By the Glass at D&M

History In A Glass

2008-05-19T02:56:00.000-07:00

So it’s out last day in France after 10 days of covering most of the wine regions at a breakneck pace. That meant many wines and, it seemed like, even more food. We drove up from Cognac towards the Loire River. We are four weary, slightly smelly American males whose trip has outlasted their sock supply. We pull in, late, to the town of Saumur-Champigny. Charles Neal, our leader, translator and coordinator, calls Philippe Vatan on his cell phone asking where we should meet for lunch. We park next to a Gothic Cathedral and walk to the restaurant where Philippe treats us to lovely lunch.

Then we pile back into the green van and go up to look at the vineyards out of which Philippe produces his wonderful Chateau du Hureau (Hureau is the word in the local dialect for wild boar) Saumur-Champigny Cabernet Franc.

Now understand that the four of us have been traveling together for 10 days. We have looked at a lot of vineyards. We started at the end of March and it’s now early April. At this time of year, vineyards everywhere look about the same—gray, twisted stalks, tortuously stretched across various forms of trellises. They haven’t begun to bud yet, except deep in the south of France. The sky is gray. We drive down the hills, under that steely sky towards the broad river. We turn up to the beautiful Chateau that is home to both Philippe and the winery. It’s here that magic happens.

First, of course, we go into the limestone caves that burrow beneath the hills above us, where a modern, yet classic winery is tucked away. We taste current vintages from large, stainless steel tanks. Most of those wines were pretty darned good, and very interesting to us Americans, who don’t really understand Cabernet Franc as a grape. The Philippe starts talking, leading us back into the depths of his caves.

Much of this, he tells us, was blocked off during the war. We hid people here, he says, Allied Paratroopers, people escaping the Gestapo. I’m not sure how my parents and grandparents did it, except that the local SS commandant was a civilized man. He leads us deeper under the hill, behind all the tanks and the current winemaking equipment. There are bins and bins of bottles that look as old as time. He reaches into one of the darkest corners and pulls up a bottle, smiling as he shows it off.

“This is 1945. We can open it if you like!” Even four weary wine thugs know a treat when they see it. We nod enthusiastically.

We go back up into the chateau. Philippe produces glassware, and we taste some of the reds from the last vintage as we look across the broad expanse of the Loire River. Philippe tells us how he was cursing at Charles through the entire last vintage, since it was his idea that the vineyards be moved to organic methods. Still, he smiles as he says it, and tells us he loves the wines that were produced that way. We politely taste, spit, rinse and say nice things about the wines while we admire the view. Finally, Philippe decides 1945 has settled enough.

It is a 1945 Domaine du Hureau Saumur-Champigny Blanc Sec. In the middle of the century, most of the grapes in this region were white. The concentration was that favorite of the disco era, Chenin Blanc. This Sec started its life out slightly sweet. Philippe carefully removes the cork from the bottle and passes it around. Written on the cork are the numbers wand words “1945—Victoire.”

The wine is golden in our glasses. The nose is still amazingly fresh, alive with floral notes, hints of licorice and an abundance of fruit. We taste in silence for a moment or two. The range in ages in the room goes from Philippe—a few years my senior, through myself, in my fifties, Charles in forties, and Jon in his thirties. All of us are a bit overwhelmed by what we are drinking. Both Philippe and I reminisce a moment about our fathers, whose lives were changed by that war, and look in awe at this golden wine. It keeps changing and evolving in the glass. There is no question of spitting this out and moving on. We spent the better part of an hour with that wine, letting it change before our eyes and palates and noses. Finally it was finished.

As we were leaving Charles asked Philippe for a favor. Could Mark have the cork? It’s the only actual souvenir I have from France, and I can’t think of anything I would treasure more.

D&M's Champagne Tasting

2008-04-29T03:41:00.000-07:00

What an evening we just had, Champagne Taittinger really knows how to throw a party! Jerome Jeandin was the speaker of the event and he definitely kept everyone's attention with his charm and humorous nature. The real star of the show were the bubblies of course. The whole Taittinger line up was fantastic but we have to say that the Vintage 2002 was fascinating and the complexity and beauty of the 2003 Comte de Champagne Rosé was unforgettable. We can't wait till next year's tasting, this one is going to be tough to beat.

