Friday was red snapper with a caper sauce, whole wheat couscous, & broccoli , with the 2002 Prieur-Brunet “Chevalieres” Meursault. I wa s of course ready for premOx, but this poured with a light color and didn ’t show any oxidation at all. Light pear fruit, touch of vanilla, s omewhat short and dilute. Drinks like a 3 year old negoce Bourgogne. I had to remind myself you can’t give a Meursault a B just for not being premoxed. C+
Then I went over to Alex’s where local wine group had theme of orga nic. BioD, or natural Italian wine. The starter was off-theme- 2015 Dolle G aisberg Gruner Veltliner (Kamptal) Apple, peach, some white pepper, good a cids. Not long or complex, but Alex said inexpensive. B-
Mostly blind, served with charcuterie , grilled sausages, and salads
2014 Saetti Lambrusco Not hard to figure out rose Lambrusco. Sweet strawberry fruit (but fairly d ry), lightly effervescent. Floral. Pretty fun. B/B+2005 Radikon Jakot I served this non-blind. Divisive. But to me, big, funky, fun. B+
2012? Poggeto Casaccia Grignolino I got lucky to get grape on first guess - the floral notes over red (raspbe rry and strawberry) fruit led to a lucky guess. Good acidity, nice length B +2015 COS Frappato Mine so no guessing. Fred got wine quickly due to unusual bottle shape. Spi cy, midbodied, fresh, B+
2011 Villa Malacari Conero Pruney/stewy notes, some oxidation, maybe just overripe but I think this wa s heat damaged. C(vintage?) Valle Reale Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Fruity, cherry, a little hot. B-
2013 Vindimiam Rudi Teroldego Good acids, snappy red fruits, good. BSaturday we had clams and pasta and I thought I was opening a white Burgund y, cork was out before I realized it was the 2007 Santa Barbara Winery Char donnay. Ripe yellow fruit, lots of movie theater popcorn butter, flabby, sh ort, tired. C
Replacement was the 2013 Jean Louis Chavy Puligny-Montrachet (375 ml). Stra ighforward, good acids, a little spice and earth. B Mother’s Day Betsy’s quartet did a concert for the group I run (and I had a speech at a local synagogue) so we were wiped when we got home. But we had invited couple where wife ran door at concert, luckily Bet sy had done most of dinner that AM.
I did the appetizers - lonza on crackers and , smoked salmon on cukes NV Moutardier Rose Red fruits, citrus zest, lots of spice, very good for NV rose. B++
Pot roast, broccoli rabe, salad
2001 Ch. Bourgneuf (Pomerol) Fairly ready, black plum and a little cocoa, good. B+/B1996 Vignaioli (Pertinace) Vigneto Casellizzano Barbaresco Good acids, still a bit of tannin, red cherry, earth, tar, mushroom. Fun b ut mature for a ‘96. B+/A-
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 objectiv ity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.