Gruet is always a surprise.



"DaleW" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> Sunday we were invited to a friend's 50th birthday party. Her husband
> had invited 4 couples to join them for dinner at a local restaurant,
> with drinks and appetizers beforehand. I had volunteered to make the
> appetizers, and dropped off some pickled shrimp and some
> chutney-cheeseballs earlier. Once Betsy made it home from matinee, we
> ran over, scarfed down a few samples of the appetizers, as well as a
> couple glasses of bubbly:
>
> NV Billecarte-Salmon Brut Champagne
> Nice yeasty Champagne with a creamy texture. Light but not without
> power, a pleasant surprise for me. B+/A-
>
> NV Gruet Blanc de Noir Brut (New Mexico)
> Nice lightweight sparkler, granny smith fruit with a light biscuit
> note. B
>
> On to the restaurant. Ron had said the crowd was pretty much red
> drinkers. He had arranged for corkage, so I brought one bottle:
>
> 1996 Punset Barbaresco
> Man, was this tight on opening. I said set aside and open something
> else. When we revisited during main course, this was really beginning
> to show it's stuff. Medium-bodied and elegant, some tar on the deep
> cherry fruit. Glass at the end of the night was even better- tar,
> roses, and leather blending with the rich red fruit. Alas, last one.
> A-
>
> 2003 St. Innocent Temperance Hill Pinot Noir
> Ripe red fruit, this seems more like a CA PN than an Oregon (at least
> not a St Innocent Oregon!). Still, a nice medium bodied wine with warm
> cherry flavors. A little tannic. B
>
> 2000 Behrens and Hitchcock Claret
> I've not been a big B & H fan, but this was actually a pretty nicely
> styled wine. Some oak, but not overwhelming. Medium-bodied, good
> acidity, nice cassis fruit and a little coffee and cedar. Some floral
> notes after while. B/B+
>
> 2001 Beringer Knight's Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
> This seemed a little musty at first, but it didn't seemed cork- just
> some bottle funk that mostly blew off. Bigger, richer, a fair dose of
> oak countered by some deep black plum fruit. A return to the quality of
> the '91-'94 Knight's Valleys, now if they could just return the
> price........B/B+
>
> 2002 Franciscan Cabernet Sauvignon
> I'd heard good things re this one, but this could have been any $12
> oak-chip special. Red and black flabby fruit, vanilla extract, heh. C+
>
> Fun night, with nice people. Most were jazz musicians, lots of funny
> road tales.
>
> 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.
>