Never know which way the wind will blow...

Wow. What a lady, that Wilma. She comes into town in the early morning, roughs everything up, then leaves her mess for all of us to clean up. Yuck. Not something I ever want to go through again... Well, with nothing else to do... we drank a few bottles... 2003 Pride Merlot, Napa/Sonoma, California and 2002 Isenhower Batchelor's Gulch Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain, Washington. Give the edge to the Isenhower right now. It's the first time I've ever thought a Pride Merlot was light?!? Fruity, sure, and maybe it was just too darn young, but it didn't seem to have all of the guts that it usually does. The Isenhower was nice and easy - a little bit of fruit, ripe, round tannins. A nice Cab. Also finished off the rest of my 2000 Trimbach Hors Choix Gewurztraminer SGN and wow... it was just starting to show a hint of oxidation. Great wine. Glad I had the opportunity to try it over such an extended period.

My Top 14 Wines I've Ever Had...

I've been wanting to post this for a while, just haven't had the time. I couldn't narrow it down to 10, but I managed to get it down to 14. So here we go... I'll list the top three in order at the end. 1990 Krug Brut Champagne - an immense champagne. Tons of woody, spicey, citrus and melon. This was gorgeous. Deep gold in color, with beautiful bubbles. This one got better the longer it sat there. Amazingly long finish. 1993 Royal Tokaji Wine Company "Escenzia" - had this one because of a mistake... actually tried it on 4 separate occasions, several months apart. From the same bottle. 2.5% alcohol. 700+ grams/litre residual sugar (roughly 4 times that of a Sauternes). Pouring the "syrup" (and I'll call it syrup because the consistancy was far too rich to be called wine), the bouquet immediately wafted up. A delicious array of sweet cherry, apricot blossoms, citrus fruits, and rose petals was the first sign of an amazing experience. It coated my mouth completely, and I don't think I could have taken more than a sip of this - it's that sweet. It was clearly still fermenting, and after 4 months of being open (!), the wine started to develop an even more evolved complexity on the palate. Outstanding. 1947 Chateau Caillou, Barsac, 2nd Growth - A special bottle, as this wine is not distributed at all - only sold from the Chateau directly. This bottle was just released when we tasted it. A gold/orange/brown color, this was the perfect wine with both the seared Foie Gras and Foie Gras Cru (marinated in Grand Marnier). Rich in texture, but beautifully silky. Apricots, botrytis, and peaches. Beautiful long finish. Nice. 1982 Château Pichon-Longueville, Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac, 2nd Growth - For years, the best Bordeaux I'd ever had... Is now the second best 82 (you won't see Latour, Lafite, Haut Brion, Margaux, etc) I've ever had. Beautiful cedar, tobacco, cigar box nose. All-spice, anise, black currant, and sweet cherry fruit on the long, long, long finish. Beautiful Bordeaux. If it weren't for the 1982 Cheval-Blanc, St.-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classe "A", it would be the best of the 82's I've had. But, they were completely different wines. The Cheval Blanc has more cedary cherry-sweetness than any other Bordeaux I've ever had. It had a velvety texture and a finish that lasted forever. Tasted in a Cheval-Blanc vertical. I'll stay with Bordeaux and throw out the 1989 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion, Pessac-Leognan (Talence), Graves Classification and 1989 Chateau Haut Brion, Pessac-Leognan (Pessac), 1st Growth - I put them together not because they are similar, but because I tasted them side by side. The La Mission Haut Brion was a beautiful mass of black currant, graphite, tobacco, cedar, and hints of vanilla. Medium-full bodied with decades of life left. Amazing wine. The Haut Brion actually hits #4... the wine will age for another 50 years. Inky purple in color (at 15 years old!) showing no signs of orange, brown or any other aging signs. I called it a 2000 Bordeaux. That much concentration. Figs, black currants, plums. Outstanding Bordeaux. On to Italy and the 1998 Gaja Sori San Lorenzo - the earthy velvety texture on this wine is unbelievable. I've never found the same concentration of the textures with the flavors in any other wines. Angelo Gaja must do something special... I would love to try this wine every 5 years. Rhone? 2003 Domaine de la Mordoree "La Plume de Pientre" Chateauneuf-du-Pape (barrel sample). The biggest, blackest, meanest CDP I've ever seen. At the time, it was around 16.5% abv. Not sure if that's the published number, but the Delormes knew what they were doing with this wine in this abnormal vintage. The wine evolved over the course of a 3 hour lunch into a beautiful, inky-black, garrigue influenced, plum and fig, stony wine with a 60 second finish. Outstanding. Australia? 1998 Penfold's Grange - this wine is so young, it's not even funny. Maybe my kids will get to drink it(!). Full of spicy black tar, raspberries, black cherries, stewed plums - classic shiraz. Better than the 82, 81, 94, etc. Get one. White wine? 1988 Domaine de la Romanee Conti Montrachet - what a wine. Such grace, elegance and power - everything I thought this wine should be. Now, on to the top 3...
3. 1990 Maison Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne, Grand Cru, Aloxe-Corton - this is the one that made me so crazy about wine. This honeyed, golden, nutty, wet-stone wine was mammoth. So powerful and beautiful. Not as elegant as a Montrachet, it is the wine I measure every other white wine against. Super-long finish.
2. 1961 Chateau Latour, Pauillac, 1st Growth - It's everything it is cracked up to be. Even at the tender age of 44, this wine showed remarkable youthfullness. While showing a touch of brown on the rim, the nose was a cedar/tobacco/blackcurrant bomb. So seductive! The finish - incredible. 3 hours later it was even better.
1. 1990 Jacques-Frederic Mugnier Musigny Vieilles Vignes, Grand Cru, Chambolle-Musigny - this is the wine I judge all others against. I can still taste it. The texture. The nose. The palate. All of it. It's still there. Its wild strawberry, red cherry, turned-earth, cedar and sweet fruit all rolled into one. Absolute perfection. I hated to drink the last drop. Unfortunately, we drank this again last month and the wine had vanished. It was nothing close to what it was last year. Wow. It's what wine is all about.

