With pasta with cherry tomatoes and vongole, the 2007 Huet "Le Mont" Vouvray Sec. A bit tightly coiled at fiirst, but opens nicely. Lovely full citrus fruit, wax and wool notes to keep one focused on where this is from, some chalk. Great acids, complex and layered, fine wine/. A-/B+

With salmon with buttered almonds, lemony potatoes, and salad the
2007 Foillard "Cuvee 3.14" Morgon. Big for Beaujolais, but beautifully balanced and not the least bit ungainly. Fresh raspberries, cherries, espresso, and smoke. There's some tannin, but quite ripe and supple, good acids, beautiful wine. A-

Saturday I read that Joe Dressner had passed away after a 3 year battle with brain cancer. I'm certain that I've drunk more Louis/Dressner wines than any other importers over the years. I thought about opening a Buster or Radikon or other treasured bottle, but decided that the most appropriate would be what is to me the ultimate Dressner wine- the basic Marc Ollivier Muscadet dSeM. The 2009 Pepiere Muscadet is Real Wine- clean, tasty, refreshing, and of its place. RIP Mr. Dressner.

Betsy had picked up a gorgeous hunk of hen-of-the-woods at market, dinner was chicken and maitake marsala, pasta, and a salad (we're using the few heirloom tomatoes that ripened- we may be having expensive fried green tomatoes). Wine was the 2008 Lafouge "La Chappelle" Auxey-Durreses. Crunchy red fruit, modest tannins, good acids, nice length, pretty wine. 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.