Vineyardgate.com News Blog

photo courtesy by François Blanchard

Last Friday night was another fun dinner at Day Break. Patrick made a delicious puréed cauliflower soup that was refreshing on that very warm night. I chose the entrée of pork roulade stuffed with raisins, wilted greens, and apple sauce, and afterwards finished off with a nectarine Melba with vanilla ice cream. Yumm! I could have gone for seconds.

The wines we drank were a mix of California, except for one—I’ll talk about this in a moment. Helen Turley’s 2000 Marcassin Alexander Mountain Chardonnay Upper Barn was fat and smoky, overripe with fading orangey flavors. The 2000 Pride Claret Reserve was in that opulent Napa style; sweet, chocolaty, and redolent of oak. The 1986 Johnson-Turnbull Napa Cabernet Sauvignon was drying out a bit, though still elegant and heavily infused with spearmint. Much better was the 1986 Laurel Glen Sonona Cabernet Sauvignon, which lacked bouquet but surprised us with its youthful concentration and grace. And finally for dessert, the 2004 Sine Qua Non Mr. K Straw Man Vin de Paille, a Semillon concentrate that must have contained a ton of sugar; unctuous and thick, with honey and fruity botrytised scents and lots of apricot flavors.

I really enjoyed the variety of these California wines, but the surprise wine of the night and one I have never tasted before was the Vin de Table de France, François Blanchard, a 2004 Sauvignon Blanc from the Touraine region of the Loire Valley made by François Blanchard of Château du Perron. Relegated to the lowest of the low, Vin de Table wines are not permitted to have any identity—no vintage, no varietal name, not even the region of origin on the label. It is practically death to any wine to receive such an ignoble designation. Yet, by force of personality this wine sparkled, figuratively and literally. Its ethereal fizz tickled the lips and popped on contact, leaving the palate with an almost off-dry, intense taste of cidered pear and apples with a tip of white pepper. Underneath the fruit was a layer of minerals that lingered solo in the long finish. I felt happy to have enjoyed this unique wine for the first time.

François Blanchard, Loire’s latest enfant terrible since Didier Daguneau, is a thirty-something local jazz musician in Tours. Just over five years ago he decided to resuscitate his family’s long-neglected tiny wine estate. He did little to modernize the winery, except to install electricity. The main improvement were the two manual vertical basket presses be brought in!

In the vineyard, farming has been organic from the outset (AB certified), though Blanchard doesn’t plow, and allow weeds to run almost amok in the vineyard and around the winery. His winemaking is totally artisanal and as natural as possible. He almost never uses SO2 and certainly never touches industrial yeasts or bacteria. He ferments in ambient cellar temperature without any temperature control in the vat. The cellar itself is maintained in ambient temperature with perhaps some adjustment if necessary. Blanchard believes that vinification should proceed with the season. Soutirage or racking is kept at the most minimum to preserve the carbonic gas created by the fermentation, hence minimizing the use of sulphites. I can tell you that after opening the bottle, the gas is intact and the wine is fresh and lively. The bottle, by the way, is enclosed in crown cap and sealed with a wax capsule.

Alas, François Blanchard’s wines are not exported. I would have to visit him soon, maybe next March and pick up a few bottles.

Posted by Alex Bernardo at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I’ve enjoyed more wines at Grill Akafuji in Millbrae than at any other place. The man there, Mizuno-san, serves up simple and tasty bento box meals that I find fascinating to pair with any wine.

Recently I got together with a couple of friends at Akafuji so we can check out four interesting wines: two white Burgundies, a red Burgundy, and a northern Rhône. 4:3, that’s a pretty good ratio of wine to drinkers. The 1997 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru “Clos des Chevaliers (monopole)”, Domaine Jean Chartron started out tight, but an hour or so later blossomed exuberantly, with lanolin and mineral oils, peach-almond and citrus flavors. Very nice purity. Rich yet with a nice lift and an elegant finish. Deliciously drinking but far from mature.

The citrus was echoed in the 1999 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, Maison Bertrand Ambroise, but more intense, gathering flavors of lemon zest and lemon oil. High-pitch laser-like focus, with tingling freshness on the palate. Excellent purity of fruit. Full of vinous energy. Years away from fully unfolding, but promises to be extraordinary.