What do I drink?

Ahh... probably the single most asked question I get is "What do you drink, when you are out enjoying yourself, instead of just tasting?". Well, the answer isn't as simple as the question. In general, I drink whatever I might be interested in at the moment - or a better way to say - whatever I happen to have on hand that is pretty good. To be honest, I'd rather not drink anything than drink a mediocre bottle/glass of wine/beer. Tonight I happen to be off from work... I've opened two bottles of Pinot Noir... poured one down the drain. There was nothing wrong with it, it was just not a good bottle of wine. It was free, so I can't complain, but still. I am drinking a glass of 2003 Rutz Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. After R told me he drank a 1998 Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape last night, I was tempted to open one of my 2001s, but I'd rather wait. I was also tempted to open a higher-end bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir, but alas, I opted for this instead. Favorite song at the moment? Twisted Logic by Coldplay. Great song. Very symbolic. I don't know which way I'm going, I don't know which way I've come... Anyway, back to beverages at hand... This wine has nice fruit - a bit of strawberries (of the wild type), raspberries, and a touch of Maraschino cherry. Nice wine. Nice finish. I would buy this wine. I started out tonight with a bottle of Anchor Steam... still my favorite. I ordered a bottle of 2002 Nicolas Joly Clos de la Coulee de Serrant, Savenierres, Anjou-Samur, Loire Valley today. One of the great esoteric wines. I'll probably hold onto it for a decade before I drink it. It's so tight right now. Truly a work of art. Dry Chenin Blanc. Maybe when I turn 40...

Bordeaux vs California (plus some more bubbles)

