Thursday, December 25, 2003
I've been doing the holiday circuit, bringing wine, hanging out with friends. While the notes are short the results are very revealing.
With The Curl's last night, for what is an annual holiday tradition--Gosh how the two daughters Katie and Emily have grown up. To think, these all started before Emmy was even born wow. I brought along three Italians. Since Jim is the preferred sub 10 dollar dude, all were at the time of purchase in that range, well or close.
1999 Vitiano Falesco, Umbira.
Sadly, dead as a door nail. It was too bad for the last bottle I had of this was sensational. Oh well.
1998 La Bocce Sangiovese di Toscana
I think the price on the bottle was like $11.00 or so. Very nice, easy to drink with that bright and forward cherry fruit that you learn to love in Sangiovese.
1995 Something or Other Chianti Classico
I pulled this without looking from the cellar. Yes, it is the holidays after all. Wonderful. My last bottle, I think...Jim sure enjoyed it.
2001 Comme de Cayanne Languedoc Red
Jim had grabbed this from my locker some time back. It is an amazing wine. I think the wine was sold for a lower price than it was supposed to due to a distributor error. An amazingly concentrated wine of black stone fruit, massive blueberry and black raspberry flavors. A super wine that will go well for another ten years or more.
The night before a new wine pal who I serve with on the Solana Beach Public Safety Commission, Thomas Alexander, and I went over to Arterra for some of Carl's delicate cooking.
2000 Flury St. Joseph Blanc
I find no white wine that gives me more consistant pleasure than St. Joseph Blanc. The blend of Rousanne and Marsanne is so appealing and in the hands of a master the wine just sparkles. Not one built for the long haul, this is very enjoyable right now.
1999 Domaine d'Aupilhac Lou Masset Vin D' Pay
Sylvain Fadat told me to drink these up. My palate says otherwise. I've opened two bottles of this in the past week, each time with similar results. It's great. It's fun to drink. It can and will age another three or four more years, but as a Cotes du Rhone replacement it stands up well even to better Chateauneuf du Pape's I've had of late. Lots of berry flavor, black, blue and ras. Even a hint of cocoa and the always evident garrigue spice.
1995 Les Cailloux Chateauneuf du Pape
Perfect. At a point in time where it has crossed the line from savage to sinful. This wine is sexy, with smooth curves and an invigorating front palate that becokons you on for more. Lots of black cherry, cola and sanldewood. Black truffles, pain grille and hints of lavender. Yummy.
1998 Domaine les Boissieres Gigondas
Wild and hedonistsic. A thrill a minute wine with loads of blueberry, black pepper and white pepper. Long and lingering, the wine is not delicate like Domaine du Cayron, instead it is a full throttle bandit looking to steal your palate. Think Vacquyeras with attitude and a bit of finesse.
With WinePal and great friend Ray McKewon also at Arterra
2000 Vieux du Donjon Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc
Sensing a pattern that I like Rhone wines yet? More complex and minerally than the St. Joseph, the wine was deep with limestone, lemon and a hint of nectarine. Below it were the peach and pear flavors that make CdP whites so attractive. The blend, which is not too far off from the St. Joseph, with a few more things added, was perfect. It would have been nice to drink this side by side with the St. Joseph.
1989 Deydier l'Clefs d'Or Chateauneuf du Pape
This wine, now imported by Kermit Lynch on occassion, used to cost $13.95 or so back in the early days of building my collection. With storage I figure over time I've got about $35 or so invested in the bottle. Well it sure was worth it. You could not tell that it was a 14 year old wine from the Rhone looking at the color. Dark as a California Cabernet and a lot more complex, the blackberry and black raspberry flavors were the most forward, with nice hints of cola and creme de cocoa underneath. Super saturated and complex, the wine was much tighter knit and more concentrated than the 89 Clos du Mont Olivet I had a few nights earlier.
1985 Rene Rostaing Cote Rotie Clote Blonde
I always wanted to open this wine since the day I purchased it in 1988 at Argonaut Liquors in Denver, but resisted temptation. A few months back Ray had brought along a young Guigal Ch. de Ampuis Cote Rotie to a dinner gathering. I wanted to return the favor so this wine, my sole bottle of it, was the return. Wow. Talk about an amazing wine. Here is an 18 year young Northern Rhone that has transvered the USA no less than three times since purchase, and was in perfect condition. Pam, the wine director of Pamplemousse Grill who stopped by Arterra after Ray had departed, swore it was a Burgundy at first, and a more youthful year than 1985. The color was a vibrant ruby red, with not a hint of browning around the edge, nor even a touch or orange. The wine was pure sex in a glass, with flavors of olives--both black and green, cherries, lillac, herbs de provence and black pepper. Layer upon layer of rich and smooth blueberry fruit came pouring through.
With Patti Lazard, a dear friend from the SD Telecom world joined me also at Arterra a few nights earlier.
