by Julian Schultz
julian@oxfordwineroom.com
It is Thursday almost bedtime; the music
is minor key…soul stirring Grieg’s Lyric Pieces. So I am in a “mood”: I
chase back after yesterdays. And I chase after them far…far, far back through
my octogenarian years. Some of them I catch. And once again the memories are
with me…but with me only in my mind. They are not with me in
my heart. I don’t feel them with the unbridled exultation,
the mellow emotion, the romantic sentiment of old...of all what was –
empty memories now, hollow memories now.
I
should have known: For youth there is no encore; once upon a time never comes
again. Omar Khayyam said it this way: “The moving finger writes; and, having
writ, moves on: nor all your piety nor wit, shall lure it back to cancel half a
line, nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”
Exacerbating
my mood of melancholy are the cold of gray dismal winter outside and the howl of
wind through the trees.
Ah…but comes now the prospect of a fun
evening, another Dick and Joan Caparso wine dinner at The Castle. It replaces
the mournful music, the despondent feelings and the winter’s depression. The
wines are from Chile and the company is of friends. Brightening my gloomy brow
is the contemplation of gemutlichkeit (warmth, friendliness, affection,
caring) engendered by this annual event.
For the fourth year I will be privileged to bask in the warmth of the Caparso’s hospitality with their fine wines and to enjoy the culinary artistry of Master Chef Stanley Nicas. After the tasting the evening’s cordiality will be extended at the home of Dick’s brother-in-law and sister, Norman and Marie Limoges.
Fifteen wines in flights of three, with five appropriate food courses,
will be poured to 22 invited guests. We will be asked to comment on the wines
and their food pairings. Serious discussion interspersed with levity will add
excitement, especially as Dr. Bob Ouellette and I agree and disagree in our
inimitable style – sometimes wryly humorous, sometimes jestingly acerbic.
What follows now is my
report of the next evening -- Friday evening’s Chile wines tasting event –
where it was all class with black tie for the lads and formal attire for the
lassies – well, not exactly “lads” and “lassies” if age is of
consideration. On the other hand, the spirit of youthful excitement and
juvenescent exuberance abound, and for a few brief hours sobering thoughts of
the inexorable mustering years are lightened.
Host Dick Caparso spoke about his trip to Chile where he visited wine shops in Santiago to buy the wines. He bought three wines each of five wineries: top of the line at highest price; next best wine of reputation and price; least expensive wine, presumably least prestigious.
We would evaluate them in descending order: the “best” wine listed first on our wine tasting menu – the reputed “best” is not always so to the palate. We were to taste with furrowed brow of deep concentration and, when asked, to voice our opinion -- concurrence or dissent. As in previous tastings, our oft playfully bombastic, pompous and frivolous comments added gaiety to the evening.
The wines and their food matchups: (Friendly Discount Liquors’ Bill Giannopoulos, who participated in the event with lovely wife Patty, said he stocks some of the wines, possibly could order those he does not have; others are not in this country.)
Flight one Santa Real Winery: C.R. Reserve Special 1998; Casa Real 1999; Medalla Real 1999.
Comment on the wines: Reserve Special initially was closed by comparison with the “lesser” two wines; sitting in the glass it opened with deep, thick, plum and cherry flavors, fine balance, smooth swallow and extended aftertaste. Not knowing the price of each of the three wines, I can’t comment on price value. I emphasize price value because the other two wines were very good; the Casa Real showed immediate maturity and some complexity and drank easily; the Medalla Real disclosed slight barnyard nose and taste, reminiscent of Burgundy, and pleasing fruit. Summary: A successful first flight, all wines were positive, the Reserve Special justified its premier position among the three.
Food
matchup: Mediterranean style vegetable ravioli with diced, skin-stripped tomato
in browned sauce. As a fine glove fits a delicate hand with perfect fit, the
flavors of the ravioli with its unobtrusive seasonings and spices nicely
complemented the wines. Score one for host Dick Caparso and sommelier Jim Nicas.
Flight two: Concha y Toro Winery: Don Melchor 1998; Toro Concha 1999; Toro Trio 1999.
Comment of the wines: All hell broke loose with the Toro Trio. Dr. Bob, he of black belt palate and deserved estimable reputation snorted, announcing that it was “corked,” meaning the cork was diseased, which adversely affected taste of the wines. I rebutted, saying the flavor of the wine was, admittedly, “atypical” of the others, but “not corked!” and that I liked the flavor immensely. Jim produced the cork, which was sound in smell and appearance. Some tasters agreed with Dr. Bob; others with me.
