TNs--Mike on Tour--OL in OC at Sam Woo, lots of good stuff, May 8

Mike on Tour got off to a great start, and the bar is set pretty high. I was thrilled to join the OC gang for a night. Many thanks to Ramon Del Rosario for putting out the call and Juyuan for setting everything up. We were very sorry to miss Frank and Jill Murray, Leslie Goldstein, Jason Hagen and Curtis Chen…lots of good stuff indeed.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Yon Delighted Stenographer
Ramon Del Rosario
Juyuan Wei
Dennis Callahan
Rob Winn
Francine Haight
Gerry Frayer (who let HIM in?)
Jay Selman
Norma Callahan

2002 Dom Perignon

Light ginger and ginerale, a pleasant woodsy background too, to apple fruit. Very beautiful tonight, fully singing and stays so over 2 hours, lovely flow and “colour” with pear, apple and spice. Great feel, an exemplary bottle. My conversion to Champagne continues

2007 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis 1er Cru Valourents

Sniffs of apple and seaweed and certainly lemoncurd. Very consistently 07 in presentation, fresh and pure apple, mineral spine and nice gingerish sidebar with some seashell. It’s a tiny bit on the light side, but that suits its profile too. I love this producer for the value he delivers.

2012 Thierry & Pascale Matrot Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chalumeaux

Surprising amount of pear and peach cobbler—the sunniness of the vintage again? Likeable and sweet…were it not for the fact that it’s very slightly corked—at least for me. Jay thought so too, and I’ll be interested in what the others think. Dennis, who brought it, did find it somewhat flat. I think a correct bottle has some promise

1995 Claude Dugat Gevrey Chambertin Corked. Boo

2003 D’Auvenay Meursault Narvaux

This made up for it. A lot going on in the nuzzie—flowers, white and yellow fruit, touch of nutmeg maybe. Ooohh–luscious and elegant at the same time. This drinks like a Bond girl. So much verve and class at the same time. Pear, butter, edges of tropical fruit, absolutely in-line oak, it embraces and reigns over 2003. Easily the paragon for 2003 white burg for me so far, this is fantastic and, just by a bit, my WOTN

2011 Boillot Corton Charlemagne

Only hinting at what it can be. Some salt and pepper to accent the apple and light sweet herbs. Searing right now. Searing. Pure Corton. Mineral, salt, lemon, pear. But so coiled right now. Leave 9 years.

2008 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc

I brought this Bordeaux Blanc. This has almost a mint/menthol thing going on in the aroma, lots of herbs, and real peach and nectarine notes. The DDC richness is definitely there on the palate, but balanced with the 2008 verve. It works—the almost glycerin flow melds with the freshness. Dee-lish, probably my #3

2008 Domaine de Lambrays Clos de Lambrays

Opens up and perks up with time in the glass (Juyuan opened this about an hour before). Dreadfully pure strawberry, raspberry and light herbs. The essence of good 2008 on the tongue—tremendous carry, but with the pure raspberry and currant fruit making the grade. Brilliant stuff that will only get better. #2

2008 Kenefick Ranch Pickett Road Red

I think Gerry said he Audouzed this at about 3 pm. Seductive bouquet of dill infused chocolate and luscious plum and black cherry. Even tobacco on a second sniff. Nice carry and feel, I can taste a bit of heat—15.7%? No, listed at 15.2%. But mostly would want to have different food with this, which I think would bring out an even more favourable showing. No lack of rich black fruit and velvety tannins. This is still really nice and gets my attention. #4

2012 Windy Oaks Terra Narro Pinot Noir

Cherry, strawberry, maybe tomato leaf. To taste, has a lot of earth—hint of chewiness and overlaid with cream and fruit. Like an accessible Rhys, I say to Gerry. I do like this, has an underlying silkiness to it. Solid Pinot.

1990 Paul Jaboulet Hermitage La Chappelle

Rather a controversial wine, and I see why. The scents are great—shoeleather, baked herbs, dark plum, nip of cinnamon. Mmm. Earth. Mmm. And chocolate-pepper combination to round it off. The problem for me is when it gets into the mouth, where I find it disjointed, with a bitter middle and end to chocolate plum flavours. Just doesn’t have the harmony or fulfill the promise of that bouquet.

2011 Swan Cuvee de Trois Pinot Noir

It’s Swan–raspberry coulee, hints of cocoa and herbs. Surprising in how bracing the cherry/raspberry is. Almost a saline note–or quinine maybe? Gerry does like this now, where for me I want to check back again in 2 or 3 years.

2012 Gros Ventre Cerise Vineyard Pinot Noir

Aromatics of dark cocoa, lots of earth (which I’ve always looked for in AV but Gerry says is becoming less prevalent)–Gerry pulled the cork on this at 3:30. Black raspberry, a touch of potpourri. Abrupt at first dans la bouche, but settles down with some plushness and sweet red fruit. Needs time to blend it all together.

Lots and lots of thanks for jump-starting this Tour so well.

