Friday was grilled salmon, tomatoes & eggplant, along with salad and the 2005 Drouhin Cote de Beaune. Lovely showing. Black cherry fruit, earth, and smoke, still some grip, good length, lively acid. Drinking well and punching way above its weight. B++

Saturday was swordfish with brown rice and salad, wine was the 2013 Leo Steen Chenin Blanc (Dry Creek Valley). Is this really a US producer named Steen who makes Chenin?
Pretty good, nice acids, green apple. Not sure I'd guess CB but maybe I am just looking for Loire terroir and mistaking it for CB.. Something to ponder. B

Sunday we had a nice group for dinner, with conversation about Asian art, bowmaking, and Chinese history. The other wine guy there (Betsy's bowmaker) has always been generous, so I wanted to please him, gave him some choices- he was clear he'd rather try something new that me try to match his tastes/cellar. A good sport!

On the patio with smoked duck and smoked trout

2002 Pol Roger Brut Champagne
Midbodied, fine mousse, brioche and ginger apple on the palate, nice finish B+

2001 Leitz Rudesheimer Kirchenpfad Riesling Spatlese
Fairly sweet, moderate acids, tasty but I think a bit simple. I'm a huge 2001 German fan, but seem to find less excitement in Rhine and Pfalz than Nahe or Mosel. B-

Lobster/corn/tomato salad
2009 F. Cotat Culs de Beaujeau Sancerre
A bit big for the dish (I actually thought I had grabbed the tauter 2008, oops) full melon and citrus fruit, powerful, long. B

Next was lamb rib chops, potato salad,and a green salad

1989 Ch. Gazin
Decanted an hour before dinner, but still a bit withdrawn, some tannin, fruit in background, best during dishwashing. By then plums, smoke, and leather. During dinner B-, after dinner B+

2000 Ch. Cantemerle
Nice balanced claret, coming into its own, midbodied with cassis, cigarbox, and earth. B+/A-

Betsy had made a peach tart and we had cheese as well

1988 Anselmi Recioto dei Capiltelli (Recioto di Soave)
Dense, honied, orange marmalade, good acids. But a little clipped on finish, and gets a little metallic. Interesting to try. B-/C+



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.

On Monday, September 7, 2015 at 1:29:33 PM UTC-4, DaleW wrote:
> Friday was grilled salmon, tomatoes & eggplant, along with salad and the 2005 Drouhin Cote de Beaune. Lovely showing. Black cherry fruit, earth, and smoke, still some grip, good length, lively acid. Drinking well and punching way above its weight. B++
>
> Saturday was swordfish with brown rice and salad, wine was the 2013 Leo Steen Chenin Blanc (Dry Creek Valley). Is this really a US producer named Steen who makes Chenin?
> Pretty good, nice acids, green apple. Not sure I'd guess CB but maybe I am just looking for Loire terroir and mistaking it for CB.. Something to ponder. B
>
> Sunday we had a nice group for dinner, with conversation about Asian art, bowmaking, and Chinese history. The other wine guy there (Betsy's bowmaker) has always been generous, so I wanted to please him, gave him some choices- he was clear he'd rather try something new that me try to match his tastes/cellar. A good sport!
>
> On the patio with smoked duck and smoked trout
>
> 2002 Pol Roger Brut Champagne
> Midbodied, fine mousse, brioche and ginger apple on the palate, nice finish B+
>
> 2001 Leitz Rudesheimer Kirchenpfad Riesling Spatlese
> Fairly sweet, moderate acids, tasty but I think a bit simple. I'm a huge 2001 German fan, but seem to find less excitement in Rhine and Pfalz than Nahe or Mosel. B-
>
> Lobster/corn/tomato salad
> 2009 F. Cotat Culs de Beaujeau Sancerre
> A bit big for the dish (I actually thought I had grabbed the tauter 2008, oops) full melon and citrus fruit, powerful, long. B
>
> Next was lamb rib chops, potato salad,and a green salad
>
> 1989 Ch. Gazin
> Decanted an hour before dinner, but still a bit withdrawn, some tannin, fruit in background, best during dishwashing. By then plums, smoke, and leather. During dinner B-, after dinner B+
>
> 2000 Ch. Cantemerle
> Nice balanced claret, coming into its own, midbodied with cassis, cigarbox, and earth. B+/A-
>
> Betsy had made a peach tart and we had cheese as well
>
> 1988 Anselmi Recioto dei Capiltelli (Recioto di Soave)
> Dense, honied, orange marmalade, good acids. But a little clipped on finish, and gets a little metallic. Interesting to try. B-/C+
>
>
>
> 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.

Isn't timing a real pain? I open a bottle 2 hours ahead and by the time I pour it's beginning to fade. Next time I open at an hour and it's not even close. This past weekend I opened a 1990 and 2000 Bordeaux each 2 hours prior to consumption. the 2000 Baron was fine but the 1990 Lynch Bages needed more time. Go figure.

On Wednesday, September 9, 2015 at 9:43:30 AM UTC-4, Bi!! wrote:
>
>
> Isn't timing a real pain? I open a bottle 2 hours ahead and by the time I pour it's beginning to fade. Next time I open at an hour and it's not even close. This past weekend I opened a 1990 and 2000 Bordeaux each 2 hours prior to consumption. the 2000 Baron was fine but the 1990 Lynch Bages needed more time. Go figure.

Yeah, I'm better than I used to be, but still err quite often