Bob Dylan famously stated, "The times they are a-changing'" and he truly captured the essence of travel, particularly for individuals over the age of 65. It is widely recognized that travel is becoming increasingly challenging, and as we grow older, it often feels nearly impossible. We traveled to SEATAC (Seattle/Tacoma International Airport) and subsequently to Honolulu, Hawaii. Despite our efforts to ensure a comfortable and pain-free journey, we encountered numerous obstacles that ultimately exhausted us. Upon our arrival at SEATAC, we quickly discovered that public transportation options, including taxis, Ubers, and hotel shuttle buses, were not advisable. All these services are limited to drop-off and pick-up at the 3rd Floor Garage, and after making the lengthy trek there, we had to wait over an hour for the hotel shuttle bus, while we were unable to secure an Uber or taxi due to the thousands (not an exaggeration) of people queuing for the same. This situation unfolded at 11 PM, with street traffic congested for miles. The explanation provided was due to construction and the arrival and departure of cruise ships, but that does not account for the entirety of the chaos. We quickly recognized the necessity of booking a limousine service for any future trips to and from SEATAC. For long-distance journeys, we now reserve a hotel midway through our travels to allow for a restful overnight break before continuing. Thus far, Delta, our preferred airline, permits us to book multiple flight segments without imposing excessive charges, which was beneficial on this trip as we had four flights. However, we still endured four six-hour flights with varying levels of comfort. On our first night, we stayed at the Hilton Airport and Conference Center, a place we had previously enjoyed but can no longer endorse. Their airport shuttle service is exceedingly slow, and the hotel is understaffed, resulting in minimal service. The dining options are subpar, and the hot tub is not heated, which was a significant disappointment for me. Additionally, when I attempted to book other rooms throughout the week, as we were coming and going, I found that each time I booked for a different day, the rates increased. We eventually stayed the rest of the time at Residence Inn at the airport where the service was better, the rooms were bigger and more comfortable, and the Shuttle service was better and the prices were stable.
Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Travel Challenges in General
I highly recommend having access to at least one airport lounge. Generally, we prefer the Delta lounges, as we find them to be the best option available. With the AMEX Platinum card, we also have access to Centurion Lounges; however, these are only located in a limited number of airports, and overall, we believe the food and atmosphere at Delta Sky Lounges are superior. Additionally, we possess a Priority Pass, which offers the main advantage of having the highest number of lounges in a significant number of airports worldwide, and while they may be smaller, they suffice in a pinch. Please note that at times, you may need to wait for entry due to crowding, or there may be restrictions on when you can enter, such as not being allowed in more than three hours before your next flight. Typically, lounges provide a satisfactory meal, and seating is usually spacious. Some lounges even offer shower facilities.
For long-haul flights, we are currently able to afford first class, and it indeed makes a noticeable difference. For reasons unknown, the cost of First Class is significantly lower when departing from Orlando (MCO). I am presently disappointed with the new seating configuration of Delta's Airbus 321 aircraft, as there is a lack of legroom even in First Class, making it challenging to exit from the window seat during the flight to use the restroom. The food quality is also subpar, and the level of helpfulness and attention from the flight crew varies greatly. Delta has the potential to improve. As I recall with Delta at least the older First Class configuration with Boeing 737’s is better and you might want to select those flights over the Airbus 321.
In summary, choose your flights well and research the aircraft configuration(no more Boeing 777 business class, especially British Air) arrange for layovers, at airports that are crowded spend the money and pre-order a limo service, and pick hotels that are consistent in price and comfort and you will arrive at your destination less stressed out.
Sunday, April 20, 2025
Tit for Tat Del Dotto and Napa Valley December 2024
As usual I have failed to keep up with this Blog. It’s not that I don’t have anything to say. Life as we know just gets in the way. So today I have a few items to advise you on and some great wines to recommend.
Some Tips on tasting wines and recent insights.
1. When tasting lots of wines you get palate/nose fatigue. To freshen your tasting ability and reset your senses try smelling your elbow or body.
2. The higher the acid in a wine the higher the saliva production. If you have increasing watery secretions in the mouth your are drinking a higher acid wine.
3. Wines fermented at higher temperatures show less fruit. As usual heat kills wine.
4. Wine fermented in concrete which goes back 2000 years to Roman times presents differences in wine production. A couple of years ago we visited a vineyard in Bordeaux/Blaye that were still using 2000 year old concrete vats built by the Romans and they were square in size. At modern vineyards you will frequently see egg shaped vats that are made with concrete. Wine fermented in concrete it is harder to control the temperature of fermentation so the wine maker usually doesn’t meaning a certain acceptance of loss of fruit. Also the lees(Lees are deposits of dead yeast or residual yeast and other particles that precipitate to the bottom of a vat of wine after fermentation and aging) do not settle so it makes no sense to tamp down the lees like you see being done in stainless tanks. By not tamping down the lees the wine increases in complexity due to increased surface contact with the lees.
Del Dotto Napa Valley
Making our second annual trip to the Del Dotto White Truffle Dinner we spent a day with Dave Del Dotto tasting some of his recent offerings listed here. Dave continues to lead an innovative and forward looking team with lots of surprises in his wines. You really have to visit to taste his wines and I do recommend scheduling a visit when you are in Napa. All of the vineyards today charge tasting fee's as they simply can no longer give away that much free wine. Del Dotto is clearly the best tasting experience in the Valley that I have experienced and it comes with great food and pizza so I highly recommend lunch. You must make reservations as they are always busy. Don't miss the cave tour and tasting in the caves as it will be memorable.
2012 Vineyard 887 Cabernet
There is a unique smoky nose here. The alcohol is high at 15.5% and too me it was hot and overwhelming so the fruit was sort of hidden.
2021 Family Chardonnay Reserve
Has a nice nose. Lots of pear in the taste along with apple. Has a good finish. In general we like this wine and have purchased a case or two. To me the family reserve wines are usually the better ones here.
2012 Rutherford Vineyards
As a rule I love Rutherford and Oakville wines in general. This one starts with a nice oaky nose and despite an alcohol content of 15.4% I found the wine to be soft and feminine. There is plenty of fruit on the taste with hints of licorice. So it is farily complex. The mouthfeel is nice so it is a wine I can recommend
2015 St Helena Family Cabernet
The main attraction to this wine was an exceptional long finish, more than most. It had a basic Cab nose and taste along with another high alcohol monster at 15.2%. As a family favorite it is compelling and has plenty of fruit
2014 Villa Del Lago
One of Dave’s top 2 wines and my personal favorite. It is an exceptional wine with layers of complexity and finesse hard to find. It is very complex with lots of berry flavors in the nose and taste and surprisingly a taste of dark cherry. Like all of Daves wine plenty of alcohol but perfect balance and a pleasant velvet mouthfeel. It also has a good finish.
2014 The Beast
When I think of the Beast I think BOLD. It is sort of how it got named. Someone was drinking it and said “this is a beast of a wine”. Most of us agree. It opens with a bold smoky nose with lots of charcoal smell and taste. In many ways it is too bold with a lot of tannin and maybe not as smooth, especially when compared to the Villa Del Lago. Dave also brought out a 2020 Single Cluster Beast and to me it had a much richer taste and a predominance of licorice. A significant number of vintages of the Beast have been rated 100 points by the professionals which I can confirm.
Carter Cellars
Owner and vintner Mark Carter has built a portfolio of great California Cabernets over the years with a long line of 100 point wines. In fact this year his wines received his 25th 100 point score. I have now met him twice over the past two years and he is a great guy to taste wine with and clearly is passionate regarding his wines. For decades he controls a significant portion of the Beckstoffer To Kalon vineyards one of the original and oldest Cabernet vineyards in the valley.
2022 The Haze $95
The nose opens with a sweet and smoky flavor. I noticed blackberry fruit on the nose. There's lots of fruit in this wine, as I also detected boysenberry along with the blackberry. There was a huge amount of tannin in this wine, so it's very bold. I also picked up some licorice but Despite all of the positives, I didn't find it particularly complex.
2022 Carter Carter $175
The nose opens with a lot of fruit and floral aromas with hints of honeysuckle, pencil, and graphite. This wine was more complex than the previous one. There was a good mix of floral and Earth tones. The wine presented a fair amount of sweet taste and there was a velvet mouthfeel. It had a pretty nice finish. The wine was a primary profile of Berry flavorsand moderate tannins. The alcohol content in this one is 15.2%, which was not particularly noticeable.
2022 Beckstoffer Las Piedras La Bam $260
This wine has a more simple basic nose of fruit with some mild smoke and the fruit. I found this wine to have a bitter Disjointed candy flavor taste that I did not like. Interestingly the 2021 was 100 point rated, but I was just not that impressed with the 2022. There was a high concentration of tannin in this clearly young puppy but you could still taste the fruit
2021 Beckstoffer Las Piedras La Bam
A bit more complex on the nose. Nice cinnamon and floral hints. The mouth feel is very nice and there is a sweetness to the wine taste. It has a little more alcohol and I described it as hot in my notes. The tannin was moderate. Overall I preferred this to the 2022 and thought it was a better wine.
2022 Beckstoffer To Kalon The Grand Daddy $260
Starts with a nice sweet balanced nose. Again some hot alcohol and a lot of tannin, so very young. There was a short finish. It may be the grand daddy but not for at least 10 years in bottle.
2022 Beckstoffer To Kalon The O.G. $260
Starts with a nice tobacco cigar smoke nose. It has a classic Cabernet taste with balanced alcohol and tannin. The wine presents again as very young and tannic but fruit is there. I detected some licorice here. It is a nice drinkable wine for now and will age well.
2022 Beckstoffer To Kalon The GTO 1.5L $650
Mark Carter’s Opus one landmark wine and rich, smoky, graphite nose followed with a hedonistic velvet mouthfeel. One of Carters best balanced wines. It has again high alcohol of 15.2% but due to the exceptional balancee you do not notice it.
Theorem Vineyards
On my own separate from our usual Napa guide I made reservations at Theorem estate grown wines. This vineyard was established in 1878 and is located on the northern slope of Diamond Mountain in Calistoga, California, approximately 1,100 feet above sea level. The vineyard benefits from volcanic soil, ample sunlight, and cooling afternoon winds, which contribute to the quality of its wines. Visitors can enjoy stunning views of Mount St. Helena, a noted private chef, and various tasting venues that offer a unique experience. The estate produces world-class wines, including its flagship Cabernet Sauvignon. I have loved California Mountain vineyards for years and Theorem is one of my favorites, especially their Chardonnay, and we usually buy a case or two per year. We tasted the following wines and all were world class and again found the Chardonnay compelling and purchased a case. Their tasting room is spectacular so book a visit. Advance reservations are required.
2022 Moon Mountain Sauvignon Blanc
2022 Moon Mountain Chardonnay
2022 Moon Mountain 100% Syrah
2022 Moon Mountain 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Some Tips on tasting wines and recent insights.
1. When tasting lots of wines you get palate/nose fatigue. To freshen your tasting ability and reset your senses try smelling your elbow or body.
2. The higher the acid in a wine the higher the saliva production. If you have increasing watery secretions in the mouth your are drinking a higher acid wine.
3. Wines fermented at higher temperatures show less fruit. As usual heat kills wine.
4. Wine fermented in concrete which goes back 2000 years to Roman times presents differences in wine production. A couple of years ago we visited a vineyard in Bordeaux/Blaye that were still using 2000 year old concrete vats built by the Romans and they were square in size. At modern vineyards you will frequently see egg shaped vats that are made with concrete. Wine fermented in concrete it is harder to control the temperature of fermentation so the wine maker usually doesn’t meaning a certain acceptance of loss of fruit. Also the lees(Lees are deposits of dead yeast or residual yeast and other particles that precipitate to the bottom of a vat of wine after fermentation and aging) do not settle so it makes no sense to tamp down the lees like you see being done in stainless tanks. By not tamping down the lees the wine increases in complexity due to increased surface contact with the lees.
