The Wine Thread #2

[hornplayer]

Why would I bother with The French Laundry when I can be guaranteed a table at the local TGIF or Outback Steakhouse without having to make a reservation? And unlike The French Laundry they take coupons.

Thankfully there are numerous restaurants in Napa Valley that fall somewhere in between the sublime...

The French Laundry

and the ridiculous...

local TGIF or Outback Steakhouse

[Dr Dave]

Thankfully there are numerous restaurants in Napa Valley that fall somewhere in between the sublime...and the ridiculous...

For example: Bistro Jeanty. (Just turn off the accordion music). It's what you want a fake French Bistro in Napa to be like: good food, good list, only slightly overpriced, maximum unpretentious fun.

Similar concept, only not nearly as well-executed: Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen. If I remember right, it's run by the owners of Mustard's Grill, but clearly does not get the same attention.

[hornplayer]

For example: Bistro Jeanty. (Just turn off the accordion music). It's what you want a fake French Bistro in Napa to be like: good food, good list, only slightly overpriced, maximum unpretentious fun.

Similar concept, only not nearly as well-executed: Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen. If I remember right, it's run by the owners of Mustard's Grill, but clearly does not get the same attention.

Bistro Jeanty is my favorite! Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen is Cindy Pawlcyn's "hole in the wall" in St. Helena. Yes, definitely related to Mustards. not as fancy.

[Jimmy Cantiello]

Fixed

Although I know that Jimmy is a rube from Connecticut, I'm pretty sure he's pulling our legs. However, thankfully there are numerous restaurants in Napa Valley that fall somewhere in between the sublime...and the ridiculous...

[clinthopson]

For all you booze hounds, my son, K.C., had developed a site, Hahler.com, which is all about booze. It's in beta and he has a very good business plan. He already owns a successful internet company.

[Dr Dave]

For all you booze hounds, my son, K.C., had developed a site, Hahler.com, which is all about booze. It's in beta and he has a very good business plan. He already owns a successful internet company.

Checking it out. Kind of fun to see a jumble of booze images, from Arnaldo Caprai Sagrantino di Montefalco to PBR.

[Jimmy Cantiello]

Well, I got a reservation locked in for Bistro Jeanty. And as long as I'm in the area I'll have to at least stop by Greystone if only for a visit.

[hornplayer]

Jimmy, last I heard the restaurant at Greystone was serving very tasty food. haven't been there in a while myself, but I would gladly go back.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Haven't heard the CIA called Greystone in a while!

Always great food at the Academy

[Dr Dave]

Haven't heard the CIA called Greystone in a while!

Always great food at the Academy

Me, neither. We must be geezers. I vaguely recall being there on a rainy October (bizarre, I know) afternoon and not getting past the gift shop. But it was a long time ago. I say that a lot now.

[jesus marion joseph]

Recently went to the Nasuet Beach Club in Orleans for dinner. They're under fairly new ownership, and have re-cast themselves as a sophisticated Italian restaurant. I can't say I was convinced about the "sophisticated" part, and the food on the whole was pretty good (but also pretty pricey), but I had a bottle of 2011 Casale Del Giglio Satrico, which purports to be a blend of Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Trebbiano Gallo grapes. It was entirely pleasant, I have to say. Would buy again.

[Dr Dave]

Recently went to the Nasuet Beach Club in Orleans for dinner. They're under fairly new ownership, and have re-cast themselves as a sophisticated Italian restaurant. I can't say I was convinced about the "sophisticated" part, and the food on the whole was pretty good (but also pretty pricey), but I had a bottle of 2011 Casale Del Giglio Satrico, which purports to be a blend of Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Trebbiano Gallo grapes. It was entirely pleasant, I have to say. Would buy again.

How many owners are we on at Nauset? I remember when Margo's friend Art ran it, but that was 12 years ago.

[jesus marion joseph]

Hard to keep track. The last time I went there was about 15 years ago.

My first choice was Abba, but they were booked.

[Dr Dave]

Dave, me and the mrs. went to the Brewster Fish House for dinner last weekend and were surprised that we didn't recognize any faces there (don't think we went there at all last summer). We were especially surprised not to see Tina.

