TNs--Mike on Tour--Mike Meets Mike, Nov 10, AV Pinots

At last, the great Pobega meets the silly Canadian. It was a great ending to the NYC part of the Tour to share a meal and wines and conversation with this fine group. My deep thanks to Josh Kurek for setting everything up with the restaurant—enjoy your commemorative T-Shirt!

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Mike Pobega – glad to meet the legend at last
Josh Boyd
Rebecca Schenk
Josh Kurek
Eric Michels
Alex Nicholas
Erez Lencnar
Tom Rippe
Jay Hack
Yon Hedonistic Historian

The food and service at L’Apicio were top-notch—my pork meatball polenta and sweet potato gnocchi in particular being superb.

The wines:

Vilmart Grand Cellier Champagne

Familiar (to me) baked apple pie crust note from their wine. Hints of thrown straw this time. My, this is much sweeter than I remember from a different wine of theirs 2 months ago, but lilting. OK…

2012 SQN In the Abstract

Jay just received his shipment last week, so a true Pobega-ing took place. This is a blend of Chard, Roussanne, Viognier…and 15% Petit Manseng. Hints of honey mustard in the bouquet. Maple sugar slides through a fresh pear and papaya profile. Later, sweeter tropical fruit, but still fresh and balanced. Josh K remarked that he got a lot of distracting lighter fluid notes here. I liked this.

2010 Copain Les Voisins Pinot Noir

Lots & lots of strawberry and raspberry fruit. Undertone of coffee, but just a little. Lots of freshness, but blocked, buttressed and framed by some cocoa earthiness. Bit of tomato at the back. Still needs to grow up. Good acidity.

2004 Copain Hacienda Pinot Noir

Small dab of farmyard in the schnozz. Earth, coffee grounds a bit, leaves…and something I myself can identify as an AV Pinot. Palate is fully mature—in other word, a great 04 example. Mocha, bing cherry, strawberry and a marvelous cinnamon bun aftertaste. #2 for me tonight.

2009 Littorai Roman Vineyard Pinot Noir

Cherry and strawberry mix to start with dar chocolate and baking spices–some cardamom and cinnamon. Ah me. What I do love about AV Pinot. It has richness and beautiful black forest cake but with structure and a fresh-and-oak small counterpoint. Delicious. I’m always uncomfortable choosing my own wine, but WOTN.

2009 Williams-Selyem Ferrington Vineyard

Big nose—pie crust, blackberry, cherry even blueberry. maybe a touch of VA. Also hs some smoothness, but also a slight cola note to the cinnamon cherry. Good but not in Littorai’s playground, and actually gets jumpier as the night goes on.

2008 Rhys Bearswallow vineyard Pinot Noir

Smoky oak flits in and out of this dark slightly sour red fruit presentation. Texture is fine but the flavour dissipates, mists away with no presence.

2007 Anthill Farms Abbey Harris Vineyard Pinot Noir

In-te-rest-ing—getting some floral, coffee, chickoree to go with plum and blackberry. Strong presence, but needs time to smooth out. Very promising, though, with mix of cocoa, blackberry, black strawberry and spices. And this analysis is verified when it stays in the glass for 45 minutes or so and indeed is already better. On potential, #3.

1998 St. Innocent Seven Springs Pinot Noir

I’m going to let others comment on this. I chose not to rate it or state anything because I believe it was very slightly flawed—my vote is for extremely light corked—the kind that tamps down all the interest in the wine but doesn’t manifest as the wet dog/cardboard. Will want others’ views.

2010 Cabot Nash Hill Pinot Noir

Heady bouquet–big plum, cherry and blueberry here. Le gout is very rich and fairly sweet–really does take like either a RRV sexpot or a low-level syrah Good quality wine, just not sure of representativeness

2012 Drew Morning Dew Pinot Noir

Coffee, pepper and raspberry for e. Not bad, understandably young, but it has some useful parts.

2012 Wilde Farm Donnelly Vineyard Pinot Noir

Nose oscillates in and out, but forest floor and plenty of earth notes to dark berry fruit. However, a different story on the tongue—full and rich with emphasis on ripe fruit for now. This is another one that doesn’t speak to me of the AV appellation, but wine is OK

2009 Heibel GBH Ranch Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, Pobega IS in the house, so de rigeur. This is fine, bramble, mulberry, plum and currant make up the aromatics. It is light, but it is also quite drinkable, flavours of pomegranate and crunch berry fruit. It misses the dust that I look for in Napa, but it’s a decent wine.

I hope Mike feels his education was expanded by tonights adventures. Look forward to hearing other thoughts. Again, thanks for finishing up my NYC component of Mike on Tour in such style.

Mike

Mike, it was great to finally meet with you, ‘my neighbor to the north’. It certainly was a fun time. Thanks to josh as well. I will take some time to gather my thoughts and clean up my notes which I made on the back of a menu as I forgot a tasting book I so readily seem to have many of, just not jandy when rushing out to catch a train.

I can add that, yes, we were looking for Anderson typicity/characteristics, or at least you and I were and I think really only three might of had it: Littorai Roman, Drew Morning Dew and the Copain Hacienda. I think the Anthill came close at first. Who brought the Syrah??

Oh, and Mike, great notes!

I’ll be back…(but you seemed to sum it all nicely. I did like the St Innocent better and found no flaws)

Now this kind of ticks me off - Mike from Toronto has met Pobega (another country the last time I checked), and I still haven’t gotten the chance to check that off my Berserkers Bucket List.

Although, in my perfect world, I am subjecting Pobega to multiple bottles of 2000 Produttori Barbaresco while he prepares various renditions of his homemade pizza .

Bob: mike is in Philly this Friday. We are dining @Will. We can fit you in as there are only five.

Hehehe. Lots of time for you to remedy, Bob. Ted, Bob is sadly off in Seoul at the moment.

Thanks, Mike, for those kind words. I agree with you, probably only 4 that had typicity for me, Littorai, the Copain Hacienda definitely, I do think maybe the Anthill Farms as it took on air. My fourth, if pressed, would be the Copain Les Voisins.

With such a tour, you should visit more often!
Thank you all for a good wine tasting. Glad I’ve made it in the last minute. Will post my notes later.