Tonight is the Wall Street Journal's annual "Open That Bottle Night". This event, which takes place the last Saturday of February, has become a global happening. I think it's a great idea, one that I've participated in before, and will do so again tonight. The question is, what will I open?
Now, as you may realize, I do not take this kind of decision lightly. I will be putting forth a great deal of thought and consideration into this. What kind of wine do I want to open? Cabernet Sauvignon? Syrah? Zinfandel? Pinot Noir? A blend? What about the geographics? I've got wines from California, Oregon and Washington, as well as French Bordeaux, Italy, Australia, even Argentina. And should it be a wine that has some age, exuding grace and elegance, or something still in its youth, powerful and muscular. Decisions, decisions. I've narrowed it down to three. I think. Here are the candidates:
1997 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy--this is a "Super-Tuscan"; a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. 1997 was an incredible vintage, and this one has been lying in my wine cooler for a while...mocking me, I think. Daring me to drink it. Well guess what, Amico Mio...your time may be up!
2002 Phelps, "Insignia", Napa Valley, CA--A California Legend. Before Opus One, Harlan and Screaming Eagle, there was Insignia. This wine is outstanding year in and year out, even in so-called "off" vintages. However this vintage also happened to be the Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year for 2005. Very tempted to pop this one...
2004 Two Hands Shiraz, "Lily's Garden", McLaren Vale, Australia--This is one I've been looking forward to. The reviews for this wine were excellent; 94 points from the Wine Spectator, 95 points from the Wine Advocate. Australian Shiraz is usually a big, monolithic style of wine, one that I have to be in the right mood for. Am I in that mood? Could be..
(Ok, one more)
2001 Harlan Estate, "The Maiden", Oakville, Napa, CA--Back in my LA days, I had a stretch where I was making very good money doing commercials, and the residuals kept showing up in my mailbox. Money for nothing, as the Dire Straits would say. Well, one day I decided I would act like a Hollywood big shot and treated myself to this beauty from their mailing list. Even though this is the "Second Label" from Harlan, it's still a much-sought after trophy wine. The thing is, I like the way it looks lying in my cooler. I suppose I could drink it, then just leave the bottle in there...
I'll let you know what I decide to open...but if you've got something you've been saving, OPEN THAT BOTTLE! Cheers!
"A man cannot make him laugh - but that's no marvel; he drinks no wine."
~WM. SHAKESPEARE, Henry IV Part 2
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
DAD'S WINES
My dad loved a good bottle of wine. As I got older and became more wine savvy, it was something we were able to enjoy together. I loved calling or emailing him about a special bottle I had discovered. If it was something we had at Wally's that was rather limited, I would nudge him along and encourage him to let me send it to him (with his credit card, of course). It was even better when we could stroll through a wine shop (or even a wine section) and hunt and peck to see what we could find. But the best, the best was when we would open a bottle and share it, talk about it and create a memory.
My dad, Dr. R Lee Forshay, Jr. passed away two years ago today at the all-too young age of 68. I miss him dearly, but some of the memories we created over wine live on thanks to his wine journal. I'd like to share a few of them today as a tribute to him. (I've included some additional background info as well).
FEBRUARY 14, 2005
2002 SHANDEL'S OPPENLANDER VINEYARD, PINOT NOIR,
MENDOCINO COUNTY, CA
~Medium dark red. Cherry and raspberry fruit, silky and elegant. The best Pinot Noir yet.
If you notice the date, you'll see this was a "Valentine's Day" wine that he and my mother shared. It was the last bottle of a case he had bought at Wally's. His comments in the wine journal don't really do justice to how he felt about this wine. He was really, truly passionate about it. Guess that's why he waited until Valentine's Day to pop the last bottle!
DECEMBER 28TH, 2005
1997 CHATEAU MONTELENA, ESTATE CABERNET SAUVIGNON,
NAPA VALLEY, CA
~Not quite 10 years old, this wine is showing a dark garnet color. Full-bodied and elegant, but muscular. Black fruit, currant, earth and mineral. Wonderful wine.
Dad had a good palate. This wine scored a 95 from the Wine Spectator and 98 from the Wine Advocate. I had tasted this wine before, and encouraged him to buy it when we saw it in a small wine shop in Studio City, CA, despite the price ($125). The fact that he pulled the trigger on my recommendation made me feel good; it meant he valued and respected my experience.
MAY 22, 2004
2001 L'AVENTURE, "OPTIMUS", RED BLEND, PASO ROBLES, CA
~A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petit Verdot & Zinfandel. A big wine! Big fruit, big tannins, big body. Superb! A favorite!
My dad, Dr. R Lee Forshay, Jr. passed away two years ago today at the all-too young age of 68. I miss him dearly, but some of the memories we created over wine live on thanks to his wine journal. I'd like to share a few of them today as a tribute to him. (I've included some additional background info as well).
