No Wine Over $20-Reviews and the LA Wine Scene

Send my ribeye to the house of detection. I have eaten my last meal in a big deal steak house. Honk if you have had it, too. The place? Mastros. Not the Beverly Hills location but does it really matter? Go to the website and Sinatra is playing and that is part of the problem. The concept of high rollers, rat pack, swingin' down the lane - it seems so silly unless it's Halloween. Ring-a-ding-ding. I do not care if the beef palace is Cut or Flemings or Arnie Mortons or Nick and Steph. [I will reserve a last chance for N&S never having eaten there, not to mention the wife ate there and liked it]. However, having written that, as it were and if you will...these places are smoke and mirrors...and more than I can handle. And I will throw in a "there you go".

Our dear dear dear friends asked us to join them for a birthday meal (probably for the last time now!). We love them and they are always great company so of course we accepted. They did not disappoint. Cannot say the same for the joint and the meal. The problem for me is I just don't get the $500 meal any more. Maybe I would if it involved fresh truffles 36 hours airlifted from a Piedmont field and shaved over my pasta. But, a Kansas City ribeye? BFD. Or Kobe prime? SFW. I cannot digest this stuff anymore. It gives me g-a-s-s. I rolled in the bed all night. Got up twice to just to see if I could evacuate (as we say in the hospital). Fuggedaboudit.

The steaks were cooked perfectly. It is just too damn much. Sides included mashed with lobster chunks. I felt nauseated hearing the waiter roll it off her tongue. Birthday boy hit that pile like Keith Richards found his lost nickel bag. G'head! They should be serving nitroglycerin on the side.

It actually helped when the entrees arrived before the salads. Our host thankfully chided the delivery guys and sent the steaks back to the kitchen. Next thing the matire'd is tableside gushing apologies. With a promise that he would "make it up to us" we relaxed and the wives were able to shelve their embarrassment at my pal's show of masculine restaurant decorum.

By dessert I was in a cholesterol/diabetic fog. I think the coffee was good. The wines were outstanding. Here they are.

2001 Ojai Vineyard Close Pepe Pinot Noir ~$40: We toted this in figuring it was worth the $25 corkage. And how about the new corkage retaliation? I guess these big ticket steak brothels figure they need to squeeze every bit of cash from their customers so they have jacked the corkage fee to discourage folks from bringing their own trophy cab that is too young to drink anyway. This would be less objectionable if a wine list was in place with a selection that complemented a $125/plate. Like the basic fare, the list exchanges imagination for label flash. But I digress. This wine was outstanding. Adam Tolmach is a master winemaker working with fruit from one of the top three vineyards in Santa Rita Hills. More importantly, Wes Hagen the grower (can you guess which is Wes?) and Adam T the winemaker share a stylistic and personality kinship. Adam is somber. Wes is lyrical. Both are serious experts at what they do. This wine will take more age and I would like to have several more bottles even though they will easily break the $20 limit. This wine moves to the "hunt list"; a small and distinct list of wines for which I am always on the hunt. What else is on my hunt list? Ask me another time. Adam extracted lots of fruit from the Clos Pepe tonnage which is his way. The wine has aged enough to show some dried flowers character. Cola and sour milk flavors sounds absolutely disgusting but that is my best description. This comes from very ripe fruit. Only 200 cases. 14.5%. For some fun and to perhaps learn a bit more about Wes and Adam be sure to read Adam's "tasting notes" from his website.

2003 Nicolas Potel Nuits St George $105 (on the list): Delicious wine. It is the "village wine" from Nicolas Potel who is a newcomer in Burgundy (1997). 2003 was an unusually hot vintage. This wine was ripe with lean characteristics of northern Burgundy. It was balanced and tasted like French pinot noir. Cherry and blackberry fruit. Tannic but no barnyard. If you like Nuits St George, which I do, then this wine is very pleasing. Retails is in the $50s so Mr. Larry - birthday boy - picked a value winner.

