Another week of social distancing. Working (alone) and taking things to city (with no real contact), it?s a weird world (especially NYC at night). We are managing to eat well.
With 1950s style beef stroganoff (Campbells beef consomme and tomato soup), the 2018 Lapalu Beaujolais-Villages Vieilles Vignes. Fresh and natty tasting, sweet ripe red fruit with lots of herbs. Fun and easy, glou glou. B/B+
Another virtual dinner on Zoom, this time with Betsy?s sister and BIL. Their food called for red, so I decanted a bottle of 1995 Ch. Beychevelle and dropped half of their porch, along with a bottle of white. The Beychevelle is young but charming, elegant middleweight with cassis and coffee, a little cigarbox appearing with time. Fun. B+/A-
We had the white with our shrimp and orzo, with kale on the side.
2018 Vino Alantico Nortico Alvarinho Pata put out a mixed case where some part went to restaurant workers relief fun. Why not try. A little pit fruit, some citrus, hint of saline minerality on finish. Not bad for $10. B-/BFriday Betsy made lamb shoulder and white bean stew, what the hell let?s open the 1998 Montevertine ?Pergole Torte?? Toscano. Man this is in a nice place. Black cherry and leather accented with a bit of anise and incense, balanced acids, resolved tannins. Won?t buy anymore but lovely. A-
Saturday at market I got a single piece of lemon sole that weighed 1.5 lbs! Grilled on a mat, with grilled leeks with caper/mustard/herb sauce, barley, and Chinese spinach
2017 JJ Vincent Bourgogne Blanc Ripe sweet white fruit, a little short on finish, clean but unexciting. B-/C+Sunday we started with a scallop crudo and the 2010 Thomas-Labaille ?Les Monts Damnes? Sancerre. Lovely wine, ready and delicious. Citrus and Granny Smith, flowers and herbs, long balanced finish. Pretty much textbook fine Sancerre for me. A-
Main was pork ribs (pressure cooker then finished under broiler), potato salad, and broccoli salad. Went rose, with 2018 Vino Alantico Zestos Rosado (also from Pata relief case). Garnacha from outside Madrid, surprisingly bright. Red fruit, good acids for grenache, tangy if short finish. 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 party where it was only choice.Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.