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HOW TO USE THESE NOTES: Many of my tasting notes take the style of mini-articles and discuss multiple wines. So, rather than bust them up, I've organized them in the order they were written, with the most recent at the top. I realize this is a royal pain for folks simply seeking a recommendation for a good Chardonnay. So if that's what you're after, please make use of the wine-people SEARCH engine. Just click the button below, wait for the search window to pop up, type in the word "Chardonnay" (for example) -- and follow the instructions on the results screen. If you're using Internet Explorer, you can also search any individual screen -- like this one -- by hitting "Ctrl-F", typing in your search word and pressing "Enter." FRENCH FOO-FOO WINES. (December 11, 1999) For us, the week began with a flooded basement and went downhill. Our friends had even grimmer stories. We were in no mood to trifle. So we used the season as our excuse to meet at the newly re-opened and re-Christened Birchrunville Store Café. New owner, new chef and the food’s even better than before. We all loved the fois gras and my venison was beautiful. Then, of course, we had to open some hoity-toity French bottles -- and, bless Les Français, they delivered. We open with:
Then onto the reds. Just to be safe, we've brought several. But we can’t decide which to open. So heck, our friend suggests, let’s try ‘em all: starts out with aromas of smoked duck and raspberry sauce. Too young? No, after half an hour, the smoke swirls away and the flavors stand out sharp and clear. Darjeeling tea, flint and berries. Medium weight, but quite long. Develops well all evening. ***1995 Chateau Monbousquet (St. Emilion) is too young, but wonderfully drinkable all the same. Mainly Merlot, I guess, but showing like a California Cult Cab. Shafer Hillside Select with a French accent. Deep purple, with big, big fruit flavors -- and showing more than a hint of sexy oak. Powerful argument for new-wave Bordeaux. Give it five more years in the cellar and prepare for a lot of pleasure. By contrast, ***+1990 Pape Clement (Pessac-Leognan) is everything a classic-lover could ask for. Tons of tobacco with some prosciuto on the finish. A smokin’ Bordeaux cigar! Best showing yet and WINE OF THE EVENING. IN PRAISE OF CAYMUS SPECIAL SELECTION. (December 3, 1999) Caymus was one of the first Napa Valley wineries to bust the hundred-buck barrier for one measly bottle of wine. They’ve taken heat for it ever since, including some from me. But I must confess that I really enjoyed what I tasted the other evening. I’m talking about ***1990 Caymus Special Selection. A friend brought it to dinner and it was easily the wine of the night. I’ll admit that, at first, the aromas are dominated by American oak. But within an hour the coconut and dill blow off, revealing a big, opulent, well-balanced wine. Lots of cassis and olive flavors. It seems to be maturing like some of the great Special Selections of the past, and could hold its own easily in a vertical. Overpriced? Maybe. But I can’t complain about what I find in the glass. Unfortunately, my own matching contribution, #$%^1991 Shafer Hillside Select is CORKED. This is the second Hillside Select that I’ve opened in as many weeks -- and both have been corked! So instead, I open *+1997 Siduri Pinot Noir Hirsch Vineyard. A lovely wine that I’ve reported on before -- chock full of cherry and meat flavors. But tonight, the Caymus pushes it aside. We also open a couple of whites:
DINNER WITH JOAN AND WALT FLOWERS. (December 1, 1999) Over Thanksgiving weekend, we had the great pleasure of dining with Joan and Walt Flowers, proprietors of a red-hot new winery on California's Sonoma Coast. What nice people they are -- and how unspeakably convenient to meet them at a restaurant in Lambertville, New Jersey! They're originally from this area and were visiting relatives. I'll be covering details about the Flowers winery in an upcoming interview. But tasting notes on their new releases can't wait. We opened: The Moon Select designation is reserved for their top cuvées. And as much as I like the "regular" Flowers Chard (see below), this one is even better. The wine is incredibly focused and intense. Hits your palate like a laser beam. And although the wine received 88% new oak, it’s been all soaked up. Nary a splinter! Walt Flowers predicts a long life for this wine and feels it needs a few years to mature. As dicey as it is to age California Chards, I’ll go along with his assessment. Certainly, the 1995 Chardonnay continues to improve. The 1997 Moon Select is among the best Chardonnays I’ve tasted all year, including Burgundies. ***+1997 Flowers Pinot Noir Camp Meeting Ridge "Moon Select." Bright, beautiful and Burgundian. Aromas of red raspberry. Ultra-concentrated on the palate. Shows some tannin too, but the finish is outrageous. Wow! This wine is well-balanced and seems to have the stuffing for long-term aging. I find it comparable in