Brad Ballinger

Much on passito style wines (in Italy and other countries) in this article.

There were nine of us. We use dump buckets. We send wine back to the kitchen (except for the stickies, since the bottles were 375s or 500s and they were damn good). The Falanghina is Cantine Farro's top one of the lineup, and I think was about $20. In the $15 range, you can have their Campi Flegrei. I also like Taburno. This was my first experience with Mulderbosch.

Tim Thomas brought this (I believe you've met him). It is a Louis/Dressner wine, and he may have ordered it from Chambers or another source. As far as my drinking well, you have to visit and find out.

Terry registered on eGullet a while ago, but has been hesitant to post. He sent a letter to Don Rocks, forum host of DelMarVa, regarding dining in France. Don posted it on the France forum. You can access the thread here. He makes a few comments about wine, but it is primarily about dining in France. I thought the folks here might be interested.

Nice passion, Don. I've not had the particular wine, but I have had some premier cru wines from Fevre in earlier vintages. With Les Clos being a grand cru, that may kick the wine up a notch. These wines do show a stunning minerality that was not always the case with Fevre. Surprisingly this producer has reversed a trend happening all too frequently elsewhere in the world. Fevre the elder used large amounts of oak. Fevre the younger, who has taken over the operation, doesn't use any.

Not all, but a good deal of these are "celebrity" wineries. And I don't mean established celebrities, I mean wannabe bigshots. Someone is successful in some area of business and decides to fulfill a dream (either lifelong or recent) and make wine. But they are businesspeople first and winemakers second. So they look at the pro forma and figure they have to charge large amounts of money to make it "work."

Scanavino is actually the "name" of this Moscato d'Asti wine. The producer is Perlino Optima. Italians labels can be confounding in this regard.

A wine-drinking friend was in town from Indianapolis on business. I rounded up some locals and we went to our standard BYO restaurant to drink some nice wines. 2001 F. Peillot Altesse Roussette dei Bugey, Montagnieu (Cuvee Buster). 100% Altesse, a grape grown locally in the Bugey region south of Lyon near Jura and Savoie. The wine had a mineraly, citusy aroma. In the mouth it packed a puckering wallop of lemons, chalk, and rocks. My kind of white wine and my favorite white of the night -- which is saying a lot, because we had some good whites. 2003 Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc, Stellenbosch. This South African sauvignon blanc threw a bunch of green notes to me on the nose -- herbs, grass, bell pepper. On the palate, though, it did not show as green. Instead, this high acid juice showcased more citrus and grapefruit pith than herbs and peppers. It was a bit intense, in a one-dimesional sort of way, but quite pleasant with food. 2002 Cantine Farro "Le Cigliate" Falanghina. After the two acid bombs, this normally fairly acidic wine showed me something different than it has in the past. The floral components were really singing on the nose and on the tongue. It was all about minerals and perfume. A very beguiling wine. 2001 Le Vieux Donjon Blanc, Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Quite closed at the moment, and not revealing much other than alcohol. With warmth, there are some floral components, and it smooths out a bit, but it's just too early to drink right now. Onto the reds 1995 Felsina "Rancia" Chianti Classico Riserva. My favorite red wine of the night (although the 96 Jamet made it a tight race). This wine is still maturing and can be left alone for a few more years. Graphite, spice, and cherries are tightly woven. Nice dose of acidity brings the wine to life in the mouth where some orange elements add complexity. Very smooth and long finish. 1992 Rockland Petit Sirah, Napa Valley. This wine has seen better days. Dilly nose, fading fruit, a bit alcoholic. Not totally dead, but has a foot in the grave. 1996 Jamet Cote Rotie. Very ready to drink now. Nice blend of citrus, berries, olives, and spices. Nice cassoulet wine. This goes down soooo easy. 1994 M. Chapoutier "La Mordoree" Cote Rotie. There's an off-putting celery-leek thing going on in the nose. Comparatively austere next to the Jamet. Shows some perfumed citrus accents, but appears to be fading. 1997 Ojai Syrah, Cuvee Henry Daniel, Thompson and Bien Nacido Vineyards, Santa Barbara County. A hednistic combination of roasted marshmallows, juicy blueberries, and boysenberry pie waft from the glass. Once in the mouth, however, I can tell immeidately this wine is going to burn my throat on the finish. It does. 1996 Henschke Keyneton Estate Shiraz-Cabernet-Merlot, Barossa. I'm not sure what ratio of what grape, but I think this is certainly over 50% shiraz. Eucalyptus and band-aids on the nose. Also a bit of alcohol. More balanced in the mouth than the nose might lead one to believe. Fairly tight yet, although the tannins are relaxing their grip. Bites on the finish just a bit. 1994 Haut Bailly, Pessac-Leognan. A bit of a sweat sock aroma. Some coffee and chocolate. Austere, but not weak or diluted. I'm guessing it paired well with the lamb shank for those who ordered that. 1990 Lagrange, St. Julien. Incredibly youthful yet. This wine, too, is closed up tight and would've been a showstopper if it had been decanted beforehand. At this time, there are only trace elements of herbs, cassis, some tobacco, and coffee. The wine shows very nice balance right now. And, of course, dessert. 1988 Rabaud-Promis, Sauternes. This wine can be left alone for at least ten more years. Nice tropical notes on the nose of pineapple and coconut. Some lively citrus bounces around on the papate. The honeyed elements are just starting to take on a creme brulee character. 1999 E. Texier Noble Rot Botrytis, Macon-Bussieres. Yes, noble rot and botrytis are redundant, but that's what's on the label. This wine is 100% late harvet chardonnay. It's a bit date-like on the nose, but nowhere near that heavy in the mouth. Great level of acidity, multi-dimensional revealing more with every sip and every degree elevation in temperature. The wine is likely peaking and may not have the length of life of a sauternes, but it is very nice to drink right now. 2000 G. Dorigo Picolit, Friuli Venezia Giulia. This is a passito wine made from 100% picolit. At this time, it doesn't come close to approaching the 1998 I had last February, but it may with time. Right now, it's showing more alcohol than I want it to. There are some floral and honeyed elements here, but it hasn't really come together yet. I hope it does.

