End of July my friends Mrs and Mr J had invited for a nice summernight dinner - Burgers and California Cult Reds. Who can resist that? I couldn't.
Mr J had subdivided the evening into three flights:
1st Flight
- 1994 Peter Michael Winery "Les Pavots" Proprietary Red Wine
- 1994 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon
2nd Flight
- 2005 Kapcsándy Family Winery Estate Cuvee "State Lane Vineyard"
- 2005 Switchback Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon "Peterson Family Vineyard"
3rd Flight
- 2007 Clark-Claudon Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
- 2007 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red Wine
And as the title implies it was an evening with lots of points. And the first 100 points of this blog. Premiere!
Mrs J decided to pair these vinophile heavyweights with some small delicacies and burgers for the main course. Absolutely perfect! With this selection it was possible to detect the strengths and weaknesses - if any - of the wines in the best way.
1994 Peter Michael Winery "Les Pavots" Proprietary Red Wine (98/100)
Sonoma, North Coast, California
70 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 16 % Cabernet Franc, 14 % Merlot
Dark ruby red with nice, slowly enlightening rims. Very earthy, but still lot of fruits. Mainly plums. Also some cold tobacco and cardamom. On the palate subtle with an outstanding berry, tartish freshness. Extremely soft finish. Simply wonderful - and a high-end starter.
The Peter Michael Winery is one of the best addresses in California - no matter if you are looking for Chardonnays, Pinots or Bordeaux-style blends. Certainly this has something to do with the founders Sir Peter and Lady Michael - both esteemed personalities in the Napa wine society. But if you drink this wonderful Les Pavots it becomes obvious that this personality was passed on from the winery people to their wines. It was my first bottle of the Peter Michael Winery. And it will not be the last one. Drink this beauty now. Don't pair it with any food. Simply enjoy and forget the world around you.
1994 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon (96/100)
Napa Valley, North Coast, California
Extremely dark colour, nearly black. Never saw anything similar before. Lot of balmy notes. A crazy mix of very gentle black pepper and ripe raisins. On the palate incredibly powerful and concentrated. Just at the beginning at most. Terrific.
So far I only drunk a Togni Cabernet Sauvignon from the Tanbark Hill Vineyard. This was in 2011 and it was the 2008 vintage. It was a drastic experience. The wine was too young and nearly undrinkable. Nevertheless I bought another bottle after the tasting - and forgot it in my cellar. After the outstanding experience with the 94 Napa Cab I will open this bottle in the near future to see how it evolves. If you are looking for long-living California Cabs besides Dunn - here it is. Parker recommends to drink from 2005 to 2030. I disagree. Wait until 2020 before opening. And then? 2040+. And never ever eat anything different than burgers to this Cab monster.
2005 Kapcsándy Family Winery Estate Cuvee "State Lane Vineyard" (100/100)
Napa Valley, North Coast, California
56 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 40 % Merlot, 4 % Cabernet Franc
Deep cherry red. Wonderful ensemble of balmy notes. Tender blackberries, black pepper in the background and an incredibly gentle moist earthiness. Soft and in parallel very strong; it lies on the palate like a rug of roses and blackberries. Long; extremely long and far at the end again a little bit balmy. A masterpiece of an ensemble wine. Best of the best.
This was the second Kapcsándy wine I was allowed to taste. Same location, same wonderful people, same result - a wine not from this world. And the best: THX to Mr J I have a bottle of this icon in my cellar. And in addition the vintages 2006 and 2007, too. Life is good. Back to the facts. The wine is absolutely on the top and will remain on this quality minimum another eight years. Total lifetime? Difficult. Perhaps until 2035. But why waiting? Pair it with low-temperature cooked venison and chanterelles.
2005 Switchback Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon "Peterson Family Vineyard" (97/100)
Napa Valley, North Coast, California
Dark cherry red with some light rims. Aromas of ripe green peppers paired with truffles and a hint of dark chocolate demonstrate the youthfulness of this wine. With some air a strong cassis note takes the leadership. And a little bit later suddenly some vanilla notes arise. A real grab bag in a very positive sense. On the palate fruitiness pur. Also some licorice and mocha notes noticeable. Long, smooth and perfect.
