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October 2006
Thoughts on the Sale of Pichon-Lalande
Posted: 07:55 AM ET, October 31, 2006
I don’t like to bother people on their holiday, but I had to know what was going on with Château Pichon-Longueville-Lalande, following the various reports on a deal involving the property and the owners of Louis Roederer. The Champagne house had issued a press release on the subject, but the only way it could have been more unclear was if it had been written in hieroglyphics!
Anyway, I got in touch with Gildas d’Ollone, who runs the second-growth Pauillac estate with his aunt, May-Eliane de Lencquesaing, while he was on holiday on the island of Madagascar. Read more
A Road Warrior’s View of the Tuscan Harvest in 2006
Posted: 02:50 PM ET, October 30, 2006
I spoke to Stefano Chioccioli over the weekend at home in Tuscany on the telephone. Stefano said he was exhausted from this year’s harvest in Italy. It was one of the longest in memory, lasting almost two months. The weather was almost perfect the entire harvest, especially during the end. Read more
Screw Cap Brunellos and Barolos?
Posted: 05:53 AM ET, October 27, 2006
The British wine market loves screw caps. This is mostly due to the dominance of supermarket chains such as Tesco and Sainsbury, which sell masses of wine with screw caps. Most of their wine is around $5 or $6 a bottle and is consumed immediately. So they have fewer problems with screw caps. Read more
Rethinking and Freethinking California Blends
Posted: 05:47 AM ET, October 26, 2006
I was thinking again today about the Grand Tasting during the California Wine Experience last week, and how some of the most interesting wines I tasted were Rhone blends, in particular the 2005 M5 from the Margerum Wine Company and the 2004 Esprit de Beaucastel from Tablas Creek Vineyard. Read more
Proud Father, Excellent 1996 Barbarescos
Posted: 02:52 PM ET, October 25, 2006
I was tasting a couple dozen 1996 Barbarescos for a coming story on the 10-year anniversary of the vintage for the magazine, and I decided to bring a half-full bottle of the 1996 Gaja Barbaresco to lunch at the restaurant below my house at Il Borro. Read more
Montrachet Magic
Posted: 01:45 PM ET, October 24, 2006
I am not sure if it was realized or not, but one of the most extraordinary tastings during this year’s California Wine Experience was the small lineup of Montrachets presented by Beaune négociant Robert Drouhin of Maison Joseph Drouhin. Read more
Thoughts on the California Cab Tasting
Posted: 02:11 PM ET, October 23, 2006
I am writing this while I wait for a connection from Madrid to Pisa. I am jetlagged already. But I was thinking about this past weekend's California Wine Experience, and I think one of the most interesting tastings was the Napa Valley Cabernet Tasting, moderated by James Laube, our lead taster in California. Read more
I Don’t Cry for Argentina
Posted: 01:01 AM ET, October 19, 2006
I had dinner the other night in Los Angeles with some friends at a restaurant called Carlitos Gardel that specializes in Argentinean cuisine. I was impressed with the selection of Argentinean wines. I have noticed a number of restaurants, particularly in L. Read more
Bordeaux for my Father
Posted: 12:42 PM ET, October 18, 2006
I had dinner at my father’s the other night in San Diego. He is a keen Bordeaux lover but doesn’t buy much of the stuff because he is semi-retired and thinks it’s too expensive. He still remembers drinking Lafite and Mouton for $10 or $15 a bottle back in the 1970s, so he doesn’t like to drop hundreds of dollars on a bottle of fine wine. Read more
The Power of Pichon-Lalande
Posted: 04:25 PM ET, October 16, 2006
I went to a vertical tasting of Château Pichon-Longueville-Lalande in London a few weeks ago. London wine merchants Farr Vintners organized the event and Gildas d’Ollone, general manager of the estate, was there. And I was just thinking that I never posted anything. Read more
Bordeaux’s Catch-22 in American Restaurants
Posted: 11:00 AM ET, October 13, 2006
Why isn’t there much Bordeaux on wine lists in America?
Bordeaux wine merchant Pierre Antoine Casteja asked the question when we were having dinner with another Bordeaux négociant, Pierre Lawton, and New York wine merchant Jeff Zacharia and their wives. Read more
Dueling Wine Lists
Posted: 04:48 PM ET, October 12, 2006
The sommelier at one of New York’s newest steak houses, Porter House New York, knew right away something was up when James Laube and I arrived at the table with an editor of Cigar Aficionado, David Savona, and we asked for two wine lists.
“So it’s dueling wine lists tonight, huh?” she said, with an amused smile. Read more
On and Off the Wagon in New York
Posted: 02:05 PM ET, October 11, 2006
I am in Manhattan and just got back from lunch with the senior editors of the magazine. We went to a place across the street called Blue Smoke. It’s a barbecue joint and always provides good-quality eats. I thought I wouldn’t have any wine for lunch because we had a heavy night with the editors last night, which included 2004 El Molino Chardonnay, 2000 Masseto in magnum, 2001 Aldo Conterno Barolo Colonello and 1996 Mouton-Rothschild. Read more
Surprised in Mexico
Posted: 09:01 AM ET, October 09, 2006
I went to a friend’s house for dinner over the weekend in Mexico City and he invited some people over for cheese and wine. It’s funny--I haven’t done that in ages and it was great fun. I guess in Italy and other parts of Europe few people think about having just cheese for dinner, although I do enjoy mozzarella with fresh tomatoes and basil from my garden in the summer for a light supper. Read more
Wine Lists With Wine Scores
Posted: 11:58 AM ET, October 06, 2006
I went to dinner in Mexico City last night at Becco, a popular Italian restaurant with a very good wine list. Loads of interesting wines are available, from Roberto Voerzio’s single-vineyard Barolos to Valpolicellas and Amarones from Dal Forno. Read more
A Bon Vivant for a Generation
Posted: 05:37 PM ET, October 05, 2006
I was sad to read yesterday about the death of R.W. Apple Jr. of the New York Times. Not only was Johnny, 71, one of America’s great journalists, he was a great wine and food lover and a friend. I hadn’t seen Johnny in years, but I always kept up with his whereabouts through English wine merchant Bill Baker. Read more
Nueva Rioja en La Habana
Posted: 09:41 AM ET, October 04, 2006
I had dinner the night before I left Cuba in a big outdoor restaurant called El Aljibe in Havana. The food is simple roasted chicken, fried pork, black beans and rice. It all comes out on the table family style and everyone digs in. Most people drink cocktails or ice cold Cuban beer,but I always go for wine. Read more
Mouton y Chocolate
Posted: 11:51 AM ET, October 01, 2006
A couple of friends threw a birthday party for me in the coolest restaurant in Havana, La Guarida. For those who saw the Cuban movie Fresa y Chocolate, this is the restaurant where it was filmed. It is probably the best restaurant in Cuba, and it is also privately owned. Read more
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