Sine Qua Non 2005 Atlantic 203

2008-04-10T01:29:00.000-07:00

Just last Friday we received our allotment of this sought after wine and within a few days it was sold out. Was it all a dream? The wine retailed for $264 and Parker gave it very high ratings.
So what is so special about this California Syrah?

This is what Parker had to say:

"The 2005 Atlantis Fe 203-1a is a blend of 93% Syrah, 5% Grenache, and 2% Viognier, with about 25% whole clusters (stems) utilized. The vineyard sources include the Eleven Confessions as well as White Hawk, Alban, and Bien Nacido. An inky/blue/black/purple hue is followed by sweet blackberry, charcoal, and chocolate aromas, graphite and blackberry flavors, full body, decent acidity, and a stunningly long finish. This terrific effort should turn out to be one of the most French-styled Syrahs Krankl has yet produced. It reveals the great intensity and purity of California fruit superimposed on a European structure and sense of harmony. To reiterate, it is a challenge to analyze these wines. I know they are distinctive, and I think I am beginning to understand why they are so much greater than just about every other Syrah or Grenache-based wine in California. In short, it is talent and incredibly meticulous hard work. No one works as hard or is as maniacal about a vineyard’s viticulture and winemaking as Manfred Krankl. Take that, add in exceptional talent, humility, top-notch vineyards, and I believe I understand the fundamentals of why these wines are so special."

D&M's Champagne Club

2008-04-03T01:01:00.000-07:00

Our Spring Champagne Club selection for April is going to be so exciting, it's coming from one of our favorite house Pertois Moriset. This family owned champagne house is located in the sacred southern Champagne site of Le Mesnil sur Oger. This is in our opinion the best place for the Chardonnay grape to grow. Our lucky club members get first pick of the vintage 2000 bottle and rose, the price for Champagne Club members only $87.98 for the two bottles. What a bargain!

PREMIERE NAPA VALLEY

2008-03-13T00:26:00.000-07:00

We’re not usually big ones for going to the fancy parties that get thrown in this business. Sure, we do WhiskyFest, and if there’s a big Champagne tasting we’re morally obligated to send someone there. But the big, glitzy galas, where people go to be seen, that’s not exactly us.

Except….

Except for this one event that takes place every February in the Napa Valley. This is called the Premiere Napa Valley Auction. The events run for a week, with wineries cleaning themselves up and having catered open houses and that sort of thing, which is always a lot of fun. However, we’re on the spoiled side, living here in San Francisco, we get to Napa more than most, and people treat us really well. So we usually just go up for the weekend.

This gives us a chance to meet the faces behind the wines, to see who the new, up and coming winemakers and wineries might be. It’s also a chance to have dinner with friends in that we don’t see often enough, and to see what’s new at some of our favorite wineries. It also gives us a chance to see what’s old, since some folks, like the lovely people at Shafer and Duckhorn, break out older vintages and great big bottles and everyone has a good time. If you need a break, Joel Gott hosts a taco and beer party at his Taylor’s Refresher.

The main event, of course, is the auction itself. This is where the participating wineries offer exclusive lots of special, one-time-only blends, to the trade. There were celebrities around (both William Shatner and Kevin Costner were spotted), but if you’re not in the business, you don’t get to bid.

(A little aside here: The Premiere Napa Valley Auction is for charity. It helps raise funds for the alliance of wine-growers trying to protect the land and reputation of the region. Did you know that only 4% of California wine comes from the Napa Valley? Still, some people find a way to put that magic appellation on their labels anyway. It is this sort of thing these wine-growers are trying to combat, as well as to preserve the beauty of the valley itself).

The auction is held at the Culinary Academy in the great old Greystone building. There are over 200 different barrels to taste. Like everyone, we do some homework and decide which ones we might be interested in, so that we can still trust ourselves with a bidding paddle.

Again, all of the lots sold at the Premiere Napa Valley Auction are unique. No one else will ever have what we buy.