Del Dotto Napa Valley
Making our second annual trip to the Del Dotto White Truffle Dinner we spent a day with Dave Del Dotto tasting some of his recent offerings listed here. Dave continues to lead an innovative and forward looking team with lots of surprises in his wines. You really have to visit to taste his wines and I do recommend scheduling a visit when you are in Napa. All of the vineyards today charge tasting fee's as they simply can no longer give away that much free wine. Del Dotto is clearly the best tasting experience in the Valley that I have experienced and it comes with great food and pizza so I highly recommend lunch. You must make reservations as they are always busy. Don't miss the cave tour and tasting in the caves as it will be memorable.
2012 Vineyard 887 Cabernet
There is a unique smoky nose here. The alcohol is high at 15.5% and too me it was hot and overwhelming so the fruit was sort of hidden.
2021 Family Chardonnay Reserve
Has a nice nose. Lots of pear in the taste along with apple. Has a good finish. In general we like this wine and have purchased a case or two. To me the family reserve wines are usually the better ones here.
2012 Rutherford Vineyards
As a rule I love Rutherford and Oakville wines in general. This one starts with a nice oaky nose and despite an alcohol content of 15.4% I found the wine to be soft and feminine. There is plenty of fruit on the taste with hints of licorice. So it is farily complex. The mouthfeel is nice so it is a wine I can recommend
2015 St Helena Family Cabernet
The main attraction to this wine was an exceptional long finish, more than most. It had a basic Cab nose and taste along with another high alcohol monster at 15.2%. As a family favorite it is compelling and has plenty of fruit
2014 Villa Del Lago
One of Dave’s top 2 wines and my personal favorite. It is an exceptional wine with layers of complexity and finesse hard to find. It is very complex with lots of berry flavors in the nose and taste and surprisingly a taste of dark cherry. Like all of Daves wine plenty of alcohol but perfect balance and a pleasant velvet mouthfeel. It also has a good finish.
2014 The Beast
When I think of the Beast I think BOLD. It is sort of how it got named. Someone was drinking it and said “this is a beast of a wine”. Most of us agree. It opens with a bold smoky nose with lots of charcoal smell and taste. In many ways it is too bold with a lot of tannin and maybe not as smooth, especially when compared to the Villa Del Lago. Dave also brought out a 2020 Single Cluster Beast and to me it had a much richer taste and a predominance of licorice. A significant number of vintages of the Beast have been rated 100 points by the professionals which I can confirm.
Carter Cellars
Owner and vintner Mark Carter has built a portfolio of great California Cabernets over the years with a long line of 100 point wines. In fact this year his wines received his 25th 100 point score. I have now met him twice over the past two years and he is a great guy to taste wine with and clearly is passionate regarding his wines. For decades he controls a significant portion of the Beckstoffer To Kalon vineyards one of the original and oldest Cabernet vineyards in the valley.
2022 The Haze $95
The nose opens with a sweet and smoky flavor. I noticed blackberry fruit on the nose. There's lots of fruit in this wine, as I also detected boysenberry along with the blackberry. There was a huge amount of tannin in this wine, so it's very bold. I also picked up some licorice but Despite all of the positives, I didn't find it particularly complex.
2022 Carter Carter $175
The nose opens with a lot of fruit and floral aromas with hints of honeysuckle, pencil, and graphite. This wine was more complex than the previous one. There was a good mix of floral and Earth tones. The wine presented a fair amount of sweet taste and there was a velvet mouthfeel. It had a pretty nice finish. The wine was a primary profile of Berry flavorsand moderate tannins. The alcohol content in this one is 15.2%, which was not particularly noticeable.
2022 Beckstoffer Las Piedras La Bam $260
This wine has a more simple basic nose of fruit with some mild smoke and the fruit. I found this wine to have a bitter Disjointed candy flavor taste that I did not like. Interestingly the 2021 was 100 point rated, but I was just not that impressed with the 2022. There was a high concentration of tannin in this clearly young puppy but you could still taste the fruit
2021 Beckstoffer Las Piedras La Bam
A bit more complex on the nose. Nice cinnamon and floral hints. The mouth feel is very nice and there is a sweetness to the wine taste. It has a little more alcohol and I described it as hot in my notes. The tannin was moderate. Overall I preferred this to the 2022 and thought it was a better wine.
2022 Beckstoffer To Kalon The Grand Daddy $260
Starts with a nice sweet balanced nose. Again some hot alcohol and a lot of tannin, so very young. There was a short finish. It may be the grand daddy but not for at least 10 years in bottle.
2022 Beckstoffer To Kalon The O.G. $260
Starts with a nice tobacco cigar smoke nose. It has a classic Cabernet taste with balanced alcohol and tannin. The wine presents again as very young and tannic but fruit is there. I detected some licorice here. It is a nice drinkable wine for now and will age well.
2022 Beckstoffer To Kalon The GTO 1.5L $650
Mark Carter’s Opus one landmark wine and rich, smoky, graphite nose followed with a hedonistic velvet mouthfeel. One of Carters best balanced wines. It has again high alcohol of 15.2% but due to the exceptional balancee you do not notice it.
Theorem Vineyards
On my own separate from our usual Napa guide I made reservations at Theorem estate grown wines. This vineyard was established in 1878 and is located on the northern slope of Diamond Mountain in Calistoga, California, approximately 1,100 feet above sea level. The vineyard benefits from volcanic soil, ample sunlight, and cooling afternoon winds, which contribute to the quality of its wines. Visitors can enjoy stunning views of Mount St. Helena, a noted private chef, and various tasting venues that offer a unique experience. The estate produces world-class wines, including its flagship Cabernet Sauvignon. I have loved California Mountain vineyards for years and Theorem is one of my favorites, especially their Chardonnay, and we usually buy a case or two per year. We tasted the following wines and all were world class and again found the Chardonnay compelling and purchased a case. Their tasting room is spectacular so book a visit. Advance reservations are required.
2022 Moon Mountain Sauvignon Blanc
2022 Moon Mountain Chardonnay
2022 Moon Mountain 100% Syrah
2022 Moon Mountain 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Screaming Eagle Part 3, ?The final Chapter?
After another 2 year break, back at it, tasting Screaming Eagle this time out of Magnums. I have to pinch myself knowing that I am one of a very few individuals including all of the top writers that have tasted this many Screaming Eagle vintages. Again the venue was at the Ritz Carlton Amelia Island 5 Diamond restaurant “Salt” with Chef Okan providing the dinner. The dinner was held to help fund a new project in Nassau County Florida building a tiny home neighborhood for affordable housing for lower income citizens of the area. Well attended the event eventually provided enough funds to start and hopefully finish the project.
I recommend you review my 2 previous Blogs on February 25, 2021 as well as May 7, 2023 to help getting up to speed for this review. As a review, since 2021 these are the wines reviewed in date order with the professional ratings.
Screaming Eagle Cabernet Red
2005 Screaming Eagle RP98 WS95 ST94
2009 Screaming Eagle RP96 WS96 ST96
2010 Screaming Eagle RP100 WS96 ST97
2011 Screaming Eagle RP94-99 JS94
2012 Screaming Eagle RP100 WS97 ST95-98 JS100
2013 Screaming Eagle RP97 WS95 JS100 750cc 2021 1.5L 2025
2014 Screaming Eagle RP97 WS95 JS99
2015 Screaming Eagle WA100 JS100
2016 Screaming Eagle WA100 JS100
2019 Screaming Eagle D100 750cc 2023 1.5L 2025
2020 Screaming Eagle JS99 750cc 2023 1.5L 2025
2021 Screaming Eagle RP98 JS100 V100 D100 1.5L 2025
Screaming Eagle 2nd Flight
2014 Second Flight RP96 JS97 D95
2021 Second Flight WI100
Screaming Eagle Sauvignon Blanc
2019 Screaming Eagle Sauvignon Blanc RP99
2021 Screaming Eagle Sauvignon Blanc RP100
Wines Tasted March 29, 2025
2021 Screaming Eagle Sauvignon Blanc RP 100
Talk about an embarrassment of riches. This is my second bottle of what may be one of the rarest wines on the planet as I had the 2019 2 years ago. My first impression a bright, high acid, grapefruit predominate wine. It was by no means overoaked which you should expect here. It was a nice complex wine, I could pick up 4 or 5 flavors easily. In addition to grapefruit I tasted lemon and pineapple. The balance was exceptional with all flavors complimenting each other. The finish was exceptional over 10 minutes and lingering, complex, and impressionable. I have nothing but praise and agree with the 100 point rating. I do apologize in that there are only a couple of hundred bottles made so it is near impossible for most to have this wine.
2021 Screaming Eagle 2nd Flight RP 100
In many ways this is a historic wine in that it is one of the first 2nd bottling that have been rated 100 points. This was rated 100 by Robert Parker. It should also be noted that this wine has more Merlot than most which may play into that rating. It has a rich, elegant nose and the oak is well integrated in all aspects. As with all Screaming Eagles there is exceptional balance here while maintaining complexity. I tasted cedar, cigar box, black currant, prunes, eucalyptus, and mint. In many respects the fruit was somewhat subdued allowing for a more mineral taste bringing forth some old world Cab style.
2013 Screaming Eagle Cabernets in Magnum RP 97 WS 95 JS 100
For me hands down the wine of evening. I had this wine previously in the 2021 tasting and here is what I said tasting 2013 out of a 750cc bottle.
“On the nose and taste I found an abundance of smoky meat and barbecue. The tannins were exceptionally smooth and balanced along with balanced acid and alcohol. I found I agreed more with Robert Parker on this year and it was one of my favorites of the evening”
Out of Magnum again the best Cabernet of the evening. Parker rated it 97 whereas James Suckling gave it the full 100 points. For me again this was a smooth operator. The opening stanza was a spectacular spiritual nose and aroma highly complex. The oak was just enough to enhance the wine and blends in seamlessly with the fruit. There is a perfect harmonious pleasant blend of flavors. Multiple flavors were showcased including cedar, oak, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, and Cassis which Screaming Eagle is known for. The final stanza was a lingering complex finish to die for. No question a 100 point experience. The main difference out of Magnum for me was continued evolution of complexity and it was smoother and more mellow than what I remember 4 years ago. I also was blown away with the nose.
2019 Screaming Eagle D100 750cc 2023 1.5L 2025
An extraordinary wine. From the start unmistakable aroma, bouquet, and taste with layer upon layer of complexity. I smelled and tasted Blackberry, Cassis, prune, fig, cedar, a light hint of oak that did not overwhelm the fruit. An overlay of nice smoky flavor. There was outstanding acid and balance and for me the finish lasted for 10 minutes or more. It was just an amazing complex pleasant well balanced wine that lingered in the memory. A perfect example of my description of Screaming Eagle being a “berry complex well balanced wine”.Since my last tasting on May 7, 2023 the 2019 has clearly improved with age.
2020 Screaming Eagle JS99 750cc 2023 1.5L 2025
An outstanding wine but to me a little less impressive than the 2019. There was cedar on the nose but less oak than the 2019. Still lots of berry flavors including blackberry, raspberry, and strawberry with plenty of cedar flavors. The finish was not as long as I would have liked. It is still a young wine so may just need more time to evolve. Plenty of fruit to go forward. My review from May 7, 2023 is similar and I still like the wine I just found the evolution of the 2019 more to my taste. Reality both are great.
