New Year's Eve was sandwiched between 2 big dinner party, so we (Betsy, her mom, and myself) stayed home for a quiet night (while Dave and Grace met f riends). Betsy made beef jantaboon with bok choy and long beans,wine was th e 2000 La Vieille Cure (Fronsac). Still some good darker fruits, some cocoa /mocha notes, tannins barely hanging in back. Not bad at all, but not sure anything was gained by aging this. B/B-
New Year's Day was the big family dinner. Dave and Betsy's nephew helped he r make a double batch of pasta dough. Started with foie gras, mushroom pate , and other munchies. Toasting wine was the 2005 Lallier Brut Champagne. Fu ll, citrusy, light biscuit dough notes, flinty/gunsmoke edge. B++
Dinner was one lasagna with pesto , another with meat sauce and bechamel, s auteed spinach, and of course my blackeyed peas (I am a Southerner).
2010 Rocca di Castagnoli "Stielle" Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Full, masculine style of Chianti, black cherry, tobacco, leather. Full and long. B+1988 Ch. Climens (Barsac) This is what I look for in Sauternes, great acids to balance out the sweets , tangy citrus and apricot, honied botrytis notes, excellent length. A-
Saturday was lamb chops, orzo, and spinach. Wine was the 2006 Ch. de Sequin (Bordeaux Sup). Red plum and currant, big green note throughout. Not too appealing. C+/C
Sunday was tofu and cashews in curry and Chinese mustard greens with shiita kes.
2012 Von Kesselstatt Piesporter Goldtropfchen Spatlese Without the tropical vibrancy I'd expect of Goldtropfchen, good acids but m uted fruit, sweetness but without fruitiness. At first I think this is just shutting down, but then I start getting musty notes, and think this is jus t at edge of my threshold for TCA. NR2013 Zilliken Ockfener Bockstein Kabinett Brighter, fresher, green apple and citrus, fun. B+/B
Monday we had a dinner/wedding meeting with Dave and Grace at MP Taverna, t hey split a half of a bottle of a Petite Sirah, but my night off wine (I ha d crab cakes and "greek paella", so PS would have been bad match!)
Tuesday was chicken thighs braised with shallots and tomatoes, with brown r ice and tahini-roasted broccoli. Wine was the 2014 Lapierre "Cuvee Camille" Morgon. Don't know anything about this bottling, fresh strawberries, maybe a little fuller/rounder than regular Morgon, earthy/mushroom note on finis h, quite nice. B+
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 p arty where it was only choice.Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivi ty, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.