2001 Konrad and Conrad Sauvignon Blanc (NZ)
The oysters were fresh that day, so this was a perfect selection. The wine is at peak and most enjoyable right now. Gooseberry, herbs, kiwi fruit, wet stones, minerally and joyous.
1989 Clos du Mont Olivet Chateauneuf du Pape
Surprisingly the wine was lighter than I had hoped. This was the Non-Filtered bottling brought in by North Berkeley Wines, and goes by Cuvee Unique. Drink em if you have them. The flavors where all there, just the body wasn't. I like these forward types, but a tad more meat on the bones make the ride all so smoother. I guess there's alway Beaucastel for that...
1998 Alain Graillot Crozes Hermitage la Guiraude
I may have opened it too soon but so it goes. Possibly the best producer of Crozes Hermitage year after year, Graillot has made a monumental wine here with loads of olives and blueberry flavor, plus coffee and black plums. Sensational as Patti so noticed. I found one more in the cave. It's getting buried deep...this is a young wine that will be well appreciate over time.
2001 Valle de Pena Malbec
This is all Malbec made by Laurel Glen's Patrick Campbell, this wine is a huge wine that needs time..Dense, opaque color. Not showing the fruity forwardness yet. An hour after opening the wine was crying for a big thick steak. Perfect with a steak at Flemings, not with Carl's delicate touch.
With Lisa Gurardi at E Trulli
Lisa's head to Paris and to the waiting tables at Maceo and Willi's courtesy of Mark Williamson this Saturday, after a stop in Cortina. I pulled two Umbrian favorites to go with the rustic cooking of I Trulli team.
2000 Arnaldo Caprai Grechante Grechetto Bianco
I really like Northern Italian White wines, almost as much as I enjoy the Northern Rhone siblings. This wine made from only Grechetto, a grape local to Umbria was a pick by Dave Clark of Wine Street a few years back. The wine has rounded, losing its crips, high acid shell, and become a very easy to drink wine that you share with friends. Lemons, lime, honeydew melon and a hint of spearmint in the middle made this wine a nice starting point.
1998 Arnaldo Capria Montefalco Rosso
Made largely of Sagrantino I found this wine to be a tad lighter than I expected, but nonetheless perfect for the food at I Trulli. It had nice black raspberry and cranberry flavors on the approach, with a dark clack cherry, toatsted herbs and plum finish. Very nice and at a point to drink up.
That's the catch up...off to L.A....bottles in tow....
With The Curl's last night, for what is an annual holiday tradition--Gosh how the two daughters Katie and Emily have grown up. To think, these all started before Emmy was even born wow. I brought along three Italians. Since Jim is the preferred sub 10 dollar dude, all were at the time of purchase in that range, well or close.
1999 Vitiano Falesco, Umbira.
Sadly, dead as a door nail. It was too bad for the last bottle I had of this was sensational. Oh well.
1998 La Bocce Sangiovese di Toscana
I think the price on the bottle was like $11.00 or so. Very nice, easy to drink with that bright and forward cherry fruit that you learn to love in Sangiovese.
1995 Something or Other Chianti Classico
I pulled this without looking from the cellar. Yes, it is the holidays after all. Wonderful. My last bottle, I think...Jim sure enjoyed it.
2001 Comme de Cayanne Languedoc Red
Jim had grabbed this from my locker some time back. It is an amazing wine. I think the wine was sold for a lower price than it was supposed to due to a distributor error. An amazingly concentrated wine of black stone fruit, massive blueberry and black raspberry flavors. A super wine that will go well for another ten years or more.
The night before a new wine pal who I serve with on the Solana Beach Public Safety Commission, Thomas Alexander, and I went over to Arterra for some of Carl's delicate cooking.
2000 Flury St. Joseph Blanc
I find no white wine that gives me more consistant pleasure than St. Joseph Blanc. The blend of Rousanne and Marsanne is so appealing and in the hands of a master the wine just sparkles. Not one built for the long haul, this is very enjoyable right now.
1999 Domaine d'Aupilhac Lou Masset Vin D' Pay
Sylvain Fadat told me to drink these up. My palate says otherwise. I've opened two bottles of this in the past week, each time with similar results. It's great. It's fun to drink. It can and will age another three or four more years, but as a Cotes du Rhone replacement it stands up well even to better Chateauneuf du Pape's I've had of late. Lots of berry flavor, black, blue and ras. Even a hint of cocoa and the always evident garrigue spice.
1995 Les Cailloux Chateauneuf du Pape
Perfect. At a point in time where it has crossed the line from savage to sinful. This wine is sexy, with smooth curves and an invigorating front palate that becokons you on for more. Lots of black cherry, cola and sanldewood. Black truffles, pain grille and hints of lavender. Yummy.
