Merlot. Isn't is almost a cliché these days? At least the California varietal type, I mean. Well, there still are some superlative examples out there, and one of them has been made for many years by Arrowood. I drank my last bottle of the '90 Saturday, and it was mellow, balanced and beautiful. This isn't a wine I buy every year because, frankly, it isn't a wine I can find every year. But I do look out for it and it does reward.
(Oh, and remember what I was saying about boycotting French wines being bullshit? I changed my mind. Buy California! Or Spain! Or even Italy! But what I already have in my cellar, I'm drinking, dammit. Not pouring down the drain. That stupid, I'm not. So....)
In the 1990 mode, we also opened a bottle of the Pichon Baron. Oooo, la la! Still drowsy and not quite integrated, this was a killer bottle that probably would have been more fun to drink by itself than with a hunk of buffalo tenderloin. I frankly don't know what possessed me to open a bottle of Bordeaux with buffalo to begin with. While the Arrowood was a beautiful match, this one sort of strutted around insisting it was important and refusing to play its part in the ensemble. To its credit, however, it maintained this position throughout the meal and refused to surrender.
Ok, ok, enough of that already. It's true, though. The Pichon shows every indication of greatness and is lovely (even if a bit closed) today, but still has a way to go. Something to look forward to.
Tuesday, April 8, 2003
A few brief and foggy notes.
We opened a 1987 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet a few nights ago. Reeking of volatile acidity, with nasty vegetal stuff behind it, we just let it sit and went for a 1991 La Jota Howell Mountain Selection, which was massive, dense and dark and got more so as we got deeper into the bottle. The last pour was like ink. I'll let these sit a while yet and hope the fruit lasts. It's there now but hard to define other than as something like "blackberry thicket."
But the Silver Oak saga wasn't over. The next night, the VA had mostly blown off. The typical SO flavors were more evident. It was OK. Before the prices at SO got tacky, I bought lots of the stuff. I didn't like the '87 Alex much when I tasted it on release and didn't buy any (I bought a double dose of Napa instead, which sold for the same price back then), and this bottle was contributed by my S.O. But there is some question about these '87s generally. Are they going to mature before the fruit dies? And is anyone else getting sick of asking this question?
On another note, I've gone and gotten a serious revived crush on Brunello di Montelcino. Must be the change of seasons. With spring trying to take over from one of the nastiest winters in recent memory, I'm reluctantly releasing my passion for Rhones in favor of lighter reds. But care is required. I don't have nearly the stash of Brunellos that I have of Châteauneufs. We tried a 1990 Nardi with an absolutely delicious game dinner at a restaurant a few weeks ago. Near the top of its game and possibly a touch past. But perfect with just about every dish from quail to venison. And just the other night, a revelation. We've been making a Jacques Pepin recipe for veal scallopine with shallots, amagnac and a touch of cream for years without finding a completely satisfactory wine match. Burgundies were good but never a bullseye. A 1988 Col D'Orcia Brunello hit the mark spot on. Another star just beginning to fade. Maybe. Don't know why I didn't think of this before. Aged Brunellos are amazingly versatile and go with lots of dishes that are too "red" for white but not "big" enough for a hearty red. Unfortunately, they are now also expensive, as well.
We opened a 1987 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet a few nights ago. Reeking of volatile acidity, with nasty vegetal stuff behind it, we just let it sit and went for a 1991 La Jota Howell Mountain Selection, which was massive, dense and dark and got more so as we got deeper into the bottle. The last pour was like ink. I'll let these sit a while yet and hope the fruit lasts. It's there now but hard to define other than as something like "blackberry thicket."
But the Silver Oak saga wasn't over. The next night, the VA had mostly blown off. The typical SO flavors were more evident. It was OK. Before the prices at SO got tacky, I bought lots of the stuff. I didn't like the '87 Alex much when I tasted it on release and didn't buy any (I bought a double dose of Napa instead, which sold for the same price back then), and this bottle was contributed by my S.O. But there is some question about these '87s generally. Are they going to mature before the fruit dies? And is anyone else getting sick of asking this question?
On another note, I've gone and gotten a serious revived crush on Brunello di Montelcino. Must be the change of seasons. With spring trying to take over from one of the nastiest winters in recent memory, I'm reluctantly releasing my passion for Rhones in favor of lighter reds. But care is required. I don't have nearly the stash of Brunellos that I have of Châteauneufs. We tried a 1990 Nardi with an absolutely delicious game dinner at a restaurant a few weeks ago. Near the top of its game and possibly a touch past. But perfect with just about every dish from quail to venison. And just the other night, a revelation. We've been making a Jacques Pepin recipe for veal scallopine with shallots, amagnac and a touch of cream for years without finding a completely satisfactory wine match. Burgundies were good but never a bullseye. A 1988 Col D'Orcia Brunello hit the mark spot on. Another star just beginning to fade. Maybe. Don't know why I didn't think of this before. Aged Brunellos are amazingly versatile and go with lots of dishes that are too "red" for white but not "big" enough for a hearty red. Unfortunately, they are now also expensive, as well.
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