TN: Summer sippers

At the first we lightly sampled some gazpacho and split a burger. There was some Yellowtail and Korbel running around, but I concentrated on a glbutt of a wine I had brought, the NV Renardat-F=E2che Vin du Bugey Cerdon. Fun in a glbutt. The hostess was giggling over it- it's sweet, has bubbles, yet a geek brought it. Enough wild strawberries to cause smiles on a summer night. Beneath the sweet bubbling fruit (there's raspberry there too) there's an earthiness that draws one's attention. B+ , with A for fun and value.

A short hop up the road from Irvington to Scarborough, where we had some nibbles before a dinner of pesto and shrimp over pasta. A couple of wines of note: 2004 Cantalupo "Il Mimo " Rosato (Colline Novaresi). My first taste of new vintage of my favorite Nebbiolo ros=E9 (ok only Nebbiolo ros=E9 I know, but one of my favorite ros=E9s, period). Great floral-tar nose, rich dry strawberry fruit. Good acidic backbone (and even a slight hint of tannins). Nice balanced wine that could stand up to meat in the summer heat. Slightly bittersweet minerally finish. B+-A

2002 Henry Pelle "Morogues" Menetou-Salon (blanc)- pretty intense gooseberry nose with a little grbutt and catpee. Full for a Menetou on the palate, with rather rich citrus and gooseberry fruit. A hit among some NZ partisans (there's maybe a hint of jalapeno there), there's some Loire-chalk on the finish. B+

Tuesday Betsy made barbecued chicken, with potato salad and green salad. I served the 1999 Ambra "Vigna di Santa Christina in Pilli" Carmignano. Pleasant enough red, with cherry and redcurrant fruit. A little rounder-fatter than my preference, with a slightly clunky finish. I've had and liked this wine before. A little surprising oak note. If guessing I would have thought this had much more than the 10% max Cab Sauv that I think is allowed in Carmignano. OK wine, bu I'd rather spend $2 more for a Felsina Chianti. B

One other note- before going to city Saturday, I stopped by Zachys to pick up a couple of wines. There were a several producers or reps there pouring wines, I stopped by 2 tables. The guy from Famiglia Anselma was very nice and informative. The wines were a nice balance - traditional without being rustic, though the tannins on the 2000 & 2001s made analysis tough. I preferred the 1997 normale to the 1997 Adasi.

David Bowler Wines were pouring some Germans and Australians, I tried the Germans. All were 2003s, and were predictably fat. To their credit, the pourers said right out front this is not a clbuttically styled vintage, and it's not to everyone's taste. My faves of the bunch were a Schaefer-Frolich Bockenaur Felseneck Spat, and a Wegeler Rudesheimer Berg Rotland Spat. Plus a Weins-Prum that I tasted again later that evening at Triomphe.

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