TWO COINCIDENTAL TEMPIER WINES THE SAME NIGHT
Can lightning strike twice?Domaine Tempier Bandol, one of the truly fine grand cru of the Provence, is usually a favorite among my wine drinking friends. Located on France's Mediterranean coast, between Toulon and Marseilles, the town of Bandol features what might be called a natural amphitheater of vineyards that slope towards the sea. Here the varietal of mouvedere, also grown in nearby Spain and nowadays in California, finds its finest expression in the world. The estate which has been in existence since the 1830's and won medals in the 1850's for their wine, was elevated to an exalted status beginning in the 1940's[...]
THE STINK IN “SPECIAL”
For those of us lucky enough to experience excellent fine wine regularly, the issue of what to do on ceremonial occasions becomes a problem. I have recently had two experiences that gave me new insight into this. The first was a dinner in honor of my wife's birthday at a fancy local French restaurant with one other couple. I decided to bring my own bottle to the occasion and chose the above label, a Chateau Calon Segur from Sait Estephe, Bordeaux. Usually a solid and reliable performer, this label turned out to be absolutely wrong for the occasion. The problem was [...]
GLORIA AND THE 1855 CLASSIFICATION
Last night a sublime and elegant wine poured out of the bottle you see in the picture. It was ruby red in color, with an instantly recognizable Bordeaux nose, and a smooth, clean, multi-phase presentation in the palate. It had perfect balance of fruit, alcohol and acidity. It carried no hint of roughness. It was by all measures, a grand Bordeaux wine. And yet Chateau Gloria, well known and well respected among Bordeaux lovers, does not belong in the elite group of 61 chateaux classified under the famed 1855 list, and is merely a Cru Bourgeois. The fate of Gloria is[...]
WINE LINE-UPS AND STRANGE BEDFELLOWS
Wine tasting is a subjective experience. Not only do different people with varying palates receive divergent experiences from the same wine, but quite often a given person can have receive different impressions depending on the context in which wines are tasted. A chatty cocktail party setting for instance is not conducive to a serious tasting experience because the taster is distracted by the social milieu. Likewise, wines accompanying food can give tremendously variable experiences than those tasted alone. In a serial tasting where several wines are being experienced in a row, devoid of chit chat, food and other distractions, the[...]
A WONDERFUL BORDEAUX TASTING
In a trade style tasting entitled "Tour des Deux Rives" (Tour of two rivers), which refers to the Garonne and Dordogne rivers which run through Bordeaux, the San Francisco wine shop K&L assembled an impressive array of wines along with winemakers. Held in a swank second story art gallery overlooking busy Union Square, the tasting featured 25 labels by 6 winemakers, and it ranged from very high end exclusive labels to entry level wines and everything in between. I most enjoyed meeting the various French winemakers, including Bruno Eugene Borie of Ducru Beaucaillou (lower picture) and the famous Christian Moueix[...]
DOMESTIC MOUVEDRE THAT TASTES FRENCH; A RARITY
Finally, a California Mouvedre that resembles its French counterpart!This one appeared in our regular Friday night blind tasting recently and it was an elegant wine with a cocoa/coffee nose, nice upfront fruit, well balanced and clean with good acidity in the finish. It revealed its domestic origin in a hint of sweetness in mid palate, and its high alcohol. However, we all guessed that this would turn out a Chateauneuf du Pape or Vacqueras. We were surprised to discover that it originated close to home, in El Dorado County.Mouvedre is an old world grape initially planted in the Catalonia region of[...]