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

Bonny Doon Le Cigare Volant (California) 2001

In 2001, Le Cigare Volant again tracks a classic Châteauneuf-du-Pape formula of blending Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, and Carignane. As usual, it also again features the light-hearted UFO label. The 2001 is a significant improvement on the 2000 vintage. It’s a clean, fresh, very tasty blend of floral berries with lots of acidity and a core of firm tannins. Strong recommendation. Grade: B+

Ruffino Riserva Ducale Oro (Chianti Classico) 1999

An outstanding, moderately upscale Chianti. Not a pizza wine; we served it with Veal Marsala. Medium ruby. Good, clean nose of cherries and damp earth. On the palate, the wine is well-balanced with smooth tannins and plenty of acidity. Delicious cherry and earthy mineral flavors. Grade: B++

Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) 2000

Duckhorn’s 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon is a deep purple-black, with strong legs. It offers a rich nose of dark berries, chocolate, and mocha java. The palate follows with black cherries, blackberries, chocolate, soy sauce, and oriental spices. All in all, a delicious wine for consumption now and for the next few years. Lacks the tannic backbone it would need for truly long-term cellaring. Grade: A-

Taittinger Brut Prestige Rose (Champagne) NV

A brilliant cherry red color presages a bright and delicious sparkling wine with a rich nose. Cherries, strawberries, and an interesting berry flavor reminiscent of Ocean Spray Cran-Apple. Grade: B+

Beaulieu Vineyard Tapestry Reserve (Napa Valley) 2000

A very tasty, forward blend of 4 Bordeaux varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc. Strong nose of mocha java, herbs, asian spices, and dark berries. On the palate, fruit, tannin, and oak are well-integrated. Chocolate, black cherries, and wild blackberries are framed by a definite impression of vanilla-ish oak. Probably not a wine for long-term cellaring, as the tannins are already melting away, which is why I can't give it an A. Grade: B++

Ca’del Solo Big House Red (California) 2002

A modest but clean red wine suitable for mid-week quaffing on a budget. A blend of almost every middling red varietal except the proverbial kitchen sink - syrah, petite sirah, zinfandel, barbera, carignane, mouvedre, malbec, and negrette. Like any mutt, it lacks the definition or character that a pure-bred single varietal might have offered. Granted, it's reasonably tasty but it's also sort of non-descript; i.e., generic red wine without any particularly memorable characteristic. Grade: C+

Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) 1994

At nearly 10 years of age, Silver Oak's 1994 Napa Valley Cabernet is still a very deep ruby. A powerful bouquet of cassis, cedar, and blackcurrants. A yummy palate of spicy dark fruits. Will improve for at least another decade. Grade: A

Wine Fraud

In vino veritas? Not always. At a very reputable wine retailer here in Los Angeles I recently came across three bottles of the 1985 Château Sociando-Mallet being offered at the enticing price of $29 per bottle. Sociando is a cru bourgeois red Bordeaux wine from the Haut-Medoc region. Despite lacking the imprimatur bestowed by the 1855 classification, Sociando is a very reputable and highly regarded producer. Indeed, in his classic guide to Bordeaux, wine critic Robert Parker rates Sociando the equivalent of a third growth of the 1855 classification, which is very high praise indeed. 1985 was an excellent year in Bordeaux. Parker gives the 85 Sociando 90 points; the Wine Spectator scores it at 91 points. For a 20 year old wine of this quality, $29 was an outstanding - nay, an amazing - price. So I began to give the bottles a very close inspection. All three bottles showed a fair bit of ullage, hovering between the neck and the upper shoulder. That's an acceptable level for a wine of this age, provided there are no signs of seepage on the label or cork. It was when I turned to looking closely at the label, however, that the problems began to show up. I was looking for stains on the labels, which would indicate that wine had seeped past the cork, which is a clear sign of improper storage and, in all probability, spoiled wine. What I found was something even more worrisome, however. On all three bottles, there were traces of glue on the bottle to either side of the label. The implication? Perhaps a larger label had been removed, albeit badly so that traces of glue remained, and then had been replaced by a counterfeit Sociando label. By now I was quite curious, so I bought one bottle and brought it home for a closer look. When I peeled off the capsule, a new problem was readily apparent - the cork was not branded. Like all reputable producers, Sociando brands its corks with the chateau name and vintage year. Clearly, the bottle I had bought was counterfeit. On opening, the wine reeked of vinegar. I don't know what wine was originally in the bottle, but I would bet the entire contents of my wine cellar that it was not Château Sociando-Mallet 1985. The lesson? Caveat emptor. With a bit of research, I discovered that by some estimates as much as 5% of the fine wine sold in secondary markets is counterfeit! So if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. If you're going to buy a 20 year old wine, stick to the most reputable dealers who can provide you with a definitive provenance. And be prepared to spend a lot more than $29 per bottle.