The Wine Press April 06

On March 2, 2006, fellow Essex County Wine Society member, Gary Schwarz, presented a most definitive and detailed survey of the Pinot Noirs from the Central Coast of California covering the area from Monterey to the vicinity of Santa Barbara. It has been only in recent years that these wines have been recognized as being of high quality. In 1980 Charles Olken, Earl Singer and Norman Roby described Pinot Noir as having “proven a puzzle to California wine makers” (Connoisseurs Handbook of California Wines, Knopf 1980). They go on: “California Pinot Noirs have too often been thin-flavored and simple”. Robert M. Parker Jr. in his first Wine Buyers Guide 1987-1988 (Simon and Schuster 1987) describes Pinot Noir as “largely a failure in California’s North Coast region . . . Grapes grown in the cool Carneros region have consistently shown promise as have grapes grown in Monterey and other areas of the Central Coast. . . . approach California Pinot Noirs with the greatest degree of caution”. In contrast, in his sixth edition (2002), Parker says that “no region in the New World has demonstrated more progress with Pinot Noir than California. Major breakthroughs have been made”.

Gary presented ten examples of Pinot Noirs from the 2002 and 2003 vintages. The first four wines were from Monterey County and the group’s favorite of the four was the 2003 Talley Rincon Vineyard. The next six were from farther south and the favorite of the six and the favorite of the evening (by a wide margin) was the 2002 Fess Parker Bien Nacido Vineyard. A wine featured in the movie “Sideways” and the wine drunk by Miles at the eponymous restaurant– the Hartley-Ostini Hitching Post Highliner 2003 was thought excellent by at least one of the undersigned. All of the wines were rather high in alcohol, especially when compared to Burgundy, and most of the group thought the wines were good but not very Burgundian in character. (for further discussion of this point from a British vantage point see Decanter, April2006).

The results of the election of new officers of the society are as follows:

(for a two year term commencing July 1, 2006)

Presidents: Bob Erickson and Howard Menaker First Vice-President: Edward Miller

Second Vice-President: Gil Bauer

Treasurer: Dana Bolton

Secretary: Stacy Rudbart

(for a three year term commencing July 1, 2006)

Trustee: Kenneth Brady

The April 6, 2006 tasting will be of older Bordeaux (“Treasures of a Cellar”) led by member, Richard Steinberg. We will have wines from a number of great vintages of the past 50 years beginning in 1952. Our most current vintage will be the 1985 Mouton Rothschild. Richard plans to have one wine from the right bank, one wine from Graves Pessac-Leognan, three Pauillacs, and five St-Juliens (details below).

We will have to limit the tasting to 45 attendees and members will receive preference.

The wines we plan to taste and a description of the vintage are listed below. We have extracted some comments from Michael Broadbent (MB) (Vintage Wine, Harcourt2002), Clive Coates (CC) (Grand Vins, University of California Press, 1995), Robert M. Parker Jr. (RP) (Bordeaux, Simon and Schuster, 2003).

1952 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse Lalande The year -Very good vintage. . . firm and tannic. 4 stars (out of 5)(MB) Hard, too astringent, and lacking fat, charm and ripeness (RP) The wine – Ripe . . . fat, plumy, very, very ripe. . . balanced. Will keep.(CC). Gloriously decadent (RP)

1959 Leoville- Las Cases The year - big, backward, full-bodied, richly colored. . . full of fruit(CC). 5 stars (MB). Irrefutably great vintage (RP) The wine - Better than 1961 . . . fat, rich, concentrated. . . plenty of depth. Fine (CC). 4 stars (MB). One of the best of the vintage (RP)

1961 Haut- Bailly The year – “1961 stands supreme among the vintages of the last couple of generations” (CC) 5 stars. . . some fabulous wines (MB) The wine – splendid. . . opulent, thick, rich and powerful. . . how long will the 1961 last? (RP)

1964 Ausone The year – heterogeneous . . . superb wines in St.- Emilion and Pomerol. Rain in mid-harvest in Paulliac and ST.-Estephe (CC). Very good vintage, 4 stars (MB) The wine – delicate, light . . but has depth (CC) Fine quality . . . some charm (MB).

1966 Leoville-Las Cases The year – after 1961 the best vintage of the decade (CC) lean, long distance runner. 4 stars (MB) Most over-rated top vintage of the past 25 years (RP). The wine – rich, cedary nose . . . full . . . rich wine. Very, Las Cases. Very St Julien (CC) highly masculine wine, 4 stars (MB), Classic Bordeaux

One of the best wines of the vintage. (RP)

1970 Ducru- Beaucaillou The year – “sunny disposition … developed better than originally predicted. . . beautifully balanced (CC). Initially overrated - 4 stars (MB) The wine – real class and complexion to the nose . . . poised and sweet. . . real breed. Fine long, long finish. Super (CC) Leaving aside Latour, I rate Ducru and Cheval Blanc as the best of the 70s (MB). Outstanding wine for the vintage. I am not sure how much longer the 1970 Ducru will keep. (RP)

1975 Lynch Bages The year – rugged and unforthcoming . . . patience has been rewarded. (CC) irregular . . . good fruit with high alcoholic content dark color and high tannins – 4 stars (MB) This is a vintage for delayed gratification (RP) The wine

medium full. This has richness, fatness and a good element of old-vine concentration (CC) Decent (MB)

1978 Gruaud-Larose The year – saved by a hot, dry late August and September. . . Inconsistent vintage . . . high level of acidity and considerable bottle variation. 3 stars (MB) Good vintage for red wines of the Medoc (RP) The wine – typical Cordier nose . . . lumpy and solid (CC) Bouquet ripe with a touch of manure (MB)

1982 Leoville-Barton The year – vintage of remarkable high quality . . . not uniform . . . . not consistent . Paulliac - here the wines are full, fat, rich and concentrated; above all marvelously ripe (CC) A milestone- 5 stars (MB) This vintage made a name for Parker for his appropriate praise. The wine – Four square (CC) lovely flesh, flavor, and length, but with a lean touch. 4 stars (?5) (MB) Dense, backward wine . . . impressive for its size, strength and structure. . . Anticipated maturity 2010-2050. (RP)

1985 Mouton Rothschild The year - very good, yes; great, no. . . . wines soft and charming; ripe, succulent and sweet. (CC) One of the most perfect vintages. 5 stars (MB) Gorgeously seductive (RP) The wine – firm, spicy, slightly dense on the nose . . . . Fullish, ripe, fat and opulent (CC) Soft, flavory, crisp. . . with a touch of astringency. 5 stars (MB) medium weight, elegant – one of the best of the vintage. (RP).

Because of the age of the wines the cost of this tasting will of necessity be rather high but tastings like this are exceedingly rare.

The cost of the tasting will be $87 for members and $102 for guests. Members receive preference and the tasting will be limited to the first 45 who reply.

The following and last event of this Spring will be our dinner on April 30, 2006 at Table 8 in Montclair. Further details in the next mailing.

In vino veritas and a votre sante,

Bob and Howard