Our hosts were the best company as always and, along with the wines, the best thing about the dinner!

WRONG!!! The Jints won. The Pats lost. If you love dee-fence you were on the edge of your seat. If you hate the hype (guess who) you kept nodding off (like me). At least the wines were excellent.

2004 Ojai Vineyard Westerly Sauvignon Blanc ~$20 (at 2003 Wine Cask tasting): Grassy, lively acid, pretty well balanced. Complemented the salsa and chips and roasted peppers. 13% alcohol.

1995 Frederic Esmonin Mazy Chambertin $40 way back when: Such a disappointment from what coulda shoulda mighta been. Brown red color. Not a nice nose. Tired flavors. Un-quaffable. Went back twice and it was even closer to le morte. Mazy - or Mazis - is the legendary Gran Cru vineyard. You can keep La Tache and the other DRC slopes. This is the one. Unfortunately, Frederic Esmonin is not the producer. I purchased a mixed case of 1995 and 1996 burgs by Esmonin and a couple other vignerons reviewed in an earlier blog entry. Only the 1996 Esmonin Ruchottes has been memorable [ed. see preceding link]. This was so far over the hill not even Randy Moss could have caught it. It is wines like this that drive me back to Becky Wasserman!

1997 Williams Selyem Riverblock Pinot Noir probably $50 on release, north of $200 today: God bless Dotore' and his bulging wine cave. He bagged this bottle forcing me and the missus to guess. We agreed right away on New World. The smoky nose and flavors were so brawny that I leaned towards a rustic and somewhat silky Carneros pinot, producer unknown. Big Lou nailed it. Is it Williams Selyem? Yes it is. She also called a pretty good game as guest analyst noting that the TV timeout allowed Belichick to thoroughly preview his challenge to Giants having 12 men on the field question during the ridiculously long and endless commercial break. The Cheater challenged and won. Not that it made a difference. Back to the W/S wine. Once again this shows W/S pinot noir wines age wonderfully and rank right at the top. Of course, Riverblock is the best Rochioli grapes W/S gets these days.

...and a couple more in the preceding and following days...

2005 Tablas Creek Bergeron ~$25: It is Rousanne. It is delicious. Middle weight with an orange and lemon peel nose. Fresh and high acid. I guess they do not make it in this style - of the Savoie - that often. I really enjoyed this wine. Please suh can I have summah? 13.5%. Now how hard was that?

2006 Crios de Susana Balbo Malbec $10: Young red wine probably produced by tens of thousands cases. Middle weight. Tastes like Syrah and/or Carignane. I do not know what to expect from Argentine Malbec. I know the Argentine vintners are making moves to export more so they must Parker-ize their wines. Here is an example. The good news is it is not so ripe as to be undrinkable (like a couple of Paso/Napa wines I can think of). 13.5%

MONDO VINO...directed by Jonathan Nossiter, released 2004.
I missed this the first time around and there are numerous posts on the featured "players" and film reviews online. I wrote mine before reading the others. I remember the hubub in the press but never saw the film. I certainly enjoyed it in 2008. Can't say much has changed except the Mondavis, who are portrayed as wine Gods with all the powers of Zeus and company (a role they all seem to relish on camera). They are no longer the Mondavi Winery Mondavis. They are now the former "international imperialists" who "secretly" investigated three Italian wine families, two of whom were the Antinoris and the Frescobaldis, to decide which would be their lucky partner in Luce.

Of course, we all know now that these kinds of theatrical exercises in corporate and personal excess will never be repeated again under this name. Here Tim Mondavi explains away the bad blood that spilled out of the Ornellaia deal and James Suckling avoids claiming creation of the term Super-Tuscan. Stay to the end and an Italian wine merchant tells what he really thinks about wine globalization and all this deep pockets whoop-de-doo.