2021 Screaming Eagle RP98 JS100 V100 D100 1.5L 2025
The 2021 is just too young to really judge and appreciate. It was harsh on the taste and very, very strong tannic structure that overwhelmed the fruit. 2021 wines were noted to have small berry size and high skin to pulp ratios with lower yields which may explain the strong tannins. The oak flavors were also there but for me they were just enough to enhance the wine and blend in. I did detect from eucalyptus and mint on the nose but the tannins overwhelmed everything in the taste. I do suspect that it will prove to be more complex than I could tell. I also think the balance is there More than one writer gave it 100 points but I just could not really judge it due to its tannic youth. Clearly will need at least 10 years to evolve. Lisa Perrotti-Brown stood out recommending up to 10 years of cellaring.
1997 Huet Vouvray Cuvee Constance 1.5 L 100 WS 99 WA
Sweet wines generally last for decades and this Vouvray is an outstanding example. Our group had this years ago out of magnum and we enjoyed it again this evening out of magnum and OMG was it so good and continues to be close to a spiritual wine. I starts with a delicate honey nose bursting in aroma. A concentrated sweetness with honey, lemon, and pear flavors well balanced. An excellent, long, lingering finish into the evening star studded sky. Being from 1997 it is already a rare wine to find and impossible in magnum. My friend who acquired it was offered it as the last of it’s vintage so in magnums that is true. But it was so good we could not foresee life without some in our cellar so I started my world wide search and low and behold I found 20 750cc bottles in London and purchased them. In Europe at least there are a few 750cc’s left but alas no magnums. But we now have 20 that should last our lifetimes. When you visit we will crack a bottle. I have provided the professional reviews on this rare wine below.
100 points Wine Spectator: " *Cellar Selection* Extraordinarily rich. An amazing amount of botrytis gives this sweet white a powerful, spicy character, its masses of ripe fruit kept lively by electrifying acidity. So concentrated it tastes as though all the flesh has evaporated, leaving only the spirit behind. Will easily last your lifetime and mine. (TM)" (02/2000)
99 points Wine Advocate: "The stunning, virtually perfect, 1997 Vouvray Moelleux Cuvee Constance (named after his daughter) sports 150 grams of residual sugar per liter, 7.5 grams of acidity, and 12.5% alcohol. Tasting this sublime dessert wine brought tears to my eyes. It is so captivatingly pure, focused, and intricate as to be all but impossible to adequately describe. Its green and straw color reveals hints of gold. Aromatically, it titillates with scents of apricot jam, candied grapefruits, quince, bergamots, and flowers. On the palate fresh peaches, citrus fruits, honey, acacia blossoms, quinine, chalk, and lemony mangoes can be found. Additionally, this medium-to-full-bodied, penetrating, yet perfectly balanced wine has a finish that seemingly lingers forever, revealing even more waves of minerals and fruit. It will require patience yet should easily evolve for 50 years or more. Bravo! (PR)" (08/1999)
The wine soapbox
As an amateur I must hold the worlds record for tasting 12 vintages of Screaming Eagle including some 2nd Flights and their Sauvignon Blanc. Going back to my initial tastings in 2021 and 2023 I can continue to state these wines are “berry, and complex well balanced”. I see no reason to change my past opinion so in closing I offer my editorial from 2023 as follows:
“Now onto the elephant in the room the price-value ratio. These wines are one of the most expensive wines on the planet and you have to ask yourself if the difference in style and taste and quality is worth the price differential over an equally compelling California Cabernet. That is a question you have to answer yourself. I think it says a lot that a significant number of these bottles end up at auction in the after-market having never been drunk by the original owner. Last week at dinner a friend gave me a great line that says “Wine is made to be enjoyed not exploited”. Wine is made to be drunk, period. If all you are doing is buying and selling something over and over again to squeeze every ounce of profit out of it then please go buy NFTs. At least that is more honest. I have confirmed that for many of my friends who have the palate Screaming Eagle offers a subtle hedonistic taste difference that only they can appreciate and they have the funds to indulge this vice. So I say go ahead with my blessing and joy that you are in fact enjoying these wines. But please eventually drink them. Some things are more important than money. For the rest of us, there are hundreds of similar quality and tasty wines at a much lower price point. Please see my blog on California Cabernets from October 22, 2021. In the first Screaming Eagle tasting a 2015 Hall Jacks Masterpiece was included and I wrote then and confirm now it is as close to Screaming Eagle as you can get and is 5% of the cost of Screaming Eagle. “
Again I offer my sincerest congratulations and thanks to both Executive Chef Okan Kizirilbay and Collin Thornton, Food and Beverage Manager of the Ritz Carlton Amelia Island for volunteering to provide this dinner to provide affordable housing to the Nassau County residents.
Screaming Eagle Cabernet Red
2005 Screaming Eagle RP98 WS95 ST94
2009 Screaming Eagle RP96 WS96 ST96
2010 Screaming Eagle RP100 WS96 ST97
2011 Screaming Eagle RP94-99 JS94
2012 Screaming Eagle RP100 WS97 ST95-98 JS100
2013 Screaming Eagle RP97 WS95 JS100 750cc 2021 1.5L 2025
2014 Screaming Eagle RP97 WS95 JS99
2015 Screaming Eagle WA100 JS100
2016 Screaming Eagle WA100 JS100
2019 Screaming Eagle D100 750cc 2023 1.5L 2025
2020 Screaming Eagle JS99 750cc 2023 1.5L 2025
2021 Screaming Eagle RP98 JS100 V100 D100 1.5L 2025
Screaming Eagle 2nd Flight
2014 Second Flight RP96 JS97 D95
2021 Second Flight WI100
Screaming Eagle Sauvignon Blanc
2019 Screaming Eagle Sauvignon Blanc RP99
2021 Screaming Eagle Sauvignon Blanc RP100
Wines Tasted March 29, 2025
2021 Screaming Eagle Sauvignon Blanc RP 100
Talk about an embarrassment of riches. This is my second bottle of what may be one of the rarest wines on the planet as I had the 2019 2 years ago. My first impression a bright, high acid, grapefruit predominate wine. It was by no means overoaked which you should expect here. It was a nice complex wine, I could pick up 4 or 5 flavors easily. In addition to grapefruit I tasted lemon and pineapple. The balance was exceptional with all flavors complimenting each other. The finish was exceptional over 10 minutes and lingering, complex, and impressionable. I have nothing but praise and agree with the 100 point rating. I do apologize in that there are only a couple of hundred bottles made so it is near impossible for most to have this wine.
2021 Screaming Eagle 2nd Flight RP 100
In many ways this is a historic wine in that it is one of the first 2nd bottling that have been rated 100 points. This was rated 100 by Robert Parker. It should also be noted that this wine has more Merlot than most which may play into that rating. It has a rich, elegant nose and the oak is well integrated in all aspects. As with all Screaming Eagles there is exceptional balance here while maintaining complexity. I tasted cedar, cigar box, black currant, prunes, eucalyptus, and mint. In many respects the fruit was somewhat subdued allowing for a more mineral taste bringing forth some old world Cab style.
2013 Screaming Eagle Cabernets in Magnum RP 97 WS 95 JS 100
For me hands down the wine of evening. I had this wine previously in the 2021 tasting and here is what I said tasting 2013 out of a 750cc bottle.
“On the nose and taste I found an abundance of smoky meat and barbecue. The tannins were exceptionally smooth and balanced along with balanced acid and alcohol. I found I agreed more with Robert Parker on this year and it was one of my favorites of the evening”
Out of Magnum again the best Cabernet of the evening. Parker rated it 97 whereas James Suckling gave it the full 100 points. For me again this was a smooth operator. The opening stanza was a spectacular spiritual nose and aroma highly complex. The oak was just enough to enhance the wine and blends in seamlessly with the fruit. There is a perfect harmonious pleasant blend of flavors. Multiple flavors were showcased including cedar, oak, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, and Cassis which Screaming Eagle is known for. The final stanza was a lingering complex finish to die for. No question a 100 point experience. The main difference out of Magnum for me was continued evolution of complexity and it was smoother and more mellow than what I remember 4 years ago. I also was blown away with the nose.
2019 Screaming Eagle D100 750cc 2023 1.5L 2025
An extraordinary wine. From the start unmistakable aroma, bouquet, and taste with layer upon layer of complexity. I smelled and tasted Blackberry, Cassis, prune, fig, cedar, a light hint of oak that did not overwhelm the fruit. An overlay of nice smoky flavor. There was outstanding acid and balance and for me the finish lasted for 10 minutes or more. It was just an amazing complex pleasant well balanced wine that lingered in the memory. A perfect example of my description of Screaming Eagle being a “berry complex well balanced wine”.Since my last tasting on May 7, 2023 the 2019 has clearly improved with age.
2020 Screaming Eagle JS99 750cc 2023 1.5L 2025
An outstanding wine but to me a little less impressive than the 2019. There was cedar on the nose but less oak than the 2019. Still lots of berry flavors including blackberry, raspberry, and strawberry with plenty of cedar flavors. The finish was not as long as I would have liked. It is still a young wine so may just need more time to evolve. Plenty of fruit to go forward. My review from May 7, 2023 is similar and I still like the wine I just found the evolution of the 2019 more to my taste. Reality both are great.
2021 Screaming Eagle RP98 JS100 V100 D100 1.5L 2025
The 2021 is just too young to really judge and appreciate. It was harsh on the taste and very, very strong tannic structure that overwhelmed the fruit. 2021 wines were noted to have small berry size and high skin to pulp ratios with lower yields which may explain the strong tannins. The oak flavors were also there but for me they were just enough to enhance the wine and blend in. I did detect from eucalyptus and mint on the nose but the tannins overwhelmed everything in the taste. I do suspect that it will prove to be more complex than I could tell. I also think the balance is there More than one writer gave it 100 points but I just could not really judge it due to its tannic youth. Clearly will need at least 10 years to evolve. Lisa Perrotti-Brown stood out recommending up to 10 years of cellaring.
1997 Huet Vouvray Cuvee Constance 1.5 L 100 WS 99 WA
Sweet wines generally last for decades and this Vouvray is an outstanding example. Our group had this years ago out of magnum and we enjoyed it again this evening out of magnum and OMG was it so good and continues to be close to a spiritual wine. I starts with a delicate honey nose bursting in aroma. A concentrated sweetness with honey, lemon, and pear flavors well balanced. An excellent, long, lingering finish into the evening star studded sky. Being from 1997 it is already a rare wine to find and impossible in magnum. My friend who acquired it was offered it as the last of it’s vintage so in magnums that is true. But it was so good we could not foresee life without some in our cellar so I started my world wide search and low and behold I found 20 750cc bottles in London and purchased them. In Europe at least there are a few 750cc’s left but alas no magnums. But we now have 20 that should last our lifetimes. When you visit we will crack a bottle. I have provided the professional reviews on this rare wine below.
