Thursday hot butter shrimp, rice, and yu choy. Wine was the
2006 Donnhoff Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spatlese. Good news was this was still quite alive and lively, but the flavor profile was a little heavy/cloying. Tropical fruits and ripe peach, with an overlay of canned apricots. Just not my favorite, I prefer a racier wine with some citrus notes, as I remember this wine was younger. B-

Friday grass fed strip steak, sweet potato, squash, and salad, with the 2005 Ch. Beau Soleil (Pomerol). Not really an estate I know, but apparently I bought 3 of these for $27. For $27 Pomerol it’s not bad Red plums, cocoa, a touch of tobacco. Still some tannin, but not hard, with soft acids and a long plush mouthfeel, You’re not going to mistake for Trot or VCC, but worth what I paid. B

Saturday oysters, grey sole, green beans in a bagna cauda-esque sauce, pappardelle with ramps (we had made a harvesting hike in afternoon). Knowing no wine next few nights, I did a comparison of two recent acquisitions from same producer in Rías Baixas

2017 Zarate Tras da Vina Albarino
Racy, lime and blood orange with a hint of grass. Snappy, fun. B+

2018 Zarate Balado Albarino
This was like the Tras de Vina with the complexity turned up a notch. Zippy, saline, mineral, long. A-

Sunday was a fast day (those over 50 will be familiar), dinner beverage was Gatorade (blue and yellow) with Miralax. Sweet , empty, but with a powerful finish,. No wine Monday after brief anesthesia, but salmon, sugar snap peas, and rice were delicious.

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 5/3/22 10:55 AM, dalewilli...@gmail.com wrote:

> Saturday oysters, grey sole, green beans in a bagna cauda-esque sauce, pappardelle with ramps (we had made a harvesting hike in afternoon). Knowing no wine next few nights, I did a comparison of two recent acquisitions from same producer in Rías Baixas
>
> 2017 Zarate Tras da Vina Albarino
> Racy, lime and blood orange with a hint of grass. Snappy, fun. B+
>
> 2018 Zarate Balado Albarino
> This was like the Tras de Vina with the complexity turned up a notch. Zippy, saline, mineral, long. A-
>
> Sunday was a fast day (those over 50 will be familiar), dinner beverage was Gatorade (blue and yellow) with Miralax. Sweet , empty, but with a powerful finish,. No wine Monday after brief anesthesia, but salmon, sugar snap peas, and rice were delicious.

My utmost sympathies, Dale. I'm overdue for one myself, but hoping that
maybe I get a prescription for ColoGuard instead.

I've greatly enjoyed the Zarate wines, too, and have a couple of the '18
Balado. How do you feel they stack up against Fefinanes? I know that
you and Sasha are both big fans and I've got some on order.

Mark Lipton

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On Tuesday, May 3, 2022 at 12:49:19 PM UTC-4, Mark Lipton wrote:
> On 5/3/22 10:55 AM, dalewilli...@gmail.com wrote:

> My utmost sympathies, Dale. I'm overdue for one myself, but hoping that
> maybe I get a prescription for ColoGuard instead.
>
But then you don't get the nice pictures! Prep is a pain, but worth it for peace of mind

> I've greatly enjoyed the Zarate wines, too, and have a couple of the '18
> Balado. How do you feel they stack up against Fefinanes? I know that
> you and Sasha are both big fans and I've got some on order.
>
Are you saying Sasha is a Fefinanes fan or a Zarate fan? He's coming to an old Nebbiolo event at my place tomorrow, I don't think we've ever discussed Albarino, will rectify.
For Fefinanes I've only had the "regular", never the III Anos. So a little tough to compare.
I love the sprightliness of the regular Fefinanes (and Do Ferreiro, which seems a little fuller but still bright), while these Zarate bottlings are a bit more complex. The Zarate regular (Val de Salnes?) is also quite good in a linear style. My fave Albarino is probably Do Ferreiro Cepas Vellas , but hard to find. And I don't think I've had the Zarate Palomar.
Maybe a big,Albarino tasting is in order for summer!

On 5/6/22 7:43 AM, dalewilli...@gmail.com wrote:

> Are you saying Sasha is a Fefinanes fan or a Zarate fan? He's coming to an old Nebbiolo event at my place tomorrow, I don't think we've ever discussed Albarino, will rectify.
> For Fefinanes I've only had the "regular", never the III Anos. So a little tough to compare.
> I love the sprightliness of the regular Fefinanes (and Do Ferreiro, which seems a little fuller but still bright), while these Zarate bottlings are a bit more complex. The Zarate regular (Val de Salnes?) is also quite good in a linear style. My fave Albarino is probably Do Ferreiro Cepas Vellas , but hard to find. And I don't think I've had the Zarate Palomar.
> Maybe a big,Albarino tasting is in order for summer!
>

My bad! I was referring to Feninanes. I think that Sasha ranks them
even above do Ferreiro at this point, but I may be mistaken.

Mark Lipton

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