Friday I was solo with some flounder with braised leeks and the 2010 de
Villaine Bouzeron Aligote. Tart and tangy (which is what I want in Aligote).
Bright acids, lemon fruit, stony. Very good. B+/B

With Betsy in Philadelphia I was happy to be invited to friends' home for
dinner, welcoming an Alsatian former neighbor. Nice dinner with foie gras,
Thai shrimp soup, and white beans and wild boar sausage.

2011 Hugel Riesling
Moderate acids, pit fruits and apple, nice. B

1999 Trimbach "Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre" Gewurztraminer
Full bodied, just a distant hint of sugar, light petrol notes. On the palate
peach, litchi, and ginger. A little smoky with air. Good showing. B+/A-

1999 Felsina Fontalloro
This was difficult to judge- I had my whites in a regular white wine glass,
but the second glass was a beautiful but not so practical stem - small and
flaring. Nose seemed muted, on palate soft black cherry, a bit of tannin
remaining. I've generally liked more. B-?

I seldom drink spirits, but I did try a small sip of an Armagnac made by one
of Alex's relatives. I've gotten to point that the heat is so distracting I
taste little else. Fun night, though as the lone non-Francophone I
occasionally got lost.

Sunday night Betsy returned, and I had dinner ready- red beans "burgers" in
pita with lettuce, tzatiki, mushrooms, and onion, Wine was the 2012 Barou
"Cuvee des Vernes" Syrah. Light bodied, fresh, black cherry and blackberry,
nicely balanced. Fun little wine. B

Monday was family St Paddys dinner- corned beef and cabbage (plus shrimp,
mainly for the pescetarian SiL) and a couple of wines:

2012 Vollenweider "Wolfer Goldgrube"Kabinett
great acids, crisp Granny Smith fruit with a squirt of lime, a mountain
brook minerality. A-/B+


1975 Langoa-Barton
Opened as I thought the BiL might enjoy a red, and figured the Bartons were
Irish. I've liked this more before- there's still a nice fruit base here,
but it seems to be drying out on finish, and without a steak to balance it
seems the tannins are still gritty. B-/C+

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.

On 3/18/2014 11:49 AM, Dale W wrote:
> Friday I was solo with some flounder with braised leeks and the 2010 de
> Villaine Bouzeron Aligote. Tart and tangy (which is what I want in Aligote).
> Bright acids, lemon fruit, stony. Very good. B+/B
>
> With Betsy in Philadelphia I was happy to be invited to friends' home for
> dinner, welcoming an Alsatian former neighbor. Nice dinner with foie gras,
> Thai shrimp soup, and white beans and wild boar sausage.
>
> 2011 Hugel Riesling
> Moderate acids, pit fruits and apple, nice. B
>
> 1999 Trimbach "Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre" Gewurztraminer
> Full bodied, just a distant hint of sugar, light petrol notes. On the palate
> peach, litchi, and ginger. A little smoky with air. Good showing. B+/A-
>
> 1999 Felsina Fontalloro
> This was difficult to judge- I had my whites in a regular white wine glass,
> but the second glass was a beautiful but not so practical stem - small and
> flaring. Nose seemed muted, on palate soft black cherry, a bit of tannin
> remaining. I've generally liked more. B-?
>
> I seldom drink spirits, but I did try a small sip of an Armagnac made by one
> of Alex's relatives. I've gotten to point that the heat is so distracting I
> taste little else. Fun night, though as the lone non-Francophone I
> occasionally got lost.
>
> Sunday night Betsy returned, and I had dinner ready- red beans "burgers" in
> pita with lettuce, tzatiki, mushrooms, and onion, Wine was the 2012 Barou
> "Cuvee des Vernes" Syrah. Light bodied, fresh, black cherry and blackberry,
> nicely balanced. Fun little wine. B
>
> Monday was family St Paddys dinner- corned beef and cabbage (plus shrimp,
> mainly for the pescetarian SiL) and a couple of wines:
>
> 2012 Vollenweider "Wolfer Goldgrube"Kabinett
> great acids, crisp Granny Smith fruit with a squirt of lime, a mountain
> brook minerality. A-/B+
>
>
> 1975 Langoa-Barton
> Opened as I thought the BiL might enjoy a red, and figured the Bartons were
> Irish. I've liked this more before- there's still a nice fruit base here,
> but it seems to be drying out on finish, and without a steak to balance it
> seems the tannins are still gritty. B-/C+
>
> 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.
>
>

There has been a little discussion of New Zealand Rieslings lately. I've
only tasted (and liked) Seifried Nelson Riesling 2012. Have you any
strong opinions about NZ Rieslings?

--
Jim Silverton (Potomac, MD)

Extraneous "not." in Reply To.

In message >
James Silverton > wrote:

> On 3/18/2014 11:49 AM, Dale W wrote:
[snip]

Surely anybody celebrating this feast should have been drinking
Guiness and/or whiskey?

Tim Hartley

On 3/19/2014 2:16 PM, Timothy Hartley wrote:
> In message >
> James Silverton > wrote:
>
>> On 3/18/2014 11:49 AM, Dale W wrote:
> [snip]
>
> Surely anybody celebrating this feast should have been drinking
> Guiness and/or whiskey?
>
> Tim Hartley
>

I agree, a proper New York St Patrick's feast would be Corned Beef and
Cabbage and that does not call for subtly flavored drinks. However, I've
never liked drinking distilled spirits with a meal. Tho' brought up in
Scotland, I don't drink malt whisky with the food on Burns Night either.

--
Jim Silverton (Potomac, MD)

Extraneous "not." in Reply To.

"James Silverton" wrote in message ...

There has been a little discussion of New Zealand Rieslings lately. I've
only tasted (and liked) Seifried Nelson Riesling 2012. Have you any
strong opinions about NZ Rieslings?

--
Jim, my experience is very limited, probably 4 or 5 mass market (possibly
export only) NZ Rieslings.
It would be like having opinions on red Rhones based on P45 and Guigal CdR
I did follow the thread, would love to try more

"Timothy Hartley" wrote in message
...

Surely anybody celebrating this feast should have been drinking
Guiness and/or whiskey?

I seldom drink whiskey (I've got a bottle of Jamesons that must be 10 years
old and 80% full), and don't really care for Guinness. More importantly
neither Betsy or her sister like beer. Ive discovered the offdry Riesling
actually does ok (corned beef and cabbage tisn't so far from choucroute).
It's not like the Irish eat a lot of CB&C anyway!