Betsy was making cornish game hens with a Vietnamese 5 spice marinade,
rice with furikake, and a salad Saturday. I went downstairs thinking
Beaujolais, but Betsy called to me it was 3 minutes to end of world/
rapture, so I grabbed a nearby bottle and brought up the 2005 Joguet
"Cuvee Terroir" Chinon. Popped it just in time for 6 PM, then we
kissed and drank it over next couple hours with delicious dinner while
waiting for the earthquakes. A bit big for the hens, but nice wine.
Full-bodied, black cherry fruit, meat, smoke. Medium acidity, some
tannin. Very nice. B+

Sunday we went to church to see Betsy's niece get confirmed (I didn't
mind, this is a Presbyterian church that makes liberal Unitarians look
doctrinaire), then out to a family brunch at Juniper. I carried along
a bottle of NV Gosset "Excellence" Brut. Big full style of Champagne,
apple turnovers, yeast, toast, mineral. B+

After brunch I spent afternoon at a Tom Chapin benefit for my
organization, but got home in time to set table for 10 for family
dinner with her visiting cousins, and to help with tablesetting, wine,
and grilling. Several pesce-vegetarians, Betsy gave a lot of varierty,
with brushcetta Caprese, shrimp with sage, shrimp with sage and
proscuitto, pappardelle with mushroom ragu, salad of asparagus and
snow peas with pickled onions, and watermelon/feta/olive mint salad
(the cousins brought a fruit tart). Several wines were poured

2008 Cazin (Petit Chambord) Cour-Cheverny
Good acids, sweet citrusy fruit, sec-tendre, good length, quite
pleasing. B+

2008 Boniface Apremont (Savoie)
Light, clean, but already beginning to lose a little freshness, drink
up. B-

1995 Jadot "Chouacheux" Beaune 1er
Seemed quite thin at first, just lean cherry fruit and a hint of
barnyard. The bretty note never advanced, fruit bulked up, earth and
mushroom came out. Solid mature Burg. B

2009 Pico Maccario "Berro" Barbera d'Asti
Used in pasta sauce- mushroom ragu was a NYT Pairings recipe for
Barbera d'Asti, so used a bit for cooking and served. Fruity/forward
style of Barbera, more juicy than tangy. B-

2009 Lauer "Barrel X" Riesling
Minerals, good acids, apple blossoms, apple and lime fruit,
halbtrocken. B+

OK, so a lot of Bs, but the world didn't end.

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.