Keswick Part II: The Tasting Notes

Oasis Vineyards 1988 "O" Reserve Rosé:
Salmon pink with a hint of orange. Incredibly fresh with a bit of toast. Hint of cardboard on the nose but I suspect this has something to do with the glassware and not the wine. Good acidity. Nice mousse with good carbon integration. Soft and elegant. Not incredibly complex, although I never would have pegged it for Virginia sparkling wine. Outstanding for what it is and very good for its class. A fine compliment to the paté on the table. Bravo!

Tokaji-Aszu 6 Puttonyos:
Initially very attractive nose, though it took a bit of effort to get beyond the aesthetic appearance of the wine (murky pond water). Hint of maderization with some apricot and leather. Smoke and ash, then caramel coming through. A very pronounced sense of ash on the palate...a lot like a cold fireplace the morning after a fire. Incredible acidity holding everything together. A great match to the torchon of foie gras. I can't help but feel that if they had put a longer cork in the bottle, this would still be drinking. At over one hundred years old though (which Rich asserts is the case), it is mind blowing that it still lives at all.

1957 Cos d'Estournel:
(the photo above captures me pouring the first (dead) bottle into a planter on the patio of Keswick Hall)
Deep color - bright ruby with just a hint of brick at the rim. Unbelievable for a fifty year old wine supposedly long past its best. Very bright red cherry fruit on the nose with a touch of cedar. A very pronounced acidity on the palate lending it a surprising freshness. Medium weight, rather simplistic on the entry and mid-palate, but there is a sense of persistence on the finish. Lean, but making the best of it in a difficult year. Evolved through the first course but began to decline by the entree and had faded by the end of the evening.


1961 Chateau Margaux:
A very young looking, nearly opaque color. Sweet cherries in liqueur with a savory note on the nose. A bit vegetal, like fresh mustard greens. Very perfumed with notes of spice (cinnamon). Sweet, plummy fruit on the attack with a silky texture. Hints of walnut coming through on the mid-palate; plump and smooth (like liquid silk), with ripe tannins still making themselves known. A sweet, long lasting finish. It really lacks the acidity to be a great food wine, though it is a delicious drink. I wanted my first Margaux to be good, and it is (I hope not because of the power of suggestion). A great bottle. But I think it best to sell the other magnum and use the profits to buy a lot of really good bottles (I imagine Andrew will say 3Ls of Muscadet)


1961 Savigny Les Beaune from Pédauque:
Unreal color for a Pinot this old (Syrah added?). Initial nose of potting soil, but it cleaned itself up rather quickly with aromas of cranberry and mushrooms pushing up through the dirt. Intensely sweet attack (sweeter than the Margaux) and quite compact and dense going into the mid-palate and through to the finish. Finely balanced. Kirsch emerging and a hint of allspice. Then orange marmalade. Strawberies on the finish. A little tannin still coating the palate, and firm acidity cleaning everything up. Quite shocking. Delicious. Deserved better than the cheese on our plates.


Baumard 1997 Clos St Catherine:
This might have been the wine of the night had it not been slightly tainted by TCA (not a verdict unanimously shared around the table). Incredible botrytised nose with loads of apricot and ripe apples. Sumptuous texture and focused acidity. What confounded luck! Probably one of the best QPRs for a wine in this category.

Réné Renou 1997 Bonnezeaux "Tri de Vendange":
Quite nearly the opposite in character from the Baumard. Wisps of Botrytis on the nose with a more assertive character of bread dough in new tupperware. Lacks the richness and the balance of the Baumard, but this is almost certainly an unfair comparison. Appears younger and leaner than above, but might fill out in time. After some time in the glass notes of Poire Williams emerged as well as characteristic apricot laced in vanilla aromas. Much too young, though I don't envision greatness for this wine. Time will tell.