Busy night last night... Several bottles of 2001 Pille Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru "Morgeots" - this was a very interesting wine as the nose was quite oxidative, but the palate was fresh and minerally showing little of the oxidation that was so prevalent at first! Weird... But very good. Reminded me of Jobard's Meursault "En la Barre", with less nuttiness. Also 1997 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Simply an amazing wine - for all the wrong reasons. In California we had a magnum of 1992 BPRCS that was spectacular. The nose on the 1997 was open at first, then completely fell apart after 90 minutes. By the time we tried it at the end of the evening, the wine had no fruit, no delicacy, nothing. The wine was dead. If 1997 was supposed to be such a spectacular year, why is it that the 1996's, 1995's, 1994's, etc are all drinking very well right now, but the 1997s are dying very quickly. Let's just say I'm glad I don't have a single bottle of 1997 California Cab in my cellar. Compared to the 1998 Chateau Sociando-Mallet, Haut-Medoc, Cru Bourgeois it was simply lackluster. And the Sociando-Mallet wasn't a great bottle either... it was just much better than the BPRCS. Some nice earth with coffee-bean and cassis on the nose furthered by a softness on the palate. Not harsh, nor overly tannic, this wine was very pretty. Nothing to blow me away, but a wine I wouldn't mind drinking. The best red of the night was the 1996 Chateau Lynch Moussas, 5th Growth, Pauillac. It was like smelling a tobacco leaf - with some nice hints of black currant, pencil lead, and just starting to show a nice cedary component. The finish was pretty darn long, and this wine is much better now than the 86 points RP gave it. Great wine. Have a bit more to sell, and at the price we're selling it for, it's a steal. To round out the evening, we had a little toast with some 1997 Louis Roederer Cristal Brut. Now, I'm not a big fan of Cristal. It needs time to come around and it's usually drunk way, way, way too young. It was a nice Champagne, just not a great one. For the money, I'd take the 1990 Krug any day of the week.

Bubbles and Burgundy and Rioja

Sorry it's been a week (!) since I've written... been a little busy... R passed his Court of Master Sommeliers Advanced Exam! He deserves it... he put the time and energy into passing it. Cheers! While he was gone (which was why I was so busy last week...) I got to try a few great things... first and foremost... the 1976 Maison Leroy Pommard-Arevetis (I'll have to check spelling later) was simply stunning. Still a beautiful ruby red center going towards a slightly orange/brown rim (but much less than I was expecting)... the nose was beautiful cedar, spice box, strawberry, raspberry, leather, and turned light dry earth - it was incredible. On the palate, the wine was silky-smooth and had a long finish. The amazing thing about this wine was that at 29 years old, it needed an hour (!) to open up and show it's true self. Right next to the Leroy was a 1980 Opus One. I was a little hesitant to bring this bottle out, but I thought what the heck. The wine was still in good condition (not overly oxidized, nor corked), but it wasn't really very good. It showed tremendous green stemmy notes right off the bat, and those only faded as all of the fruit left the wine completely. The color was still good, but not terribly bright. Oh well. Let me say something here... how is it that Opus One, made mostly from the long-lived Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend, can be dead when the generally shorter aging Pinot Noir can be 10 times the wine... Three words - Lalou Bize-Leroy. She is the great brains behind Domaine Leroy - in my mind, the single greatest wine producer in the world. She makes Pinot Noir give all that it has - and she does what she does better than anyone else. Amazing. If you've never had the thrill of enjoying a bottle or two of her outrageously expensive, but certainly not overpriced, wines - do yourself a favor and get a bottle somehow. Doesn't matter which one, I assure you, they are all spectacular.

From Burgundy to bubbles... and the Champagnes of Piper-Heidseick and Charles-Heidseick. Tried 10 wines with the best being Charles Heidseick Brut Reserve, 1996 Charles Heidseick Brut Rose, 1985 Charles Heidseick "Cuvee Charlie", and Piper Heidseick Brut 1998. Charles is more rustic, but has more body than the Piper-Heidseick wines. Piper wines are generally much cleaner - more classic champagne.

One more... 200o Muga Reserva Seleccion Especial Rioja - a great leathery wine... as R said "it tastes like I just licked a horse saddle"... but in a good way(!). Great rustic, classic Rioja nose. A good wine... had better, but worth the money.

Is Red Wine really better than White Wine? Part I

Lately I hear lots of "I only drink Red Wine", or "I won't touch the stuff (when referring to White Wine"... Why is there such a negative connotation about White Wine? Furthermore, what can we do to stop it? I often get the impression that people say they don't drink white wine to try to a) impress the sommelier b)impress their friends c)indicate that they know a lot about wine and that white wine isn't what "real" wine drinkers drink. I've got news for you... I drink a good bit of white wine. Generally, unless I know I'm going to be drinking a great bottle of red wine, I'd rather have a white. Now, not just any white mind you. You can have all of the California Oak Bombs for someone else. Give me a bottle of Riesling (German, New Zealand, Austria, Alsace, etc) any day of the week over most Cali Chard (notice I say most - there are still a few outstanding Chardonnay producers in California - Rochioli, David Ramey (his Hyde is amazing), Paul Hobbs, Walter Hansel, Flowers, and quite a few others. They all have a common thread though - they don't overoak their wine. Wines that I love are wines that express the flavor of the grape they come from, and the ground they grow in (yup, terroir). Riesling is probably my favorite white grape. It expresses its sense of place better than any other grape I know... achieving Pinot Noir like earthiness (in a different sort of way), with intense acidity. Amazing stuff. If only the Germans could get their wine laws straight... Chardonnay can be great... just look at the great White Burgundies - Drouhin's Marquis de Laguiche Montrachet is always mindblowing; the purity of Leroy's wines is unmatched be it a Premier Cru Puligny or another of her other incredible wines. Sure, red wines are what usually get us "hooked" on wine, but don't be afraid to try a great Albarino or Gruner Veltliner next time instead.