FEBRUARY 14, 2005
2002 SHANDEL'S OPPENLANDER VINEYARD, PINOT NOIR,
MENDOCINO COUNTY, CA
~Medium dark red. Cherry and raspberry fruit, silky and elegant. The best Pinot Noir yet.
If you notice the date, you'll see this was a "Valentine's Day" wine that he and my mother shared. It was the last bottle of a case he had bought at Wally's. His comments in the wine journal don't really do justice to how he felt about this wine. He was really, truly passionate about it. Guess that's why he waited until Valentine's Day to pop the last bottle!
DECEMBER 28TH, 2005
1997 CHATEAU MONTELENA, ESTATE CABERNET SAUVIGNON,
NAPA VALLEY, CA
~Not quite 10 years old, this wine is showing a dark garnet color. Full-bodied and elegant, but muscular. Black fruit, currant, earth and mineral. Wonderful wine.
Dad had a good palate. This wine scored a 95 from the Wine Spectator and 98 from the Wine Advocate. I had tasted this wine before, and encouraged him to buy it when we saw it in a small wine shop in Studio City, CA, despite the price ($125). The fact that he pulled the trigger on my recommendation made me feel good; it meant he valued and respected my experience.
MAY 22, 2004
2001 L'AVENTURE, "OPTIMUS", RED BLEND, PASO ROBLES, CA
~A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petit Verdot & Zinfandel. A big wine! Big fruit, big tannins, big body. Superb! A favorite!
Don't sugarcoat it, Dad...what did you think?
These are some of his favorites, although there are many, many more. He was a big fan of Silver Oak, Hendry, and Cakebread, among others. And I got him into Bordeaux, as well. He bought several bottles of 2000 Chateau Leoville Barton (96 pts) on futures (buying them while still in the barrel, at a lower price). A monumental wine, but one meant for aging; it's probably not going to peak for at least another ten years. I kept telling him it's too young, to hold onto it and let it properly age. It never occurred to me he wouldn't be here when the wine was ready to drink. His cancer diagnosis happened to occur just a day before his 68th birthday, and I had flown in to surprise him. I asked him what he would like to open for his birthday dinner.
We had the Leoville. It was young and tight, but we decanted and it opened up a bit. It offered up hints of how good it will be in another decade (or two). I can't recall specific notes on the wine, but we did enjoy it. Almost as much as the company.
DEDICATED TO DR. R. LEE FORSHAY, JR., M.D.
SEPTEMBER 26, 1938-FEBRUARY 26, 2007
"A man cannot make him laugh - but that's no marvel; he drinks no wine."
~WM. SHAKESPEARE, Henry IV Part 2
"A man cannot make him laugh - but that's no marvel; he drinks no wine."
~WM. SHAKESPEARE, Henry IV Part 2
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
My "WOW" Wine
The Wine Spectator web site is publishing posts from their writers about their "Aha!" wines. An "Aha!" wine is the one that opened your eyes (or nose, or taste buds) as to what wine is, or can be. I like to think of them as "WOW" wines more than anything else. And, like in the movie Highlander, there can be only One. It is The One that changes your life. It's probably like in golf, when you hit an amazing shot, and then you're hooked on the game for the rest of your life. I wouldn't know about that; I subscribe to Mark Twain's theory on golf. Suffice it to say, golf and I never got along. We tried, but we just couldn't make it work. But I did have an "Aha!", or "WOW", wine and my olfactory senses have never been the same.
I was living in Los Angeles, and had taken a job at Wally's, a well-known wine shop located in Westwood. Some Hollywood heavies were having a wine dinner at a private residence, and I was one of the three representatives from Wally's that was asked to go and help with the wine service. They were doing a tasting of some legendary Bordeaux from some of the great vintages of the 20th century. The wines were Lafite Rothschild, Mouton Rothschild and Cheval Blanc from the 1970, 1982 and 1986 vintages. Even now as I write this, my mouth is starting to water and I might even be having some slight heart palpitations. These are all monumental wines, the likes of which I doubt I will ever have the opportunity to taste again. Why? Because they cost about $900 per bottle back in 1999, and probably command close to $2500 per bottle now, if not more.
As we decanted and then poured the wines into the glasses, the three of us were watching one another as if to say, "Don't pour it all! Don't pour it all!! We could taste what's left!!" Well, mission accomplished. Like little wine urchins, we managed to save enough so we could each have a taste of these modern-day classics, and scurried back to the kitchen while the party adjourned to the patio for cigars and Sauternes. We started tasting the 1970's. I was the least experienced of my colleagues, and these were the oldest wines I'd ever had. I wasn't sure what to make of them. My fellow wine stewards marveled at how good they were, and I just nodded and agreed. Then we went to the 1982's. First the Lafite, which had received numerous 100-point scores. Yep, pretty good stuff as I recall. Same for the Mouton, another 100-pointer; but I recall it seemed a little more muscular. Then we tasted the 1982 Cheval Blanc. I swirled and sniffed. My head popped up out of the glass. "Wow", I said. "That is really something. The aromatics on this are gorgeous."
