A perfect Cabernet crowns a perfect lunch -

WINE TALK
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Sarah Kirschbaum hosted us for lunch yesterday. Her comments on the food in the ‘What did you cook tonight’ thread in ‘Epicurean Exploits’ are impeccable, I cannot add to them.

The wines were consistently superb, except for the 1960 Gemello Cabernet which was other-worldly, on a level removed from this earthly plane.

We started with a magnum of Diebolt-Vallois Champagne ‘Prestige’. This was sterling, with an amazing perfect balance between fresh and zesty; yeasty and deep.

Next up: After withdrawing a corked 1996 Huet Demi-sec, the 2019 ‘Le Mont’ appeared. I rarely drink any sweet wine, Eileen never. But this was fresh, tender, enticing; the sugar level was very reasonable, I would guess in the range of 3% (30 grams/litre). I couldn’t believe it when Eileen asked for a second microdose.

I provided my last bottle of 2019 Domaine Doudet Corton-Charlemagne. My case was inconsistent, but this bottle was just right; intense minerality framed and enhanced by floral and white fruit touches.

Sarah and I did not discuss the menu or wines (except the Gemello) at all ahead of time. When mackerel was announced as the fish, I exulted. I had lucked out and brought a bottle of 2010 Cave de Tain Hermitage Blanc which I knew would go perfectly. Greg, the other guest said “oily fish and oily wine, yum”. He was right. As somebody recently wrote, aged white Hermitage is like drinking honey without the sweetness.

2002 Egly-Ouriet ‘Ambonnay Rouge Coteaux Champenois’ was a revelation. I’m used to Coteaux Champenois looking like rose and tasting like a trifle. This is a beautifully aged, mid-weight Pinot Noir that tastes French, but I could not have guessed more.

2002 Hospices de Beaune Mazis Chambertin ‘Cuvee Madeleine Collignon’, Marc Colin. This was true to the Appellation, a full-blown Chambertin with muscle and finesse in harmony, nicely secondary and very vigorous.

1960 Gemello Cabernet California –
Is this the best Cabernet I’ve ever had from California?
I’ve had, in most cases multiple times, ’68 and ’74 Heitz Martha’s, ’74 and ’84 Mount Eden, and ’90 Mount Eden Reserve; ’68 and a dozen other vintages of aged Mayacamas, ’68 and a dozen other vintages of aged Ridge Monte Bello and quite a few 1959 – 1962 cask bottlings from Inglenook and vintage selections from Charles Krug.
Now imagine an absolutely perfect medium bodied Cabernet of infinite subtlety and celestial beauty, redolent with a cornucopia of black and red fruits, totally weightless and fully secondary at 30 years of age. That’s what was in my glass. Yes I know it’s 64 years old.
So to answer my question, yes, 1960 Gemello is the best Cabernet I’ve ever had from California.

Sarah, I cannot thank you enough. And Jonathan for a truly great meal.

Dan Kravitz

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Great notes Dan!

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Dinner with Sarah and Jonathan is a real treat.

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Wonderful notes Dan, that sounds like a truly memorable day

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It was our pleasure hosting you and Eileen, Dan. After talking about this lunch for years, to have it finally come together and having the Gemello (our last bottle) show so perfectly, made us very happy.

Your notes are excellent, my only addition is to say that the Hermitage was quite a surprise to me. It not only paired well with the mackerel itself, but also with the pistou, which had a number of bold elements (pistachio, golden raisins, dandelion greens, garlic, shallot, madeira, touch of chili flakes) and can be a challenge for pairing.

Okay - one more thing to add about the Gemello. It was served in Zalto Bdx stems, after being opened about 30 minutes before decanting off sedment and serving to be allowed to open in the glass. The color was incredible - saturated almost to the rim, deep garnet, and didn’t fade an inch over the time in our glasses. While it continued to unfurl, it didn’t change nearly as much as I might have expected. It was out, loud and proud from minute one. I absolutely loved it.

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Great notes and sound like quite the get together. Glad you had a mind blowing bottle experience!

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Any pics of this magical bottle? Doubt I have ever seen it before. Very cool.

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The story on the '60 Gemello is Mario recognized how impressive some of it was and kept it in barrel until 1970. I’m pretty sure it is 100% from the William Short property he’d been sourcing for years, which the Ridge founders bought in 1959. Decades later he still maintained this was the best wine he ever made.

He was also sourcing Saratoga Cab at that point. I actually have some bottles of a NV Sutter Home Cab which is a '59/'60 blend he sold off, and is the wine that introduced Darell Corti to Gemello.

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1960 Gemello Cabernet
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Fill almost to bottom neck.

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Wes,

Thanks for the info.

Can you please tell me where the Wiliam Short vineyard is? When I bought my bottle (~50 years ago, in the Gemello store behind the bowling alley in Mountain View), I seem to remember hearing Santa Clara Valley.

Thanks.

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It’s where the Ridge tasting room is. They refer to it as Torre Ranch - a tribute to the original owners, who planted vines there in the late 19th century. William Short purchased the land in the '40s and replanted it. The head trained vines out on the knoll are what’s left of his plantings now. Since Mario Gemello was (one of three winemakers, I heard) buying the fruit, he urged Dave Bennion to make some wine, leant a lot of advice. According to Fran Bennion, the tiny batch of non-commercial '59 they made was the best Ridge Monte Bello. I assume the timing of that developing, maybe bottling in '61, and being so impressive is what lead them to decide to go commercial. I recall the '70 Gemello still got some Monte Bello fruit, as well as a couple Saratoga vineyards, so the relationship continued til at least then.

Ridge made a 20th anniversary William Short designate Cab in 1982.

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Love this comment.
Sounds like an Epic lunch.
For the uninitiated - is Gemello still in existence??

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No, hasn’t been in existence for a few decades. One of Mario’s nieces, Sandy Gemello Obester operated the winery in Mountain View until it was sold and razed to add housing. Sandy and her husband started the Obester winery in Half Moon Bay but was making different wines. It was sold (early 2000s?) and later renamed La Nebbia.

-Al

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So basically this Gemello is part of the origin story of Ridge Monte Bello, since the winemaker for it was buying what eventually became Monte Bello fruit and encouraged the Ridge owners to start making their own Monte Bello wines because he was so impressed with what he was getting from their fruit? Do I have that right?

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Mario told Dave Bennion and the other founders to not go into the wine business when they went to talk to him about the vineyard. He had purchased fruit from Short and some of the others in the area like Rousten. His grandson is writing a book, he has a Substack here: https://gemello.substack.com/ where you can follow along with the book. It has a lot of great family stories. I interviewed Kevin on my podcast about a year ago.

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I am trying to think of how good it would have to be for Dan to describe it that way. I am reminded of quote from Mr. Audouze regarding a, 60s hermitage I think? “… like walking on the surface of the moon.”

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I was thinking the exact same thing when I read it, Kenny, especially this little turn of words, “a Cabernet of infinite subtlety and celestial beauty,…”

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Most of us have been reading (and enjoying) Dan’s tasting notes for years. When he waxes poetic like this it makes one appreciate how truly great the wine must have been!

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It’s interesting - I did not find the wine particularly subtle. Complex and detailed for sure, but I found it much more immediately revealing and, perhaps not flamboyant, but immediately impactful. Certainly, though, it inspired all of us to wax poetic.

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