Friends and neighbors Bob and Daryl returned home Wednesday night after nearly a year away travelling the U.S. They were tired, hungry and thirsty, and they knew who to call!
For starters, we had champagne, the NV Thierry Triolet , which is by far the best $20 champagne I've ever drunk in my life. Deep straw gold, rich, biscuity, old-style champagne. I'd kill for more, but alas this was my last bottle.
Then with our modest picnic dinner of oven fried mustard chicken, artichoke/potato salad and fresh strawberries, which I was able to expand to feed four, we opened an Italian wine, which we know to be their favorite because of several years spent living in Italy, and a Washington Wine with which to say welcome back, this is home. The 2003 Terrabianca "Scassino" Chianti Classico is Chianti on the plusher side of things, probably due to the vintage, with some toffee tones and an unexpected streak of charcoal grilled meat amidst the cherries and berries. Alcohol 13%. $24 recently. Very good.
Our second wine, also weighing in at 13%, is a 2000 Andrew Will Cuvee Lucia. I don't know what's in it, but it's a black wine that, formerly distinctive with blackberry fruit and herbs (like cab franc) when I bought it at a winemaker visit to a wine store, is now just hard and plain. More likely near death than dormant. Very disappointing.