Lamb kebabs Friday with the 2004 Ch. d’Issan. Black cherry, plum, coffee. Rather plush low acid texture, moderate tannin, decent length. Still seems like oak needs to integrate. Have a couple more that I’ll hold and hope. B

Saturday oysters, roast grouper, Swiss chard and the 2010 Fevre Preuses Chablis GC.
Wow, great showing. Saline nose with citrus and seaspray, bountiful white fruits on palate livened by great acids, long minerally finish. A-

A rainy Sunday with bucatini with spring onions and mint in a cream sauce, I find the 2015 Coudert/Clos de la Roilette “Griffe du Marquis” Fleurie to be a bit much for the dish. Ripe and a bit oaky, this is burly for a Fleurie, and I hope it’s just an awkward stage. B-

Memorial Day dawned gray and cool, but some sunshine at end of day. We had some people over, though maybe 20 instead of usually 40-50. We did mango salsa, watermelon chaat, grilled vegetables, clams with fried garlic, cumin lamb with yogurt/sumac sauce, hot dogs with pico de gallo, Korean smashed cucumbers, and a pickle tray. Others brought salads (green, quinoa, cucumber, citrus/veg), sushi, tiramisu, peach pie.

Marie Courtin Eloquence Extra Brut Champagne (May 2019 disgorgement)
Zingy acids, bright and tart (in a good way). Elegant and exciting. I’ve liked Marie Courtin a lot before, though this is a new cuvee to me. A-

2019 Pierre Martin “Les Monts Damnes” Sancerre
I don’t think I actually tried this before it was drained, I have liked before.

2019 Collestefano Verdicchio di Matellica.
Dry, fresh, citrusy. B/B+

2019 Emrich-Schönleber “Mineral” Riesling Trocken
Quite dry, and mineral indeed. Wet rocks and electric shocks. B+/A-

2009 Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese (#12)
Light sweetness, light bodied , fresh (7.5% abv, amazing for 2009). Peach, pear, and fruit blossoms. Long tangy finish. B+

2011 Tablas Creek Esprit de Tablas
Young, meaty, structured. B/B+

2012 Tablas Creek Esprit de Tablas
Seems older, same abv (14.5) but it comes across as a little hot, the alcohol sticks out. B-/C+
2015 Lapierre Morgon
This was pretty popular, though I found it pushing the ripeness edge for me for cru Beaujolais. Big berry fruit, some light barnyard (this is sulphured bottling), crunchy mineral finish. B

2019 Vincent “Zenith” Pinot Noir
My first Vincent (and I almost missed, it was on last few ounces when I learned it was open) . Light bodied but full flavored, bright and vibrant red fruits, nutmeg, cloves. Well balanced and lovely/lively. B++

2006 Gonon St. Joseph
Gets better and better in decanter. Blackberry fruit, a big meaty note, tapenade, sauve tannins, clean bright acids. Ah for the days this was $21. A-

1978 Domaine de Chevalier rouge
Black cherry and cassis, tobacco/cigarbox, fully resolved tannins, elegant. I always go back and forth if I prefer this or the lovely ‘79, should have opened both. A-/B+

Someone had brought a bottle called The Full Fifteen (I think Aussie), but I managed to send home with someone else. Really nice to be in an almost normal party situation!

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C
drinkable. 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.

On 2021-06-02 10:53 a.m., dalewilli...@gmail.com wrote:
> Lamb kebabs Friday with the 2004 Ch. d’Issan. Black cherry, plum, coffee. Rather plush low acid texture, moderate tannin, decent length. Still seems like oak needs to integrate. Have a couple more that I’ll hold and hope. B
>
The pundits would have it that 2004s are well into their drinking
window. However, all that I have drunk so far have been a
disappointment. They seem to be "shut down". So I have put a couple of
bottles in the dining room (Pontet Canet and Grand Puy Lacoste) to see
if room temperature can bring them on. It certainly seems to have worked
when friends served a bottle of Ch. Lagrange that I had given them
sometime before that they had stored at close to room temperature.
Graham

On 6/2/21 12:53 PM, dalewilli...@gmail.com wrote:

>
> 2015 Lapierre Morgon
> This was pretty popular, though I found it pushing the ripeness edge for me for cru Beaujolais. Big berry fruit, some light barnyard (this is sulphured bottling), crunchy mineral finish. B
>

I didn't go for '15 in Beaujolais for just this reason: too ripe, too
big. What we look for in gamay is bright fruit and floral character.

> 2019 Vincent “Zenith” Pinot Noir
> My first Vincent (and I almost missed, it was on last few ounces when I learned it was open) . Light bodied but full flavored, bright and vibrant red fruits, nutmeg, cloves. Well balanced and lovely/lively. B++
>

I've been buying his Pinots for about 6 years now. I'll be out tasting
with him in a couple of weeks, so I'll be sure to try this wine.

> 2006 Gonon St. Joseph
> Gets better and better in decanter. Blackberry fruit, a big meaty note, tapenade, sauve tannins, clean bright acids. Ah for the days this was $21. A-

Indeed. CT tells me that I still have the '09 and '10 regular
bottlings. (I was never fast or rich enough for the VV) These days I
buy Faury's VV as a Gonon substitute.

A most enjoyable set of notes, Dale. Thanks!
Mark Lipton