Wine Musings Vol#44

Wine of Merit: ****Mayacamas, Mayacamas Vineyards, cabernet sauvignon, Napa Valley, 1974: (From Magnum - label to the right borrowed from the 82 cab). This is very much a storied wine – some put it with the 74 Heitz MV as the best wine ever made in Napa Valley. It is the old style, vin de garde type wine that I love. 13% alcohol, massive tannic structure on release (I am guessing – I was 10), fined and filtered (I am guessing by the lack of sediment) – I am sure Parker would have hated it. Anyway, now, some 33 years later, after 4 hours in the decanter, it opens up and reveals something very special. Really the tasting notes on this evolve as the wine continues to open up over many, many hours – I am thankful we had a magnum so that we could taste through the evolution. Initially closed and somewhat reluctant with overwhelming cassis and nicoise olive notes, the deep color (with minimal bricking) and youthful finish offer hope of more. In fact, over the next few hours layers of deep black berry fruit, smoke, graphite, melted black licorice and mint build in waves. The palate, still bright and lively, shows red and black fruit, minerals and bittersweet chocolate. I definitely get a sense that this is mountain cab. The finish is long, peppery and firm. A gift. Very special.

***++Conn Creek Vineyards, Anthology, Napa Valley, 1991: Thirsting for more after the Mayacamas time machine experience, we opened this bottle. Conn Creek is another long established winery out in Napa that has been making delicious wines for a long time. Where Mayacamas is over on the western side of the valley, Conn Creek is on the Silverado Trail, along the eastern confine. Where the Mayacamas was clearly a cabernet driven wine, the Anthology – 1991 was the inaugural vintage – is a softer Bordelaise blend, including merlot, cab franc, malbec and petite verdot. Absolutely delicious, this is a much warmer, open knit, sexy wine. Luscious red fruit, mocha, vanilla, church incense and truffle waft from the glass immediately. Amazingly youthful – the palate is creamy, coating and supple with more yummy red fruit, café au lait / milk chocolate. The finish is sweet and fine – hard to believe this is 16 years old. If this wine were a holiday it would be Valentines Day. Wonderful.

***Failla, Alban Vineyard, Edna Valley viognier, 2005: Really lovely. A big crowd pleaser, this wine offers rich hibiscus, marzipan and apricot notes, accompanied by pleasing vanilla and peach. I often find new world viognier shrill, but this wine has depth and layers, showing off its excellent Alban vineyards breeding and Ehren Jordan’s deft touch. Lovely integration across the palate with a touch of Asian spice and nutmeg on the finish. Yum.

***Failla, Phoenix vineyard, Napa Valley, syrah, 2003: Another Failla winner. This wine has a meaty, baker’s chocolate, black cherry and kirsch characteristic at its core, with smoke and pine needle on the periphery. Medium in weight with a solid tannic backbone, the palate offers more plum, oolong tea and minerals through to the fine, furry finish. I am typically not a huge Napa syrah fan…this is delicious.

***Failla, Keefer Ranch, RRV, pinot noir, 2003: I guess we are on a roll here. The Keefer ranch pinot was my introduction to Failla a few years back and I have always enjoyed it thoroughly (see previous notes for the 2005 pinots – which I think are outstanding and even better than the 2003s). This has always been quite a showy wine – bright, sassy and yet at the same time showing dynamite depth and richness. The red, bing cherry fruit jumps from the glass, perfectly focused, with accompanying cinnamon stick and ginger candy notes. The palate is firm but finely integrated from front to back – not really creamy as much as deep and rich. The finish has peppery spice and great length. Very nice indeed.

***Vilmart, Coeur de Cuvee, champagne 1993: Extremely nuanced and sophisticated. Very malic, it offers a lot of green apple, nutmeg, anise, perhaps a touch of celery seed…I do get that brown butter and touch of saltiness as well. Yummy and serious. Superior structure for the age – it is lively and bracing, not thinning at all. Long, drying finish. A heady, wine geeks champagne – might disappoint folks just looking for yummy, yeasty bubbles.

Wine Musings Vol#43

Wine of Merit: ****Staglin Family vineyard, Estate cabernet sauvignon, Rutherford, 1997: Wow. A stately, maybe statuesque wine. I guess it is not bragging if you can do it, and I find the Staglin wines to be the authoritative benchmark for Rutherford cab vintage in and vintage out. This cab possesses just leagues of depth – very much like a powerful Paulliac in a great vintage. Cassis, black and blue fruit, graphite, cedar, tisane…a wonderful combination. Perfect integration across the palate – new oak adds a mocha nuance with more minerals and blueberry and Malabar pepper. Super long, juicy, concentrated finish. A serious wine that is bringing it’s “A” game.

