We were going to a party for NYE, but Betsy wanted to have a light dinner first. She made clams in a lemongrass broth with udon, wine was the 2004 Francois Cotat “Culs de Beaujeu” Sancerre. Lovely SB, gooseberries and lemon with a light hint of herbs, but virtually no grassiness. Mouthfilling texture, bright acidity, excellent length. Carried along to the party it was if anything better several hours later, good Sancerre that could use a couple more years, but is damn tasty now. A-
Off to party about 9. We carried an assortment of appetizer- I topped potatoes with sour cream and salmon roe, plus simmered some Chinese sausage and Ukrainian kielbasa in a sherry rosemary mix. Betsy made shrimp deviled eggs and tossed some pears with salt and cayenne and then speared with bacon. Alex had huge platters of gravlax and tuna tartare, his sister from Provence had made pissaladiere-ish flatbreads, plus there were salads, cheeses, etc. I was kind of sorry we had eaten first, but ate anyway. Multiple wines:
NV Pinon Touraine Brut Rose
Lovely and lithe, this is a tad lighter and more elegant than previous batch (which I also loved). Strawberry fruit that has beautiful sweetness, yet it's bone dry on palate. Peppery/spicy notes. Fine mousse, good length, fun and delicious. B+/A-
2007 Clos de la Fine Muscadet
Citrus and minerals, nice acidity, tasty. B
2005 Carbonnieux Blanc
Generally I like Carbonnieux's white, but this is surprisingly marked by wood. Fatter rounder style, suffers from following the Cotat. I think some time to absorb the oak will do this good, but for now B-
2004 Les Grands Marechaux (1er Cotes de Blaye)
This was the primary red of the evening. Consistent from several bottles. Red plum fruit with a light note of bell pepper, easy tannins, not bad as long as you're not especially sensitive to green notes. B/B-
2005 Ch. de Beaumont (1er Cotes de Blaye)
Medium-bodied, some stern tannins, black plums and currants, not very long. B-
NV Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne Brut
I've had varying experiences with this over the years, this wasn't one of the good ones. Green notes under apple fruit, coarse, short finish. C+
1999 Charles Ellner "Cuvee Prestige" Champagne Brut
Aggressively yeasty, full-bodied, rough mousse, biggest bubbly of night but I was a bit disappointed (my bottle). B-
NV Charles Heidsieck Champagne Brut Reserve
Quite a pleasant surprise. Full-bodied with smooth texture, delicate mousse, fruit and minerals well-integrated with yeast roll note. Never been on my list, I might look for this. B+
Fun night, though my poor French made conversation impossible with half the guests. We had fun, Betsy drove home, and Happy New Year to all.
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.