100 points Wine Spectator: " *Cellar Selection* Extraordinarily rich. An amazing amount of botrytis gives this sweet white a powerful, spicy character, its masses of ripe fruit kept lively by electrifying acidity. So concentrated it tastes as though all the flesh has evaporated, leaving only the spirit behind. Will easily last your lifetime and mine. (TM)" (02/2000)
99 points Wine Advocate: "The stunning, virtually perfect, 1997 Vouvray Moelleux Cuvee Constance (named after his daughter) sports 150 grams of residual sugar per liter, 7.5 grams of acidity, and 12.5% alcohol. Tasting this sublime dessert wine brought tears to my eyes. It is so captivatingly pure, focused, and intricate as to be all but impossible to adequately describe. Its green and straw color reveals hints of gold. Aromatically, it titillates with scents of apricot jam, candied grapefruits, quince, bergamots, and flowers. On the palate fresh peaches, citrus fruits, honey, acacia blossoms, quinine, chalk, and lemony mangoes can be found. Additionally, this medium-to-full-bodied, penetrating, yet perfectly balanced wine has a finish that seemingly lingers forever, revealing even more waves of minerals and fruit. It will require patience yet should easily evolve for 50 years or more. Bravo! (PR)" (08/1999)
The wine soapbox
As an amateur I must hold the worlds record for tasting 12 vintages of Screaming Eagle including some 2nd Flights and their Sauvignon Blanc. Going back to my initial tastings in 2021 and 2023 I can continue to state these wines are “berry, and complex well balanced”. I see no reason to change my past opinion so in closing I offer my editorial from 2023 as follows:
“Now onto the elephant in the room the price-value ratio. These wines are one of the most expensive wines on the planet and you have to ask yourself if the difference in style and taste and quality is worth the price differential over an equally compelling California Cabernet. That is a question you have to answer yourself. I think it says a lot that a significant number of these bottles end up at auction in the after-market having never been drunk by the original owner. Last week at dinner a friend gave me a great line that says “Wine is made to be enjoyed not exploited”. Wine is made to be drunk, period. If all you are doing is buying and selling something over and over again to squeeze every ounce of profit out of it then please go buy NFTs. At least that is more honest. I have confirmed that for many of my friends who have the palate Screaming Eagle offers a subtle hedonistic taste difference that only they can appreciate and they have the funds to indulge this vice. So I say go ahead with my blessing and joy that you are in fact enjoying these wines. But please eventually drink them. Some things are more important than money. For the rest of us, there are hundreds of similar quality and tasty wines at a much lower price point. Please see my blog on California Cabernets from October 22, 2021. In the first Screaming Eagle tasting a 2015 Hall Jacks Masterpiece was included and I wrote then and confirm now it is as close to Screaming Eagle as you can get and is 5% of the cost of Screaming Eagle. “
Again I offer my sincerest congratulations and thanks to both Executive Chef Okan Kizirilbay and Collin Thornton, Food and Beverage Manager of the Ritz Carlton Amelia Island for volunteering to provide this dinner to provide affordable housing to the Nassau County residents.
Friday, April 11, 2025
Food and Wine Matching a Comprehensive Review from Wine Spectator
To be clear this is not my original work and is a copy from Wine Spectator last year I found very comprehensive and valuable so I reproduce it here for you with a link to join Wine Spectator if you wish
Good news: When matching food and wine, you don’t have to learn complicated systems for selecting the right bottle to enhance what you're eating. This is not rocket science. A few simple guidelines will help you make successful wine-and-food pairings.
Of course, it’s fun to experiment and fine-tune, and with experience you may be able to create spectacular matches that dramatically improve both the dish and the wine. But save those efforts for special occasions and special wines.Keep It Simple
The three most important rules when it comes to wine-and-food pairing are:
1. Drink and eat what you like
Choose a wine that you would want to drink by itself, rather than hoping a food match will improve a wine made in a style you don’t like. That way, even if the pairing isn’t perfect, you will still enjoy what you’re drinking; at worst, you might need a sip of water or bite of bread between the dish and the glass. The same holds true for the food: After all, if you detest liver, there is no wine pairing on Earth that will make it work for you.
2. Look for balance
Consider the weight—or body, or richness—of both the food and the wine. The wine and the dish should be equal partners, with neither overwhelming the other. If you balance the two by weight, you raise the odds dramatically that the pairing will succeed. This is the secret behind many classic wine-and-food matches.
There’s a fair amount of instinct to this. Hearty food needs a hearty wine. Cabernet Sauvignon complements grilled steak or lamb chops because they’re equally vigorous; the dish would run roughshod over a crisp white wine. In contrast, a light Soave washes down a subtly flavored poached fish because they are equals in delicacy.
Crisp whites such as Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, made with Sauvignon Blanc, complement fresh herbs and soft cheeses, but light reds and richer whites call for different matches. (Andrew McCaul)
How do you determine weight? For the food, fat—including what comes from the cooking method and the sauce—is the main contributor. (Note how a salad with blue cheese dressing feels heavier than one with citrus vinaigrette, as does fried chicken versus poached.)
For a wine, you can get clues from the color, grape variety and alcohol level, along with the winemaking techniques and the region’s climate. (Wines with less than 12 percent alcohol tend to be lighter-bodied; those with more than 14 percent are heavier.) If you’re not familiar with a wine, consult our lists below.
3. Match the wine to the most prominent element in the dish
This is critical to fine-tuning wine pairings. Identify the dominant character in the dish; often it's the sauce, seasonings or cooking method, rather than the main ingredient. Consider two different chicken dishes: Chicken Marsala, with its browned surface and a sauce of dark wine and mushrooms, versus a chicken breast poached in a creamy lemon sauce. The caramelized, earthy flavors of the former tilt it toward a soft, supple red, while the simplicity and citrus flavors of the latter call for a fresh white.
Getting More Advanced
Once you’ve considered these three important rules, you can get more detailed if you want and consider other subtleties of the wine.
First it’s useful to understand the components from the grapes that make up a wine’s structure: the fruit flavors and sugar, which give wines a soft feel in the mouth, and the acidity and tannins, which give wines a sensation of firmness. And of course, there’s the alcohol, which can feel softer in smaller amounts, harder in higher ones.
Red wines are distinct from whites in two main ways: tannins and flavors. Tannins are compounds that provide structure and texture to a wine; they’re responsible for that astringent sensation you feel on the sides of your cheeks, much like when you drink a strong cup of tea. Many red wines have tannins; few white wines do, unless they have spent extensive time aging in oak barrels.
Rosés can strike a balance between white and red wines for pairings and also serve as a go-to option for difficult-to-match dishes. (Aubrie Pick)
White and red wines share many common aromas and flavors; both can be spicy, earthy, minerally or floral. But the apple, pear and citrus flavors in many white wines seldom show up in reds, and the dark currant, cherry and plum flavors of red grapes usually do not appear in whites.
Here are some other pairing principles to consider:
4. Structure and texture matter
Ideally, a wine’s components are in balance, but you can affect that balance, for better or worse, with the food pairing. Elements in a dish can accentuate or diminish the acidity and sweetness of a wine (and vice versa), as well as the bitterness of its tannins.
High levels of acidic ingredients, such as lemon or vinegar, for example, benefit high-acid wines by making them feel softer and rounder in comparison. On the other hand, tart food can turn balanced wines flabby.
Sweetness on the plate can make a dry wine taste sour, but pairs well with a bit of sweetness in the wine; as long as a wine balances its sugar with enough natural acidity (such as German Rieslings and demi-sec Champagnes), it can work very well with many dishes.
Tannic, structured red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo and Syrah counterbalance the fat in a well-marbled steak. (Lisovskaya/Getty Images)
Tannins interact with fats, salt and spicy flavors. Rich, fatty dishes such as steak diminish the perception of tannins, making a robust wine such as a Cabernet seem smoother, as do lightly salty foods like Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. However, very salty foods increase the perception of tannins and can make a red wine seem harsh and astringent; salt likewise accentuates the heat of a high-alcohol wine. Very spicy flavors also tend to react badly with tannins and high alcohol, making the wines feel hotter; such dishes fare better with fruity or lightly sweet wines.
5. Look for flavor links
This is where pairing can be endless fun. The aromatics of wine often remind us of foods such as fruits, herbs, spices and butter. You can create a good match by including ingredients in a dish that echo—and therefore emphasize—the aromas and flavors in a wine. For a Cabernet, for example, currants in a dish may bring out the wine’s characteristic dark fruit flavors, while a pinch of sage could highlight hints of herbs.
On the other hand, similar flavors can have a “cancellation effect”—balancing each other out so that other aspects of a wine come out more strongly. Serving earthy mushrooms with an earthy red might end up giving more prominence to the wine’s fruit character.
6. Give consideration to age
Aged wines present a different set of textures and flavors. As a wine matures, the power of youth eventually subsides; the tannins soften, and the wine may become more delicate and graceful. Fresh fruit flavors may give way to earthy and savory notes, as the wine takes on more complex, secondary characteristics. When choosing dishes for older wines, tone down the richness and big flavors and look for simpler fare that allows the nuances to shine through. For example, rather than a grilled, spice-rubbed steak with an older Cabernet, try lamb braised for hours in stock.
Entire books have been written on the subject of food-and-wine pairing, and you can have a lifetime of fun experimenting with different combinations. If you’d like to learn more, become a WineSpectator.com member.
A refreshing glass of sparkling wine cuts through fatty and salty dishes—from soft cheeses to fried chicken—to cleanse the palate for the next bite. (Lucy Schaeffer Photography)
Weighing Your Options: Lists of Wines by Body
Matching by weight is the foundation of the old rule about white wine with fish and red wine with meat. That made perfect sense in the days when white wines were mostly light and fruity and red wines were mostly tannic and weighty. But today, color-coding does not always work.
Like human beings, wines come in all dimensions. To match them with food, it’s useful to know where they fit in a spectrum, with the lightest wines at one end and fuller-bodied wines toward the other end. For perspective, we offer the following lists of commonly encountered wines.
OK, purists, you’re right: Some Champagnes are more delicate than some Rieslings, and some Sauvignon Blancs are bigger than some Chardonnays, but we’re painting with broad strokes here. When you’re searching for a light wine to go with dinner, pick one from a category at the top of the list. When you want a bigger wine, look toward the end.
To make your own classic matches, start off on the traditional paths and then deviate a little. Don’t get stuck on Cabernet with red meats—look up and down the list and try Zinfandel or Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Instead of Burgundy or Pinot Noir with sautéed mushrooms, try a Barbera or a red Bordeaux. That’s the way to put a little variety into your wine life without straying too far from the original purpose.
Selected dry and off-dry white wines, lightest to weightiest:
High-acid white wines stand up well to many vegetable-based dishes, including acidic ones like a fresh tomato gazpacho. (Joe St. Pierre)
These links will take you to Wine Spectator Articles: Click blue link then click on link that appears and click on link on redirect page.
Which Wines Pair Best with Pasta?
What should you drink with spaghetti and tomato sauce, or pasta Alfredo? We share our red and white wine picks, plus top chefs’ recipes for how to make these dishes and more pasta variations.
Which Wines Pair Best with Salmon?
Which Wines Pair Best with Pasta?
What should you drink with spaghetti and tomato sauce, or pasta Alfredo? We share our red and white wine picks, plus top chefs’ recipes for how to make these dishes and more pasta variations.
Which Wines Pair Best with Salmon?
White and red with fish? Here are two top grape varieties to enjoy with versatile salmon, delicious recipes and other suggested matches.
Which Wines Pair Best with Steak?
Get our expert pairing tips, tasty sauce recipes for summer grilling, our red wine matches and 9 top wine picks.
Which Wines Pair Best with Ham?
What should you drink with your holiday meal? We share red and white wine picks, plus recipes for honey-glazed ham and a Bourbon–brown sugar glaze.
ABCs of Pairing Wine and Chocolate
Matching up this odd couple doesn’t have to be challenging, and there are delicious rewards for getting it right.
Wine and Food Pairing Tool
Our handy search tool recommends a range of wines and foods that are likely to work well together, based on their typical weight and style.
Recipe Search https://www.winespectator.com/recipes/search.
Search hundreds of wine-friendly recipes by type of wine you'll be drinking, type of dish you want to make or ingredients you have on hand.
