TN: Tablas Creek and a Felluga Marco, not Livio Tocai

Saturday Betsy had a rare night off, and went to work on some duck breast. Served with a red wine & shallot sauce, grilled zucchini, beets, and basmati rice. We tried two wines with dinner, some leftover 2004 Brun-Terres Dorees Fleurie (excellent, bright and minerally, even better than 2 days before) and the 2002 Tablas Creek Cotes de Tablas (Paso Robles). The Tablas Creek surprised me a little, my previous experience was with the 2001, which could have pbutted for a hefty Cotes du Rhone (from a ripe vintage). Well, this was REALLY ripe, at first I was a little taken aback. This truly showed as New World, all sweet red plum and red berry fruit, with a little overlay of vanilla-oak. But with a little time it calmed down and showed more depth- some flinty minerals and earth, and the fruit began to take on more of a black fruit character. Still, a litttle fat for me, but a B.

Sunday Betsy stopped at Fairway on way home from matinee, came home and cooked while I was doing a speech at a church. Thick veal chops with fried sage, crisped Brussels sprouts, potatoes, and a salad with leftover beets. The wine was the 2004 Marco Felluga Tocai Friulano (Collio). All about citrus and nuts at first, some steely mineral notes and a less sharp apple fruit appear with time. Nice medium-bodied wine with good acidity, that nut (almond) note and a hint of bitterness on the finish mark it as typically Italian for me. 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.