We also see how the Mondavis found their tipping point in the Languedoc. The project they had proposed to undertake, apparently under the guidance of Michel Rolland, failed fabulously as French democracy prevailed and the rich Americans were sent packing by the new Communist mayor who fulfilled his most important campaign promise...preserving the indigenous wine industry from outside interlopers. Near the end of the film we learn Mondavi friend and consultant Rolland is the new partner with a Bordelaise in a new mega-wine-development in the same area.

Politics plays an odd role in this film on wine. The French director Jonathan Nossiter (who is American born but internationally educated) lets the viewer know that the Antinoris and the Frescobaldis were ardent Fascistas in WWII. The scenes are almost comic as the younger the family member is on camera the stronger the historical truth is acknowledged. The older folks downplay Grandpa's support for the fascists as simply going with the flow. The grandkids leave no doubt the old man loved Mussolini. The director must have thought he hit a vein. He juxtaposes the unfortunately fascist Italian patricians with an unfortunately prejudiced Argentine family (it is the world of wine). Isn't it always just a little creepy when upper class folks living in a "modern" nation feel they have to prove they are not really anti-semitic? The director asks the particular Argentine vigneron about Peron's friendship with Mussolini. He clumsily answers "hey Peron really didn't have any problem with the Jews". While it makes for titillating cinema Nossiter commits a mistake by painting nations and peoples with too broad a brush.

Mondo Vino sets up fairly simply. You have the good guys like Neal Rosenthal who nearly chokes on his pastrami screeching about the Parker-ization of wines globally and the imminent disappearance of terroir. Another good guy is the Languedoc vigneron Aime Guibert of Mas de Daumas Gassac who successfully led the resistance against the Mondavis overwhelming his town.

Then you have the bad guys. Michel Rolland laughs all the way to the bank...day after day. Micro-oxygenation apparently means monetizing bullshit in French. Robert Parker plays the do-gooder bumpkin with roots firmly planted in the radical 60s. He aims to "level the field" and remove wine appreciation from the cold pecuniary grip of the bloodless distributors. The problem is he loves the attention, the awards, as well as rubbing shoulders with, and being one of, the big names in wine. He is a dupe of his own dictatorial (fascistic?) palate. In a poignant scene his very good friend Michel Rolland - who Parker proclaims gets no benefit from their friendship when Parker "objectively" tastes Rolland's wines with Rolland at the table - laughingly (this is one happy dude) talks about how the wine merchants of Pomerol should give Parker his own plaque in the village for all the $$ he has made them.

Neal Rosenthal declares Parker's love for Merlot dictates his palate preferences...along with the rest of the wine world that covets his 90+ points and the mountain of orders that follow. There does seem to have been some film fallout for Mssr. Rolland who has had to "re-organize" as they say in the business world.

Mondo Vino is not Mondo Cane, the legendary international film of my youth. It is more Michael Moore than David Cronenberg. Yes, I am saying that Mondo Cane and its many successors were forerunners of the Cronenberg style.

In real life things are seldom so crisp and clear. The Mondavis are not bad people. Michel Rolland and Robert Parker cannot possibly be this buffoonish (can they?). Michael Mondavi describes the family's flaw as making business decisions based on family emotions. The director definitely captured some very good moments if wine and the business of wine intrigues you. Probably the best moments are conversations between burgundy vigneron Hubert de Montille and his daughter Alix who compete for family leadership as most crusty. Of course, theirs is the only wine I would like to try after watching the film. Read about the Montille estate in a blurb from the Beaune Imports website.

Rosenthal is right. Terroir before "Parker-ization".

Hats off to Nossiter for making a film worth watching.

RENT IT

Becky Wasserman is choosing and Russell Hone is pouring Red Burgundies. Not only do you get to try great wine, you also get to hear great stories and enjoy a couple of well spent hours. This entry continues coverage of the Woodland Hills Wine Company tasting of Becky Wasserman Selections. tBoW covered the whites, pinks and sparklers in the previous entry.

