TN: Weekend wines - Corsica, Burg, Loire, & more

Betsy was working late Friday, I had dinner ready when she arrived. A few o ysters, then sauteed scallops, baby bok choy, and snow peas. Wine was 2014 Adalia Soave. Fresh, lightly grassy, some nutty notes, a touch dilute. B-/C

+

Sat AM we decided to have folks over that night, figured we’d invit e 3 couples and 1 or 2 would be free, all were so leaf into table. My shuck ing glove and knife were still out, so we started with oysters, as well as some taramasalata and baba ganoush. The NV Gatinois Ay Grand Cru Champagne Brut Reserve is quite elegant, with apple , smoke and brioche in a midbodie d package with an elegant mousse. Maybe just a tad sweeter than my ideal. B

+

Cooking wines:

2016 Berger Gruner Veltliner Hint of spritz, light, spicy, fresh. Good QPR at $11/liter on closeout. B

2015 La Vieille Ferme blanc As always, dependable and clean, melon with moderate acids, spice. B/B-

First course was mushroom risotto, using a great assortment I had found at farmers’ market (shiitake, yellow & grey oyster, velvet pioppini, l ion's mane,crimini, plus one I couldn’t identify) as some duck stoc k I’d made night before.

1988 Gelin and Molin “Clos du Chapitre” Fixin 1er Man, stinky nose of caramel and poop. I told the Anthony Hanson quote, but doubted this was great Burgundy. It’s not but it is alive Burgundy, nose calms down, some black cherry and mushroom on palate. Midbodied, stil l a touch of tannin, pleasant enough in a rustic style. B

2008 Camus-Bruchon Savigny-les-Beaune Young, sappy and red black cherry, citrus zest, tangy acids, touch of tanni n, tasty. B+

Then came Ottolenghi recipe of shrimp, clams, & scallops in a tomato sauce with Bulgarian feta, as well as asparagus in vinaigrette

2012 Abbatucci “General of the Revolution” blanc Much as I enjoy the Abbatucci reds, I think it’s the whites I reall y love. Unusual and distinctive. Citrus and pit fruits, a nice touch of bit terness, chalky minerality, long finish. A-

2014 Bouchard “Les Clous” Meursault Less oak than I expect from Bouchard, plump almost tropical fruits, but som e decent acids.B

2015 Villalin Quincy Citrus, gooseberry, hint of grass. Balanced and fresh. B+

Salad, cheeses, and berries, along with a dessert wine 2008 Artemisa Late Harvest Muscat d'Alexandria (500 ml)-Chile Canned peaches/fruit cocktail, some acids but cloying any way, overreaching musky floralness. Not a fan. C

Betsy had a concert Sunday afternoon at Tenri Center (with cool program, in cluding commissioned piece with koto and shakuhachi) but I needed to go to benefit concert for my group (good jazz quintet). But I was home first, and prepped for her to do stirfry (turkey, mushrooms, red pepper, sugar snap p eas) over soba. Wine was the NV Pinon Touraine rose bubbly, cherry and stra wberry, stony mineral notes, orange zest, touch of sweetness. Fun wine, and went well with dish. B+/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.

Reply to
DaleW
Loading thread data ...

DrinksForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.