WTN: Ken Wright, G L O R I A Glo-or-ria, Copain again, a Tasmanian marvel

[Jenise]

On Saturday morning I discovered a prime rib roast in the freezer that had been there since around Christmas last year, so I baked it up for dinner and invited a couple friends over to share our meal.

With a warm salad of thyme-crusted pan-fried chevre slice on frisee with a tarragon dressing, we had:

2000 Dalrymple Chardonnay, Tasmania
The 99 of this wine was so grand I special ordered a case of the 2000. This wine is made in the style of Chablis, and indeed it does taste and age like one. And where the 99 was definitely a Grand Cru, this might be a Premier Cru, though it's on the young side yet. Flinty minerality, wet leaves and rocks, and citrus fruit which is a little clunky yet. Perhaps the 00 was a riper vintage and it will stay that way--not sure, but the wine did seem to firm up with time in the glass. A fun wine to serve wine friends who had never had a Tasmanian wine before, let alone a wine so unusual.

With rare prime rib on wild rice with a Muscadet au jus:

99 Chateau Gloria, St. Julien, Bordeaux
More black fruit than red, and the herbs we found a bit too pronounced the last time we opened a bottle have calmed down into a pleasant mintyness, but though the better food match the wine just wasn't as compelling as either of the pinots so we drank the latter and left half a bottle of this to retaste yesterday where we found it had developed oxidative soy sauce and prune flavors. Drink up!

1997 Ken Wright Pinot Noir, Carter Vineyard
Brought by my guests. A very Burgundian style Oregon pinot with medium body, plums, thyme, rose petals and tangy spice. Just got better and better with time in the glass, and it's the only bottle we finished. I'd be in no hurry to drink remaining bottles if I owned them.

2000 Copain Hein Vineyard Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley, California
My guests are pinot freaks, so I couldn't resist showing them this wine which was very similar to the bottle I opened a week or so ago, though it had a lower volume sweet impression and seemed more structured than the last. I sent the unfinished remainder home with our friends, who reported that the remainder drunk last night was unchanged sinced the night before. That wine has a good future.

Oh Jeniiiise - I know a mutual friend and Chablis-oholic for whom this wine would be great fun to pull blind.

Try and remember when the time comes when he is again in this part of the world.

I KNOW how you do love to fool people (that sardonic cackle of yours that you emit every time you fool me is quite haunting....)

[Jenise]

I have thought of that, Bill, and in fact have been waiting for this wine to improve to the point where that will be possible. If only I had more of the 99, you'd have already seen it. I think another six months or so might do it for the 00.

Of course, this means I'll have to bring a real Chablis first so that when you triumphantly announce my wine to be a Tasmanian copy of true Chablis, you can hear that sardonic cackle again.

Of course, this means I'll have to bring a real Chablis first so that when you triumphantly announce my wine to be a Tasmanian copy of true Chablis, you can hear that sardonic cackle again.

"The bells, the bells"

Oh, that was Quasimodo.

OK, "The cackle, the cackle...."

But I know you - you'll try to outsmart me, thinking that I'll believe the first wine of that sort you pull will be a real Chablis, and will fool me by making it the Tassie version.

Or will you think that I know that, so you will pull the Chablis instead......aaiieeee - my head hurts.....

[Jenise]

You know me too well. But now that I have introduced doubt, my work is done.

[satisfied sigh]