A few years ago we were lucky enough to lay down the winning bid for a 2002 Oakville Ranch Lucinda’s Blend composed of 85% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Only five cases of this supple, floral, spicy red were made. We do still have a few bottles left, but don’t expect them to hang around forever.

This year we’re excited to say we managed to win the following two lots:

Livingston Moffett Wines – 2006 Aidan’s Blend: This lot is a combination of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. The Cabernet come from three famous appellations, Howell Mountain, Rutherford and St. Helena, and the Syrah vineyard is in the cooler Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley Appellation. All four of these vineyards are less than three acres in size and produce yields of 2.5 tons or less per acre. This lot was named after Trent and Colleens’ son Aidan.

And

Paoletti Estates 2006 Nero d’Avola: A rare and beautiful grape native of the village of Avola in Sicily. Apparently, we are blessed with the same microclimate as Avola. The vines are 15 years old. The wine is lush, rich, velvety, dark and fruity, a memorable experience.

Both of these wines were bottled over the last couple of weeks. They’re resting now, but they should available for sale in December of this year.

If you’d like to learn more about the event and the work of these Napa Valley Vintners, visit www.napavintners.com .

Charbay Tasting

2008-02-07T11:43:00.000-08:00

We just found out some exciting news from Charbay.
They will pouring their prized
DoubleBarrel Whiskey II! (not yet released)
this bottle retails for $325.00
and only 5 barrels were produced.
The tasting will be on June 11th check
our website for more information.

A Hidden Gem from the South of France

2008-01-23T01:25:00.000-08:00

We just love this new wine that we brought in!

This wildly herbaceous and mouth
wateringly
crisp Southern French blend, with a hint of anise
is a true organic gem!

WHAT’S RIGHT ABOUT WHITE

2008-01-12T23:12:00.000-08:00

So there we are, the younger and the older generation having a talk about Tequila around here. The younger fella had just come back from Mexico. The older guy was remembering being in Puerto Vallarta in the aftermath of a hurricane.

Still and naturally, the talk turned to Tequila. Our younger participant thought it was odd that it was hard to sell higher-end Blanco Tequila. The older guy tried to look wise, a little bit grizzled (pity that he shaved every morning).

“Back in my day,” he began, “when we rode our brontosauruses to the beach—they were great for carrying our surfboards—and Janis Joplin ruled the airwaves, white tequila was the cheap, raw stuff, the stuff that Jose Cuervo wanted to get rid of—it was awful. Even when we were kids, we ponied up for the gold.”

“Sure, but that was then, old man,” answered this impudent youth. “We have a different world now. You see this thing; it’s called a cell phone. Janis never had one of those.”

“Well, yeah, but…”

“But what! The world has changed; the world of tequila has changed.”

“I know, and I know you’re right. Back in my day (surfboards on dinosaurs, etc) I would bet you that all the quality tequila that we get now was dumped into a big vat and became Cuervo. That’s why it was so much better than.”

“No, it was better then because you’re looking back through rose-colored glasses.”

“Fair enough,” the older fellow concedes, even though he looks no wiser. “But I think white tequila is pretty spectacular right now.”

“Yeah, it’s the best, really,” says the young man, “It doesn’t try to be anything else. It doesn’t try to be too smooooth. It’s not all about a stupid barrel.”

“No, you’re right; it’s bright, lively, vibrant with the fresh fruit of the agave plant. Sometimes there’s a great licorice note running through the whole thing. Have you tried the Herencia Tequila Blanco—that stuff just jumps all over your tongue.”

“Yeah, that’s pretty good, but I’ll take that Corzo Blanco. Plus, it makes the best Margarita north of the Pecos.”

“Okay, mea culpa, my generation spoiled the image of Blanco tequila, but we didn’t ruin the drink.”

“That’s one thing you didn’t ruin.” The young man said.

“It’s not good to shave in the afternoon.”

“Why did you say that?”

“I don’t know. Someone says it in every Latin American novel I read.”

ABSINTHE FEVER

2007-12-27T14:10:00.000-08:00

The word on the street is that Absinthe doesn’t really cause madness, that it’s a rumor spread by French doctors a century ago. Well, you can’t prove it by us.

