2016 Pepiere “Les Gras Moutons” Muscadet
Fuller style, pear and lemongrass, round, tasty if not my preferred expression of Muscadet
B
With panfried trout filets, mushroom risotto, and Brussels sprouts, the 2016 Terre Nere Etna Bianco. Yellow pit fruits, light, easy. I’ve liked more in other vintages. B-
With roast chicken with turnip and carrots, leftover risotto, & sauteed spinach, the 2014 Jane and Sylvain Cotes de Nuits Villages. Tart, crunchy, a vegetal green note, not very long, I’ve liked other &&S wines much more. C+
Superbowl Sunday, we had a few friends over. We made
Chili (beef with chocolate and pasilla peppers) in soft flour tortillas
Double fried wings with a cholula/butter sauce and blue cheese dressing
Crudites (3 kinds of radishes, carrots, celery) with “Greek Goddess (feta/herbs) dip
Red/white cabbage slaw
Not the most wine friendly, but I served wine anyway- a VDP wine for the Eagle emblem, a ‘59 as birthyear for 2 people, and an ESJ because it’s ESJ.
1997 Edmunds St John Rocks and Gravel
Fully mature but definitely alive. Resolved tannins, red fruits, a little bacon and earth. Not super long, but fun. B+/B
2005 JJ Prum Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spatlese feinherb
No memory of buying this, don’t remember ever seeing this bottling before in any vintage, , not in my CT, but happy to have found. Just a touch of sweetness, vibrant Granny Smith and lime fruit, tangy long finish. Great food friendly wine. A-
1959 CVNE Vina Real Rioja Reserva Especial (375 ml)
Funky and dank on opening, but after short decant it shows quite well. Nose is perfumed and lightly lifted, palate has lots of leather and spice, fruit is still there- raspberry and cherry. With time there’s some nutskin and earth notes. Holds up well for 2 hours, the light VA doesn’t overwhelm. This was half-bottle with worse fill of an auction lot, so feeling good re purchase. 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.