Betsy’s mom as well as David and Grace were all in town, I had an h our to throw together dinner while Betsy returned from a rehearsal- pressur e cooker coq au vin, quinoa, orange/cumin carrots, broccoli. Cooking wine w as the 2015 Meiomi Pinot Noir - sweet and confected, fleshy, not my style. C+ But you know, sweet and fruity works well for CauV.
Dinner wine was the 2013 Clos du Mont Olivet (Sabon) Cotes du Rhone VV. Nic e, ripe and fleshy, herbs/garrigue on a medium finish. B/B+
Next night I did scallops on linguine with pesto, with an Asian slaw on the side. Wine was the
2009 Bedrock “Caritas” - a little oak, but a little somethi ng else as well. OK, it’s TCA! Damn.
Replacement was the 2015 Falkenstein “Niedermenniger Sonnenberg? ?? Riesling Spatlese Feinherb (AP#7). Great acids, moderate ripeness, l ime and peach with a spicy edge. B+
Friday I had a speech in Bedford after work, came home late (Betsy was play ing Candide at Jazz@LC) to leftovers. Wine was the 1998 Riojanas “V ina Albina” Rioja Gran Reserva. Nice showing- well-balanced, elegan t, red fruit accented with coffee, spice, and leather. Young, American oak still apparent, but tasty. B+/A-
Saturday it was just me and the MIL, I made salmon with baharat/yogurt, ric e, green beans with sesame, sweet potato. Wine was the 2014 Pierre-Yves Col in-Morey “le Banc” St Aubin. This is a village wine, but is really quite good. Rich, minerally, wood in balance, enough acid to prop u p the sweet pear fruit. B+
Sunday I had an all day meeting, then we had some friends over as well as m y MIL before her flight next AM. No time to shop, I threw together appetize rs from fridge/freezer/pantry- shrimp cocktail, mackerel in piripiri on pit a, olives, sweet potato/salmon roe/cream cheese while Betsy returned from p erformance.
NV Agrapart “7 Crus” BdB Champagne This had been cellared a few years, some nice maturing yeasty notes, apple fruit still fresh. B/B+
Nancy had brought a salad, we enjoyed with the 2013 Pepiere “Briord s” Muscadet. Maybe not my favorite Briords, but still delicious (an d ready to go). Seashell, citrus, nice finish. B++
Betsy had done a pot roast in slow cooker
1998 Leoville Poyferre Red and black fruits, some tannin, some leather and cedar. Tasty, but witho ut the charm of 98 RBs. B
2013 Norton Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Sweet, slightly kirschy fruit, round, not too long. B-/C+ Monday Betsy made bucatini all'amatriciana, wine was the 2011 Melini ? ?La Selvanella” Chianti Classico Riserva. I’ve liked this before but this night it seemed hard and charmless. Some black cherry unde r tannin, unsure if bottle, just shut down, or off night for my taste buds. B-/ C+???
No wine Tuesday (leftovers), then Wed Betsy made a quick bouillabaisse (squ id, shrimp, scallops, clams) and a kale/pecorino salad and I opened the 201
5 Edmunds St John Bone Jolly Rose. I was a bit taken back at first, seemed a little bitter, but that transformed into a savoriness that I really enjoy ed. Rounder and fleshier than it seemed last summer, just as tasty but in a different key. B+
Thursday we both had big days, and she needed early dinner before going to performance, so I picked up a rotisserie chicken and we had with leftover k ale salad, seaweed salad, and Korean pickles. Wine was the 2012 Remi Jeanni ard Morey St. Denis Vieilles Vignes. Black cherry and raspberry, touch of e arth, moderate length, hint of green. 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.