Today was the last day of the fall season at NYCO, I tried to come up
with something nice for dinner with an exhausted Betsy. I roasted a leg
of lamb (garlic/anchovy/rosemary rub) with potatoes, cremini, carrots,
etc. Originally I was eying a "splurge" wine to celebrate the fact I'll
see her more for next few months, but then realized I needed a cup of
red wine to make the sauce- rather than open 2 bottles I downgraded a
bit, to the 1998 Ch. Gloria (St. Julien). A nice soft round Medoc,
showing better as the tannins have integrated (never a really tannic
wine, but I thought the tannins seemed to have a bit of a hard/unripe
sense earlier). Black and red currant with a bit of cigarbox, nothing
to get excited about, but a decent showing for '98 Left Bank. B

But the weekend's winner (over 3 nights) was the 2005 Paul Pernot
Bourgogne Blanc. Sweet Bosc and Bartlett pear fruit, just a little hint
of toasted oak, nice texture. Fruit is ripe but acidity is lively.
There's a stony minerality that really grabs one's attention. Nice
finish for the level. Better than a lot of village Pulignys for my
tastes. A solid B+, but straight A for value.

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.

In article om>,
says...
>
>Today was the last day of the fall season at NYCO, I tried to come up
>with something nice for dinner with an exhausted Betsy. I roasted a leg
>of lamb (garlic/anchovy/rosemary rub) with potatoes, cremini, carrots,
>etc. Originally I was eying a "splurge" wine to celebrate the fact I'll
>see her more for next few months, but then realized I needed a cup of
>red wine to make the sauce- rather than open 2 bottles I downgraded a
>bit, to the 1998 Ch. Gloria (St. Julien). A nice soft round Medoc,
>showing better as the tannins have integrated (never a really tannic
>wine, but I thought the tannins seemed to have a bit of a hard/unripe
>sense earlier). Black and red currant with a bit of cigarbox, nothing
>to get excited about, but a decent showing for '98 Left Bank. B
>
>But the weekend's winner (over 3 nights) was the 2005 Paul Pernot
>Bourgogne Blanc. Sweet Bosc and Bartlett pear fruit, just a little hint
>of toasted oak, nice texture. Fruit is ripe but acidity is lively.
>There's a stony minerality that really grabs one's attention. Nice
>finish for the level. Better than a lot of village Pulignys for my
>tastes. A solid B+, but straight A for value.
>
>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.

As always, thanks for the notes. We tend to do a fair amount of Ch. Gloria, as
it was acquired by my wife's family - Ch. St Pierre, though they do not
recognize any of the US branches of the family. We still drink their wines
though!

Not familiar with the Paul Pernot, but will find it (if it exists in AZ), as
we are great fans of many white Burgs, and obviously cannot drink them every
night. The pear notes are ones that I look for. TomS's Ch. Burbank is a good
example of a domestic (US) Chard with those elements. My wife does a great
pear, Gorgonzola (or Maytag) with candied pecans, salad, and I love to pair a
good Chard with it. In days of yore, Sullivan, Napa, CA, did a lovely Chard
from their little plot, right outside the tasting room. It crumped, and was
replanted in Merlot, some years back ('02?), and the sourced Chard have never
lived up to that little plot. Paul Pernot it is - on my shopping list!

Again, thanks for the TN's.

Hunt