Pairings sweet-wines Red Wines White Wines Sparkling Wines How To
Monday, October 28, 2024
NYC "The Big Apple" Wines and Dining 2024
Recommended Restaurants
Sea Fire Grill Midtown
Upon the recommendation of the hotel concierge, we enjoyed an exquisite dinner at Sea Fire Grill in New York City. This establishment is affiliated with the Benjamin Steakhouse franchise, and both the cuisine and service were exemplary. It is undoubtedly a five-star venue, accompanied by five-star pricing. As is common with many restaurants in New York City, the markup on wine from retail prices is 300%, which I believe is excessively high. However, they did offer one of the finest wine selections I have encountered in some time. I opted for a flawlessly prepared swordfish, while my wife savored the remarkable seared scallops. Despite the elevated wine prices, we found the restaurant to be outstanding in terms of both service and the quality and variety of the food. In hindsight, we should have chosen wine by the glass, but I could not resist the allure of their favored Aubert Powder House Sonoma Chardonnay on the list.
STK Steakhouse Midtown
Having visited New York City for several decades, we have established a preferred selection of businesses, particularly in the realm of steakhouses, where we have consistently favored the Benjamin franchise. However, seeking a change for this trip, we decided to try STK Steakhouse in Midtown, and it proved to be an excellent choice. The menu is impressive, featuring many classic options. Notably, they offer a fine selection of A5 Japanese Kobe beef, including an intriguing A5 French Dip, which I had not encountered before. Additionally, they provide A5 strip and filet steaks, with the filet being our preferred cut. I opted for a Delmonico steak, dry-aged and accompanied by Bearnaise sauce, which was superbly prepared. For my starter, I enjoyed a delightful Tuna Tartare that reminded me of a similar dish I had at PLAE restaurant on Amelia Island years ago. Overall, we had a pleasant dining experience, and the pricing was among the more reasonable options in New York. It is worth noting that the cost was lower because we chose to share a single entrée and ordered wine by the glass, which significantly impacted the total. As we dined, it was evident that this establishment did not embody the traditional dark, heavily oaked ambiance typical of many NYC steakhouses. Instead, the interior was modern and sleek, accompanied by hip hop techno Buddha bar music, and we were the only patrons over the age of 40. Our experience at STK reinforced my previous observations made in Paris last summer, indicating that the dining scene in major cities has shifted towards a younger, more vibrant, and expedited format. I should mention that from the moment we were seated until our departure, we spent just one hour there, and we did not feel rushed at all. The era of lengthy, elegant Continental dinners seems to have waned, with younger diners now favoring a more casual and swift dining experience. I like to call it Quick and Hip Dining. For us, as long as the food remains exceptional, we will be content, while still seeking out those cherished traditional dining experiences.
Milos Estiatorio Hudson Yards
This marked our second visit to Milos, with this occasion being our inaugural dinner experience there. The establishment is renowned for its wide array of seafood, all expertly prepared. This visit was no exception. My wife opted for the shrimp, which were cooked to perfection. I had intended to order fish, specifically my favorite, pompano; however, it was unfortunately out of season and unavailable. Consequently, I chose the rack of lamb, which was also prepared flawlessly and exceptionally flavorful. We began our meal with a platter featuring a variety of hummus, which was incredibly delicious and among the finest I have encountered, prompting our visit primarily for that dish. The view and service are unparalleled, and securing a reservation is essential, as the restaurant was bustling with local patrons. I wholeheartedly continue to recommend Milos.
Osteria DelBianco Midtown NYC
Our decision to dine at this establishment stemmed from our research into restaurants in New York City. During this process, I observed that this restaurant had received only one low one-star review, while the majority of reviews were rated four or five stars. It is uncommon to encounter such a disparity in ratings, as there are typically more low scores. I am pleased to confirm that the presence of only one one-star review is indicative of their quality. We enjoyed an excellent dinner, with all dishes freshly prepared and enhanced by a delightful blend of herbs and spices that contributed to a rich flavor profile. I ordered my usual dish, Veal Scaloppini, which featured the thinnest slices of meat I have encountered in years, and it was delicious. The drinks were satisfactory, and although the wine list was somewhat limited, we managed to find a pleasant wine to accompany our meal. The pricing was reasonable. The restaurant was bustling with locals, creating a vibrant and somewhat noisy atmosphere, which we found enjoyable due to the evident happiness of the patrons. My wife chose the pasta Bolognese and thoroughly enjoyed it, even taking some home for lunch the following day. I can wholeheartedly recommend Osteria DelBianco Midtown in New York City.
Wine Spectator NY Wine Experience 2024
It has been six years since my last attendance at the Wine Spectator New York Wine Experience, primarily due to cancellations caused by the Covid pandemic. After four years, it felt as though the same selections were being showcased annually. However, this year brought a refreshing change, featuring a vertical tasting of Léoville Las Cases, one of my preferred Bordeaux wines, prompting my return to New York City. As is customary, the weekend was filled with intense tastings and lectures from early morning until late evening. By my estimation, over 300 wines were presented, and at my current age, it is simply unfeasible to sample them all—perhaps a younger individual might manage to do so more efficiently. Over the course of three days I tasted and enjoyed 96 wines, with a cumulative value of approximately $21,000, which was all I could manage. The opportunity to sample and enjoy wines of such caliber and expense, representing a global selection, is unparalleled. The Wine Spectator New York Wine Experience remains the premier venue for enhancing one’s palate and wine knowledge at a reasonable cost, effectively allowing one to travel the world through wine. I still regard it as an excellent value, despite having only sampled about a third of the wines available. On average, the retail price of the wines was around $240 per bottle. One notable observation I made is that the Master Sommelier curriculum may require reevaluation. Having attended several classes, I have consistently encountered the initial lesson emphasizing that the first assessment of a wine should focus on whether it exhibits predominantly earthy or fruity characteristics. Traditionally, "earthy" has been associated with Old World wines, particularly from Europe, while "fruity" has been linked to New World wines, such as those from the USA, South Africa, and South America. However, I have noticed a shift, as some Old World producers are now crafting fruit-forward wines, while certain New World vintners, especially in California, are producing earth-forward wines, indicating a clear evolution in winemaking practices. This change is partly attributed to California vintners increasingly focusing on terroir-driven, single-vineyard wines, aligning with traditional French principles.
My primary objective in writing about wine is to recommend high-quality options to friends that are reasonably priced and accessible for purchase. To facilitate this, I have categorized my recommended wines into three groups: those priced under $100, those over $100, and a singular exceptional wine that merits the investment of purchasing a bottle at least once in a lifetime. Given that the average price of wine today hovers around $240, it is impractical for most individuals, including myself, to indulge in a bottle at that price on a daily basis while maintaining financial stability. I often question whether wines at such elevated prices truly justify their costs, which continue to rise. Therefore, I have established $100 as a significant threshold, as it appears to be a price point of relevance for many consumers. While numerous wines are offered in the range of $500 to $1200 per bottle, I can confidently assert that, in my view, most do not warrant their price tags, and in some instances, are not worth any price at all; thus, it is unwise to devote time, effort, and resources to them.
Recommended Value Wines Less than $100
15 to consider as strong buys
Diatom Chardonnay Santa Barbara County 2023 WS93 $25. Although I typically do not gravitate towards Chardonnays or wines from Santa Barbara, this particular offering has changed my perspective. For its price point, it stands out as an exceptional wine. The complex floral notes of white peach, pineapple, orange blossoms, and lemon curd are prominent on both the nose and palate, harmoniously balanced with a moderate acidity that pairs well with food. It serves as an excellent everyday wine, showcasing craftsmanship and technical superiority that rivals more expensive options. I will certainly consider purchasing this wine again in the future.
Kendall Jackson Chardonnay Petaluma Gap Jackson Estate Cloud Landing WS91 $55. I have long held a fondness for Kendall Jackson wines, having enjoyed hundreds of their bottles. This particular Chardonnay ranks among the finest I have ever tasted, deserving of an even higher rating. It presents a complex profile, characterized by good acidity and minimal oak influence, resulting in a well-balanced experience. Other reviewers have noted flavors of lush clove and nutmeg, alongside toasted brioche, salted butter, lemon, and peach. This wine exemplifies the exceptional quality that this winery consistently delivers.
Chateau
Suduiraut Sauternes 2013 WS94 $77I was able to taste this wine alongside Chateau d’Yquem Sauternes 2016, which was conveniently positioned next to it, the superiority of Suduiraut was evident. The predominant flavor of smooth, velvety honey enveloped the palate, delivering an enduring pleasure. Although the d’Yquem also received a rating of 94 points, it exhibited some bitterness and lacked the same level of smoothness. My previous experiences with d’Yquem have not always been exceptional, and a common remark is, “Yes, it may not be perfect, but it is a d’Yquem,” highlighting the influence of bias in our evaluations. Over the years, I have come to prefer Chateau Suduiraut, as it consistently matches or surpasses d’Yquem in my estimation, all while being significantly more affordable (the 2016 d’Yquem is priced at $380).
Domaine Carneros by Taittinger Brut Caneros California Sparkling Wine WS93 $39. For many years, this Champagne/Sparkling wine has consistently emerged as the most remarkable value at this event. Each year, I find myself astonished by the exceptional quality, complexity, and technical prowess that surpasses even the finest offerings from France. I can enjoy and serve this wine throughout the day and night with great pride, as it truly is that impressive. Its intricate flavors and perfect acidity create a harmonious balance, making it difficult to distinguish from renowned brands such as Louis Roederer. It is essential for all of us, myself included, to set aside any preconceived notions and consider this wine for our New Year's celebrations. The Rosé variant is equally exceptional.
Roederer Estate Brut Anderson Valley L'Ermitage WS 94 $68
This California Sparkler has consistently stood out as an exceptional choice, often rivaling premium French Champagnes while offering significant cost savings. Fortunately, its quality remains unchanged, continuing to impress. The aroma is rich with fruit notes and exhibits complexity, featuring hints of apple, hazelnut, clove, and nutmeg. The finish is notably long and quite enjoyable. The only other California Sparkler that may offer comparable value is the straightforward Roederer Estate Brut from Anderson Valley, priced at approximately $30 per bottle, which we have also appreciated for many years. I wholeheartedly recommend either option.
Champagne Louis Roederer Collection 244 NV WS $93
This wine is surprisingly accessible, even in Florida, where I discovered it priced at $50 per bottle. It is an exceptional Champagne that undoubtedly stands among the finest in the region. This offers the opportunity to enjoy authentic French sparkling wine at an excellent value, and it truly is a remarkable selection. Personally, I would find it challenging to choose between this and the California Roederer L’Ermitage. It is undoubtedly a refined Champagne, characterized by good acidity and a complex flavor profile that includes notes of pear, cherry, and apple, complemented by a subtle hint of almonds. The finish is impressive, and there is ample supply, with over 21,000 cases imported to the United States. This is certainly a wine to consider stocking up on for the holiday season
La Crema Chardonnay Sonoma Coast Tidal Break Vineyard WS90 $55
This wine is exclusively accessible via their wine club and is not sold in retail outlets. It is unfortunate, as it is an exceptional wine that, in my view, deserves a rating higher than 90. I earnestly requested the winemaker, Craig McAllister, to include me on the club list to obtain this wine. We shall see what transpires. It is a remarkable Chardonnay featuring a complex flavor profile that introduces new notes of ginger, lemon, pineapple, and peach, complemented by refreshing acidity and subtle spice undertones. I found it to be highly enjoyable and hope to have the opportunity to purchase some in the future.
