Notice the label on the Castello di Amorosa. That “castle” was built by V. Sattui a few years back in the Napa Valley. Many would argue that this medieval recreation is out of place in the California wine country but few would say that it isn’t a pretty incredible building to visit. Just like going to Disney’s Cinderella’s castle isn’t the same as going to Germany’s Neuschwanstein, it’s still fun to go.
2002 Castello di Amorosa Merlot – USA, California, Napa Valley (12/13/2009)
Strawberry, balsamic, and a touch of eucalyptus. Castello di Amorosa is still more interesting to visit for its architecture than it is for its wines, but I did like this Merlot. (86 pts.)

I don’t know whether the label on the Foley Claret depicts a real coat of arms, but it certainly makes you think Old World. Using “Claret” to refer to a Bordeaux blend also screams Europe. According to Wikipedia, Claret was the most common wine exported from Bordeaux until the 18th century. Regardless of the name, I’ve never had a wine made by the very talented, but very New World styled, Bob Foley that could be mistaken as something made on the other side of the pond.
2004 Robert Foley Claret – USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District (12/1/2009)
Back in 2007 I thought this wine was fantastic and scored it 94. This time, I did not like it nearly as well. While still showing the same bright fruit, cassis, and chocolate, there was an element of bitterness that was offputting. The tannins were awkward. Bad bottle? I don’t think so. I think this wine is is a dumb phase right now. Hold for 2-3 years. (87 pts.)

The elegantly named and beautifully packaged Trilogy is the most modern presentation, and yet it is the most true to Old World inspiration. Trilogy refers to the blend of three of the traditional Bordeaux varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. Each varietal brings something special to the wine and Flora Springs does it well.
1999 Flora Springs Trilogy – USA, California, Napa Valley (12/12/2009)
Bright raspberry fruit well balanced with wood smoke, leather, pencil lead. Open the bottle an hour before serving and decant just prior to remove significant sediment. Drink now. (88 pts.)

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• 2006 J. Davies Cabernet Sauvignon – USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain (12/11/2009)
  I’ve been a member of Schramsberg’s club for years. In fact, it is the only wine club I belong to — their quarterly shipments keep me in enough excellent sparkling wine to satisfy my needs and tastes. Every once in a while, they include a bottle of J. Davies still wine in the club shipment. I wasn’t a fan of the 2005 but the 2006 J. Davies Cabernet is excellent. Warm rhubarb pie, cinnamon, espresso, and a bit of Italian herb. Not overpowering, this medium body and finish wine compliments the meal. Not expecting much, I opened this wine tonight as a cellar defender. Too bad I didn’t hold on to it. It is going to get better over the next 2-3 years. At my club discount, this wine is tempting to repurchase at $63. At $75 retail, not so much. (89 pts.)

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• 2007 Adelsheim Pinot Gris Willamette Valley – USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (11/29/2009)
  What a fun little wine! This is like a tropical cocktail: a little sweet, banana, lychee, and coconut. Not cloying, stays light on its feet. $35 from a local wine list indicates that it can be had for a really attractive price retail. Would make a great crowd pleaser to serve passed at a party. (85 pts.)

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Great restaurants in New York City?!? Who knew? Just kidding, of course. Other cities have their stars, but The Big Apple is a whole galaxy of epicurean super novae. That’s one of the main reasons why I visit The City: I love to eat.
“The City” is not to be confused with “The City” that one means when talking about San Francisco. Residents of both believe their hometown is THE ONE that deserves the capitalization. Everywhere else is just a city.
The other night we had the pleasure of dining at Eleven Madison Park. The space is lovely and service was attentive, but not obtrusive. I kept wondering how my water glass and bread plate got refilled without me noticing. It just seemed to keep happening like some sort of Hanukkah miracle.
The amuse bouche was great. I wish I could remember the French name for it but it apparently meant soup. It was a frothy, artichoke cream with pear oil and a few caviar eggs at the bottom. Sounds bizarre I know, but I loved it.
Appetizers:
Di Palo Ricotta – Gnocchi with Violet Artichokes, Taggiasca Olives and Bacon
Hawaiian Prawns – Roulade with Avocado, Lime and Yogurt
Entrees:
Four Story Hill Farm Suckling Pig – Roasted with Sweet Potato, Brussels Sprouts, Pickled Plums and Amaretti
Millbrook Farms Venison – Herb Roasted with Glazed Bosc Pear, Black Trumpet Mushrooms and Bacon
Everything was delicious and beautifully presented, but if it all sounds heavy to you, you’re right. Dining out a fancy NY restaurant like Eleven Madison is not for the faint of heart, stomach, or wallet. Three-Course Prix Fixe, two savory, one sweet is $88. An eleven course chef’s tasting menu is $175. A “Taste of Autumn” seven course menu is $125.
The wine list was impressively broad but also had some impressive price tags. Staying under $100 per bottle was not an easy thing to do, but we did it. Kudos to the sommelier who treated our “cheap” bottles as respectfully and professionally as he would if they cost 4 times as much.

