Essex County Wine Society

                                     THE WINE PRESS

                      ESSEX COUNTY WINE SOCIETY

January 17, 2008        

Dear Friends and Fellow Wine Lovers:

The first tasting of 2008 of the Essex County Wine society was on January 3, led by member Ken Brady, of 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon selected from four separate American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) of Napa.  In this tasting we were asked to see if the wines from each AVA (Howell Mountain, Calistoga (AVA pending), Oakville/Rutherford and Stags Leap) were different enough to establish taste parameters for each site.  Did the wines reflect terroir, a French wine-speak concept which is literally defined as “earth, dirt”, but in extension- does the wine show a “somewhereness . . .a revelation of place”? (Matt Kramer,  New California Wine), or more simply, does the wine taste differently because of where it is grown.

The wines we tasted were, except for one, from small producers whose output is less

than 1000 cases a year and were recommended and sourced from a Napa Valley wine

merchant.  All were from the very good 2004 vintage. Comments on the wines and areas

follow.  The two wines from Howell Mountain, Ladera and Serdonis, Ink Grade

Vineyard, were straightforward, with some structure and evident vanilla on the nose. The

Calistoga wines, Shelter and Jericho Canyon had a spicy bouquet with Shelter showing

especially good balance.  Shelter is said to derive its grapes from famous, but

secret to the public sources, but it was thought that that the wine did not reflect a

special origin.  The Oakville/Rutherford wines did not seem to have the classic

“Rutherford dust” as described by wine writers in the past.  The Mondavi Oakville was

soft and well made and probably had the best price/value ratio of the tasting.  Tamber

Bey  was interesting and apparently was a great success at a Napa Valley Tasting in

Napa. The two Stags Leap wines, Husic and Baldacci were well regarded by the society.

Because of what was called elegance, the Baldacci was voted the favorite of the evening.

The Husic was a distant second in the voting.  All the wines showed classic great California fruit and all had rather common but high alcohol levels of 14-15+% but most tasters did not complain about alcoholic “hotness” in the wines.

Could we distinguish specific parameters of taste for each AVA?  One observer felt that the “mountain” wines had more minerality and structure while the “valley” wines were more spicy.  The group, however, did not think it could tell the wines from one area from another and the differences noted between the wines could reflect the winemaker not the site of the vineyard.  It could be that with more wines and more vintages we could possibly be better in becoming “terroirists” for Napa Valley.

Our next tasting will be of red wines from the 1985 vintage in Bordeaux sourced from members’ cellars.  Michael Broadbent, the renowned British wine writer, says that 1985 is his favorite vintage of the 1980s and the preferred vintage for present consumption. Robert M. Parker Jr., dubbed the “Emperor of Wine”, reflecting his and perhaps the American palate, feels that although some 1985 wines are peaking, many are past their prime.  In speaking to a few local Bordeaux aficionados, one said he had either drunk or sold all of his 1985s, while at least two others told us that they had yet to begin to drink their 1985s.

The vintage 1985 in Bordeaux had a very large crop (a record at that time) and “produced numerous well-balanced, rich, very perfumed yet tender wines”. (Parker, Bordeaux 4^th ed. Simon and Schuster 2003).  Broadbent is “convinced that this is one of the most perfect vintages, both for drinking now and for keeping”. (Broadbent,Vintage Wines, Harcourt 2002).  In an early opinion of the vintage, Bruno Prats, then proprietor of Cos d’Estournel in St. Estephe, describes the vintage: “1985 A rather wet spring was followed by an exceptionally dry summer and autumn.  The harvest was plentiful, with a classic Merlot-to-Cabernet proportion.  The wines are very rich and concentrated in fruit and tannin.  This will be one of the great and long-lived vintages”. (from a speech  at the Cloister Wine Classic January 25-27, 1986).

The wines we have chosen (and limited by cellar availability) were generally purchased in 1987 as futures prior to release based on reviews in the wine literature.  While we would have liked to include grand cru 1^st growths, their costs would have been prohibitive with present auction prices for a bottle of these wines in the mid three figure range. As it turns out all of the wines in this tasting are from the Medoc (Pauillac, St.-Julian and Margaux).

The wines: (not in the order of presentation)

Pauillac

1985 Lynch Bages 5^th growth in the 1855 classification

In 1988 Wine Spectator’s Wine of the Year.  “deep, black cherry intensity . . . dry, concentrated” 5 stars (Broadbent) “deliciously charming, seductive . . . fleshy . . full maturity”[in 2001] (Parker)

1985 Haut-Bages Liberal 5^th growth

If Lynch Bages is the poor man’s Lafite, Haut-Bages is the poorer man’s Lynch Bages. “rich, full bodied . . . powerful, long, ripe, fleshy” (Parker) “a lovely wine, perfectly balanced” (Broadbent)

1985 Clerc Milon 5^th growth “beguiling” (Broadbent) “rich, medium-bodied, soft and round” (Parker)

St.-Julian

1985 Ducru-Beaucaillou 2^nd growth “extraordinary charm and elegance . . . floral . . soft. . . seductive” (Parker) “not up to standard. . . dry lacking in length” (Broadbent)

1985 Gruaud Larose 2^nd growth “tapenade, earth, sweet berry and black currents . . . complex and fully mature” (Parker) “rich, good fruit, expansive, fleshy “four stars almost five (Broadbent)

1985 Saint-Pierre 4^th growth  “underestimated . . . licorice . . spiciness . . . open knit, moderately endowed flavors” (Parker)

Margaux and Southern Medoc

1985 D’Issan 3^rd growth “soft yet delicate character and provocative perfume” in past vintages [but] “1985 lightweight, uninteresting” (Parker) Harmonious, lovely . . . loose knit” four stars (Broadbent)

1985 La Lagune (Haut Medoc) 3^rd growth “sweet nose of plums cherries and licorice . . . toasty . . . medium bodied . . . supple” (Parker)  “distinctive, attractive” (Broadbent)

1985 Rausan-Segla 2^nd growth “medium bodied, very elegant, stylish” (Parker) “glorious fragrance, crisp touch of rawness” (Broadbent)

The following tasting will be on March 6, 2008 of 2005 red Burgundy.

Membership list enclosed for members.

The cost of the tasting will be $ 72 for members and $86 for guests.

In vino veritas and a votre sante

Bob and Howard

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