How We Stayed Amused During "Shelter in Place"
How We Stayed Amused During
“Shelter in Place”
With the COVID-19 pandemic nearing its peak we are assembling jigsaw puzzles, doing all kinds of word games and sudoku while reading reading reading. We’re also using the opportunity to clear out our freezer. We haven’t bought meat in over a month. Meanwhile, I’m getting bombarded by internet wine sellers. A few are starting to ship to Michigan again. For the fourth time now in the last ten years, our Michigan supreme court has ruled that it is unconstitutional to restrict interstate shipping of wine. But, every time there is a ruling, our legislature which is pretty much owned by the Michigan Wholesalers Association who donate in a big way to their re-election, comes up with a small glitch, or technicality to try to thread the needle through. Of course, some new regulation is put into place to make interstate shipping illegal and, of course, the courts strike it down. All of this takes time and creates all sorts of grey areas of the law that many out of state retailers just don’t want to bother with and quit shipping to Michigan. The good news is that Michigan is a huge, very sophisticated wine market that is just too profitable to ignore so many are wading in again. I just got an offer for a Rioja Grand Reserva from La Rioja Alta and another offer on Martin Ray SLD Cabernet Sauvignon. I was emailing back and forth with some wine drinking friends about the pros and cons of buying these wines. I did end up buying a few bottles of the Martin Ray for old time’s sake. Those very old codgers will remember that at one time, Paul Masson was recognized as one of the very finest wineries in the world. When the old master died, the name was sold to Seagram’s but his protégé, Martin Ray, picked up the torch and continued to make superb wines grown in the mountains between Cupertino and Santa Cruz. Today, Martin Ray’s winery and vineyard nestled high up on one of the many peaks that poke through the clouds carries the name Mt Eden Vineyards. The Martin Ray brand is now located in Sonoma County and mainly focuses on wines originating in Napa and Sonoma.
Anyway, as I was debating what to buy and what to drink the idea came to try a few different wines from different regions that are about 10 years older than most of the wines in the market now and see if this is our wine future if we are given another 10 years to live. So, we opened four wines in as many days to see how they were holding up. Because I was 100% certain that these would not be dead by any means, I started a new blog column related to the “Shelter in Place” order rather than add these notes to the “Dead or Alive”. And, of course, alive they are!
Tasted 2/7/2021
Back when I was young enough to consider buying Bordeaux futures, I bought several cases of 2009 and 2010 from the Village Corner in Ann Arbor. I placed my order based on years of buying wine (a significant chunk of which came from the Village Corner) and felt pretty good about my choices which, based on what I had experienced in the past looked like very safe choices. About a month later, Dick had apparently had an opportunity to taste some pre release samples and he came out with a list of Dick’s Picks. At first blush I regretted ordering early before I could fully consider his take on the offerings. However, to my amazement, all of my choices were on his Dick’s Picks list. One in particular that I debated due to a slightly higher price (though still way lower than the majority of recommended wines in the Wine Spectator or Wine Advocate) was 2010 Chateau Hyot Castillon (mostly Merlot with Cab Fr and Cab Sv) Cotes de Bordeaux (13.5% abv) FRANCE imported into Michigan by Eagle Eye Brands. I paid $150 a case of 12 back in 2011. Today it might retail for $15-20 a bottle, so still a great bargain if you can find it. Unlike many moderately priced petite Chateaux these days that have whole heartedly adopted the international or universal style, Hyot still emphatically tastes like Bordeaux. Many of the Bordeaux that I’ve bought in the super market lately are very good, but could easily be mistaken for Chilean* Merlot or whatever the latest hot spot might be. The Hyot 2010 could easily be mistaken for a top Bordeaux classed growth!. The nose immediately screams BORDEAUX. The red fruit is pure and dominant with a perfume that embodies the terroir like a distant whiff of fine cigar smoke. One is really not aware of the gripping tannin until one is well through half of the bottle because the balance and persistence of the pristine fruit. This is by no means the first bottle of this wine we’ve enjoyed, but, it is the most memorable so far. We have a few left to see what else is in store.
