No wines Monday (pappardelle with radicchio), Tuesday Betsy made beef strog anoff. Recipe called for white wine, she opened the 2015 La Vieille Ferme b lanc, I tried when I got home (checking on 5 buses of guests for a Thanksgi ving dinner). Good acid for Southern Rhonish white, lemony with a little st raw note, decent finish. Good $7-8 wine to have around for cooking. B/B-
Dinner wine was the 2012 Louis Boillot Bourgogne Rouge. Red cherries and cr anberry, earth, floral notes. Good grip, nice, good bargain at $20 and free shipping. B+/B
Wednesday was roasted grouper, couscous, and broccoli, wine was the 2013 Ja eger-Defaix “Les Clous” Rully 1er. A little overt oak, swee t apple and pear, stood up to fish but a little obvious by itself. B-
Thursday Betsy made turkey (Serious Eats recipe for spatchcocked with porch etta spices, a do-again) and mushroom jus, I did 2 cornbread dressings (oys ter and giblet). We carried those plus some shrimp/mango canapes and tarama salata to her sister's. They had salmon, Brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and more.
Rare Wine Company “Le Mesnil” Champagne Nice bargain blanc de blanc. Pear, green apple, hazelnut, and chalk. Medium bodied, fresh, easy. B
2015 Navarro Gewurztraminer (Anderson Valley) Tropical, floral, a little soft. I’ve liked this in previous vintag es, but this seemed a little dilute and low acid. Usually I find Gewurz the most distinctive variety, but I think with this blind I might have guessed Viognier. B-/C+2003 Littorai “Les Larmes” Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley) Black cherry, pomegranate, smoke. Just enough tannin and acid to keep livel y, ready and tasty. B+
Good (fairly quiet) thanksgiving! No wine Fri on flight to CdG, now in Bord eaux (for a cruise, and yes we're the youngest people we've seen)
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.