***++Phelps, Insignia, Napa Valley, 1997: Quintessential Insignia. Fresh mint, dark chocolate, wonderful flavor integration. Palate is still full and round, open knit and welcoming. Finish is also full but sweet and fine. Insignia is famous for its timelessness and this is another example of a wine that seems like it could age another 10 years without any effort.

***+Plumpjack, reserve, Napa valley, cabernet sauvignon, 1997: This wine has settled down and actually added some nuance that makes me appreciate it more. Still thick and unctuous, it has a touch of green olive and cigar tobacco that makes it interesting. The palate is chewy, with licorice root and briar added to the chocolate covered raisin base note. The finish is firm and youthful. Another example of a wine still awaiting its prime, some ten years later. Nice!

***+Tom Eddy, Napa Valley, cabernet sauvignon, 1997: A wine that I have always appreciated and always wondered why it hasn’t taken off. Very Napa, this wine shows yummy cassis, chalky minerals and chocolate, along with bright red fruit. Great depth and breadth on the palate all the way to the furry, fine, peppery tannic finish. Very well crafted and delicious.

***+Chalk Hill, Estate, Sonoma County, chardonnay, 1997: Staying with the theme - this was quite a surprise. Great pale straw color. Youthful but complex and delicious. I would have guessed Corton if served blind. Wonderful lemon custard, linseed, slate and popcorn – not flabby but full bodied and still holding its shape perfectly. Palate is full but still nice, zingy acids and a lovely firm, citrus-y finish. In no hurry at all. Great example of a chard that can be cellared with confidence. Yum.

***+Enrico Santini, Poggio al Moro, Bolgheri, 2005: To celebrate our planning a summer trip to the Maremma, I have decided to dig in to wines from that region from now until then. This is an excellent start. This is a fairly new estate, practicing sustainable, organic viticulture. Yummy, unassuming, $25-30 (in Italy it sells for $14!)…sounds like a winner! 30% Sangiovese, the remainder mostly Bordeaux varietals – with 10% syrah thrown in for good measure. Out of the gate, the impression is mostly the Sangiovese, with spicy red currant and cherry fruit, leather and lavender. The mouth feel is generous and integrates well with the flavors, which now include chocolate, plum and vanilla. The finish is sweet, not terribly firm, and delicious. With time the wine takes characteristics of the other varietals, the red fruit gives into the plum, chocolate, licorice and mint, though somehow it always retains its Tuscan sense of place. Great. Santini’s other wine, Montepergoli, is also worth seeking out – at a higher price point.

***Flora Springs Trilogy, Napa Valley, 1987: Stately, if a bit over the hill. I have always been a fan of this balanced, nuanced wine made by the steady hand of Ken Deis for these last 27 years. I believe at this point it was still made with equal parts cab, cab franc and merlot – hence the name. Since then it has added the other Bordeaux varietals of Malbec and Petite Verdot. In its old age now, it still shows heady aromas of tobacco, morel mushroom, raspberry jam and violets. Touch of soy and black licorice. Thinning now on the palate it does not however drop off at any point – seamless to the furry finish. Very much worth drinking - but I am glad this was a cellar orphan. Owned and stored since release.

**++Zahtila Vineyards, Oddone vineyard, Dry Creek zinfandel, 2004: Very nice. Reminiscent of the Rafanelli – just less so. Perhaps to make up for it, the oak (American) is much more center stage, adding café latte and vanilla elements to the raspberry fruit, spice box and Malabar pepper notes. Given the good QPR of Rafanelli – this wine would have to sit the bench.

Wine Musings Vol#42

Wine of NO MERIT: ??? Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Paulliac, Bordeaux, 1978: This wine was a DQ - at an important celebration - as it was heavily maderized. The cork was in shambles. I publish this only to remind myself and others that buying older vintage wine on the secondary market is very much akin to buying a watch on Canal Street in NYC. Good luck. I bought this watch...er wine...from what I would have thought to be a reputable source. It was crap and had clearly been stored very badly. I promise myself that from now on - unless it is from an estate re-release or from someone like the Rare Wine Company in Sonoma, I am not buying these email list "rare gems" anymore. Harummph!

