Commercial post? I dunno, probably not. I’m writing about the man who represents my wines in Vermont, a friend of long standing.
It’s not a restaurant, he’s an old buddy who I am just really getting to know. If you are in the area, look him up, he might cook for you and pull a cork. I had never been to his house before, or seen his cellar, or eaten his cooking and all three just blew me away.
John Fagan worked for a wholesaler in Vermont for 30+ years. He brought them a plethora of amazing West Coast producers, collected their wines and has a cellar full of greatness. He invited me to his home on a hill above Waterbury for dinner. John has been a vegetarian for 50 years, knows everything worth knowing about Vermont foods that are not meat. In his 67 years he has been a professional musician, carpenter, wine merchant, gardener &c. There aren’t many renaissance people left. John is one of them.
Except for the tamari filberts and the olives, the finger foods were all from his garden. Kimchi, sauerkraut, carrots (all fermented, no vinegar). These were accompanied by:
2010 Mount Eden Reserve Chardonnay – Medium gold color. Beautiful aromas of lime, hazelnuts and yeasty bread. Fresh, subtle intense palate replicates the aromas, now joined by distinct conifer flavors. This is just approaching maturity, rated 94, up to 3 points of improvement likely.
Moving right along to celeriac, potato and apple soup, all from his property, accompanied by a peppery pesto made from the celeriac leaves. This is one of the best soups I’ve ever had, and I’ve had a lot of soup:
1997 Mount Eden Pinot Noir Cuvee des Vieilles Vignes – Aromas are all PN, all the time. This is blatantly not Burgundian, blatantly not New World, blatantly from a better version of our home planet. The intense red cherry and black raspberry aromas have a wild brambly component, as if somebody snuck a tiny bit of Zin into it. The flavors have some old world sous-bois but are dominated by fresh cherry fruit. This is a wine that is not fully mature. There are slightly intrusive, peppery tannins. Rated 90, up to 4 points of improvement possible in 5+ years, but I honestly do not know where this is going.
With pizza; crust by Green Rabbit Bakery, didn’t catch where the tomato sauce came from, onions and different pesto from John’s garden, smoked Mozzarella from Maple Brook Farm; then the last course a cheese selection from Jasper Hill, some their own cheeses, some they age for neighbors… I did not know they were affineurs as well as producers.
1997 Mount Eden Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vine Reserve – This is a handsome devil approaching middle age but not there yet. The color is intense ruby to the rim. The aromas are young and savory, with notes of tiny red fruits, conifer and more mineral than earth. The palate surprises with finesse, the fruit has taken a decided turn towards the black, with blackberries over currants. There is no shortage of tannins, but they are so fine-grained that you could be forgiven for missing them. The finish is long but not as long as I expected, the unexpected hint of abruptness stating that this has a long way to go. A year ago I had the pleasure of attending a tasting of 1973 – 1987 Mount Eden Cabernets, none old, so longevity is not an issue. Rated 92.5, up to 5 points of improvement likely, peak probably about 2030 but obviously could go longer.
John couldn’t let me leave without a gift bottle, and what a bottle!
2012 Bedrock Papera Ranch - Medium to dark ruby color. The aromas are a wild mix of red and black fruit, with a pronounced overlay of sage. The palate is surprisingly soft and silky, yet somehow also rustic. This oddly reminds me of a Greek wine, as if you were to make an unholy but successful blend of Nemea with some northern Italian wine. I don’t have much experience with Bedrock or recently with old California field blends. This is rated 91.5, seems fully mature to me.
A monumentally great dinner offered by a wonderful friend.
Dan Kravitz