Tuesday I grilled some sockeye and squash, plus had salad, leftover bok choy and eggplant. Wine was the 2010 Terres Dorees (Brun) Cote de Brouilly. Brisk and bright, clean, bright red fruits, good acids, very good (as expected). B+

Wednesday was concert night, I made a soba noodle dish with crisp vegetables as well as tofu brushed with an orange/miso/peanut sauce, plus carried some kimchee. A bit humid but breeze from river made it nice, as did:

2011 Edmunds St. John Bone Jolly Gamay Rose
Usual jolly self, ripe red fruits, larger style of rose, but well balanced. B+

2007 “Cent Visages” Cot
This was served to me blind. Dense, a bit bretty, tannic. My first guess was Mourvedre. Fred said “very famous grape.” Didn’t seem Cabbish, nor Syrah. A hard vintage of a rather rustic RB Merlot? OK, I didn’t think of Malbec as very famous. Fred loved this, I found it not very giving. B-/C+

2011 Clos Ste. Magdeleine Cassis Rose
Wow, this is really good, floral and crisp, great presence. B+/A-

There were also bottles of the 2011 Baudry Chinon Rose and 2011 Ameztoi Txakolina, both quite pleasing, as my other recent experiences found them.

Thursday leftovers and the 2011 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Kabinett (#16)
Electric, enticing, energetic. Lime and grapefruit, just a hint of incipient petrol, mineral, light and lively. B+/A-

Friday I did duck breast rubbed in shichimi, with broccoli and sauted spinach, with the
2009 Jadot Vosne-Romanee. Pretty open, black cherries, spice, a little citrus zest. Fleshy, nice middleweight. B+/B

Saturday I spatchcocked a Cornish hen, marinated in an orange/lime/chili mix, then grilled and served with the 2007 Roulot Bourgogne Blanc. A little tight at first, opens nicely after an hour or so, big for level, well-balanced, oak is an accent not a flavor.Best glass is the last. B+

Betsy’s flight from Mexico got in a bit late, so we had a very late dinner- a summer gratin of squash, tomatoes, etc and more tofu with the orange/miso sauce. Wine was the 2008 Drouhin-Vaudon “Vaudesir” Chablis GC. I think there’s something quite likable lurking underneath, but at moment this is all structure and tension. B- for drinking now, but I think it has a better future.

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.

DaleW wrote:

> 2011 Edmunds St. John Bone Jolly Gamay Rose Usual jolly self, ripe
> red fruits, larger style of rose, but well balanced. B+

Nice collection of wines, Dale. As it happens, I just retrieved a cache
of the '10 Rosé that had been sitting in my mother's house. I find the
'10 a bit less interesting than the '09, but will have to see what the
'11 holds.

> There were also bottles of the 2011 Baudry Chinon Rose and 2011
> Ameztoi Txakolina, both quite pleasing, as my other recent
> experiences found them.

Was the Ameztoi the Rubentis, or the white? I love them both. And I'll
be getting some of the Baudry when shipping season arrives again.

>
> Thursday leftovers and the 2011 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst
> Kabinett (#16) Electric, enticing, energetic. Lime and grapefruit,
> just a hint of incipient petrol, mineral, light and lively. B+/A-

Oh, goody! I just bought some of this.

Mark Lipton