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Course 1 (walking around and socializing) --
A display of sensational and bountiful Artisan Cheeses with House-Baked
Breads, Fresh Vegetables and Dipping Sauces.
NV Rosé Champagne De Saint Gall (Private Label of La Cote Basque
restaurant in Manhattan) -- this had a rather pale copper coloring that
had me checking my menu to determine if it were indeed a rosé. It had
a sense of maturity about it, seeming mild in its demeanor...more placid
than intense. There were red fruit fragrances and flavors, but it turned
slightly bitter and "nutty" at the close. It is a very nice sip, but I
wonder if it had seen better days.
1996 Dom Perignon Champagne -- This provides a rough contrast to the De
Saint Gall, as it is all about youthful,
albeit pricey, exuberance and expression. Toast
and yeast to be sure, but more about scintillating citrus --
concentrated and intense. It impresses me with its sense of balance and
harmony...as noteworthy a young Champagne that I can recall. It
obviously has many fine years ahead of it, but if you are up for a
youthful indiscretion, I do not think you'd go wrong with this Dom.
Course 2 --
MARINATED BEET SALAD WITH WARM GOAT CHEESE with Mixed Greens and Leaf
Spinach, Red Wine Vinaigrette
2000 Rochioli Sauvignon Blanc -- I've always liked this 2000 model, but
had not looked in on it for a while...it reminds me why year after year,
I always thought Rochioli made the best Sauvignon Blanc in California.
It shows a touch of "arm pit," but mostly it features an intense white
grapefruit scent, and plenty of crushed stone...more floral and white
peach notes with time. It has a lightly creamy texture, but offers a
good acidic bite as a foil. Peach flavors supersede the grapefruit and
zest, but all are presented with a nice focus. It has a pleasant, tangy
finish marked by a good bit of chalk.
2001 Rochioli Sauvignon Blanc --
Marcus Stanley referenced "automotive
exhaust" after his first swirl and sniff, but I found it more along the
lines of sulfur and brimstone. This wine has always shown a significant
stink, and a few years in the cellar have not done much to make it
waver...though a few hours of air always seem to help. It is quite tangy
and full with citrus flavors, though it never reached any sense of
harmony while I had it in my glass. Chambers thought it was the only one
of the Sauv Blancs that could stand up to the vinaigrette, and indeed I'd
say it put up a good fight.
2002 Rochioli Sauvignon Blanc -- The wry
Tom Warren quipped that if
earlier models showed some arm pit, "this one is a whole locker room."
Silly Tom -- to my observation, any funk the 2002 offered up quickly
dissipated. This vintage has always seemed ripe, open and expressive
right from release...in that, it has not changed too much. It has many
of the same elements as its brethren (grapefruit, peach, mineral), but
also a softer, more creamy texture. A bit of barrel character still
lingers with subtle notes of vanilla and nutmeg, but in the end it is a
round, pleasantly plump sip. There was no official tally, but I'd guess
the table was split between this and the 2000 as the favored in the
flight.
Course 3 --
CRISP CALAMARI Sun-dried tomatoes, basil, garlic and olives
Loren termed these our "Friulian Oddballs,” and from appearance alone
they were certainly that -- appearing more like unfiltered cider than
anything else I've seen in a glass. Optics aside, I was looking forward
to my first adventure with these eclectic, seldom seen wines.
 1999 Radikon Ribolla Gialla -- just as I'd jotted down "cherry blossoms"
to describe the rising scent, Phil Smith enthusiastically said -- "hard
core cherry juice"...cherries are everywhere. In addition, there was a
good bit of banana, sage and herbal tones whose place of residence I've
yet to discover. I've heard of the oxidized nature of these wines, but I
do not find that quality (as I've previously known it) to be especially
evident in the nose or mouth...there is concentrated lemon and dried
apricot flavor, backed by a good bit of chalky mineral. If anything, the
oxidized component comes across by making the wine seem particularly
broad. The most distinctive character I ascribe here is its bitterness
through the midpalate and finish. It is a unique quality that I did not
view as a negative, but something more akin to munching on radicchio.
Revisiting the wine an hour later it seemed more full and
round...showing nice depth. Odd but compelling.
 2000 Gravner Ribolla Gialla -- this has a lighter dose of the banana and
a few grinds of nutmeg (Phil noting "allspice"), but in general shows a
more closed nose. It has some of the aforementioned bitterness, but also
a good bit of alcoholic warmth. When coupled with the calamari dish, it
seemed hot and prickly...rather unpleasant.