Dr. Bob said with mock sarcasm, “There was never a wine that Julian tasted that he didn’t like.” I couldn’t permit my good friend to have the last word with that: I said that Dr. Bob had been fine anesthesiologist, chief of the department at St. Vincent Hospital, “so excellent an anesthesiologist that his comments on wine put me to sleep immediately.” Lots of merriment and kidding from around the table followed. The mood was jolly; the spirit was “up.”
The Don Melchor was a big complex wine in nose and on palate with a variety of Cabernet Sauvignon flavors; well balanced with fruit acids, tannin, texture and fruit in perfect sync; smooth in the swallow and long in the aftertaste. Most of us agreed it lived up to its reputation for quality and class.
Toro Concha showed little aroma initially, was slightly sharp with fruit acids behind the plum fruit; not at all an unworthy wine, but not in the Melchor class. Wonder how the price would compare with the Melchor. If the cost were half that of Melchor, would I buy two Toros instead of one Melchor?
Bill Giannopoulos had agreed with Dr. Bob that the Toro Trio was “corked.” I said that I would buy his entire “corked” Toro Trio inventory and that I expected it to be priced at a substantial discount, reflecting its distressed quality.
Question was asked of me, why was its taste difference so obvious? Answer: maybe the winemaker chose used barrels with leached out tannins for fermentation and barrel aging, imparting softer tannin; or he had his barrels slightly sulfured to prevent bacteria; or he desired his barrels configured to provide slight amounts of beneficial air to seep into the wine to soften it; or he opted for heavy char with his barrels’ staves for complexity; or he decided on total malolactic fermentation or some or none to reduce or retain acidity. There are dozens of options available to the winemaker to create a unique flavor.
I remember when at the old El Morocco house front restaurant,
the owner of Sweet Life Foods brought a rare and expensive Chateau Chalon. We
both agreed it was spoiled, tasted like Sherry. Referring to a wine book on
Rhones at home, I learned the flavor of Sherry was indigenous to Chalon, giving
it its unique charm. So…why not the Toro Trio?
Food matchup: turkey with a mixture of baked egg, Parmesan cheese on a
bed of sauteed mushrooms – innovative and delicious. Score two for Caparso and
Nicas.
Flight three: Caliterra Winery: Sena 1998; Arboleda 1999; Reserve 1999. The three wines had soft noses, the Sena’s did open later; the latter two didn’t.
On the palate the Sena was big with plum, berry, soft spices and black pepper
flavors and hints of tobacco; nicely balanced and smooth in the swallow and long in the farewell. General agreement was that the Sena is a fine wine…. but, again, is it worth – what price?
Arboleda offered berry fruit, augmented with nuances of licorice and chocolate; a big warm wine with flavors lingering on the palate.
Reserve showed noticeable acid and firm-to-hard tannin behind the plum, cherry, berry fruit. For my palate, the wine is too young, but its current awkward condition presages longevity and pleasurable drinking in the next five years. Too bad we don’t have the prices. Of course, we can contact Bill Giannopoulos for that information.
The food: superb large baked chunk of tender, tasty Texas venison liver with a Mt. Olympian blueberry essence. Usually liver is a poor match with wine, but its combination of slight char coating and the flavor of blueberries married deliciously with the wines. We were humming now our contentment with the dinner so far. Score three for Caparso and Nicas.
Flight four: Domus: Aurea 1998; Stella Aurea 1998; Alba 1998. I don’t know these wines, never tasted them, never heard of them before tonight. Dick Caparso indicated that some of the wines we were tasting might not be available in this country. Interesting wines, somewhat different, noses reticent, flavors prominent.
Aurea, perhaps wishful thinking, reminded me of spring with its outdoorsy aromas of blossoming vegetation and taste of fresh berries; the fruit clung to the palate and in the throat after the warm lush swallow; the balance of fruit acids, alcohol, texture, tannin was sound. A very good wine, not a great one; Domus’ top of the line bottling.
Stella Aurea’s interesting berry/cherry flavors, underlaid with cigar box, offered thought-provoking complexity. Some tasters were ambivalent: not quite sure if they liked it. I liked it! But quoting my good friend Dr.Bob: “There was never a wine that Julian tasted that he didn’t like.”
Alba’s nose was either so deep that it couldn’t be detected…or it was non-existent. The wine showed good fruit, but the acid accompanying the fruit was noticeably sharp, upsetting its balance. At best, drinkable; not exciting.
