FMQTN: Albarino is top wine, plus Italians, Burg, etc
 

Memory quasi tasting notes, as I lost my actual notes in travel. I’ve
heard a lot of great things about the 2009 Leitz Dragonstone, and did
think it a very good wine, but I always like the Dragonstone, and for
whatever reason didn’t find this especially a standout vintage. A half
bottle of Philipponnat Royale Reserve Brut actually showed better than
a recent 750 (seldom the case)- fresh, crisp, lightly yeasty. With
lamb shanks and white beans, the 1983 Avignonesi “Grifi” was alive,
but less vital than a bottle last year- tasted more like tired Cab
than the lively Tuscan I remembered. The standout of the weekend was
the 2009 Do Ferreiro Cepas Vella (Rías Baixas)- superold vines
Albarino, rather dense ripe fruit, yet vibrant acids, and intense
saline minerality. Seriously good juice, I hesitated at $40 Albarino,
but this is worth it.

Sunday we arrived in Atlanta. No Sunday sales here, so I was resigned
to no wine or dad’s jug wine (he has a glass for his heart). But
actually he had a bottle of the 2009 Chevillon-Chezeaux Bourgogne,
which I opened as I grilled steak and squash, and we served along with
pasta and green salads. I’m pretty wary of Burg producers I don’t
know, but this was quite refreshing in a lighter mode. Raspberries and
cherries, light color, no apparent tannin or oak, good acids. Pretty
nice wine. B

Last night they took us to a local trattoria, Betsy and I ordered wine
by the glass (no vintages listed). A Frescobaldi Chianti Riserva was
ok, though it seemed a touch woody, a Maso Canali Pinot Grigio was
light and tasty, though it bordered on overipe.

Insert usual disclaimer:)