The Major Cross-Over

By this I mean tonight I moved from old world to new world, from pinot to cabernet, from France to California... Talk about a change!

Through the generosity of one dear friend, HY, I've been granted the rare privilege on several occasions to taste very interesting, and possibly now-rare, aged Californian cabernets. Tonight is one such exercise. HY had a couple of us over for hearty meaty foods and equally hearty generous cabs to go along.

Aperitif came in a pair of champagnes. (Oh yes, the aperitifs are typically already a treat on its own!)

Dom Perignon 1996 - I've always admired Dom 1996 but tonight's bottle could be slightly off. A trace of cork was detected but none too intrusive. Yet there was some impact on the palate which didn't quite possess the intense raciness of the better examples. Nonetheless I still enjoyed this bubbly. Flinty, toasty aromas gave way to lemon-zest infused flavours that were bright and brisk in the mouth. Despite the off-ness, this still finished with an admirable citric bite and was quite bone dry.

Louis Roederer Cristal 1999 - My first Cristal and this was quite fine. Yeasty and flinty on the nose. Pears and lemons in the mouth with distinctly bread-like elements. Compared to the Dom, this was broader and creamier. Sweet, generous and flamboyant, this was let down by a lack of cleansing grip and tartness I have come to expect from the best of Champagnes. Delicious and theoretically this could have been a Meursault-Charmes with fizz perhaps...?

Dinner started with a Domaine Leflaive Bourgogne (blanc) 2001. For the record, Leflaive makes a darn good Bourgogne blanc. Serve it blind and it's not likely that majority would vote it as a bourgogne. This wine had flinty apricots and peachy aromas. Warm and cosy on the nose, this led to a generous, rather mouthfilling chardonnay flavours. Although I may so ever grumble about the lack of cut (very evidently a vintage characteristic), there was no doubting this was a superb and delicious bourgogne. Keep a lookout for this wine vintage in and vintage out.

Stonestreet Chardonnay Sonoma County 2001 - Here comes the Cali! Yes, Cal-chard nose of butter popcorn and oak-spices, this certainly promised to be a rather fat wine. Standard Cal-chard flavours which were well orchestrated and despite the oaky generosity of the wine, there was no trace of warmth at all in the finish.

Peter Michael Chardonnay Belle cote 2004 - A completely different breed of Cal-chard. Crystalline pineapple nose with a mouth that was at once creamy (textured) yet candied. According to JC who brought it, this arrived in town not too long ago. In fact tonight this had some fizziness in the wine which need a bit of aeration to blow off. This was a classy Cali chardonnay. Dense and sweet, a bit monolithic and simple at this point (though I think this would ease off with more bottle rest), this turned up with a late suggestion of passionfruits. I like it.

And the cabernet flight now begins.

La Jota Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 1987 - Sweaty saddle leather on the nose. Hints of lavender and cassis. Sweet and quite elegant but lacked that punch and lift that a truly structured cab would show off. Some herbaceousness turned up later and the wine had a somewhat rustic texture. This would no longer improve. Sign of tiredness is sipping in already with the wine coming off as overtly plump at this stage.

Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley 1990 - Smoky, medicinal nose dominated by plummy fruits. Sweet, very ripe, in fact, liqueur-like. But interestingly there wasn't much of a trace of alcohol. This was so ripe the tannins to me was rather raspy and quite biting. A funky wine that was surely overextracted. Finished off with a bitter note. Rather unbalanced though perfectly alive.

Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 1992 - My first thought was: "Wow! This is serious!" Yes, I have always admired this estate (the 1994 and 1987 I had were nothing short of stupendous). Tonight's 1992 had all the works of a great californian cabernet - smoke, meats, whiff of spicy oak in the nose; smells very primary still with vibrant dark raspberries and currants. Very sweet in the midpalate (which was precisely why I liked the 1994 over its competitors in the recent 1994 Napa shootout). Very lively with a distinct earthiness. The structure, concentration and balance guarantee this baby a long beautiful life ahead.

Ridge Monte Bello 1994 - One great wine after another. Another respected estate of mine (at least the older vintages). This was sweet, lush and full in the nose with the classiest American oak infused vanillin nuance. I've never come across wine treated with American oak this refined with sweet plums and cassis in the mouth. Dense and lively. And most importantly, wonderfully balanced.

Corison Cabernet Sauvignon Kronos Vineyard Napa Valley 1997 - Monstrous still, after over 5 hours of decanting. Cassis, plums and redcurrants on the nose. Very sweet and monolithic to say the least at this point. Plush and quite silky although reticent in the mouth with fruits which certainly came from a very ripe year. Finished with broad, dusty tannins. Academically interesting.

Heitz Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 1997 - Fruit cake, very ripe nose which suggested malolactic-in-barrel treatment. This could have had more individuality had it not applied these modernist garagistes techniques. Predictably lots of coffee and dark currants. This certainly came from very ripe fruits in very warm year (which it was) with pronounced oakiness, warmth and very dusty tannins. The fruits were sadly rather oxidized too.

Everyone was still having fun and so the host decided to open two quite rare and old bottles. (Not as though we needed it, as we were already quite stuffed! Nonetheless...)

Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 1992 - Very beguiling aromatics combining violets, blackberries, currants and soy. The nose was a kaleidoscopic explosion! The mouth, however, was quite simple in comparison. In fact, quite simple, period. It was rather flat and closed and finished a little short. Also lacking midpalate density. But the nose was an experience by itself.

Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Insignia 1991 - Pure currant essence on the nose. At once dense and muscular but with some nobility. Actually this was rather impressive. Dark raspberries fruits with complicating peppery nuances. Quite impressive and certainly very well built.

A very late visit by Mr. Tan brought along the next bottle with him.

Radio Coteau Pinot Noir 'Terra Neuma' Sonoma 2004 - Spicy blueberry scented nose with suggestions of pepper. Rather soft and very ripe. Lots of gras in the mouth but lacked cut. In fact quite warm and lacking acidity. Rather disappointing for what I've revered as the definitive pinot noir estate in California (judging from its single vintage, 2002, that is...)