Monday Betsy and some friends went to the city for a dance performance benefit on the Lower East Side, I elected to stay home with the dog and rib roast leftovers. Opened a cheapie Piedmont, the 2004 A. Ghisolfi Barolo, a recent sale at Zachys at $19. Surprisingly open from the start, some big tannins, big raspberry fruit, some vanilla. Nice sappy fruit, the oak isn't overbearing, a mid-modern in my take. Pleasant with the meat, but could use some time for those tannins. At this price I should have gotten more. B/B+
Tuesday over the Tappan Zee to dinner at David's grandparents. Dinner at your wife's ex-in-laws could be a little weird, but they are nice people and it was fine. Kikue is Japanese raised in Hawaii, and I was happy she chose to do mostly Asian food. Miso soup, pickled veggies and seaweed, lotus root, salmon with miso, beef with peppers and tomatoes, assorted vegetables. Anton poured the 2005 Estancia Stonewall Vineyard Pinot Noir (Santa Lucia Highlands). Red fruits, a bit of herb, sweet but not cloying, light tannins. Pretty standard Cal PN, I'm guessing Anton splurged more than his norm because I was coming. Easily drinkable. B/B-
So then he opens another bottle and pours. I sniff- whoa! Big alcoholic nose, some VA. I look- no, it's another bottle of the same. I sniff and occasionally taste, but this is pretty awful and is getting worse. When they are up clearing dishes I quietly switch glasses with Dave, who had decided not to drink after they had poured. OK, so it's not me, that glass from the first bottle tastes fine. So here's a tale of bottle variation, though I'd guess these came from same case. Something wicked that way came, I'd give second bottle a D+. If I had to guess, somehow heat got to one bottle and not other, though I guess there are bacterial possibilities too.
An enjoyable evening overall, and it was nice that he bought something a bit pricier than his norm since I was coming.
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.