On to the reds with the 1997 Romanée-St.-Vivant Grand Cru, Domaine Thomas-Moillard. Tight and closed at first, then an hour or so later, splendid! Fleshy, deep, long, and well layered, with a grace and focus that’s truly impressive. Thomas-Moillard is not a producer I usually seek out, but this is a wine to seek out. Perhaps the ripeness of the vintage countered positively the dilute tendency of this producer’s wines. Whatever it was they did, they did brilliantly on this one.

An oddball is the 1998 Hermitage “Les Bessards”, Delas. Deeply colored, nearly opaque, and tightly wound and austere on the palate, this was giving out funky minerally, iron rust, oxidative-like scents, though the taste was fresh and youthful. Really odd. This reminded me of my experience with Domaine Chave’s 1989 Hermitage the first time I opened it, about 8-9 years from vintage date—disappointingly thin and austere. I forgot about it for a few years then opened another one, this time it was fleshy and aromatic, sweet and layered. I will give the Delas the same benefit of doubt.

Grill Akafuji
9 Hillcrest Boulevard
Millbrae, CA
650.692.9967

Posted by Alex Bernardo at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Given all the remarkable get-togethers that we treated ourselves to during the year, setting up the year’s BNO (boys’ night out) finale was not going to be easy. After many ideas were tossed around, the most appealing was taking it again on the road like last year's, though this time a neighborhood restaurant, instead of a distant commute to Las Vegas, was the immediate consensus—to everyone’s relief!

We owe Eric a debt of gratitude for liaising with the restaurant and astutely negotiating the most beneficial terms on the date, table, menu, and, most importantly, corkage. 231 Ellsworth in downtown San Mateo is a Bay Area foodie institution that has managed to remain relevant and cutting-edge despite being in business for the past two decades. My first visits to the restaurant were in the mid-1990s, including a memorable 1996 K&L Wines-hosted dinner featuring a vertical tasting of Pichon-Lalande, with the château’s patronne May-Eliane de Lencquesaing herself presiding. I have enjoyed many meals at the restaurant since then, mostly wine-related dinners like the Vineyard Gate-hosted California Cabernet Sauvignon wine dinner in 2000 immediately after the restaurant re-opened and the Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüe wine dinner in 2005 attended by the domaine’s general manager, Jean-Luc Pépin. Like Patina and Spago in L.A., 231 Ellsworth is the Bay Area’s venue of choice for ultimate wine dinners.

The reason why many obsess with food and wine pairings is that these offer the most profound dining experience. We mulled over the food and wine possibilities before selecting the following menu, and even still there were last-minute adjustments:

The 1970 Sauternes Premier Cru Classé, Château Suduiraut paired with the Foie Gras 3 Ways was like game-over and a total knockout. We could’ve stopped after this first course and it would’ve been a memorable dinner already. The ’70 Suduiraut was deep red copper color; still a whiff of new oak emanated; delicately sweet, hinting of pear poached in mild spices, a touch mineral, and possessing a feathery lightness that was so lovely. One can say this wasn’t a perfect wine, and I wouldn’t argue with critics’ poor assessment of it as it lacked botrytis power and there was some bitterness on the finish that exposed the shortness in sugar. These are minor quibbles, though, as it was a magnificent wine! And with the foie gras the whole experience was fantastic. Many wine enthusiasts seek that 90-point or 100-point scoring wine, overlooking these score-defying imperfect gems. This ’70 Suduiraut is a perfect example of what New York Times wine critic Eric Asimov clamors for: “wines that offer a little resistance”.

Another view: Lenny: “Sauternes was eye-opening, though i would have liked a bit more weight and sweetness. I think the dish was constructed around that expectation, especially the flan-like portion…” Gary: “as to my favorite pairings-foie gras…favorite wines… 70 Sauternes” Steve: “the Sauternes and foie gras. Politically incorrect (yes a goose was harmed) and unbelievable in my belly” Kevin: “I echo Alex on the 70 Suduirant. Great call. HUGE surprise. What a way to begin!”

