Some friends of Betsy who had moved to Ireland were visiting, and Betsy invited members of the meditation group they were in for dinner. I did a crab appetizer, with the NV Laherte “Ultradition” Champagne. Appley, yeasty, fine mousse, tasty but a tad simple. B
Main course was chicken, tomatoes, and shallots in white wine, I opened 2 bottles for cooking:
2006 St Francis Chardonnay (Sonoma)
Oaky blobby, sweet, tired. C
2010 Santa Barbara Winery Reserve Chardonnay (Sta. Rita Hills)
Way too buttery for me, but surprising acidic balance. B-/C+
With dinner, a few better wines
2010 Boulay “Clos de Beaujeau” Sancerre
Larger framed Sancerre, great acids, grapefruit with herb and stone notes. A-
1998 Gigault “Cuvee Viva” (Cotes du Blaye)
I’m a big fan of 1998 RB, but this is overripe, oaky, formless, and a little hot. Some loved it. C+
2014 Guimaro Mencia
Fresh, peppery, spicy, with bright red fruits. B+
Saturday we went to her sister’s, BIL wanted to make “Dark and stormys” (dark rum with ginger beer) and had done Caribbean menu to follow- mango cabbage salad, Caribbean corn on the cob, jerk ribs, and shrimp with quinoa
I sipped Betsy's Dark and Stormy but I'm a wine guy:
2009 Donnhoff Oberhauser Leistenberg Kabinett
Sweetness does well with the spices, moderate acids, limey and long. B+
2016 Riotor rose (Cotes de Provence)
Light, easy, simple. B-
Betsy’s cello trio had a concert and then dinner after, I made myself a
Swordfish steak with some leftover rice and beans, wine was the 2015 Lagar de Broullon Albarino (Rias Baixas). Crisp, saline, long. B++
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.