The fridge was bulging after New Years, Wednesday we just had leftovers (ham, beans, etc) and opened the 2011 Donnhoff Oberhauser Leistenberg Riesling Kabinett. Sweet limeade, some wet rocks, citrus peel. Moderate acids, good length. B/B+

Thursday I cooked, vaguely Asian dinner with a anise kicker: teriyaki salmon, haiga rice with nori, kimchi, braised fennel, and broccoli with peppers. Wine was the 2009 JP Brun/Terres Dorees “L’Ancien” Beaujolais. At first I thought this in kind of a grumpy place, but it filled out nicely with air. Black cherry and mocha, juicy but balanced, mineral and chalk. B+

Friday we had some friends over, started with a shrimp tapenade and the 2009 Raventos i Blanc De Nit Cava Rosado. Crisp, minerally, red fruits, lighter styled, good. B
First course was French onion soup, with the 2001 Trimbach “Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre”

Gewurztraminer. Clearly Gewurz, but on the petrolly/Rieslingesqueminerally end of the spectrum rather than the superLitchi end. Good length, moderate acids, tasty and no hurry on these. B+

Then roast chicken with root vegetables and a salad , and a couple of reds

2009 Ch. de Flaugergues “Les Comtes” (Languedoc)
Fruity, a bit jammy but not extreme, no obvious oak, decent in a fruitbombish style. B-

2009 G. Descombes Morgon
Red fruits, smokes, excellent length, very nice. B+

Saturday we went to a local birthday party (the birthday girl now lives in NC, but her visit good excuse for a party). Starters included salmon canapes and a salsa with pita, couple bubblies out , a Prosecco I’ve forgotten and the NV Gloria Ferrer. A little tinny/chemical edge, not sure what going on here, usually found this ok in past, C+

Hostess is a fantastic cook, a delicious lamb and eggplant stew with Moroccan seasonings, plus squash puree. We tried

2005 Marques de Caceres Rioja Reserva
Fleshy red fruit, tobacco, a hint of vanilla, well-balanced. B

2009 Acequias Malbec
Medium to full-bodied, somewhat gritty tannins, oak, clipped. C+/B-
Sunday we went to a goodbye dinner for Mary Kate and Dave before they went back to Scotland. MK has 6 siblings, with significant others it ended up being 17 people at dinner, yet her dad put out a nice dinner, rolled chicken breast with figs and proscuitto, green beans, and more. Tried a couple of wines

2010 Drouhin Laforet Bourgogne
Straightforward and easy, bright red fruits, herby, a touch of earth, good value. B

2008 Guion “Cuvee Prestige”
Some greeness, dark fruits, camphor. Good but not my favorite vintage of this. B

When we got home, Betsy watched Downton Abbey, and we each had a small glass of the 2011 Selbach-Oster Kabinett (375 ml )
The 2011 softness is really apparent here, tasty flavors but I don’t want more than one glass, just seems to dull up. Not dismayed I own another 5, but happy I split the 12 pack! B-

Monday was no wine, spaghetti aglio e olio before I went to meet a volunteer group for a run around the city, and then Tuesday a takeout dinner because Betsy had a mediation circle and I had a speech. Sashimi and beef with a gingery sauce from Sazan, wine was the 2011 Steinmetz Riesling. Lighter styled, just a hint of sugar but really fairly dry, peach, ginger and white pepper. B

Wednesday I made a pork tenderloin in a hoisin/garlic marinade with cucumbers, sides were an orange-accented broccoli dish and Betsy mashed potatoes with dandelion and chard. Wine was the 2010 Lafouge “la Chapelle” Auxey-Duresses 1er. Ding ding ding, we have a winner. Wine has no problem standing up to the dishes. Batting way above its price tag, a tangy/crunchy bottle of red Burg. Great length, complex and full, need more. A-

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.