Friday I had one of those days where everything goes wrong (although in end fixed everything), since I was griping on phone to Betsy she decided to do a dinner she knew would please me. She made a venison stew with potato dumplings, really excellent. The wine was the 2005 Ch. Faizeau (Montagne St Emilion). Quite modern, with ripe red cherry and plum fruit, a velvety texture, and a healthy dose of toasty oak. Tannins are present but fine and not harsh. Lower acid, oaky, a purist could find a lot to complain about. But on this night, maybe because I was really tired, a slutty/oaky Merlot with some structure and good length really hit the spot. Who needs to think? I'm probably grading higher than if I tried on another night, but Friday this got a B+/A-
Saturday we went to a dinner at a local church to benefit some social action programs the church supports (jnc. my organization). A couple of friends who used to cook professionally (Alex had a restaurant in Paris, Peter was executive chef for a bank) put together a dinner, which is followed by a concert. Dinner theme was Vienna, we had aspargus with proscuitto and vinaigrette, schweinelendchen (pork medallions in sauce) and spaetzle (after the concert there was sachertorte). Concert was also Viennese, the Manhattan String Quartet was joined by Betsy and some Met Opera players to do movements from a Beethoven quartet, a Mozart quintet, Schubert's Trout, and more. Great food and music.
And the wines:
So my friend Fred conducted a little wine tasting first. 2 whites, 2 reds, so people could decide what they wanted to carry to their table.
2007 Berger Gruner Veltliner
Nice enough, citrus and apple fruit,but not a lot of noticable GV character,and not quite as crisp as the QPR-champ '06, still a decent white B-
2007 Huber Gruner Veltliner
More typically GV, some sweet pea and pepper over pretty apple/pear fruit. Nice for an inexpensive GV. B
2007 Berger Blauer Zweigelt
Like the Berger GV, in liters. Fresh and easy, clean red berry fruit and not much more. B-
2006 Huber Zweigelt
A little more gravitas here, darker berries and some earth and leather. Balanced acidity, light tannins, good length. B
Our table had a couple of my wine buddies, Mark and I brought some bonus wines:
NV Piper Heidsieck Brut Champagne
Lighter style of bubbly, sharp citrus fruit, just a hint of yeast, zippy. B
1993 Salomon/Undhof Kogl Riesling
I bought this within last couple years, label says Library Reserve, I guess recent release. Very petrolly, some apple cider, good length. This is more interesting than outright tasty, at first. Gets more interesting after a few hours. Earthy, a little flinty. B
1994 Brundlmayer "Zobinger Heiligenstein" Riesling
This was actually I mistake, I thought I was bringing 2 1993 Rieslings. I had really liked the 1993 of this, the shock is how good the 1994 is. Ripe peaches and tangerine, a light hint of sweetness, good length. Not the depth of the '93 Brundlmayer,but I like better than the '93 Salomon. Very popular at table. B+
2000 Nicolas Potel Echezeaux
Ready and willing, Bing cherries sprinkled with earth and Vosne spice. Very tasty, forward, no reason to hold, really tasty now. I'm not sure I'd call this clearly GC quality, but it was very cheap for GC and I wish I had bought more. B+/A-
An aside- at this event 2 years ago a casual acquaintance tablemate had gleefully poured herself about an 8 oz pour of another Echezeaux I had brought (ignorance, not malice/greed). A problem at a table of 10. I avoided her last year, but she apparently asked to be at our table this time, so I made a point of pouring my 3 wines for everyone. But I went trolling for turkeys for a charity dinner at neighborring tables for a few minutes, came back to an empty bottle. At least I got good initial pour!
2000 Ch. Puy-Blanquet (St Emilion)
Mark brought this. Just hard tannins and a little cassis at first, this was the least generous minor 2000 I'd run across in a while. But I salvaged the rest (with Mark's approval) to carry to the musicians' post concert meal, much more giving after 2 hours. Broad red currant and plum fruit, a little cigarbox, still a tad hard, but not like earlier. B
2005 Ch. Picque Caillou (Pessac-Leognan)
A little more body than the '04 of this, but harder and less giving. I thought the '04 a nicely balanced if lighter weight Graves, but this is less charming, at least now. Will it integrate as tannins fade? I hope so (I have more), but this doesn't seem to have great concentration lurking. B-
2006 VRAC Cotes du Rhone With the musicians meal. Straightforward, herby, strawberries and raspberries, but quite short and lacking in concentration. B-/C+
Really fun night, though wine came in 3rd after food and especially music.
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.