January 1996

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Mark Squires' E-Zine on Wine

January, 1996: Off to the right start....

ARTICLES On This Page

My Dinner With Mario, Or, How I Survived prior Storms
Prodigy Wine Gathering: An Embarrassment of Riches
(Mostly Bordeaux and Cabs,
and including a pre-event of a vertical tasting at the Chaddsford Winery)

My Dinner With Mario

Or, how I survived other storms, recounted while I sit snowbound during the blizzard of 1996.....

For other blizzard photos around 6k,
click here (parking meters with no stems!)
and here (cars buried).

As the Northeast USA sunk beneath the worst blizzard in memory (beating in Philadelphia, the old record snowfall by over nine inches), I remembered how much more fun the last major storm we had was. Fate works in strange ways.
I had an awesome wine tasting planned in 1992 at a restaurant that had closed due to advancing age of the owner's mother, who did the cooking. Their cooking was always ethereal and they were authentic Milanese. After considerable effort, I got them to open just for a small group of 12 old customers that night. Then came the worst Nor'easter in 20 years in this part of the country. Expressways closed. The Ben Franklin Bridge connecting many guests to Philadelphia closed due a church steeple tottering in the wind. New York reported floods and closed roads. Indeed, my own apartment had water coming in the windows. When closed. I had to cancel.

At the last moment, I decided to go alone since no one else was could get there (after all, they were charging cancellation fees.) It was even better than originally planned. Oh, the wines weren't as good (I was all alone and downsized the wines, and the guests with 78 Chambertin and 69 Echezeaux didn't show), but the food was just as good as remembered and the company was (sorry, wine group) better.....

Mario, the owner, wasn't there at first. Mamma told me he is now a movie director working on an American Indian film. After having eaten there so often I finally found out some personal information for the first time. His mother was wooed at the age of 15 by his father during WWII. She was in Montenegro; he was an Italian soldier. He took her away and into Italy. They've been married for 50 years. Today, I guess this would be called child abuse. But it worked rather well for them. All this I found out that night after years of being a customer.

They first served a course of ravioli stuffed with red snapper in a baby clam sauce, my old favorite. I don't know how she does it. The ravioli literally seem to melt in your mouth. How can pasta be this tender? I started with a 1985 Val di Suga Brunello that was surprisingly accessible and like many sangiovese-based wines, soft on the edges with a core of nice, user-friendly fruit in the middle.

Then, Mario came in. He regaled us with tales of recent exploits in Rome where he drank, with a friend up to 7 bottles in an evening. He also noted that he found a cellar in Italy where the new proprietor wanted into a different line of work and sold off to Mario '61 Barolos for 2 dollars; '45 Mouton Rothschild for $4. Yes, that's what he said.

Honest.

I proceeded onto tortellini stuffed with veal in a red sauce that was, well, almost but not quite as good as the ravioli. This is NOT damning with faint praise.

Around now I opened a bottle of 1990 Ridge Lytton Springs Zin. To those who think this is ready to drink [Note: this was originally written in December, 1992], may I just utter one word: Wrong. The wine has incredible extract, so much so that the first impression is of a Beaujolais carbonic maceration wine. With air, its true pedigree is revealed. Admittedly, the tannins are soft, but that's not all there is to maturing wine. This will come into balance, and the simple (albeit delicious) fruit will turn into elegant wine. Jan., 1996 note: I just had another bottle of this a month ago (that's three years later) and my opinion is only reinforced. The wine is now starting to mellow and open, after a period of being closed, the fruit is apparent and sweet, and the tannins have moderated. Depending on how this was stored, it will hit peak in a year or so, but it's delicious now.

Then, they served another old favorite, veal in port wine sauce. Don't forget the portobello mushrooms.

By now, I didn't need any liquor, although mamma, papa, Mario and his middle son even helped out. Nonetheless, how could one not uncork a dessert wine? (I'm a civilized person you know.) To go with the special, prepared rosato peach and canoli, I took out some Bonny Doon 1988 Muscat. They were amazed at how my wine bag seemed to carry everything essential for an evening's fun. I was amazed at how much fun I could have in the middle of a natural disaster.

Cappucino. Finito. Mille grazie. Ciao, Mamma, Pappa, and Mario.....

Remembrance of storms from the past, as I suffer through the Winter of 1996.

Friday night, the end seemed in sight. The second wave of storms ended with a dud, and off we went into the night in search of wine dinners.

It's going to be a busy two weeks on the wine tasting front; may as well get back in training.