Mike

Oh, and I did forget my little surprise

2005 Gravner Amphyllo Ribolla Gialla

I served this at a dinner party on Sunday and slapped the remainder into a screwcapped half bottle for this event 5 days later. I think it’s better than it showed on the Sunday, but still quite austere and steely in nose and mouth. Here I do get quinine and perhaps some water chestnut elements. It remains interesting and different wine.

That 1990 jaboulet la chapelle showed so much promise when it was young. If it isn’t showing well I would suggest giving it more cellar time. Did it seem ready to you?

Unfortunately, I think it was ready, Bill—maybe Jay or the others will chime in. I had it in the glass for about 1 hour and it didn’t change character all that much. It just didn’t give me the sense that it was still gangly or had growing up to do.

The 1990 La Chapelle is a very good wine. That being said, 25 years out there will be good bottles and bad bottles.

It appears you are off to a great start Mike. We shall do our best to replicate that in Santa Barbara.

Im surprised at the showing of the 90 La Chapelle as I`ve had some in the last couple of years and all shined with consistent notes and were quite viable, delicious and holding up nicely.

Glad we were able to be the first stop in the 2015 West Coast Edition of Mike on Tour.
All we need is the bus… we already have the roadies.

Friday Dinner -
Lots of great tasty morsels Thanks to Juyuan!
Some impressions -

Glad we had lots of whites for once
2002 - Dom - I need to buy more champagne. Period.
2011 - Boillot Corton - needs lots of time, but you can tell it’s got the stuffing to make it in the long run
2007 - Brocard Valourents - great chablis, can drink this all day long.
2008 - Chevalier Blanc - I don’t get to taste white bordeaux very much, this was a treat. Mike nailed it with the Mint and Menthol aromas.
2003 - D’Auvenay - wonderful Meursault from an “off year” It showed to me what a winemaker can do with what mother nature dishes
2011(?) Reichsgraf von Kaselstatt(sp?) - not sure of the the year, but it paired really well with the lobster and shrimp dishes of me.

2008 Lambrays - One of my favorite producers. This was a YandY for me (young and yummy), lots of promise ahead. Raspberry, bing cherries galor.
2008 Kenefick Pickett Road Red - 2/3rds Petite Verdot with equal portions of Merlot and Cab Franc - deep inky color with lots of black fruits, needs time.
2012 Gros Ventre Cerise - need
2012 Windy Oaks Terra Narro - earthy, red fruits, full-flavored pinot. drinking well


Saturday Lunch -
1986 Rauzan Segla - Mike and I have some neapolitan pizza with this. The wine is in a wonderful place right now. Great ruby color with a hint of bricking at the edges. Wonderful nose of rose petals, cedar box and cassis. A balanced medium body with blackberry and licorice and smooth tannins. I think it still has a long life ahead of it.

Agree this is an 86 that is wonderful to drink now.

A producer that did very well in this vintage. Nice drinking by my namesake buddy.

I have a very hard time believing any producer could have captured the essence of 2008 better than Domaine des Lambrays. Thanks for the peek.

Rdr, dig the shirt and photo. Sorry to have missed the dinner, looks like you guys had a nice, diverse lineup. Sweater Man, you have yourself a great trip and be safe, buddy.

Golf soon, pal. Hit me when you are ready.

I will and I am, jefe. Jim, Perry, Mike, Dana and Larry all say hello and had a fantastic visit with Brian Loring this afternoon as well. All notes hopefully tomorrow. Ramon, thank you so much again for your wonderful hospitality.

Adrian, I have had my head turned by more than one 2008, I can’t think of any recent vintage that I’ve changed my mind about so comprehensively—from originally having a dim view that the fruit would ever survive the acid to now looking forward to trying so many of them.

The Rauzan Segla was a terrific bottle—notes in the “Leslie” thread of Mike on Tour

No mention of the food??

Juyuan will have to chime in there, Markus, he did all the ordering for us. Cantonese style and everything was quite good, including the best sweet red bean soup I think I’ve ever had. Plenty of crab, lobster, shrimp, duck and chicken IIRC. We certainly didn’t go hungry.

Mike

Adrian, the 08 Lambrays showed beautifully - a nose that is quintessential Lambrays. While young, a few hours of air definitely helps. If you have only a few, leave in the cellar for a decade.

• Started off with a cold platter of chicken, smoked ham, and jellyfish salad
• 3 geoducks which was prepped sashimi style
• 2 lobster (one made with house style which was a wet sauce, and another with ginger scallion that was a dry/fried style).
• Large steamed fish Cantonese style.
• Egg white/crab fried rice
• Chicken fried noodles
• Water spinach (so yummy!)
• Honey walnut shrimp
• Whole white cut chicken with ginger scallion oil
• Stir fried beef with black pepper
• Stir fried green beans with ginger and black bean sauce
• Ended with red bean soup (hot) and fruit platter

I believe that is it. . . A lot of food indeed.

Very nice job guys. Mike is living well.

Very nice! Food and wine looks excellent. Looking forward to catching you guys at the next one!

Looking good!