On to recent wines... 1996 Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon - nice, not great. Showing some sweet cherry on the finish, but it wasn't much of a finish. A touch of cedar on the nose was nice. Just an ok wine. The 1994 Chateau d'Yquem was spectacular, and it was not a premier vintage for d'Yquem (though, that just drops their off-vintage wines from mindblowing to spectacular). Gorgeous honey, apricot, flowers. Great wine. The 2003 Chapoutier "La Bernadine" Chateauneuf-du-Pape is showing more alcohol right now than it was a few weeks ago. The fruit is still there, it's just got lots of alcohol.

Tis the Seaon

It continues to be that time of year again... lots of wine shows, lots of wine tastings. With all of these shows comes some great finds and some great dissapointments. Favorites of the tasting tonight? 2002 Anderson's Conn Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (ripe blackcurrant, blueberries, and plums with the right amount of tannin and great balance. Outstanding classic Cali Cab); 2001 Blanck Gewurztraminer Furstentum VT (great elegance, lychee, rose petals, honeydew melon, and a good bit of sweetness); 2000 Guigal Cote-Rotie Chateau d'Ampuis (black earth, great balance, chocolate, violets, cinnamon, and clove. Excellent, classic Cote-Rotie); 2002 Amiot Morey-St.-Denis 1er Cru "Ruchots" (wild strawberry, rich, turned earth, some nice black plum, very elegant with a touch of power); 2002 Trapet Gevry-Chambertin V.V. Ostera (again, wild berries with nice earth, dried leaves, good bit of ripe tannins and nice finish); 2001 Trapet Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru (elegance - screams it; with boldness and power a secondary trait. Nice fruit, needs 5 years at least. These 2001s are so underrated it's not even funny... they are so classicly Burgundian - completely terrior driven); 2003 Littorai Pinot Noir Hirsch Vineyard (killer... big, bold, candy-apple, strawberry, and figs with great tannins. Drink it now or 5 years from now... great wine). 2003 Numanthia and 2003 Numanthia Termanthia (both very approachable now, but have so much to them. Black, black fruits, and deep, ripe tannins. Beautiful wines, but they are sneaky-powerful and will give you whiplash if you aren't carefull!); and lastly, 2001 Torre Muga Rioja (classic, powerful, rich Tempranillo. This is what Rioja should be... great wines). Duds of the night? Most of the 2003 Burgundies (mostly white) were over-sulphured and the nose is reductive. Not pleasant. This is what happens when your acids are too low, or you're scared your acids are too low. It's a shame. The 2003 Verget Corton-Charlemagne VV Caniculus was the best of the bunch, and usually my favorite White Burgundy... but it was simply "OK"... nothing more. The 2004s are too young right now, but the Macon's show great promise - very pure, very clean, great minerality. I certainly tasted much more than this tonight, but much of it was new vintage tasting that I did quickly just to get an idea of the wines. Cheers!

Conversations with a beer...

