TN: Red burgs on a hot weekend

Saturday Betsy prepared duck legs over salad, along with a corn guacamole (or was it a corn-tomato-avocado salsa?). Wine was the 1997 Mugnier Chambolle-Musigny. Opened a bit thin, filled out nicely. Red (cherry) fruit, a little earth. On the softer low-acid side. Pleasant Burgundy, I enjoyed it, but frankly if served blind I would have thought it was a very nice 2000 Bourgogne AC - this could use a little more oomph. B-B+, B- for value.

Sunday was a busy day for me, running a picnic and softball game for my organization (luckily rain held off). Betsy helped out by making about 100 hot dogs and bringing to picnic. Afterwards she headed home to cook as I finished up. So I arrived home exhausted to find her preparing yakitori, Japanese rice, brazilian-style chard, and some tomato napoleans (Indian-influenced). A welcome thunderstorm came, so we had to use broiler for yakitori.We had sips of some opened wines, when we sat down to dinner I opened a 375 of the 1999 JN Gagnard "Morgeots" Chbuttagne-Montrachet 1er Cru (rouge). My next to last bottle, and I wish I had a bunch more. Rich raspberry and black cherry fruit with plenty of earth and forest mushrooms, as well as a surprising peppery spice. There's violets and moss dancing around the edge. I think I paid $11-12 for the 375s of this, one of my all-time Burgundy scores. A-

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.