Foie Gras 3 Ways a la 231 Ellsworth

The next flight featured a most dynamic Champagne duo, but it was marred by the food-pairing. The Matsutake “crème brûlée”, in itself a delicious dish, was a bit sweet resulting in a taste mismatch with the Champagnes. Yet, Veuve Clicquot’s awesome 1996 Grande Dame was my favorite wine of the night. I couldn't believe how good it was; displaying raw, youthful powerful and remarkable precision as it moves through the palate with perfect timing. The acidity was almost searing, jolting the palate with nervous tension, and at the right moment the sweetness of the fruit breaks through. This is a Champagne if cellared well should evolve for many decades.

Scallops in Matsutake “crème brûlée”

Another view: Kevin: “My take was very different than Alex on the champagne. The 96 Grand Dame is a highly respected wine. I thought this bottle was not balanced--far too acidic, lean. I know, it is a long vintage, but it is usually more pronounced with fruit. It just wasn't there.” Steve: “I side with Kevin on the champagne, the 96 kept trying but was to austere. Both were hurt by the dish pairing, tough to match.” Lenny: “Yes, GD was ‘austere’, I think that's part of what keeps me coming back. But I'm new to vintage Champ., so I'll now be in search of wines that are just a tad more mellow.”

Gosset’s 1990 Celebris was a contrasting statement as it presented luscious red fruits, delicious bread toast, a nutty oxidativeness, and a round, lush mouthfeel. I enjoyed this Champagne, too, and everyone gave it a nod.

Another view: Kevin: “The 90 Celebris was not showing like the world beater it has been in horizontal tastings. Excellent three and a half puff, but maybe not seemless anymore. One off note--a drop of something not jointed.”

A fillet of Mediterranean Rouget worked out beautifully with two very different whites. The 1982 Laville-Haut-Brion (the white of Château La Mission-Haut-Brion) exuded resin and pine scents, cedar and papaya. An exotic tasting white Bordeaux with verve and elegance.

Another view: Kevin: “82 Laville HB I loved, but I love semillon. The nose had a powerful lemon fig with a dash of petrol. Steve mentioned bacon fat I thought. Powerful, exotic sexy beast. This maybe wasn't as well matched with the food as the terrific 86 Meursault.”

Maison Leroy’s 1986 Meursault was a powerhouse white Burgundy. Unbelievable intensity, depth, and length. What a rich, concentrated wine! I can easily compare this experience to a great premier cru. I think it totally caught us by surprise. We were in awe, particularly Matt and John.

Another view: Kevin: “Spectacular for a village wine, the Leroy had great balance. The classic nuttiness that personifies Meursault not as strong a Meursault style as I prefer---but the balance makes for long finish. These 2 were my favorite flight.”

So on to the most toothsome course of the night: the seared squab breast. Now the squab is a tiny bird, but you wouldn’t know it gazing at the hefty chunk of boneless, tender meat on my plate. Bravo, to the chef for making the most out of this noble bird!

My excitement with the squab still did not overshadow my anticipation for the two red Burgundies of this flight. But the 1985 DRC Echezeaux was heartbreaking for it showed whiffs of TCA amidst a mighty concentration of fruit that was in a see-saw battle against the taint. At times the wine seemed to be winning, yet moments later the TCA still reared its ugly head. Ah, so near and yet so close!

Fortunately, the 1957 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetiers Maison Leroy snapped me out of my Burgundy depression. “It’s what great old Burgundies ought to be”, said Steve. The antithesis of a SLH fruit bomb Pinot Noir. Age has dried up all but a sliver of fruit at its core, baring the wine’s sheer elegance and essence of terroir. Aubert de Villaine, in Natalie MacLean’s book, describes old Burgundies like these as having “lost all the body of the fruit. They gain a spirituality from their long meditation in the bottle. It is the spirit that speaks and no more the flesh.”

Another view: Kevin: “85 DRC Echezeaux--nose initially spectacular. On palate opened with pretty violets clean fruit. Then it shut down. Then it started to come out. Then it didn't. Oy vey. If I could make a case for drinking a fine wine in shots, as a prosecutor, this would be my first witness. In contrast, the 57 Gevrey-Chambertin was right there. 50 year old premier cru going great at 50 years!!!??? I enjoyed this wine very much. For me the wine of the evening. Lovely smoky Pinot with all that great old burgundy funk. By the way, even though 57 not much of a vintage in Bordeaux, underrated and very good DRC and Leroy Burgundy vintage. Steve tx for sharing birth year and special bottle.” Steve: "The burgundy and squab. Perhaps my favorite of all time. Everything that was right about food and wine pairings showed up in those two dishes. The Burgs were sublime. Home court bias, the 57 was my favorite wine of the night. The DRC was a perfect compliment - so different, yet so classic.”