style to the Kistler Pinot Noirs -- which shouldn’t be a big surprise, as the Flowers’ are big fans of Steve Kistler’s wines. As with the Chard, Walt feels the wine needs years in the cellar to show its best. Probably true, but I sure enjoyed it tonight! For comparison, I had brought one of my favorite young red Burgundies: On its own terms, this is a fruit-packed wine with plenty of complexity. It has a mineral note that I didn’t find in the Flowers, but otherwise the flavor profile was similar. When it comes to intensity, however, this wine was simply blown away by the Flowers! Once again, I’m mightily impressed by the potential of Sonoma Coast vineyards to produce world-class wines from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. More on the Flowers at a later date. RHONES AND...WHAT? (November 20, 1999) The reds tonight were mostly big, classic Chateauneuf du Pape. I’m not sure what to call the whites, but I do know I liked ‘em a lot. We were dining at Philadelphia’s hot new restaurant on Market Street East, Fork, and let me observe parenthetically that I have never seen the city’s eateries doing better business. Every place in the area was jammed. They seemed almost to be leaking diners out onto the street and parking was nearly impossible. APERITIF: . I often joke that German wines require more time to copy down the name than to write the tasting note. In this case, I exaggerate not. Folks impatiently yell "pass the bottle!" as I try to make sure I've spelled "Monchspfad" correctly. Anyhow, as sparkling Reisling goes, this is a beaut. Fruity but racy enough to kick your palate like Champagne. WHITES tonight consist of a vertical from the hot new California producer of Rhone-type wines, Sine Qua Non. I believe all the wines are mostly Roussanne, though there’s other stuff in here too. Seem to remember that the ‘95 has some Chardonnay it in. If anyone knows for sure, let me know. Anyhow, we open: The debut white from this winery and probably still their best to date. Terrific aromas of all kinds of goodies. Tropical fruits, creme brulee, sea breeze, cashews, other stuff too. Seductive and slippery on the palate, too, with a racy tang that only adds to the fun. I first tasted this wine two and half years ago. Now the wine’s more integrated and seemingly just as powerful. DRY WHITE OF THE EVENING. 1996 Sine Qua Non "Omadhaun and Poltroon." CORKED, and I’m really getting sore. I’ve opened three irreplaceable bottles this week that have all been tainted with TCA. Some at the table say this bottle is the weakest in the vertical -- but that isn’t really fair. TCA doesn't just make the wine taste musty; it mutes the others flavors too. Judgement reserved, perhaps forever, because I doubt I’ll ever taste another. **1997 Sine Qua Non "Twisted and Bent." Young, tight and still somewhat disjointed, this wine improves quite a bit by the end of our meal. Even at this stage of development, it’s impossible to resist. Similar flavor profile to the Bride. Same lovely mouthfeel. However, from my memories of the Bride when young, I’m guessing the latter will ultimately prove to be the bigger wine. REDS: . In keeping with previous notes on this wine, it’s big, wide and wild. Storm-force aromas of raspberry and roasted meat. The Mourvedre in this wine is getting more evident with each passing year. DRY RED OF THE EVENING. **1990 Brunel Chateauneuf du Pape "Les Cailloux." Now we’re on the civilized side of Chateauneuf du Pape. Pure, sweet, slow to open, but ultimately very rewarding. You could call it elegant, but understand there’s a lot of substance here. Probably still several years from its plateau of maturity. 1990 Bonneau Chateauneuf du Pape "Marie Beurrier." CORKED, and if I was sore about the SQN, now I’m beside myself! The wine is so big that the fruit almost covered the mustiness. But alas, it’s ruined. On the desperate hope that I might be proven wrong the next day, I recork the bottle and try it the following evening. Nope, it’s even worse. Down the drain goes yet another rarity. *+1997 Sheutz-Oles Petite Sirah "Rattlenake Acres." Thick, sweet blueberry juice laced with coconut. Reminds me of the ‘94 Rockland PS as it tasted several years ago. Will this stuff age? Who knows. I’d drink now. I’ve disqualified DESSERT WINES from claiming "Wine of the Evening" honors, but I'm sorely tempted to revoke the rule tonight. The only argument I hear at the table concerns which sweetie we prefer. At first, I think it will have to be: . Decanted three hours before consumption, it still hadn’t opened fully. Tremendously concentrated, with a 60-second finish, this is great Port and what could be finer? Much to my surprise, the answer is: ***+1989er Winzergenossenschaft Vier Jahreszeiten-Kloster Limberg Durkheimer Hochmess Riesling Eiswein. (And you thought the bubbly above was a jaw-breaker?) Medium gold and not only super-sweet, but endowed with so much flavor and backbone, you never get tired of it. One of the best Eisweins I’ve ever tasted. Normally I prefer