Tuesday evening I opened the 2001 Ch. Siran (Margaux), a Cru Bourgeois that I
have enjoyed over the past couple vintages. Pretty tight, some dark berry
fruit, bigger tannins than I expected, just not showing much. After small glass
I recorked and sat aside.

Wednesday I was supposed to join friends for a concert & picnic at riverside,
but nasty thunderstorms got in the way. So I invited a couple over for Bastille
Day. Betsy had to leave for city, but made a batch of pistou (from yesterday's
NYT recipe) which she used as a dressing for a tomato, grilled bread, and
escarole salad. I sliced up some smoked duck breast, put on bread and topped
with chutney. Betsy took a teeny glass of the Siran as she had a light dinner,
"Wow, this is good" she said. Really? Really. Big difference. Perfumed nose of
cedar, earth and cassis. Ripe black fruit on palate, balanced acidity, rather
fine tannins , good length. B++, and I'll buy more at $17 (next time I'll
decant or maybe give a few years in cellar).

Betsy left, friends arrived bearing salmon. We munched on duck breast, they
tried the Siran and then the 2002 Patrick Javiller Bourgogne Blanc "Cuvée des
Forgets Cuvée Spéciale." Big pear fruit, some oak, nice middleweight white Burg
with a nice clear mineral finish. Nice quaffer, I order more this AM ($18). B+

The rain broke long enough for me to get the grill going, I grilled the
salmon, then we sat down to that and the pistou-ed salad. With the salmon, the
2001 Michel Lafarge Bourgogne (opened 90 minutes before). Rounder and less lean
than it had seemed just a few months before. Deep cherry fruit, flowers and
earth. Supple texture. Pleasing Pinot, best showing yet for the 2001. B+/A-

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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