Monday Betsy's dad Bob arrived,and we had a nice meal on the patio. Pasta with
spinach & mushrooms. I opened a 2002 Pieropan Soave Classico. Nice acidity,
sweet white fruit with a slight citrus edge. But there's a mustiness I haven't
encountered before. I think this bottle is slightly corked, though funnily the
mustiness is more apparent on the palate than the nose- the nose seems just
muted. No rating, let's open another bottle:
Ok, the 2001 Michel Lafarge "Raisins Dorés" Bourgogne Aligoté. Ah, that's
better. Citrus and apple, good mouthfeel and good acidity. Nice finish with a
hint of nuttiness, nice wine and a deal at $12. B+

Tuesday Bob went to a concert with Betsy's sister, and David was at a friends;
Betsy & I enjoyed a nice dinner for two. She made pork chops in white wine
(from the Biba cookbook), with broccoli rabe and rice. I opened the 2003 Nigl
Kremser Freiheit Grüner Veltliner (Kamptal). Slightly spritzy, GV nose of green
peas, flowers,and white pepper. Light-bodied, and a bit less focused than
previous vintages. Fruit is there, but the wine doesn't have that sharp focus
that I love. Part of the problem was probably the match- the chops go well
with GV, but need a bigger one such as the Nigl Privat or a Smaragd level wine
from Wachau. The following night as a pre-dinner apertif sitting by the
riverside it showed a bit better. B/B+?

At the Wednesday night riverfront park concert, we shared with friends an
assortment of cheeses, quiche, salads, etc (we were supposed to have duck
mousse and garlic sausage too, but I forgot to pack). One friend had the 2002
Santa Margherita Pinot Bianco, which I approached with a bit of trepidation
(don't care much for Santa Margherita's overpriced PG). But the pinot blanc
wasn't that bad- light, clean, delicate, floral. A little apparent residual
sugar I could have done without, but a decent unassuming wine (if priced at $8
or under, ok QPR). B/B-

My vinuous contribution was the 2003 Domaine de la Petite Cassagne Costières de
Nîmes Rosé. There's been some buzz re the great 2003 rosés from the south of
France, but you couldn't really prove it from this one. Plenty of ripe
strawberry fruit, but a bit flabby. I like my rosés dry and very crisp, more
austere than this fruitbomb. While this is probably a crowd pleaser, the Oupia
Minervois last week (or the Il Mimo) was more my speed. B-/B

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.
Dale

Dale Williams
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