Last night we went to the Cape Cinema and then stopped into the restaurant nearby which re-opened last year as Fin (used to be a tapas themed place named Gracie's table) and, lo and behold, there's Tina at the bar. Apparently the chef from BFH left and opened her own place and asked Tina to come along. The menu looks great, and I had a couple glasses of 2009 Auvigue St -Véran “Moulin Du Pont”, in keeping with my current fascination with French chardonnays. Very nice wine, although I'm not sure it really betters the Macon-Villages and is slightly more expensive.

I want to go to Fin!

[Dr Dave]

It's that time again.

A Mule-ish Thanksgiving.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

It's that time again.

A Mule-ish Thanksgiving.

These last few years, I have been pouring Trimbach Gewürztraminer for Thanksgiving. It goes very well with turkey, although it's a little on the sweet side of of the street. I used to pour Conundrum White (have to add "white" now that they've started making a red) but the last few vintages have been very weird tasting and not in a good way.

[Dr Dave]

When I first came into the business Alsace Gewurz was often recommended for Turkey Day, and still is--here--here--and here!

I hardly ever open one, probably because the gewurz aromatics are so distinctive. I like the shock of that wild rose petal/lychee/spice nose, and the shock goes away if the experience is repeated too often. That's what I tell myself, anyway. It may also have something to do with the price. Few wines are as awful as cheap gewurz; few are as spectacular as the Trimbach Vendage Tardive, one of the few sweet wines from Trimbach (I think it was Jacky Barthelmé of Albert Mann who said "Trimbach, they make Protestant wine" meaning dry, dry, dry...). I think the '02 is still on the market, around $60 or so, which is a lot, considering that I'm usually the only one at the table who wants to drink it.

[Dr Dave]

'Tis the season for the Wine Mule to start whoring again: Gifts for Geeks.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Tis the season for holiday parties and I opened the season last Thursday with a doozy. I guess you should expect an incredible wine list when the party is thrown by the owner of a wine store.
First up - 5 liter bottle of 1995 Renwood Grandmere Zinfandel
then - 3 liter bottle of 1987 Silver Oak Napa Cabernet Sauvignon
the last big bottle - 3 liter bottle of 1990 Tommasi Amarone

Of the three, the Tommasi Amarone was sublime.

After we finished these bottles, we went onto a few magnums. I was at the end of the table that got the 2000 Pride Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon.

By this point, things were getting very blurry. I remember sipping some 1999 Groth Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon but I can't remember how good it was. I just know that I didn't try a sip of wine that night that wasn't great... well, the 87 Silver Oak was a bit odd (strong menthol on the finish). I was totally inebriated by the time my daughter picked me up but it was a friggin' blast!

[Dr Dave]

Tis the season for holiday parties and I opened the season last Thursday with a doozy. I guess you should expect an incredible wine list when the party is thrown by the owner of a wine store.
First up - 5 liter bottle of 1995 Renwood Grandmere Zinfandel
then - 3 liter bottle of 1987 Silver Oak Napa Cabernet Sauvignon
the last big bottle - 3 liter bottle of 1990 Tommasi Amarone

Of the three, the Tommasi Amarone was sublime.

After we finished these bottles, we went onto a few magnums. I was at the end of the table that got the 2000 Pride Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon.

By this point, things were getting very blurry. I remember sipping some 1999 Groth Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon but I can't remember how good it was. I just know that I didn't try a sip of wine that night that wasn't great... well, the 87 Silver Oak was a bit odd (strong menthol on the finish). I was totally inebriated by the time my daughter picked me up but it was a friggin' blast!

As they say in the trade, "It's a dark and lonely job, but goddamit, somebody's got to do it." (1990 Tommasi...I am envious.)

[Dr Dave]

If it were not for Valentine's Day, a lotta St Amour producers would be car dealers, I think.

As for the other, I don't disagree. I've tasted some '03 Moulins that seemed worthy of contemplation, but I just can't imagine devoting much time or energy to discerning the differences among most cru Beaujolais. Now, the difference between Aloxe Corton and Vougeot, for example--that's a distinction worth making!

(And just to complete your reference to the South, I'd add Chateauneuf-du-Pape and, say, Cornas...)

What a fucking obnoxious post. (This is why Americans should read "Huckleberry Finn" every five years or so...the book doesn't change, but you do.)