I warmed up Friday the 12th [back to the future, 1996 now!] by pulling some benchmark cabs, the 85 Mondavi Reserve and the 85 BV Reserve, to go with a small dinner party. I've never been more impressed with either wine. The BV seemed very young at first. Grapey, fruity, pure cassis and classic cab. Some half hour later, fine soft tannins emerged and the wine kept on improving. The Mondavi opened tight and seemingly closed, a little earthier, seemingly less advanced. But I'm not sure this is true or if there was just less fruit to give. I tend to think the latter. Both wines had lots of fans and I liked them both more than I ever have (although I'm making a note to drink up the Mondavi), which is fortunate, since I have a lot of them both....(g) I've read somewhat critical comments on the BV btw, and based on this bottle from my own well stored stash I'd have to say I strongly disagree.

Now the real fun in January begins....
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- Dilworthtown-II Prodigy Wine Gathering: An Embarrassment of Riches (mostly Bordeaux and cabs)
  
  Typical Madness at a Prodigy Offline: Ron Kramer (r.) is VERY excited over the wines brought by Steve Ein (L.). Steve wishes Ron weren't so excitable.
  
  I. Pre-Event: A vertical tasting of rare chardonnay at the Chaddsford Winery
  
  Chaddsford winemaker Eric Miller
  
  was the gracious host for the pre-event to Dilworthtown II Saturday night. He popped a vertical of his rare (the 94 had only 40 cases...) Philip Roth Vineyard Chardonnay, 1989 through 1995 (in barrel), plus samples of his 1995 Merican (a meritage type wine) and his Chambourcin. With apologies to Eric, who I know is always honest about his own wines, ONLY three of the six bottled PRs were terrific. (g) I know that will disappoint him. (g)....
  - 1995 PR: I find the PR is always hard to judge in barrel. It seems to give the impression of earth and oak and not much else. This one seemed to be pineapples and citrus fruit. Disjointed and unintegrated at this stage. If I hadn't consistently tasted this in barrel, I wouldn't know what to say. I'll bet this will be a winner, though.
  - 1994 PR: the best wine Eric has ever made and my #1 of the vertical. Extremely low yields produced a wine that was intense, concentrated and Burgundian, with great aromatics to boot. I don't know if Eric can afford successes like this, but what a wine. If you want some, become friends with me and Arthur. We've got a case. The rest is gone as futures.
  - 1993 PR: Seemed thin after the 94, more acidic, some pears, hard and tannic. This wine wasn't showing much and I can't say much for it at this stage. Maybe it's tight and closed.
  - 1992: A delightful PR for early drinking. Soft and user friendly. If the 1994 is Wilt CHamberlain, this is Mugsy Bogues. But for the short term, the style is similar and it tastes fine. A little short on the finish, it's not a big wine, but a success for the vintage.
  - 1991: a classic PR, my #3 of the vertical. Take the 92, add more delineated fruit, more structure, more depth. Classic chard, very Burgundian. One of ERic's best efforts.
  - 1990: Sorry. I have little useful to say about this. It seemed overly thin and acidic. My least favorite of the group.
  - 1989: Wow. My #2 of the group. You think Pennsylvania Chardonnay can't age? Hah. This is flat out wonderful. It surprised me. WIth age, it's taken on dark, rich overtones of a mature Burgundy that spent lots of time on the lees. I really, really liked this and half wondered whether to displace the youthful 1994. But the 94 will eventuallys surpass this beauty.
  So, here we are in Pennsylvania. TWO of these are superstars than anyone would be proud to present. A third (the 91) is just a notch behind. Pennsylvania? You bet.
  
  II. The Bordeaux and the cabs...For anyone who hasn't been there, the Dilworthtown Inn is an authentic 18c Inn
  
  with ambience to die for. Show up one night and sit in the bar by the fireplace with a date sipping Port and see what I mean. Don't be surprised if Thomas Jefferson comes in and orders some of his 1787 Lafite. It's that kind of place.
  - WHITE wines (in no particular order): 1990 Kalin Chardonnay, 1994 Pride Viognier; 1985 Duplin Champagne (North Carolina); NV Roederer Estate (all those last three from Dave who brought a bunch of unusual as well as traditional items....); 1992 Foxen Chardonnay.
  - RED WINES (in no particular order): 82 and 86 Talbot; 82 Grange Hermitage, 85 Stag's Leap Cask 23; 85 Caymus Special Selection; 85 Latour; 83 Stag's Leap Petite Syrah; 66 Ducru Beaucaillou; 84 Beringer Chabot; 79 Chapellet Cabernet; 66 Montrose; 78 Montelena Zin; 86 Cache' Cellars Cabernet; 90 Figeac; 82 Pavie; 83 and 85 Gruaud Larose; 85 Chasse Spleen; 90 Lascombes; 1990 Lynch Bages; 84 BV Reserve (mag); 93 Horton Norton; 83 Talbot; 83 Margaux; 88 La Lagune; 85 La Mission Haut Brion; 62 Latour; 85 Leoville Barton; 85 Leoville Las Cases; 86 Gruaud Larose; 87 Talbot; 86 Shafer Hillside Select (in magnum); 90 Ch. Malescot St. Exupery; 89 Soutard; 70 Mondavi unfiltered cabernet
  - DESSERT WINES: 88 Guiraud, 1931 Guedes Porto, 1977 Fonseca, 1963 Sandeman's, 1993 Ridge Essence.
  I didn't get to taste everything. No one did. I missed the Grange (which I've had many times), I was at the wrong moment in time to taste the Pride, and missed the Malescot that some claimed was an unsung hero. I kept wanting the Figeac and never quite got around to it somehow. Either no glass was available or I got diverted.
  
