While I was having a dry spell, Betsy needed some cooking wine. When I returned to wine I tried the 2021 De Negoce OG 379 Collio Friulano. Thin, saline, brisk, fairly short but for $8 cooking wine ok. B-/C+
Betsy made chicken piccata, I opened the 2008 Piuze les Clos Chablis GC. More mature than other recent bottles, a distinct nutty oxidative note, but still some underlying fruit, minerality, and tension. Maybe slightly on downslope but still pleasurable. B
Next night she made shrimp in a rose sauce, with rice and collards. I wasn’t drinking, but next night tried the cooking wine, the 2022 Ippolito Ciro Mabilia. Pale rose, strawberries and seashells, nice length, fun wine. B/B+
Pork tenderloin with mushrooms, Okinawan sweet potato, spinach
2021 Antoine Sunier Morgon - light and bright, cranberry and cherries, quite herby. The green tones take me a little while to warm up to, but I end up liking a lot. Nice balance with acid and a bit of tannin, but I think I’ll drink these on younger side. B++(skipping Fri at John’s for separate post)
Sousvide duck breast, broccoli, sweet potatoes. I gave the 2005 J. Voillot Volnay Vieilles Vignes a solid hour in decanter before dinner, and it helped immensely. Tight on opening, with air the crunchy black cherry fruit emerged, with floral notes and a hint of coffee. Midbodied, medium length. B/B+
Oysters, lemon sole meuniere, beans (borlotti and cannellini cooked with parmesan rind, topped with fried sage and rosemary), and Brussels sprouts.
2020 Ramonet Bouzeron I am a guy who likes acid, and I expect Aligote to be acidic, but jeez this was sharp. Biting acids, lemon and not much else. I like Ramonet but for me at moment this is too much. C+ for drinking now.2020 Patrick Javillier Clos du Cromin Meursaul A lot of oak, but nice balance of sweet pear fruit and moderate acids. Godo length, pleasant. 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 party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.