FoodBanter.com - TN: wines by candlelight- cheap Tuscan, LI white, basic Bourgogne

Monday Betsy was meeting an old colleague in city for dinner, I had a
speech at 7, so asked Dave would he rather have dinner at 6 or 8:30.
He chose former, so I just grabbed a pizza. With it a glass of the
2006 Monte Antico (Toscano IGT). Nice pizza wine, red cherry fruit
with a little earth. Another glass when I returned home showed a bit
of leather, still nice cherry and dried cherry fruit. This has some
Bordeaux varieties in it but the Sangiovese dominates, and I wish
there were more $8.25 wines like this. B

We're still without power, so Betsy and Dave mostly cooked Tuesday by
candle and lantern light. Two recipes from Kylie Kwong- braised tofu
with tomatoes, and vegetarian fried rice. While they were cooking we
enjoyed the 2006 Old Field Vineyard "Mostly Steel" Chardonnay (North
Fork, Long Island). I believe there's 10 or 15 percent barrel-
fermented Chard added to the inox base. Nice appley Chard fruit, just
a hint of butter, good acidity, good finish. I like this. B

Dinner wine was the 2005 Denis Bachelet Bourgogne rouge. Quite open,
with some firm tannins for the level and solid black fruit, with soil
and meat notes. Nice, gets better and better with air, quite fine for
a basic Bourgogne.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.**