  Of what I tasted, my short answer is:
  
  wine of the night was the
  - 1983 Margaux. This is a wine I've had on numerous occasions. I've never seen it showing so well. Just starting to open, yet still intense, tightly wound and showing new layers with every breath of air. Stupendous wines that were way to young but will one day be wines of the night:
  - 77 Fonseca, rather sweet and accessible for a top 77, but still way too young. What concentration, though; and
  - 1990 Lynch Bages. Drinking this was like drinking pure flamboyant cassis from the bottle. A fruit bomb that hardly seems to have taken on any age since bottling. How'd they do that? Other stars (of what I tasted):
  - 85 La Mission. A tight, tannic 85 with lots of depth and intensity. Not anywhere near ready to drink. The
  - 85 Leoville Las Cases, more accessible this night than the La Mission, but still slightly unready. Like the La Mission, kept showing more and more as it sat in the glass.
  - 85 Latour: Among the softer 85s, surprising for Latour, but that's what they started doing for a few years in this time period. This is ready to drink, and soft it may be, but delicious it was. On this night, this was one of the most satisfying wines. It lacks the intensity of the La Mission, but the fruit was gorgeous and this was the perfect night to drink it.
  - 85 Caymus SS. Intense, brooding, reluctant to reveal everything even though you kept begging. Needs more time. Unfortunately, I drank the hit I got before I could let it sit in the glass very long. Oh, well.
  - 85 Stag's Leap Cask 23: the Chameleon of the night. On first opening, boring, hard, closed, dull. Then, with air developed a candied, chocolate mint aftertaste that was delicious. But it still seemed thin next to the Caymus and the 85 Latour. This one I did keep sitting in the glass and it was something different every time I came back to it, finally acquiring more weight.
    The Stag's Leap was very interesting. I'd hold this a few years and see what happens. With reservations, I'd rank the other wines above ahead of it, though. Great showing by the California cabs, though.
  What else? Those were just the stars. Without them, there were plenty of other things worth drinking. The Roederer Estate champagne was absolutely wonderful for its price range ($15 or so). Not a Brut, but toasty, rich and creamy. My next house champagne. The 86 Shafer Hillside Select reminded me a bit of the Stag's Leap in character, although it was not as closed, I think. The older Bordeaux, the 66 Ducru and 62 Latour, both were a bit tired, but had enough left to provide a lot of pleasure. The 62 Latour was typical of a lot of 62s these days in turning slightly sweet, but one would expect a bit more from Latour. The Ducru I've had before and this was not its best showing. This wine has shown more intensity in this vintage to me before, but like the Latour, it had enough left to be interesting. Had a earthy component, too.
  
  The 70 Mondavi was in better shape than both, I thought, but needed to be drunk quickly. With air it didn't improve, and it too started to show that slightly oxidized sweet quality of aging wines going just a tad over. I've heard so much of the Beringer Chabot....it was disappointing this night. None of the rich mouth feel that I've come to know and love in 84s. The 84 BV reserve, actually, I liked much better. It too has lost the baby fat of the vintage, but this was the perfect night to drink it. It's ready, and won't get any better. Impeccably balanced and classic cab.
  
  A word about the ports....
  
  You can never have enough port, you know? The 63 Sandeman's was average. It was blown away by a 1963 Warre's that I had just a couple of weeks ago. The Sandeman tasted a bit tired by comparison. The 1977 Fonseca, well, I've always thought this was one of the ports of the vintage. I love the house. I love the sweet fruit. It's actually drinkable, but way too young nonetheless. It is not 77 Taylor, but on this night it no doubt drinks far better. The ringer was the 31 Guedes in an odd bottle. On tasting this, I guessed it was a tawny, but whatever, not a true vintage port. Doug, who brought it, didn't know either but did say it was kept in barrel for a couple of decades before bottling, which would tend to confirm that theory. Held well, and actually didn't taste any more tired than the Sandeman's... An interesting experiment.
  
  As you can see, that left a ton a wines I never got to. 37 people can't drink from one bottle too easily. And I'd popped up and down cruising the table often enough so that I was happy when I achieved a lineup in front of me of an ounce or two each of the Caymus, Stag's Leap, 85 Latour and 83 Margaux. I sat and ate my venison and drank my wine. Then, I went back for tastes of whatever was left. A good use of a Saturday night.
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  (c) Mark Squires, 1996