A pre-St Patricks party Saturday was cancelled due to host’s illness, so I had a solo dinner while Betsy had a concert in city. With broiled small mackerels, rice, and broccoli rabe, the 2016 Koehler-Ruprecht Weissburgunder Kabinett Trocken. Kind of a tropical nose with mango and pineapple, but rather restrained/austere on palate. A little pit fruit, some spice, moderate acids. B
So since the Sat party was cancelled, we invited some of other invited folks to our place for Sunday St Patricks dinner. We made:
Green crudite (broccoli, cukes, celery) with guacamole
Corned beef and cabbage, horseradish cream sauce
Colcannon (w/ kale, cabbage, bacon)
Steamed cabbage (for non-meat eaters)
Roast salmon in a Jameson marinade
Others brought:
Some individual shepherd’s pies
Salad with citrus and avocado
An homage to some of our Midwestern/Southern roots, a green “congealed salad “ (lime jello topped with some green colored pistachio something)
A green (spirulina) topped lemon curd tart
NV Barnaut “Authentique “ Grand Cru Rose Champagne
Beautiful clean red cherry and strawberry fruit, citrus zest, full-bodied, lively. Fine value B+/A-
? Domaine de la Parentiere “ Fraicheur Iodee L'Atlantique”
More seashell than fruit, some citrus, bright. B
2015 Richter “Wehlener Sonnenuhr” Riesling Kabinett
Pretty tight and shutdown to start, eventually wakes up, lime and slate. B
1961 Marchesi di Barolo Barolo
Decanted about 3 hours before, surprisingly dark color. A bit of a pruney nose at decant, but it cleans up by dinner. Red cherries, acid, tar, some green herbs. This isn’t the most complex mature Barolo out there but holding up and fun to open a birthyear wine for Alex. B
2004 Ch. Leoville Barton
(Wild Geese wine for St Patricks)Fairly dense cassis fruit, mocha, a little gunsmoke. Moderate acids, integrating oak, tannins apparent but manageable. Sturdy but with some style. B+
2016 Domaine de la Pirolette Saint Amour.
Fresh, fun, floral with black cherry and plums. Quite tasty! 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.