Greeted the New Year with a large dose of football, as do all
red-blooded Americans, along with continual infusions of food.

Started the morning with traditional eggs Benedict and bloody marys.
Drifted into the pre-dinner nosh of smoked salmon canapes with Grey
Goose vodka martini.

Dinner was a magnificent prime rib roast (excellent, juicy, rare,
tender), Yorkshire pudding (over-cooked, dry, bready), spinach salad
with cranberry, roast pecans, apples and raspberry vinagrette.

With dinner, a 1994 Chateau Beyechevelle. Checked my Cellar! Online
for TNs and found Parker underwhelmed by the vintage declaring it
"weedy", without fruit, short-lived. 82 pts. My impression was of
pencil lead, leather, a very light vanilla tinge, but no berry flavors
discernible. Still tannic to my taste. Bitter, dark and brooding.
Better than Parker saw it, but not the joyful wine I sought.

After dinner sipping, keeping with the Cab Sauv, I pulled a bottle of
'98 Pine Ridge Napa Valley Stag's Leap District CS. Huge nose of
butterscotch and blueberry pie--not just berries, but the whole pie
with dough and sugary sweetness (not quite ala mode, but close). In
the mouth, the blueberries continue along with the pie dough sensation
and a dose of caramel/vanilla. Tannins still apparent with a bit of
talc on the tongue afterward. Should last a lot longer. Compared to
the Beychevelle, here was a bright, flavorful, exciting wine. Clear
contrast to me between Euro and Calif styles.

HNY to all!

Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
Smithsonian Institution Press
ISBN #1-58834-103-8