Friday was red snapper with a caper sauce, whole wheat couscous, & broccoli, with the 2002 Prieur-Brunet “Chevalieres” Meursault. I was of course ready for premOx, but this poured with a light color and didn’t show any oxidation at all. Light pear fruit, touch of vanilla, somewhat short and dilute. Drinks like a 3 year old negoce Bourgogne. I had to remind myself you can’t give a Meursault a B just for not being premoxed. C+
Then I went over to Alex’s where local wine group had theme of organic. BioD, or natural Italian wine. The starter was off-theme- 2015 Dolle Gaisberg Gruner Veltliner (Kamptal) Apple, peach, some white pepper, good acids. Not long or complex, but Alex said inexpensive. B-
Mostly blind, served with charcuterie , grilled sausages, and salads
2014 Saetti Lambrusco
Not hard to figure out rose Lambrusco. Sweet strawberry fruit (but fairly dry), lightly effervescent. Floral. Pretty fun. B/B+
2005 Radikon Jakot
I served this non-blind. Divisive. But to me, big, funky, fun. B+
2012? Poggeto Casaccia Grignolino
I got lucky to get grape on first guess - the floral notes over red (raspberry and strawberry) fruit led to a lucky guess. Good acidity, nice length B+
2015 COS Frappato
Mine so no guessing. Fred got wine quickly due to unusual bottle shape. Spicy, midbodied, fresh, B+
2011 Villa Malacari Conero
Pruney/stewy notes, some oxidation, maybe just overripe but I think this was heat damaged. C
(vintage?) Valle Reale Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Fruity, cherry, a little hot. B-
2013 Vindimiam Rudi Teroldego
Good acids, snappy red fruits, good. B
Saturday we had clams and pasta and I thought I was opening a white Burgundy, cork was out before I realized it was the 2007 Santa Barbara Winery Chardonnay. Ripe yellow fruit, lots of movie theater popcorn butter, flabby, short, tired. C
Replacement was the 2013 Jean Louis Chavy Puligny-Montrachet (375 ml). Straighforward, good acids, a little spice and earth. B
Mother’s Day Betsy’s quartet did a concert for the group I run (and I had a speech at a local synagogue) so we were wiped when we got home. But we had invited couple where wife ran door at concert, luckily Betsy had done most of dinner that AM.
I did the appetizers - lonza on crackers and , smoked salmon on cukes
NV Moutardier Rose
Red fruits, citrus zest, lots of spice, very good for NV rose. B++
Pot roast, broccoli rabe, salad
2001 Ch. Bourgneuf (Pomerol)
Fairly ready, black plum and a little cocoa, good. B+/B
1996 Vignaioli (Pertinace) Vigneto Casellizzano Barbaresco
Good acids, still a bit of tannin, red cherry, earth, tar, mushroom. Fun but mature for a ‘96. B+/A-
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.