“We have to get over what I call the trophy mentality”
-Dick Grace

Our neighbor, Dick Grace, created what could justifiably be dubbed the first Napa Cult wine back in the in the mid-80’s. His wines at the time were some of the most expensive and still are. Release price is $225. BUT, Dick Grace, is not your average high-society, new money, big party throwing winegrower. His profits, after what he admits supports a very comfortable lifestyle, go toward supporting charities world wide.
Read more: SF Gate (the San Francisco Chronicle) article
When you spend a lot of time and money on a passion like wine collecting, there can be the tendency to get that trophy mentality. We strive for the next big wine prize. It certainly happens to us winegrowers. We strive for recognition from our customers, peers, and the press. Times are tough and we’re all watching what we’re spending. Charitable organizations are having a heck of a time with most facing reduced giving and funding. If it comes down this year between supporting a charity and buying our wines, give to the charity.

I know we’re lucky here in California, particularly in Northern California and wine country, when it comes to being able to bring wine to a restaurant. Many folks in other parts of the country can only dream of being able to legally do this. Although it’s not unusual for a corkage fee to be waived, particularly if one also buys wine from the restaurant’s list, typically the charge ranges from $15 per bottle to $50, usually towards the lower end of that scale. So the other night, we’re at a local Oakland place that I like to support. It’s near our house and the food is excellent. BUT, the wine service was terrible on this night. The waiter popped the corks on some really good bottles, brought the cheapest, smallest stemware, did not have a decanter available for our red wine, and waited too long to bring out an ice bucket for our white. [Sigh.] Corkage was $20 per bottle. I was none too pleased paying $40 basically for the waiter to use a cork screw and for them to stick a few glasses in a dishwasher. I’ve been there before and received excellent wine service on my brought bottles, so I will give them one more chance. Still…

If you’re going to charge me corkage, give me good wine service.

• 1997 Oakford Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon – USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (9/3/2009)
  Brooding and dark with moist earth, tobacco, and some sour blackberry. Unlike a few recent tasters, I think this wine has past its prime. While still showing significant tannins, I don’t think the fruit balance is there for longer aging. Could perhaps have benefited from a vigorous decant which unfortunately wasn’t available with mediocre BYOB wine service at a local restaurant. (86 pts.)
• 1996 Kistler Chardonnay Vine Hill Vineyard – USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (9/3/2009)
  Deep gold color and huge nut and butterscotch nose. Butterscotch and caramel flavors predominate with honey-lemon tea undertones. This wine suffered from rather indifferent wine service at BYOB local restaurant. The requested ice-bucket never arrived. Not rated as I don’t think we were able to see this bottle at its best. Still, I love Kistlers with some age!

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• 2005 Karl Lawrence Aldin Red Table Wine – USA, California, Napa Valley (9/4/2009)
  The red wine from Aldin (Karl Lawrence) represents one of the best values in Napa Valley. A right-on-the-money profile of rich raspberry and currant with enticing flavors from a midsummer garden and cedar backbone. Not tannic, not overbearing, it just delivers an excellent bottle of wine and in a complex vintage like 2005 it can’t be beat at the price. Note that this wine shows its best right out of the bottle and doesn’t need an extended decant… it tends to turn dusty with a lot of air and after open for a while. (87 pts.)

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• 2007 A.P. Vin Pinot Noir Keefer Ranch Vineyard – USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (9/4/2009)
  Opened this one a bit early to get a sneak peek at AP Vin. Keefer Ranch, in my opinion, provides some of the best Pinot Noir fruit out of Sonoma and Andrew’s interpretation does not disappoint. Still a bit primary, the wine exhibits lovely cherry cola fruit with a touch of green herb that I liked. Hint of sweet oak and a ceamy mouthfeel, but not heavy, with just the right balance of acidity to keep it light and promising greater things for the future of this wine. Hold for 2-3 more years. (89 pts.)

