An educated lollypop...

Yesterday was my wife's birthday. I pulled a few bottles to drink and invited another couple to join us for dinner. I grilled a nice thick piece of locally raised buffalo tenderloin, roasted some vegetables, made a salad and a ricotta walnut cake. We started with a 2004 Chappellet Mountain Cuvee (Cab-Merlot blend from Napa, about $25) which opened up nicely; lots of tannins at first, but bursting with subtle fruits and flavor, nicely balanced and very mellow after just a bit of time in the glass. We moved on to a 1997 Beringer Private Reserve Bancroft Ranch Howell Mountain Merlot (also Napa, $40) a lovely transition, another smooth subtle luscious wine. I had declared early on "we have a bottomless glass of wine policy at this restaurant" and my wife noted during the salad course (after the main course in the European style) that we were almost dry and we should open another bottle. "Sure" I said. My thinking was (possibly faulty I now realize but I was slightly inebriated and besides, what do I know anyway?) that we should ratchet up the flavor volume, so I opened a 2006 Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel (about $15) a wine I've had before and liked a lot. "Wow" my wife said. "This wine is like an educated lollypop." Perfectly put.

The Cline Ancient Vines have always been a good value for the past few vintages. Their regular Zinfandel is so-so.

"This wine is like an educated lollypop." Perfectly put.

I love that description. With your permission, I would like to use that phrase sometime.

"This wine is like an educated lollypop." Perfectly put.

I love that description. With your permission, I would like to use that phrase sometime. [/quote]

Feel free. I plan to use it regularly and it, of courses, applies to many new-world style wines. I loved all the wines we drank, but think it a mistake to have introduced the Cline at that juncture in the evening. It kind of trashed all the subtlety of the previous 2. Classical and rock just don't mix that well. Something like that anyway.

BH

Thanks for notes on the Chappelet. I'm going to a "non-European Cabernet" get-together tonight, maybe I should bring one (hey, it's over half CS)

Thanks for notes on the Chappelet. I'm going to a "non-European Cabernet" get-together tonight, maybe I should bring one (hey, it's over half CS)

Another one I had recently was Merryvale Starmont Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (Napa). I had just finished a photo shoot and was sitting by the fire eating good cheese with my assistant and my clients, and they served us a glass. I thought it quite lovely. When I asked what we were drinking my assistant (who may or may not know anything about wine) chimed in "it's very good!" We finished the bottle between us (the clients were drinking white) and I made a point of noting down the name. Very nicely smooth, balanced, good kind of a mineral taste to it, dark rich fruit but not too much. This is just from memory and I haven't gotten into the two bottles I bought later to confirm my first impressions. Perhaps it was just the atmosphere. $27 here in KY.