I love all parts of wine - the grapes, the soils, the microclimates, the smells, the tastes - all of it. The problem I have with wine is that 99% of the time, when I am tasting or drinking wine, I'm thinking about it - analyzing it - trying to figure out what in a particular wine makes it unique - makes it worthwhile to continue to analyze it. That's what I do with wines. I do it with spirits as well. Cognac, Armagnac, Calvados, the array of anise/caraway seed/grape/fruit spirits - this one is smooth, this one is not, it's fruity, sweet, grainy, harsh, etc. They all make my brain go crazy! I love it! But sometimes, my brain gets tired - I just want to sit back and relax and actually drink something (instead of spitting, which I do with 99.9% of all things I taste). For that I go to beer. Sure, beer has tremendous complexities (grain types, how roasted the barley is, the merits of top or bottom fermentations, etc), and allows for the same types of analyzations that we give to wine. Generally though, I love just sitting back on a Sunday afternoon, watch some golf/football/baseball (yesterday it was flipping back and forth between all three), and have a beer. My beer of choice is usually Anchor Steam. Why Anchor Steam? Other than the fact that it's brewed in one of the great cities of the world (San Francisco) and brings back great memories, it's darn good stuff. It's not an ale, it's not a lager (though Anchor Steam Brewing Company brews both as well) - it's a steam beer. Completely different fermentation. Completely different flavors. Just the right amount of hops, the right balance, it's halfway between an ale and a lager in body, color, and richness, but it has it's own unique flavors. Not bitter, not sweet, not fruity, but not overly spicy either. It's simply my beer of choice, generally wherever I am. Second choice? This time of year, it's got to be an Oktoberfest brew... I like Sam Adams Octoberfest, but I love Paulaner Oktoberfest (and love Paulaner Hefe-weizen even more ). All great beers. Other favoites? Anchor Porter (great, rich, chocolate porter), anything by Samuel Smith, anything by Chimay, and in deference to R, Sierra Nevada (though I think I've convinced him I don't like their ales...). And something I'll find again... Alaskan Amber is killer beer. Well, that's all I have to say about beer right now... I love it. It's easy. As much as I love wine, sometimes you just have to have a beer.
Best of luck to R this week on many levels... you're going to ace it. You know it. Just DO IT. DO IT. And if you do read this, what is the primary grape in Tursan VDQS?

The Hills are Alive...

with the wines of Shafer.... Ok, I've tasted it twice now on successive nights. I've tasted it right out of the bottle and also after being decanted for 4 hours. I found "it". I guess I should explain what "it" is... "it" is a quality that I always looks for in a wine - perfect balance, incredible mid-palate (where many, many wines fall flat), not overly-extracted - but not weak either, a super-long finish. The fruit is balanced with the oak, the oak with the tannin, etc. I am looking for that something that just lights up your mouth - immediately makes me smile. "It" means perfect texture - a mouth-filling satiny wash of fruit. They don't have to be red, though most of them are. In my mind - a perfect wine... I've only ever run into a few wines that have "it"... 1961 Latour, 1982 Pichon-Lalande, 1982 Cheval Blanc, 1998 Gaja Sori San Lorenzo, 1994 Shafer Hillside Select, 1998 Penfold's Grange, 1982 Latour, 1997 Bryant Family, 1985 DRC Romanee-Conti, 1990 JF Mugnier Le Musigny Vieilles Vignes, 1990 Krug, etc. In all, the list is less than 30. I just added another the last 2 nights. The 2001 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon has "it". It is a monster in a bottle - a gentle monster, though. The nose smells of violets, graphite, blackcurrant, slight vanilla, mocha, anise, plums, figs, and a touch of sweet red cherry. The palate is mind-blowing. Amazingly silky texture - the finest mid-palate I've ever tasted on a California Cab. Beautiful, ripe, rich tannins. The pure blackcurrant (classic Cabernet) finish is long..... wow is it long. On Saturday, I stopped the clock over 75 seconds into it. Amazing bottle of wine. If you're looking to get me something for my birthday, this is it. Also tasted last night were the 1985 Chateau l'Angelus (a rather ho-hum effort. This wine is mostly dead, but with some sweet blackcurrant and cherry fruit on the medium-length finish), and the bizarre (overly earthy, but a nice long finish and some dirty black plum) 1997 T.FX.T Aranchol, Mittelburgenland, Austria (believed to be a blend of Blaufrankish with maybe a touch of Zweigelt?). And in case you are interested, yes, I'm still sipping on my 2000 Trimbach Gewurztraminer Hors Choix SGN, and yes, it's getting even better. Have 1/4 bottle left. Cheers.

Who Drinks Merlot Anymore?