While Becky staffed the white and pink flight her husband Russel Hone [ed. greeting us above] handled the Red Table. The wines were all very good. What was really special was how the wines became better as we moved up the ladder...really better.

2007 Saladin Cotes-du-Rhone Loi $15.30: Red purple color. Thick but not quite 30W motor oil. Stinky nose. 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Carignan and 5% Bourboulenc. The 2007 vintage in Rhone was notably HUGE. Should we be drinking the 06 Rhones if we are put off by the big forward fruit? Not with this wine. It is big but not TOO big. 60% Grenache, 20% each Syrah and Mourvedre. Yummy rich flavors. Would be nice to compare with something similar from Tablas Creek. A top quality U20 wine. 13%

2007 Domaine Les Grands Bois Cotes du Rhone Cuvee Les Trois Souers $12: This is NOT a Wasserman wine but I thought I might mention it here as a typical example of the rich and fruity and very California-like 07 Rhone vintage. The color is inky black purple. Weight is very thick. Dotoré decribes the 07 Rhone vintage as "this year's vintage of the century". A big shouldered wine at a very good U20 price. Plenty ripe if not overripe. 14.5%

2007 Bize Savigny-les-Beaune Aux Vergelesses 1er Cru $37.80: Spicy peppery nose especially for French Pinot Noir. Fruity wine but still "light on its feet like it should be." [ed. credit that to WHWC staff David Russell] 13.5%

2006 Bachelet Cote-de-Nuits Villages $30.60: Funky gamey nose. Love it. Will take several years. Structured but ultimately simple. Slightly tannic. Raises issues about where you might best spend your sheckles since it is a village wine. More on this coming up. 13%

2006 Lignier-Michelot Gevrey-Chambertin Cuvee Bertin $39.60: Now we in da good shit. We are told by the very knowledgable Mr. Russell that Lignier is a young winemaker based out of Morey St Denis with vintages beginning with the millenium. One acquires Burgundy vineyards in only three ways: inheritance, marriage or oodles of cash. David points out this is an AC wine [ed. quality wine produced in a superior region but not that superior] that combines fruit from two vineyards formerly bottled separately. This wine is striking on presentation. Lots of funk, skunkweed, and spice. Some call it forest floor but I believe that applies when the aromas are more integrated and maybe not so rough. Gevry often makes this impression on tBoW. This is brawny stuff. On second pour it shows sweetness and ripeness. Excellent effort. 13%

2006 Burguet Gevery-Chambertin Place des Lois $54: Bowled us over. We like it mucho when there is a wine that is simply stunning, truly special. It reinforces our belief that wine can be magnificent, delivering stimuli beyond a good buzz. This is that wine tonight. Sublime. Caramel nose. SImply beautiful. Pure Pinot Noir flavors. Delicate, balanced, showy without being a show off. This is where great Barolo meets great Burgundy. Right here with this wine. This also solves the sheckles dilemma. Why spend $30 for a village wine when you can spend $40 for a grand effort like the Lignier. But if you are crossing the threshold for a very nice and exotic wine like Lignier then you may as well go to $55 and buy something that will seduce your senses and knock your socks off...gently and soothingly. Turn in my U20 card. We bought it. [ed. turns out this was a very good price since Internet searches showed prices 20% higher] 13%

We close with a photo of an anonymous taster chilling in front of Paul Smith's Wall-o'-Wine.

Me I want a hoola hoop! The holidays are coming and going in a blur this year (thankfully). 2009 has been tortuous for most of us given the ubiquitous economic "recovery". Tanks Gott the recession is over according to Bernanke and Supreme Blowhard Larry Kudlow!! This does not mean we cannot enjoy being with friends and family while we resist the urge to purchase items that demonstrate our supreme affection for members of both groups [ed. how tender]. However, rest assured the occasion for gathering is always going to be enhanced if the host pours some decent wines. We certainly found this to be the case in the Christmas week and will probably find the same truth to hold for the New Year. The usual gatherings at Casa tBoW featured most of the blog blowhards and they were clamoring for wine wine and more wine. Please excuse the fuzz tones on photos. Here is what got pulled. We hope your holiday party was equally filled with family, good friends, the Singing Chipmunks, and, if not good value, at least good wines.

