Just got back from a college visit to Chico with daughter and ex. I figured it was an opportunity to meet Anton in person and pull some corks. He offered to provide the wines. Knowing he had never had a MacDonald I offered to bring one. He accepted with no hesitation. I shipped a 2015 up to him 2 weeks before the trip so it could settle, and he could decant adequately.
Toured the beautiful campus which was a bloom in Springtime with the son (Joseph) of my one of close San Diego wine friends who went to school there, married a local girl he went to college with and lives there now.
We made no specific plans other than to share some wine and laughs. My ex and daughter thought I was nuts going over to drink with someone Id never met or even spoke to. I explained Iāve done it a bunch of times and it always turns into a great experience. They said to call if I needed a rescue operation.
I brought Joseph along to Antonās as he has been drinking with his dad and I for a few years now. Anton asked how many we would be and if I preferred it just be us. I said the more the merrier and he embraced that. He came through with a great crowd of his wine friends. He also themed with 2015 cabernets and a great complimentary line up.
We arrived and to my surprise the wines were all in decanters labelled letters A ā I to be served double blinded which is not something I usually do. I was looking forward to a new experience and hoping the wine I brought would show well. All wines were prepared similarly and decanted 10 to 12 hours.
2015 Roy Piper Cabernet Sauvignon
2015 Christopher Tynan Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines Meleagris Gallopavo
2015 Rivers Marie Lore Vineyard Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon
2015 Pott Wine Cabernet Sauvignon Turf War Bisagno Vineyard
2015 Alpha Omega Era
2015 A. Rafanelli Cabernet Sauvignon Terrace Select
2015 Peter Michael Les Pavots
2015 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon
2015 MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon
I was mostly trying to socialize with Anton and his friends so did not really take formal notes. Anton took some informal notes though nothing detailed as he was doing the same. It was an epic night of wine and friendship as it always seems to be. I had a great time as did my friends son.
Interestingly the first two wines were the most galvanizing highest and lowest ranked with unanimous agreement. The first was thinnest, most closed down and showed the least complexity. Everyone found it least interesting.
The second was just explosive with great fruit, complexity, firm tannins and finish that just went on and on. Everyone was gaga over this one and I thought this was a wine Iād look forward to drinking again in another 10 years. The other wines were less galvanizing and all exceptionally good but different. The one I was most certain I could identify was the Rafanelli (and I did). I thought the second wine could be mine but did not want to be that guy to try to claim the best as the one I brought only to look foolish. I figured Iād just wait for the reveal, then go back and re taste some of my favorites.
Reveal time. The first wine was Spottswoode which usually underperforms for my pallet so no surprise to me. I think these wines really need a lot more age to come around. The second wine was MacDonald. It stands out in a line up time and time again. This was the first time Id had it blind and up against a bunch of other exceptional wines for that matter. It really says something that it stood so clearly above the others when no one including Anton knew what any of the bottles were. All seemed to agree it was the class of the lineup.
Beyond that I enjoyed the Les Pavots, R-M Lore and to my surprise the Alpha Omega and the Pott to round out my top 5. The Piper was exceptionally good and reminded me of a fruit forward Mike Smith made wine. The Tynan was also particularly good and stood out because it was quite different than the others. The Rafanelli had a green pyrazine note that it always seems to which is not my personal favorite but lessens with lots of age. The Spottswoode underperformed as it always seems to for me.
After getting through the line up we went down to his basement cellar for a tour and to pick an encore. Needless to say, he has a similar affliction many of us share. Anton gave his guests the choice of what to open. After looking around and trying to decide on what to open I asked Joseph what year he was born, and he said 1996. So, we went with a 1996 Dunn H-M. It is a great wine and a treat for Joseph but could have used some air. But it was late in the night and was the sacrificial āone more bottleā. Joseph took the empty home as a souvenir of the night. I suspect his dad and him will find their way back to Antonās in the future.
Hats off to Anton for putting together such a great line up and group of wine lovers to meet and share the night with. It was truly a great experience meeting likeminded wine lovers. He truly is a Prince!
And the MacDonald hype proves real once again.