The Italian reds that came up next were paired with juicy beef short ribs that seemed to enhance the fleshiness of the wines. Gaja’s 1997 Sori San Lorenzo was dense, sweet, and soft; an opulent wine packed with very ripe, very tender Nebbiolo. Lacking some elegance, yet the fruit is irresistible. This is in very good drinking form right now. Another 1997, Villa Poggio Salvi’s Brunello di Montalcino, smelled promisingly of Hershey’s milk chocolate yet on the palate was flat and lifeless. No tartness or fruity taste, not even astringency. The wine gave off no off-flavors or flawed scents, so what has happened? I really would’ve liked to try another bottle.

Another view: Kevin: “Gaja 97--very nice wine-delicious. I was wanting more structure and Nebbiolo profile. This is the vineyard that is supposed to be austere. I didn't see it. Seemed more California in style. The other 97 is a great wine. I had it a year ago. Eric you were valiant to get it for us--this was in my opinion a bad bottle. It had a dirty component. Matt might be able to tell us what it was.”

For the final course of roasted lamb the pairing was a flight of two 1997 Napa reds. I’ve had the 1997 Pahlmeyer Merlot several times and it always shows very well, and this night was another stellar performance. Powerful, lush blackberry, licorice flavors. Tannins are ample and velvety. Very well balanced for this style. Based on how it’s developing over the number of times I’ve tasted it in the past several years, I’d say many more years of life ahead. There may not be a Napa Merlot that could touch this. On the other hand, the 1997 Heitz Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon showed the vintage’s very ripe character, with the eucalyptus/mint scents that’s the signature of the vineyard. However, this lacks backbone and depth; hence I thought it was merely good.

Another view: Kevin: “The Pahlmeyer was very good. Tasty yummy Cal merlot. We thought the 97 Heitz was off balance.”

The “’55 Graham” was consumed off-site. Actually, as Kevin revealed next day he mistakenly opened the ’63 Fonseca! Heck, no complaints here. Frankly, by this time I was pretty much wined out, though I still enjoyed sips of this great Port. Juicy, tobacco leaf-infused red fruits, with Musigny-like elegance, and a finish that was so velvety and pure. I could drink this Port all night.

Posted by Alex Bernardo at 09:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An invitation to Gary’s and Dolores' house means a lamb feast. Never mind that our recent GBNO (girls’ and boys’ night out) theme is White Burgundy-Chardonnay. At Gary’s, lamb is always on the menu. And to no one’s surprise his grilled rack of lamb was simply divine with the Chardonnays.

No gathering should be without a good cheese plate. Yumm...

We got down to business well before the lamb was served. A pair of Littorai Chardonnays appeared. Ted Lemon started Littoria over ten years ago after years of study and training in Burgundy. He was the first American winemaker for a Burgundy estate, Domaine Roulot in Meursault, right in the heart of Chardonnay country. Upon his return to California he established Littorai, which focused on wines grown in the coastal vineyards of Sonoma and Mendocino. The 2004 Sonoma Coast “Charles Heintz Vineyard”, Littorai was luscious, opulent, and very ripe tasting. A mouthful of honeyed grapefruit sorbet. Its older cousin, the 1999 Sonoma Coast “Thieriot Vineyard”, Littorai was even fatter, richer, and probably just as ripe, yet more exotic, with flavors of poached pear and soft pineapples. A good time to be opening this before the wine starts to become mushy.

As the final glimmer of daylight faded in the sky, the vibe got more animated. Gary fired up the outdoor grill for the sacrificial lamb. In the kitchen, Kevin and Steve pulled out corks of some venerable white Burgundies. The 1978 Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Folatières, Joseph Drouhin, from a great vintage for white Burgundy, showed no signs of fatigue after nearly three decades—a convincing show of Chardonnay longevity. Smokey, toasty aromas and the exotic Folatières tropical fruit flavors emerged from the glass. This had a lovely, penetrating intensity. After several minutes it gained more substance without losing elegance. An incredibly powerful wine, this seems to draw from deep reserves. My white Burgundy of the night.

