ith cornish hen with berbere, spinach, sweet potatoes, the 2010 Weingut Knoll Ried Pfaffenberg Steiner Riesling Kabinett. Dry, stony, petrolly, long and in a good place. B+/A-

With pasta with seafood (bay scallops and shrimp), the 2015 Raul Perez Palomino ("Valdecanada). My first varietal Palomino. Floral almost musky, round, more interesting than delicious. B-/C+

I also opened a bottle of the 2001 Ch. Monbousquet. The good news is the extreme/overt toastiness/charred notes have receded, but Im still not a fan- sweet.mocha and cassis, plush, would make an ok Napa Merlot Most was used to braise 2 chuck roasts for next night B-/C+

2013 Silvano Bolmida €œBussia€� Barolo
The other cooking wine. Pretty tight when cooking Friday , rest of bottle with dinner Saturday was more open, but a pretty boring red-fruited Barolo. B-
With Betsy away I fought loneliness by having guests

With Lonza, pastourma, pate
NV Gatinois Rose Champagne
Quite dry, strawberry with herb and flint, fun B++

scallop/radish crudo (shiso and a ponzu sauce)
2018 Villalin Quincy
Not my fave vintage of this, ripe round fruit, maybe a touch simple and short, but went well with dish. B-

Main was beef in Barolo (partially, actually most of a bottle of Monbousquet and half a bottle of Barolo), brussels sprouts, salad


1971 Barisone Barolo
Lovely rose petal nose, cherry and dried cherry fruit, some tar, good persistance. Decanted couple hours before dinner, holds well throughout night. B+/A-

1996 Gianfranco Alessandria €œSan Giovanni€� Barolo
Tannins are integrated, acids give some structure, but while it has fruit this seems sweet and anonymous, vanilla on cherry, not super interesting. 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.