[Kevin Bresnahan]

As blizzard Nemo roars into New England, I decided to pop a single estate Cabernet Sauvignon from Paul Hobbs' Argentina winery, Vina Cobos. I've written glowing reviews of this winery's "regular" Cab, Felino, and as expected, this is incredible stuff. He designates his single estate wines with the Bramare name. Sam got in two cases of the Bramare Lujan De Cuyo vineyard. I was able to pick up 4 bottles of the 2009 vintage for $32 a bottle, which will likely be significantly lower than what everyone else is paying (Sam's prices truly can't be beat).

This is some incredible juice for the money. If this were out of the Napa Valley, where Hobbs makes some $75-150 bottles of wine with his name on it, it would be a $100 bottle of wine easy. If you can get it and your budget allows, grab a bottle and see if you don't agree. You'll probably buy 6 or 7 or 12 more. Jammy cherry and blackberry fruits in the front with a bit of acid in the back for some backbone. Smooth finish, even with some tannins that will settle down in a couple of years. Excellent steak wine. It is going to be tough to leave this alone for a few years as it ages down in the cellar, but it needs it.

I was surprised to read the Wine Spectator's 10/15/11 review. Only 89 Points? I disagree.

89 Points - A ripe and plush red, with layers of spice, mesquite and wild herb flavors framing the jammy cassis and black plum fruit. Silky tannins lead to the long, tarry finish.

But then again, the WIne Spectator typically disses jammy wines. I often find the Zins that they diss and give an 86 to with "jammy" in the description and buy a case. I've had good luck doing this.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Tomorrow is the Wine Connextion's 4th annual "Battle of the Big Cabs". As it has been for the last 3, there will be some great wines tasted. I got asked to "come out of retirement" for this tasting so if you do drop by, I'll be walking the floor if you want to compare notes or get a 2nd taste of a wine.

First, the list of wines:
$12.99 - 2010 Columbia Crest H3 Horse Heaven Hills
$18.99 - 2010 Napa Cellars
$19.99 - 2009 Starmont (Merryvale 2nd label)
$19.99 - 2007 St. Supery
$24.99 - 2009 Obsidian Ridge
$32.99 - 2010 Pine Ridge
$26.99 - 2010 Summers Winery
$39.99 - 2009 Hess Collection
$39.99 - 2009 Caravan (Darioush 2nd label)
$46.99 - 2009 Vineyard 29 Cru
$58.99 - 2008 Silver Oak Alexander Valley
$59.99 - 2009 L'Aventure

I’ve tried all of these wines with the exception of the Vineyard 29 Cru that Sam just added to the list. There are some real winners in here at all price levels. While I wasn’t that impressed with the Columbia Crest H3, it wasn’t bad either, just a little less "there" than I like. The other wines… just great – all of them. We down-selected from ~55 Cabs and these 12 were pretty special.

If you can, try the '07 St. Supery. Only $20... actually, when I tasted it, I was told that it would be selling for $25 and I thought that was a steal at that price. Out of them all, if there was one wine I would buy to pop and drink later that day, it would be the Hess Collection, which was big, full bodied and smooth as silk. It might not cellar that well because there aren’t a lot of tannins but sometimes you don’t want to wait. Caravan, a 2nd label for Darioush, is on the other side of that coin and will probably be better in 2 or 3 more years. Note that Darioush’s Cab is selling for $83 a bottle now, so getting some of this juice for $40 is a steal. The same goes for the Starmount, which is Merryvale’s second label. The rumor mill is that the 2009 Starmount is almost straight Merryvale juice. Merryvale sells for around $55 and you can get Starmount for $20. The math is easy.

I’ll be curious to see what everyone thinks of the Pine Ridge. When we tasted it, we all agreed that it was excellent but we also all agreed that it was pretty unique out of all the wines we tasted that night. It is very complex, with different people getting different tastes - from caramel to menthol to mint leaves to cocoa - all over the place. It’s also a great deal. We were originally going to have to price it at $55 but Sam worked with the distributor to get it down to $33.

[hornplayer]

If I were in your neck of the woods, I would surely be there! Some of my favorites are on that list. You'll have to have a couple extra tastes for me, Kevin... especially of the St. Supery and the Silver Oak.

[Dr Dave]

How I Spent My Winter Vacation.

South Africa: Organics and Oddities.

South Africa: Riesling!

South Africa: Refined Reds