Finally wound up at Havana in Bar Harbor, Maine. I was on my own, chose to eat in the ‘parilla’, grill area. There’s a limited menu but you can order off of the main wine list. With a Caesar salad and papas bravas, I had two flights of three wines each, two ounce pours.
2020 Tilia by Catena Chardonnay, Mendoza - This had pleasant aromas featuring some pear and some floral notes. The palate however was bland and a little dilute. Rated 81.
2019 King Estate Chardonnay, Willamette Valley - Just the intensity of the aromas tells you there’s more to this. Apple, pear, and a tinge of green herb lead to a vigorous palate with good acidity and intensity. There’s a welcome touch of spice at the end. The wines list says “Meursault like”. Definitely the wrong address, but a good glass. Rated 88.5.
2021 Chateau Miraval Provence Rose - The aromas have a nice touch of watermelon. The palate is richer and a little softer than I expected, perhaps a result of low yields leading to higher than average ripeness. There is still good balance and some intricacy of flavors; enjoyable but I expected more. Rated 86.5.
2019 Tortoise Creek Pinot Noir, California - There’s some simple red cherry in the aromas, the palate is light bodied, with good acidity and clean fruit. This is a pleasant glass; pretty generic Pinot Noir but there’s something to be said for clean, fresh and varietally correct. Rated 84.
2017 Villadoria ‘Bricco Magno’ Nebbiolo, Langhe - The aromas are floral and spicy, with black cherry. The palate is light in body, deft, balanced, with herbal and unexpected but pleasant conifer touches. The finish is a little short and it could use some more intensity, but it’s good. Rated 87.5.
2019 Renato Ratti ‘Battaglione’ Barbera, Asti - The aromas are more tarry than the Nebbiolo, also brambly. The palate is medium body but burly with welcome heft. The wine list bizarrely compares to Chianti!?!, but to me it has more in common with Zinfandel, if you can find a lively Zinfandel without too much alcohol. The most satisfying of the wines, rated 90, could evolve for quite a while but a pleasure now.
Dan Kravitz