Port, but this wine is just so intense and well-balanced, you can’t deny it the crown. A BLAST FROM BRUNELLO’S FORGOTTEN VINTAGE. (November 20, 1999) You won’t find too many people with much nice to say about 1991 Brunellos. So that made it all more satisfying to uncork **1991 Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino. Consumed with a splendid meal of Chicken Marengo at a friend’s home, this wine made a number of us drop our jaws and stare into the glass. Classic Brunello aromas of dried cherries, roasted meat and cedar. Lots of punch on the palate. Tannins evident but the rough edges are gone. This wine is still a few years away from its prime, but so well-balanced you can enjoy it tonight. Also delicious but way too young was **1996 Falesco Montiano. Deep purple, pumping out cherry-currant flavors, but hasn’t yet knit with its new oak. Reminds me a little of the 1990 Bon Pasteur when it was first released. CALIFORNIA’S FINEST. (November 20, 1999) When my precious %&*$#1992 Shafer Hillside Select proved to be cork-tainted, I muttered a mighty oath. But other stuff soon soothed the savage soul. At Chester County’s tiny new gem of a restaurant, Catherine’s, we sampled some frighteningly young California cuvées, including: ." Tight and needs time, but it’s stuffed like a Burgundy Grand Cru. The remainder of the bottle, consumed 2 nights later, was humming along without a trace of decay. Is this even better than the stellar ‘95? ***+1995 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon "Hillside Select." You know, Shafer wines are so supple they can deceive you. This one has such well-behaved tannins that you almost ignore them at first -- but don’t get suckered. This stuff is massive and really needs years to show anything more than a hint of its power. Heady aromas of chocolate cherry. On the palate, you get tempted with lots of delicious fruit on the palate, but then, BANG. You hit a wall. An hour into the game, you begin to sense what lies beyond, but you just can’t get much further tonight. It’s too full of goodies not to enjoy, but you’ll be much better rewarded by cellaring your stash for at least 5 years. ***1995 Etude Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley. Similarly supple and dense. Same story, really, as the Shafer, except this wine is more flattering right now, and probably less powerful in the long run. The second half of the bottle, consumed the following night, hadn’t budged much. THE MAIN STUFF. (November 13, 1999) Sigh. We rant about the skyrocketing cost. We boycott an overpriced vintage or two. But when you get right down to it... No one does it better than the Bordelaise. This fact forced itself on us yet again last night as we joyously slurped our way through a bunch of the main stuff at Philly’s stylish South American eatery, Pasion. The goodies included: . This older St. Emilion just arrived in Pennsylvania State Stores and I would guess it’s a re-release from the Chateau. In any case, it’s in pretty good shape. A little bricky at the rim, it shows some oxidized aromas as soon as you pour it. But after a while, a layer of nice, sweet fruit reveals itself. As the night wears on, the wine slowly fades, so I wouldn’t buy any to lay down for future use. But I like it for drinking tonight. **+1982 Chateau La Pavie. Clearly a classier specimen from the vintage, this wine is in its prime. Rich, dark ruby stuff, showing clear at the edge. Aromas of blackcurrant and olive. Pure velvet on the palate. ?*1986 LaMission Haut Brion. My first whiff of this wine revealed a slightly musty note, but it quickly gets overwhelmed by the expected Bordeaux aromas. As the evening wears on, however, it becomes clear that something is wrong with this bottle. The fill is good and it doesn’t taste heat-damaged, but this is not what you’d expect from La Mission in a great year. So I’ll go back to first impression. Borderline cork taint. **+1989 Mouton (from half-bottle). As I sip this wine, I think to myself, "I really, really, really love Pauillac." Okay, this is not the biggest Mouton I’ve tasted. And the tannins are more resolved than you might expect from a 1989 First Growth. But all the cylinders are firing . First you smell a ton of mushroom. Then the fruit and spice pokes through. And when you finally dive into the glass -- ooh, it’s so good. Sexy, chocolately, oak-influenced in the best sense. And a core of pure, deep, Cabernet yum. ***1990 Chateau Lagrange (St. Julien). Still a little tannic and could use maybe a few more years in the cellar, but that’s a quibble. Stuffed to the gills with Bordeaux blackcurrant flavors, shaded by Asian spice and even some almond. As the night wears on it just gets better. **1989 Chateau Lagrange (St. Julien). A lot like the 1990, but seems a little more austere and acidic and seems further down the aging curve. In fact, the two wines seem very representative of their vintages. Both outstanding, with the 1990 more voluptuous. We end the evening with yet another Oz sweetheart...
