We've had great weather this week, warm but not hot, low humdity,
plenty of sun. Last night there was a very good turnout for jazz at
the river. The quartet was quite good, and my little group ended up
being about 20 people. I had brought bulgogi, cheeses, and salad; I
also sampled chicken skewers, tabouli, pasta with pesto, hummus, etc.
And of course I sampled as many wines as possible:

The Pink

2008 Cantalupo "Il Mimo" rosado
Really nice version this year, sweet giving red fruit but with a solid
acidic backbone. Very popular all around, will get more. B+/A-

2008 La Galantin Bandol rose
Very pale, a bit austere, light but with good finish. B

2008 Pigmentum Malbec rose
Seemed heavy/ungainly after other 2, slightly dull red cherry fruit,
some green pepper. C+/B-

The White

2005 JM Boillot Montagny 1er
Big, ripe chardonnay, yet some refreshing acidity, some light oak/
hazelnut aromas, wish I had gotten more at $15. B+

2008 Leitz Dragonstone
Just a brief sip, but really nice. My passing impression is best
Dragonstone in years. Sweet but with truly racy acidity, good length,
impressive. B+

The Red

2007 Terra Malbec (bubbly)
Hey, I like Lambrusco- no objections to dry red bubbly here. But this
is like someone added carbonation to a low end Malbec, there's some
tannins, some black plum fruit, short finish. Others liked more than
I. C

2005 Ch. Ste Colombe (Cotes de Castillon)
This was $9/bottle by the case, and a very good deal at that point.
Nice light to midweight claret, red plum and dark berries, just a
whiff of vanilla, light tannins, nice length for level. B

2005 Ch. La Vieille Cure (Fronsac)
Decanted for couple hours before going back into bottle for trip to
river. Big, somewhat lush/voluptuous, quite tannic. Macerated black
cherries, some cassis, a little cocoa/mocha. This needs time for those
tannins, but impressive for level if you don't mind modern styling,
could hold it's own with many Pomerols. Will put away remainder for
4-10 years. A-/B+

There was also a somwhat weedy wine (Cab?) from Casillero del Diablo,
but I didn't get details.

Great night by river!

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.*