Saturday I was picking up some fish in WHite Plains, dropped by Grapes the Wine Company to pick up an order. While they were getting order up Posner handed me a stem - hey, this is good, lovely red cherries with earth and nice grippy finish. I’d buy, but unfortunately for Grapes I already have the 2009 Georges Descombes Morgon. Good stuff! B+

(There was also a Rhonish wine I didn’t love & unfortunately neglected to note name, dense sweet fruit, comes across too big for my preferences, but as I checked out Daniel mentioned it was a 2000- I had assumed it was a current release wine, so maybe I should have paid more attention, it deserves bonus points for youthfulness.)

Dinner was oysters on half shell, followed by asparagus in miso butter, then tuna steak and quinoa. With the oysters and then the asparagus, a half bottle of the NV Philipponnat “Royale Reserve” Champagne. Crisp, quite yeasty, fun little bottle. B+

With the tuna, the 2010 Texier “L’indigene Sulfureaux Yelen.” This is a no sulfur added
VdT that I’m pretty sure I was told was Syrah. Black fruits, good acids, some tannin, quite fresh with the juicy/lifted note I associate with low sulphur. B/B+

Sunday I took Betsy to an early flight, then went to work, then relaxed for a while before going to an Easter party at my sister-in-law’s home. Several dozen nice people, with a nice potluck assortment. I had made a smoked trout and potato salad, and also enjoyed paella, salmon, lamb stew, ****aladiere,asparagus, and other good stuff. Sampled some wines while we tried to figure out how to get a cat out of a tree:

2009 Lauer “Barrel X” Riesling
Just a hint of sugar, good mouth presence, but totally dominated by some reductive notes on nose. I’ve liked a lot before, but no chance to see if reduction blew off as thirsty crowd drained quickly. C+ for what I tasted (But I don’t think representative).

2004 Karthauserhof Eitelsbacher Karthauserhofberg Riesling Spatlese #32
Excellent acids, honeydew and lime, but more mineral than fruity. Good length, I like this B+

1988 Coudoulet de Beaucastel
Double-decanted before I left home, this showed well again. Good acids for 98 S. Rhone,drinking well, cherries and mocha. B+

2008 Allegrini Palazzo della Torre
pretty typical for this bottling, mocha and black plum, rich, not what I usually go looking for but very well done in a style that is big and rich for the price. B

2010 Daulny “Clos de Chaudenay” Sancerre
grassy, catpee, would be fine Touraine SB but a little lacking as a Sancerre for me. B/B-

2010 "Vigne di San Martino" Gavi.
This was down near bottom when I tried, bottle was almost gone, and I guess I was first person to notice it was corked, all lemon and wet cardboard. Flawed.

I missed a few wines (Columbia Crest Chardonnay, Delas Cotes du Rhone, a 2006 petit chateau, etc.

With some randomly assembled leftovers (arugula/gorgonzola burittos and matzoh ball soup) , the 2011 Domaine des Triennes Rose. Pale, strawberry and red cherry, a touch of herb. Pretty good in a rather traditional S. French style, bring on rose season! B/B+

Last night I thawed some mushroom lasagna, plus made a favorite cauliflower with pimenton dish. For the lasagna, I opened the 2010 Burlotto Freisa (Langhe). I didn’t really love this at first, tannic with good acids, but very restrained fruit. With air I liked much more- warm black plum fruit, soil tones, a little aromatic floral note. This is not your light/frizzante kind of Freisa. 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.