Wednesday we met some friends for dinner at Harpers. I started with chicken liver pate crostini while Betsy had excellent mushroom toast with an egg. I had a Portuguese-ish stew with mussels, monkfish, and sausage; Betsy duc k confit. We had brought some wines
2009 F. Cotat “Culs de Beaujeau” Sancerre Big, rich, verging on over the top, but pulled up by a nice mineral vein. I could deal with a little less alcoholic ripeness, but pretty tasty for a 2 009. B+2002 Girardin “Santenots” Volnay 1er Nice black cherry fruit, earth, good acid/tannin/fruit balance, but overla id with too much oak and gloss. B-/B
2003 Puy Guilhem (Fronsac) Really ripe and jammy, blueberry and cassis, sorry I might have some of the se. C+/CFriday I made “Sicilian “ tuna steaks (in a puttanesca-esqu e sauce) and broccoli rabe. Cooking wine was a 375 of the 2015 Bersan St Bris. Yellow fruits, a little grass, some rocky notes, not complex but $6/half who’s complaining? B-
2015 Defino Frappato Fresh, peppery, fresh raspberry and cranberry, floral. Fun and good QPR. BSaturday was roast chicken and veggies (carrot, turnip,beet) and a mescl un/radish salad (Betsy was happy I found watermelon radishes at farmers mar ket).
2003 Mayacamas Merlot (Mt Veeder, Napa) If more Cali Merlot was like this, I’d drink more Cali Merlot! Rip e black plum and black cherry fruit, mocha, mushrooms. Smooth and easy, plu sh without being soft. B+/A-With Korean marinated pork, “Asian” slaw, brown rice, Chang ’s kimchi Brussels Sprouts
2015 Enderle and Moll Muller-Thurgau Good acids, but the fruit is like canned fruit cocktail. Sweet fruit, slush y tropical fruit, short finish. C2015 Eva Fricke Kiedrich Riesling Nice and snappy, very mineral, dry but not austere. B+/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.