ITALIAN THOROUGHBREDS LOSE A HORSE-RACE. (November 12, 1999) All year I’ve been tooting the horn for Italian reds. So I really looked forward to tasting a bunch of legendary names this week. We gathered at Philly’s hot new restaurant, Vetri, and the food was as good as the menu looked. You haven’t lived until you’ve had Chocolate Fettucine with Wild Board Ragu. And the Italian wines were very, very nice. However, my favorite three wines were not Italian but... Okay, here’s what happened: WHITES. is magnificent as always, and despite my note of a year ago, it hasn’t passed peak. Exploding with mature, apple and pear flavors. **1995 Kistler Chardonnay "Vine Hill" wins applause for its class and complexity. Smoked nuts, minerals, tropical fruit, all knit well together. May improve, but the intensity is so terrific, why not drink now? **+1994 Zind Humbrecht Riesling "Clos Hauserer" is on the point too, loaded with diesel and pine-sap aromas, and lots of fruit all through the finish. WHITE OF THE EVENING. REDS. is a classic Bordeaux taste-alike. Aromas of coffee, fudge and cassis, with lots of pleasure when you taste it. Tannins resolved, velvet smooth. Beautiful finish. There’s an overall elegance that might betray it as Super-Tuscan. But serve it blind in a flight of outstanding St. Emilions, and who would suspect? *+1988 Tignanello is perhaps a bigger wine, but not as generous. Maybe it needs more time? Lovely stuff, don’t get me wrong, but clearly outclassed by the Sassicaia. *+1983 Quintarelli Reciota della Valpolicella Amonderlato goes beautifully with the wild boar, and the big, alcohol-tinged, overripe flavors are a nice counterpoint. But I keep going back to the Sassicaia. Until I taste... ***1991 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. Okay, it’s not as ready as the Italians. But I can’t get enough of it. Essence of Cabernet Sauvignon. Amazing purity and depth of cassis fruit, with all the little varietal subtleties you could want. RED OF THE EVENING. And my third favorite? I’m currently disqualifying dessert wines from contention for wine-of-the-evening honors, because I’m just too much of a sucker for them. But, if I hadn’t... might have won again! See my note on this wine from last month. WEST COAST CAB FRANC. (November 9, 1999) For years I was underwhelmed with Cabernet Franc, with the notable exception of Cheval Blanc. The grape can present you with wines that are weedy and dull, and usually does. But lately the stuff is getting my serious interest. I’ve tasted a few Loire reds that actually seem ripe and have some concentration. And now even a few American wineries are doing good things with it. You gotta like Dalla Valle Maya, even if you hate the price. Viader has been on my "buy" list since 1991, although price may cause me to skip the 1997. And tonight we tasted a couple of other goodies: Black and backward, but oozing fruit all the same. Barrels of berries, dipped in chocolate. Not for Loire nuts, acid freaks or finesse-fiends, but ooh-la-la! Grows in majesty as the evening wears on. *+1996 Justin Isosceles. Cab Franc is just one of the grapes in this blend, but to me it defines the wine. Always seems made in an ultra-ripe style and this vintage is no exception. Very dark, though not as black as the Pride. Fragrant, plummy, just short of pruney, but it works. We also tried: . Combines the cherry flavors of Sangiovese with the supple depth of Shafer’s Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon. Initially I would have ranked this even higher, but it thinned out notably as the evening wore on. Still like it a lot. ?1995 Simi Sendal White Table Wine. Seems like it has a lot of Semillon. Kiwi and saltwater taffy flavors. Good mouthfeel. Can’t make up my mind about it. *+1997 Horton Viognier Reserve. Surprises me by being so controversial. Beautiful perfume on the nose. Pure, varietally true and oakless on the palate. I like it a lot. Another taster says it’s not the equal of the 1993 Horton. Another just doesn’t like it. Well heck, I do. **+1995 Flowers Camp Meeting Ridge Chardonnay. Best performance yet? Very intense. Expands impressively with airing. Yes, new oak, but behaves like a classified growth Burgundy. MASKED REDS ON HALLOWEEN. (November 9, 1999) Nine days after the fact, I can still taste the wines we blind-tasted on Halloween night. Zin wimps can skip to the next notes, because these guys are B-I-G. For those who care, let me add that the wines were served double-blind and their identities were not revealed until all the blinded wines were tasted. Here are my notes:
We then uncorked a couple of others without bothering to uncover the labels. Both were either showing very backward, or else overwhelmed by the Zins. Maybe both? Good stuff, all the same: . Wasn’t decanted and badly needs it. Big tannins, covering a packed-up wad of raspberry flavors. Lots of pepper. Forget about this guy for a couple of years at least. *?1994 Rockland Petite Sirah was decanted, but needed 24 hours. Ink black, with some blackberry and soy aromas. Palate says next to nothing. By the next night, it had begun to talk, but too little, too late. Stick this one in the back of your cellar for another decade, I’d guess. |
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