Toby's Birthday Dinner at Keswick

I can't imagine what people must think of our fin de siècle indulgences despite it being the very beginning of the century? I spent the week trying to recover from the mammoth hangover I acquired as a result of my birthday dinner in order to be ready for Toby's the following Sunday.

The line-up of wines could not have been more exciting and I was eagerly anticipating the dinner for a number of reasons, but mainly because it would bring me one wine closer to achieving my First Growth goal. Well, that and of course, to celebrate Toby's 32 years of raucous living.

We spent the week coordinating the details with Richard, the Sommelier at Keswick. I took the wines over a couple of days early to let them rest in the hotel cellar. The site of me delicately wheeling magnums of old Bordeaux across the lobby and dining room on a luggage trolley was quite hilarious I assure you, though maybe I made more of a spectacle of myself than needed.

We arrived at the restaurant around 715pm and while I conditioned the bottles to be opened and arranged specifics with the wine waiter, Rich poured the apéritif: a bottle of 1988 Oasis "O" Reserve Rosé. This Virginia sparkling wine spent 15 years on its lees before dégorgement. The resulting wine was incredibly fresh, elegant and delicious, not to mention a huge surprise. I've had a few bottles of well aged Virginia wine that proved quite palatable, but this really transcended its pedigree. I don't mean to say that Virginia wines aren't improving dramatically in quality, but for something from 1988-when the VA wine industry was still in its infancy-to taste so delicious surprised me.

We toasted the birthday boy and got down to the business of eating our amuse: Port poached pear with goat cheese and microgreens.

After this I decanted one of the two bottles of Tokaji from an unascertained producer and vintage. This information remains unknown as all that remains of the label is the seal (depicting a crown with a cloak suspended from it with two shields in the middle) and the cursive letters "...kaji-A..." The bottle had been blown by hand as evidenced by its many irregularities. The cork was tiny and did not have a vintage printed on it. The wine itself appeared a murky mess, similar to puddle water, with a slightly more appetizing aroma. The wine contained a significant amount of sediment. Somehow Toby knew that it was 6 Puttonyos. We drank this wine along with a foie gras course (two ways: 1)torchon on apple compote and, 2)seared lobe on apple tatin tartelets. I had a scallop dish. The wine was remarkable as a curiousity, but it also tasted pretty good. Rich speculated that the bottle dated back to the Austro-Hungarian empire based on the seal and the hand-made glass.

We moved to reds next with a magnum of 1957 Cos d'Estournel. The first bottle seemed completely maderized and so we opened the second bottle. This wine really surprised me considering the vintage (Broadbent gives it a whopping one star out of five) and the age (fifty years old). It had retained a lot of vigor. I guess the underripe grapes had given the wines a solid dose of age defying acidity. This wine went somewhat clumsily with the haute version of chicken and dumplings: chicken with potato gnocchi and wild mushrooms with truffle emulsion sauce. The dish proved quite pleasant although I didn't quite understand why the chef decided to serve it in a demi-tasse.

The main event followed with the 1961 Chateau Margaux from Magnum. I opened the more decrepit looking of the two bottles and found that despite appearances the wine was solidly intact. Definitely a show stealer compared to the other wines, which were leaner with more elevated acidities. The Margaux had the flesh and fruit to charm, though maybe not quite the requisite acidity for the trio of lamb that arrived shortly after we poured the wine. The trio consisted of Rack of lamb, braised shoulder, and sweet breads. The Margaux worked quite well with the braised shoulder but I had my doubts as to the harmony with the other two. The major problem stemmed from the chef's over liberal use of salt (and we all know that salt and cab are not a pleasant combination). I had to send back my mushroom canneloni because it was inedible due to an overdose of salt. Despite the shortcomings of the food, the wine definitely showed very well. (Andrew had saved some Cos and liked that wine with lamb much better). Overall, I concluded that the Margaux deserved less assertive flavors, or no food at all. Simply to sit, consider, and enjoy this wine would have been enough.

