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Dale Williams
 
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Default TN: Assorted cheapies

From a week of mostly inexpensive wines:

A half-bottle of 2002 Savary Chablis was clean, crisp, minerally, and
flavorful- left me wishing it had been a full-bottle. B+

One evening Betsy opened a very expensive ($4/lb) free range chicken to
discover it was free-range rotten. An emergency dash to the supermarket grabbed
one of Purdue's finest (!!!); but Betsy's chicken with mustard from Pierre
Franey recipe was tasty despite the bird downgrade. Served with the 2002 Castle
Rock Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. Little hint of oak, lots of red fruit,
enough acidity to not be flabby. Not a bad wine, though it didn't seem
especially Pinot-ishy to me. But at $9 I guess pinot typicity is a lot of hope
for. B/B-

The next night Betsy had stopped at the Chinese grocery, and bought ingredients
for char kwai teow (singapore noodle dish). But decided the shrimp were dicey,
so we just had Chinese sausage and chicken in it. The 2002 St. Urbans-Hof
Riesling Qba (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer) seems a little less ripe and minerally than the
2001 version. Still, a pleasant off-dry Riesling with good acidity, a floral
note, and good finish. B

With a family favorite dish (cinnamon beef with udon) , the 2001 Cline
California Zinfandel (which bizarrely they've switched label on in mid-vintage,
passed my it in store twice). Sweet red fruit, some cedar and vanilla, medium
finish. B

With a squid salad and pasta with clam sauce, the 2001 Nigl Freiheit Grüner
Veltliner (Kremstal). Light balanced wine with some white pepper and lentils.
Clear fruit, good acidity, though not the longest finish, quite nice. B+

We also opened the 2002 Giesen Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough). Nice gooseberry
and gauva fruit, almost sweet tasting, nice. B/B+

Saturday went to a local Thai restaurant, ordered the 1998 Kuentz-Bas
Gewurztraminer "Reserve Personelle". Litchi fruit and flowers on the nose, lush
flavors of honied apricot and kiwis. Some definite residual sugar, but ok
acidity for Gewurz. Not up to the '98 Trimbach SdR, but nice. B+

Then off to a party where a neighbor had been honored for her political work.
Several reds around, I first tried the 2001 Rodney Strong Russian River Valley
Pinot Noir. Light cherry flavors, more than a hint of oak, uninspiring. B-

The 2001 Ecco Domani Merlot (didn't note origin) was soft, round, characterless
with medium black fruit. B-/C+. There was also a bottle of 2001 Merlot from a
maker I hadn't heard of (Macenas?) that just had to be a bad bottle- weird funk
overwhelming the jammy plum fruit and oak. I didn't note details, it would have
been a C-, I took refuge in an anonymous Sauvignon Blanc and enjoyed the
company, if not the wine.

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B
a good wine, C mediocre at best. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a
party where it was only choice.
Dale

Dale Williams
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