***+A. Rafanelli, Dry Creek Valley, zinfandel, 2005: Mmmm. I love Raffanelli zins. This wine is big, bright, brassy red raspberry, spice box, cigar tobacco. Yum! The palate is a bit racy but delivers zingy red fruit and white pepper. Firm but integrated finish. Really delicious and a big crowd pleaser. Great example of a Dry Creek zin – which in my opinion are the best ones on earth!

***+Franciscan, Magnificat, Napa Valley, 2004: A bruiser. This is Franciscan’s Bordeaux-like meritage, assembling cabernet, merlot and a dollop of cab franc for a dynamite wine. Deep, brooding, black fruit, tobacco, cassis and sage. Seamless. Big wine with lots of stuffing, it requires a piece or grilled red meat or perhaps some cellaring time to really show its stuff. Firm palate leads to a big, but well integrated and fine finish. A very nice wine at a very decent price point (I think it can be had for around $45). Excellent QPR.

***+Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Paulliac Bordeaux, 1988: Pulled from the cellar for a special occasion. The wine has matured a great deal in the last 5 years. Still sophisticated and black fruit driven, it has thinned just a bit. Typical graphite, cedar, cassis, forest floor and minerals with some coaxing, just not with the endless depth that I associate with this wine. The palate is full and coating as it opens up over the course of our meal – offering more black fruit, minerals and chocolate - in fact the entire wine experience benefits from air. The finish is firm and pleasing. Really, this wine is a winner, it was just so mind boggling last I had it I cannot help but be just a tad disappointed.

***+Galleron, Napa Valley cabernet, 2000: A mixture of Taplin and Morisoli fruit. I love the Morisoli vineyard. This wine does not disappoint – in fact it is magically delicious! Really great right now, the wine throws off serious, spicy red and black berry fruit, clove, cedar and cassis. Mint chocolate. The palate is nicely integrated and offers great balance all the way to the sweet, polished ending. Really dynamite wine.

***Ridge, Geyersville, zinfandel, 2000: I am a huge Geyserville fan. I love the field blend nature of it…and how it ages and grows in complexity. In 2000, the wine was 66% zinfandel, with a large (17%) petite sirah. Given the long growing season, this wine enjoyed great maturity of fruit – and it shows. Rich, opulent red fruit, briar and white pepper fill the glass. It is still very young and vibrant, it has not yet really developed the nuances that older Geyservilles tend to show. The palate is expansive and full, with more red fruit, spice and vanilla. At nearly 15% alcohol it is chewy, though not thick at all. The finish is long and spicy – the 2000 used more new oak (American) than it typically does. Great wine – and in no hurry at all. Drink if you like ‘em brawny or hold.

***Twomey Cellars, Napa Valley merlot, 2003: Lovely and wonderfully approachable. The 2003 vintage was hardly a blockbuster, allowing the wines to develop early. This wine is already open knit and very giving, showing lush plum and red fruit, violet, lavender and milk chocolate. Some nice rose petal nuances. Very pretty and wonderful with a cheese course. The palate is lush and friendly and the tannins are fine, sweet and long. Lavish wine. Delicious.

***Turnbull Wine Cellars, Estate Napa Valley cabernet, 2004: A huge crowd pleaser. Very accessible and yummy – this wine has all of the right elements all brought together in one bottle. Even if a touch soft, the wine sports an excellent fruit profile, tobacco, spice, a smidge of mushroom and mint chocolate to add to the complexity. Maybe a bit of a recipe wine, but yummy nonetheless. The palate is voluptuous, welcoming and coating, the finish fine and sweet, with a touch of espresso bean. It is like the Tom Hanks of wines; not intensely serious…but how can you not like it! Great value at $38. (By the way…if you want to taste the more serious side of the Turnbull estate try the wine Thomas Rivers Brown is making from up there for the Maybach family. Wow!)

***Medlock Ames, Red, Bell Mountain Alexander Valley, 2003: Delish. 50/50 estate cab merlot. Young but open knit and welcoming. Nice supporting structure. Very Sonoma Mountain-driven terroir elements of ripe red fruit, pipe tobacco, truffle, hazelnut chocolate and baking spices. Lush, round and inviting. Yummy!

***R.H. Coutier, Tradition Brut champagne, NV: Lovely for non vintage champagne. Really singular signature of freshly baked apple pie – cinnamon, vanilla, baked apples, baking spices. All the elements are there. An added element of custard-y, candied citrus zest on the brisk finish is a welcome surprise. Nice acids. Very nice indeed!

