TN: Dugat, Lignier, Franciscan Thursday Betsy made it in to LGA despite mbuttive fog delays and diversions, she was happy she didn't need to cook dinner. Friends showed up, meat lasagna in hand. Before we sat down, we enjoyed the 2002 Naia (Rueda) . Crisp bright wine with grapefruit and some grbutty-herb notes. Great apertif wine. B-B+ With the lasagna, a pair of reds: 2001 Fattoria Sonnino Chianti Montespertoli Medium-bodied and correct, modest cherry fruit and an underlying acidity. Not a wine to look for, but ok value at $8. B-B-. (What is Montespertoli? It's not one of the Chianti zones. ) 2001 Franciscan Oakville Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Flashy California style, which I knew would please one of my guests. Deep ripe blackberry & blackcurrant fruit, plenty of vanilla-oak flavors, good finish. A bit tannic right now. Best for this wine in several vintages. Nice steak wine, at $21 I'll probably buy more. B++ Friday was lemon chicken, and I thought I'd go for a lemony wine. I opened the 2001 Hubert Lignier Bourgogne Aligoté, and it was frankly too lemony. A bit like biting into a lemon. High acid, subdued tart fruit, and a stony mineral finish.I'm pretty acid-tolerant, but this was really too much. Lignier has an excellent rep, at least for his reds, but I much preferred Aligotés from de Villaine and Lafarge. C+ Sunday Betsy felt she would skip wine after Saturday Bordeaux blowout, but I'm steadfast in my commitment to wine with dinner (or my debauchery, if you prefer). I offered to cook dinner, thawing a big fillet of king salmon my brother had caught on an Alaska trip. I made a salmon in balsamic glaze from the new Gourmet cookbook, and felt that I needed a bigger Pinot for this. No 375s in cellar were calling to me, so I opened a 2001 Claude Dugat Bourgogne and transferred half to an empty 375 and recorked. The remaining wine did a good job to standing up to the dinner- the salmon with its intense glaze, mushrooms in a chive-cream sauce, and green beans. The Dugat wasn't as oaky as some Dugats , pretty intense black cherry & kirsch fruit with some forest floor and light floral notes. Really about the fruit, but in a good way. 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. Dale Dale Williams Drop "damnspam" to reply 
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