Essex County Wine Society

Essex County Wine Society

February 14, 2011

Dear Fellow Wine Society Members and Friends,

Happy Valentine's Day! This month's tasting of the great chenin blanc wines of the Loire Valley left us wanting more. Dick Appert worked for months, even travelling to the Loire Valley, to find and select a wonderful array of dry chenin blanc wines for us to enjoy. The first flight of six wines consisted of wines from Chinon, Coteaux du Loir, Jasnieres(2), and Vouvray(2). The consensus view was they were all wonderful to drink with great acidity and a multitude a concentrated fruit aromas and flavors. In this flight the 2008 Domaine de Belliviere, Calligramme, Jasnieres (Eric Nicolas) was the favorite followed closely by the 2009 Domaine de Aubuissieres, Cuvee de Silex, Vouvray (Bernard Fouquet). The second flight of five wines were all from Savennieres and were more varied, complex and not quite as easy on the palette as the first flight.  For this flight the 2006 Domaine du Closel, La Jalousie, Savennieres (Mme de Jessey) and the 2007 Coulee de Serrant, Savennieres (Nicolas Joly) received equal votes as the flight favorite. Interestingly they represent the least expensive and most expensive wines of the second flight with a five-fold difference in cost. The clear choice as Wine of the Evening was the first flight favorite, the  2008 Domaine de Belliviere, Calligramme, Jasnieres (Eric Nicolas). A quick check on wine-searcher.com after the tasting showed 6 bottles left in the USA. Not anymore!

The ECWS has had a banner tasting season so far. The March 3rd tasting is the one I have been waiting for as the topic is a personal favorite. Longtime member Ron Schwartzman will once again present the Washington State cabernet sauvignons. It has been almost 14 years since Ron's previous tasting. It was a seminal event for me. I immediately visited Washington and started adding several Washington wines to my cellar every year. I am always proud to serve a nicely aged Quilceda Creek, Leonetti or DeLille Chaleur Estate cab. How many wines can match the Quilceda Creek record of four 100 point (Wine Advocate) vintages since 2002? Washington wines have earned a great reputation and many new talented winemakers have appeared over the last few years. Ron has picked from the best wines of the top rated 2007 vintage so we are in for a treat. You do not want to miss this tasting! I have asked Ron to make a few comments about the tasting:

"Why should you be interested in coming to a Washington State cabernet sauvignon tasting?  Well, for starters, what wine do you think President Obama served to the Chinese head of state at the recent state dinner at the White House?  A California Cab?  Think again.  It was a Washington State cabernet sauvignon, of course.  No California wine was good enough.  It was none other than the Quilceda Creek 2005.  As usual, we at the Essex County Wine Society were ahead of the ball and we think that our tasting of Washington State cabernets will surpass what the White House selected to offer to these visiting dignitaries.  The White House  only served the 2005. The 2007 has received even more enthusiastic reviews (as Robert Parker has said:  “There is no producer in the world that fashions Cabernet Sauvignons as consistently extraordinary as Quilceda Creek”).  Nothing is too good for our group.  (Some of you who have been members of the Society for longer may remember the 1994 Quilceda Creek which I presented at a Wine Society tasting almost 14 years ago at our first Washington State cabernet tasting).  We are long past due for a follow up. 

        For the March 3rd tasting, we will center on the 2007 vintage from Washington State for which Decanter Magazine declared:  “The weather could not have been better….ideal conditions…”   One of the premier Washington State winemakers (from Cadence winery) noted with equal enthusiasm about the 2007 vintage:  “In short, perfect ripening conditions.”  Not convinced to come to try these wines yet?  We will divide the nine wines (plus a Washington State aperitif) among four different major regions in the wine country to see if we can taste a difference between wine regions (or if the difference is more weighted toward the winemaker).  Some of the wines will be from the exact same area so we will be able to see how much the winemaker’s choices affected the final product.  The tasting will range from an expensive and hard to find Leonetti to the best reserve wines from the Columbia Valley to our old favorite Quilceda Creek (which is becoming harder and harder to purchase if you are not on their mailing list and the prices now start at $130 a bottle).  For the pièce de résistance, we will also taste a 1994 version of one of the wines against the 2007 vintage so we can all envision how the wines should taste as they age (and can discuss if we think they are age-worthy at all).  These are two top rated vintages so the comparison should be a fair one.  And putting all of that aside, these are wonderful wines that do not receive the attention they deserve and they can be enjoyed now or put aside depending on your taste.  The 1994 Washington State cabernet tasting was a sellout so don’t delay to send in your reservations. "  

The cost for the tasting will be $85 for members and $102 for guests. Please return your reservations to our Treasurer, Peter Ballance without delay.

Please return your reservation form and payment by Friday, February 25th, 2011.

Date: Thursday, March 3, 2011

Place: Montclair Women's Club, 82 Union St., Montclair, NJ 07042

Time: 7:30pm Aperitif, 8:00 Tasting

I hope to see you all on March 3rd.

Dennis Roland                                                                        "In vino veritas"  Pliny the Elder

ESSEX COUNTY WINE SOCIETY

2007 Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon

Presented by Ron Schwartzman

at

Montclair Women’s Club

82 Union Street

Montclair, New Jersey 07042

Thursday, March 3, 2011

7:30 p.m. aperitif

8:00 p.m. tasting

Cost:   $   85.00 members      

            $  102.00 guests

Please reply no later than Friday, February 25, 2011 to:

Mr. Peter Ballance

Essex County Wine Society                     

92 Edgemont Road

Montclair, NJ 07043-1306

973-746-6741    pballance@maximgrp.com

Please find enclosed $______for members and $______for guests

Members                                                    Guests

___________                                              ____________

___________                                              ____________

Please note that there will be no refunds for cancellations within 24 hours of the event.    

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