On the Rebound

Most people, in any situation, realize that a let down should be followed by an experience that you know will be a sure thing. For example, you try a new recipe for dinner and it turns out horrifically horrible. The next night you'll return to one of your old standbys, a sure fire tasty treat. Wine is no different of course. So last night I needed to erase the Cask 23 from my mind. That meant pulling out some wines that I knew would not be another let down.

After my first attempt at Striped Bass, which came out quite well, we decided to open up some wine from the cellar. Instead of gambling a wine thats been resting for three or four years, I pulled out a more recent addition, the 2003 Alpha Omega Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. I discussed my visit to Alpha Omega way back when, and had three bottle of their wine shipped back home in November. I pulled out the '03 Cab seeing as the other wines were both '04s. Thankfully, there was no let down this time. The Alpha Omega Cab, I believe I paid $50-$60 for it, out performed the Cask 23 by leaps and bounds. We risked drinking it without food, but taking that chance paid off. It's a light Cab, with a velvety smoothness that simply caresses your mouth. AO describes their '04 Cab as "power with a feminine touch." The '03 may be lacking in the power department, but not in flavor and finesse. I'm looking forward to having the '04 as well as their proprietary blend in the future. If you see any Alpha Omega, snatch it up, you won't be disappointed.

Next up was the 2005 Cristom Pinot Noir Sommers Reserve from Willamette Valley. My love for Oregon Pinot is only surpassed by my love for my wife. This bottle was picked up over at Thames River a month or so ago. As soon as this wine wafted past my nose, I was in for it. Such a shining example of Oregon's finest grape. The aroma of fruit and earth blending together is breath taking. The winemaker narrows it down to black cherries, currants, orange zest, leather, and vanilla. Either way its intoxicating. The palate is balanced and lush, with more red fruit flavors than the nose. The finish was slight and soothing, like the smell of the inside of an oak barrel. We didn't make it to Cristom on our last trip to Oregon, but we definitely will next time we go.

In the end, it was a pleasant recovery from the near traumatizing Cask 23 incident. Till next time..."How could I forget about you? You're the only person I know."--???

Let Down

When tasting wine, you're bound to have some severe let downs. You build yourself help for what should be a terrific experience, only to have the wine, the winery, the restaurant, or even your friends let you down. Last Monday at Thames River joins my ranks of big let downs.

I met up with a bunch of friends to taste the $180 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cask 23 Cabernet from 2000. By all means it should've been wonderful. Granted 2000 was not a killer year for Napa Cabs, it's still SLWC, and it's still the famed Cask 23. Amy and I arrived first and grabbed our sampling because they would only be dishing out one bottle, and we didn't want to be left high and dry if our friends arrived too late. We stood their sniffing our glasses in great anticipation. The nose was fabulous! Everything you could ever ask for in a powerhouse Cab. Cedar and Currant and Blackberries. Just glorious scents. Once Amanda and Kevin arrived and secured their glasses, we tasted. Blah! Just so flat and lifeless. No sense of structure or flavor. It was like being at the fair when you were six and having the bully pop your balloon. It tried to redeem itself with a relentless finish that wouldn't go away. It was that flavor of a winery's barrel room just seeping into your mouth. But the complete absences of a palate made this wine a dud in our books. Maybe I'd pay $30 for it on clearance, but surely not $180.

Another recent let down was my 2002 Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou that I lugged out to Martha's Vineyard. I was hoping this $80 investment would've aged into a First-Growth imitation. Instead, I was left with another $20-$30 tasting bottle that left me drinking it straight from the decanter till I felt I had my money's worth (see Facebook for photos). So, fill me in, what's been one of your memorable wine related let downs?

Till next time..."Broadway! I haven't been so happy since we crushed Poland!"--???