Nothing better than a weekend with a good friends, (mostly)good weather, and good opportunities to open wine.

Thursday was gorgeous, just us on patio, with seafood salad (shrimp, calamari, haddock, scallops), the 2010 Terres Dorees (JP Brun) Beaujolais Blanc. I personally like this vintage, a brighter style of unoaked Chardonnay, clean and pretty. B/B+

Friday some close friends joined us for dinner. They brought along some
collard leaves wrapped around a variety of fillings ("Mexican carrot" , almond pesto, etc.) that were quite good for a starter. We enjoyed with the 1999 Ellner "Seduction" Brut Champagne. Fat,. yeasty, full, a tad oxidative, good in a big style but I'll drink up. B

Main course was a delicious cold veal roast stuffed with olives and herbs, along with a fennel/tomato salad and pasta with mushrooms & spinach in a lemon Marsala sauce. Then some fruit and whipped cream for the dessert people.

2008 Boniface Apremont (Savoie)
Cooking wine, at age three this is quite tired, flat, some oxidation. C

2010 Baudry Chinon Rose
Classic, classy, clean, my rose of the summer A-/B+

2008 Fourrier Bourgogne Blanc
less austere than I remember on opening from previous bottles, good clean white Burg, floral, citric, long. B+

2001 Solaria "123" Brunello di Montalcino
Clunky. One of those terms the TN police want you to explain, but that's what I noted. Solid red fruit, no obvious oak, but without freshness. B-/C+

Our original invite for Friday* was to a different couple of dear friends, who weren't available Friday, but were Saturday. What the hell, why not? But Betsy had workshop in the city and didn't get back till 7, so Alex and Hilary had to deal with the fact the cooking was in my hands. Sad. But it was ok, and we had a great time (and rain held off till I was cleaning patio later):

Caprese salad (Moskvich tomatoes)* and a baby octopus salad for starters

2009 Pascal Cotat Monts Damnes Sancerre
Ripe, full, forward, with citrus and mineral notes, nice length. B+

2008 Palacios "As*Sortes" Godello (Valdeorras)
Godello meets Corton Charlemagne. Big, full, but zesty acids, minerally. B+

American lamb* leg (rosemary, garlic, thyme) and cute (but not especially tasty) little lavender* eggplant:

1970 Ch. Lafon Rochet
This smelled tired and past it, so I opened the Marguax backup. But by time we ate, it seemed to have perked up a little, showing some dark fruit under a layer of forest floor and cigar ash. Quite drinkable if a bit geriatric.. B-

1979 Ch.du Tertre
Lovely midweight, a pointe, resolved tannins, high but balanced acids, in the right place. Black cherry, floral, cigarbox. Yum.A-

Dinner Sunday was a F&W riff on a* David Bouley dish, chicken (poached over chamomille) over mushrooms and Brussels sprouts. The chicken pot is sealed with dough, which makes great crackers. F&W suggested " medium weight Spanish with dark berry fruit" (they listed a Jumilla I never heard of), I opened the 2009 Pecina Rioja (says Cosecha on label, but I think that just means vintage). Fresh, juicy, no obvious oak, even has that dark berry fruit. Nothing complex, but quite tasty. Plastic cork,. B/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