More notes from the Napa Valley Wine Auction
I didn’t go to Thursday’s barrel tasting to taste, I went to shmooze with old friends and new ones and (let’s face it) eat! I couldn’t imagine trying to focus on individual wines, much less take notes, in the mobbed labyrinth that was Rubicon’s cave, packed with thousands of bodies oozing with the speed of congealed grease. It was reminisicent of the backup at the Bay Bridge toll plaza. Just past Mondavi’s barrel things stopped. Just…came…to…a…complete…halt. After a few minutes of this, people looked at each other with a hint of panic in their eyes, as if to say: We’re buried underground. What if we really are trapped? I said to the guy next to me, “I hear there was a three-body collision up ahead,” which made my neighbors giggle, a little hysterically. If I’d been claustrophobic, I would have lost it completely. Eventually the gridlock broke and I escaped to the blessed outside of Coppola’s beautiful, historic Rutherford campus.
Like I said, I didn’t go there to taste. When people asked where my glass was and I explained that I wasn’t tasting, they were shocked. He’s at the barrel tasting and he’s not tasting? Eventually I decided it would be easier to just carry a glass around instead of having to explain to everybody that I’m not tasting, so I went to get a glass. They were being handed out by none other than the Congressman from California’s 1st District, Rep. Mike Thompson, a powerhouse in the House Democratic caucus (who once advised me to invest in Lake County real estate, which I wish I’d done). I was with Terry Hall, the Communications Director for the Napa Vintners. When I asked the Congressman, who has a well-developed sense of humor, for a glass, he quipped to Terry he’d already given me one. “All politicians lie!” I retaliated.
Well, once I had the glass there was no way not to taste. You run into someone you know — Genevieve Janssens, Elias Fernandez, Joel Aiken, Rolando Herrera — and you kind of have to let them pour you their stuff. By the way, another reason I don’t taste at these things is California’s DUI laws. The Napa roads were crawling with cops; the last thing I need is this headline in the San Francisco Chronicle:
NOTED BAY AREA WINE CRITIC BUSTED FOR DRUNK DRIVING
Says “I was spitting!” but blood alcohol level was .12
Napa Valley, June 5, 2010 – A wine critic famous for faking his own death last April was taken to San Quentin Prison for psychiatric evaluation after an altercation following his arrest for drunk driving during the Napa Valley Wine Auction.
Police said Steve Heimoff resisted arrest and had to be subdued with a stun gun. A San Quentin spokesperson said Heimoff had been interviewed by a forensic psychiatrist and was being held involuntarily in the prison’s Mental Unit.
Anyway, I did taste maybe 15 or 20 wines, enough to confirm — as if I’d had any doubt — that these red wines are simply fantastic. Let me now rhapsodize about Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux blends.
Wait! Did I say “Bordeaux blends”? Why do we call them Bordeaux blends? They have nothing to do with Bordeaux. These are Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines blended with Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot, or whatever. In Bordeaux they never say “Cet vin est un assemblage de Napa Valley.” So I’m going to try and remember not to use “Bordeaux blend” again.
How excellent these wines were! World-class, deliriously good. Genevieve’s 2009 To Kalon Monastery Block is still finishing down my throat, 24 hours later. There was a bidder tasting it at her barrel, and he asked if the wine was worth $1,000 a case. Genevieve and I looked at each other, and I said, “That’s only $83 a bottle. Of course it’s worth it.” No, I don’t work for Mondavi, but really, if Screaming Eagle is worth $550 (or whatever ludicrous price it fetches), $83 is a bargain.
Wait! Did I say “Bordeaux blends”? Why do we call them Bordeaux blends? They have nothing to do with Bordeaux. These are Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines blended with Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot, or whatever. In Bordeaux they never say “Cet vin est un assemblage de Napa Valley.” So I’m going to try and remember not to use “Bordeaux blend” again.
Oh come on Steve, don’t start one of those ”freedom fries/kiss” campaigns again. They had it first, even the grapes carry french terms. Bordeaux assemblage is a classic. There are terms that are purely “USAtian” too…. just let it be. Cut some slack to the frogs.
I already have too much problems trying to defend my american friends… as people everywhere think americans are all like W, Palin….
>>…if Screaming Eagle is worth $550 (or whatever ludicrous price it fetches), $83 is a bargain.
Actually SE at $550 would be a bargin….try $750..but you do get a nice wood box!
That Bordeaux Blend thing has always been a problem for me as well. It’s too bad someone can’t come up with a word that would both acknowledge the merit our wines have earned on their own and the heritage of the grape varieties. I think some people had an idea with merit ages ago, but I can’t remember what it was.
I entered that contest back when. I actually met the guy who won. The prize was a case of wine from each member of the Meritage society for life. He was a bagboy at Safeway in San Leandro and lived in a tiny little studio apartment. He told me he had cases of wine stacked up to the ceiling! I wonder what ever happened to him.
Hi Steve,
So called ‘tasting events’ like this are SO NOT conducive to tasting! They are social events with wine. Also I share your very real fear of the DUI scenario, especially given the wine events I have been to recently. With verticals of mature Mouton, Domaine Ponset, and so on, I can’t bring myself to spit anything, which causes me to think about buying a Prius or equivalent for all the wrong reasons (just to appear less conspicuous to cops).
Morton – your most excellent comment incited laughter, which is always welcome on a Monday – thanks!
Best Regards,
David Boyer
classof1855.com
The bagboy? He’s now the Hosemaster of Wine. And he’s making you even more famous with today’s “Steve!” post…
Seems kinda’ hard to win battles over language. You always run into the old concrete meaning vs. how it is used debate. The concrete side might take the prize here since there must be some legal consideration of what can and cannot be printed on the label. Still, I guess if Methode Champenoise is ok maybe Bordeaux Style Blend should be. It is pointing to a matter other than location of origin. Of course, only then if the French are not offended. If we want to make a mark as Americans then we must make rules that carry the torch. Napa Red means exactly this. North Coast Red means this. Whatever. There will always be issues. if you try to keep all of your Syrah together, you will have to take the St Cosme CdR out of the Rhone blend area and put it by Novy Syrah. Oh, well, it’s all fun, right.
Has the term “Meritage” not permeated the local lexicon yet? Or was it kicked to the curb because everyone got tired of being corrected on the pronunciation?
Joe, I don’t think “Meritage” ever succeeded in permeating public consciousness. If it was a wine, I would score it 87 points.
Wow, Steve, you managed to diss both Bordeaux AND Meritage in same post. Now that’s something!
Given that Bordeaux has been blending a specific small sampling of grapes together for hundreds of years, and given that not all blends of these grapes outside of Bordeaux are technically Meritage, I think Bordeaux-style blend is proably as good a term as you can make for labeling such California wines.
As for the relative value, it is hard to think of any price for any wine at the NV Wine Auction as a bargain. It’s not about that, so it makes no sense to discuss, even in a relative sense.
The auction is a charity event — and a classic one at that. The hush leading up to the 2010 auction was palpable. GLad to see that the forces that drive this annual bidding ritual somehow rose up again to make for some astonishing lots.
Tish, I just sometimes get fed up with Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne being the inevitable reference points. I do it myself, so I’m “dissing” me too. It seems like one of these days we should start discussing California wines in terms of California, not compared to anything else. The term “Bordeaux blend” will probably be around for a while, and I’ll probably use it, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.
“It seems like one of these days we should start discussing California wines in terms of California, not compared to anything else”.
Very well put, Steve. I couldn’t agree more.