Music journalist Dave Marsh was in Day-twah in June to give a lecture as part of Cranbrook Art Museum's "Bruce Springsteen: Troubadour of the Highway" exhibit, and wanted to get together with a few old friends and fairly recent acquaintances, in the case of Kim and this taster. Our friends Frank Joyce and Mary Ann Barnett, who introduced us to Dave two years ago at MoCool, offered their home for the occasion, and viola, we had a plan and it happened and a good time was had by all. There was plenty of good food to be consumed, as is always the case at Casa Joyce/Barnett, and there were good wines as well. We started out with a most unlikely white.

1999 Chateau Mercian "Sur Lie," 13% alc.: This wine, from Japan's Mercian Katsunuma winery, is almost the color of water; in other words, it has practically no color at all. What it does have are clean, straightforward apple and pear flavors and aromas that are surprisingly pleasant and enjoyable, along with good acidity and a decent finish. Dave picked this up out east, having not a clue as to the varietal content, but upon tasting it, hazarded the guess that it might be something akin to chenin blanc, and he might just be right. But then, it could be chardonnay, who knows? The only sites I could find on wines for this producer in a Google search were either in Dutch or Japanese, with one mentioning a Chateau Mercian Hokushin Chardonnay in the brief search summary. Whatever the case, it is a decent quaff and a nice summer sipper that would go well on a boat in the middle of a lake on a hot day in July, and that ain't so bad.

1997 Vignerons du Val d'Orbieu La Cuvée Mythique Vin De Pays D'OC, $14.99, 11-13% alc.: As good, if not better than it has been for the last several months, and impressive, by all accounts. 

1977 Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, 13.5% alc.: Another one that Dave gets out east, this rusty dark garnet is all about earth and tar on the nose, with dried sour cherries in the background, but the flavors are another story entirely, showing beautiful, almost floral black cherry and plum fruit with no secondary characteristics to speak of. Tannins are mostly resolved, with zippy acidity and a nice long finish, making for one of the finest wine experiences we've had in some time. I'm told that the grapes don't see anything but glass-lined cement tanks from the time they are picked until bottling, and the wines are held for as long as 15 years, until deemed ready to drink. What a knockout!

1980 Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon, 12.4% alc.: Dave took a chance on this, finding it in a Right Coast shop in which storage conditions were uncertain. The rusty dark garnet color is as one would expect, but this bottle smelled and tasted like nothing so much as pickle juice, with Draper perfume, black currant, cassis and some mint relegated to second-class status. The tannins were fully resolved, with balanced acidity and a fairly long finish, and I actually finished the glass I was poured, hoping for some kind of miraculous change, but alas, such was not to be. When hearing about this, our Left Coast Correspondent, Allan Bree, opined that the gherkin character might be the result of a bad barrel, rather than poor storage. Either way, this was not a particularly pleasant wine to drink.

1987 Ridge Geyserville Zinfandel, 88% Zinfandel, 4% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignane, 13.7% alc.: There's some rust to the color of this dark garnet libation, and a nice dose of Draper perfume with just the faintest hint of funk over red currant, blackberry and a little black cherry and mint on the nose. The flavors echo with a lovely claret-like character, some tannins still to resolve, good acidity and notes of earth and cream that add interest rather than conflict. This old Geezer is drinking very well indeed, with a nice long finish, and I must say, it's what Mr. Ridge is all about. 

Many thanks to Dave for bringing some very interesting bottles to share, and to Frank and Mary Ann for hosting this most delightful get together. C'mon back to Day-twah more often, Mr. Marsh! 

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All three bottles had been open for 6-8 hours, and samples had already been poured when I got to them, giving each plenty of time to breath.

1999 Monte Vertine "Montevertine", $24, 12.5% alc: Smoky ruby garnet, with a nutty, dried sour cherry bouquet that shows perhaps just a hint of cedar and a subtle floral perfume lurking in the background; medium full bodied flavors generally echo, with some added black cherry. Not too tannic to drink now, with good acidity, a smooth texture, and an earthy finish that's not overlong. A blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Canaiola, but that's about all I know about this, other than it's quite enjoyable. 

