Thursday was grilled chicken breast, tomatillo salsa, pesto quinoa, salad, with the 2011 Steinmetz “Dhroner Hofberg GD” Riesling. OK, I confess I bought this from a closeout bin and actually thought it said GG . But it was dry, and it was tasty. Apple, pear, ginger, and floral notes. Pretty big, pretty long. But drinks more like Wachau than Mosel. B/B+
Friday I made dinner as Betsy and her sister came back from the beach, her BIL joined us, we had a nice dinner on the patio. Started with pate grandme re and the
2015 Pampelonne rose (Cotes de Provence).Pale, cherry and mineral, moderate acids. B/B-
First we had lobster salad (citrus dressing, tarragon, arugula), wine was t he 2009 F. Cotat “Les Culs de Beaujeau” Sancerre. 15%, mayb e just slightly hot on its own, but comes across as balanced with the food. Citrus, floral, and earthy notes, full and long. B+/A-
Main was skirt steak, squash, &caprese. Wine was the 1998 Leoville Poyferre . Red currant and plums, a little tobacco, not bad but with some rather tac ky tannin. OK, but I almost never find Medoc 98s to have a wow factor like the Graves and RB wines. B
Saturday we had carbonara (bucatini and guanciale), spatcokced chiclen with a fennel/herb/lemon rub, haricots verts, and salad.
2014 La Bettigna Vermentino (Colli di Luni) I like Ligurian whites and thought that this might go well with the fennel rub on chicken. It did, but I didn’t care much for the wine. Good a cids, but odd (oxidized?) notes to the fruit, and rather short. Oops, have a couple more. B-/C+
2006 Trimbach “Cuvee Frederic Emile” Riesling (375) Opened as I didn’t love the Vermentino. I like ‘06 CFE, but by now I should have learned how poorly Trimbach dry wines do in halves, u nsure why. Advanced, petrol and oxidation, C+/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.