Saturday we went to Betsys sisters for dinner with family and friends. Cal cooked with a Spanish theme- tapas including fried cheese balls, fried squid, toast with salsa, olives, and more, followed by a delicious seafood and sausage paella (on the grill till there was a nice crust)


2016 Adegas Gran Vinum €œ Nessa€� Albarino (Rias Baixas). Crisp, snappy, citrus and mineral, a Muscadet-ish Albarino. B

2014 Lolo Albarino (Rias Baixas)
Peaches, lime, flowers, light and fresh. Simple but good. A rounder style. B-

2013 Raul Perez Ultreia St Jacques (Bierzo)
Ripe black plum and cherry, midbodied., snappy finish, some roasted meat notes. B

I had to leave for a minor emergency at office, walked there, walked home, and opened the 2008 Scherrer €œPlatt Vineyard€� Pinot Noir. Sweet black cherry fruit, spice, vanillin oak. I really like Scherrers restrained Zins, this is a big sweeter and broader than my PN ideal, but still a good wine in a riper bigger style. B

Sunday Betsys quartet played a benefit concert (Beethoven Op 135 and Borodins String 4et #2.
Afterwards we took first violinist and her family to Harpers for a Mothers Day meal. I had smoked trout rillettes and Betsy chicken liver crostini as starters. Then I had flat iron steak with sweet peas, ramps, and a horseradish masdhed, she had braised lamb shank w/preserved lemon & cumin yogurt.

I had dropped off wines that AM (restaurant is near my office) so that we had years that Betsy and Muneko had become moms. Restaurant did a great job of handling (its fun when wine director is excited re the wines)

2000 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rose
Wow, drinking beautifully. Refined and elegant. Citrus and cherry, spice, brioche. Stunning wine. A/A-

1988 Ch. Trotanoy (Pomerol)
Still a bit of "88 tannin, but nice black plum fruit, smoke, leather. Gets some earthy/mushroomy notes at end, holding well, fun wine. A-/B+


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.