In the midst of the epic sports Saturday we crafted a dinner around a local shop’s homemade ketchup, salt & pepper grass-fed baby back ribs, baked acorn squash & hand-cut white potato fries.
To accompany this bacchanalia I uncorked bottle #2 of a recently discovered four-pack of 2006 Sonoma Zin, from a well-regarded producer. Bottle #1 seemed advanced to us: color off, nose like 90s Ravenswood without the proper stuffing and while not bad tasting certainly not what the wine must have been.
Anyway bottle 2 was same year/different vineyard and way worse! So down to the cellar I went and up came a Scholium Project shiner.
We have had the bottle a number of years but had long forgotten what it was. Back of my mind it was maybe first vintage of Androktenos, Abe’s Hudson vineyard Syrah. This was inky dark, nose between au jus and gravy, heavy inviting mouthfeel of silk and brine/dark cherries/upfront tannins with some black-fruited roast venison in the mouth. Young still and exhibiting a hedonistic attack now, we suspect complexity is a decade away.
We guessed Babylon, Abe’s terrific PS from Tenbrick vineyard in Suisan City. I contacted Abe and he confirmed: 2004 Babylon! What a glorious wine, Mel & I just ate and basked in this Petite Sirah.
WOTY candidate from a shiner I’m pretty sure we were gifted ~ five years ago. Thanks Abe, we miss you.
I think I have an 04 Babylon somewhere. I remember drinking one a few years back and it was monsterous. I’m gonna hold this one for another 10 just to see what happens.
Met Abe for the first time on Friday (disclaimer - I work for the NJ/NY distributor of Scholium wines) and I found him incredibly interesting and super knowledgeable about all things wine/winemaking. Deeply philosophical and it shows in his approach to his wines. Very cool guy indeed!
Babylon is my favorite of his concoctions, I mean wines. You motivated me to bring a 2005 to lunch with a potential client today, but when I went down to the cellar, it was not where it was supposed to be, so Carlisle it is. I have 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009. Did I drink all my 2007? I have poured these for “civilians” and they love it.
Monsterous? I had a barrel sample of the 2004 or 2005 before it was bottled and it was like a jackhammer to the temple, but a pleasant jackhammer at that.
I just met Abe for the first time at Rieslingfeier in NYC earlier this year. I can’t wait for the next time, hopefully in CA. In just a brief period we had more than one great conversation.
I’m on the Scholium list but have had mostly whites while waiting for my reds to age. I opened the 2008 Gardens of Babylon last month and it was beautiful.
Glenn, have you had any of Abe’s Red Hook wines? He coincidentally stopped by the winery as I was visiting for the first time the day after Rieslingfeier; they ended up pouring 24+ samples (!) for me (another absolute treat) and both the winery personnel and wines were very nice as well
The Red Hook wines are cool. Abe makes some of them and Bob Foley makes the rest. Very interesting to compare the stylistic differences in the wines made by Abe to those made by Bob.
Yesterday at The Kitchen in Chicago, friends and I extended our brunch when it started raining ferociously outside. Having moved to the bar, we were looking for new something to drink and the bartender suggested Scholium Project Gardens of Babylon which they have in a keg - her description was so intriguing and enthusiastic, we all got glasses and ended up staying another 5 hours drinking this wonderful wine and having the best sort of day and evening and dinner … What a delicious glass! (or few)
I brought a 2008 Sylphs and a 2005 Babylon with me to Puerto Rico. No formal notes but I liked them both. The Slyphs showed the confluence of Abe’s tutelage under John Kongsgaard and his own penchant for a bit of experimentation. There were some oxidative notes and most of the others said is was not recognizable as Cali Chard. I think the creamyness and power (IIRC, the ABV was 17.1!) balanced very well with the oxidative notes to generate an outstanding, albeit off the beaten path, presentation. There was no noticeable VA, which was an issue with some of the earlier Sylphs bottlings. The 2001 Babylon was outstanding as advertised. I think it has calmed down a bit as more flavors have emerged. I do not know if I will last long enough for this wine to get to its peak, but it is wonderful now. Meaty, chewy depth with no sweetness. Did not look at the ABV.