*Is it me or have Chilean wines changed too? When they first hit our shores 30-40 years ago, the class of those wines was unmistakable. Today, they are still delicious wines, but, that undefinable breed that classic wines possess doesn’t seem to be there any more. At the time, I ascribed that sense to the own rooted vines, but, to my knowledge, none of that has changed. It might just be the industrialization of the Chilean wine business. I’d welcome your observations on this or any other subject.
WE GOT OUR FIRST COVID VACCINE TODAY!!!!
Tasted 1/22/2021
Having gotten our first installment on our COVID vaccine today, a bit of a hurrah for the safe inauguration, and a relatively uneventful visit to my dermatologist, we decided to do a small tasting to celebrate our good health. One of the people in my group discussion at American Wine Society suggested that 2015 Terra Noble Carignan Valle de Maule DO Gran Reserva (14% ABV) CHILE about $12 sale price was rather interesting. In all my years of enjoying Chilean wine, I had never tasted a Chilean Carignan. It is one of my favorite grapes from Southern France and Northern Spain but that’s about as far as my knowledge of the grape goes. While I was getting a few bottles of the Carignan, I rounded out a case with the 2015 Terra Noble Carmenere Valle de Maule Gran Reserva (14% ABV) CHILE about $18 and 2015 Terra Noble Cabernet Sauvignon Valle de Colchagua Gran Reserva (14% ABV) CHILE about $18 for a bit of context. I can say absolutely that the Carignan is the biggest, ripest, most oak permeated of the three. It has plenty of varietal character, but, unlike most super lively fresh unoaked Mediterranean versions, the fruit is extremely concentrated even a bit port like with red liqueur (sour cherry?) emphasis. It is a truly straight wine finishing with a refreshing acid kiss on the tip of the tongue and a pleasant grape/wood tannin texture. My first thought was that regardless of varietal, the house Gran Reserva style far outweighed the varietal character, but, when tasted in contrast to the other two, I might have to take that back. Each wine was distinct with it’s own varietal character superimposed upon a steady influence of the house winemaking style. The Carmenere certainly follows the house style too, but, the varietal comes through loud and clear. In fact, I would say that the fruit in this Carmenere is more vivid with a nice edgy acidity than most somewhat earthy Carmeneres that I’ve enjoyed from Chile. Again, it tastes just like it smells leaving a soft but mouth coating finish. The Calchagua Cabernet Sauvignon is by far the class of the trio though I’d still say the Carignan is bigger. Again, the Cab character is in full view with plenty of embellishment from the oak barrels. To be honest, it possesses the best aspects of the other two with a pure clean fruit that is ripe but not thick or sweet feeling on the palate. The tannin is certainly present but much softer than I would have expected. It has excellent balance. By the way, the terms Reserva and Gran Reserva do not legally indicate long oak aging. Specifically, they refer to the ripeness of the grapes which implies that if the fruit is that ripe, a generous oak regimen is not only possible but with few exceptions carried out. If rating these on the AWS scale, I’d give all three a SILVER medal leaning toward gold with the Cabernet.
Tasted 12/25/2020
The last time I had a bottle of Insignia with a meal was a 1991 which Sue Savageau and her late husband brought to then GRCC Heritage restaurant for a Tasters Guild dinner. That wine left an impression on me and Alice; easily one of the best and most distinctive wines we’ve ever had. So, yesterday when we were picking out a Christmas wine it was decided it was now or never. We do have three more bottles of younger vintages starting in 2012, so, God willing we’ll get to those some day too. The 2001 Joseph Phelps INSIGNIA Napa Valley (89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec) Red Meritage Blend (13.9% ABV) CALIFONIA about $250 for the current vintage, has obviously been squirreled away for too long. Though the cork looked brand new, it was very stuck to the side of the bottle and in my haste, failed to use my AH-SO. I had to mine the cork out, but, once decanted, it was brilliantly deep black red with a little transparency by the edges. The nose was exactly like I remember the 1991; cedar, cocoa dust, sweet oak, roasted meat and baked herbs. On the palate, very fine silky tannin gently coated the mouth while ripe berry liqueur-like flavors stayed for several seconds. Not a big fat tannic wine by any means; classy, elegant, and subtle but persistent and long lasting. Certainly the equal of any wine in the world though in a class by itself. No better mate for Standing Rib and Yorkshire Pudding.