The 1989 Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Le Clavoillon, Domaine Leflaive was reticent at the outset. My favorite vintage for Leflaive is 1989. Over fifteen years ago, when there was lesser demand for white Burgundy I’d try to buy any 1989 Leflaive I find languishing on a shelf as prices were still within reach then. I could even afford a bottle or two of Chevalier and Batard when there’s a sale at Beltramo’s (one of the few stores in the Bay Area to stock an extensive selection of white Burgundies during that time). Now, of course, Leflaive is very big bucks. I was happy to be drinking an old friend. This one seemed rustic. But after about an hour it offered juicy apple flavors up front, with layers of dried fruit, earthy mushrooms, and mineral in the background. One can spend a night plumbing the depths of this wine.

We closed the Burgundy hat trick by drinking an unbelievably durable 1971 Meursault Premier Cru Poruzots, Remoissenet Pere & Fils. This tastes like a crunchy Asian pear, still fresh, fat, and juicy. Though lacking in firmness, its wonderful layer of spice gives it a nice grip, especially as it finished. I couldn’t ask for more for a Chardonnay approaching its fourth decade.

Up next was a pair of two great California Chardonnays. The 2001 Napa Chardonnay, Stony Hill Vineyard. Stony Hill has a proven track record for Chardonnays that age for decades, miraculous by California standards. This one is simply too young, but what great potential! Very tight, yet the nose gives away delicious scents of fresh fruit and minerals. Richly concentrated, crisp, and very elegant. It would be a treat to follow this Chardonnay’s evolution.

The Chardonnay of the night was undoubtedly the 1975 Sonoma Chardonnay, Hanzell Vineyards. Chardonnay vines at Hanzell originated with cuttings taken from Stony Hill vines; therefore it’s not surprising that these wines age for decades as well. This pre-1990 Chardonnay was so stunning, especially given the age, prompting Kevin (he-who-doesn’t-own-California-wines-post-1980s) to hail it: “best California Chardonnay I’ve ever had”. I feel the same way. The bouquet was powerful and complex with autumnal scents of earth, leaves, undergrowth, and smoke. Round, intense, and minerally in the mouth, the flavors were youthful and bright without a trace of oxidation. For such a powerful, long-lasting California wine the label showed 13.8% Alcohol. And this is not a low-acid wine; in fact the acid level is quite high that’s why it tasted so crisp and vibrant.

Nearly everything about Stony Hill and Hanzell Chardonnays seem to fly against the trend in California Chardonnays for the past few decades. Moderate alcohol. Dry. Natural acid balance. Modest ripeness. Elegant. Sadly, these qualities are found in a minority of top California Chardonnays. Have California winemaking and consumers’ wine palates progressed much after California wine’s boom and hype of the 1990s? One thing’s for sure though, prices have outpaced everything else.

Al fresco dining on a clear summer night, what could be better?

Well, bless the souls of Matt, Gary, and Eric for allowing a few red interlopers to crash the party. The 1985 Barbaresco, Produttori del Barbaresco was soft, elegant, and kissed with earth and cherries. I saved a few bites of my lamb for that beauty. This was soon followed by the 1995 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru “Les Vaucrains, Bertrand Ambroise. Ambroise makes beefy red Burgundies, and this one was still very tight though Gary’s lamb, which by now was nowhere to be found on the food table, made it seem luscious.

Once you start opening up these reds one thing leads to another. Excited about our next BNO theme, three high-profile California Cabernet Sauvignons were dispatched. The 1998 Napa “Maya”, Dalla Valle was classy, showing a nice harmony of sweet cassis, herbal, and earthy flavors. Rounded, fleshy, and well-structured, with very good acid balance and sweet tannins, I would expect this to age well over the next ten years. If you like elegant, understated Napa reds this Maya is beautiful.

What a contrast to the 1999 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon “Hillside Select”, Shafer Vineyards, which was opulent, concentrated, and tannic. A big wine with powerful, upfront fruit that is very showy.

After a decade the 1997 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, Etude Vineyards was tender, juicy, with a good core fruit, but is now too soft and lacks grip . Drink up.

Finally, the Sauternes was uncorked. Medium-bodied, soft, and filled with flavors of poached pear, caramel, and minerals, the 1983 Sauternes Premier Cru Classé, Château Sigalas-Rabaud was alluring, yet losing freshness after some time in the glass.