With the cheese course we enjoyed a very inspiring bottle of 1961 Savigny-les-Beaune from a négociant in Aloxe Corton called Pédauque (from Magnum). Atypically full of color for a nearly half century old bottle of Burgundy, it still possessed a central core of red fruits that belied its age. In retrospect, it may have been more appropriate to serve the Cos with the cheese and the Burgundy with the Chicken dish. It just didn't occur to me that a 46 year old Cotes de Beaune from a négoce would be drinking so well.

And then came dessert: a bottle of 1997 Baumard Clos St Catherine (to my dismay, slightly corked, though it showed rather well despite this flaw) and the 1997 Réné Renou Bonnezeaux "Tri de Vendange" which proved underwhelming with its lack of botrytis.

Overall it was an epic wine event and (hopefully) a memorable birthday celebration for Toby. Many thanks to all those who helped make it happen: Toby, Cathy, Ted, Andrew, Amy, and Rich. Cheers!

See Part II for the Tasting Notes.

Birthday Dinner Part II: The Tasting Notes

Henriot 1996 Brut:
Very toasty, bready nose with notes of nuttiness and a hint of oxidation. A bit piquante with a sharp feel on the palate. More evolved than the two bottles tasted two days prior leading me to believe that this was an unrepresentative example. High octane acidity though, with lemon on the palate.

I also had this bottle in Champagne at the Michelin One Star restaurant Foch in Reims. Based on those notes and the two bottles the previous Friday I would definitely conclude that this was an off bottle, though it was enjoyable, just not compared to the better examples.

Jacquesson 1996 Brut:
Pure, clean and fresh. Very youthful with a yeasty aspect, a hint of sour milk, and toasted nuts on the nose. Laser like acidity with apples and toasted almonds on the lingering finish. Quite a lot of evolution and persistence on the palate. Very nice and à point. More elegant than the rosé, with a little more purity, though most likely overshadowed by its opulence.

Jacquesson 1995 Grand Cru Rosé Extra Brut:
Initial aromatics quite impressive. Again, very youthful with hints of strawberry. Far more masculine than the 1996, and very Pinot dominated, mineral driven nose. Firm acidity with a pronounced slate component. Opened up deliciously with expressive red fruits and a hint of oak. Quite complimentary to the food and holding its own unlike the 1996, which proved much too refined for fried shrimp with soy sauce reduction.

Chateau Simone 1996 Palette Blanc:
The color less golden than the Pinot Gris below, despite being six years its senior. Initially quite austere with anise/licorice, almost ouzo and fresh herbs on the nose. Intriguing and compelling from the get-go. Fat and round on the palate, although not overly so, with a nice viscosity. Licorice found there too. Really nearly white burgundy in character without any of the signs of oxidation I would expect from this vintage (maybe that is a bit harsh?). Really incredible stuff - so fresh.

Zind Humbrecht 2002 Pinot Gris "Clos Windsbuhl:"
Rather impatiently trying to make its presence felt before I even brought the glass to my nose. Assertive-though I could nearly write aggressive without feeling it an exaggeration-nose with notes of citrus (grapefruit) and spice. Almost a gewurz like spicyness to it with lychee as well. A lot like the smell of forcing cloves into the skin of an orange at Christmas. Sweet and big on the palate. Also viscous and high in alcohol, though holding it all together relatively well, like an overstuffed suitcase barely clasped, precarious, but doing its job. A little vegetal but not in a bad way. Grapey with some botrytis present. Very nice, and with the Simone a superlative flight.

1997 Cheval Blanc:
Youthful, slightly vegetal nose with notes of vanilla, yogurt, and milk chocolate. Very closed down and dumb. Plummy fruit on the palate, with some unripe banana peel, menthol, and smoke. Curious. Only really has it begun to shed its cloak of baby fat. Frustratingly reticent. Pretty mouthfeel, with good weight. Slightly out of balance with a touch of alcohol poking through. A very elegant and maddening wine. I'd give it another ten years. I can't help but feel like we committed what amounts to borderline infanticide. A delightful experience and a good wine, but has yet to really hit its stride.