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• 2005 Ramey Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard – USA, California, Napa Valley, Carneros (9/1/2009)
  I’m reminded of fresh baked biscuits with home-made (not-too-sweet) lemon marmalade with this wine. Big, rich, mouthcoating, with an extremely long finish, yet even despite its size, the wine is balanced enough to stay nimble. I liked this wine but be forewarned: it is true to its origins as a Napa Chardonnay with oak, butter, and vanilla to spare. (90 pts.)

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• 2005 St. Supéry Vineyards Virtú Meritage – USA, California, Napa Valley (8/30/2009)
  The Semillon really shines through on this wine. Honey-suckle, fresh peaches, nectarine, and a hint of pear flavors nicely compliment vanilla undertones. I would have liked to see a bit more acidity to lift this wine’s structure a bit higher. It’s rich, but a bit heavy. Stlll, an interesting nice white wine when looking for something a bit different than same-old, same-old chards or sauv blancs. Recommended. (84 pts.)
• 2000 Pillar Rock Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District – USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District (8/26/2009)
  Sour cherry, pine needles, slightly medicinal with not much midpalate and short finish. This wine’s best days are behind it — I much preferred this wine 4 years ago when I thought it was a standout from the 2000 vintage. Drink up.

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Actually, at today’s exchange rate, the as-yet-unpublished 640,000 British pounds book comes out to $1,036,811.40 but who wants to quibble over pennies? British publisher Kraken Opus will be producing an 850 page book which features the “100 top wineries in the world” as selected by an unnamed panel of experts. The book will be accompanied by 10 bottles of wine from each winery and only 100 books will be produced.
So, if you’ve got a mil just burning a hole in your pocket, you can pick up 600 bottles of some undoubtedly great wine and undoubtedly a very pretty book. Or you can order 13,888 bottles of Match. Heck, I could probably even be persuaded to do a volume discount on an order that size.

Last night we had a small bbq to mark the last evening before my son started his junior year. The kids had to settle for Ginger Beer, Snapple, and Starbucks frappuccino but I figured we parents should have a little something special to go with our steaks. What better way to observe the occasion than wine from the year these “youngsters” started first grade? (I was so glad the math worked out to the 1999 vintage and not 1998 or 2000.)

• 1999 Vérité La Joie – USA, California, Sonoma County (8/25/2009)
  Raspberry and currant, brown sugar, espresso, eucalyptus and a generous dose of oak though the wine is in balance. Drinking more youthfully than the 99 Ch. St Jean Cinq Cepages we opened alongside. Has the structure to continue developing. Drink now with 2 hour decant but probably better to hold 2-3 more years. (90 pts.)
• 1999 Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon Cinq Cépages – USA, California, Sonoma County (8/25/2009)
  This bottle was better than one I opened about 6 months ago. Earthy with forest floor, cherry pipe tobacco, cedar, mushroom and secondary notes of ripe plum and hint of mint. Drinking quite mature now and although there’s probably not a big rush, I’d advise enjoying over the next few years. Decanted one hour. (88 pts.)

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• 2008 Sigalas Santorini – Greece, Aegean, Santorini (8/24/2009)
  Rather shy floral nose on this pale yellow hued wine. A bit of effervescense. Initial flavors of lychee and banana salt water taffy and finishes with tart green apple. Quite charming though I did not get the mineral and citrus notes that some other CT writers did. Well worth the $21.99 from local wine store. My first, but hopefully not last, experience with the Greek Assyrtiko grape. (86 pts.)

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• 1999 Pride Mountain Vineyards Merlot – USA, California, North Coast, Napa / Sonoma (8/19/2009)
  Big wine with a huge attack of red licorice, boysenberry, cinnamon, mocha, and wood smoke. Time has tamed this wine a bit so you don’t have to just have it for dessert but like breaking a wild stallion, it has lost some of its uniqueness. Still classic Foley. (92 pts.)

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