By Henry Salomé (Own work) [GFDL or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Question: We have a bottle of Château Haut Brion, 1985, Graves, Red Bordeaux Wine. When is the latest that it should be consumed?

Answer: What a treasure you have there! 1985 Bordeaux are underrated generally because they were so delicious right out of the gate and concerns were expressed that they would not last. Haut-Brion is a star in every vintage because of their unique special terroir providing wines with outstanding balance. Robert Parker in his Bordeaux book 4^th edition (2003) gave your 1985 a solid 95 score and his stated “Anticipated maturity: now – 2012” but it will last a lot longer. Now at 30 years of age where well stored it still should be on a fantastic plateau of elegant charming enjoyment. I tried a bottle of 1985 Haut-Brion in 2015 that was mature but a pure stylish delight. Best vintages of Haut-Brion surprise you as they seem to go on forever. Last year at the Château I tried the 1945 (granted a fantastic concentrated vintage) that was still amazingly complex yet fresh and it is 40 years older than your 1985! Wonderful to drink the 1985 now but it will last at least several decades more. Impossible to give you a specific definite ending date. Another alternative you always have is to auction it off with current prices in the $400 US range and continuing to go up. Enjoy!

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Last week I was privileged to attend a dinner of our local Chapter of La Commanderie de Bordeaux featuring a vertical of Chateau Haut-Bailly. The 9 wines featured included the following vintages with short descriptions provided by Veronique Sanders:

2003: Atypical

2002: A Very Pleasant Surprise

2001: Elegance

1998: Merlots Blessed By the Gods

1995: Velvety (or Sexy Playboy)

1990: Powerful

1988: Intensity

1986: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

1985: Splendid Maturity

The wines were very elegant overall with maturity providing some beautiful complexity. The wine of the night was voted on by the group with the impressive “powerful” 1990 the winner though I had a soft spot as well for the balance and classic elegance of 2001. What was brought home to me again at this event was how different the wines showed from several older wine reviews on them. Take for example the two oldest wines of 1986 & 1985. Robert Parker ‘s Bordeaux 4th edition (2003) showed both last tasted in January 1997 with scores of 85 & 86 respectively. Certainly they showed far better now some 19 years later than those scores indicated deserving at least 89 and probably 90+ in this new era of inflated wine scores. We know there will always be bottle variation with older wines but we don’t always appreciate that wines (especially Bordeaux, Burgundy, Piedmont and others) can develop and change dramatically over time.

Notes  of Parker show:

1986: RMP 85 – “a soft wine that can be drunk at a very early age”, “The full-intensity bouquet of sweet, smoky oak and ripe plummy fruit is very attractive”, Maturity to 2005. In 2016: Excellent purity of classy cabernet sauvignon, stylish and still fresh. Impressive.

1985: RMP 86 – “not a great deal of depth”, “quickly narrows out to a lighter-style, supple yet unexciting wine”, Maturity drink now in 1997. In 2016: Some bottle variation but best bottles showing typical mature Graves earthy tobacco and lovely drinking right now.

Don’t always believe that older tasting notes accurately reflect the description notes and score of the wine you are actually drinking many years later!

Have you had this experience?

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By Stephanie Watson [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

By Joseph Temple

For anyone who thinks that a famous French monk invented sparkling wine–well, here’s some news for you! More than a century before Dom Pierre Pérignon began experimenting with bubbles on the chalky soil of Champagne, a small commune in the foothills of the French Pyrenees named Limoux was already producing its very own fizz. Back when Épernay and Reims were best known for their wool exports and the surrounding vineyards grew mostly red wine grapes, this small community on the river Aude became the birthplace for French bubbly.

Today, Limoux is largely seen as sparkling wine’s redheaded stepchild when compared to the names Veuve Clicquot, Bollinger and Krug. However, with some experts predicting that the market for high-end Prosecco is about to chill, Limoux may experience a renaissance for those seeking out a competitively priced alternative to Champagne. So here are ten facts to get you up to speed on this French wine region.

By Sieurd’arques (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

1.  According to the Limouxins, sparkling wine has been produced there since at least 1531. However, some historians believe it was first invented during the Middle Ages.

By jmt-29 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/jmt-29/2400948787/) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

2.  A mix between Atlantic and Mediterranean climates, Limoux is situated on a high altitude. The limestone slopes make it an ideal spot to grow Chardonnay.

By Stephanie Watson [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

3. The two main styles of sparkling wine are Blanquette de Limoux and Crémant de Limoux.

By syvwlch [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

4. Blanquette de Limoux must be made with 90% Mauzac grapes – a local variety also known as Blanquette and tastes similar to apple skins. The rest is made up of Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc.

By Tomas er (Own work) [GFDL or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons

5. The more popular Crémant de Limoux only needs 10% Mauzac and/or pinot noir with the remaining 90% being Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc, resulting in a more refreshing taste.

6. Crémant means French sparkling wine that is made outside the district of Champagne using the traditional method of secondary fermentation occurring inside the bottle.

By Pinpin (Own work) [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons

7. Whereas Crémant de Limoux must spend at least fifteen months aging on the yeast lees, Blanquette de Limoux is aged only nine months on the lees.

By Stephanie Watson [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

8. In 1938, an AOC was given to Blanquette de Limoux. But in 1975 and 1989 respectively, the rules were loosened to allow less Mauzac grapes and more international varieties such as Chardonnay.

