, pasta salads, smoked salmon,.watermelon salad, deviled eggs, gazpacho, quiche Desserts included strawberry rhubarb tart, banana bread, GF cheesecake,
Wines included a few I’ve reported recently like 2012 Pepiere Briords, 2020 Picq,2009 Descombes Morgon, 2012 Gouges Perrieres NSG blanc, etc which showed like recent notes
Plus
2018 Finca Luna Beberide Mencia (Bierzo) Light, fruity, bright. B2018 La Grande Courraye (Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux) I guess this is what used to be Cotes de Castillon. Very Merloty , plum and herb, round, easy. B-
2009 Patrick Piuze “Butteaux” Chablis 1er Magnum Premox? No! Good showing, white fruits, chalk, beeswax.Good acids considering vintage, long finish, complex and long. A-2019 Rollin Sous Fretille Parnand-Vergelesses This had been opened a day but didn’t suffer for it. Really lovely, pear accented with citrus blossoms, some anise and mint notes, long mineral finish. A-/B+
1977 Sterling Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (mag) Decanted about 1.5 hours before serving, showed well for hours. Slightly lifted, red fruited, hint of eucalyptus and menthol, saddle leather. Pretty and complex. A-NV Calsac Champagne L'échappee Belle Brut Blanc de Blancs Really one of the WOTD candidate, bright and fresh, sweet apple with Parkerhouse rolls and lemon zest. Quite long. A-
2020 Dry Farm Wines Pet Nat Loire Valley. 70% Chardonnay, 30% Folle Blanche, Others liked more than me, tastes more like dry cider than wine, finish is clipped, though certainly drinkable on a hot day. . B-1988 Felsina “Rancia” Chianti Classico Riserva I had a pretty good bottle of this recently, though this one (sawdust cork) was pretty advanced. Actually seemed less maderized with time, and a couple of folks really liked it, but not correct. C+/B- for this bottle.
2020 Bouchard Pinot Noir Rose Whoa, dud of the day. Fat, flat, and insipid. C+2004 JJ Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese Peach, citrus, and white flowers, nice balance, sweetness under control, fine length. A-/B+
There were a few others I missed. I thought a 2020 Meulenhof Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spatlese had passed me by, but found a small pour left in a bottle in a cooler Tue. Rich, crunchy, bright acids, very good.
Really a fun 3 day weekend.
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C drinkable. 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.