Professor Bainbridge...on law, politics, religion, culture & food

Pina D’Adamo Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) 2005

A potent Cabernet Sauvignon with bog big, bold flavors. Deep purple. Strong legs. Cassis, espresso, mocha java, black cherry. The tannins are a little gritty and a little chalky, but don’t prevent the wine from being enjoyable now. Grade: A-/A

Red Faces at the Wine Spectator

This is absolutely hysterical:

My name is Robin Goldstein, and I’m the author of a new book called The Wine Trials. Lately, I’ve become curious about how Wine Spectator magazine determines its Awards of Excellence for the world’s best wine restaurants.

As part of the research for an academic paper I’m currently working on about standards for wine awards, I submitted an application for a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. I named the restaurant “Osteria L’Intrepido” (a play on the name of a restaurant guide series that I founded, Fearless Critic). I submitted the fee ($250), a cover letter, a copy of the restaurant’s menu (a fun amalgamation of somewhat bumbling nouvelle-Italian recipes), and a wine list.

Osteria L’Intrepido won the Award of Excellence, as published in print in the August 2008 issue of Wine Spectator. (Not surprisingly, the Osteria’s listing has been removed from Wine Spectator’s website since I posted this.) I presented this result at the meeting of the American Association of Wine Economists in Portland, Oregon, on Friday, August 15.

It’s troubling, of course, that a restaurant that doesn’t exist could win an Award of Excellence. But it’s also troubling that the award doesn’t seem to be particularly tied to the quality of the supposed restaurant’s “reserve wine list,” even by Wine Spectator’s own standards. Although the main wine list that I submitted was a perfectly decent selection from around Italy meeting the magazine’s numerical criteria, Osteria L’Intrepido’s “reserve wine list” was largely chosen from among some of the lowest-scoring Italian wines in Wine Spectator over the past few decades.

HT: Alder, who says the spoof, if true, “completely destroys any shred of credibility that these awards might have.”

Pine Ridge Onyx (Napa Valley) 2000

This Malbec and Tannat-based proprietary red blend’s name is an homage to the “black wines” of Cahors. And, of course, it immediately invites comparisons to the increasingly important Argentinean Malbecs. To my taste, however, this is a quintessentially Californian wine. Big, high alcohol (over 14%), tons of extract (great legs), very ripe fruit, toasty French oak. Not that that’s a bad thing, of course.

The 2000 is ready to drink, although it still has enough structure to support medium-term cellaring. Blackcurrants, raspberries, and blackberries, spiced with espresso and cocoa. Grade: B+

Silver Oak (Alexander Valley) 1997

A truly spectacular bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon that is at an optimal drinking age, although it likely would have continued to improve. Huge bouquet of blackcurrants, black cherry, pencil shavings, amd toasty American oak. The flavor profile follows the nose, but adds leather and dried currants. Delicious. Grade: A

Ridge Three Valleys (Sonoma County) 2003

This Zinfandel-based (72%) proprietary blend includes 12% Carignane, 10% Petite Sirah, 4% Grenache, and 2% Mataro. The Three Valleys designation refers to the wine being sourced from multiple vineyards in Dry Creek. Alexander, and Russian River Valleys. It’s a remarkable wine. Big, intense bouquet and flavors. Brambles, wild berries, blackberries, freshly ground white pepper, and nutmeg. Will keep a couple more years. Grade: B++

Chateau Meyney (St. Estephe) 1989

In 11/2004, when this wine was 15 years old, I noted that it “was still a remarkably young and backward wine.” With four additional years of bottle age, it has reached a plateau of maturity at which I would expect it to remain for at least a decade. It is fully integrated and remarkably well balanced. There is still a core of excellent dark fruits—black cherry and blackcurrant—but there are also the flavors and bouquet of a mature claret, such as leather and pencil shavings. The remaining tannins are soft and rounded, but there’s enough tannic pucker on the finish to suggest that this wine—if properly cellared—will still be going strong when it turns 30. Indeed, as was the case in 2004, this wine still needs a fair bit of breathing time in the decanter to fully open up (say 30 minutes). I’m lucky enough to have 5 bottles left in my cellar. I think I’ll try one in Fall 2009 when it turns 20 and, if my current assessment holds up, parcel the remainder out every couple of years until 2019. Grade: A

Louis Jadot Meursault 2004

A lovely, soft white Burgundy that made a splendid match for a grilled shrimp and corn chowder. Pears, white peaches, Meyer lemon confit, and a dash of oaky toast and vanilla. Grade: B++

Newton Claret (Napa Valley) 1999

Prior notes in 2/2005 and 11/2003 praised this remarkable wine. I bought it upon release at a mere $19/bottle. At age 9, it is still going strong and has outperformed many more expensive wines. In 2005, I noted: “Leather, pencil shavings, dried cranberries, dried currants, and a dash of oriental spice,” which isn’t a bad description of the wine tonight. The additional years of bottle age have further mellowed the wine and brought the earthy flavors of maturity further to the front, but it still has plenty of delicious dark fruit left. Sadly, only one bottle remains in my cellar. I’ll open it in late next year at age 10, although if I had several bottles left I might let one go to age 15 or even 20 to see what happens as it continues to evolve. Grade: A