TN: Good Brunello, bad Chianti, couple others

With lemon chicken, the 2002 Hugel Gentil (Alsace). Not as aromatic as some vintages, and possibly a tiny bit of residual sugar. Light bodied and easy, a nice neutral canvas for the chicken. Unexciting, but okay for $8. B-

My turn to cook Tuesday, I did pork chops in a sherry sauce. Wine was the 2002 Nando Chianti Clbuttico. Last month I was in a shop where I sometimes find some bargain quaffers, read the review by a stack of Chianti of the 2001 Nando. When I got home realized I had the '02 (register receipt did say '01). Oh well, I'll try. Hmm. This is not a diluted wine as all reports of '02 Chiantis had led me to expect. But it wasn't an especially pleasant wine. Hard cherry fruit, a stemmy-green note to it. Good acidity, but hard and angular. B--C+

The next night Betsy made a Tuscan meat sauce (with chicken livers, pork, & veal), I upped the Tuscan ante with a 375 of 1999 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino. Ah, this is more like it. Modern but clearly Tuscan, explosive black cherry fruit with ripe fine tannins and good acidity. Some oak, but not overwhelming. Smooth silky finish. Some spice (dare I say Asian spice?) develops in glbutt. Good deal at $25-half. The pasta and sauce was delicious, though the Brunello could have used some roasted meat to shine. A-

Thursday some friends came for dinner, Betsy had prepared a pork shoulder braised in apple cider with caramelized onions, along with pasta with arugula. The 2003 Nigl Kremser Freiheit Gr=FCner Veltliner (Kremstal) isn't as good as the 2002, but when I saw on sale for $10.xx I had grabbed couple more. Soft and easy GV, light floral aromas and pleasant white fruit. B-B- A more hefty GV , maybe a Smaragd level, would have done a bit better with the pork, but this was ok.

One of our guests is a red-only type, so I also opened the 2003 Les Trois Chemins C=F4tes du Rh=F4ne. Light-colored, with rather ripe strawberry fruit. Some air brings a little more muscular fruit, in the raspberry direction to my tastes. I'm a little bored, but guest likes a lot, and at $7 I won't complain. B-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