If one is lucky enough to have friends who just happen to bring over a bottle of very respectable Champagne for no particular reason other than its saturday, that is a very good thing.  But when one’s friends sail over that bar, and bring said Champagne on a bed of ice… damn.  I could still remember the simple, crisp taste of the Veuve de Vernay when we opened this, and wow is this a whole new world of complexity.  Apparently this is a lighter-bodied Champagne.  Word.  I would definitely seek this out.  Dunno what the “Grand” implies in “Grand Brut”.  I think the dosage is the same as a Brut.

I don’t tend to like zinfandel.  At all.  And then there is the Ridge winery… Interestingly, I tried their 2003 York Creek effort and liked it less than the 2006.  Impossible to say if it is the age or the extra Petite Sirah in the ‘03.  I had no idea a zin could be so smooth and deep.  That spice is still there in the finish, but subtle enough that it didn’t distract from the balance.  Aside:  again, I missed the trip to the tasting room.  But finacee’s parents had so much fun they brought back two bottles.  Poor me.

paid: $30 (about)

scored: 91

The Lamole di Lamole has beautiful balance: just the right shot of tannin, great fruit and a smooth, dry finish.  Its good with food, and good without.  All this could reasonably be expected of a wine which hails from the inner circle of Chianti (the Classico sub-region).  And the price tag for such a wine, based on my experience in Italy and at home, tends to fall between $18-$25 (or more, for a riserva).  So how to explain this?  I won’t try.  I’ll just say this:  run!  go get some.

paid: $10

scored: 91