No wine Monday with a kimchi gazpacho over udon, grilled chicken, and salad with corn
Tuesday up to Briarcliff for a dinner. Foie gras, hanger steak, potatoes, cauliflower with pimenton, broccoli with a mustard sauce
2012 Descendientes de José Palacios Corullon Vino de Villa (Bierzo)
Ripe and powerful Mencia, rich red fruit with lots of spice and still some vanillin oak. 14.3, I think more recent vintages have toned down a bit. I like but a little more elegance would be appreciated. B/B+
1989 Ch. Pape Clement
Cassis and tobacco, a touch of lead pencil. Young and vigorous, Could use some time. B+
1964 Ch. Pavie
Red plum and currant, hay, an unusual spice note- I’m looking for word when John says juniper berries Gets floral with air. Lovely. I will say while I hate Perse-era Pavie, I never thought it was a tragedy like some modern wines (recent DDC and Pape Clement!) that came from a great pedigree. I always thought the pre-Perse wines pretty uninspiring. This was by far the best Pavie I ever remember, so maybe it is a tragedy, shows what wines can be. A-/B+
1978 Domaine de Chevalier
A wine I have liked but this might be my favorite showing. Black cherry, cigarbox, loamy earth. Long and precise, classic claret. A-
1966 Ch. La Lagune
Dark, blackcurrant and plum, leather, a little cigar ash. Nice length. B+/A-
Fun evening!
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.