Sunday was a glorious day, sunny and 78°. Some friends had invited us to a picnic by the river. As we arrived they were finishing reading the names of the victims of 9/11, a bit sobering as we used to be able to see the twin towers from the park - cause for reflection.
Marc and Annabelle had brought a nice spread, and Marc fired up one of the grill boxes. He grilled sirloin, filet, and corn; we also had an assortment of cured meats and pate, green salad, and potato salad. 4 couples altogether, and some kids having a ball. Marc had brought an assortment of 2000 Bordeaux:
2000 La Croix de Beaucaillou (St-Julien) Most open of the three, I guessed this was Right Bank at first. Black plum fruit that seems more Merlot to me, a light hint of cedary oak. A little violet/floral note. Medium bodied. B
2000 Ch. Gloria (St-Julien) Pretty tight at first. Cassis fruit peeking out behind some tannins and acidity. With a little time there's some tobacco and cigarbox. This is an awkward time to drink this, but a nice wine in hiding. B+
2000 Ch. Maucaillou (Moulis) This seems to be most folks' favorite, but not mine. Surprisingly oaky, there's a burnt-vanilla/oak overlay that I don't enjoy. Medium-body, modest cassis fruit and a rather short finish. Probably an awkward time to consume, but I can't get past the oaky notes. A generous B-, just because I've liked Maucaillou in the past.
A bit hard to believe that it's been four years since 9/11/01. A bit sobering for the adults, but to the kids (mostly quite young) it's immaterial- they just knew it was a glorious day, And they got the adults to forget too- as we got caught in their watefight. The sunshine sparkling on the water, and the ducks quite literally in a row.
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.