TN: Real wine, virtual dinner- 75 Gazin, 78 Gloria, & Loire SB
 

A friend organized a 3 couple virtual dinner on Zoom. I was skeptical, but ended up enjoying. We didnt try to coordinate food, just timing. Betsy made a bone-in leg of lamb roast, slathered with an anchovy/garlic/parsley paste, roast vegetables (potato, turnip, onion, carrot) and a spinach salad. I felt like sharing wine, and Alex (French) loves Bordeaux. So I decanted 2 bottles of claret- then returned 8-10 oz to each, and poured 2 oz into 2 glasses. I dropped the bottles on Hilary and Alexs back porch, and then the glasses on Susan & Kathys front porch (Kathy doesnt drink).

1978 Ch. Gloria (St. Julien)
Welcome to pyrazine city. I was expecting that this might be very tired, but while fully mature it held onto to some cassis fruit and good acids. But what an overwhelming bell pepper meets pine needle nose. I drink a lot of Chinon, but this is too green for me. Others liked more. Gloria is sentimental to me, the "82 at about 10 was my wakeup wine, and Hilary said it was a mainstay of her dads cellar so it tugged at her. C+/B-

1975 Ch. Gazin (Pomerol)
Like everyone else I think Pomerol was the sweet spot of "75 Bdx. Those "75 tannins are just a trace now, pretty black plum fruit with plenty of lush black plum fruit, and prominent tertiary notes of leather, cigarbox, and mushroom. Good length, nice acid balance, satisfying. B+/A-

2018 Gaspard Touraine
Cooking wine for the lamb and veggies. Mildly grassy Sauvignon Blanc, some gooseberry and pit fruit, nice balance, light. B/B-

A good night in a tough period. Zoom does not replace a full dinner table, but still felt good to have a real discussion rather than a duologue/trialogue. Even if conversation was often grim. Friends matter.

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.

TN: Real wine, virtual dinner- 75 Gazin, 78 Gloria, & Loire SB
 

Thanks Dale. Love to see people still attempting to have a good time. We
have tried 2 Zoom wine dinners. Worked but a bit sterile feeling but I
guess sterility is not so bad right now.

On 3/26/20 10:04 AM, DaleW wrote:
> A friend organized a 3 couple virtual dinner on Zoom. I was skeptical, but ended up enjoying. We didnt try to coordinate food, just timing. Betsy made a bone-in leg of lamb roast, slathered with an anchovy/garlic/parsley paste, roast vegetables (potato, turnip, onion, carrot) and a spinach salad. I felt like sharing wine, and Alex (French) loves Bordeaux. So I decanted 2 bottles of claret- then returned 8-10 oz to each, and poured 2 oz into 2 glasses. I dropped the bottles on Hilary and Alexs back porch, and then the glasses on Susan & Kathys front porch (Kathy doesnt drink).
>
> 1978 Ch. Gloria (St. Julien)
> Welcome to pyrazine city. I was expecting that this might be very tired, but while fully mature it held onto to some cassis fruit and good acids. But what an overwhelming bell pepper meets pine needle nose. I drink a lot of Chinon, but this is too green for me. Others liked more. Gloria is sentimental to me, the "82 at about 10 was my wakeup wine, and Hilary said it was a mainstay of her dads cellar so it tugged at her. C+/B-
>
> 1975 Ch. Gazin (Pomerol)
> Like everyone else I think Pomerol was the sweet spot of "75 Bdx. Those "75 tannins are just a trace now, pretty black plum fruit with plenty of lush black plum fruit, and prominent tertiary notes of leather, cigarbox, and mushroom. Good length, nice acid balance, satisfying. B+/A-
>
> 2018 Gaspard Touraine
> Cooking wine for the lamb and veggies. Mildly grassy Sauvignon Blanc, some gooseberry and pit fruit, nice balance, light. B/B-
>
> A good night in a tough period. Zoom does not replace a full dinner table, but still felt good to have a real discussion rather than a duologue/trialogue. Even if conversation was often grim. Friends matter.
>
> 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.
>

TN: Real wine, virtual dinner- 75 Gazin, 78 Gloria, & Loire SB
 

On 3/26/20 12:04 PM, DaleW wrote:

> 1978 Ch. Gloria (St. Julien) Welcome to pyrazine city. I was
> expecting that this might be very tired, but while fully mature it
> held onto to some cassis fruit and good acids. But what an
> overwhelming bell pepper meets pine needle nose. I drink a lot of
> Chinon, but this is too green for me. Others liked more. Gloria is
> sentimental to me, the "82 at about 10 was my wakeup wine, and Hilary
> said it was a mainstay of her dads cellar so it tugged at her. C+/B-

"I drink a lot of Chinon, but this is too green for me" is an all-time
classic line, Dale. I've really enjoyed the '78s I've had, so I wonder
what was going on at Gloria then to cause such an excess. Ladybug
infestation?

