Friday I took the train to Grand Central, then the short walk to the main NY Public Library, where Betsy's quartet was playing New Music at Bryant Park. Great concert, 2 commissioned new pieces and the Dvorak "American", on a lovely evening. I was with a group picnicking, but passed on food and wine, as we were going out afterwards. After concert I acted as cello sherpa as we walked around corner to Lan Sheng. My first time there- excellent crispy cucumber, cumin lamb, Sichuan pork dumplings, and pea shoots (tea smoked duck was good, but might give edge to Grand Sichuan). I carried the 1988 Dr.. Weins-Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese. Sweetness works well with heat (especially on cumin lamb) , bright acids means not at all cloying, crispin apple and citrus, just a hint of petrol, surprisingly young. No hurry on this, maybe not super-complex, but appealing and food-friendly. Added bonus is the 7.5% abv means I can drive home after we drank most of bottle. B+

Saturday we had some friends over, greeting wine was the 2004 Nicolas Feuillatte Blanc de Blancs . Medium bodied, crisp, granny Smith and bread dough. Nice if not complex showing for a co-op wine. B

I had picked up some super-fresh scallops at farmer's market, made a carpaccio (with tomato, avocado, lime, pickled shallots, basil). Wine was the 2011 Lafarge
"Raisin d'Oree" Bourgogne Aligote. What a nice showing. Rich honied fruits with pear and citrus, but an electric backbone of acidity. Fresh, full, and pure, I doubt I'd have come up with Aligote in first dozen guesses if this had been blind. B+


A friend was bringing some grass fed hanger steak, when we added another guest he supplemented with some (corn-fed) skirt. I had made a spicy slaw, Betsy had sauteed chard from garden and made quinoa.

2000 Domaine du Pesquier Gigondas
I really didn't intend to age this till 14, discovered other day, but despite my fears it has held up well. Red fruits, lots of spice, some herbal/underbrush notes. It's soft and certainly needs to be drunk up, but it's tasty and we all enjoyed. B

2010 Foppiano Estate Petite Sirah (RRV)
I'm not a big PS drinker, but have a generally favorable impression of Foppiano going in, but I found this close to undrinkable. Jammy blackberry fruit, some heat (14.9% , I might have guessed higher), at least not especially oaky. Tannic, too, but that I expected froma PS. I liked it even less as night went on. C/C+

2006 Havens Merlot Reserve
Ripe black cherries, a little barnyard, some oak notes but not over the top.. Good acid for CA Merlot, I like better than the PS. B/B-

Fun night with good people on the patio.

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C drinkable. 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.