Tasted 12/10/2020
It has been a while since we’ve added to this post, but, be assured, we’ve been enjoying good wines. Many have been added to other columns, but, this one seemed right for this column. A group of friends that used to get together back when we all lived in Grand Rapids became known as the Madison Avenue Supper Club because two households lived on Madison Avenue in GR. With the onset of COVID quarantines, we were all getting a mild case of cabin fever so Scott and Ruth Walker (Madison expats living in Northport now) launched a ZOOM tasting every month to get together and enjoy wine. November’s topic was Sparkling Wine. The variety of wines was fun as diverse as could be from Sparkling Aussie Shiraz to Michigan Bubbly to Champagne. We opened a rather unusual package that we had purchased in Ann Arbor at the Village Corner. Un Jour de 1911 (a day in 1911) Andre Clouet Grand Cru Classe Bouzey, Brut Champagne (12%ABV) FRANCE $75 gets it’s name from a day in 1911 when the Champagne growers rose up and rioted revolting against the importers who were bringing in grapes from other French wine regions to supplement Champagne production. This righteous act of violent disobedience apparently got the attention of the authorities who stopped the illegal practice from that day on. The wine itself is an RD (recently disgorged) blend of 25% of 1995, 50% of 1996 and 25% of 1997 wines all from 100% rated Grand Cru vineyards of Bouzey Pinot Noir. It is frankly one of the two or three most enjoyable Champagnes that Alice and I have ever had. It is also very highly acclaimed by the critics. Let me just put it this way. It possesses all of the complexity, strength, yeasty toasty, creamy bouquet and palate of the best mature vintage RD’s with the vigor, crisp mousse and memorable cocoa-like finish you’d expect from a current vintage flagship NV Brut. In other words, a complete wine among the very very best of the best.
Tasted 9/20/2020
I haven’t added to this blog in a while not because we haven’t had any really interesting wines, but, because we’ve started to feel our way outside of our condo into the big bad COVID infected world out there. We’re finding out where we can eat outside with lots of distance and even inside at hours when we’re the only ones in the restaurant. We’ve resurrected our golf game too. So, tonight with deep fried fondue of beef, chicken and shrimp I pulled out a 2003 Penfolds Bin 138 Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre, Barossa Valley Old Vine Red, AUSTRALIA (14.5% abv) about $30 for a current vintage. Alice found it a bit too ripe and grapy, but, I loved it. There is something unmistakable about Barossa Valley Shiraz that always makes me smile. The Grenache and Mourvedre add complexity and if you can call a big fat ripe wine elegant, it adds elegance too. There is also something in the oak treatment at Penfolds that could be called “house flavor” in the most positive terms. This wine was never meant to taste anything like a Cotes du Rhone, even when young. It is unabashedly Aussie red through and through drinking perfectly now. I love it!!
Tasted 6/5/2020 -6/7/2020
I typically forget to bring wine upstairs to warm up as a back up when we’re drinking wines that might be over the hill, so, last time I was in the cellar, I brought up a couple of 2009’s that I not only knew would certainly not be over the hill but, likely getting into the sweet spot between youth, maturity and old age. As luck would have it, we had a couple of meals (ham and Swiss chard quiche one night and marinated butterfly leg of lamb the next) that matched perfectly. By the way, if you have family members or guests who don’t like the look of red rare lamb, simply marinate it for a few hours in lemon juice. Like ceviche, the lemon “cooks” the lamb ahead of time and turns it a toned down version of pink, yet, you can still time it like you are cooking rare lamb so it is still very flavorful and tender. With the quiche we enjoyed the 2009 Chateau Tour St Bonnet Cru Bourgeios Medoc, Bordeaux FRANCE (14% ABV) under $20 for the current vintage. When released, Parker gave this Merlot/Cab Sauv/Petite Verdot/Cot blend a 90 and suggested its best drinking would be in 10 years, so, we should be on the money as far as it’s maturity. We’ve had several now and all have been sturdy and ready for several years. The color is still almost opaque black red with no browning. A bounty of cedar, mushrooms and pine mingle with abundant black fruit. We got lucky on this one. Glad we have a few more. Tonight, with the leg of lamb, we enjoyed a 2009 Aster de Beaulieu Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux FRANCE (14.9% ABV) about $40 for the current vintage. It is a blend of mostly Merlot with Cabernet Franc and a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon. Wine Spectator rated it a whopping 94 and also suggested that it’s prime is now. I was surprised at how much sediment was packed tight to the back of the bottle rendering a wonderfully deep colored slightly browning brilliantly clear wine. The nose is both chocolate-like and condensed red strawberry jam-like. The tannin is soft and mature. In spite of the color, it is probably more lively and youthful than the Tour St Bonnet. So, no question that it is fine wine in its prime, but, I do prefer the Touir St Bonnet. The Tour St Bonnet just seems more in the mold of classic Bordeaux.