Merlot... "I'm not drinking any f*!*^% Merlot"so says Miles (or something close to that). Now, that statement would imply that all merlot is tasteless, bland, insipid plonk. Here's some news for you... Miles is right - mostly. I tried a Merlot yesterday afternoon that was green, chocolatey, acidic, dirty, and very fitting - a slight bit corked. It was an Italian from Friuli-Venezia-Guilia. Really nasty stuff. No one likes green peppers or stemminess in their wine! how is it that so much Merlot is garbage that people won't pay $5 for, yet two of the most sought-after (hence, expensive) wines in the world are Merlot! Petrus and Le Pin are MERLOT. Cheval Blanc has a good bit. Pride, Pahlmeyer, and Duckhorn turn out excellent Merlots year in and year out. I hear all the time "I don't want Merlot". Well I, for the most part, don't either. But give me a '78 Petrus or '88 Le Pin and I'm in heaven. Why? Because they're seductive. Because they're sexy wines. Because they simply can be amazing. So why do we put up with crappy Merlot? I, for one, am not. I have exactly 10 bottles of Merlot in my cellar - all of it what I consider "very good" Merlot. It's expensive, sure, but I'd rather spend $50 on a great bottle of Merlot than $35 on a mediocre one. So, go out and find yourself a great Merlot. The grape isn't going away despite all of the negative publicity. So, tell the winemakers how you like your Merlot! Vote with your wallet!

Back to Alsace and crazy nights

I have a bit of the 2000 Trimbach Gewurztraminer Selection des Grains Nobles "Hors Choix" left and I dare say, it's even better than it was on Monday! I think it's just beginning to open up and would probably last a few weeks if I let it... but I won't. It just too darn tasty! Last night it was a bowl of candied apricots covered in honey. Amazing stuff. 60 second finish. Sweet, but not fake-sweet. It had all of the guts to back up the sweetness. Great SGN. That was nice to come home to last night... at work I had a 1970 Graham's Vintage Port (decanted 3 hours). Whoa. I'm not a big port drinker, but wow. The nose was deep, dark plums, figs, burning alcohol, and caramel and chocolate (perhaps a touch of brett on this as well). The palate was rich - honey, caramel, chocolate, black mission figs. Really great port. But alas, I preferred the 1995 Chateau Leoville-Las-Cases. Though clearly not even close to being ready to drink, after 4 hours of decanting, it started coming around. Cedar, plums, and big-time anise really came through. A touch of bing cherry on the finish (long as it was) really let me know this wine is something special.

Wines from Sonoma Trip 2005

Sonoma Trip (184 Wines)
September 16th – 23rd, 2005

Friday, September 23rd (9)
Lunch
2 unknown wines (one believed to be Puligny-Montrachet)
In the car
2001 David Fulton Petite Sirah
In the room
2003 Kosta Browne Russian River Valley Pinot Noir (15.25% abv!)
1999 Pride Merlot
At dinner @ Portofino
1998 Whitewood (?) Pinot Noir (it was so bad, who really cares what the name is)
1982 Sassacaia
1994 Dunn Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (magnum)
2002 Flowers « Andreen-Gale » Pinot Noir

Saturday, September 24, 2005 (37)
Kenwood
2004 Sauvignon Blanc
2004 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc
2004 Yalupa Chardonnay
2004 Sonoma Chardonnay
2002 Sonoma Merlot
In the car
1999 Pride Merlot (finished off from the night before)
Walter Hansel (w/ Steven Hansel)
2003 North Slope Chardonnay
2002 Cahill Lane Chardonnay
2002 South Slope Pinot Noir
2002 Cuvee Alyce Pinot Noir
2003 North Slope Pinot Noir
2004 North Slope Pinot Noir (barrel)
2004 Cuvee Alyce Pinot Noir (barrel)
Lunch
Drank half-full bottles of Walter Hansel
Verite
2001 Archipel
2001 La Muse
2001 La Joise
2001 La Desir
1998 Verite (La Muse)
1998 La Joise
Hartford Court
2003 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
2003 Stone Cote Vineyard Chardonnay
2002 Seascape Vineyard Chardonnay
2003 Three Jacks Chardonnay
2004 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
2002 Seascape Vineyard Pinot Noir
2002 Velvet Sisters Pinot Noir
2003 Russian River Valley Zinfandel
2003 Fanucci Wood Road Zinfandel
2003 Highwire Zinfandel
Martinelli
2003 Terra Felia Syrah
In the car
2003 Sotor Beacon Hill Yamhill-Carlton District Pinot Noir
Before dinner
1999 Rochioli River Block Chardonnay (corked)
2002 Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet
1986 Caymus Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon (magnum)
Dinner @ Maxx
1987 Dominus (magnum)
1990 Pahlmeyer Caldwell Vineyard Red Table Wine (magnum)
1994 Ridge Monte Bello
2002 A. Raffanelli Cabernet Sauvignon

