Saturday Betsy made veal chops with sage from Marcella Hazan, along with
Marcella's asparagus/proscuitto bundles,and fettucine with a cream/parmesan
sauce. Actually any of the three would have been a nice main course. In honor
of the Italian orientation of the meal, I brought up an Arneis, which was
corked. %$*(A%**(%

Next try, the 2002 Bründlmayer Langenloiser Grüner Veltliner (Kamptaler
Terrassen). Very flowery nose. Moderately acidic, peach fruit with a hint of
granny smith apple. There's just a hint of GV white pepper on the finish. Nice
wine, just not up to the GV standards of the Nigl Privat. B+

Sunday was Mother's Day, and David and I made Betsy's breakfast,. I offered to
cook dinner, too, but she demurred- cooking is something she finds joyful. Our
Basset hound had given Betsy a D'Artagnan cookbook for Mother's Day, she
(Betsy, not Lucy the hound)decided to make a duck dish from there. The breast
is seared then poached. Served over asparagus and lettuce, with a sauce of
asparagus, green peppercorns, tarragon, walnut oil, and raspberry vinegar. Then
topped with blackberries. How's THAT for non-wine friendly? As this was
basically a "drink water then have wine" dish, I didn't worry too much re a
match. Just opened a wine I felt like opening, the 1996 La Louvière
(Pessac-Léognan). While Betsy was cooking, we sipped a glass of the
Bründlamyer, its floral characteristics even more pronounced now. I
periodically checked on the Pessac rouge, it started a little tight but was
quickly giving its all. Nose of earth and crushed blackberries (or am I
smelling the ones on my plate?); palate of blackcurrant fruit. Some tobacco and
mineral/gravel emerge with time. Nice, surprisingly mature. I don't really have
a clear view of '96 in Graves, they don't seem as hard as the Right Bankers or
as supple as the Médocs. I don't think this is going to improve much, B+

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a
good wine, C mediocre. 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.
Dale

Dale Williams
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