Tasted 5/27/2020
Tonight was quite a controversy. With chicken enchiladas, I opened up a 2011 Braganini (St Julian Winery) Reserve Chancellor Lake Michigan Shore MI (12% ABV) about $20 for the current vintage. To me, the aroma is magic. I’ve only experienced an exotic fruit aroma of this magnitude a few times previously.* And even though I’ve had this wine several times and liked it very much each time, this is the first time the marvelous smell of framboise and mint leaves ever seemed so powerful yet elusive and ethereal. The palate reminded me a little bit like NZ Sauvignon Blanc though way more subtle and actually with fine exotic green herbs mingling with red fruit and chocolate finishing with mild but persistent silky tannin. So, as I bring it to the table, Alice takes a sip with a scrunched up face and says she can’t drink it! Too “greeny grassy” for her. Hmmpf? I guess we all have our own taste. To me, this epitomizes what is possible in Michigan with red hybrids. At nine years, it has fully opened up and will be magnificent for another decade at least. Alice says that anyone who likes this wine shouldn’t be making wines and clearly my miserable palate is the reason she doesn’t like Michigan Vintner wines either. What can I say? Guilty as charged and proud of it.
*The others were Charles Krug Napa Valley Merlot and Sonoita Winery Arizona Malbec.
Tasted 5/26/2020
I wasn’t going to log this into my blog because I assumed that I already had, not more than a month or two ago. But, scrolling back, I see no mention of it in my blog, so, with a shallot and sorrel mushroom quiche tonight we enjoyed the second bottle in a matter of months of 2000 Vieux Chateau Saint Andre Montagne Saint-Emiliom, Bordeaux FRANCE 13% ABV) about $30 for the current vintage. I’m assuming this is a Merlot based wine, though, I couldn’t find any information about varietal content on line. As such, it shows a rich saturated black fruit component that is just perfect. When I think of right bank wine, this smell of ripe almost prune-like concentrated fruit with loads of truffle, chocolate and coffee transports me back to St. Emilion. On the palate, the weight and supple texture is as vigorous as a much younger wine. Though there is plenty of texture, it is just so lush and easy that it goes down silky and smooth. Once again, we are on a roll! Though we have a couple more bottles, I don’t think it can get any better than it is right now so, we’ll drink those this year if we can.
Tasted 5/20/2020
Our Rude Wine Tasters group hasn’t met for a tasting since we started to shelter in place, so Ed Cox set us up on ZOOM so at least we could see and hear each other with a glass of wine. This month, Kathy Chase hosted a red wine of your choice get together. Initially, I was going to put out a little Clorox, Lysol and Hydroxychloroquine and mix it with a little wine for a Covid Cocktail but, decided against it and went to my go to favorite; Rioja. Also, in memory of the great city of Midland MI, which pretty much got washed away in the double dam breaks, we decided on a bottle purchased at Eastman Party Store in Midland. The owner Gar Winslow’s favorite Rioja is 2005 Bodegas Franco-Espanolas Rioja Bordon Gran Reserva SPAIN (13.5% ABV) $23, this is the “current” vintage so I anxiously opened this to see if it resembled the many many wines of this type I’ve enjoyed over the years. Lately, is seems that fruit and strength are being emphasized at the expense of complexity and maturity among Reservas and Grand Reservas. Or, maybe, I’m just not keeping these wines in the cellar as long as I used to. So, when I opened this baby, I was ecstatic that it not only enveloped all my senses in the rich, endless melange of creosote, oiled mahogany, cedar, clay dust and baked fruit, but, a powerfully ripe prune and plum conserve-like aroma. Even the color was bold deep. Initially, it was much plumper than I had expected, though, fine and complex. Three days later, the palate sensation relaxed to a silky soft tannic mouth coating; as good as it gets!