That was the first thing of substance I'd said all night. Granted, it was not some earth-shattering observation, but still... I tasted, and I knew then I had to take this all in, because my wine world had just broadened to a level I didn't know was possible. It wasn't just the overall balance of the fruit and tanic structure, but it was also the mouth feel, like liquid velvet. I regret not having something to write with so I could take accurate notes, but I told myself, "remember...remember what this is like." It was moving, almost spiritual.
We moved on the 1986's, and they were quite good, although the consensus was they were still a little young. We talked about which one was our favorite, and before I could speak up one of my colleagues said, "Greg loved the '82 Cheval. Did you see his face? Here, finish it off." And with that, he went on to pour the rest of the wine from the decanter into my glass. Even though it had not been released yet, I felt like Gollum from the Lord of the Rings trilogy: "my precious... my precious..." I hurried off into the corner to be alone so I could give the wine the attention it so majestically commanded. I swirled and sniffed, tasted and swallowed. I took my time, but it was gone all too soon.
I had found my "WOW" wine.
Have you found yours?
"A man cannot make him laugh - but that's no marvel; he drinks no wine."
~WM. SHAKESPEARE, Henry IV Part 2
I was living in Los Angeles, and had taken a job at Wally's, a well-known wine shop located in Westwood. Some Hollywood heavies were having a wine dinner at a private residence, and I was one of the three representatives from Wally's that was asked to go and help with the wine service. They were doing a tasting of some legendary Bordeaux from some of the great vintages of the 20th century. The wines were Lafite Rothschild, Mouton Rothschild and Cheval Blanc from the 1970, 1982 and 1986 vintages. Even now as I write this, my mouth is starting to water and I might even be having some slight heart palpitations. These are all monumental wines, the likes of which I doubt I will ever have the opportunity to taste again. Why? Because they cost about $900 per bottle back in 1999, and probably command close to $2500 per bottle now, if not more.
As we decanted and then poured the wines into the glasses, the three of us were watching one another as if to say, "Don't pour it all! Don't pour it all!! We could taste what's left!!" Well, mission accomplished. Like little wine urchins, we managed to save enough so we could each have a taste of these modern-day classics, and scurried back to the kitchen while the party adjourned to the patio for cigars and Sauternes. We started tasting the 1970's. I was the least experienced of my colleagues, and these were the oldest wines I'd ever had. I wasn't sure what to make of them. My fellow wine stewards marveled at how good they were, and I just nodded and agreed. Then we went to the 1982's. First the Lafite, which had received numerous 100-point scores. Yep, pretty good stuff as I recall. Same for the Mouton, another 100-pointer; but I recall it seemed a little more muscular. Then we tasted the 1982 Cheval Blanc. I swirled and sniffed. My head popped up out of the glass. "Wow", I said. "That is really something. The aromatics on this are gorgeous."
That was the first thing of substance I'd said all night. Granted, it was not some earth-shattering observation, but still... I tasted, and I knew then I had to take this all in, because my wine world had just broadened to a level I didn't know was possible. It wasn't just the overall balance of the fruit and tanic structure, but it was also the mouth feel, like liquid velvet. I regret not having something to write with so I could take accurate notes, but I told myself, "remember...remember what this is like." It was moving, almost spiritual.
We moved on the 1986's, and they were quite good, although the consensus was they were still a little young. We talked about which one was our favorite, and before I could speak up one of my colleagues said, "Greg loved the '82 Cheval. Did you see his face? Here, finish it off." And with that, he went on to pour the rest of the wine from the decanter into my glass. Even though it had not been released yet, I felt like Gollum from the Lord of the Rings trilogy: "my precious... my precious..." I hurried off into the corner to be alone so I could give the wine the attention it so majestically commanded. I swirled and sniffed, tasted and swallowed. I took my time, but it was gone all too soon.
I had found my "WOW" wine.
Have you found yours?
"A man cannot make him laugh - but that's no marvel; he drinks no wine."
~WM. SHAKESPEARE, Henry IV Part 2
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Let's Pop the Cork!
Greetings, and welcome. I've finally joined the blogging ranks! My goal here is to share my thoughts and impressions on wines I have tasted and will taste in the future. I've been in the wine business for some 12 years now; in restaurants, retail and wholesale. I do not proclaim to be an expert, but I do knows what I likes, and in my opinion, when it comes to wine, that's really all that matters. It is entirely possible I might veer off topic onto other aspects of life, but wine is a part of life, so why not expand a little?