Maybe it will help the French wine industry overall. I just hope they maintain quality.

What was wrong with the wine? If it was flawed in some way -- particularly afflicted with TCA, brettanomyces, or disulfides -- you aren't going to like the vinegar either. IF it was just oxidized, you are probably okay.

A. Rafanelli was the first wine that popped into my head as well. But I know we can't find it in Minnesota, so I didn't even bother. I remember also having one of their Cabernet Sauvignon wines and writing in my note that it's a Zin-lover's Cab.

Jean, I would say it's an understatement that the wine will age nicely. JJ Prum wines usually need quite a bit of time to fully evolve. Lots of sulfur and diesel until they do. Good sale price.

You can read more in this article. I think if you still look hard enough in Minnesota, you can find Quivira. But I, too, remember being able to find it more readily available. You can most definitely find Nalle, one of my personal favorites from the Dry Creek Valley, and also a favorite because it is still produced in a balanced style and hasn't flirted with the "over the top" style that ruin many other zinfandels of late.

Announcing Wine Forum Cohost Mary Baker (Rebel Rose, formerly known as DoverCanyon) With Craig Camp's departure, there is a need to fill some pretty large shoes. I haven't seen Mary's feet, but I've certainly read and benefited from her contributions to the Wine Forum as an eGullet member. Mary's knowledge as an industry insider will continue to be extremely valuable to the eGullet members who check this forum first as well as those to stumble in. Mary Baker is the administrative partner of Dover Canyon Winery, a small artisanal producer in Paso Robles, California. She has taught college-sponsored courses in wine appreciation, and frequently speaks on wine appreciation and food-and-wine pairing. Thirteen years in wine hospitality and winery business management include stints as the first tasting room manager for Wild Horse Winery, and later the business manager for Justin Winery. As one of the original moderators on AOL's Food and Drink Network, Mary hosted monthly online winemaker chats. From 2002 to 2004 she served as a director on the board of the local vintners' association, representing the Paso Robles appellation, entertaining international visitors, and speaking at local wine festivals and seminars. She was also chairman of the 2004 Paso Robles Zinfandel Festival, an annual wine festival featuring a grand tasting, live and silent auctions, press events, artist receptions, and open house events at over 80 wineries. In her spare time she writes and plants vegetables and flowers, many of which promptly die. She is the author of "Fresh From Dover Canyon: Easy Elegant Recipes from Dover Canyon Winery." Mary lives in a lovely 1921 farmhouse at Dover Canyon Winery with winemaker "Dover Dan" Panico, their two-year-old springer spaniel, Rebel Rose, and assorted cats and wildlife. Please join me in welcoming Mary as Wine Forum Cohost.

I'd skip viognier altogether. Go with a rose and a grenache-based blend. Just my two cents.