Dutton-Goldfield Pinot Noir Green Valley of Russian River Valley Dutton Ranch Emerald Ridge Vineyard 2021 92WS $75
The Dutton-Goldfield vineyards are renowned globally for producing exceptional Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, which are sought after by numerous winemakers. This particular wine originates from the family that owns a portion or the entirety of these vineyards. I had the pleasure of tasting it during a luncheon dedicated to Sonoma County wines. It exhibited a delightful bouquet of robust dark cherries and showcased a deep, concentrated black cherry hue. The flavor profile was rich and well-balanced. I did notice a slight bitterness at the back of the palate, which dissipated when paired with food. Overall, I found it to be an outstanding Pinot Noir that pairs wonderfully with various dishes.
Pedroncelli Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley Mother Clone 2021 $15This wine offers exceptional value at an astonishingly low price, presenting a unique experience. It begins with an enticing smoky cherry aroma, showcasing flavors of both black cherry and blackberry. The palate reveals a complexity that surpasses expectations for its price point. The wine is rich in tannins and features the peppery notes typically associated with Zinfandel. Its deep color is noteworthy, and one might easily mistake it for a Pinot Noir, despite it being a red Zinfandel. At a retail price of $15 per bottle, it stands out as the finest Red Zinfandel I have encountered in years.
Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley Brother Single Vineyard 2018 WS 90 $40. This serves as an exemplary illustration of how longstanding biases and prejudices can be swiftly dispelled. I had never found Rodney Strong wines to be particularly impressive, nor had I ever made a purchase. However, this particular wine has changed my perspective. Priced at $40 per bottle, it offers remarkable value. It presents a deep, concentrated black hue, accompanied by an indulgent smoky cedar aroma. The palate reveals a luxuriously smooth texture, enriched with an abundance of fruit and berry flavors, all harmoniously balanced. A subtle hint of oak emerges as a delicate vanilla note, culminating in a prolonged and pleasing finish. This Cabernet stands out as exceptional, exhibiting a more refined style while maintaining a bold and full-bodied character. My primary concern lies in its limited availability, as it is a single vineyard wine with low production.
Marques de Murrieta White Rioja Capellania 2019 WA 96 WS 93(2015) $78
This vineyard has a notable history that dates back to 1986. In that year, they began aging a white wine in oak barrels for 22 years, followed by an additional six years in stainless steel before its release. Remarkably, the wine was never subjected to excessive oak influence. Currently, it commands a price exceeding $500 per bottle on the open market, with limited availability. I had the privilege of tasting it at a previous Wine Spectator Wine Experience and have enjoyed two or three bottles during meals, with one remaining in my cellar. It is evident that describing this vineyard as merely significant would be an understatement. The 2019 vintage was showcased at the Chef’s Challenge, where it was selected by Bruce Sanderson of Wine Spectator to pair with Ensaladilla Rusa featuring Langosta and Trout Roe, prepared by Chef Jose Andres. In my opinion, it was a perfect pairing. The wine presented a delicate smoky aroma, leading to a palate rich in exquisite fruit, highlighted by vibrant pear notes and a lingering finish. It complemented the dish beautifully, and I found Chef Jose's entrée to be the standout of the day.
Tolaini Chianti Classico Vallenuova 2022 WS 93 $25
During the Chefs Challenge, Bruce Sanderson selected a pairing for Ervilhas com Chourico: a Tatlet featuring Portuguese Chorizo Mousse accompanied by a Green Pea Salad prepared by Emeril Lagasse. This combination proved to be an exceptional match of wine and cuisine, offering great value. I have a particular fondness for Chiantis, especially the Classico and Reserva varieties. The wine exhibited a pleasant fruit balance with moderate acidity, enhancing its compatibility with food. Priced at $25 per bottle, this Chianti represents an excellent value, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.
La Crema Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2021 WS91 $22
This wine was recognized as Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year for 2024, and I concur that it represents an exceptional value for its price, particularly for enthusiasts of Pinot. The color appeared somewhat light; however, upon tasting, it revealed a pleasantly moderate body. The aroma and flavor were dominated by rich dark cherry notes. The finish was commendable, and I observed that it was a well-crafted wine. For Pinot aficionados, this is an excellent choice to enjoy regularly with dinner without straining one's finances. I found Wine Spectator's rating of 91 to be accurate; while it may not be as striking as some others, it is certainly a wine that can be appreciated by many
The Calling Chardonnay Russian River Valley Dutton Ranch 2022 WS93 $20
An exceptional Chardonnay priced at only $20 per bottle represents an incredible value. The initial aroma presents notes of vanilla, complemented by hints of honeysuckle and pear, which seamlessly transition into the palate. Although the wine was initially served at a lower temperature, it gradually warmed in the glass, revealing a captivating cedar plank aroma and flavor that highlights the oak, which is subtly integrated and enhances the overall profile of the wine. The mouthfeel is velvety, a quality I particularly appreciate, and the finish is quite pleasing. I noted that the fruit is well-balanced and exhibits a delightful sweetness. This further reinforces the notion that a wine must taste like grape juice to be considered authentic. It is rare to find a California Chardonnay that is not excessively oaked, yet this wine offers a remarkable complexity of flavors at such an affordable price. It appears to be widely available, and interestingly, I found it listed on Amazon for $27 per bottle.
Aubert Chardonnay Sonoma Coast Powder House 2021 WS95 $110
Mark Aubert has been crafting California Chardonnay for many years, and his expertise is evident. Before establishing his own vineyard, he served as the lead winemaker for Peter Michael, where he played a significant role in creating many of the winery's exceptional wines. In my view, Mark epitomizes California's "Burgundy wine producers in the Burgundy style." Recently, I had the pleasure of enjoying this beautifully crafted wine during dinner over the weekend. The aroma and flavor profile are intricate yet harmoniously balanced, featuring a rich array of fruit notes, including peach and apple. The acidity is moderate, complemented by a subtle hint of oak, which is not overpowering. I paired it with a buttery swordfish, and the combination resulted in a truly indulgent dining experience. Priced just above $100, I included it in my collection of wines under $100, close enough for me, as it offers remarkable value compared to a French Chardonnay of similar quality and style.
Recommended Outstanding Wines Over $100
Champagne Pol Rodger Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill 2015 WS 95 $500
It is now the moment to ascend into the Stratosphere and explore wines whose prices border on the absurd, or those that compel you to reevaluate your romantic relationship, prompting you to enhance it in order to justify purchasing a bottle or two rather than confronting potential alimony expenses. Sir Winston Churchill Pol Roger has long been regarded as one of the premier marquee Champagnes globally, accompanied by a price that reflects its esteemed status. Undoubtedly, it is an exceptional Champagne. It begins with a creamy texture and fine mousse, presenting a complex array of flavors including lemon and almonds, culminating in a prolonged and delightful finish that gives you pause to consider how you will manage the expense. I acknowledge my bias regarding the price. Nevertheless, it is indeed a remarkable Champagne, and having enjoyed it previously, I would certainly purchase it if it were to be offered at a discount on WTSO.com.
Maison Louis Jadot Clos Vougeot 2021 WS 92 $255
This price for a Clos Vougeot Grand Cru is truly exceptional, and the quality of the wine is remarkable. I must admit, I was taken aback. Louis Jadot produces a wide range of Burgundies, which often leads me to question the overall quality, as he does not seem to focus on a specific region or set of vineyards to create higher-end wines. I have visited his residence in Beaune and explored one of his cellars, where I found that he offers good wines at reasonable prices. In my opinion, this particular wine stands out, achieving a level of excellence that is not typically associated with this producer. I believe the Wine Spectator rating of 92 is understated; I would rate it higher. It embodies the classic characteristics of Clos Vougeot, featuring a complex aroma and flavor profile with multiple fruit notes, harmoniously balanced with a terroir-driven earthiness that is quite enjoyable. The wine possesses ample body and intensity, culminating in a long finish. With only 195 cases imported, availability is limited, but it is certainly worth seeking out at this price point. Most Clos Vougeot wines I encounter today often exceed $500, making this an exceptional deal.
Peter Michael The Poppies Knights Valley WS 92 $230
This wine is undoubtedly Sir Peter’s most renowned creation, and justifiably so. I remained on his mailing list for several years, only opting out to explore more white wines, as my wife and family typically do not consume reds. To me, this wine was nothing short of spectacular, deserving of a rating exceeding 92. It presents a bold and dark profile with a berry aroma, followed by intricate flavors of mocha, cocoa, anise, and various blackberry notes, all in perfect harmony and balance, culminating in a lingering finish. Notably, Sir Peter engaged in conversation with me three times over the weekend, each time recognizing me from previous encounters, and he is always a delightful individual to converse with. What truly astonished me, and was a significant honor, was his remark that he had always believed I was a wine writer for Wine Spectator. While that is not the case, it was indeed a flattering compliment. Perhaps he has come across my blog? I have extended offers to assist him, as a physician, with his charity focused on prostate cancer, and he mentioned he would reach out. Only time will reveal the outcome.
Domaine Faiveley Batard-Montrachet WS 95 2008 $372
I would like to inform you that my remarks regarding this wine represent the final commentary I will be making for this blog this year and I waited until the end to write regarding this wine. Additionally, it was the inaugural wine served on Saturday morning during the Wine Experience. Notably, Montrachet, Batard Montrachet, and Chevalier Montrachet Grand Cru are the most coveted White Burgundy Chardonnays for both Clark and myself. Were we to possess the financial means of Elon Musk, these would likely be the only wines we would consume regularly, regardless of their cost, as they hold a near-spiritual significance for us. While I have not been particularly fond of Domaine Faiveley, it remains a favorite among many in France, especially in restaurants. It appears that during our dinners in Beaune, France, nearly all patrons opt for his wines. Undoubtedly, it is a remarkable wine. A notable insight I gained from Robert Parker years ago is that it exhibits a subtle hint of green color, along with an almost imperceptible lime flavor, which Parker suggests indicates a wine of exceptional quality. This characteristic of Montrachet wines is complemented by aromas and flavors of apple, honeysuckle, and vanilla, all harmoniously balanced with a moderate acidity that pairs well with food. The fresh lemon/lime note contributes to a mouthwatering tartness and brightness, further suggesting sufficient acidity for culinary pairings. The wine concludes with a long, delightful finish, and the more prolonged the finish, the greater my desire to acquire a case. In comparison to the current price of standard Montrachet, which exceeds $1,000 per bottle, Batard Montrachet serves as an excellent alternative for those mindful of their budget.
Lokoya Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 $500
This wine experience undoubtedly deserves a five-star rating. Among the selections from Lokoya, it stood out as the finest. The wine presented a deep black hue with a pronounced dark edge, indicating its youthfulness. Its aroma was intricate, with noticeable notes of eucalyptus. Additionally, cherry flavors emerged, which is atypical for a Cabernet. The body was robust and assertive, showcasing a fruit-forward profile that was well-balanced. I detected a subtle hint of concord grape, which I interpret as a sign of complexity, affirming its identity as grape juice. During a previous Master Sommelier class, I learned that if a wine does not evoke the taste of grape juice, it cannot be classified as true wine. The tannins were evidently softening as I compared the 2019 Mount Veeder with the 2013 vintage, illustrating the exceptional aging potential of this wine. While I appreciated the 2019 vintage, I found the 2013 to be more harmonious and mature, making it more enjoyable at present. In both the 2013 and 2019 vintages, I described the alcohol sensation as "cool" rather than "hot," a characteristic I associate with mountain wines, particularly those from Mount Veeder.