The first Switchback Ridge of my life - and what a glorious experience. I have the 2003 vintage in my cellar. I am really looking forward to enjoy this bottle, too. The 2005 is just at the beginning. The peak will be reached in two or three years. After that it will remain on this level for another five years minimum. I would pair it with medallions of pork in black pepper sauce.
2007 Clark-Claudon Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (96/100)
Napa Valley, North Coast, California
Medium cherry red. Strong cherry aromas paired with rosemary and chocolate with chili scent. Extremely fruity on the palate. Viscid. After ten seconds very strong with a nice fresh acidity.
The 2007 Clark-Claudon Cab was the wine I contributed to this memorable tasting. And I am really happy that it didn't come off badly compared to the other iconic wines. This Cab is currently absolutely on the top and you should drink it over the next three years. The pairing with the burger is absolutely perfect.
2007 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red Wine (94/100)
Napa Valley, North Coast, California
82 % Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec
Medium to deep cherry red. Strong berry aromas with a tendency to raspberries. In addition classical cassis and a coffee essence. On the palate fruitiness - and nothing else. Definitely the fruit bomb of the evening. Medium to long finish with a pleasant velvety.
For me a typical Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red Wine. I drunk this wine from several vintages. The last one before this 2007 was the 1998. And definitely the same characteristic. Here you know exactly what you get when you buy a bottle. And the good thing is that even in a weaker year you will get a very good quality. My personal opinion is that this wine is sometimes a little bit too mainstream. But this is complaining on a high comfort level.
Summarization: A cult evening - not only because of the cult Reds.
Friday, August 26. 2016
Maal VI: x.xi.xii Maal Wines paciencia (95/100)
Mendoza, Argentina
100 % Malbec (Vistaflores West)
14.6 % Alcohol
Tasted 2016-08-20 & 2016-08-21
Medium cherry red. Fleshy aromas. In addition lots of cocoa and cassis. Together a very harmonious composition of a classical fruit-oriented blockbuster with some nice sideways which raise the wine to a higher level than the usual fruit bombs. This is confirmed on the palate: A concentrated, strong attitude paired with lots of black fruit notes. The finish is long and absolutely beautiful. A high-end wine for nearly any occasion - if you have the money and the relationships to buy enough bottles of this rare beauty.
Paciencia is the icon wine of Maal. It is a Malbec blend of the vintages 2010, 2011 and 2012. During these vintages the Maal people picked the best barrel of Malbec and from the blend of those three barrels the "paciencia" was created. After another year in the bottle the wine was released - only 900 bottles. This means also that this wine is only made every three years.
The potential of the Maal flagship is incredible. Even if the paciencia is already very well drinkable I am quite sure that you can hold it for another ten or fifteen years. For the moment pair it with classical Tournedos Rossini. The relationship between the paciencia and the beef tournedos as well as the foie gras will be amazing.
The next day. A little bit is left in the bottle - and to drink this rest is gorgeous. Now perfectly balanced the paciencia offers in addition a shy velvety. Wonderful.
100 % Malbec (Vistaflores West)
14.6 % Alcohol
Tasted 2016-08-20 & 2016-08-21
Medium cherry red. Fleshy aromas. In addition lots of cocoa and cassis. Together a very harmonious composition of a classical fruit-oriented blockbuster with some nice sideways which raise the wine to a higher level than the usual fruit bombs. This is confirmed on the palate: A concentrated, strong attitude paired with lots of black fruit notes. The finish is long and absolutely beautiful. A high-end wine for nearly any occasion - if you have the money and the relationships to buy enough bottles of this rare beauty.
Paciencia is the icon wine of Maal. It is a Malbec blend of the vintages 2010, 2011 and 2012. During these vintages the Maal people picked the best barrel of Malbec and from the blend of those three barrels the "paciencia" was created. After another year in the bottle the wine was released - only 900 bottles. This means also that this wine is only made every three years.
The potential of the Maal flagship is incredible. Even if the paciencia is already very well drinkable I am quite sure that you can hold it for another ten or fifteen years. For the moment pair it with classical Tournedos Rossini. The relationship between the paciencia and the beef tournedos as well as the foie gras will be amazing.