By Sieurd’arques (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

9.  Limoux sparkling wine is known to have pear, peach and apricot aromas and a round, creamy taste with lemony acidity.

By Tomas er (Own work) [GFDL or CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

10. Most sparkling wine from Limoux is dry and sold as a non-vintage.

Sources:

Coates, Clive. An Encyclopedia of the Wines and Domaines of France. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000.
Gasnier, Vincent. A Taste For Wine: 20 key tastings to unlock your personal wine style. New York: Penguin, 2006.
Hammond, Carolyn. 1000 Best Wine Secrets. Naperville: Sourcebooks Inc., 2006.
Joseph, Robert. Eyewitness Companions: French Wines. New York: Penguin, 2005.
MacNeil, Karen. The Wine Bible. New York: Workman Publishing, 2015.

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Question: More of my recent wine purchases have a screw-top closure. Should I be storing these in my cellar on their sides just like for my cork closure wines?

Answer: Cork closure wines should be stored horizontally in order to keep the natural cork moist so it doesn’t dry out and allow air to get in oxidizing the wine. With screw-top bottles you can follow the same procedure but you have other choices open to you because of their tightly fit closure. This is really a bonus because it provides you with versatility to not just put them lying down in racks but to utilize in any position every nook and cranny of open space available in your cellar or even upright on the cellar floor. Your choice.

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Just returned from an interesting food and wine update week in Washington & Oregon. Our very weak Canadian dollar sure has an impact on prices outside the country. Encourage all the tourists out there to plan a visit to Canada in 2016 to take advantage of this currency value situation. A few dining recommendations in Seattle & Portland:

SEATTLE: Pike Place Market is always a draw. Some good casual lunch spots there including fresh soup and panini at Michou Deli or quality Italian items at DeLaurenti. Elsewhere check out Bitter/Raw the new upstairs Bar at Lark Restaurant for an aperitif with innovative charcuterie, crudo, oysters, and cheese selections. I liked their Popcorn with Parmigiano Reggiano, Truffle Salted Sunchoke Chips, and Roasted Eel.

I highly recommend Trattoria CASCINA SPINASSE (spinasse.com) 1531 14th on Capitol Hill, Telephone 206 251 7673 (and their Artusi Bar artusibar.com next door):

It first opened in late 2008 immediately winning the Seattle Magazine’s Best New Restaurant of the Year under then Chef Jason Stratton. I was fortunate to attend those Awards and enjoyed dining there for the first time in 2009. However it continues today with even more amazing top Italian cuisine bringing it to new heights by talented Chef Stuart Lane and crew. Chef Lane has an impressive bio including Café Juanita and culinary experience in Emilia-Romagna. Outstanding handmade in-house pasta include Tajarin with either butter and sage or Ragu, Mezzaluna of moist roasted butternut squash with toasted almonds, rosemary and Parmigiano, and Agnolotti filled with veal, pork, and beef + marjoram & Parmigiano. My dish of the year might be the magical so delicious Roasted Cipollini Onions stuffed with sausage & Braised Fennel!  Innovative mains like Pan Roasted Rabbit Meatballs with Polenta & Pickled Horseradish. Get a reservation!

PORTLAND: Still a consumer’s delight with no State sales tax imposed. Hot Tip: Amazing salt selection at Jacobsen Salt Co. (jacobsensalt.com) including our fav of Gold Label Black Garlic Salt 4 oz. for $14. Value lunch sandwiches at J Café 533 NE Holladay (near the Lloyd Centre) owned by super host with my namesake Jonathan Cross. The South East region is hot and trendy especially along SE Division Street. Lots of breweries and Happy Hour beer specials. Bar Avignon at 2138 has fresh Heather Allen Sandy Paws Dark Lager & Double Mountain Stout and informal value food items including smoked pork cheek and mushroom risotto. Pinolo Gelateria at 3707 has authentic Tuscan hazelnut gelato.

Recommend Portland Wine Merchants 1430 SE 35th Avenue off Hawthorne with owner Rory so knowledgeable and fun discussing with him our mutual wine buying experiences at cheap prices (1959 Ch. Suduiraut) during the 1980s at Connoisseur Wine Imports in San Francisco where he was then working. Great values at his store for Willamette Valley pinot noirs from Medici Vineyards (2004, 2006, and ripe 2008 all $24.95) and Delinea label of 2013 Sokol Blosser $19.95.

I highly recommend AVA GENE’S (www.avagenes.com and @AvaGenes on Twitter) Italian restaurant 3377 SE Division Telephone: 971 229 0571:

Wonderful extensive list of Italian wines at fair prices. Even feature top Frank Cornelisson wines from Mt Etna in Sicily and value 2010 Aglianico del Vulture from Carmelitano Serra Del Prete in Basilicata for $38. Open Food Kitchen and enthusiastic service is really excellent. Highlights included Burrata, Dates, Marmellata Squash, and Nuts; Sagna Riccia with Chicken Ragu & Chestnuts; Lamb, Cecis, Mushrooms, Tomato, Pine Nuts, Mint; and a Family Style Platter $50 (would feed 4 but we sampled for 2) of slow cooked succulent Pork Shoulder, Pistachio, Fennel, Olives, Citrus, and Nduja (spicy pork sausage).

What are your top spots in Seattle & Portland?

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