Monday made pork chops in a worcestershire-based marinade with grilled
vidalia onions, a recipe that surprisingly NYT had suggested for
Bordeaux. So I opened a 1998 Chantegrive. Medium-bodied, still some
tannins sticking out. Good cassis fruit, but I have trouble getting
very enthused (maybe the weather was just too hot for Bordeaux). I
nursed my glass (had poured half away in a 375 to start) for an hour
plus. Some leather and cigarbox, just a hint of earth. B

Tuesday was my turn to do dinner. Some chicken-garlic sausage went on
the grill, I made some fiddleheads and also served some store-bought
prepared broccoli. After reading a recent note re a downturn in the
2002 D=F6nnhoff QbA Riesling, I decided to give it a try. Indeed, at
first it seemed rather fruit-deficient compared to past bottles. But as
I scurry betweent the grill and the kitchen (why do I scurry, yet make
mediocre food, while Betsy seems to always be in control and -almost-
always does well?) he white nectarine fruit peeks out. Fruit is sweet
without being cloying, there's plenty of vibrant acidity and LOTS of
mineral. A-/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