The next day. A little bit is left in the bottle - and to drink this rest is gorgeous. Now perfectly balanced the paciencia offers in addition a shy velvety. Wonderful.
Thursday, August 25. 2016
Maal V: 2013 Maal Wines bestial (94/100)
Mendoza, Argentina
100 % Malbec (Vistaflores West)
14.5 % Alcohol
Tasted 2016-08-20
Medium, clear ruby red. Intensive aromas of black cherries, black tea and pepper. In addition a touch of smoke coming from the smoker. Very, very fruity. And also in this wine a certain acidity is recognizable. Medium to long finish. Perfectly balanced.
"bestial". What on earth shall this now mean? It's a synonym - for "brutal and tremendous". That's the wines presentation after fermentation. Trying to tame the beast is every year's challenge. Were Matias and Alfredo successful? Yes. As you probably recognized, in contradiction to the Maal wines II to IV and VI, this bottle was tasted only at one day. The reason is simple. I presented to some friends the wines II to VI. And the bestial bottle was totally empty. After 30 minutes...
Only 2,820 bottles were produced from this beautiful beast. The Malbec grapes come from vines that were abandoned for years. It seems that the grapes only wait to rise. You can drink it now or during the next eight years. This is a wine for meat prepared in the "barbarian" way on the BBQ grill.
100 % Malbec (Vistaflores West)
14.5 % Alcohol
Tasted 2016-08-20
Medium, clear ruby red. Intensive aromas of black cherries, black tea and pepper. In addition a touch of smoke coming from the smoker. Very, very fruity. And also in this wine a certain acidity is recognizable. Medium to long finish. Perfectly balanced.
"bestial". What on earth shall this now mean? It's a synonym - for "brutal and tremendous". That's the wines presentation after fermentation. Trying to tame the beast is every year's challenge. Were Matias and Alfredo successful? Yes. As you probably recognized, in contradiction to the Maal wines II to IV and VI, this bottle was tasted only at one day. The reason is simple. I presented to some friends the wines II to VI. And the bestial bottle was totally empty. After 30 minutes...
Only 2,820 bottles were produced from this beautiful beast. The Malbec grapes come from vines that were abandoned for years. It seems that the grapes only wait to rise. You can drink it now or during the next eight years. This is a wine for meat prepared in the "barbarian" way on the BBQ grill.
Wednesday, August 24. 2016
Maal IV: 2014 Maal Wines imposible (92/100)
Mendoza, Argentina
100 % Malbec (Vistaflores West)
14.5 % Alcohol
Tasted 2016-08-20 & 2016-08-23
Deep, dark cherry red. Animalistic mix of bacon, blackberries and cherries. In addition some cocoa beans. On the palate warm and fruity. Nice stimulating acidity. Long, very long.
This wine is now the story about the impossibility to produce great and outstanding wines without using traditional oak barrels. Is this really impossible? Maal Wines masterminds Alfredo Merlo and Matias Fraga solved this problem in their very own style: Using French oak staves inside their cement vats! The Escher style label shall exactly symbolize this impossibility as an illusion. OK. Nice idea and story. But does it work?
Definitely. Especially on the third day after opening! Yeah, of course I used the preservation system. Stupid question:-). When you drink the wine now everything is harmonic and very well balanced. You have really the illusion to drink a wine with lots of very well integrated tannins coming from the barrels.
Even if no barrels were used. I believe this impossible wine has a huge potential. Minimum five to six years. Pair it with a BBQ lamb shoulder. Yes, with rosemary.
100 % Malbec (Vistaflores West)
14.5 % Alcohol
Tasted 2016-08-20 & 2016-08-23
Deep, dark cherry red. Animalistic mix of bacon, blackberries and cherries. In addition some cocoa beans. On the palate warm and fruity. Nice stimulating acidity. Long, very long.
This wine is now the story about the impossibility to produce great and outstanding wines without using traditional oak barrels. Is this really impossible? Maal Wines masterminds Alfredo Merlo and Matias Fraga solved this problem in their very own style: Using French oak staves inside their cement vats! The Escher style label shall exactly symbolize this impossibility as an illusion. OK. Nice idea and story. But does it work?