1998 Domaine les Boissieres Gigondas
Wild and hedonistsic. A thrill a minute wine with loads of blueberry, black pepper and white pepper. Long and lingering, the wine is not delicate like Domaine du Cayron, instead it is a full throttle bandit looking to steal your palate. Think Vacquyeras with attitude and a bit of finesse.
With WinePal and great friend Ray McKewon also at Arterra
2000 Vieux du Donjon Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc
Sensing a pattern that I like Rhone wines yet? More complex and minerally than the St. Joseph, the wine was deep with limestone, lemon and a hint of nectarine. Below it were the peach and pear flavors that make CdP whites so attractive. The blend, which is not too far off from the St. Joseph, with a few more things added, was perfect. It would have been nice to drink this side by side with the St. Joseph.
1989 Deydier l'Clefs d'Or Chateauneuf du Pape
This wine, now imported by Kermit Lynch on occassion, used to cost $13.95 or so back in the early days of building my collection. With storage I figure over time I've got about $35 or so invested in the bottle. Well it sure was worth it. You could not tell that it was a 14 year old wine from the Rhone looking at the color. Dark as a California Cabernet and a lot more complex, the blackberry and black raspberry flavors were the most forward, with nice hints of cola and creme de cocoa underneath. Super saturated and complex, the wine was much tighter knit and more concentrated than the 89 Clos du Mont Olivet I had a few nights earlier.
1985 Rene Rostaing Cote Rotie Clote Blonde
I always wanted to open this wine since the day I purchased it in 1988 at Argonaut Liquors in Denver, but resisted temptation. A few months back Ray had brought along a young Guigal Ch. de Ampuis Cote Rotie to a dinner gathering. I wanted to return the favor so this wine, my sole bottle of it, was the return. Wow. Talk about an amazing wine. Here is an 18 year young Northern Rhone that has transvered the USA no less than three times since purchase, and was in perfect condition. Pam, the wine director of Pamplemousse Grill who stopped by Arterra after Ray had departed, swore it was a Burgundy at first, and a more youthful year than 1985. The color was a vibrant ruby red, with not a hint of browning around the edge, nor even a touch or orange. The wine was pure sex in a glass, with flavors of olives--both black and green, cherries, lillac, herbs de provence and black pepper. Layer upon layer of rich and smooth blueberry fruit came pouring through.
With Patti Lazard, a dear friend from the SD Telecom world joined me also at Arterra a few nights earlier.
2001 Konrad and Conrad Sauvignon Blanc (NZ)
The oysters were fresh that day, so this was a perfect selection. The wine is at peak and most enjoyable right now. Gooseberry, herbs, kiwi fruit, wet stones, minerally and joyous.
1989 Clos du Mont Olivet Chateauneuf du Pape
Surprisingly the wine was lighter than I had hoped. This was the Non-Filtered bottling brought in by North Berkeley Wines, and goes by Cuvee Unique. Drink em if you have them. The flavors where all there, just the body wasn't. I like these forward types, but a tad more meat on the bones make the ride all so smoother. I guess there's alway Beaucastel for that...
1998 Alain Graillot Crozes Hermitage la Guiraude
I may have opened it too soon but so it goes. Possibly the best producer of Crozes Hermitage year after year, Graillot has made a monumental wine here with loads of olives and blueberry flavor, plus coffee and black plums. Sensational as Patti so noticed. I found one more in the cave. It's getting buried deep...this is a young wine that will be well appreciate over time.
2001 Valle de Pena Malbec
This is all Malbec made by Laurel Glen's Patrick Campbell, this wine is a huge wine that needs time..Dense, opaque color. Not showing the fruity forwardness yet. An hour after opening the wine was crying for a big thick steak. Perfect with a steak at Flemings, not with Carl's delicate touch.
With Lisa Gurardi at E Trulli
Lisa's head to Paris and to the waiting tables at Maceo and Willi's courtesy of Mark Williamson this Saturday, after a stop in Cortina. I pulled two Umbrian favorites to go with the rustic cooking of I Trulli team.
2000 Arnaldo Caprai Grechante Grechetto Bianco
I really like Northern Italian White wines, almost as much as I enjoy the Northern Rhone siblings. This wine made from only Grechetto, a grape local to Umbria was a pick by Dave Clark of Wine Street a few years back. The wine has rounded, losing its crips, high acid shell, and become a very easy to drink wine that you share with friends. Lemons, lime, honeydew melon and a hint of spearmint in the middle made this wine a nice starting point.
1998 Arnaldo Capria Montefalco Rosso
Made largely of Sagrantino I found this wine to be a tad lighter than I expected, but nonetheless perfect for the food at I Trulli. It had nice black raspberry and cranberry flavors on the approach, with a dark clack cherry, toatsted herbs and plum finish. Very nice and at a point to drink up.
That's the catch up...off to L.A....bottles in tow....
Comments:
Post a Comment