As you may have heard, Absinthe has recently been cleared for sale in the United States, and it has set off a frenzy. First there was the madness to get any at all, and then there were articles in the New York Times and the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle, touting the Absinthe that was going to be released by Alameda’s St. George Spirits. Nothing like a little publicity to get things stirred up.

The release date was announced as December 21^st and we were named as a retail source for this elixir. This is just what a retail store needs just before Christmas—a whole bunch of people calling up trying to buy something that isn’t for sale yet. We did what we could—we took names and numbers and promised to call people when it got to us. We got only 56 bottles from St. George and they were gone within 24 hours.

We did open one bottle for ourselves, and is a truly fascinating drink. We found that the St. George Spirits Absinthe Vert certainly didn’t need any help from a sugar cube, although water gave it the signature creamy louche and opened up the flavors. The herbs wafted from the glass, with anise and licorice leading (it was reminiscent of Good and Plenty candy, really, and one of our tasters kept wondering out loud, “Why am I thinking of my childhood?”). For all that, we didn’t drink enough to see any green fairies, although we had to be careful with this 120 proof cocktail.

We still have the French Lucid Absinthe in stock, and we’re looking forward to the next batch from St. George, due in February. Hopefully, the world will have calmed down just a bit by then.

2007-11-19T02:18:00.000-08:00

October was such a busy month for us, we had the Signatory Single Malt Scotch tasting and WhiskyFest the very next day. We had a marvelous time and had a chance to rub elbows with some of the top players of the Whisky world. We're already looking forward to next year's WhiskyFest!

BLINK AND YOU MISS ‘EM

2007-10-31T17:19:00.000-07:00

There are wines out there that are so sought after, you sometimes doubt if they really exist at all. Lord knows we think some highly touted wineries are the fictional creations of frustrated novelists posing as wine writers.

Some of these wines do actually exist, but arrive in such small amounts that even we don’t publicize them much. Take, for example the 2003 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon. If Napa Valley has first growths, this wine is surely one of them. We get a healthy allotment of this wine because we’ve been around a while, but even a healthy allotment is 12 to 18 bottles. Some customers try to get us to hold them for them, but we don’t, although we let those who ask know when it arrives. We don’t post it on our web site, we don’t put it in our catalog (by the time the catalog is in a customer’s hands, the wine will be long gone). It’s a $300 bottle of wine, but we know it’s going to vanish.

Shafer Hillside Select is one of the wines you have to keep an eye out for, you have to have an idea when it will be released (for future reference, it’s an October release), and then you have to get on the phone and give us a call. Because if you miss it, it’s gone for a year.

SOMETHING ABOUT MAVERICKS

2007-10-11T04:46:00.000-07:00

As Americans, we tend to love the maverick—you know, the slightly wacky, shoot from the hip type who forges their own destiny. The world of winemaking, beer-brewing and whiskey distilling are full of these sorts, and we genuinely enjoy their company.

Just to give you an example, we recently received a shipment of Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey and we noticed an odd thing on their labels. Each label is signed by the distiller or assistant distiller who bottled that particular batch of whiskey. The label also has a comments section, and one of them read “listening to Patsy Cline”. Another said “riding in Estes Park”. We wondered about this, so we wrote to the distillery to find out what was up with these labels. Here’s what they wrote back to us:

“Our head distiller, Jake Norris is an avid music fan, so he writes on the label what he was listening to while working in the distillery. His hope is that a consumer could put on the same music, pour a glass and they could share a moment together.

“David Nice, assistant distiller, is a wild man on a fixed gear mountain bike. He will write what he’s planning to ride while in the distillery or even take some labels on his adventures and describe what and where he was riding. Whoever purchases the Estes Park will have a bottle that’s already been on an adventure.”

We thought you might enjoy hearing about what these particular mavericks were thinking when they came out with their one of a kind labels.

Fall is Here!

2007-10-09T02:13:00.000-07:00

There is definitely a chill in the air and in a few weeks its time move our clocks back. This week-end we were in the mood for a little window decorating. We usually hire some one to perform this challenging task but we decided to tackle it ourselves, it only took us about 3 hours to do it (not bad for first timers) and we're pretty proud of the end result.

