TN: 74 & 99 Barolos, '17 Briords, '99 ESJ, '08 Pavelot, and more
 

I picked up Betsy from airport late Thursday, so our Valentines Day dinner was a day late. We started with oysters , octopus, and the NV Jose Michel Rose Champagne. Red berries, citrus, pleasant but not compelling. B-

Betsy made a new version of beef stroganoff (https://slate.com/culture/2019/02/be...situtions.html)
Good but doesnt hold a candle to her usual.

1999 Edmunds St. John Wylie-Fenaughty Syrah
Takes a little while to open up, but really nice when it does. Black cherry, smoky/gamey notes, some leather on finish as it airs. A bit sturdy for the food, but lovely on its own. B+/A-

Over to some friends for a dinner party. Started with coppa and pastourma, and the 2014 Raventos i Blanc €œNit€� (Conca del Riu Anoia). Strawberries and raspberries, peach, but more floral than fruity. B/B+

I had made an appetizer of octopus/scallop/radishX4 crudo (well, not technically as octopus was cooked)

2017 Pepiere €œClos des Briords€� Muscadet
Classic Briords, seashell and citrus, deep and long. Worlds best year to year qpr for me. B+/A-

2015 Sin Palabras Albarino (RÃ*as Baixas)
Good acids, but a bit sweeter than my platonic ideal Albarino. B-

Ron had made a great pozole, served with Betsys salad

1999 Boasso Serralunga Barolo
A de Grazia wine but the oak seems in check, some tannic structure, black plum and cherry fruit with some rose petal and tar. Rounder/fruit driven style of Nebbiolo but good. B/B+

2014 Rotie Cellars Grenache
Id had blends but first 100% Grenache Ive had from Rotie. Soft cherry and raspberry, not too ripe, herbal finish, B

2014 il Conventino Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Clunky/heavy style of Sangiovese, not for me. C+

A French friend who had lived in NYC in late 90s let me know she was coming to NYC with her husband and older (11 ) daughter. I put together a dinner party of folks she knew back when. Too many people for our dinner table even with both leaves, so set up in dining room. As folks arrived we had:
Charcuterie (smoke duck breast, pastourma, pate), hummus, dolmades, tapenade
NV Henriot Brut Champagne (mag)
Round smoky style, nice mousse, but a little boring. B/B-

Then to table for scallop/radishX4 crudo (Im in a rut)
2000 Ramey Hyde Chardonnay
Oak apparent but pretty well integrated, ripe pear and a little butterscotch/nut note, quite lively, fave wine of night for Donna the Meursault lover. B+

Didnt want to do French, avoided pasta as couple gluten-free folks, so kind of did vague Middle Eastern thing. Betsy made Persian lamb (with dried lime and sour plums), Kurdish golden rice, plus the Morrocan carrot salad and beans/broccoli in a tahini sauce from Ottolenghi cookbook.

2008 Pavelot €œaux Guettes€� Savigny-les-Beaune 1er
Romys birthyear.I was a little worried this might be closed, but actually drinking beautifully, and I may open my other bottle soon. Black cherry, mocha, smoke. Nicely balanced with noticeable but well-integrated acids and tannins. Good length, fine. B+/A-

1974 Oddero Barolo
Birthyear for Florence and Fabrice. Decanted at 11, back to bottle about 1, served about 6:30. Got better through night. Red fruits, orange zest, gamebirds, flowers. Delicate yet with a core. A couple of people didnt like but rest of us certainly did. A-

1998 Ch. de Fieuzal (Pessac-Leognan)
Red and black fruits, soft, easy, some loved but I thought simple compared to others. B-/B

We all had a great time, though Romy was a little jet-lagged plus doesn't speak English. But she enjoyed cuddling with our 2 year old basset hound Ruby while adults talked, drank, and ate.

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.