By Wednesday Monday's brutal heat and humidtity were a distant memory.
Sunny, low humidity, high of 79. I rendevoused with a load of friends
for the riverfront concert, bearing grilled squid salad, "Spiritual"
salmon (prepared with tequila, bourbon, and vodka, from a local
smokehouse), cheeses, and salami. Others had ribs, a variety of
salads, fruit, more cheeses. Lovely lovely night, good music (the
Brooklyn Big Band), lively breeze (some people went to cars for
sweatshirts!), gorgeous sunset over the Palisades. And, of course,
wine:

NV Juve y Camps Cava rose
Really dry, cranberry with a nice bitter lemon note, I'd like it a bit
more but it seems rather thin. B-

2009 Alois Lageder Lagrein rose
Cherries, raspberries, flowers, a touch austere. A hint of tannin.
Nice. B

2004 Michel Bouzereau Bourgogne Chardonnay
Lighter styled, apple fruit with a little hint of oak. Could use a
little more heft and acidity, but not bad. B-
*
2008 Les Traverse de Fontanes (VdP d'Oc)
Fred pours me this blind, asks me to guess grape. Sniffing I get
cherries and herb, first sip lots of acid. I say Sangiovese, realize
I'm wrong before he even answers- Fred's French, he's not buying
Italian wine! I revisit, still dominated by acid, the fruit is more
red currant, with a little brett and a lot of green bell pepper. I
switch to Cab Franc, no, it's Cabernet Sauvignon from the Languedoc.
I'm shocked they couldn't get it riper! Others like this, but I'll
pass. C+
*
2004 San Filippo "Le Lucere" Brunello di Montalcino
OK, one of the hazards of winegeekdom is that non-wine people bring
special bottles for you to try. My friend Dolores had splurged and
bought a 2004 Brunello, from a producer unfamilar to me. Usually when
I try Brunellos I don't know they are a spoofy mess, a thin poor
substitute for CCR, or a spoofy poor substitute for CCR. Happily, this
turned out not to be the case. A solid and tasty bottle of seemingly
traditonal Brunello. Good acidity, prominent tannins, this needs
time. Black cherry and raspberry, pomegranite, orange zest. Quite
tasty. B+

OK, overall not greatest wine night by river. But our little group
wasn't so little, and tons of good spirit, good conversation, and deep
satisfaction with the setting, music, and weather. That's better than
an '82 Mouton!

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.