• 2007 Failla (Failla Jordan) Pinot Noir Estate Sonoma Coast – USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (11/23/2009)
  Delicate strawberry fruit is currently dominated by bracing acidity. Elements of cinnamon and clove. This wine needs time but hints of really nice things to come. Blind, I would have guessed Oregon rather than Sonoma. $75 on tEleven Madison’s wine list.(86 pts.)
• 2006 Domaine Jean-Michel Gaunoux Meursault Les Terres Blanches – France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault (11/23/2009)
  Clean and fresh, light on the palate with green apple, stone, and lemon zest. Interesting minerality. $95 on Eleven Madison’s wine list.(88 pts.)
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This kind of dining can be fun, but Sasha’s and my preferences run more towards ethnic foods, particularly asian influenced cuisine. We tried two such places during our short stay in Manhattan. Both were highly recommended to us by locals and Zagat’s guide. I won’t be doing a separate blog entry for Bar Bao or Shun Lee Palace but while both were okay, they were not as good as we’re used to back in the Bay Area. In my opinion, while Manhattan may be #1 overall in dining destinations, other cities including San Francisco and Vancouver have it beat on Asian fare. Feel free to argue and/or post suggestions that may change my mind. I’d love some more great options in NYC.

• 2005 Papapietro Perry Zinfandel Elsbree Vineyard – USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (12/4/2009)
  I opened this to compare to a recent 2005 Papapietro Perry Pauline’s Vineyard Zin which I wasn’t too wild about.This wine was also a bit of a disappointment. Another Cellartracker TN said that they would have guessed this as a Pinot Noir. I was thinking the same thing! It possessed an overbearing stemmy green character that I associate with young Oregon and Burgundy. In Pinot, that’s not a bad thing. It’s a signal to hold, but I can’t say where this Russian River Valley Zin is going. Additional flavors of Christmas fruitcake with sour cherries, pine needles, and a hint of sage. A hot nose that also shows some sulfur. Light in body and a rather thin mouthfeel. Hold? Hurry up and drink? I really couldn’t say but since I have one bottle of the the Pauline’s and one of the Elsbree left and they’re obviously not wonderful now, I’ll wait and see if a few years in the cellar rounds them out. Next time, I will also pair with a tomato sauce. (83 pts.)

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• 2005 Papapietro Perry Zinfandel Pauline’s Vineyard – USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley (11/17/2009)
  Light in color and in body. Typical Zin character with brambly berry flavor and zesty black pepper, without being overbearing despite alcohol above 15%. Still, the wine comes across as uninteresting and while adequate, it doesn’t show cause for pause. I have one more bottle that in my opinion I should drink sooner rather than later. (84 pts.)
  

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• 1970 Château Kirwan – France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux (11/27/2009)
  This bottle was from the collection left to my wife and her sister by their late father, a man with excellent taste in Bordeaux. However, we’ve been running at somewhere around 1/2 the bottles being just shadows of what they must have been in their prime. We try to keep our hopes under control when cracking one. The cork broke as we attempted to remove it but we were able to extract it with an Ah-So opener. We gently decanted just a few minutes prior to serving. The color was amazingly youthful for a wine about to celebrate its 40th birthday with a pale crimson body and just slight bricking on the edge. Initial aromas reminded me of walking in to an old library full of leather bound, dusty books. After about 5 minutes, a lovely, delicate raspberry and mint showed itself with a finish of mushroom, soy, and oiled leather. The charm was short-lived with the glory fading within 30 minutes, but what a wonderful half hour that was. Aged Bordeaux may not make the biggest splash, but it definitely gives pause for thought on the intricacies of the wine and sharing memories of the vintage that was and the one who collected it. It’s like finding a good book in that old, dusty library and being taken to another place for a while. You eventually must put the book down and return to your surroundings, but for a brief time, an 88 point wine becomes a 98 point experience. (88 pts.)

