Wine Musings Vol#67: Cru dinner (III)

Wine of Merit: ****Chateau Margaux, Estate, Margaux, Bordeaux, 1983: A lovely wine that can easily get lost in a crowd if one isn’t attentive. The 1983 is a special Margaux vintage and this wine held its own. Suave, velvety, nuanced, this was a meal-in-a-glass that however must be consumed with the best table manners and white glove service. Red fruit driven, with hints of grilled meat, smoke, cassis, tagine spices and flowers, I was happy to slow down and focus a bit on this lovely, sophisticated prima donna. In reality this wine is more a grand damme, showing its age more than slightly, more full bodied than svelte, perhaps a bit stubborn but still in complete control of its faculties, still perfectly proportioned, silky smooth and still very much demanding of respect and admiration. Delicious and worthy of the accolades.

**+Dunn Vineyards, Howell Mountain, cabernet sauvignon, 1990: Somewhat controversial. Many loved this wine. I found something off about it. It seemed almost dirty to me, as if the filter used when taking it from barrel to glass was not cleaned well. Others were not so concerned – even placing it in the top 5 of the night. Beyond this detraction, I found the wine a touch vegetal, with some good cedar, minerals and brambly mountain fruit that seemed perhaps a bit dried up. The palate was firm and I thought a touch disjointed. Don Rice commented that he thought something was “wrong” with this wine…and I agree. I love Randy Dunn’s wines - I think the 82 Howell Mountain maybe one of the best mountain cabs I have ever had (next to the 74 Mayacamus)…but this one seemed lacking to me. Perhaps I needed to spend more time with it…but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

***+Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou, Estate, St. Julien, Bordeaux, 1982: While I am appreciative of all that Bordeaux has to offer, I am I think most appreciative of St. Julien. And amongst the St. Julien houses, Ducru Beaucaillou somehow seems to have my number. And among the great wines of Ducru, 1982 is the standard. So…I am always happy to crack a bottle of this wine. Solid red and black currant fruit, cassis, cedar, broad leaf tobacco, a touch of loam and spice, this wine has wonderful depth and flavor. Coating and layered upon entry, the palate introduces melted black licorice and an excellent mineral profile. A smidge of a drop off mid palate may be this wines only flaw. The finish is furry and sweet and seems to last longer than a wine made in my high school graduating year has any right to presume. Lovely and a rarity in this day…something you can bank on and trust to perform. Delicious.

Spring Mountain Vineyards, Estate, Spring Mountain district, cabernet sauvignon, 1978: I include this only so as to be thorough. This wine was corked. As is typical, much convo ensued about “how corked” it was…for me corked is corked. I was surprised at how youthful and seemingly vibrant the palate was. Still, this is a DQ in my book. Moving on…

***+Peter Michael Winery, Estate, Les Pavots, Knights Valley, 1997: Les Pavots is a Bordeaux-like blend, mostly cabernet sauvignon, that tends toward high extraction and even higher alcohol content. In this case we are talking 14.8%. I have always found it fairly open knit upon release and have often wondered if it really had any aging potential at all. This wine is super ripe and a bit volatile. Prune danish, baking spices, iodine, kirsch and autumnal forest floor elements, this almost has Amarone-like qualities, which in and of themselves are not off putting…in fact I dig them, though I find the heat distracting. The palate feels at once a bit thin upfront and then fat and vague from the mid palate on…perhaps a wine that is best consumed sooner rather than later. I think that the Sonoma Mountain fruit could probably present a more integrated, balanced picture if the wine was treated more even handedly. As it is it is yummy, but perhaps a bit too manufactured.

Wine Musings LTD: Angwin to Zahtila Day 2

Day two of our Napa trip was not in Napa at all. Instead we spent our time in the Alexander valley, visiting with three wonderful wineries. Alexander valley is becoming a hot spot for dynamite wines and deserves special attention.

Our first stop was at a winery that needs no introduction. The wines of Peter Michael Winery are storied – with no weak links in the offering. Whether we are talking Les Pavots, the various top flight chardonnays or the definitive Apres Midi sauvignon blanc, most of the PMW wines define their categories. Further, they define gracious hospitality. Many thanks to our host Victor Aul for a lovely tour and formal, sit down tasting. If ever the opportunity presents, a visit to PMW should be a focal point of any visit. To the wines:

***++Peter Michael Winery, Après Midi, Sauvignon Blanc, 2005: In my humble opinion, there is no better new world sauvignon blanc. Stunning and rich, possessing varietal qualities of grapefruit, guava and anise but with much more richness and depth than typical. Bright but with a fullness on the palate and a lovely lingering finish. One of the best wines I had all day. Wonderful.