>
>
> 1975 Ch. Gazin (Pomerol) Like everyone else I think Pomerol was the
> sweet spot of "75 Bdx. Those "75 tannins are just a trace now, pretty
> black plum fruit with plenty of lush black plum fruit, and prominent
> tertiary notes of leather, cigarbox, and mushroom. Good length, nice
> acid balance, satisfying. B+/A-

Awesome! I recall when the '75s were released, there was so much
fanfare by Frank Prial and others. Like '86 (and '96) those tannins
proved much harder than was first realized, I think. It makes sense
that Pomerol would be the one commune to handle that well.

> A good night in a tough period. Zoom does not replace a full dinner
> table, but still felt good to have a real discussion rather than a
> duologue/trialogue. Even if conversation was often grim. Friends
> matter.
>

Yes, friends do matter. We are lucky in a sense that this happens now,
when technology allows us face-to-face communication even when
sequestered. You, Betsy and Dana have been much in my thoughts
recently, too. Let's all get through this together.

Mark Lipton

TN: Real wine, virtual dinner- 75 Gazin, 78 Gloria, & Loire SB
 

On Thursday, March 26, 2020 at 12:04:46 PM UTC-4, DaleW wrote:
> A friend organized a 3 couple virtual dinner on Zoom. I was skeptical, but ended up enjoying. We didnt try to coordinate food, just timing. Betsy made a bone-in leg of lamb roast, slathered with an anchovy/garlic/parsley paste, roast vegetables (potato, turnip, onion, carrot) and a spinach salad. I felt like sharing wine, and Alex (French) loves Bordeaux. So I decanted 2 bottles of claret- then returned 8-10 oz to each, and poured 2 oz into 2 glasses. I dropped the bottles on Hilary and Alexs back porch, and then the glasses on Susan & Kathys front porch (Kathy doesnt drink).
>
> 1978 Ch. Gloria (St. Julien)
> Welcome to pyrazine city. I was expecting that this might be very tired, but while fully mature it held onto to some cassis fruit and good acids. But what an overwhelming bell pepper meets pine needle nose. I drink a lot of Chinon, but this is too green for me. Others liked more. Gloria is sentimental to me, the "82 at about 10 was my wakeup wine, and Hilary said it was a mainstay of her dads cellar so it tugged at her. C+/B-
>
> 1975 Ch. Gazin (Pomerol)
> Like everyone else I think Pomerol was the sweet spot of "75 Bdx. Those "75 tannins are just a trace now, pretty black plum fruit with plenty of lush black plum fruit, and prominent tertiary notes of leather, cigarbox, and mushroom. Good length, nice acid balance, satisfying. B+/A-
>
> 2018 Gaspard Touraine
> Cooking wine for the lamb and veggies. Mildly grassy Sauvignon Blanc, some gooseberry and pit fruit, nice balance, light. B/B-
>
> A good night in a tough period. Zoom does not replace a full dinner table, but still felt good to have a real discussion rather than a duologue/trialogue. Even if conversation was often grim. Friends matter.
>
> 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.

For your sake, I hope you and your circle dodge the bullet that is hitting so many in NYC.

Dan-O

TN: Real wine, virtual dinner- 75 Gazin, 78 Gloria, & Loire SB
 

On Thursday, March 26, 2020 at 12:04:46 PM UTC-4, DaleW wrote:
> A friend organized a 3 couple virtual dinner on Zoom. I was skeptical, but ended up enjoying. We didnt try to coordinate food, just timing. Betsy made a bone-in leg of lamb roast, slathered with an anchovy/garlic/parsley paste, roast vegetables (potato, turnip, onion, carrot) and a spinach salad. I felt like sharing wine, and Alex (French) loves Bordeaux. So I decanted 2 bottles of claret- then returned 8-10 oz to each, and poured 2 oz into 2 glasses. I dropped the bottles on Hilary and Alexs back porch, and then the glasses on Susan & Kathys front porch (Kathy doesnt drink).
>
> 1978 Ch. Gloria (St. Julien)
> Welcome to pyrazine city. I was expecting that this might be very tired, but while fully mature it held onto to some cassis fruit and good acids. But what an overwhelming bell pepper meets pine needle nose. I drink a lot of Chinon, but this is too green for me. Others liked more. Gloria is sentimental to me, the "82 at about 10 was my wakeup wine, and Hilary said it was a mainstay of her dads cellar so it tugged at her. C+/B-
>
> 1975 Ch. Gazin (Pomerol)
> Like everyone else I think Pomerol was the sweet spot of "75 Bdx. Those "75 tannins are just a trace now, pretty black plum fruit with plenty of lush black plum fruit, and prominent tertiary notes of leather, cigarbox, and mushroom. Good length, nice acid balance, satisfying. B+/A-
>
> 2018 Gaspard Touraine
> Cooking wine for the lamb and veggies. Mildly grassy Sauvignon Blanc, some gooseberry and pit fruit, nice balance, light. B/B-
>
> A good night in a tough period. Zoom does not replace a full dinner table, but still felt good to have a real discussion rather than a duologue/trialogue. Even if conversation was often grim. Friends matter.
>
> 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.

Thanks all.
We remain well so far.
I am working but alone- not wanting employees to travel from city on public transport.
Most of my groups are unable to go, we are going in small groups to (carefully) give out food and basics to most vulnerable.
Everyone be safe, this is scary beyond NY now.