1999 Monte Vertine Pian del Ciampolo, $15.50, 12.5% alc.: Another ruby garnet with a smoky tinge, this has a decidedly earthier nose than the "Montevertine"; it's not quite funky, but it's rather like decomposing twigs and leaves, with some dried sour cherry in the background. Flavors are your more basic earthy dried cherry, with some tannins, good acidity and a decent finish. It's not as impressive as the "Montevertine", and indeed, it was only after trying them in this order that I realized that they should have been reversed. A blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Canaiola, this is pleasant, with enough Tuscan character to compensate for the lack of any other real distinction. 

1998 Monte Vertine Le Pergole Torte, $53, 13% alc.: Of course, I am familiar with the reputation of this wine, and even had the opportunity to taste a previous vintage a few years back, so how could I not get excited about trying a glass? It's a somewhat deeper, darker garnet than the previous two wines, while retaining the smoky tinge. The nose is all about a fine mix of soft cedar, dried black and sour cherries, decaying forest floor and a little bitter chocolate. I'm surprised at how approachable it is, with the drying tannins showing up on the late mid-palate and on through the finish, following the elegant flavors that generally echo the bouquet, with the requisite acidity and the emhphasis on the dried black and sour cherries. You certainly could drink this now, with food, or even just sipping to see what it's all about, but why? Let it sit for at least a few more years, when it'll be showing so much more. The label seems to indicate that it's made from 100% Sangiovese. 

Imported by Premium Brands, Inc., Forest Hills, NY

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Alan Kerr brought his mum, Sylvia to town for her annual summer visit in early August, and as always, it was so nice to see her again. We celebrated the occasion with a few glasses of wine, as we are so often wont to do. 

1997 Duplessis Chablis Premier Cru Montée de Tonnerre, 12.5% alc.: Alan described this medium straw as "very pure in its varietal character," and he certainly had a point, as the slightly funky wet stone, limestone, apple, pear and hint of lime aromatics waft large out of the glass. The flavors echo nicely, full bodied and fairly rich on the palate, with nice acidity and a long finish. "It's nice to drink a chardonnay that tastes like a chardonnay," Alan said, and I had to agree, saying, "I could drink this wine every day." 

1990 Fattoria di Felsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva, $19.49, 13 % alc.: There's still not much rust to this nice dark garnet colored Chianti, which we last tasted three years back. It features a marvelous, mature, smoky, nutty character that shows licorice, leather, sweet spice nutmeg and cinnamon overtones and a hint of Brasso ® that really emerges and dominates as it opens. Flavors and aromas are almost all secondary, except for the stewed plums that Kim correctly noted. Kerr added impressions of "caraway seed, thyme and vegetation, almost like beet." There're still some tannins here, and zippy acidity, but while I wondered if it might not need a few more years, Alan didn't think so. Whatever the case, it's drinking quite well, and made a fine match for grilled, hickory smoked lamb burgers. Too bad it was our last one. 

2001 Carlisle Russian River Valley Zinfandel Carlisle Vineyard, 16.3% alc.: We love Mike and Kendall Officer's wines, and this deep dark garnet is yet one more reason why. It exudes explosive flavors and aromas of sweet oak, sweet spice, blackberry and black raspberry that Alan described as "almost volatile," adding impressions of "a lovely bit of black fruit acid on the tip of the tongue, almost black currant; pretty heady; almost like cream soda. It's almost like a barrel sample, with big rich black cherry, almost cherry jubilee." This is showing some heat, with at least a few years worth of tannins, plenty of acidity and some eucalyptus and root beer overtones that are bound to become accentuated as this develops. This needs some time to tone down, based on this tasting, but it should be very nice in two or three years. 

1996 Rosemount McLaren Vale Syrah Balmoral, $32.99, 14% alc.: This inky dark garnet exudes aromas of funky barnyard, Bassett's Licorice "After 8 Dinner Mint", spearmint, fondant, lavender, charcoal and chocolate, with hints of coconut shell and sour milk, according to Alan, who added, "There's so much happening here, and I haven't even tasted it yet!" Further investigation found huge plum, blackberry and what Kerr described as "that whole Christmas cake thing going on; marzipan, cherry, cinnamon, black peppercorn, flower petal and even a hint of tobacco and green tea leaf." On the palate, it's less sweet and multi-dimensional than I expected, given the aromatics; smart-ass Kerr called it "less quadraphonic," but he was spot on in that regard. This really opens with air, but the significant tannins and zippy acidity make it somewhat biting now. I have no reason to doubt that this is a ten-year wine, one that will just get better and better as it ages. Very nice stuff indeed! 

