Recent content by Carl Steefel

The other issue with Belotti is the difficulty in getting a table (in contrast to Corso). Add to that the $75 No Show credit card fee, which is pretty much of a joke that it is difficult to get a table there and there is always a line of poor starved Oaklanders trying to walk in...

Yes, I have never actually been downstairs to Chez Panisse, so I am always thinking of the Cafe (which is a real restaurant). Wolf and Wood Tavern often will waive corkage, either a decision by one of the staff, or more likely the owner Rich Woods (he tasted the 2011 Conterno Barbera I brought...

I would second or third the recommendation on Belotti--all of the pastas are great, although I can rarely resist the Agnolotti di Lidia. But their menu rarely changes, but I guess if it is so good, why should it? I would recommend Via del Corso in Berkeley--menu changes every couple of months...

Excellent note on the 2019 Huet le Mont--pretty much nailed it with the combination of liveliness and linearity. I like the vineyard most years, but 2019 seems particularly successful. And as you say, certainly drinkable now, but I expect it will develop nicely. Wine retailer shipped me an...

The Vaulorent went to Diam in 2007, hence the consistent set of good bottles there...

The 2019 Huet Le Mont Sec is a beautiful wine, so full of energy and precision. I hear that the Clos du Bourg is maybe even better (waiting for delivery from Oregon now)... I am one of those who maybe gave Chidaine less than full respect, but I think this was a mistake on my part. In 2018...

I recently through a number of 2007 and 2008 Fevre. 100% (8 bottles maybe) of the 2007 Vaulorent and Montee de Tonnerre were really excellent, everything you could want in a Chablis. These were all bottled with Diam 5. Even better were the 2008 Fevre Montee de Tonnerre, a standout vintage for...

Well, cured me of my idle notion of subscribing to Wine Spectator again... My wines of the year: 2015 Prager Gruner Veltliner Smargd Achleiten Stockkultur: What elegance and nuance, slightly bitter herbal brine presented with great finesse... 2001 Quintarelli Vapolicella Classico Superiore...

Interesting. I would say it might be possible to have bottle variation on a younger wine, but not for a 27 year old wine that really should show secondary characteristics. Perhaps the only possibility here for the second bottle to be a real one is if it was stored at some ridiculously low...

What do you think of these more recent Joly wines? Tried the 2014 Cloulee de Serrant I think it was (maybe 2013) at the Domaine, but found it too big (>15% alcohol I think they said). Perhaps this settles down with some bottle age, but I wonder... Just tried the 2016 Foreau Sec recently at...

Ha, maybe between the Cuvee Speciale and the "Tradition", but a lot more than that between the Tradition and those filtered and more importantly oaked wines...

As I recall, Kermit Lynch has two examples of the Epire, one at about $18-20, and then an upscale wine (closer to $30). I cannot find mention of these on the KL Web site (which is also not searchable as far as I can tell) Neither of these wines see any oak, in contrast to several of those...

Yes, very few restaurants have older wines, or if they do, the price is astronomical. So even with the highest corkage fee (I think $150 at French Laundry), it still can pay to bring your own treasure (unless you want to fork out $600)... Had a discussion with Quince sommelier a couple of...

Not too surprised there was no response here (so far), Fevre not being a favorite of the board. However, I think the Fevre Vaulorent is one of the sweet spots of the Fevre production, and hopefully now benefitting from the use of the Diam 10 corks (despite its strictly Premier Cru status which...

The Russians? Did you vote for Hillary?