Reflections In A Glass of Whisky

2007-09-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

So I was sitting there with a dram of Aberfeldy 17 year old single malt Scotch whisky the other evening, looking at the bottle. This surprisingly intricate midlands single malt was bottled by Gordon and MacPhail, one of several independent bottlers involved in the whisky trade. I realized that most people don’t really understand what single malt Scotch whisky is for.

There are roughly 120 different single malt distilleries scattered around Scotland’s highlands, Midlands, Lowlands and assorted Islands only about half of which bottle what they produce under their own names. Many of these are owned by the same parent companies—Diageo, United Distillers, Allied-Domeqc, that sort of thing (and these companies keep buying and selling each other’s assets). Now most of these companies produce more than a few different brands of Blended Scotch whisky, your Cutty Sark, Chivas Regal, and Johnnie Walker blends to name the best known. Single malt whiskies exist to service these blends.

The flavor profile of the Johnnie Walker blends derives from the different single malts used as “top dressing”. The base of the whisky is single grain spirits, which is produced in column stills, usually in the Lowlands, from whatever grain is in surplus at the time. This makes for a cheaper base. The single malt scotch whiskies then come into play, to add flavors and dimensions to the blends. In the case of Johnnie Walker the most prominent single malts used are Clynelish, Talisker and Cardhu.

Wait a minute, you say, Cardhu? I thought that didn’t exist anymore. Aha, says I, the distillery does exist and it still produces single malt whisky, but it doesn’t produce enough to service the demand for the Johnnie Walker blends and still have some to bottle as a single. The parent company tried to get around this by bottling a vatted malt under the Cardhu name, but it created such an uproar in the whisky world that the plan was shelved.

Now this brings me back to my bottle of Aberfeldy. It was bottled at cask strength, 113 US proof, so I added a bit of water to it, and it was just lovely. The only way you’ll see Aberfeldy, or many other smaller producing single malt Scotches, here in the US is in an independent bottling. When there is a surplus of a malt, barrels are sold off, and there is a great trade in these. When there is a shortage, some rare malts will become harder to find. There are many distilleries (Rosebank, Dallas Dhu, Port Ellen and Brora, to mention the most deeply lamented) that have been torn down. However, there are even some casks of these gems floating around, and the only way we’ll see them is if an independent decides to put it in a bottle. Some of the leading bottlers are Cadenhead, Signatory, Murray McDavid, MacKillop’s Choice and the aforementioned Gordon and MacPhail. These folks provide a wonderful service of bringing drams to our glasses that we might otherwise never get to taste. We should raise a glass to them!

France's Hidden Jewels

2007-09-26T16:12:00.000-07:00

Sometimes our reputation precedes us. This can lead to an embarrassment of riches. Yesterday evening Denis Lesgourgues, the owner of the single largest estate in Armagnac, dropped by our store. Chateau de Laubade holds more land than any other vine grower in the region and has since 1974. They produce a lovely VSOP Armagnac bottled after 6 to 10 years which could legally qualify as an XO), and an XO Armagnac bottled between 15 and 25 years old. These are lovely, refined spirits, distilled predominately from Folle Blanche (although there is Bacco and Ugni Blanc as well). He also poured several single vintage Armagnacs (1982, 1977 and 1952). These older brandies were made mostly from Bacco, which they feel age better over the long term.

One thing that happened, while our visitor was here, was that this young Frenchman just marveled at our selection of Armagnacs. One thing that he pointed out is what tremendous value we’re offering, rather accidentally, on these lovely brandies. We made our purchases, for the most part, when the dollar was stronger, so our prices are much lower than, perhaps, they ought to be. This was certainly nice to hear.

About five minutes after the Monsieur Lesgourges left us, Herve Pellerin from the Calvados house of Lecompte stopped by. He had been prompted by our good friend Charles Neal, who told him he had to see our store. Before he started marveling at our Calvados selection, we told him about our previous visitor. “Denis was here? I must call him!” he said, breaking out his cell phone and tried to call him, but apparently was exiled right to voice-mail.

