Friday we had an early dinner before Betsy went in for Butterfly,
porterhouses in a coffee/cumin rub, grilled radicchio, asparagus, and
salad. I opened the 2005 Ste Colombe (Cotes de Castillon). Tight and
closed, I'm shocked I'm getting nothing - I mean nothing - like fruit
from this wine. I begin to wonder if it's corked below my threshold, a
case of fruit scalping. A couple of times I think I get a hint of
mildew/cardboard, but maybe self-suggestion. I put aside and go for
another bottle. Late Saturday I revisit, still muted, though more
fruit than before, no taint. Corked? Not corked? Not offering much in
any case (though if it had showed like night 2 I wouldn't have opened
another bottle).

Replacement was the 2003 Kaiken Cabernet Sauvignon (Mendoza). Don't
remember why I bought this, but assume I put away due to tannins
(normally I don't cellar S. American wines, except couple Achaval
Ferrer).
Now it's still got some tannins,but fairly smooth. Sweet black plum
fruit, a little coffee note, only a hint of green pepper showing this
might not be a Napa Merlot. Not the style I drink the most, but with
the big rare steaks I actually enjoy. B

Another early dinner Saturday (Betsy was working and I was going to a
cocktail party in Rockland). Tandoori-esque chicken on the grill,
eggplant salad, and the 2007 Pinon "Cuvee Tradition" Vouvray. Sec-
tendre, lovely balance, good acids supporting sweet Fuji apple fruit
with notes of flowers and wax. Not sure if this will age as well as
the '02 has, but really drinking well now. B+/B

Some friends picked me up to head over the Tappan Zee to the party. I
made sure to eat first as it was billed as a cocktail party, though
there was enough cheese, sausage and peppers, cold cuts, marinated
veggies etc it could have made a meal. I had carried a Rosso di
Montalcino and my friend Dave an interesting looking Ligurian red, but
wine got little traffic, and I stuck to tasting the open bottles:

2007 Joel Gott Cabernet Sauvignon
A bit better than I expected. Sweet/ripe, but decent enough acids for
Cali, and fairly smooth tannins. A bit clipped on finish, but
drinkable. C+/B-

2008 Layer Cake Shiraz
Talk about not my style. It's got some new oak vanilla, but that's not
near as bothersome as the complete lack of acidity. Blueberry and
blackberry jam, offensively sweet. Of course others loved it./ C/C-

2008 Babich Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough)
Typical and competent NZ SB, attractive apple and gooseberry fruit, a
little grass, a hint of pepper. The only thing I had seconds of. B

Today, the first breakage in a long while. I was in my backup storage
area, a big pile of boxes in a damp cool room in my office basement.
Was pulling some stuff that needed to be drunk, when I unbalanced box
with 3 candidates for near consumption. An old Burgess CS and a young
CdLayon survived the plunge, but a bottle of 2001 Biale Old Crane
Ranch Zin died. I will say that the Zinberry smell was a rather
pleasant addition to the room, though of course I would have preferred
to drink it.

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.**