With a chicken salad (a blue cheese mayo dressing, supposed to be Roquefort but Betsy used Great Hill Blue from MA) we had the 2004 Bernard Baudry Chinon Rosé. Lovely wine for the patio in summer- dry but with sweet strawberry fruit, overlays of floral blooms and a little herb, good stuff. B+
Saturday we had chicken with figs. Recipe needed some white wine, I opened the 2003 Anselmi San Vincenzo (Veneto). Some orange zest over a pear and apple fruit base, a bit of flint. But the white fruit is the dominant factor, with a sweet ripe edge to it. B
We also tried the 2004 Loosen "Dr. L." QbA (MSR). Easy, fun, and likable, crisp but fruity, lively and lithe. A bit dose of lime over the white pit fruit. Good stuff. Screwcap is a bonus. B+
The Riesling was the better match with the chicken with figs.
Today went to a pre-holiday party. My friend Jonathan had burgers and hot dogs on his new grill. Betsy had made some baby-back ribs with a bourbon sauce, mostly cooked earlier than day but finished on the grill. The wines I tried:
2003 Kanu Chenin Blanc (Stellenbosch) Pleasantly crisp, some citrus fruit. I probably would nail this blind as S. African Chenin (if I had 122 guesses). Reasonably tasty wine if you aren't looking for any regional/varietal character. B/B-
2003 Paringa "Individual" Shiraz Blackberry and blueberry fruit, rather thick. Not my style, but ok with a burger. More acid than I would have anticipated. B
2004 Mas de la Dame Rosé (Baux de Provence) A bit light, actually really light, but nice flavors. Strawberry, cherry, and chalk aromas, decent finish. B/B+
2003 Las Rocas de San Alejandro Garnacha Ripe approaching overripe- no, wait, this IS overripe, this is like Bing cherries left outside on a hot day. Red fruit, hintm of prunes, big wine but not one I want. C+
Nice party.
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