Yesterday was gorgeous and we had a fun day- the annual "Ferry Festa" - a s treet fair where our downtown is closed off to traffic - the hound had a pa rticularly good time, meeting dozens of new dogs, getting blessed by the Ep iscopal priest, and finding food on the ground. When she was good and exhau sted, we went home, fed her, and then hiked over hill to some neighbors for dinner.
We were greeted with the NV Rimarts "18" Brut Reserva Cava. Crisp, appley, light, nothing complex but nicely refreshing on a warm fall day. B
Dinner was romescada (Catalan lobster,clam, and shrimp stew in romesco styl e sauce) and salad. Multiple wines were tried:
2011 Wind Gap "Windsor Oaks" Pinot Gris I guess skin-contact, this is a dark gold with a reddish tint. Very floral on nose, full, red fruits and spice, a honied note (but dry). B+2013 (I think) CVNE "Monopole" Rioja blanco Not familiar with this bottling, but this is a nice inexpensive white Rioja . Fresh, cocconut/oak, waxy, good length. I'll get some of this. B+/B
2001 La Rioja Alta "904" Rioja Gran Reserva Lovely showing, black cherries accented by tobacco, cedar, and spice. Brigh t acids, medium bodied, long. A-2005 Puy Guilhem (Fronsac) Tannic, black plum fruit, not very long, maybe needs time but tannins might outlast fruit. B-/C+
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.