We survived another memorable bacchanalian night. What a perfect evening to enjoy these great wines! I went home with a few lessons learned. California wine producers can make Chardonnays as long-lived as White Burgundies if they would strive for quality, instead of being led by consumers and wine critics. After all, the great producers of White Burgundies have been making their wines well before there was a wine critic or a mass market for their wines. Imagine how deprived the world would be had Van Gogh only painted pretty pictures that the public wanted during his time.

That Chardonnay or White Burgundy pairs brilliantly with lamb provided Gary prepared the lamb. That the thought of drinking all white wines in a gathering sends fear to some people—red wines need to be opened if only to cure the shakes.

Only try this with an El Rey del Mundo, Habanos of course

A toast to another memorable get-together

Posted by Alex Bernardo at 09:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I had a great time with friends last Monday night at Left Bank in San Mateo. Is it just my imagination or is this French restaurant, planted in the middle of a strip shopping center off Highway 101 in San Mateo, taking on some patina of a Parisian brasserie over the years?

We were there to take advantage of the restaurant’s brilliant Monday half-price wine list, plus August’s Provence dinner special prix fixe ($23.00 per) of Bourride des Pêcheurs (a bouillabaisse-type dish with rockfish, mussels, clams, crab, prawns, sliced potatoes, celery, leeks and fennel, thickened with cream) and a cheese plate of Banon (a robust, creamy Provençal cheese dipped in eau-de-vie and wrapped in chestnut leaves). The bourride was better than I expected, while the cheese was oozingly soft and well-ripened. Altogether, a terrific dinner menu for the price.

Bourride des Pêcheurs

The wines? Well, we did bring a few bottles of our own, but from the list we ordered a 2004 Pouilly-Fumé “La Moynerie”, Michel Redde et Fils (half-price off the listed $43) that was aromatic, crisp, ripe, juicy, and vibrant—a stunning pairing with the dozen Fanny Bay oysters we ordered.

We ordered another bottle, also a Loire, from the famous biodynamic producer, Nicolas Joly, which is his 2002 Savennières “Les Clos Sacrés”—an excellent wine, though still very, very young and quite sharp. But with the creamy and somewhat pungent bourride, this powerful Chenin paired very nicely. At half price the normal list of $59, this Nicolas Joly was a steal.

At the end of the meal, we kicked in $50 per person, including a healthy tip for our enthusiastic waiter, David. For sure, I will be dining at the Left Bank again soon on another Monday!

Left Bank San Mateo
1100 Park Place
San Mateo CA 94403
650.345.2250

Posted by Alex Bernardo at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One of the fun things about wine is that it's never boring and it never ceases to surprise. Such is the case with the wines from the 2003 Bordeaux vintage. Famous for its record heatwave and the drought that prevailed during most of the growing season, the vintage resulted in crops with very high ripeness levels. Bordeaux has never experienced such a vintage, at least not in a while, and so there has been widespread wonder among producers and consumers alike as to how the wines would turn out.

The 2003 Bordeaux wines have been released for several months now and it is indeed a very fascinating vintage. We hosted a wine dinner last night at a private restaurant in San Mateo, CA, that featured several of the top wines of the vintage. One would think that matching food with these very young, fruit-heavy wines could be problematic. But, as the dinner demonstrated, there was no need for such concern; the wines never overpowered the food and the food pairing was delicious. Why? The simple answer is relatively modest alcohol and good adequate acidity.

The setup team

Many have described the 2003 Bordeaux vintage as a "California" vintage for the kind of ripeness that the vintage achieved. In a sense this is true, as the Bordeaux wines show dense fruit with sweet flavors and soft tannins, or tannins masked by gobs of fruit. But the similarity pretty much stops there. Whereas California Cabernet Sauvignons routinely register 14.5% to 16% alcohol (oftentimes with water already added in), these 2003 Bordeaux wines for the most part have an alcohol range of 13%-13.5%! The other surprising difference of these 2003 Bordeaux wines is that given such a high ripeness level they still maintained adequate acidity so the flavors remained bright and fresh amidst the saturation. From my tastings of the wines and from last night's dinner, I can tell you that 2003 Bordeaux is not really a "California" vintage, or an "Aussie" vintage for that matter. It is a unique vintage; a vintage all to its own.

