For my birthday some friends gave me a gift certificate to the Daniel
Boulud group of restaurants, I took Betsy to DB Bistro Moderne for our
anniversary last night. We had a couple of nice complimentary
starters (a tapenade spread, and a tarte flambe). Betsy had the
lobster salad and the famous DB burger (shortribs and foie gras) with
pommes souffles, I had the duck pate and a choucroute special (about 8
kinds of meat). I ordered a couple quartinos, she started with white
and I with red, then we switched for main courses

2007 Keller Trocken QbA (Rheinhessen)
Light and lovely dry Riesling, a little hint of diesel over a firm
fruit body of grapefruit and peach fruit. Despite the initial
impression of lightness, plenty of body to stand up to the choucroute.
B+

2005 Chteau de la Maltroye Bourgogne
A little sharp edge to the acidity, a bit tannic, but a solid body of
fruit. Cherrries, black raspberries, and a little earth. I resisted
the urge to join conversation of couple next to us, with woman
bitterly complaining "this isn't Pinot Noir, I drink PN from
California all the time, it doesn't taste like this!" This could use
more concentration/length, but ok for me. B/B-

Betsy got some oolong and a dessert of blueberry tart with candy corn
ice cream,plus they gave us some madelaines. I had a glass of the
2006 Kracher Cuvee Beerenauslese. Often I find some Kracher too fat
for my tastes, but this had a solid backbone of acidity, clean and
clear botrytis, and excellent length. A-/B+

Nice evening, nice meal, better company.

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.

On Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:36:01 -0700, DaleW wrote:

> 2005 Château de la Maltroye Bourgogne A little sharp edge to the
> acidity, a bit tannic, but a solid body of fruit. Cherrries, black
> raspberries, and a little earth. I resisted the urge to join
> conversation of couple next to us, with woman bitterly complaining "this
> isn't Pinot Noir, I drink PN from California all the time, it doesn't
> taste like this!"

I am reminded of an occasion many years ago when I was conversing with an
amateur "music lover" in Los Angeles (who had never been to a concert.)
He had been taken to the Hollywood Bowl one evening and was raving about
the experience. I quote:

"I was sitting in the middle of this big place, and the orchestra was
playing and Stokowski was conducting Tchaikowski." "It sounded just like
a High-Fi set!"

Godzilla