No wine Tuesday with salmon on butter/garlic/tomato angel hair, with spinach before I headed to city to try to navigate past snow piles
No “great” wines rest of the week, but lots of very good ones:
Wednesday we got takeout - lamb rogan josh, palak paneer, naan, pickles, chutney
2024 Tiberio Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo
As usual, more like a light red than rose. Raspberry and cherry, tangy citrus zest, herbs and a chalky mineral finish. B++
Thursday Thai shirt steak, somen noodles, spinach
2020 Baudry Grezeaux Chinon
Ripeness of vintage shows, but there are lively acids propping up the ripe dark fruits. Cassis and tobacco, with some green pepper to remind you this is Loire CF. Seems to be holding something in reserve. B for now, expect to get better
Friday gochugaru chicken, king trumpet mushrooms, yu choy and rice with furikake
2017 Chingao y Envínate Vidueno (Tenerife) (apparently a collaboration)
What a fun wine! Light and sprightly, cranberry and raspberry, tree back and smoke. Peppery, fresh, bright. Handles a hard food match well. B+/A-
Wish I had more
Saturday mussels with rosemary white beans, kale with prosciutto (Zuni Cafe style)
2023 Goodfellow “Temperance Hill” Chardonnay
I decanted this but still a pretty strong matchstick note. But the pear, hazelnut and gunflint underneath gives a hint of the attractive to come. I think will be good, but B- for drinking now.
Sunday some friends joined us.
We started with oysters
NV Grongnet Blanc de Blancs Champagne (11/2024 dg)
Pear, orange zest, and hazelnut, bright acids, long finish, lively/elegant mousse. Really nice value, my only quibble is the 8 g/l dosage needs to integrate a little. But I think the sweetness delighted our guests. For me a couple of years in cellar warranted. B/B+for now, improvement ahead, think my guests would say A now
The duck legs (panko/mustard), mashed potatoes, kale,
2022 Vincent “Temperance Hill” Pinot Noir
Fresh and zesty red fruit, easy tannins, soft texture but with some grip. Juicy and easy, quite tasty and no need to hold off. B/B+
2008 Pavelot “Gravains” Savigny-les-Beaune
Blacker fruit than I expected, still some tannic structure, earthy, good. B
Good night with good friends
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 the only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.
