It's been a rough couple weeks. Seems kind of crazy to worry re wine notes, but I've been writing my notes since last century, and there is comfort in routine.

Two Fridays ago I went to Rob's for non-serious wine group, theme was Syrah, with pingpong and timed indoor basketball game.

2006 Rostaing "Lezardes" Viognier
Floral, fruit salad, with theme not hard to get region and variety.

On to the blind reds

1991 Gerin Champin le Seigneur Cote-Rotie
Soft, elegant, sweet fruit with leather, not especially long, maybe a tad tired, but I like.
2001 Semler Syrah (Malibu)
OK, didn't think this Aussie, but quiet ripe, I guess 2003 N. Rhone, maybe St Joseph. Nope. Don't think I've ever had a Malibu wine before, better than I would have guessed.
2010 Jacobs Creek Shiraz Reserve (Barossa)
Easy Oz guess, blackberry liquer and coconut
2010 Salomon Estate "Finniss River" Shiraz
herby, ripe, the herbs almost led me to Rhone, but got Oz. My favorite of the Aussies.
2008 Peter Lehman "The Barossa" Shiraz
Big powerful, a bit hot
2008 Gonon St Joseph
My wine of the night, fresh and spicy, red fruit and olives, good acids. I guessed Rhone, Fred said I'd had before and I got Gonon based on his comments.
2010 Syrocco "Zenatta" (Morocco)
I think I guessed Rhone on this, sort of short but its balanced and aromatic and one of the better N. African wines I had
2012 Vacqueras (producer forgotten)
Someone missed theme, and it showed. Jammy, red plums, grass.
2013 Quintay Clava Syrah (Chile)
I thought cheap Oz for sure, sweetness and ripe fruit, a little heady.
2012 Lothian " Horny Owl" Syrah (South Africa)
This was actually pretty good, I thought maybe a Crozes or St Jo. Peppery, midbodied, nice fruit.

Fragments from many dinners a couple weeks ago:
with fusilli and rosemary tomato sauce with mushrooms, the 2011 Felsina Chianti Classico. Full, rich, a bit tannic, structured, but doesn't grab me at minute. With salmon, rice with furikake, tat soi, the 2013 Arnot Roberts rose is food friendly and fun. The 2013 Chidaine SB was cooking wine, but drank well too. With chicken with sicilian olives the 2008 Terre Nere Caldera Etna . I like the basic Terre Nere, but had thought upper tier too woody. I had been told they had lessened wood, but the 08 still struck me as international and oaky- some character still, but not a rebuy. With lamb shoulder chop and white beans in pressure cooker, with the 2007 La Rioja Alta "Alberdi" Rioja, a bit coconutty, needs a little time . The 2010 Gunderloch
Nackenheim Riesling was very good, but at least Auslese richness/sweetness, so not best table wine at this age. The 2013 Puzelat-Bonhomme Pnot Noir was spritely, with raspberries, leafy greens, and smoke.

a 2 AM call Monday a week ago sent me to the office for several hours to try to prepare for absence till a car service came, then headed to LGA. The first 4 nights I spent iin Georgia I wasn't drinking as I was up or on call with my dad all night. I was supposed to come back Friday, but he passed away (with my aunt and I with him, mom had gone to sleep exhausted) Th night. A good man, gone, but it's a blessing as he never was going to be able to live the life he wanted anymore. My brother did some shopping, came back with a couple wines (supermarket wines in GA is a painful category) that I sampled over next few nights:

2012 Decoy (Duckhorn) Pinot Noir (Sonoma County)
Light to medium bodied, ripe cherries, a whiff of sandalwood. Not great, but drinkable (which is more than I'd say about last couple bottles of Duckhorn first level I've had in last few years. B-

2012 La Crema Chardonnay
Butter and butterscotch, lots of oak, sweet pwear fruit, really not my style though I'd say it's probably actually well-made. Decent acids compared to many CalChasrds. But I'm not striving for some illusory objectiveness so for me C+

Funeral was Monday, Betsy is still there but I flew back Tuesday to catch up. Eventually made it home, pulled lamb with white beans from freezer. 2004 Fontodi Chianti Classico still has some structure, a masculine style of Chianti with black cherries, leather, and rose petal 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 only choice.Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.