Monday we were at Betsy's parents' home. Betsy and I made dinner- I made a Roman chicken and peppers recipe from a Biba Caggiano recipe, Betsy did chard and a barley/mushroom side. Recipe needed a cup of white wine, we used the 2008 Clos du Bois Chardonnay (North Coast). Low acid, movie theater "butter", canned pears, not my style. C+
Tuesday we spent a little time in Yosemite before going to hotel in Mariposa; we went to dinner at the Butterfly Cafe. I had a spinach salad and mushroom stuffed chicken; Betsy had proscuitto/melon and a Caesar salad with shrimp. Only local (Sierra Foothills?)wines, we had a glass of:
Butterfly Cellars Merlot
(vintage uncertain) I worried about green in a mountain Merlot, but this seemed reasonably ripe, fruit forward, midbodied with a bit of vanilla. Good in a middle of the road sort of way. B-
Butterfly Sauvignon Blanc
Lots of grass, herbaceous, soft, I'm surprised it doesn't have more acidity as it hails from a fairly cool area. C+
Wednesday we hiked up to Vernal Falls, when we got back we went to check into Yosemite Lodge, as they had overbooked we accepted a room at the Yosemite View in El Portal. But we headed back into park for dinner, stopping first at the Ahwanee for a drink. List was mostly priced at retail for a glass, so $19 for the Cain Cuvee seemed like a deal. Great scenery, ok to good wine. Red plums, fleshy, a bit of spice. B-
Dinner was at the Mountain Room, part of Yosemite Lodge looking up at the lower Falls. I had Caesar salad and flatiron steak w/chimichurri, Betsy
also had the steak. We got a bottle of the 2005 Gundlach Bundschu Mountain Cuvee (Sonoma). Lighter styled, red plums and black cherries, just a hint of cedar. Good acids, food friendly, nice if not especially long . B
Thursday we walked among the sequoias at Mariposa Grove and then drove to Southern CA. We got to Laguna Beach, took a long walk on beach, ate fish tacos, and then had a short visit with Betsy's grandmother. Afterwards, I opened a bottle of the 2006 Banfi Chianti Classico (I had actually bought Wed to drink on patio overlooking the Merced River, but we hadn't, and I sure didn't want to lug this back to NY). Modest acids, black cherry, fruit is a bit dilute, finish is short, disappointing for vintage. 2/3s left for maid. C+
So early exit from Orange County, a wait in the Twin Cites, and then we got to LGA. Betsy felt like cooking, threw together a pasta carbonara and some broccoli rabe, and I opened the 2007 Vissoux/Chermette "Cuvee Traditionelle" Beaujolais VV. Ahh, finally my kind of wine. Good acidity, sweet sappy cherry fruit, a little hint of herbs and gunsmoke. Tasty, tasty, tasty. 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.