 1999 Gravner Breg -- this has an intensely floral bouquet, but it also
adds a myriad of other olfactory enticements: peanut butter (not so
chunky), tomato skin, Fuji apple, dried apricot, and clover honey. It is
a truly gorgeous nose. It has a creamy and lustrous mouthfeel, but a
nice charge of acid keeps it righteous. The palate is a battleground for
fruit sweetness and that amazing bitterness (tannins?) -- they fight to
a draw, but we all win. It has a long, warm, appealing finish.
Jenna
Warren called it the "best balanced" of the bunch -- no doubt this is
the case. This is a truly excellent wine, and unlike any other that I
can recall.
 2002 Lispida Amphora -- another intensely floral/perfumed wine, but
interwoven in there is a rancid fragrance that produces a bit of nausea
in me...less physically problematic with time -- adding more
butterscotch and red fruits. The first sips display an oily texture and
chemical taste...mouth filling, but not pleasantly so. Phil remarked on
"pine resin" and its "sherried" traits. It eventually added a juicy
apple flavor, but the constant herbal bitterness had it bested. This was
far less appealing than the other three wines in the flight, but all
this said, I kept coming back to it...much like some people with
gruesome car wrecks, I could not take my eyes off of it.
I was led to believe that the previous were fermented on the skins in
open vats and then aged in larger wood casks, but this Lispida differed
in that it was aged in Amphora (a Greek inspired jar).
These wines are certainly quirky and will never find universal appeal,
but this might be less because of their profile/limited production, and
more because of their cost. I'm told these ranged in price from $50-60
to over $100. I'm grateful for the experience, but will not likely be
searching them out
at those
pricepoints.
Course 4 --
PAN-ROASTED CANADIAN SALMON Baby Artichokes, Spring Peas, Posti Potato
Cake filled with Braised Leeks, Sorrel Sauce
We had a duo of California Pinots, but a 2001 Brewer Clifton Clos Pepe
Santa Rita Hills Vineyard proved to be corked.
2002 Radio-Coteau Hellenthal Pinot Noir -- it is a Peppermint Patty -- a
nose chock full of mint and dark chocolate...time brings sweet, candied
notes, smoke and more herb. In the mouth it has a good amount of
raspberry/cherry fruit, but it is checked by assertive tannins...very unevolved. There is some "ball card bubble gum" powdery residue in the
finish.
In many ways it is similar to the one I recently sampled in a
blind
format .
We then moved on to four from Burgundy...
1999 LaMarche La Grande Rue -- it is earthy and herbal... Marcus
references the scent of black olives. Red fruit splashes into the mouth,
but quickly meets the prevailing tannins -- very chewy, leaving a black
tea sort of resonance. These melt a bit with the salmon, and offer a
brief, but rich respite. Anise joins the black tea in the close. It
seems very solid and very hard... I'd imagine that years will benefit
this (as many other) '99s.
 1997 Clos des Lambrays -- pleasant organic scents of turned dirt,
tobacco and hay... becoming more floral. There is a decent chunk of sweet
red fruit here, but it has a difficult time climbing above the tannins.
It has a fairly light touch when sipped with the fish... demure, but
pretty. I doubt the fruit will out last the tannins -- drink 'em if you
got 'em.
2001 Clos des Lambrays -- this has a pretty, high toned nose of wild
flowers, cinnamon and boysenberries...some vanilla, too. Juicy cherry
fruit dominates the attack, but as it slides to the midpalate it shows
some good earthy backbeats. Oaky nuance seems to take shape in the
caramelized brown sugar and lingering vanilla character...spicy in the
finish. There are hard, broad tannins that do not seem particularly
moved by the food. It needs time to come together.
1973 Domaine Des Monts Luisants Clos del la Roche Grand Cru
-- Beth Weikel brought this as a late addition, but like many others, she seemed
disappointed in its showing. It is brown and cloudy in the glass, and
offers a largely earthy, caramel and mushroom bouquet. Without doubt it
is an old wine which lacks fruit, and has seen most of its structure
fade away. I still find it to have really smooth, supple textures -- the
type that only seem to appear with bottle age. It develops a brown sugar
sweetness along with its tobacco and dirt in the finish. I think Loren
and I were the only ones to admit any interest in the wine -- just how
I'd categorize it -- "old, but interesting."
Course 5 --
GRILLED PORTERHOUSE LAMB CHOPS Japanese Eggplant and Silver Goat Cheese
Tart Tatin, Heirloom Tomato Vinaigrette
1997 Cavallotto Barolo Riserva Vignolo -- black dirt, light anise and
dark fruit powered a reluctant nose. Some found rosés, Marcus said
"violets," but I did not find this to be an especially floral Barolo at
this point. There is an initial swell of ripe black fruit that marries
well with the earthy/herbal undercurrents. Any initial ripeness is
submerged by bright acids and gum massaging tannins. Anise and flecks of
tar linger for a while. This is young and largely unevolved, but it has
an intensity about it that makes me think it will develop nicely.
