Saturday night I picked up David at airport (he had spent few weeks with his
dad in Copenhagen); Betsy got back from the Berkshires Sunday AM. By 1 PM I had
some fettucine with a anchovy/pepper sauce, freeing me from my week of bad
food. For dinner that evening, friends were coming over. Betsy had decided she
wanted to make something in honor of Julia Child. Actually, the only JC book we
had on shelves (think I have more in storage) was an old paperback "The French
Chef Cookbook" (slightly irritatingly organized according to the show each
recipe was shown in). She ended up deciding on potato-leek soup with beets, and
poulet à la diable (broiled chicken with a mustard/breadcrumb -actually panko
in this case-crust).

As she was finishing in the kitchen, I opened a bottle of 1999 Joseph Drouhin
Puligny-Montrachet, and we drank a toast to our first real kiss 4 years before.
I'm usually more a fan of Drouhin's reds than the whites, but this was quite
nice, and a good deal at $19.95. Good acidity though there's a plump body to
the wine, some clear but integrated vanillin/toasty oak flavors, very ripe
apple and tropical fruit.

Our friends arriving bearing salad and berries, and spent some time fussing
over the hound. I had salvaged the big liver from the bird, and made a liver
crostini appetizer.
We enjoyed with the Puligny, which was showing some smoke and herb notes now.
Nice wine, good QPR, B+

We had the soup, then with the chicken the 1998 Antonin Rodet Nuits-St-George.
I had decanted this a couple hours before, it had shown a bit hard/tannic at
the time. Time had done it some good. Fairly earthy nose, ripe raspberry fruit,
decent finish. Not a wine to get excited about, but decent value at under $20.
B

By the time the cheese course (Le Chevrot, Cypress Grove Midnight Madness and
Bobolink Drumm). rolled around, the house was filled with teenagers (David's
band was getting ready for their concert/CD release party in our backyard
today). We retired to the living room to get out of their way, and opened the
2001 San Felice Chianti Classico. Pleasant medium-bodied Chianti, fresh acidity
and bright red fruit. Uncomplicated and refreshing, I think I like this better
than the San Felice CCR; I think I'll buy more. B/B+

Monday Betsy made a pilgramage to the Chinese supermarket. Her plan was a
shrimp & haricots verts chow fun, but they were out of fresh rice noodles. She
decided to persevere with some thin Vietnamese noodles, and made a spicy
3-cabbage warm slaw as a side. The chow fun was from Ming Tsai's Blue Ginger
Cookbook, and I'm always interested in his wine matches (I don't always agree,
but it's fun to try out what he suggests). In this case he said lightly oaked
Chardonnay, and gave a couple of CA suggestions. None I had on hand, but I did
have a bottle of the 2002 Chartron et Trébuchet "La Cuvée de Jean Chartron"
Bourgogne Blanc Vieilles Vignes (helluva a name for a $10 wine!). Lots of ripe
apple fruit, ok acidity level, moderate to high oak. There's some surprising
sweetness, must be some residual sugar. A lot of wine for a $10 Bourgogne, but
the sweet edge is distracting. Good Burgundy for CA Chard fans. Good match
with the shrimp, beans, and noodles, though, better than I'd have thought-
score one for Ming. B/B-

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a
good wine, C mediocre. 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.
Dale

Dale Williams
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