Wine Musings Vol#41

Wine of Merit: *****Laurel Glen Estate Sonoma Mountain Reserve, cabernet sauvignon, 1990: Just writing the wine notes for this gives me goose bumps. A quick story: Patrick Campbell, the owner and winemaker at Laurel Glen, has only made a few reserves in the history of this storied winery. He has never submitted them for review. For the 1990 he bottled only 300 magnums, which he only sold through his customer list and gave to friends. And he also bottled a handful of Methuselahs – or 6 liter bottles. And he gave me one as a gift (I assisted him with the naming of one of his wines)! And we opened it for Thanksgiving 2007. I will forever be indebted. I have had this wine once before, over 10 years ago. It was truly an amazing and remarkable wine then. Funny thing, I went back to my notes and they were almost identical to the notes I am about to publish. Then, like now, I noted the signature elements that allow for a favorable comparison to the very best that Leoville Las Cases has ever had to offer – indeed Patrick has always made, in my opinion, very Bordelaise wines, with amazing depth, concentration and balance – the elements I most prize. With moderate coaxing, this wine reveals a whole cornucopia of nuances, loamy earth, truffle, deep red fruit, tar, Gaeta olive, melted licorice, baker’s chocolate. Wow. 15 minutes in, the wine is signing and downright youthful (I am sure the large format helped). Sensational. No surprise, this wine is only 12.5% alcohol, not fooling the palate with numbing thickness but instead relying on the natural weight and structure to provide great, indeed voluminous mouth feel, with more fruit, chocolate, olive and minerals. The finish is long and succulent, gaining power over time, youthful and still very strong. I am sure this wine is good for another 5 to 7 years at the least, but is amazing to drink right now. Thank you, Patrick!

****Aubert, Ritchie Vineyard, Sonoma Coast, chardonnay, 2004: Every bit as good as previously noted. Tonight it is the freshness that strikes me as particularly alluring. Sure, the wine is wonderfully nuanced and complex, sure the viscous oily mouth feel and weight connote a serious effort. Still, with everything this wine has going on, it is fresh and bright, not heavy handed at all. Really special. A delight.

***Medlock Ames, Bell Mountain, Alexander Valley rose, 2006: Different from most rose wines which start fresh and then degrade over time, this wine is actually getting better with a bit of bottle age. The flavors are integrating and the wine itself is becoming more harmonious…an even greater pleasure to drink. As noted, a wonderful food fine – I had this with some sushi and a groovy “Caribbean Roll” - spicy tuna, avocado and fried banana and walnut on top. Lovely.

***Clos Pegase, Hommage Artist Series, Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon, 1993: I am a sucker for Artist series labels. Mouton, Kenwood and yes Clos Pegase. While the latter two will never be confused for the former, the labels are beautiful and the wines are expertly crafted – and well worth purchasing. This wine has softened substantially since release but is absolutely not over the hill. In fact some mild coaxing releases lovely, nuanced red fruit, plum, cardamom and Asian spice from the glass. The palate has thinned slightly – offering red fruit, licorice root and nutmeg - but there is no drop off front to back and the finish is resolved but fine and very pleasant. A great wine to have with a yummy herbed soft cheese or a nice roasted bird. Delicious.

*++Deloach, RRV, chardonnay, 2004: This winery has gone through quite a bit of transformation. Initially quirky and making handcrafted wines (some very good some not) the winery was sold by the founders to Big Vino in 2003. Recently Greg LaFolette, he of Flowers and Tandem fame, has been making the wine. While not something to search out (the pinot is in fact something to avoid), the chardonnay is not all that bad –in a Costco wine around $12 kind of way. Not overblown, it is pleasant and well balanced. Hibiscus, pear and Meyer lemon. Not super concentrated…light on the palate but not thin. Finish shows some spice and more citrus. A wine that, if they were serving it at a Bar Mitvah, I would happily drink.

*+Rutz Cellars, Dutton Ranch, RRV pinot noir, 1993: I believe this was a very early attempt by the folks at Rutz…I can only hope the winemaking has improved. The issue with this wine is not that it has aged poorly – in fact my recollection of this wine on release is that it has actually improved a bit with time. Still, this wine is hot, disjointed and over manufactured. It does offer some nice notes of typical varietal fruit, black cherry liquor, vanilla and green tea. It is unfortunately more than a little over extracted, astringent with way too much oak making for a bitter attack and finish. Not very pleasant, though with air it softens a bit.

Wine Musings Is Turning 40!

