I always stay an extra day after FallTacular. The reason is that it is just as fundamentally important for me to be able to visit separately with Marshall and Diana. It is a friendship I treasure and I thank them both again for making time for me. As a special bonus this year, our friend and WBer Edson Gonzalez was down from Central Valley so I got some unexpected visiting time with him as well. We talked a ton of Giants, Cubbies, Bears and Raiders and spiced it up with some political—and of course, movies.
Notes will be pretty free-form, I didn’t scribble this time. Marshall was generous to open a 2007 Aubert UV Pinot Noir. I used to call this “pinot port”, but with 10 years on it, it has reined itself in and bridled the wild child a little. It is still very much on the rich and very red fruit side, but it is quite enjoyable.
Ed brought a 2014 Chateau L’Evangile to try. This one wasn’t at the UGC tasting, so I was keen to check it out. It does have the hallmarks of the vintage—structure, the combination of surface-forward fruit but also some reserve about it. I would put this in the top 3rd of what I’ve tried.
Because of the timing, I was able to change some plans around so I drove up to Altadena to visit separately with Paul Hiyake. I was warmly welcomed by Paul, his wife (and new euchre player) Sandy, their kids Kenneth and Kristen. Also there was Paul’s good friend Rob Bastuba from Detroit and his son Brandon from Chicago, both of whom I’d had the chance to spend time with before—this is Rob’s 2nd FallTacular and Brandon’s first. Rob Berry and his wife Feri and David Thompson rounded out our merry band.
Paul opened the vault for us and we had great fun trying all sorts of things. He also had brought back some leftovers from FT, so I was able to try the 2014 Foursight Clone 5 Charles Vineyard Pinot Noir, which was somewhat light fruit-wise, but compensated with a freshness and floral side that added interest. Also tried was the 2014 Copain Kiser En Haute, which still had some verve and raspberry to it and I suspect was better yesterday, and the 2012 Big Basin Rattlesnake Ridge Syrah which, a day later, showed level with a mix of red and black plum and blackberry mixed in.
A 1964 Cantina Terre de Barolo Barolo (a coop) was somewhat in decline but still offered some strawberry and rosey in the nose, later turning to wood varnish and nutty. All the tannins are gone from this but still has a sense of erstwhile nobility.
The 2005 Schrader To Kalon Cab is about as intense as I can take, but I did manage it. And very interesting—it is one where I found I got much more out of it if I took a “primer sip” first and then took a second taste shortly after. Definitely cries for Wagyu steak.
1998 Arcadian Bien Nacido Pinot Noir was exemplary. I wonder how many current wines will be able to go out 20 years and be directly on their sweet spot for drinking. The balance and polish this displayed, while still having lots of life and lovely red berry and spices mix was a real experience and a contender to make my WOTY list.
I brought a 2001 Zind-Humbrecht Heimbourg de Turckheim Gewurtz. It was stunning. The overtness of the lychee is gone now and is just part of a panoply of yellow and white fruit around a beautifully fresh start and finish. This has a perfect level of sweetness to balance out the freshness and has to be in the WOTY discussion too, somewhere close to a 94. It only emphasized my keen wine regret in not buying more 01 Alsatian when I had the chance.
2012 Cirq Treehouse Pinot Noir was my first taste of this Michael Browne project. Initially quite big, it does settle down with time in the glass and delivers lots of red and black strawberry fruit and some sweeter pomegranate at the back. Both Paul and I pick up a definite creaminess and crème fraiche, for me, element as it gains air, something we both liked, I think. This was enjoyable too.
Finished with a 2011 La Tour Blanche which I wanted to contribute for the team to try. It is excellent, if young—truly the fairy princess that it usually is. Paul is not the Sauternes fan, but he had no problem pouring himself some more of this.
This was a terrific way to end a fantastic few days on this first leg of my trip. Stay tuned for the Hawaii adventures coming up.
A hui hou koke ia 'oe (see you soon)
Mike
… but then again, i’ve been off all weekend with a head cold.
Hop Saint is a teriffic brew pub and the food keeps getting better and better. Truthfully, a notch or two above the norm for a brew pub. The beers were good as well although a bit like slumming after your wild weekend! ![[pillow-fight.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/3/365d4ae6de5fe0cd9e7345760c12ceae1ed5e206.gif "[pillow-fight.gif]")
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