Definitely. Especially on the third day after opening! Yeah, of course I used the preservation system. Stupid question:-). When you drink the wine now everything is harmonic and very well balanced. You have really the illusion to drink a wine with lots of very well integrated tannins coming from the barrels.
Even if no barrels were used. I believe this impossible wine has a huge potential. Minimum five to six years. Pair it with a BBQ lamb shoulder. Yes, with rosemary.
Monday, August 22. 2016
Maal III: 2015 Maal Wines biolento (91/100)
Mendoza, Argentina
100 % Malbec (Altamira)
14.5 % Alcohol
Tasted 2016-08-20 & 2016-08-22
Bright, medium ruby red. Dried red fruit rotates with intensive blackberry aromas. Also a touch of half-sweet drops is noticeable. The taste is amazingly spicy. I didn't expect that from the nose. Certain notes of tea are given which lead to a nice and spicy cassis finish. Really good.
"biolento". What does this mean? It is a funny play of words. The wine honors the small and violent creatures that attack the vineyard and give the winemaker a hard time (and life). With this in mind it makes absolutely sense that the grapes came from non-tilled vineyard where no fertilisers or pesticides are used. I should mention that this vineyard is 95 years old!
Two days later. Now I recognize one of the secrets of the Maal wines. All these wines need time after opening. Really! When we uncorked the wine on Saturday evening the bottle was open for nearly four hours before I closed the bottle again using the preservation system. Now the wine is perfectly balanced. The sweet drops touch is gone and the spiciness together with the blackberries offers a wonderful aroma carpet. Great job, Alfredo and Matias. Drink this beauty over the next five years: Pairing? During my US trips I found a recipe for Chicken Wings with Molasses Barbecue Sauce. An unbelievable pairing.
100 % Malbec (Altamira)
14.5 % Alcohol
Tasted 2016-08-20 & 2016-08-22
Bright, medium ruby red. Dried red fruit rotates with intensive blackberry aromas. Also a touch of half-sweet drops is noticeable. The taste is amazingly spicy. I didn't expect that from the nose. Certain notes of tea are given which lead to a nice and spicy cassis finish. Really good.
"biolento". What does this mean? It is a funny play of words. The wine honors the small and violent creatures that attack the vineyard and give the winemaker a hard time (and life). With this in mind it makes absolutely sense that the grapes came from non-tilled vineyard where no fertilisers or pesticides are used. I should mention that this vineyard is 95 years old!
Two days later. Now I recognize one of the secrets of the Maal wines. All these wines need time after opening. Really! When we uncorked the wine on Saturday evening the bottle was open for nearly four hours before I closed the bottle again using the preservation system. Now the wine is perfectly balanced. The sweet drops touch is gone and the spiciness together with the blackberries offers a wonderful aroma carpet. Great job, Alfredo and Matias. Drink this beauty over the next five years: Pairing? During my US trips I found a recipe for Chicken Wings with Molasses Barbecue Sauce. An unbelievable pairing.
Maal II: 2015 Maal Wines biutiful (88/100)
Mendoza, Argentina
100 % Malbec (Chacras de Coria)
14.5 % Alcohol
Tasted 2016-08-20 & 2016-08-21
Medium ruby red. Notes of cherries, cranberries and Christmas spices let arise some warm, winterly feelings. The first sip offers creaminess paired with a spicy touch. At the end of the medium long finish a certain tart austereness is recognizable. Perhaps a little bit one-dimensional compared to the rebelión.
The "biutiful" is fermented in old cement vessels without adding any yeast. The idea behind this wine is the philosophy of an inner beauty. Without using any makeup. Means in this case pure Malbec without doing anything to distract from the pureness. So you have to look inside to find the beauty.
To be honest directly after opening it was difficult to recognize this concept. The wine was a little bit too simple to see the idea of the winemakers. However the next day the picture was better framed. The spicyness was now more present which makes the wine in total more interesting. Perhaps this was intended? So decanting is definitely a very good idea. At least for the moment.
Indeed in contradiction to the usual Malbec food pairing recommendations I would pair the biutiful with a mildly prepared meat dish. Perhaps duck? Drink it in the next three years.