My late father enjoyed a good glass of wine, and that's probably where I got it from. As I became more educated, it was something we were able share together. He had a pretty extensive collection of wine notes that I might drop in from time to time, particularly if it was a bottle we had together.
I have a modest 50 bottle collection, but I am a big believer in quality over quantity. Some of them I hold on to so they properly age, particularly the Bordeaux. But the others I hold on to waiting for that "special occasion". However, my wife is not much of a wine drinker. Have you ever seen a dog get his vaccination for kennel cough? They take a needle-less syringe and fill it with the vaccine. Then they shoot it up the dog's nose. The dog's reaction is immediate; he'll snort and shake his head violently. Now let's be clear: I AM NOT COMPARING MY BEAUTIFUL WIFE TO A DOG. However, her reaction to wine is somewhat similar to that of the dog. She just doesn't care for it. So you can see my hesitation in opening some of my gems when I don't have someone to share them with on a consistent basis. I know, I should be saying, "Hey! More for me!", and believe me, that little nugget is not lost on me. But part of the joy for me has always been the discussion, and in some cases the debate, as well as the overall experience of sharing a good wine. So, in a way, this allows me to share and discuss the wines I have collected, tasted and will taste in the future.
So, without further ado...
As I write I am enjoying a 2007 Seghesio Zinfandel, Sonoma County, California. I've been a big fan of Seghesio Zins for years. They are as synonymous with Zinfandel as Ridge, Rosenblum and even Turley. The 2007 is particularly compelling. It is loaded with blueberry and boysenberry aromas, accompanied by a touch of smoke and spice. The wine sports a velvety texture with tasty dark berry fruit and sweet, juicy tannins that lead to a fulfilling finish. Quite delicious. This is the third time I've enjoyed a bottle of this wine, and it has not disappointed. This wine received a 93 point score from the Wine Spectator, and was #10 on their Top 100 list for 2008. Upon it's release, it was readily available, but I've seen it slowly disappear off the shelves in my usual wine haunts the last couple of months. If you can find one, pick it up. If you can find two, consider yourself lucky and grab 'em. Very reasonably priced, I picked mine up for about $18 a bottle at one location, and $22 at another.
"A man cannot make him laugh - but that's no marvel; he drinks no wine."
My late father enjoyed a good glass of wine, and that's probably where I got it from. As I became more educated, it was something we were able share together. He had a pretty extensive collection of wine notes that I might drop in from time to time, particularly if it was a bottle we had together.
I have a modest 50 bottle collection, but I am a big believer in quality over quantity. Some of them I hold on to so they properly age, particularly the Bordeaux. But the others I hold on to waiting for that "special occasion". However, my wife is not much of a wine drinker. Have you ever seen a dog get his vaccination for kennel cough? They take a needle-less syringe and fill it with the vaccine. Then they shoot it up the dog's nose. The dog's reaction is immediate; he'll snort and shake his head violently. Now let's be clear: I AM NOT COMPARING MY BEAUTIFUL WIFE TO A DOG. However, her reaction to wine is somewhat similar to that of the dog. She just doesn't care for it. So you can see my hesitation in opening some of my gems when I don't have someone to share them with on a consistent basis. I know, I should be saying, "Hey! More for me!", and believe me, that little nugget is not lost on me. But part of the joy for me has always been the discussion, and in some cases the debate, as well as the overall experience of sharing a good wine. So, in a way, this allows me to share and discuss the wines I have collected, tasted and will taste in the future.
So, without further ado...
As I write I am enjoying a 2007 Seghesio Zinfandel, Sonoma County, California. I've been a big fan of Seghesio Zins for years. They are as synonymous with Zinfandel as Ridge, Rosenblum and even Turley. The 2007 is particularly compelling. It is loaded with blueberry and boysenberry aromas, accompanied by a touch of smoke and spice. The wine sports a velvety texture with tasty dark berry fruit and sweet, juicy tannins that lead to a fulfilling finish. Quite delicious. This is the third time I've enjoyed a bottle of this wine, and it has not disappointed. This wine received a 93 point score from the Wine Spectator, and was #10 on their Top 100 list for 2008. Upon it's release, it was readily available, but I've seen it slowly disappear off the shelves in my usual wine haunts the last couple of months. If you can find one, pick it up. If you can find two, consider yourself lucky and grab 'em. Very reasonably priced, I picked mine up for about $18 a bottle at one location, and $22 at another.
"A man cannot make him laugh - but that's no marvel; he drinks no wine."
~WM. SHAKESPEARE, Henry IV Part 2
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