Thursday was cool, but lovely, we enjoyed some leftover Tocai on the front porch (we neglect our porch for the patio, but occasionally rediscover). Then Betsy headed to chicken and made a nice dinner of chicken breast stuffed with spinach and pinenuts, plus a radicchio/fennel/date salad. I was looking for a light red, went with the 2004 Sandro Fay Rosso di Valtellina. Light, herby, raspberry and strawberry fruit. Pleasant food wine. But a revisit after 2 hours shows a much deeper, more concentrated wine. Richer fruit, some oregano-ish herbs, a little tar. This is more Nebbiolo-ish. B/B+
Friday was gorgeous, Betsy made a lovely short ribs dish with red wine, chiles, and coffee. She used the 2005 Ste. Colombe (Cotes de Castillon) as the braising liquid. Solid bargain Bordeaux, medium-bodied, red fruit. A little oak in background. Light tannins, moderate acidity, not bad for price. B
But it was Friday, and rather than nurse the other half of the Colombe, I opened the 2004 Beaullieu Vineyards "Tapestry" Reserve (Napa) to have with the short ribs, grilled corn, and roasted parsnips. Clearly Californian, with big ripe blackberry and black plum fruit, mocha notes, and a rather broad texture. The vanilla-y oak is in foreground, but no more than I expected. Handles the spice of the shortribs well. Better than I expected. B+
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.