Betsy was making cornish game hens with a Vietnamese 5 spice marinade, rice with furikake, and a salad Saturday. I went downstairs thinking Beaujolais, but Betsy called to me it was 3 minutes to end of world/ rapture, so I grabbed a nearby bottle and brought up the 2005 Joguet "Cuvee Terroir" Chinon. Popped it just in time for 6 PM, then we kissed and drank it over next couple hours with delicious dinner while waiting for the earthquakes. A bit big for the hens, but nice wine. Full-bodied, black cherry fruit, meat, smoke. Medium acidity, some tannin. Very nice. B+
Sunday we went to church to see Betsy's niece get confirmed (I didn't mind, this is a Presbyterian church that makes liberal Unitarians look doctrinaire), then out to a family brunch at Juniper. I carried along a bottle of NV Gosset "Excellence" Brut. Big full style of Champagne, apple turnovers, yeast, toast, mineral. B+
After brunch I spent afternoon at a Tom Chapin benefit for my organization, but got home in time to set table for 10 for family dinner with her visiting cousins, and to help with tablesetting, wine, and grilling. Several pesce-vegetarians, Betsy gave a lot of varierty, with brushcetta Caprese, shrimp with sage, shrimp with sage and proscuitto, pappardelle with mushroom ragu, salad of asparagus and snow peas with pickled onions, and watermelon/feta/olive mint salad (the cousins brought a fruit tart). Several wines were poured
2008 Cazin (Petit Chambord) Cour-Cheverny Good acids, sweet citrusy fruit, sec-tendre, good length, quite pleasing. B+2008 Boniface Apremont (Savoie) Light, clean, but already beginning to lose a little freshness, drink up. B-
1995 Jadot "Chouacheux" Beaune 1er Seemed quite thin at first, just lean cherry fruit and a hint of barnyard. The bretty note never advanced, fruit bulked up, earth and mushroom came out. Solid mature Burg. B2009 Pico Maccario "Berro" Barbera d'Asti Used in pasta sauce- mushroom ragu was a NYT Pairings recipe for Barbera d'Asti, so used a bit for cooking and served. Fruity/forward style of Barbera, more juicy than tangy. B-
2009 Lauer "Barrel X" Riesling Minerals, good acids, apple blossoms, apple and lime fruit, halbtrocken. B+OK, so a lot of Bs, but the world didn't end. :)
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. 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.