2001 H. Mathern Niederhauser Felsensteyer Riesling Kabinett, Nahe. A.P. No. 7-750-043-15-02. Perhaps an odd accompaniment to watching the first presidential debate, but I was eating spicy Vietnamese takeout, and it went well with that. The nose shows powerful minerality -- more on the stony side than the sulfur side. The flavor profile is all Granny Smith apples, limes, and slate wonderfully balanced, and tempered with vibrant acidity and not much residual sugar. The finish is uplifting and showcases more mineral than fruit. This is such an easy wine to drink. It's showing very well right now, but it can be left alone for a while yet.

These are the best type of gatherings, and ones that likely occur in parts of the world other than the U.S. I envy you.

I can see your point. But I think I can clarify a bit. Historically, Champagne was released when ready for consumption. I still believe this to be the case with almost every NV label. Usually NV wines should be drunk within two years of disgorement -- that's a generalization, of course. So a short cellaring is fine, but some would debate whether the wine actually improves or not. Regarding small producers and cubic cellar feet, their vintage wines probably need some additional cellar time. And for larger houses, some are release vintage wines that could still benefit from cellaring because that's what the marketing machine is forcing them to do. I think the contradiction is really just a shift from historical practice.

Definitely regarding merlot. Zinfandel has become this way, although it didn't used to be. You can still find some zinfandel wines with complexity. As far as California Cabernet is concerned, I think I've commented on this forum about a wine dinner I had with fellow wine enthusiasts in Davenport, Iowa. We each brought a California Cabernet. The four wines were 1988 Heitz Cellars Martha's Vineyard, 1990 Flora Springs Reserve, 1991 Shafer Hillside Select, and 1995 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages. We all lamented that California -- on average -- doesn't make wines like these anymore. Two general interpretations of that: 1) Not many California Cabernet wines age gracefully anymore, and 2) the style is different along the lines of Jim's lament of too much extraction, too much tannin, too much alcohol, and too much oak. Too much of everything. And wines that have too much of everything are not good partners with food -- and for Jim it's almost all about pairing with the food.

Really? Ever? I'm not quite there with you, yet. I'll certainly finish what's in the cellar, and I'm guessing you have some in your cellar as well. But I'm probably done buying the stuff.

It's almost a month since I last pulled a cork. This hasn't been a conscious hiatus by any means, it's just sort of happened. What's the longest dry spell you've ever had with respect to wine -- not accounting for religious fasting such as lent?

Optimal would be a cave. If your cool, dark basement remains fairly consistently cool and dark, then that should be just fine. Champagne is one of the more finicky wines to store. It is more susceptible to light and heat damage than most still wines. A regular refigerator will also adversely affect Champagne through the repeated vibration it creates. The good news is that most Champagne really doesn't need to be cellared for long periods of time. Most NV bottlings are ready to drink upon release. The same used to hold true for vintage Champagne because it wasn't released until the house thought it ready. That has changed, however. Smaller producers don't have the cubic cave feet to hold onto all the wine they'd like to, and they need to clear out to make room for the next vintage or NV batch. Even the larger houses with plenty of room, though, are releasing earlier because of vintage hyping. The only exception to this now are prestige cuvees, which mostly are disgorged late and released when ready.

I have Rick Bayless's book in front of me. There is a Q and A section and one of the questions is "What's the best cut of steak for Carne Asada?" He talks around the question, but eventually settles on two choices -- bone-in ribeye if he has money to throw around, chuck steak if money's a bit tight. The chuck steak would be a thinner cut than the ribeye.

You are literally one week late with this post. Somewhat joking. Up until last week, Craig Camp was a co-host of this forum and the Italy forum. He's since left to focus more on his own venture centered around Italian wines. My suggestion is that you visit his web site, VinoCibo, and get in touch with him there. I'm not certain how much he'll be checking in here. Craig is originally from the Chicago area and now lives outside of Milano.

Ragarding purchasing Champagne from the 2004 vintage for your duaghter, you may wish to read this article. Of course, prognostications like this are written nearly every vintage. But, as I understand it, you want something to drink personally and to drink now. For Rose Champagne, you've been offered some great suggestions with Egly-Ouriet, Billecart-Salmon (the NV and the Elisabeth), Besserat de Belelfon, and Jacquesson (which also makes a NV and a prestige, labeled Signature). To this list I would add Laurent-Perrier's NV and Vilmart's Cuvee Rubis. If you are accustomed to California bubbly, howver, you may be in for a sticker shock when you see the prices of some of these bottles. But celebrations can always be an excuse to splurge. Regarding rose from other regions, the one I've enjoyed most has been from Iron Horse in California.