Best Wine of Event regardless of price close to Spiritual
2000 The Haut-Brion Mission, Pessac-Léognan RP” 100 W2 95 JS $600
Wine Advocate Review Date: 08/2012
One of the wines of the vintage, the 2000 has barely budged in its evolution since it was bottled and released in 2002. After ten years in bottle, it still reveals a dense opaque purple color along with a potentially sensational bouquet of blueberries, black currants, graphite, asphalt and background oak. Extremely powerful, full-bodied and superbly concentrated with good acidity and high but round tannins, this massive La Mission-Haut-Brion should take its place among this estate’s most hallowed vintages when it hits full maturity in another one to two decades. I was surprised by just how youthful this wine tasted at age 12. If tasted blind, I would have guessed it to be around 4 to 5 years old. (RP)
I have included Robert Parker's 100-point review of this particular wine to substantiate my belief that it was the highlight of the event. It was nearly a transcendent experience. My observations indicate that the wine exhibits some age, evidenced by a slight browning at the edges of its dark hue. The aroma evoked memories of roses flourishing in a grove of smoky cedar trees. The palate was remarkably intricate, featuring notes of roses, cedar, anise, and blackberries, along with a multitude of other flavors. Envision yourself in a landscape filled with roses and fruits, enveloped by cedar trees; this wine transports you there. Despite its complexity, it maintained a commendable balance. The finish was prolonged and gratifying, contributing to an overall sense of tranquility. Is such an experience worth $600? That is a decision only you can make. For me, it would be a worthwhile investment for a once-in-a-lifetime encounter. Few wines have ever taken me to a realm of such splendor, but this one certainly did.
Thursday, July 25, 2024
French Chateau's and Wine Vineyards
I have a good friend who is soon traveling to France to visit wine country and asked me for some information. I got a little over excited and ended up writing a small treatise so figured I should share it with all of my Blog readers as it has a lot of good recommendations.
Chateau Recommendations.
The Chateau's to visit are in the Loire Valley which is about a 1 to 2 hours train or car ride from Paris. In addition if you are visiting the Chateau's you are not that far from the D-Day beaches like Omaha Beach and you can visit those and a Chateau or two in a day. It's best to get a hotel in Tours to visit the beaches and Chateau's as it puts you really close to everything there and getting around by car is a breeze and roads are well marked. Chateau St. Michel is the most famous and photographed Chateau but it is further South and may take longer to get there,. You also have to walk us down a steep road and causeway at St. Michele as you may not be able to park close to get to it but it is spectacular. There are over 200 Chateaus in the Loire but if you have seen one or two you have seen most of them with a couple of exceptions which are must see and unique Chateaus with extensive architecture and history. The ones to visit are Chateau Chambord, Château de Chenonceau: The Fairy Tale Chateau of Dreams, and Chateau d'Amboise in the town of Amboise is where Leonardo Di Vince is buried. While out visiting Chateaus a great place to have lunch is La Cave Aux Moines on the Loire River(http://cave-aux-moines.com/fr/) near Amboise.
Visiting wine areas in France. Again you must make advance reservations sometimes months in advance. If you are in the alcohol business and have relationships with distributors they can make reservations for you. Southern for example, can make these for you but you will need to rent a car and drive around yourself. Driving in wine country is easy especially with GPS like Google Maps. You can download current maps of any area in France prior to going so you don't need the internet to travel around. You do need to be on-time. If you are 5 minutes late they will not see you most of the time. Clark and I however have hired agents over there who provide us with a one stop experience. They pick us up at the hotel in the morning, drive us around all day, introduce us to everyone, act as translators if needed as some of the owners speak no English, take us to a nice place for lunch(we buy their lunch) bring us home at night and then arrange for and make sure our wine is shipped with no problems back to the US. They used to charge a group of 4 to 6 1000 Euro per day, many have now gone to a per person charge, last time it was 300 Euro per day per person. Be aware under French law the agents cannot drive any vehicle over 9 passengers including the driver so you are restricted to 4 couples doing the wine tours. In addition many winemakers prefer no more than 2 couples. You can discuss these things with the agent. You may ask why don't we just do the tours with the companies there like Viator? The reason is they are going to take you to totally unknown un classified vineyards who make jug wine and not the well known or better reputation vineyards. You will never see the inside of Lafite with them. We on the other hand have been to most of the famous ones. That is the difference
Let's start with Bordeaux
It is easy to get to Bordeaux from Paris by a very fast train. Under 3 hours. The agent you need to use there is Frederic Borliachon.(email contact@rendezvousauchateau.com, phone(+33 6 28 35 00 95). I emailed with him 2 weeks ago sending him someone new. Tell him I referred you. He knows everyone in Bordeaux and gets you into any vineyard both left and right bank. I strongly recommend Chateau Montrose, Pichon Leland, Haut Brion, Pontet Canet, D'yquem, Giraud, Cheval Blanc, Gazin, Leoville Las Case and whatever Frederic recommends or you want. He could not get me into Petrus, not sure why. Avoid Chateau Chalet. They are ripoff artists and cheat on shipping. I also recommend he take you to the lesser known areas Blaye and Bourge which are right bank vineyards across the river from the left bank who have compelling outstanding red wines at 10% the cost of the left bank wines. On the right bank ask him to take you to the Castillion vineyards, especially Chateaux Madam Pitray whose wines are imported through K&L wines of San Francisco. Most people don't know this but they have prehistoric caves art you can visit on the right bank and Frederic knows where they are. Not as big as the famous ones but good enough to see what they are like and a quick stop while out touring. Bordeaux city is great. The main square is where the Opera is directly across from the Hotel International which is great to stay at and has a wonderful Gordon Ramsey 1 star Restaurant in the hotel. Be aware Bordeaux city is 60 Kilometers from the vineyards both north and east. It takes an hour drive to get to the vineyards from your hotel. The best place to buy and ship wine from a store in Bordeaux is Vineotechnique(also have a shop in Beaune in Bourgogne) 1 block north of the Opera and Cave Ulysses is in the main square of village Margaux again far north of town. There is also a very small mom and pop place for lunch close to Cave Ulysses which is great. The owner of Cave Ulysses is Dominique and he usually gives my referrals a small discount just mentioning my name unless he has forgotten.(I receive no kickbacks). So far Dominique has had the largest selections of Bordeaux wines I have seen anywhere. As a general statement over the years on average shipped to my front door including shipping my wine prices from France are about 30% less than here or NYC. Bottom line: I am cutting out Southern.
Bourgogne
The French hate "Burgundy" and insist on Bourgogne. Clark and my hearts are in Bourgogne. If we could, we would move there. There is just so much to see and do and we have been there for months and years now almost a dozen times and we have not scratched the surface. Our best agent and Personal friend who came to Amelia 3 years and provided a tasting of Bourgogne wines both for me as well as the Ocean Club is Stevie Bobes. An American expat married to a French woman with 3 young adult children like Frederic knows everyone within a 100 mile radius. Just an amazing individual and has done more for us in the wine world than anyone. Stevie's email is stevie@wineambassadeur.com and his phone number is +33 6 48 17 46 81. He is busier than Frederic so there are rare times where we had to change our trip to meet his demanding schedule but it was always worth it. Sometimes he has a helper to fill in. Train from Paris to Beaune is 2 hours and you can also get a direct train from the airport CDG straight to Beaune as well as Dijon. If you elect to use Stevie he prefers to pick you up at the Dijon train station and take you first to lunch in Dijon with the youngest Michelin Chef in France who is spectacular after you stop and buy Dijon mustard from the original store from 1750 something. Another idea that Stevie may help with is a side trip to Lyon which is the culinary capital of the world and where Daniel Boulard came from as well as Chef Bourse. The food and wine in Lyon is second to none. If you go to Lyon, look up in the old city my friend Georges Dos Santos, owner of Antic Wine with one of the largest wine collections in the world. Last time I was there he had Peter Michael and Kistler, go figure? There are three hotels to consider in Bourgogne. #1 5 Star in Puligny Montrachet about 10 KM north of the train station in Beaune is Hotel Le Montrachet. Extreme beauty as well as price. At a minimum, have lunch there. It is across from Cave Puligny-Montrachet owned by Julien Wallerand, a good friend, whose father was the first Master of wine in the world and wrote the seminal book on the Montrachet vineyards. We have known Julian for decades and he takes great care of me and my friends. He specializes in affordable local high quality wines and our usual wine price is around $50 US from him. In addition there is a similar set up called Cave Chassange Montrachet in that village we don't know the owner as well but it is the same set up with 100's of local high quality affordable wines, both cave’s are liker coops. We usually buy a lot of wine from both of them when there. You have to have a car to get to them. The second hotel is Hotel De France directly next to the train station in Beaune. It is a 3 star Logis hotel run by a family who we know well and wonderful to work with. The owner's name is Nicholas and he has a nice wife and daughter who we have watched grow up over 2 decades. You walk out of the train station, cross the road and the hotel is right there. It is a very comfortable and frankly cheap hotel but was remodeled and updated 3 years ago and is clean, comfortable and safe. You can reserve online but for unknown reasons half the time it will say not available but if you call Nicolas directly at +33 3 80 24 10 34 he or his wife will make the reservations. One reason we could not make reservations was when he was renovating and taking vacation the Hotel was closed but because of our relationship he allowed Clark and I to stay there by ourselves and leave a check at the front desk when we left. It is a 20 minute walk anywhere in town. Directly there at the train station and Hotel Der France is ADA Beaune car rental which to us is the best place to rent a car and very convenient and you can park it at the train station at no charge. We wrecked one of their cars years ago and they could not have been nicer or easier to work with. There is another car rental, the more famous Europa car rental but they are on the other side of town on the road to the vineyards south and you have to get a taxi to get to them but they are fine also easy to use. Our last rental with them we picked up the car in Beaune and dropped it in Geneva with no hassle. Be sure and check office times for car rentals they are weird and you may end up waiting for them to open or maybe Stevie can pick it up for you and have it ready. Another option is LeClerc which to us were the cheapest and Stevie helped. We rented an van for like $15 a day but again you need a taxi/uber to get there. The third place to stay is Hotel d'Bistro which was featured in Wine Spectator 3 weeks ago and is a Grand Award winner. It is right off Park Canot in the middle of town and is 4 or 5 stars. It is small, maybe 20 rooms. You have to have dinner at the restaurant as they are famous for table carved Blue Foot Roasted Chicken. Park Canot is the main area of Beaune in a circle around a park with lots of restaurants. Highly recommended is Cave De Arches in a basement cave right off Park Canot. It is Clark's and mine favorite place to eat dinner and we have gone there now for 20 years. Have the chicken in Epoisse cheese sauce. In terms of vineyards I always start and end with Bouchard Per et Fils right down the street 2 blocks from Hotel France. At least 30% of our wine purchases come from them. Their selection is extensive and maybe they are not as famous as some others but many of their wines are highly rated. I have a case of the 2017 Chevalier Montrachet that was rated by Wine Spectator #2 white wine in the world and they sold me one of the last cases and did not raise the price after the rating. They are super people and I got to know the cellar master. In Meursault visit Thierry & Pascale Matrot, a great family we know. Years ago we met the daughter, Elsa Matrot, who at the time was 23 and had just taken over as winemaker and cellar master from her father after graduating from University of California Davis in wine production. Great people right next to the church in the village Meursault. In Puligny Montrachet I recommend visiting the Carillon brothers, Paul Pernot, and Oliver Laflavie all worth a visit. They are all great folks, have great wines and Paul I am afraid is in his 90's so most likely the son is in charge now. Paul speaks no English. Up north is where the red wines are and we recommend Domaine Rapet Pere & Fils. We met the patriarch years ago, most likely now gone, and he was a famous member of Tastevin in Bourgogne. Makes great affordable reasonable wines. Domaine Rion Armelle et Bernard makes good wine in Vosne-Romanee and uses dogs to hunt black truffles. Our current love in Vosne-Romanee is Domaine LeMarche owned by Nicole Lamarche who in a sense jointly owns the DRC grand cru vineyards. DRC and Nicole each own ½ of the Le Tache vineyard and decades ago they traded sides God only knows why? Nicole’s portion is known as Grande Rue. We have now been to her home 3 times and despite years of getting to know her like DRC it is very difficult to buy her wines though we were fortunate to find some. For lunch in Vosne-Romanee we highly recommend La Toute Petite Auberge right off the main road through Vosne-Romanee. Look quick or you will miss it. Owned by Frank Boyer who we have known for close to 20 years, last year for the very first time he recognized me as a repeat customer and gave me my first 5% discount on my purchases. I was honored but don’t expect it. He speaks no English, but for some reason me and him have always seemed to communicate and hit it off well. Does not hurt that I have always purchased thousands of dollars of wine from him. To wit, in the restaurant he has a public wine shop in the back where he sells Vosne-Romanee wines including Nicole Lemarches wine so he has been a good source for me. Turns out he is Nicole Lemarche Godfather, a story for another time. If you really hit it off he might let you visit his own private cellar under the restaurant where he let me buy a couple more LeMarche wines. When in Beaune try Epoisse Cheese especially the older ones. There is a Cheese shop in Park Canot. Also both in Beaune and 20 Km south in Chagny are open public markets on Wednesday and Saturday or Sunday, you will have to look up when, where you can buy a ton of local stuff. If you want to stay in a rented home in Beaune Steve Powell email steve@locationburgundy.com has lots of nice places 1 to 3 bedroom. On the outskirts of town there is our equivalent of Super Walmart called LeClerc. It is massive and has everything you can think of to buy including food, gourmet food, clothes, appliances but most important wine. In France wine is sold in all Supermarkets. LeClerc's is the largest. You will find "Bargains" there. We purchased Bouchard Pere & Fils Chardonnay there for $15 US a bottle and Stevie shipped it home for us. LeClerc also has a cheap and not bad Italian restaurant inside the massive store, and again outside rents cars. 3 blocks from Hotel France is a supermarket called Casino where we get snacks, water, mustard's, etc from. They have a cheap wine section just not as big. A few years back I purchased Grand Cru Eschezeau from them for under $50 a bottle. For just Chateau visits we recommend Chateau Savigny De Beaune which houses an extensive collection of airplanes in an entire large building as well as vintage motorcycles and automobiles. In St. Aubin you can visit Chateau de Rochepot which features classic Bourgogne architecture.