1985 Pichon Lalande:
Great color. Hardly any signs of bricking at the rim. Green pepper nose with menthol. At first, this vegetable patch nose was off-putting, but I grew to appreciate it in the end. Great extraction. A Lot of body. I couldn't believe it was an '85. It has more of the weight of an '82 or '86 (though without the grip of the '86 vintage). Surprisingly masculine yet stately at the same time. Very pretty wine, balanced, alive. Drink up though as I don't foresee it getting much better than this.

1984 Cos d'Estournel:
Certainly a little past its best, but actually really incredible considering the vintage conditions. Seems like Cos never fails to surprise me in the bad years and disappoints in the better ones. Alcohol on the nose with a very present lactic character. Less vegetal than the Pichon, though arriving at that state of maderization which implies death. Great color though. Pretty nice on the palate, with good acidity. A bit woody. Past its sell by date, but worth the $30 I paid for it.

1978 Talbot:
Pure mushroom on the nose. Definitely a sense of the geriatric about it. Faded brick, nearly brown color. Green pepper (well, at least it is a consistent trend)and cedar on the nose. Incredible acidity though, most likely the only thing keeping it going. Not maderized, just really, really advanced. Very surprising. And interesting. Probably should have been drunk no later than 1992.

2000 Haut Brion(!):
Ha! Not giving up anything. Totally the trogolodite and unwilling to come out of its cave. Probably just set in for winter hibernation that I cant see lasting less than eight more years (though probably more). Wisps of smoke, cedar, and flint. Incredible texture. Impeccable balance. Impossible to assess. Drink after 2020, unless you like to be bored and disappointed by your first growths.

Leacock's 1966 Bual:
Dark brown color. Sherried-like nose with spice, pralines, and coffee beans. An array of flavors: caramel, spice, and figs. Great acidity. Salty and sweet simultaneously on the palate. Very good, though I can't help but feel that we could have spent one third of the price we paid for it on a bottle of ten year and been just as happy. Probably a little overpriced.

A Birthday Extravaganza at the Clifton

On the occasion of my 23rd birthday we convened at the Clifton Inn Relais and Chateaux just east of town. The guests included (the usual suspects): Paul, Toby, Andrew (the Clifton's interim Sommelier), Stacy (who arrived late as usual), and of course, myself. We sat at the chef's table and enjoyed Dean Maupin's custom created menu (in collaboration with Andrew).

I originally dictated a black tie dress code, though I relaxed this to "look nice." I wore vintage cutaway tails and a bow tie...

Andrew, Toby and I arrived early to set things up, in other words, gawk at the bottles of wine we brought and lasciviously grope them as we waited for the remaining two dinner guests. Paul arrived shortly thereafter. We enjoyed the use of a private deck leading from the kitchen where we were to dine. It was a beautiful fall evening, one of the first cool nights of the season, and we had the pleasure of watching a spectacular sunset.

Eventually we seated ourselves and opened the first bottle of the night, Henriot 1996 Brut. We sipped this bubbly while waiting for Stacy to arrive. The Chef sent out plates of duck prosciutto with duck cracklings scattered on top to tide us over until the main even started. As the minutes ticked away with still no sign of Stacy (who called and used the end of Daylight Savings Time as her excuse, though we were still one week away from this clock changing event). The chef then sent out tempura fried shrimp with a soy sauce glaze that arrived near the end of the Henriot and as we began to pour the first flight of wines, 1996 Jacquesson Brut and 1995 Jacquesson Grand Cru Rosé Extra Brut. These Champagnes showed extraordinarily well, though were overshadowed a bit by the anticipation and nervous excitement of the wines to come. The 1996 displayed everything I love in a good Champagne: elegance, refinement, purity, and complexity. The rosé certainly wooed everyone with its power and ability to pair with nearly every dish that arrived during its tenure in the glass.