***Peter Michael Winery, La Carriere Estate, Chardonnay, 2005: Lovely. Rich and sophisticated. No surprise that this is very reminiscent of the Aubert chardonnays. Maybe I should say vice versa? Linseed, lemon custard, a touch of sage and candied orange zest on the nose. More of the same with deep minerality and spice on the coating palate. Lovely balance. Long, mineral-y finish. Dynamite.

***+Peter Michael Winery, La Belle Cote Estate, Chardonnay, 2005: A Personal favorite from this chardonnay stable. Brighter, perhaps better suited for aging, this wine reminds me of a dynamite Puligny Montrachet 1st growth. Stately. Bright citrus and orange blossom notes jump from the glass, married to a touch of petrol and a hint of nutmeg. The palate offers more citrus with slate and a touch of vanilla. Lovely and integrated, though a bit more bracing. Good stuff indeed.

***+Peter Michael Winery, Les Pavots, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004: This wine surprised me a bit. Deep color to the rim, this young, mountain cab is nonetheless effusive from the glass. Notes of black and red berry fruit, church incense and bramble waft right up and assault the sense. Wow. The palate is a bit thick and unctuous, dare I say fat? It offers more black fruit, tar and bakers chocolate. Further along I am disappointed by a somewhat short finish. The wine tips the scales at over 15% alcohol! Almost seems like too much ripeness. I find this wine a bit over the top and I typically expect more from this wine.

Our second stop was Medlock Ames winery. It is nothing short of groovy. The honesty and enthusiasm that just gushes from Ames Morison, as he talks with you about his winery, cannot help but be contagious. Of course it doesn’t hurt that his wines are wonderful and expertly made. For a small winery, they have all the new doo-dads, with a gravity flow system, fancy crusher de-stemmers and stainless steel tanks, a chai that you might think was at Ch Lafite…the works. The big difference is that everything here is organic – down to the sheep and llama that keep the weeds down and the algae that grows on their pond functioning as fertilizer. I won’t rate the wines as they were from the barrel – but I will say that I bought some finished wines and signed up to receive more. This is a wonderful winery that deserves attention and support. We loved the time we spent there.

Medlock Ames Estate Merlot, 2005 (Barrel Sample): Delicious. Black stone fruit driven, with mocha espresso notes and chalky minerals. New french oak adds some vanilla and baking spices. Great depth on the palate and deftly balanced. I’m a buyer.

Medlock Ames Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005 (Barrel Sample): My notes for the cabernet are similar to the merlot, with the addition of cassis fruit notes and a lovely black licorice element. Asian spice. Body is firm and dense, suggesting staying power. Yum.

Our last stop is a favorite: Verite Winery. I have commented on this venue and the wines in the past. They are stand outs from this area. Brian Baker was kind enough not only to meet us at the winery but bring along a bottle of the 2004 Anakota Montana bottling (I think)! All of the Verite wines are outstanding and deserve the accolades they regularly receive.

***++Verite, La Joie, 1998: The wine that started it all for me and still a crowd pleaser. Very bordelaise in style and structure – I would have guessed 1990 Gruaud Larose if pressed. Lovely red and black fruit, herbs and soil elements add complexity and sophistication to this wine. Long and still strong – a wine to savor.

***++Verite La Muse, 1998: Strong out of the gate. Surprisingly firm for a merlot based wine, it still offers up velvety lavender, espresso grind and red fruit notes. The palate offers a molten chocolate essence to accompany the fruit, with grilled meats and herbs. Yum.

**++Verite La Joie, 2000: Perhaps the weakest of the wines presented. Compared to the 01 and 02 versions of this wine, it simply had less stuffing, perhaps even a bit thin mid palate. Black brambly fruit and minerals are offered, if a bit reduced in stature. Finish lingers but does not offer the same level of intensity as the other wines being poured.

***+Verite, La Muse, 2001: Also surprisingly evolved, but still a wonderful mouthful of wine. Chocolate covered berry fruit, grilled meats, a touch of sois bois. Coating and delicious. Long, with firm, drying tannins. Serious.