Imported by Rosemount Estates, Inc., Sonoma, CA

Sean Thackrey Pleiades X & XI: Alan turned up another night not long ago, and after downing one of his '01 Unti Zins, we decided to do a little "research," and compare the Pleiades X & XI, for scientific purposes only, of course. As you may know, these wines are made with a veritable plethora of varietals, including syrah, barbera, carignane, petite sirah, zinfandel, grenache and even viognier, and there are likely others in the blend besides. 

Sean Thackrey Pleiades X Old Vines, $18, 13.9% alc.: For whatever reason, we didn't cite any specifics regarding the color of this stuff, but it's red wine, for cripes sakes. Of the toasty aromatics, Alan remarked, "chocolate and black currant, violet; so floral!" These follow through on the palate, and despite initial impressions of a medium full-bodied wine, there's a lot of deep, dense fruit here, along with good tannins, zippy acidity and a finish that lingers awhile. As it opens, little hints of cola and root beer emerge, and Kerr described impressions of "sweet beet root, a little licorice and a little dusty." The root beer element comes out more and more with swirlatude, perhaps even to the point of domination; it certainly has something to do with my observation that "It's not exactly red fruit, and it's not exactly black fruit either." Alan opined that "the raw flavors need time to settle down and integrate," but while I will agree that its best days are still ahead of it, this is drinking pretty damned well already. Very good with food, or just sipping all by its lonesome. 

Sean Thackrey Pleiades XI Old Vines, $18, 14.3% alc.: We weren't sure how to describe the color of this one at first; it's not garnet exactly, but more of a bright red fruit color. We finally settled on "smoky ruby colored;" that's our story and we're sticking to it. It was immediately obvious that this is more earthy, yet less dense than the X, not having as much ebullient fruit, but instead "that beet-y red fruit, some funk and pine and a sugar syrup texture that becomes acidic on the finish" according to Kerr. It also loses a little something on said finish, even as the flower-y violet perfume reappears, a la the X. Though not nearly as thick as the previous model, the fruit is certainly there; in fact, I think that this suffered only in comparison the older wine. Kim and I have enjoyed a number of these on their own, and found them to be perfectly enjoyable, to the point where we've had a hard time keeping our hands off. However, it will definitely benefit from two or three years in the cellar, so do the right thing and try to hold off for a while.

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2002 Marquis Philips South Eastern Australia Shiraz, $15.99, 15.5% alc.: Dark garnet, not quite inky; big charred oak, root beer, chocolate, multi-dark candied berry and tar nose with overtones of something like menthol that makes me cough the first time I take a good whiff. Maybe it's ethanol, I don't know. Flavors echo loudly, with an obvious alcoholic bite. Too much heat and oak for this taster; I'm somewhat oak tolerant, but this is a travesty.

1997 Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir Hirsch Vineyard, 14.2% alc.: This is showing just a hint of brick to its smoky ruby garnet color, and exudes impressive aromatics of rock & rye and cola over big plum and black cherry, along with just the right touch of sweet oak to bring it all together and create a lovely perfume. Flavors echo with a few years worth of tannins that turn somewhat stemmy on the finish, and zippy acidity. This is a fine example of Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir that's still going strong, and it makes an excellent pairing with Kim's cedar planked salmon rubbed with Chinese 5 spice and cilantro pesto. Wish we had another to try a few years down the road.

1999 Carlisle Russian River Valley Zinfandel, 16.3% alc.: Deep dark garnet in color, this strapping Zin (yes, it still seems young) is showing big spicy, toasty oak, cola, root beer, black berry and black raspberry character, with intense concentration of flavors and a little heat on both the nose and the palate. This will improve with at least a few more years, given the tannins and acidity, and it's already showing a fairly long finish. With air, the root beer and cola becomes more accentuated, and a hint of coffee emerges as well, much like I remember Mike's '98s. A very nice Zinfandel, with its best days still ahead of it.

Reporting from Day-twah,

geo t.

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© George Heritier September 2003