A matching mistake, Betsy had said we were having salmon, so I pulled out a Pinot Noir. Problem was the recipe she used steams the salmon with chard and caramelized onions, does much better with whites. But I already had the cork pulled on the 2002 Williams-Selyem Sonoma County Pinot Noir. Red kirschy fruit, a little blackberry, a little earth. Tannins are mostly integrated, the acids seem a little spikey. The fruit is a little candied. Decent, not exciting. B-
(my early inclination is that is ready and needs to be drunk up. But...it actually held up, and is better on day 2. Hmmm, what to do with other 2?).
Sunday afternoon I prepped dinner, made an appearance to thank volunteers at a benefit concert, but then headed to White Plains where Betsy was leading cello section in a small string orchestra. Theme was film composers and those that influenced them, sinfoniettas by Bernard Hermann and Franz Waxman, and then Verklarte Nacht by Schoenberg.
Afterwards I rushed home to do pork chops with a mustard/sage sauce, with potatoes, salad, and some grilled vegetables. In honor of Schoenberg, we went with an Austrian wine, the 2002 FX Pichler "Von den Terrassen" Gruner Veltliner Smaragd. Peppery/ floral nose, ripe peach and melon fruit on the palate backed by firm acidity. Nice length, clean finish. With some time there's a little Riesling-like petrol note, but there's also some pea and white pepper to show it's GV-ness.
Nice wine, not one of Pichler's more expensive bottlings, but doing well at 7- drinks nicely, but no hurry. A-/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.