Catching Up

[kazuo]

Normally summertime at our house means sancerre, roses and the occasional morgon or fleurie, but between having house guests (who prefer red wine) and my spouse's wine-loving boss in town, the past week found us consuming:

With guests:

1997 Pieve Santa Restituta Sugarille and Rennina - both lovely, Sugarille was more closed initially but blossomed with a clove and smoke nose, very full and slightly sweet, Rennina more forward (both decanted 1 hour before serving)

Above consumed with lamb chops marinated in olive oil, garlic, pepper and rosemary, potatoes sauteed in duck fat and garlic, and spinach sauteed with olive oil, pine nuts and red pepper.

1995 Murrieta Castillo Ygay - surprisingly forward, fuller in body than the Brunellos, cedar-y nose, but eminently drinkable and surprisingly nice match with the dried fruit (decanted 2 hours before serving)

Above consumed with assorted cheeses, walnut bread and dried fruits.

With the spouse's visiting boss:

2000 Bouchard Chevalier Montrachet (regular bottling, not la Cabotte) - from 375's, lemony, waxy nose, bit high in acidity, has weight but something seems out of whack

Above consumed with raw scallop and snapper dizzled in ponzu and minced green onion.

1967 DRC Richebourg - DOA, pity

1993 DRC Romanee St. Vivant (the boss is a DRC fan) - a decent showing albeit the wine is still quite young, a bit tannic, but lovely St. Vivant nose peeking through

(not decanted but should have been)

Above with a composed salad of duck confit, chicken gizzards and foie gras

2000 Mouton - this will teach me to allow strangers into the wine cellar, decanted and promptly served, shockingly forward, although still all primary, this should be fabulous in my retirement

Above with wagyu filet roast and various roasted vegetables.

At various times with visiting guests:

1990 Roty Griotte - corked (arrgh)

1990 Jadot Romanee St. Vivant - just lovely, weighty but balanced, wow

1999 Nicholas Potel Volnay (Champans, I think) - bright red fruit, not great depth but really evocative of summer

1999 Peby Faugeres - chocolately at first (thought I'd opened the wrong bottle), then developed more nuance, cedar, coffee, spices, very, very nice

Apologies for the long post. Now off to dry out.