WineLovers Discussion Group

I love this season- dogwoods and crabapples blooming in front yard, flowers returning, crisp sunny days, and best of all warm enough to eat dinner outside (if you wear a sweatshirt). Friday Betsy made chicken en papillote (with asparagus, snap peas, and red pepper), I had the 2004 Christian Moreau Chablis. This was a real winner in 2002, but I don't think this is a buy again for this vintage. All the elements of good regional level Chablis are there- good acidity, clean apple and lemon fruit with no sign of oak, clear minerality. But it seems a tad diluted - more concentration would help. In the perspective of the fine 2004 Chablis vintage this is a disappointment. B-

Saturday we went to Long Island for a benefit for Tristate Basset Rescure, the organization where we got Lucy. 60-70 Bassets (and a few other dogs being Bassets For A Day). We were shocked when Lucy got first prize for obedience (of course, with stubborn Bassets, only 3 dogs entered that contest, compared to ones like Loudest Howl, Best Kisser, etc). We took her blue ribbon, I made a stop at Post in Syosset while Betsy went to Fairway, and headed home for a dinner of pork chops and broccoli. With Betsy not imbibing I opened a 375 ml, the 2002 Faiveley Cote de Beaune-Villages. This was a wine I had bought as a big QPR winner, but this bottle didn't actually shine as well as previous ones. Tart and slightly simple cherry fruit, doesn't seem to have either depth or concentration. Gets a little better with air, and picks up some mushroomy earth notes. But I don't like this as much as previous bottles, and wonder if it's an awkward period or -just possibly - a case of TCA-taint barely beyond my detection threshold. In any case this bottle gets a B- also.

[img]http://groups.msn.com/BordeauxWineEnthusiasts/lucy.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=2226[/img]

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.
 

Dale - we sure did switch places on Saturday night. While Betsy was shopping at "my" Fairway, I was driving to dinner at Blue Hill at Stone Barns.

Congratulations to Lucy, great story. One of only three contestants!

Diane,
Betsy loved your Fairway! Like the uptown one, but less crowded. It's great that its 7-8 minutes from Post- I dropped her, went to Syosset, picked up some wine and chatted with Alan, and then when she called she was ready to check out, I dashed back. I think we'll do that every time we're on LI.

Jenise,
Basset champion in obedience would probably be class dunce at a Golden Retriever event, but mostly she'll loveable!

I don't have much experience with Faiveley, but all I've tried have seemed very tough and austere when young. Besides, the 2002s are closing up (or down - which direction(s) do things close in English???) now, so your bottle (and I know this sounds like a cliché for all bottles not showing well ) sounds shut down.

Dale,
I had the opportunity to taste a wide range of the 2004 Christian Moreau Chablis. The AOC Chablis was completely unexciting and I agree somewhat dilute, but the rest of the range was a huge step up, including both Premier Crus and Grand Crus. So, if you see them don't ignore them based on their more lowly sibling.
Charles

Otto,
Indeed a lot of bigger '02s are shut down now (funnily, either closed down or closed up seem correct to me) , but I'm really surprised at a CdBV being shut down- really a wine for earlier drinking. But you're correct that Faiveley tends to make wines in a more austere longterm mode.

Charles, thanks for that tip. I liked Moreau's range in '02, but indeed might have skipped the 1ers based on the Chablis AC if you hadn't said that. I'll be open-minded!

Diane,
I forgot to ask how you liked Blue Hill @ Stone Barns?

Dale -I've wanted to go to Blue Hill since shortly after it opened. Reservations for a Saturday night were tough to get, but my friend succeeded in obtaining reservations for her birthday, this past Saturday. I appreciated the big picture....working farm, beautiful scenery, etc., but I thought it fell short on execution. The menu is very restricting with just 2 choices for each course on either the 3 or 4 course menu. Since Joel wanted steak, he was stuck with the 3 course while the rest of us had the 4 course. I felt they should have at least served him a salad when we were on one of the courses where he had nothing in front of him. The flavors were very subtle, the Berkshire pig was bland, and I can't even remember what one of my four courses was. They do have an impressive wine list, but I brought a 2000 Kistler Pinot Noir and hoped to order a white off the list, but the birthday girl was more interested in starting with a celebratory cocktail. I was disappointed with the experience, but my friend and her husband loved it.

Wow- sounds like a huge change. Last times I was there (last year) one could choose three or four course menu, you could choose any dish for each from four menu sections, each of which had 3-5 choices (so you could choose all four choices of the "From Our Fields" , or one choice from each section). And you could choose any order.

My issue there has been service- very enthusiastic, but not totally efficient.

Wine list is good, last time I was there some good Austrians and white Burgs in my price range ($50-80).

Sorry your Westchester dining experience was subpar, one day we'll get you up to BetsysDuck@SmallYard.