2005 Nuits St George Aux Saint Julien Earl Daniel Bocquenet $50: If you want to buy a mixed case of wines from one source then you cannot do much better than North Berkeley Imports and Wines Shop in Berkeley CA. Like Kermit Lynch down the street they work with particular French producers so the consumer gets to try wines that can be referred to as under the radar. Here is one. Dark and brooding color for Pinot Noir. Separates Nuits St George from the Beaune. Delicious fruit. A little tight at first. Plums and cocoa. Pencil lead up front from the tannins. Tried again two hours later and the next day when the wine had finally opened fully. Think rustic style with elegant fruit. Nothing tastes like this! Dotoré says a "hand crafted wine." Absolutely. 13%

2004 Saxum Broken Stones $50: Dotoré rightfully cannot understand why I buy this wine. Like the coccyx is a vestige from our simian origins so buying ridiculously overpriced wines at absurdly high alcohol levels the remainder of a former "wine collector". I guess I can't help myself. 75% juicy, dense Syrah, 22% thick Grenache, and a smidgen of Mourvedre. We turned to the aerator which made a huge difference in readiness. Without aeration this brooding monster was like a young Shaq in the lane. Imposing, unrelenting and rejecting! Once mellowed by instant aging the wine showed its complexity. The nose is spicy, mineral, with green olives as well. In the mouth there are black olives, cocoa and rum toffee flavors. No heat form high alcohol. This is Paso wine at its best. The new world definition of complex. Despite the big fruit and high alcohol the wine shows restraint and control, excellent balance of flavors that offset the alcohol, a sure hand at work. 15.6%

2007 Pierre Chermette Beaujolais $15: From Peter Wegandt of Weygandt-Metzler Imports. Peter has a great lineup and this is a star within his Milky Way. This is precisely the kind of wine tBoW favors. As we have said so many times in the past what is not to like? Weighty fresh fruit flavors, balanced perfectly, satisfying from the first sip to the last. U20 perfection. Read about the producer at the W-M website. 12%

2005 Tablas Creek Tannat $42: Traditional grape form Languedoc region. TC has an acre planted. Very dark color. A bit hot on the first taste which is the alcohol showing. Acid balanced by sweet fruit. Some mintiness. Smoky, gamey, leathery. Can go quite a few years. Very nice wine made for big holiday meals. 14.8%

2006 Domaine Saint Andre de Figuiere Vielles Vignes $16: Getting figgy wid it. 75% Vermentino and 25% Semillon. From the producer that made last summer's best Rosé. The kind of non-traditional blend they can make in Languedoc. A wonderful wine. Fig flavors and nose. Soft acids. Exquisitely drinkable. 13%

2007 Vom Rotem Schotter OTT Riesling $36: Austrian Riesling picked up at El Vino Wines in Venice. Artisan wine. Plenty of bright lively acid really sets this one off. Balanced, fresh, lotsa lime and flinty flavors. The young folks who usually drink tequila love it; they did not ask for salt. 12.5%

2001 Salomon Undhof Kremser Koegl Riesling Reserve $30: The contrasting Riesling. Also Austrian, softer acids, older vintage. A single vineyard wine with strong reputation from a region with 600 years winemaking tradition! Oily texture with stuffing. Muted nose. Prefer the younger style! This could use more fruit. It is most likely we should have opened this on its own instead of the party setting. 13%

The photo above and below are the same 30 foot "tree" constructed of shopping carts. I am told this is an annual installation. You can check it out in Venice on Main Street behind Peetes Coffee. Afterward, you can taste wines at El Vino on Abbot Kinney!