Sunday, September 18th, 2005 (43)
Lambert Bridge (w/ Greg Wilcox)
2004 Sauvignon Blanc
2003 Chardonnay
2004 Viognier
2003 Old Vine Zinfandel (cuvee)
2002 Merlot
2002 Cabernet Franc
2002 Cabernet Sauvingon
2002 Crane Creek Cuvee
2003 30th Anniversary Cuvee
2003 Syrah
2002 Petite Sirah
Mauritson Family Vineyards
2003 Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Creek Valley
2004 Alexander Valley Chardonnay
2001 Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley
2002 Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley
2002 Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon
Ridge Lytton Springs
2003 Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains
2001 Syrah/Grenache Lytton Estate
1996 York Creek Zinfandel
2003 York Creek Zinfandel
2003 Geyserville Zinfandel
2003 Pagani Ranch Zinfandel
In the car
2001 Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon (375ml)
Rochioli
2004 Chardonnay
2004 Gamay
Gary Farrell
2004 Redwood Ranch Sauvignon Blanc
2003 Westside Farms Chardonnay
2003 Starr Ridge Pinot Noir
2003 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
Dutton Ranch
2004 Cohen Sauvignon Blanc
2002 Dutton Ranch Chardonnay (corked)
2001 Dutton Ranch Pinot Noir
2002 Syrah
2003 Merlot (corked)
In the car
2002 D’Arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz (375ml)
In the room
1991 Opus One (magnum)
Dinner @ Cyrus
1990 J.F. Mugnier Musigny Vielles Vignes
1984 Dunn Howell Mountain (magnum)
1996 Pahlmeyer Merlot (magnum)
2002 Colin-Delinger Chassagne-Montrachet
1990 Krug
2002 Domaine de Savignor Quarts du Chaume
In the room
1995 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon (magnum)

Monday, September 19th, 2005 (33)
Rosenblum
2003 Fess Parker Marsanne
2002 Lone Oak Merlot
2002 Hillside Syrah
2003 Planchon Zinfandel
2003 Carla’s Vineyard Zinfandel
2003 Harris Kratka Zinfandel
2003 St. Peter’s Church Zinfandel
2003 Zinfandel Port Costanno Vineyard
Iron Horse (w/ Joy Sterling)
1997 Blanc de Blancs
2000 Classic Brut
2002 Wedding Cuvee
1996 Brut Late Disgorged
Lunch (at Iron Horse)
2002 Corral Vineyard Chardonnay
2002 Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir
2002 Benchmark (Bordeaux blend)
Paul Hobbs (w/ Matt Hobbs)
2004 Russian River Valley Chardonnay (barrel)
2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (barrel)
2003 Chardonnay Richard Dinner Vineyard
2003 Chardonnay Richard Dinner Vineyard Cuvee Augustine
2003 Hyde Pinot Noir
2002 Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
2004 El Felino Malbec (Argentina)
2003 Bramare Malbec (Argentina)
2003 Cobos Malbec (Argentina)
2004 Bramare Chardonnay (Argentina)

In the room
2002 Vincent Girardin Puligny-Montrachet Les Ensignieres
2000 Vincent Girardin Meursault Les Narvaux (oxidized)
2002 Carlisle Two Acres

Dinner @ Onne Curre (?)
1998 Ornellaia
1990 Ornellaia
1997 Arrowood Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
2001 Casanova di Neri Pieriadonice Sant Antimo Rosso
1991 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon (magnum)

Tuesday, September 20th, 2005(Napa Day) (35)
Keenan (w/ Michael Keenan)
2003 Napa Valley Chardonnay, Spring Mountain District
2004 Napa Valley Chardonnay, Spring Mountain District
2001 Napa Valley Merlot
2001 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
2001 Napa Valley Mernet Reserve
2001 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
2002 Napa Valley Cabernet Franc

Pride Mountain (w/ Bob Foley, Roumel, and Tim) – all barrel samples unless noted
2003 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
2003 Reserve Claret
2004 LMT Merlot
2004 MME-B Merlot
2004 Syrah
2004 Petite Sirah (Robert Foley)
2004 Cabernet Sauvignon (upper)
2004 Cabernet Sauvignon (Caroline’s Vineyard)
2004 Corte Riva Cabernet Sauvignon (Roumel)
2004 Corte Riva Petite Sirah (Roumel)
2004 Petite Verdot
2004 Cabernet Franc (unblended)
2003 Corte Riva Merlot (375ml bottle)