We started with a white Graves from Carbonnieux, a full, minerally white, with attractive floral aromas and ripe. pomelo grapefruit flavors. The pairing with a delicate fish consommé was brilliant, as the dish brought out the lovely sweetness in the wine.

The second course of grilled quail with quinoa grain in a persimmon sauce was also a delicate dish, yet it was not overpowered by the four big reds that accompanied it. The Clos Manou, a little-known cru bourgeois from the Medoc, held its own against the classed growths it was served with. This overachieving 2003 showed impressive concentration and grip, coating the palate with its powerful and lush blackbbery flavors. A striking contrast to the Smith Haut Lafitte next to it, which showed bright black cherry and red berry flavors, with a distinctive note of coffee and iodine. Truly a seductive wine. Then next to this was the much-praised and talked about Pontet-Canet, a Michel Rolland wine. I've had this wine a few times before and while I regard it as an attractive wine I remain not as overwhelmed by it as other folks. It is dark and muscular and almost jammy at the end. Its main trait is its enormous power and extract, which to me seem forced. The final wine in this flight is the Pichon-Lalande, of which I am a big fan. It is the most atypical and most powerful young Pichon-Lalande that I've ever had. Its trademark floral, sweet, spicy perfume is not evident; instead, it exudes earthy, chocolatey, blackberry jam scents. Dense and fleshy and filled to the brim with extract. Yet, in contrast to the Pontet-Canet, it is relaxed and layered; never really forceful and gradually unfolding. This will be a very long-lived Pichon-Lalande. A Super-Second performance, if not First Growth quality.

The next flight represents the tour de force of the vintage. Leading off are the two superstars of St. Estephe, the commune said to have performed superbly in this vintage: Cos d'Estournel and Montrose. The Cos, even with its dense, concentrated blackberry flavors and long finish, tasted suave and polished. I would have preferred more firmness as it's quite forward in style. The Montrose is equally big and ripe, but it shows more depth and firmness on the mid-palate. Solid concentration. It is beautifully put together and it exhibits the poise and balance of a First Growth.

Finally to the three First Growths. Mouton-Rothschild is truly seductive in this vintage. Tight on the nose, but really sweet and filled with spicy blackberry and raspberry jam flavors. Very good grip as the flavors hang on the palate, yet it doesn't quite have the depth and the expressiveness to put it over the top. Almost the same thing can be said of the Margaux, but it is more solid, really powerful, with great concentration and depth. But it lacks expressiveness and the finish is rough. I feel the extraction went a bit over and resulted in a less than perfect balance. The Lafite-Rothschild exhibits little of these faults. The style is very relaxed and the wine is well-proportioned--it fits like a glove in this unique, challenging vintage. Its complex nose changes from cassis and herbal extracts to toffee, sweet caramel, and butterscotch, then back to more cassis. It is big and powerful, but never forceful. It is spherical in character, with no rough edges. Its finish is long, but not loud, showing the class and elegance of a Frist Growth.

The dessert ending featured what was perhaps the killer food and wine pairing of the evening. Chef Patrick Farjas served his signature vanilla ice cream flavored with candied spicy ginger. The almost cloying, syrupy richness of the young La Tour Blanche pretty much melted with the ice cream resulting in a seamless balance of flavors. The Sauternes' super ripeness tamed by the spicy ginger, brought out the wine's hidden elegance.

Candied Spicy Young Ginger & Tahitian Vanilla Seed Ice Cream

Bordeaux 2003's successful wines are not only attractive for their high ripeness levels, but also for their easy drinkability, especially for drinkers with a more California wine palate. But unlike California Cabernets, these 2003 Bordeaux have more modest alcohol levels and good acidity, which altogether make them very good food wines indeed.

French Master Chef Patrick Farjas and his competent staff

Deliberating the wines at the end of the dinner

P.S. Thank you to all the generous folks who brought wines to share from their cellars. The '95 Margaux is still reverberating on my palate. Thank you, Steve. Ron, you make Michael Broadbent proud with the '85 Figeac. Great call. Andrew, what can I say, '97 Monbousquet! Dennis, what a treat on the 2000 Reignac; it ran with the class growths. And Lenny, I didn't see a drop of the '03 Almaviva by the time the bottle got to me, it must have been Mouton-esque.

Posted by Alex Bernardo at 01:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)