NOTE: As much as we liked this wine, we followed it with a $4.49 Chianti from Aldi which, I’ll have to say, we enjoyed just as much. I’m begining to believe that good honestly made wine brings as much pleasure as a rare classic. (see Brian’s Cryin’s tasted 11/02/2019)
Tasted 5/18/2020
Another day, another great wine. Today with strip steaks, Jake’s drunken mushrooms and scalloped potatoes, we enjoyed a bottle of 2006 Twomey Napa Valley Merlot CA (14.1% abv) about $65 for the current vintage). Long known as a top Merlot producer, this 2006 Twomey doesn’t disappoint. As I was decanting it, the huge ripe black fruit aroma drifted up. The color is very deep red with just a hint of transparency at the meniscus. The first palate impression is viscosity. The wine just feels lush and fat taking nothing away from the fine complex maturing flavor of cedar, tobacco, and hints of wood tannins. The finish stays silky and rich for several seconds. Once again, I think we caught this one at just the right time. Unfortunately, once again, it was our last bottle.
Tasted 5/14/2020
Our Martin Ray Cab still hasn’t been shipped and with that in the very back of my mind, I’m sure it had something to do with my choice for zucchini soup and crab meat salad over fresh greens. I learned something about pairing lemon with low acid wines at yesterday’s AWS virtual wine class. Basically, the lesson was “don’t do it”. So, I initially considered a Michigan wine, lemon softens high acid while it makes soft wines seem flabby. In spite of that advice, I figured a Chardonnay grown at 1600 feet atop of Mt. Eden in the Chaine d’Or near Cupertino would have enough cream to go with the crab and soup but enough acid to stand up to the lemon in the dressing. So, I brought up a 2009 Domaine Eden Santa Cruz Mountain Chardonnay CA (13.8% abv) about $30 for the current vintage. It turned out to be just right. The acid in the lemon was not a factor and the feel of the wine was still very fresh. The nose was a complex melange of tropical fruit and cream without any noticeable oak influence though, I know that it was both fermented and aged in oak. Having tasted many barrel fermented wines, I’m convinced that barrel fermentation is essentially a vaccine which eliminates any possibility of oak flavor overwhelming a wine’s more subtle flavors and smells. The palate was much like the nose with a very delicate caramel and sherry-like note at the very creamy end. We had a case of this at one time and I believe that this being the last bottle, we got lucky and gauged its lifespan just right. If you have any of this, drink it now while it is not only ALIVE, but, certainly at it’s peak.
Tasted 5/10/2020
So, after being thrilled that a good friend was raving about a 2003 Michigan Vintner Red (see Dead or Alive 5/10/2020) I headed to the cellar to see if I also had a bottle. As I was descending the stairs, I heard Alice call out to bring up something for dinner too. What? A 17 year old Michigan Vintner wasn’t good enough for strip steak and mushrooms? I have learned over the years that my friend Lew Carlson who frequently quotes H. R. Haggard, by referring to his wife Simone as “she who must be obeyed” is on to something (they’ve been married 60 years). So, I brought up and decanted a bottle of 1989 Chateau Branaire Duluc-Ducru 4th GGC St. Julien Bordeaux FRANCE (12.7% abv) about $60 for the current vintage. I include this wine here rather than in the Dead or Alive blog, because I was about 99% sure it would be ALIVE and alive it is. The color is still black red with just a slight orange/brown edge. The nose is pure class. Such a fine balance between delicate fine strawberry-like fruit and wisps of roasted nuts and pencil lead couldn’t be had. The palate is just as elegant and classy with pecan, cream and a lingering memory of dried red fruit. There is still an abundance of very silky tannin to coat the entire mouth. It has been several years since we last tasted this wine which I recall was a lot more plump and chewy. Really this is a wine that has a peak somewhere between 2005-2020+. Upon tasting it, the first thing Alice asked was if we had more in the cellar. Yes, we’ll certainly open that bottle before long. The wine is great, but, certainly will never be better.