Joseph Phelps
2003 Napa Chardonnay
2003 Le Mistral
2000 Monterey Syrah
2001 Insignia
2002 Insignia

Lewis Cellars (w/ Debbie Lewis)
2004 Sonoma Chardonnay
2003 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
In the car
2002 Numanthia
2003 Plumpjack Syrah
In the room
1996 Kistler Vineyard Pinot Noir
Dinner @ Dry Creek Kitchen
1992 Dunn Howell Mountain (magnum)
1995 Pride Reserve Claret
1999 Pride Reserve Claret
2000 Switchback Ridge Petite Sirah
1985 Phelps Backus

Wednesday, September 21st, 2005 (20)
Ferrari-Carano
2003 Alexander Valley Chardonnay
2003 Reserve Chardonnay Napa/Sonoma
2002 Siena
2002 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
2001 Tresor
Lunch @ Bistro Ralph
2002 Ramey Russian River Valley Chardonnay
2003 Rochioli RRV Pinot Noir
Seghesio
2004 Pinot Grigio RRV
2003 Keyhole Ranch Pinot Noir RRV
2003 Barbera Sonoma County (bocce)
2002 Sangiovese Alexander Valley
2003 Cortina Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley
2003 Old Vine Zindandel Sonoma County
2003 Aglianico Alexander Valley
2004 Arneis RRV (bocce)
2003 Sonoma Zinfandel (bocce)
In the room
2003 « Château Bocce »
Dinner @ Barndiva
1992 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (magnum)
1997 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon (magnum)
1995 Caymus Special Selection
1995 Pahlmeyer Red Table Wine

Thursday, September 22nd, 2005 (7)
Lunch @ Boulevard
2003 Colin-Delenger Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes
2002 V. Girardin Pommard 1er Cru Les Grands Epenots
Dinner @ Kuletos
2001 Dehlinger Old Vines Pinot Noir
1995 Kistler Pinot Noir Cuvee Catherine
2002 DuMol Syrah Eddies Patch
2001 Torbreck Run Rig
2001 Mas Doix Priorat
fin

The Purity of Alsace

Alsace is one of the great wine regions of the world, and arguably the 2nd best White Wine region in the world (sorry, my heart will always be in the Cote-de-Beaune in Burgundy). I just got back from a superb tasting with Jean Trimbach tasting through his 2000 premier cuvees, comparing them to the monumental vintages from the past. Wow. Terrior is indeed alive and well in Grand Cru vinyards in Alsace. Trimbach is one of the better known producers from Alsace, perhaps best know from grocery store shelves. I assure you that Mr. Trimbach's family is making some of the best traditional examples of Alsacian wines of any family in Alsace today.
The 2000 and 1989 Rieslings "Cuvee Frederic Emile" were an incredible way to start. Stony, slatey, and near-Mosel style petrol characteristics separate this wine from other Alsace rieslings. They have body, depth, and purity but were still somehow light?!? Amazing stuff... The 2000 and 1990 Riesling "Clos Ste.-Hune" were other-worldly. These are wines that are legends and soon-to-be legends. The 1990 still has DECADES to go!!! Deeper and even more expressive of their terroirs, I would love to have either of these wines in my cellar. I'll go into some of the others later... but let's just say that the 1976 Gewurztraminer "Cuvee des Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre" 350th Anniversary bottling was unreal...

Friday Night Blues...

It was an ok night last night... life happens, you sometimes just have to go along with it. 2002 Plumpjack Cabernet Sauvignon - whoa... what a bottle! Deep purple with NO rim variation at all (maybe a little light purple on the rim), but incredible black fruit, some sweet vanilla, toasted coffee beans, and nice cinnamon. Great wine. 1999 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon... our last bottle. This bottle was showing so Bordeaux-like last night. Had quite a eucalyptus nose to it with some cedar starting to come in. Beautiful wine, it's my favorite. 1995 Chateau Talbot (half-bottle)... showing very, very well right now. Pretty cigar-box and cedar just coming through with some nice sweet-cherry and black plums. More to come tomorrow.