Sunday Betsy and I drove to Briarcliff, for lunch with Mark and Nancy, and their guests Marcus Goodfellow and Megan Joy. Cloudy and it had been raining, but we got lucky as it dried out, sun appeared and we could eat on the deck.
Mark had a nice spread of charcuterie- Gentle Giant, and a couple of others. Started with the 2006 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne. This was Mark’s bottle, but I own a couple and I was a little worried at first- there was a dominant cheesy/reductive topnote.But idle worry-whatever it was quickly blew off, and a lovely refined BdB was left behind. Apples, citrus peel, brioche, long intense finish and a delicate mousse. A-
I set up a little crudo of scallop, kohlrabi,apple and mint with a light citrus soy sauce.
2010 F. Carillon Referts Puligny-Montrachet 1er My last of a case of mixed ‘10 Carillon 1ers. No pox here, fresh and lively, weightless yet full. Pear, hazelnut, citrus blossoms. Good showing. A-2018 Hatzidakis Skitali Assyrtiko Bright, saline, leesy, long. Very good B+/A-
2019 Goodfellow Temperance Chardonnay Matchstick, yellow fruits, good mineral finish.Needs time, B+Mark had made short ribs, with potatoes and spinach (plus a great cheese plate)
1989 Vieux Chateau Certan (magnum) Wonderful bottle that kept unfurling with more and more complexity. Great acids, seamless tannins, cassis accented with black cherry and plum. Leather/cigarbox, mushrooms, just a hint of herbs. Years - no decades- of life ahead. A-/A1975 Vieux Chateau Certan So usually ferric is a strong positive in a Bdx note for me, but here the iron note dominated to a degree that is seemed a bit unbalanced. Quiet slightly tired black plum and cassis fruit, tomato leaf, but that big metallic ferric note is what I keep noticing. It did improve, but suffered greatly by being next to the ‘89. At best B,
Really fun afternoon.
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 party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.