100 % Malbec (Chacras de Coria)
14.5 % Alcohol
Tasted 2016-08-20 & 2016-08-21
Medium ruby red. Notes of cherries, cranberries and Christmas spices let arise some warm, winterly feelings. The first sip offers creaminess paired with a spicy touch. At the end of the medium long finish a certain tart austereness is recognizable. Perhaps a little bit one-dimensional compared to the rebelión.
The "biutiful" is fermented in old cement vessels without adding any yeast. The idea behind this wine is the philosophy of an inner beauty. Without using any makeup. Means in this case pure Malbec without doing anything to distract from the pureness. So you have to look inside to find the beauty.
To be honest directly after opening it was difficult to recognize this concept. The wine was a little bit too simple to see the idea of the winemakers. However the next day the picture was better framed. The spicyness was now more present which makes the wine in total more interesting. Perhaps this was intended? So decanting is definitely a very good idea. At least for the moment.
Indeed in contradiction to the usual Malbec food pairing recommendations I would pair the biutiful with a mildly prepared meat dish. Perhaps duck? Drink it in the next three years.
Sunday, August 7. 2016
2006 Noon Eclipse (88/100)
McLaren Vale, South Australia, Australia
65 % Grenache, 35 % Shiraz
15.5 %
Tasted 2016-07-21
Medium ruby red. Directly after opening black truffles, wet forest floor and a touch of cherries. In total very, very earthy. I write directly after opening because in the next 60 minutes the wine changed dramatically. After thirty minutes the earthy notes were reduced and an austere and masculine but fruity viciousness is dominating. At this moment the Eclipse is on the peak. Unfortunately this does not last long. Another 30 minutes later the wine breaks apart. It smells only gangrenous and for certain moments it seems that only pure alcohol is in the glass. Bummer! And strange. I cannot believe that this transformation really takes place. So another try. And then it becomes crystal clear: The air is the problem. Coming directly from the bottle for around 5 minutes the wine is stable - and really good. After that: Going down in warp speed. So decanting is definitely no good idea:-).
Now the taste. In the five (not fifteen) minutes of fame the Eclipse has a real charming fruitiness and silkiness. In these moments the wine demonstrates perfectly why Drew Noon is a wine making icon in South Australia. But to be honest this is too less for a wine with that approach and in that price range. After a certain while when the alcohol tone becomes more and more pleasant this is reflected also on the palate. And the the medium-long finish becomes awkward.
It has to be said that this is my opinion. Nothing else. So please check out for yourself. If you want to integrate as part of your festive menu, then pair it with the main course, e.g. the Sunday roast. I am quite sure most guests will not recognize the topics I don't like with this wine.
Summarization: Drink now or sell.
65 % Grenache, 35 % Shiraz
15.5 %
Tasted 2016-07-21
Medium ruby red. Directly after opening black truffles, wet forest floor and a touch of cherries. In total very, very earthy. I write directly after opening because in the next 60 minutes the wine changed dramatically. After thirty minutes the earthy notes were reduced and an austere and masculine but fruity viciousness is dominating. At this moment the Eclipse is on the peak. Unfortunately this does not last long. Another 30 minutes later the wine breaks apart. It smells only gangrenous and for certain moments it seems that only pure alcohol is in the glass. Bummer! And strange. I cannot believe that this transformation really takes place. So another try. And then it becomes crystal clear: The air is the problem. Coming directly from the bottle for around 5 minutes the wine is stable - and really good. After that: Going down in warp speed. So decanting is definitely no good idea:-).
Now the taste. In the five (not fifteen) minutes of fame the Eclipse has a real charming fruitiness and silkiness. In these moments the wine demonstrates perfectly why Drew Noon is a wine making icon in South Australia. But to be honest this is too less for a wine with that approach and in that price range. After a certain while when the alcohol tone becomes more and more pleasant this is reflected also on the palate. And the the medium-long finish becomes awkward.
It has to be said that this is my opinion. Nothing else. So please check out for yourself. If you want to integrate as part of your festive menu, then pair it with the main course, e.g. the Sunday roast. I am quite sure most guests will not recognize the topics I don't like with this wine.
Summarization: Drink now or sell.
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