I had a speech in Rye, but Betsy held dinner for me. This is “Ottol enghi seafood with tomato” week for us, so she made the scallop/shr imp/clam with tomato and feta.
2014 La Bettigna Vermentino (Colli di Luni) Nutty/appley, good acids, a bit advanced? C+Thursday I took her to Saint George in Hastings, took a couple of wines. Sh e had lobster bisque (with lobster meat) and duck breast with plum and spin ach with a Bordelaise sauce; I had ricotta dumplings (maitake, black garlic , sage) and mustard-crusted cod with Brussels sprouts and cauliflower and t he Bordelaise sauce. Ordered a glass of white for the lobster and in case t he Bordelaise sauce didn’t make the cod red-friendly enough, and ch ose the red Bordeaux over the CFE.
2014 Daniel Reverdy Sancerre (by glass) Last of a bottle, but it was fresh, and then they freshened from a new bott le. Granny smith, lemon, just a hint of grass. Plenty of fruit, plenty of a cid backbone. Nice BTG pour B+/B1998 Ch. Bourgneuf (Pomerol) A little bit of funk I don’t remember from previous bottles (differ ent source). Black plums, coffee, a little cigarbox and that touch of barny ard. Mostly resolved tannins, medium acidity, good length. B+/A-
Pork chops with orange (great easy Franey recipe) , parsleyed rice, carrots , and the 2007 Vallana Gattinara. Nice midweight Nebbiolo, black cherry wit h some cedar and rose petal, juicy acids, light tannins. 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.