I spit all day at the SOBER reunion, so was happy to drink wine with dinner. With lemon sole, green puttanesca pasta, and salad, the 2022 Pepiere Clisson Muscadet
Seashells by the seashore, citrus, pear, and good acids. Long saline finish. A-/B+
Sunday with oysters, a 375 ml of 2020 Ch. Carbonnieux Blanc
Citrus, melon, and little grass. Full but with good acids, nice finish B+
Lamb rib chops, grilled zucchini, potatoes, and salad
2001 Ch. Leoville Poyferre
Cassis. coffee/mocha, rich. Decent acids, still some tannic structure.Plush tasty midmodern wine, but I can’t help comparing it to the classic Poyferres of yore. It’s a better wine than it is a St Julien. B/B+
Monday headed up to Croton for a mostly Champagne tasting. Shrimp, pate, prosciutto, smoked scallops, olives, cheeses and more
2018 Bruno Beinaime Bulles de Amelie Cremant du Jura
100% Chard, bright, grapefruit and quince, spicy note on finish. I like, but looked today and at $100 it’s not a bargain alternative to Champagne. But very good. B+
2019 Louis Roederer Blanc de Blancs Brut Millésime
7 g/l , lemony with toast and white orchard fruits, long but a little sharp at the moment, needs time. B/B+
2018 Leclerc Briant “Les Trois Clochers” Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Millésime
Wild in a good way, high acidity, depth from the barrel aging, fun. B+/A-
2018 Leclerc Briant “Les Monts Ferrés” Blanc de Blancs Vertus Extra Brut Millésime
Denser, pear and clove, also excellent if showing the barrel aging. A-
2018 Cristal
I found this a bit sweet and stolid, certainly a good wine but least exciting bubbles so far. Others with more Cristal experience assure me it just needs (much) more time. For me tonight B
Blind red (mine)- everyone immediately got Bordeaux, but first guesses were Margaux. Once settled on 80s Pomerol John quickly said Certan Giraud or Certan de May. Cassis, dark berries, cedar, tobacco, grilled meats. Long, elegant, and complex. 1985 Ch. Certan de May A-
Laurent-Perrier “Grande Siècle” Iteration No. 27 Brut NV (Base Year 2015, with ‘13 & ‘12)
Not usually a Laurent-Perrier fan but this is excellent. Lovely with white nectarine, apple, rye bread, and blood orange. Long elegant chalky finish. A-
Fallet-Gourron Blanc de Blancs Brut NV (Base Year: 2010 or Older)
New producer to me, very good. Pear, brioche, and hazelnut, it’s like a sparkling white Burg 1er. Nice. B+
Blind red (Johns). Someone guessed mature Bordeaux but I got aged Burgundy, then whiffed a Pommard 1er guess before Sasha quickly got Beaune and 1979, and then that it was a Hospices wine. Black cherry, nutmeg, orange zest., a little meaty note, really drinking well. Apparently the Hospices winemaker at this time was great. 1979 Hospices de Beaune Beaune Cuvée Hugues et Louis Bétault (F. Chauvenet)
B+/A-
You know it’s a good night when Cristal is my least favorite wine!
Heat wave rolling in, I grill some Korean chicken and portobello mushrooms, Betsy makes a golden beet salad with blanched beet greens and Swiss chard, with a yogurt herb sauce.
2025 Baudry Chinon Rose
Bright, raspberry and strawberry, some light herbal notes, Good acids. With air some watermelon notes and herby notes come out more. Refreshing and a good value. 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 the only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.