Betsy needed a cooking wine, it was the 2012 Litaud "Les Pommards" St Veran . Maybe this wasn't cold enough, but it came off as rounder/softer than wha t I look for in Macon, soft pear and tropical fruit, clean but not compelli ng. I've generally liked this producer, but this didn't sparkle. B-/C+
Sunday I made roast chicken with fennel, onions, and mushrooms; we also had miso-eggplant pickles and pickled curried cauliflower The 2013 Barou "Cuve e des Vernes: Syrah is a pretty, light-bodied, fresh wine. Modest acids, go od berry fruit, herby. Fine value (and Betsy likes, so re-buy). B+/B
Monday I made a stirfry -soba with shrimp , tofu, and vegetables in a Thai- ish green curry sauce, with salad and bagna cauda pickles (green beans, rad ish, fennel). Wine was the 1999 Burn "la Chapelle -Clos St Imer- Goldert " Gewurztraminer. A bit softer/sweeter than what I needed for dish, but on it 's own a pretty fun tipple. Lychee, smoke, and orange zest, sweet but not a s much RS as initial attack makes one think, good finish. Not to search for , fun to try. B
Tuesday I had a board meeting, ate tofu, got home and opened a half bottle of red. The 2012 Mocali Rosso di Montalcino (375 ml) was plummy, clean, and innocuous. B-
We had some green tomatoes as we pulled up the garden, Betsy made a NYTimes recipe of lamb shoulder with a green tomato sauce (a winner), with Brussel s sprouts and rice. Wine was a 1 liter fiasco (!!!!!!!!!!!!!) of the 2012 M onte Bernardi Chianti Classico. Wine was exactly what one would hope for in that format- pretty black cherries with a little dried cherry, a hint of l eather and earth, light-bodied. Fun, easy, and fun change of pace packaging . 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.