Wine of Merit: ***+Chasseur, Van der Kamp vineyard, pinot noir, 1999: Ahhhh…finally. I have been hit and miss with Bill Hunter’s wines of late and worried that they really did not age well at all (they are so wonderful young). This is the exception. Van der Kamp vineyard makes great pinot noir (Siduri and Flowers come to mind) and this is a perfect expression of what it can offer. Wonderful, tea rose, black cherry, cassis and nutmeg aromas present themselves with a little coaxing. Green tea, more cherry fruit and minerals on the palate. Great structure and wonderful integration. A stately wine, with everything in the right place. Fine, furry tannins and a spice box finish. Essential pinot.

***+Keever Vineyards, Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon, 2004: Much has been made of this new winery's offerings of late – yet another new winery from retiring boomers who are now living their Napa Valley dreams. It is an Atlas Peak cab made by Celia Masyczek, she of Staglin and Scarecrow fame. So I broke down and grabbed a few bottles. Well, the hype is for the most part warranted. This is an extremely well made wine. Still very brawny and intense, the wine shows off great aromatics – scorched earth, violets, bittersweet chocolate and blue fruits. The palate is deep and mineral laden, with more chocolate and stone fruit. The finish is powerful but well integrated into the wine, not detracting from overall balance at all – and that no small feat given the wines 15%+ alcohol levels. This wine reminds me of a very well made Paulliac – maybe it is the Pontet Canet of Atlas Peak?! A wine (and AVA) to watch – Kongsgaard also makes cab here, as does Jocelyn Lonen.

**++Dutton Goldfield, Rued Vineyard, chardonnay, 2003: I am a big fan of Dan Goldfield. He is an aging hippie from Philly who loves the lifestyle that Sonoma affords him – and it shows in his wines. The Rued vineyard makes lovely chardonnay that typically exhibits bright, yellow peach, white floral elements and jazzy, tropical nuances. The body of the wine is tight and well-toned, offering complementary zest and ginger elements through a nice, long finish. A very nice, quaffable white.

**++Cline, Big Break vineyard, zinfandel, 1994: I keep these wines around to prove the point that zinfandel can age. Sure, not the 16% alcohol fruit bombs – they start pruney and get angrier as the years pass. But well crafted, balanced, lower alch versions achieve a lushness, maturity and complexity of fruit that makes these worth waiting for. Such is the case with the Cline Big Break. Mature plum and cherry notes, tar and violets whaft from the glass. Coating mouth feel with Rhone like elements of brier, smoke and bacon fat. Sweet, fine tannins on the finish. Lovely.

Rappsody, ToKalon / Dr. Crane vineyard, cabernet sauvignon, 2005: I review this wine mostly to talk about where it was made (Crushpad Wines) more than the wine itself – as only 25 cases were made and it is not for sale –and thus the notes are of little value (I will not rate the wine). This wine is something that a group of friends and I made at the hyper customized wine making experience that Crushpad offers (http://www.crushpadwines.com/). It was part of their “Cult Cabernet” program - the vineyard we selected our fruit from produces wines from Schrader and Harlan and Realm (all $125- $250 a bottle) amongst others. Further, the attention to wine making approximates those wineries best practices…thus the product should be similar. And to cap it off, you get to participate as much or as little as you want in the wine making process. What could be better?

Well, to paraphrase the great, late Lloyd Benson: “I know cult cabernets. I have cellared cult cabernets. You sir are no cult cabernet!” In all fairness, those wines are truly spectacular, often mind boggling wines...the best of the best. Our "baby cult" is absolutely a delicious bottle of wine – and well worth the $35 a bottle we invested at the time. Jammy blackberry and nuances of red fruit, balanced with forest floor and pine needles make this a wine a definite crowd pleaser. The body is still all baby fat, though if one concentrates you will get that yummy, chalky Oakville soil and chocolate mint along with nuance of picholine olive. Finish is starting to firm up and make more of a statement. It will be fun to check into this wine as it ages and develops as right now it is still very primal. When I receive my Harlan, Schrader and Realm allotments I will have a blind tasting with our cult-ish Rappsody and see where things shake out. I can’t wait! As for Crushpad – I would not hesitate to recommend the experience…revel in making your own high quality wine with your own label…and expect to get what you pay for times 2 (or more)!

Wine Musings Vol#39

Wine of Merit: *****Kongsgaard “The Judge” chardonnay, 2005: Order in the courtroom! This really is an absolutely spectacular wine. I really believe that anyone who has tired of chardonnay must revive / recalibrate his or her taste buds by sampling what John Kongsgaard puts together each and every year in his tete de cuvee of white wines. Everything about it is superlative; the nuanced, complex nose of clover honey, sage, lavender and bosc pear. The oily, viscous mouth feel that adds verbena and slate elements to the palate. The long, spicy, lemony finish that actually shows a zing of red grapefruit right at the end…wow. I love this wine and am happy to buy it year in and year out, even at its heady price of $125 (or $300-$500 after market) a pop. Well worth it.

