My wife and I were graced with a visit from Viet Ly and his lovely bride, in what was their first dinner with friends away from home since the shutdown. I didn’t scribble notes, so these are just impressions from memory.
[With jamon serrano, Midnight Moon, truffle pate and Marcona almonds]
Cobb Chardonnay Mariani Vineyard 2016. This was my #1 favorite wine from Falltacular 2018, so I went out at the time and bought five bottles. This didn’t disappoint in the least last night. A light layer of earthiness and gunflint, bright fruit with some real depth and presence to it, great white spice, some roundedness from the oak but nothing obtrusive. Really fantastic.
[With seared scallops over a sauce with spicy peppers and oranges - Viet prepared this so he could elaborate more, but it was superb. I’ll attach a couple of photos below.]
Paul Bara Special Club 2008. This has an intense beam of acidity, driving through pear, lime and citrus fruit. The wine seems fairly primary right now – fruit and high acid. I think it promises more returns with age.
[With garlic-soy-sesame marinated seared ahi and a baked stuffed avocado.]
Dehlinger Pinot Noir Goldridge Old Vines 2012. I dropped off the Dehlinger list around that time, as the pinots and chards became too big and dark for my tastes, but despite that, Tom’s pinots do have a great track record of aging, and this one, while only 8 years old, was developing positively. Dark, rich red fruit, some dark spices, balanced with adequate acidity. A definite crowd pleaser, definitely in the Big Flavor style of California pinot, alcohol listed at 14.9% and possibly higher than that in actuality.
[With garlic soy marinated prime hangar steak and broiled asparagus.]
Lewis Cabernet Reserve 2007. I bought two bottles of this off Commerce Corner maybe 5 years ago, and I had the first one not too long after, and I found it fatiguing in the sweetness and lushness of the wine. Last night’s bottle was greatly improved. Definitely still defined by ripe, concentrated, purple fruit and a rich layer of creamy oak, but the sweetness had finally shed for the most part, and that allowed some interesting menthol, soy and loamy notes to emerge. The wine overall was very nicely integrated at this age. I think we caught it in its peak window.
[With nectarines, strawberries and cream.]
Stony Hill Semillon de Soleil 1998. Very graceful at this age. I think many or most wine geeks would have pegged this for a good Sauternes. A mixture of amber and gold in color, with honey, citrus, hazelnut, white flowers, and very good balancing acids. What a lovely wine, I really ought to look for more of these.