Our Amuse arrived after the shrimp: a fried cornichon with smoked salmon sandwiched between some sort of root vegetable chip. The salty/fried aspect of this plate coupled with both of these acid driven Champagnes paired nicely, although the 1996 Brut, in its subtlety, seemed slightly overwhelmed.

A bottle of 1996 Chateau Simone Palette Blanc and a 2002 Zind Humbrecht Pinot Gris "Clos Windsbuhl" (both from Andrew's cellar) made up the next flight. I considered this to be the best flight of the night, not necessarily because they were the best bottles, but because of the singular personality of each. The Simone, with its texture and freshness despite its age, simply stunned me. I do not know if Robert Chadderdon still imports this wine, but it represents yet one more confirmation of his good taste. The Zind-Humbrecht, petulant, assertive, trying to dominate (and did) with its incredible aromatics paired deliciously with Quail warpped in prosciutto stuffed with fontina and sage, as did the Simone, but in a very different way. The Simone complemented the nuances of the dish, playing off of the sage and highlighting it. The Pinot Gris's texture and sweetness were a nice foil to the meat itself and the saltiness of the prosciutto.

The next flight also consisted of two wines: 1997 Cheval Blanc and 1985 Pichon Lalande Comtesse, neither of which I thought were stellar, though both were very good. I suppose I had high expectations. We should have decanted the Cheval much sooner (we opted for about a half hour before the main course). This wine has definitely lost its baby fat but is still in an awkward stage of development. Despite many a critic's assertion that this vintage in Bordeaux is forgettable, I have had many very good wines at quite reasonable prices from 1997. The Cheval Blanc is a great example that even in a purportedly poor vintage there can exist some ageworthy wines. At age ten this wine shows no sign of fading away and if anything has yet to reach its best. I'd give it another three to five years to hit its stride. The Pichon disappointed more than pleased, though many at the table thought it showed very well. Coming from a 1985 Leoville Barton on my previous birthday (and a 1975 Pichon about four months ago), the Comtesse surpised me with its very pronounced green bell pepper component that reminde me more of 2004 Burgundy rather than 1985 Bordeaux. The Chef sent out lamb with mushroom risotto (I just ate the risotto, which was terrific) as our main course.

With the cheese plate we opened a bottle of 1984 Cos D'Estournel (a birth year bottle) that showed very well considering the vintage and unknown provenance. Initially quite pleasant though after about three minutes in the glass it developed a rather maderized aromatic profile. Knowing this wine might be far past its best, I also brought a bottle of 1978 Talbot. This wine was all mushrooms. Both were quite drinkable and appropriate with the cheese.

For dessert we drank a bottle of 1966 Leacock's Bual Madeira. While interesting and tasty, I felt that, had I paid full price for it, I would have been disappointed. As it was a gift from Andrew though, I thought it lovely. To be honest, however, I had to reread my notes the following morning in order to remember how it tasted.


We did have a regal guest arrive sometime during the entrée (actually Ted made his appearance right around then also, if I remember correctly...he seems to show up at the most opportune moments) namely, a bottle of 2000 Haut Brion. A party of four in the main dining room ordered this First Growth Bordeaux from the wine list and, as the story goes, were presented the bottle (which they accepted), had it decanted and served. About ten minutes later the gentleman who had ordered the wine asked to see the bottle, proceeded to tell the server it was the wrong bottle (he wanted the 2001 Lafite, not the 2000 Haut Brion), demanded the Lafite and sent back the Haut Brion. Much to our delight, the dejected manager shared the bottle with us. This wine, at $780 on the wine list, probably represents the lowest quality to price ratio on the entire wine list. Dense, compact, and not giving up anything, one would need a considerable amount of patience for this wine to come around. At least twenty years. Drink 2025 through 2060. I kid you not.

Part Two soon with Tasting Notes...