The food escort: venison bratwurst flat sausage on a bed of braised red cabbage. Surprisingly tender for gamy venison, surprisingly peppery for optimum wine pairing, not surprisingly delicious considering it was a Master Chef Stanley Nicas preparation. Dr. Bob got his peppery taste with his first bite and rolled his eyes in dismay. I wasn’t sympathetic…until the pepper bit me just before I finished my portion. I gasped and cleared my throat, bringing an I-told-you-so smile from the good doctor.
Flight five: Carmen Winery: Gold Reserve 1997; Wine Maker Reserve 1998; Special Reserve 1999. I have to assume my olfactory sense had become jaded from constant sniffing without giving my sense of smell down time to recover. Of the three wines, only the Gold Reserve disclosed aromas: slight smoke and dried autumn leaves, albeit shy. The wine contained all positive elements that are consistent with the criteria of fine wine – good fruit, some complexity, good balance and smooth finish.
Wine Maker Reserve pleased me most within this flight of wines with assertive, big integrated flavors of plum, berry and cherry; was properly balanced, although nose required reaching for. A good wine.
Special Reserve gave me nothing! Tasted watery with weak flavor. So Julian tasted a wine he did not like. This statement I dedicate to Dr. Bob.
Food consort: Golden “hen of the woods” wild mushroom strudel augmented with pomegranate seeds, over plum and lemon butter sauce. Delicious and delightful with the wines.
Mystery wine: Villa Trepaca Millennium 1997, a blend of Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. A big blockbuster wine loaded with fruit and astringent with tannin; this wine cries out, “Let me be! Let me mature!” After having tasted 15 wines, my detailed delineation of its virtues might be less than accurate.
I can’t remember hearing any conversation or comment about the Trepaca. Again, it was wine number 16, and my palate may have lacked sensitivity for astute objective evaluation.
At times such as this I am wont to say, “I may not know what the hell I am saying, but I’m getting awfully good at it.”
After the tasting was over, we repaired to the home of Norman and Marie Limoges to continue the sweet life with liquors, liqueurs, Port wines, pastries and calories – lemon curd tart; pastries and calories – pecan/macadamia tart; pastries and calories – tiramisu tart; pastries and calories -- fruit cake; pastries and calories – white chocolate cranberry cheese cake; pastries and calories -- white and milk chocolate covered strawberries…and other palate pampering delectables, all of which I sampled and had capacity for more.
Whereas we were in our chairs at the Castle for about two hours, at the Limoges’ we walked around, admired the artistic and beautiful table centerpiece of peach colored roses with peach flox, surrounded with pine greens, and exchanged pleasantries with other guests. Desserts in one hand and Port in my other hand, I found a quiet spot in the kitchen for peaceful caloric indulgence.
Oh, oh! Dr. Bob caught me with my dessert hand moving to my mouth. He gave me the “look,” saying he wouldn’t phone me tomorrow because he didn’t want to hear my tale of woe about having over eaten. Discretion being the better part of pleasure, I stopped eating and drinking. When Bob did call next day I said I was fine and I thanked him. I thought about what he has often said, “That is what friends are for.”
I
recall a poem learned long ago, author unknown. It could have been me: “I
think I know enough of loneliness to bless each day I find a friend…a blessed
friend ‘ere I pass away.”
How
more sincerely can one express his/her gratitude for the kindness and warmth the
Caparso and Limoges families extended to us than to say, simply, “Thank you
for this evening, dear friends? Thank you for your caring? And may God bless
your families and your homes?”
Wine Pick: Errazuriz Don Maximiano Estate Merlot Reserva 1999, $25, blend of 80 percent Merlot, 20 Cabernet Sauvignon. A big wine with layers of dark berry flavors underlaid with smack of earth. Oak aging contributes vanilla bean to the flavor; silky on the palate with forward fruit, varied spices and full soft tannins, a mouthful of superb drinking retains your attention and pleasure.
Parducci Sauvignon Blanc 2002, $10-$11. Sniff the wine and be transported to a garden of sweet peas, herbs, and fresh sage. A crisp, clean wine with tastes of kiwi and grapefruit. Although not particularly heavy-bodied, the wine has enough weight to leave a lingering taste impression. Its crisp acidity makes it compatible with seafood and shellfish…or for relaxing aperitif sipping. The price is more than right.
Email Comments to Julian at:
julian@oxfordwineroom.com