Tasted 5/3/2020
Last week when I went to the cellar and came up with the 1983 Arrosee (see Dead or Alive 4/23/2020) I brought up a couple of 2000 back-ups in case the ‘83 was dead. It was fine, so we waited a couple of days to tap into the first of the 2000’s. This morning, I called my favorite morel vendor and she had morels so we raced down to Fennville to get a half pound. Alice was also getting tired of my typical schnitzel Italiano recipe so she found me a new recipe which also had a definite Italian accent. And, of course, with a lovely sloppy dish like morels in Cognac cream sauce, you got to have some fluffy pasta to absorb the extra sauce on the plate. I opened the 2000 Chateau d’Issan Margaux 3GCC (70% Cab Sauv / 30% Merlot) Bordeaux FRANCE (12.5% abv) about $140 for the current vintage. Maybe our palates are coming back or maybe the wines are better, but this was as perfect an example of Bordeaux as one could ask for. There was only a small glob of very hard packed sediment when I double decanted it. That revealed a brilliantly clear dark red hue with almost no meniscus at all; pretty dense deep red right to the edge. The aroma of black fruit, tar, truffle and baked cherries filled the nose. On the palate, all of the same stimuli filled the mouth along with ample though not harsh tannin. Though the finish lingered nicely, it wasn’t quite as rich as everything leading up to that point may have suggested. That would probably continue to gain complexity as Parker suggests that it may have another 5 years ahead of it. Unfortunately, we only had three bottles, drank one early, gave one away and that means no more in the cellar.
Tasted 4/26/2020
Alice makes a mean pot roast and I didn’t want to disappoint on the wine. So, I opened a 2012 Caymus 40th Anniversary Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon CA ( 14.6% abv) about $100 for the current vintage. My initial impression was that it had lost its lush fat ripe character and though still very nice, I would be hard pressed to differentiate it from Michigan Vintner Black Label Reserve. However, as it aired and as it warmed up, the depth and complexity just grew and grew. What initially seemed a lot like a very dark hybrid or a grape variety from Eastern Europe, stayed exotic but quickly embraced the classic cedar, raspberry and black fruit essence of Napa Valley. The longer I swirled it in the glass, the more the exotic floral violet and marachino liqueur-like scents opened up. Though still very smooth and juicy, the tannin is now starting to feel more textured on the palate. The rather smoky, toasty oak flavors that dominated this wine a few years ago, are certainly still there but much more integrated and less obvious. It is nearly impossible to ask for more, but, if I could, I would like to see more of the initial thrust carry all the way to the finish. Nonetheless it is a thoroughly enjoyable bottle of wine. We have two more bottles. I don’t think I’ll wait too long to retrieve them from the cellar.
Tasted Week of April 6-12, 2020
2007 Ridge Santa Cruz Mountain Estate (58% Cab Sauv, 42% Merlot) CA (13.8% abv) about $60 for current vintage Some call this wine “baby Monte Bello” because it is grown 100% within the famous Monte Bello vineyard. It is, however, what they don’t use for their flagship wine which costs well over $100 if you can find it. The appearance is very dark, almost opaque with a slightly burnt sienna meniscus. The first scent suggests that it is very dense with creosote-like essence and forest floor nuance yet very condensed black fruit; like one of those exotic jams made from an unknown black fruit from someplace I’ll never go to like the Amazon rain forest. I would not immediately guess that it is a Cab/Merlot. I could just as easily have guessed Petite Sirah had I tasted it blind. There is a meaty pot roast-like component that makes me think of beef stock and root vegetables. I have four more bottles, so, I’ll have the opportunity in the future to determine whether it is currently too young, too old, or just not a big deal at all. Currently it is impressive though no particularly classy nor long lasting. Mostly, it is big, black and not compelling or engaging. Sure that it would show better with food, we saved some for mac ‘n cheese Italiano (my mother always put onions and tomatoes in mac ‘n cheese). As a result, I refuse to order mac ‘n cheese in restaurants lest I feel denied. Alice felt that our cellar is too cold to bring wines right to the table. So, we let it warm up. Even with leftover mac ‘n cheese the next day, it still seemed a little closed. The nose was more complex with some scents of pine forest, leather and smoke but , on the palate, it was still pretty much just tip of the tongue and very little mid palate though the memory did increase after the finish. Still, it is not one of my favorites for what should be a significant wine of that great vintage.