****Verite La Joie, 2002: A stately wine, if perhaps reserved for cellaring just now. Great depth and harmony of flavor, showing mostly black stone fruit and chalk, pine needles and black licorice. Bottomless. Great Paulliac like in my opinion. Righteous.

****Verite, La Desir, 2002: Lovely and sophisticated. Tar, bramble, smoke and velvety crushed, berry fruit are evoked from this deeply colored, delicious wine. Hard to imagine this improving, but I am sure that it will. Superb integration of new French oak and deft balance. Great now, great later.

**Anakota, Montana, 2004: My first go with this wine. I am not a big fan. A bit over extracted and stewed. Thick licorice flavors and some tar. Almost Amarone like density. Not my cup of tea…or wine.

Wine Musings Vol#21

From notes taken June, 2006:

Wine of Merit: ***++ Camigliano, Brunello di Montalcino, 1997: Ladies and gentleman, we have a winner. Delicious. Elegant, refined, smooth (!) and well integrated. Black Cherries and apricot, wonderful minerals and grilled meats, saddle leather and some spice box. Right on. Great integration through to a firm but sweet finish. A real crowd pleaser. Mamma Mia!

**++Peter Michael, Belle Cote, 1997: Nice, burgundian – not as good as the 1996. Showing good linseed oil and popcorn, with butter and vanilla custard. Oily mouthfeel and a hint of madiera. Not as structured and the acids are not holding up as well as the 1996. Lovely if unraveling somewhat. Drink now.

***Monteallegro, Cabernet sauvignon, 1997: Only great bottles…This was nowhere near as good (read as complex) as the otherworldly bottle we had 6 months ago. Still lovely and very solid; red fruit, grilled meats, espresso grind notes. Slight thinness to the mid palate. Strong finish. Drink now. Given my prior notes, expect some bottle variation.

***+Argiano, Brunello di Monalcino, 1997: Lovely. Honestly, very similar to the Monteallegro, with a touch more depth and better structure. Red and black fruit, grilled meat, lavender, sous bois. Nice. Very Italian. Racy acids. I liked it very much.

***Ravenswood, Old Hill zinfandel, 1993: Not a typo. 1993! Bricking at the edge, but still holding on. Still very much holding its own. Lush, red plum, big white pepper and lovely floral notes. Soft on the palate with no drop outs and furry tannins. A good opener and easy to drink.

***+Rafanelli, Dry Creek zinfandel, 1995: Still plenty of fruit, with some interesting bell pepper and lavender nuances. Offers briar, white peach and racy acids. Solid and clean, to the firm finish. Yum. Worth drinking. Dry creek zin, when done right, is always a winner. I appreciate this old school style of zin making that allows for some bottle age without the prunes and heat. If you have it, drink it now and enjoy.

***+Biale Spenker Vineyard, Sonoma zinfandel, 1998: Just when I thought I was out, they drag me back in. Great wine. With age this wine has become lush, palate coating and deep. Aromas of earth, mature red fruit, cigar box and citrus. Palate coating entry and a resolved mid palate with more red fruit and briar. Long, chocolaty finish. Super.

Some re-tastes - I had a second 1997 Belle Cote that was superb and adds a star to my previous rating, ditto on a second 1999 Farrell Rochioli/Allen chard, perfect right now! -, a second 1995 White Cottage zin that showed beautifully, redolent with mountain zin fruit on the palate but was a touch musty on the nose and a second 1996 White Cottage Merlot that was yummy and very varietal (the Biale zin reminded me a touch of this wine). Also had a second 2003 Failla Keefer Ranch. Jordan should stick to red wine. Not bad, clearly in an old world Chablis style – good minerals and acids, bright and fresh - just not over the top wonderful like his pinot and syrah. At $33 a pop, it is overpriced.

**F&L Pillot Puligny Montrachet, “Noyers Bret”, 1997: A bit disappointing. Maybe it was the vintage as I have had this wine before with successful result. Varietal but rather flat. Typical citrus notes and some green wood elements. Touch of vanilla and white peaches. I think this wine was simply past its prime from an average vintage.

*+Chasseur Dutton Vineyard “Sylvia’s” pinot noir, 1999: This wine has been terrific in the past but has now become searingly acidic. The fruit is still there, mostly red fruit, cinnamon and rose hip tea, but it is so hot I have a hard time drinking it.