|
By:
George Heritier A
Taste of Old Lytton Springs with Frank, Mary Anne & Bree
We convened out on the
back deck on a pleasant late summer’s eve and got things going with
music from Brazilians Joao Gilberto (“Joao” – Verve 848
507-2) and Gilberto Gil (“Parabolic” – Tropical Storm W2
76292), along with a wonderful Alsatian Gewurztraminer and some bread
and cheese. If the pairing
seems odd, it worked perfectly. 1993 Domaines
Schlumberger Gewurztraminer Alsaca Fleur de Guebwiller, $19.99, 13.5% alc.: We reported on this wine way back in one of our first
ever Gang of Pour installments, and it’s been a favorite of
ours ever since. Medium
gold with an effusive litchi/peach/apricot bouquet that follows through
on the palate with little hints of powdered sugar, this is slightly
sweet, and deliciously so. It’s
still has a somewhat oily texture in the mouth, but that aspect has
toned down over the years. Just
a lovely wine with a long beautiful finish, this is my ideal for fine
Gewurz, and alas, it was also my last bottle.
A big hit with everyone.
1998 Galleron Napa
Chardonnay Trio Vineyard, 14.2% alc.: This medium straw features
ever so slightly smoky pear on the nose, shaded with what Frank
described as “wood, some cedar, some shadings, some fig.”
This makes for a nice perfume that echoes in the rich, deep
flavors; there’s more acidity here than in the ’98 Galleron Toll
Road Chard we’d tasted a few nights previous, making it a much more
successful wine. Not your
average cookie cutter Napa Chardonnay. After the soup and
Chardonnay, Frank reached into his bag, saying, “I brought
along some things that I thought might interest you folks in particular.
I have no idea what kind of shape they are in.”
We caught our breaths when he revealed three bottles from the old
Lytton Springs Winery, and we didn’t wait long at all to decant them
and see what they had going for them.
1975 Lytton Springs
Winery Sonoma Zinfandel, 12.8% alc.: “The ’75 is DOA,” said califusa
after his first sip of this murky brick colored libation, “and I say
that in the kindest fashion.” And
in fact it was WAY over the hill, but Frank and I kept returning
to it for another sip throughout the evening, just to see if anything
happened to it. It tasted
and smelled like an oxidized sherry, gaining some chocolate notes as it
opened. While it wasn’t absolutely undrinkable, no one was able to
finish even a short glass of it either.
Perhaps I’m being generous when I say it was an interesting
“intellectual experience,” but that’s my story and I’m stickin’
to it. 1979 Lytton Springs
Winery Sonoma Zinfandel, 14.7% alc.: This rusty garnet has a
“poopy” nose according to Frank, with pruney fruit
underneath, and some sea air after ten of fifteen minutes.
Bree commented that it’s “still showing a
surprising amount of fruit,” and as it opens, it goes even beyond
that, evolving from “plenty of sweet old Zinberry fruit” to “huge,
beautiful, round mature Zinfandel,” according to my notes.
Flavors are reminiscent of blackberry/red currant/black cherry,
and there’re still some tannins present, with good acidity.
The only detraction is a slight lingering mustiness in the
bouquet, but it was hardly enough to keep us from oohing and ahhing over
it. A wonderful old wine,
even better than the following bottle. 1989 Lytton Springs
Winery Sonoma Zinfandel, 13.4% alc.: Frank says this
slightly rusty dark garnet shows “big chocolate, big licorice,” and
is “more aggressive,” and I wouldn’t argue with that assessment.
It also shows elements of prunes and black raspberries, with soft
tannins, low acidity and a long finish.
A very good wine from a crappy vintage.
Many thanks to Frank and Mary Anne for this very special treat! It was time for Kim’s
fabulous mushroom pasta and it was killer.
The obvious choice for wine here was Pinot Noir, and Bree
was all over that with the next bottle. 1997 Martinelli
Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Martinelli Vineyard, 14.7% alc.: A
darker garnet than many Pinots, this exudes big smoke/sweet oak/black
cherry/cola perfume that follows through on the palate with hints of
chocolate and a little less intensity.
It has decent acidity and unobtrusive tannins, eliciting this
comment from Bree: “It’s rich, it has wonderful
concentration, it screams Russian River Valley.
This wine has rocked since release.”
My response?
It’s not Rochioli, but it’s not bad… };^)> We finished off with
one last wine, again courtesy of califusa. 1989 Chateau de
Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape, 13%: There’s little rust to this
dark garnet, and the nose shows a little barnyard over plum/prune
that’s nothing particularly special at this point.
The flavors follow through and take it up a notch with good
density, hints of leather, some chocolate and a little aquarium,
according to Kim. This is
quintessential Chateauneuf with its best years still ahead of it. It was a wonderful
evening with wonderful friends. We
bid our adieus to Frank and Mary Anne, and said goodnight
to Bree shortly afterwards, as he had an early flight to catch
the next morning. I
remained on the back deck and enjoyed my first ever Padron Anniversario
Maduro, one that I bought in Paso Robles.
It’s a beautiful cigar, handsome like Evander, and it squeezes
easy, cuts clean and lights like a charm.
It burned a little unevenly at first, but then really catches
fire, produces tons of delicious smoke.
I smoked it down to the nub, enjoying every draw.
I could have held it in the humi for another year or three, but I
feel like I lit it up on the perfect evening, the last night of our
summer vacation. |
|
|
|
|
|
© Copyright Gang of Pour September, 2000 |
|
We
invited Frank Joyce and Mary Anne Barnett (left) to join
us for dinner on Bree’s last night in Day-twah.
The next selection was
served with califusa’s wonderful Yin/Yang yellow and red tomato
soup. (“The tarragon is so subtle, so perfect.” – Kim) 