****+Chateau Palmer, Margaux, Bordeaux 1995: I openly admit to being a total Palmer head. There is just something about the way it all comes together – it is at once pretty yet serious, lithe yet deep, nuanced yet massive - that just makes it one of the great wine experiences to be had. The 1995 is a wonderful wine. It does not have the layer upon layer of complexity that the 1983 or 1989 had. It is a bit more straightforward…but worthy nonetheless. Great Margaux red fruit, wonderful chalky minerals, violets and black licorice…truffles. Great weight, seamless integration, not showing really any age at all, perfect finish that is honed and muscular but still all in balance. A finely toned wine.

****Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, Bolgheri, 1997: My friend John Caldarella is on a mission to remind me of how wonderful Italian wines can be. He is succeeding. This is a great wine that has aged beautifully. For those not in the know, Ornellaia is a Bordeaux-like blend originally made by the Antinori family (I believe it has since been sold – anyone see Mondo Vino?). Out of the bottle this is a wild wine…showing smoke, grilled meat, truffle and ripe plum. Palate is coating and expansive with more super ripe fruit, black olive and tar. Finish is also full if not particularly remarkable. With time in the glass it settles down quite a bit, becoming more nuanced and much more red fruit driven. I think this wine is very much ready to drink right now….right at its peak.

****Rivers Marie, Napa Valley cabernet, 2004: I am crazy for Thomas Rivers Brown wines. Outpost, Rivers Marie (his own label), Schrader, Maybach…the list goes on. Thomas is better known for the pinot he makes with this label, but I know what he does with cab and thus was expecting great stuff. I was not disappointed. Wow- this is delicious! Huge nose of blackberry, plum, bittersweet chocolate, scorched earth. This style can easily go over the top (see Husic notes) but this rides the wave perfectly, keeping it just in check. The palate is expansive and generous, adding black pepper and licorice root. Finish is long and still very young. This is a dynamite effort that may reward cellaring…but will be difficult to keep you hands off in the short term. Kudos TRB!

***+Araujo estate grappa, 2003: And now for something completely different…grappa! I love Araujo grappa – it is my favorite of all grappas, better than Nonino, better than their Piccolit. In fact, I would say that this is a great grappa to try if you think you do not like grappa. It is not astringent at all. Lovely, nuanced espresso bean and vanilla notes, with a touch of white flowers. Some heat but not too much. And smooooooth? Wow, the texture and mouth feel are wonderful. Even the finish is great, adding a bit of white pepper and more spice from the oak. A great after meal digestif.

***+Siro Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino, 1999: Another installment of Caldarella on Italian wine. Delicious. Bright raspberry fruit, saddle leather, licorice root. At the top of the maturity bell curve. Expansive and palate coating, with a fine, sweet tannic finish. A statesman of a wine. I could drink a lot of this!

***+Castel Giocondo Brunello di Montalcino, 1999: Lovely and very mature. This wine shows red and black fruit, morel mushrooms, a nice black olive element and toast. Not thinning on the palate but clearly mature. Lovely mineral element mid palate. This is a dynamite wine that offers great nuance and really got better and better as the evening progressed.

***+Frogs Leap Napa Valley cabernet, 2001: Another surprise. I have always enjoyed Frogs leap wines (if you have never had their “Late Leap” Sauternes-like dessert wine, you should…the packaging alone is worth the effort) but never thought of them as more than restaurant fare. This wine was much better than that. Very nice depth, with good grip and balance, this wine is still youthful but very much in alignment. Black, berry fruit, tar, minerals and violets create an alluring mélange. Again, the palate shows nice heft and balance with more black fruit and some briar. No drop off to the finish, which offers fine, sweet tannins. A very worthy wine from a very worthy vintage.

***Newton Unfiltered chardonnay, 2002: Flamboyant and fun. This is a no holds barred chardonnay. It offers over the top aromas of lemon meringue, hibiscus, marzipan and grilled peach. The palate is lush, perhaps a tad flabby, adding elements of linseed and café au lait. Nice, candied citrus zest finish with more toasty, spicy oak. Honestly, it was a bit of a surprise to me as the 2003 is a much more balanced, nuanced wine. Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em.