2008 CUNE (Compania Vinicola del Norte de Espana) Imperial Gran Reserva Rioja, SPAIN (13.5% abv) about $70 for current vintage I have often joked that drinking a good Rioja is like “sipping blackberry brandy out of a terra cotta cup while sitting in a furniture store which specializes in oiled mahogany”. Well, one sniff of this baby is just that! I never quite realized how much that terra cotta flavor dominates until encountering this wine directly after swallowing the last of the Ridge Estate. Certainly the dusty ambiance of Haro is in this wine’s bones. Both Alice and I felt that this wine was much more expressive and inviting than the Ridge though, still not quite living up to memories of previous vintages. Don’t get me wrong, this is a very fine wine but, I’m not overwhelmed with the mouth feel which is not exactly supple nor do I find that olive oil-like texture that I’ve encountered previously. It does all the right things just not to the extent I would wish for. The finish is also nice, but not long lasting.
2006 Chateau Colombier-Montpelou (65% Cab Sauv, 25% Merlot, 5% Petite Verdot and 5% Cab Fr) Pauillac Cru Bourgeois Pauillac Bordeaux FRANCE (13% abv) about $30 for current vintage I googled the bird’s eye view and the street view on the map and from what I can tell, there is no “chateau” but it is, in fact, a working winery and vineyard located just south of Ch. Pedesclaux and closer to the Gironde than Ch. Pontet Canet. Most of the big name cru in Pauillac are a bit further back from the estuary than Comombier-Montpelou with the exception of LaTour which is just to the south and about the same distance from the water. So, it is certainly in a “good neighborhood”. Of the three wines tasted thus far, it is the classiest though maybe slightly less extracted and jammy. The color is dark red with a slightly transparent rusty edge. The nose is huge, rich, warm and inviting smelling of baked fruit, fruit liqueur with forest, cedar, and damp earth. Even with Cajun shrimp stew, the palate seems surprisingly light and fresh compared to the nose and shows neither great depth nor power. The pleasant gripping texture shows that it is certainly not in decline but rather on a plateau that will remain enjoyable but certainly not monumental. Just as well, it is our only bottle.
2006 Martin Ray Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon Napa CA (14.6% abv) about $45 for current vintage Because I just ordered a few more of these in the 2017 vintage, I just had to convince Alice that it was a good buy. And, yes, she did enjoy this 2006 and is glad we have one more 2006 but unfortunately can expect an 11 year gap until the next ones, God willing. So, with schnitzel and Brussels sprouts, we studied the 2006 Martin Ray. Having enjoyed schnitzel for lunch we wanted something just a bit lighter for dinner. So, we broke open a can of Foie Gras d’Oie Entier that my sister brought back from St Maarten recently served over toast points. Anything would have tasted great with that! Like all of these wines, I think we caught it at its prime. Beautifully balanced, fine developed aromas, silky smooth palate, and an intriguing splash of dense woodsy black fruit in the middle and an all around fine texture, but, it just seems like there should be more. While enjoying these four wines, we had a bottle of Flirty Bird , a $3.99 Aldi wine from somewhere in Spain that was, by itself the first day somewhat boring. Yet, in the context of the Ridge and the Rioja, even after being open several days, it just embraced the idea of wine being fun and enjoyable to drink. The mouthfeel and aroma was so fresh and exuded life that I really had to adjust and come down to the reality of the other “fine” wines we were tasting.