If you need help in Paris we use Steeve Calvo The American in Paris. Helped us a lot with hotels, restaurants, and can book trips to Champagne, Versailles, etc. Steeve phone number is +33 6 82 87 60 60 and you can Google him online.
For more information please review my other Blogs on France
Tuesday, June 4, 2024
We Left Our Blankets in San Francisco
We returned to San Francisco after a couple of years to babysit our grandson while the parents went to a wedding in Napa. We just visited Napa last December and will return again this coming December so did not feel the urge to visit Napa this trip and elected to stay in San Francisco and revisit our favorite spots. We knew in advance it would be cool as the coast of mid and northern California is always cool or cold in the summer due to the Pacific currents. So we packed windbreaker jackets thinking that would be enough. It was not. We were freezing to death the entire trip. At night the temp was around 50 and daytime rarely got above 60, plus there was a strong wind making the wind chill even worse. Just like my first trip there in 1979 I had to go out and purchase another long sleeve sweatshirt to increase the number of layers and have something warmer. With the windbreaker and more layers I made it through the week. Lesson learned. Always go to San Francisco with at least 2 or 3 long sleeve layers.
Fisherman's Wharf
We purposely decided to stay at the Hyatt Centric Fisherman’s Wharf as we have stayed at that property in the past and always were treated well. I can continue to recommend the Hyatt Centric. Staff was caring and focused on customer service and met most of our requests consistently. Rooms though small were comfortable and amenities were adequate. While we were there the average temp in the day was around 60 so we did not use the pool scape much due to it being cold. It is well located to explore the entire Fisherman’s Wharf area on foot and despite me with neuropathy I was able to walk around OK, just slower. There are plenty of cafe’s in the area to get breakfast at a fairly reasonable price considering where you are. Pier 39 is only 3 or 4 blocks away, and you have plenty of waterfront views and don’t forget the sea lions. While we were there the newspaper had an article on the sea lions and stated the week we were there they counted over 1000 on the docks. There is a Maritime museum and the Hyde Street Pier has a National Park with lots of old sailing ships to visit and there is a fully restored operational WWII submarine to visit so plenty to do in a couple of days. We were baby sitting our 7 year old grandson and he was well entertained.
American Baseball
Wheel of Fortune may say at the beginning of each show “Welcome to America’s Game Wheel of Fortune” but they are sadly mistaken. Trust me Major League Baseball is still as American as it gets. When I was around 6 years old I remember my father taking me to a baseball game in St. Petersburg, Florida and I was miserable and remember it like yesterday. It was hot, humid, I was thirsty, and he would not buy me a drink. I swore I would never go to a baseball game again. Fast forward to our trip to San Francisco and at the last minute we decided to attend the Giants and Philles game with our youngest daughters family and our grandson Fin. I was pleasantly surprised how much fun it was, but even more so to witness what is good about America. From the singing of the National Anthem with an F-16 flyover to singing “Take me out to the Ballgame” it was a demonstration of all types of American’s getting together to celebrate all that is good. From peanuts and popcorn to hot dogs and cracker jacks nothing but good clean fun. Crowded and loud with huge big screen TV’s just an experience you can never forget. It did not hurt that the average temperature that day was in the low 60’s so no worries about getting hot. We had seats on the 3rd base line and could easily see all the action. I felt proud to be an American and if like many you are concerned about the future of America do yourself a favor and go to a ballgame. It will restore your faith.
Skywalker Ranch
I will briefly mention Skywalker Ranch in that you have to know someone fairly high up to visit and it is not open to the public. My son-in-law’s brother is a major sound engineer there and has won 2 Oscars for Inception and Dunkirk while working there so he showed us around and bought us lunch at their corporate restaurant that had really good food. It was built by George Lucas after the success of the very first Star Wars movie. He still owns the physical plant and grounds but the operation and management is now owned by Disney. Essentially it is multiple sound stages to edit and finish movies and it seems a significant number of movies are finished there. We learned that sound is the last thing added to a movie. The equipment is extensive and impressive and highly complex.
Follow up on Homelessness
San Francisco still has an issue with homelessness. We saw some of it and at least where we were it was not extensive. Someone sleeping on the sidewalk in this city block, a tent in a block or two away. Sort of spread out. But we had an interesting experience trying to help one gentleman out. Our first day we noticed this elderly man with a very long beard just waking up on our way to breakfast. At least once on any given trip we will buy a meal for a street person if we see one. We do understand we will never solve the problem and we wonder if we are only making the situation worse but long ago we decided even though we can’t help everyone, we can at least offer nourishment to at least one person and who knows what positive benefit that might bring. It truly is not for us to judge. At breakfast we planned on purchasing one breakfast to go for the man so we asked the server if they knew anything about him? And they did. They told us he had never been any trouble, was law abiding, but had been at that exact spot on the street now for 17 years. We had a double take! 17 years? Think about that. What person voluntarily chooses to live on the street for 17 continuous years. I am certain some social agency had to have tried to help him find housing and receive benefits but he obviously made a conscious decision to stay where he remains. He is not alone. Having tried to help veterans through veterans programs I see this over and over. Many homeless people refuse all help. They don’t want to be told what they can and cannot do. They don’t want to be in a shelter where they are told they cannot smoke. This gentleman was smoking. They refuse to be regimented. I get it, it is a free country and he is free to choose to live on the street. But is he? What impact is he having on the community. There is a new debate starting on at what point are these individuals placed somewhere against their will and based on what grounds. I have no answer but clearly I was shocked he had been there for 17 years.
San Francisco Restaurants Something Old, Something New
Miller and Lux San Francisco
700 Terry A Francois Blvd
San Francisco, CA
415-872-6699
We returned to Miller and Lux again, a steakhouse owned and operated by celebrity chef Tyler Florence. The food and service continue to be excellent and the décor is high-end and relaxing. Immediately after sitting down, you are offered a selection of sparkling wine to choose from at various price points but we purchased this trip by the bottle. The restaurant has a wide variety of classic steak cuts and accompaniments also. They allow you to bring your own wine with a modest corkage fee. Overall it was a memorable meal again but the prices were the highest we paid on our trip and the wine prices on the wine list were in La La land but it seems that way all over San Francisco but I was able to purchase 2 bottles that enhanced dinner. The desserts were to die for. They were things like chocolate mousse or key lime pie but looked like a piece of fruit. Here is a picture.
Kokkari Estiatorio Greek Restaurant
200 Jackson St.
San Francisco, CA 94111
415-981-0983
This continues to be a favorite place in San Francisco. It is primarily a high-end Greek Restaurant with all your favorites like great lamb souvlaki. They had an extensive wine list Very friendly and helpful staff and well prepared fresh food. I again had one of the best Greek salads that was sublime. We tried the hummus platter that was to die for. It was a very nice long relaxing lunch and we will continue to return. The bill was the second-highest during our trip and it was for lunch no less but to us worth the price. We always leave feeling we have received great value eating here.
Mathilde San Francisco
315 5th St.San Francisco CA 94107
415-546-6128
It is no secret we like French cuisine and this place continued to satisfied all of our French desires. Everything is a classic French presentation and all of our favorites. This trip we had Rack of Lamb that was beyond excellent with a unique and great sauce. The service was professional and friendly. Coffee and dessert were again classic. It’s a small and out-of-the-way place but worth the trip for classic French.
Foreign Cinema San Francisco
2534 Mission St.
San Francisco CA 94110
415-648-7600
Let me be very clear here. This is continues to be the best most fun and unique dining experience and high-top shelf experience I have had in years. Having dinner here was one of the reasons we decided to go to San Francisco this trip and if I had my own private jet I could see me flying over just for dinner. The neighborhood is continuing to improve. The bitcoin seller next door is gone but a payroll advance store is still across the street. The restaurant is in an old movie theater and inside the dining room is divided into two rooms one of which shows an old movie each evening and that is the theme of the night. The menu was extensive and everything is made in-house fresh. The menu both for food, wine, dessert wines, cocktails, drinks is extensive and takes some time to take in. You had to be impressed that they still had 3 different renditions of “Pappy” Old Rip Van Winkle Whiskey from 12 years old to 23 years old. It is one of the rarest whiskey in the world and to find all of them on one menu is impressive. The American Whiskey choices alone were over 50 choices. Dining choices were unique again. I had Moroccan Fried Chicken that was one of the most flavorful dishes I have had in a long time. They also had an extensive list of oysters and caviar as well. Service was professional and attentive and the overall ambiance was relaxed and calming. It was just a truly unique and wonderful dining experience that we will remember for a long long time.
Palette Tea House Dim Sum, Cantonese, and Seafood
900 North Point St, Ste B-201A
San Francisco, CA 94109
Located at Fairmont Heritage Place, Ghirardelli Square we discovered just walking around and noticed a very long line to get in. I used an old trick learned in France while standing in line went online on the phone and made reservations which went through OK. Then moved into the reservation line and got right in for lunch. The biggest surprise was they serve daily by the order Peking Duck and we love Peking Duck and since COVID have had a hard time finding it, especially just walking in. Usually you have to pre-order 24 hours in advance. They had exquisite dim sum but I am sure due to COVID no more carts, you have to order off the menu but no problem. They also had authentic Char-Sue which we have always loved. The food and drink was outstanding but the service was a little slow but the place was packed with locals and how can I complain when they have Peking Duck right now. This is now our preferred Asian restaurant in San Francisco now.
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