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• 2005 Peay Vineyards Chardonnay Estate – USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (11/18/2009)
  Honey suckle and other floral aromas start off the party. Creme brulee and an extreeeemely long citrus finish. Pineapple, lime, buttered toast with orange marmalade. Even some mango in there. Peay Estate is one of my favorite domestic Chards and in my opinion well worth the $45 mailing list price. (90 pts.)
  
• 2006 Peay Vineyards Roussanne/Marsanne Estate – USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (11/16/2009)
  Quince, melon, and oily petrol. I find this Roussanne/Marsanne, and I guess most white Rhone blends, a bit distinctively stinky. Not awful, I think this is how they are supposed to smell, but also not my particular cup of tea. Not rated due to my lack of sophistication with this blend.
  

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Last weekend we dined for the second time at JoLe Restaurant (Calistoga). Both times it has been great. It’s currently one of our favorite Napa Valley restaurants and certainly ranks as one of the best up Calistoga way.
Highlights included:
Chicken Livers with medjool dates and Point Reyes blue cheese ($9)
Crispy Pork Belly with quince, ginger, soy & apple cider ($13)
Half Roasted Cornish Hen with collard greens and corn bread stuffing ($15)
Duck Confit with herb spaetzle and huckleberry coulis ($15)
Service started off sputtering but rapidly improved. Our table wasn’t ready until about 20 minutes after our reservation and then after we were seated, it took a an uncomfortable, unusual period before being greeted by our server and then for him to return to take our order. I think there may have been some confusion on who we “belonged” to. Anyway, they caught up and we were treated in a professional and friendly manner for the rest of the evening. Especially of note was outstanding wine service for our BYOB bottles: Burgundy glasses provided for the Kistler Chard, Cabernet glasses for the Arrowood, discussing temperature and decanting needs. This is the type of service I don’t mind paying corkage for. Their own wine list is clever and fairly priced. Many, if not all, of the wines are also available by the pitcher or “pichet” which in this case describes a little decanter that holds the equivalent two glasses.
About the wines:

• 2005 Kistler Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard – USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley (11/14/2009)
  A tropical fruit bowl with exquisite balance. Drink now or if you’re like me and love aged Kistlers, hold for years. (92 pts.)
  
• 1997 Arrowood Cabernet Sauvignon Réserve Spéciale – USA, California, Sonoma County (11/14/2009)
  Restrained and elegant with cassis, tobacco leaf, freshly plowed earth, and cedar. Drink now. (90 pts.)
  

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Recently, I had a customer describe one of our wines with one of the most vivid descriptors I’ve ever heard. He said it was like a Northern New Mexico gift shop. My mind and memory went there right away. Leather souvenirs, old cedar floors, piñon tree incense, a wood burning fireplace, berry flavored candles… it perfectly paints a picture of a really good wine.
When reading tasting notes written by professionals and experienced consumers, a new wine drinker may be intimidated by how these guys and gals describe the various aromas and flavors in a wine. Don’t be. While their descriptors may range from flowery and poetic to crass and profane, a tasting note should reflect your own experiences. A big proponent of trusting your own palate and describing wine based on your experiences is current media darling, Wine Library TV creator, and the owner of Wine Library, Gary Vaynerchuk. Gary’s tasting notes can really push the descriptor envelope. One may never hear Robert Parker say a wine reminded him of Big League Chew bubblegum or dirty gym socks forgotten in a locker for a few months, but such descriptions are typical from Gary.
So next time you’re trying to describe a wine, close your eyes as you drink and see where it takes you. I bet you’ll like the journey. I may not know what your Grandma’s gooseberry pie at Christmas tastes or smells like, but you do and it may be the perfect descriptor for a wine you’re enjoying.
If you need a little help to job your memory and get you started, Alder Yarrow of Vinography.com has a convenient aroma/flavor card on his website.