 1997 Fontanafredda Barolo Serralunga
-- some funky animal, hay, and
peppermint dominate the nose...later sautéed mushrooms and rosemary.
This is another wine that others received far more "flowers" than I did,
but (brushing back a few tears) I'm OK with that. The fruit strikes me
as having a slightly overripe prune/raisin quality, but that becomes an
afterthought when the tannins roll in -- everything hard and lean in
their wake. The palate broadens a bit toward the warm asphalt and
menthol finish, but in general I find this wine flat and lacking some
verve. If I owned any, I'd be a bit worried about how the wine would
develop.
1998 G Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia -- The nose is full of flowers
(at last!), toasted fennel seed, and fine dust -- focused and precise,
but lovely in its presentation. Subtle red fruits, gently mingle with an
earthy/mineral core...leather and then more floral accents. The tannins
are broad and taut, but the acids make the wine smile. It is dense wine
with remarkable texture in its youth. There are light bits of tar,
porcini and mineral as it makes it way to a close, but it is really the
harmony of such a young Barolo that I'm left to ponder. This is one I've
sampled a number of times before, and I continue to be impressed with
its grace and elegance. Its best days are still likely a decade away.
1998 Elio Altare Barolo La Morra -- the bouquet was mostly fueled by
"dark stuff" -- violets, strong coffee, black currants and "exotic
woods." It has a semi-slick texture and feel that puts me in mind of
Cabernet. Pronounced tannins run end to end, while the dark fruit holds
its own. It has an earthy core, and sports a number of accents --
cinnamon, nutmeg, and a touch of vanilla. The wine obviously leans
toward the more modern style, but seems well measured in its approach.
Course 6 --
Michael Havelka was slated to join us, but at the last minute he was
unable to attend. In a very nice gesture he shipped in a few small (187
ml) bottles of Canadian Ice Wine.
 2003 Jackson-Triggs Vidal Ice Wine (10.5% alc.) -- if you like oranges
and lots of sugar, I think we've found a drink for you. Both the nose
and palate are all about bursting, super sweet and concentrated oranges
(OK, a bit of apricot, too). It is thick and dense, but is not
particularly nuanced at this moment...not much in the way of acids to
offset the sugar. It was probably best served as it was -- a dessert all
in itself.
1996 Chateau Soucherie Coteaux du Layon Chaume -- gorgeous, haunting
floral tones, spritzing orange, and a whiff of sea air -- now that's a
vacation destination. A tinge of vinyl shower curtain, too...maybe some
of that "linseed oil" that Jenna mentioned. This is delicate and precise
in how it conveys its fruit and mineral mélange... just slightly syrupy
through the center. Lemon, honey and lychee mark the long road home --
sweet, but made bright with acids. This is a light weight when it comes
to dessert wine, but I'll admit that it is my preferred style... as
Marcus noted -- "it actually seems like a wine."
 Course 7 --
Dessert:
FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE Espresso Lollipops and Cardamom Anglaise
1985 Fonseca VP -- warm with alcohol, lots of chocolate... Loren called
it "full of fruit." Beth thought she enjoyed it more a few years earlier
-- finding it more smooth and round. I'm not a great Port lover, and in
this one I found little relief from the heat.
NV Domaine Charbay Distillers' Port Release III -- This California
offering was more intensely sweet and raisined... seeming to have better
depth of fruit and less heat than the Fonseca on this night.
I found the group to be easy going -- our Columbus delegation feeling
comfortable enough to check in on the Buckeye/Texas game on one the
smallest TV's you will find anywhere. Conversation and opinions flowed
freely, as did the wine. We never polled the group for favorites --
nobody seemed to miss it. It was a nice, albeit endurance testing night.
LM BACK TO
THE TOP
Larry's previous
article
In The Bag
Larry Meehan was a one
time "boy entrepreneur," now a full time Dad. In the moments when the
insanity fades, he is a fairly prolific tasting note writer, minor
league party planner/caterer, sporadic wine educator, and consultant for a few
retailers who (at their own peril) seem to value his opinions. Hailing from near Cleveland, he
frequently gathers with local enthusiasts to share thoughts and a few glasses, but also
concocts a number of tasting events that bring friends together from around the country.
Larry samples hundreds of wines a year from a myriad of regions -- "Understanding the diverse
and constantly changing landscape of wine will be a life long endeavor...I'm glad it is
so much fun!"
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