We were both sick as sick can be about a month ago. Maybe we actually have had COVID-19 and didn’t know it. Maybe we’ve lost our taste buds……………
A Few more……
So, after a couple of California, a French and a Spanish, we needed a little diversification so we headed to Italy. 2008 Produttori del Barbaresco Rio Sordo Barbaresco Riserva Piedmont ITALY (14.5% abv) about $80 for the current vintage was really tight and hard to penetrate through the very firm texture to get a peek at its charms. Though maybe even less enjoyable than the previous four wines just now, it may, with time end up being the best. The next day with seared salmon, it was starting to open up a bit showing that lurking under the big hard structure, some very rich mouth coating fruit does exist. Alice enjoyed it more than I did, so, I’ll wait at least two more years before opening another. Still on a losing streak as Mick Jagger famously sings, we opened a 2006 Justin Isosceles (86% Cab Sauv, 9% Cab Fr, and 5% Merlot) Paso Robles CA (15% abv) about $70 for the current vintage. Here we have a real contradiction of characteristics. Clearly the very earthy, mushroomy, composty nose gives the impression of a wine well past its prime, yet, the structure makes one wonder if it will ever mature. I’ve had that phenomenon with half bottles frequently where the wine is too young to open yet too old to enjoy. This is not something I’ve encountered too often with 750ml however. Beyond the nose, the woodsy, cedar, and tobacco carry across to the palate which is massive with abundant tannin. Though the tannin is starting to soften, it is also starting to oxidize. With a simple pasta dish, the following night, it offered a bit more. Though it seems structurally young, there is a tired but ripe fruit that is quickly only a memory. I think we waited too long for this one. So, what to have with Easter Sunday dinner to accompany butterflied grilled marinated leg of lamb? Sides of brown rice cooked in beef bouillion and mushrooms in cognac/cream sauce made me think earthy but the lamb made me think fruity. Looks like I hit the nail on the head with a 2004 Ernie Els Limited Release (62% Cab Sauv, 24% Merlot, 6% Petite Verdot and 4% Cab Fr) Stellenbosch, S AFRICA (14.5% abv) about $100 for the current vintage. Immediately upon opening the bottle, a huge aromatic collage of framboise and marachino liqueurs intermingled with forest floor and damp wood emerged. Lots of very condensed black fruit prepared the palate for an avalanche of pure stylish Meritage flavor. This was the best wine we had all week and I believe we caught it at its peak. There is still plenty of structure that might be tamer in a few years, but, I fear the power of the fruit might diminish too. Finally, we got some satisfaction. Happy Easter!
Week of 4/13-4/19/2020
Our “Rude” wine tasting group which has been meeting monthly since 1973 completely missed having a tasting March of 2020. So, not to put another break the nearly 47 year steak, we decided to do a virtual Zoom tasting. There were nine households linked in. Each of us told the rest of the group what we were drinking and why we wished we could have shared it with the others. Alice and I offered up a 2000 GAJA Barbaresco DOCG Langhe ITALY (14% abv) about $250 for the current vintage. Many years ago, when I was the cellarmaster of the Amway Grand Plaza, Paul Mann invited myself and many of his customers to a luncheon hosted by Angelo Gaja at Tosi’s in Stevensville. I’m guessing that the reason for having it there is that Gaja was probably in Chicago on a promotional tour and agreed to come to Michigan but had no idea that Detroit was some four or five hours away and only reluctantly agreed to Stevensville which was still over an hour from Chicago. Long story short, the day before the event, only a smattering of customers from SW Michigan had RSVP’s and Paul was frantic. He called me and others attending asking us to bring guests. At the time, I had an intern from England learning the ropes in the wine business whose hours I controlled, so he had no choice but to attend. I also invited my sister Linda who at that time lived in South Bend. Needless to say, the spread put out by Tosi’s was superb and, of course, the Gaja wines and his thoughtful presentation were memorable. A few weeks later, Angelo Gaja was on the front page of the Wine Spectator. I sent a copy to my sister to show her that this guy is a big deal perhaps the most important person in Italy at that time and not just some wine geek friend of her brother’s. When I called her up and asked her what she thought of the article and pictures in the Wine Spectator, her terse reply was, “you’d think a man of his stature would own more than one sweater”. Only she would have noticed that he was wearing exactly the same clothes in the cover picture that he was wearing when he hosted our luncheon.
Back in the late 1980’s I would guess this wine sold for maybe $25-$30 which was an enormous sum in those days. I hadn’t bought any in a while, but, when I joined Viviano and had an opportunity to buy it at a good price and get a commission to boot, I splurged. Probably in 2004 the price was still under $50. After extracting the 6 cm super-cork with an AH-SO cork puller, a wine in perfect harmony emerged. Oddly enough, there was not a trace of sediment and the color is dark but mature looking. Lots of rustic terra cotta earth scents superimposed on cooked fruit with hints of framboise and marachino liqueurs carry through the abundantly rich mouth feel that leaves the palate refreshed by its silkiness. The clip from the Wine Spectator says best after 2005. Indeed it was!!!!
Stay healthy, stay sheltered in place, and enjoy in good health,
A Brian Cain, the Michigan Vintner
