TN: Pair of satellites, better than it should be old deuxieme,etc.

My parents were in town, we went out to a local restaurant. Nice thick wine list, I think my hopes got up, but it turned out to be a fairly pedestrian list (the thickness came from pages of blurbs about each wine, which looked like distributor's handouts). I was ordering beef, my dad also wanted red, so I ordered the 1999 Ch. Fleur de Jean Gue (Lalande de Pomerol). It was actually listed as a Pomerol on menu, but I thought I remembered it was a Lalande. Checked, it was Lalande, but ordered- still was most attractive red on list to me. Definitely seemed on the "international-style" side of the block, some spicy oak, soft, lots of red fruit. I think I could have used a little more heft, and certainly a little more acidity. But a pleasant if uninspiring wine.B-/B

The following night Betsy made salmon (wrapped in foil with basil). I served the 1997 Robert Mondavi Carneros Pinot Noir . Unfiltered, but no sediment. Slight browning around the edges, sweet cherry(pie) fruit, some earth. OK match with the salmon, but flavors seem muddled and unfocused. Not a wine I'd be jumping to buy more of. I think I got this from a promotional deal in the early days of evineyard.com; I wonder a bit re storage/shipping. B-/C+

When we moved recently, I left behind my beloved charcoal grill to appreciative neighbors, and moved to the Dark Side. Saturday was my first day to fire up the Weber gas(p) grill. Some porterhouses came out nicely, and were accompanied by the 1998 Ch. Saint Andre Corbin (St. Georges St. Emilion). Surprisingly concentrated for a satellite St. Emilion appelation, this modest but tasty wine had balanced acidity, fine tannins, black cherry & dark plum fruit, and a nice mineral finish. I think I paid $9-10, really should have bought more. I think enjoyed the '99 of this too, will certainly buy the 2000 and try. B++

Monday night brought a friend visiting from North Carolina. Before she helped me (for many hours) assemble an Ikea computer station, we enjoyed a very good chicken (with a tea-chile marinade from Ming Tsai) that Betsy had prepared. Sarah was on the way back from a visit with her parents, and announced she had (with her father's blessing) raided his cellar for some everyday wines. She brought one in for dinner. Uh oh, the 1993 Baron de Milon (Pauillac). I thought "A second wine of a chateau I haven't been impressed with from an early-maturing vintage that I liked even less than most." Negativity set in, but then I thought "well, in the interest of education and politeness." Hey, free your mind Dale. This clearly would have been better a few years back- the blackcurrant fruit was more than a little faded, and there seemed to be a slight prune note. BUT, there WAS fruit, along with some very nice secondary aromas of cigarbox and damp earth. This wine was a bit over-the-hill, it was not really a match for the stronger flavors of the tea/chile rub, and at best probably deserves a C+ or B- on my easy scale. But I have to say it confounded my expectations, and I got a fair amount of pleasure out of that. Bonus points earn it a B

My usual disclaimer: I'm a pretty easy grader, basically A is a very good wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Dale

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