Herve poured his 2 year old Calvados, a brilliantly fresh and lively spirit that smelled like an apple orchard in early Fall. Sadly, his Calvados isn’t yet available in the US, but we can expect to see it sometime next month. We love Calvados around here, and we can’t wait until it turns up.

Good Ole Bolly

2007-09-25T20:35:00.000-07:00

Before I start telling you about other ways in which we get spoiled in this business, I do think you should know that it is hard work. We have the days when 200 cases of champagne drop on us. In this virtual world, one of the things we tend to forget is that wine, champagne, Scotch whisky, Armagnac, Cognac, Calvados, even vodka, have to get here physically. That means that a truck drives up to our warehouse or our street door, and it get unloaded, and we have to put these things away. That means lifting 50lb. cases (champagne), 40 lb cases (almost anything else) and sometimes building stacks that are taller than we are. You can break more than a sweat doing this sort of thing.

Feel sorry for me yet? Good.

Now, let me tell you about lunch yesterday.

Champagne Bollinger had sent their marketing director to town. 20 of the elite (ah, shucks) wine professionals in town were invited to lunch at a restaurant so hot as to not even have been reviewed. The lunch was lovely, with designer ravioli and a choice of albacore or duck (I’ll tell, I had the duck. I always do). The champagnes were as lovely, if not lovelier than the food.

Bollinger is, of course, a grande marquee champagne. That means it is one of the top houses, and has been for more than a century. They make a big, bold and powerful bubbly, with lots of yeast, toast and ripe red fruit on the nose, all inlaid on a backbone of steel. The reason for the steeliness and in general the size, of Bollinger Champagne is that the wine is based mostly on Pinot Noir.

Champagne Bollinger, immortalized in Britain’s “Absolutely Fabulous”, makes a brilliantly bold non-vintage known as Special Cuvee. Laced with bread dough and toast, along with hints of dark-hearted fruit, there are few other non-vintage champagnes that show off the power that “Bolly” brings.

We also got to taste the 1999 Grande Annee, the vintaged champagne that Bollinger puts out. Still tightly wound, it showed itself off like a snake, teasing you in with hissing toast and light apple fruit and then making a leap into the steel of the back palate. This was a lovely companion to the spearmint and seasonal green ravioli with a citrus based sauce. We also got to revisit the 1996 Bollinger R.D. which is just the 1996 Grande Annee that has been sitting on its lees for several more years. The depth and complexity of this wine was a lovely match for the duck.

Two lessons to take away here: We work hard, physically, and earn these occasional rewards. And Pinot Noir makes for a terrifically food-friendly champagne!

An Afternoon with Mr. Park

2007-09-21T14:06:00.000-07:00

Sometimes this job is very nice. Yesterday afternoon, just after lunchtime, Dominic Park walked in the store. Mr. Park is the British owner of the Cognac house, Maison Park, and he brought something interesting for us to try.

He had a barrel sample of 1932 vintage Maison Park Cognac. This was at cask strength, which after all that time was only about 84 proof (42% abv), unadulterated with caramel coloring or boisé. It was a beautiful experience and a privilege to taste.

What’s interesting, though, is that Maison Park doesn't bottle this brandy by itself. It serves as a component part of their Vieille Grande Champagne Premier Cru bottling. Mr. Park didn't think there was enough acid or alcohol left for a balanced drink. We agreed, although reluctantly, after considering the beauty of the Premier Cru bottling.

It reminds me of another experience with another Cognac producer from Pierre Ferrand. They poured some 1914 vintage Cognac for us to try. It was history in a glass, and fascinating. But then they poured some of their Ancestrale blend, which was composed of brandies from 1928, 1929 and 1931. The difference was astonishing! The depth and complexity that the multi-vintage blend was just riveting.

What this leads us to believe is that a great deal of the art in Cognac is in knowing which brandies will marry together to offer the kind of experience that such a luxurious drink should offer.

Heidsieck-Monopole Champagne Tasting

2007-09-19T14:47:00.001-07:00

What a night, it was so great to see everyone. Our annual Champagne tasting was just fabulous!

Here are some pictures Karen took. We have to say that the 1996 Heidsieck Monopole was amazing and who can forget the 1998 Rose, tre elegance!