Wednesday was our anniversary, I would have been happy with a big party (3L Montelenas?), but Betsy wanted a quiet dinner for two. So we ate in the back garden at Harpers on Main. We started with green salad and baked oysters (chili butter & breadcrumbs), A glass of the 2020 Domaine Tilleuls (Loire) Sauvignon Blanc was grassy, clean, and bright. B-
We shared 2 mains, Hudson Valley dick with candy roaster squash, cipollini, apple, plus bavette with an arugula salad. Both excellent. As was the 2001 Ch. Trotanoy. Harpers is across from my office, so I had dropped the Pomerol with instruction to decant an hour before we got there, worked very well. Young, with red fruits, tobacco, and a touch of vanilla on nose. Palate is fleshy without being fat- ripe plum and a touch of coffee. Moderate acids and sturdy but friendly tannins, does well with meat now, plenty of life left. 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.