originally posted by Lou Kessler:
Kistler?I'll let the other geeks argue about the Kistler but Celine Dion? I remember an article by a friend of mine in a Los Angeles newspaper describing her as "a very large voice in search of just a little soul." IMHO the woman has no terroir, there is no there there. In fact less than the Kistler IMHO.originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
I drank something you didn't drinkContinuing in my pursuit of the improbable, last night a 2002 Kistler Pinot Noir "Kistler Vineyard" was a dashing fellow indeed. So balanced! So Burgundian! So suave, at a perfect age of seamlessness; liked to have it on our table and in our glasses, etc. It's 62F in Paris in August and a friend made Cuban roast pork and we listened to Cline Dion. Dig the syncretism, if you dare.
In any case, it was actually very lovely. And I tried as I might*, I could not find any of the hallmarks of CA pinot, so despised of one and all. I don't know where this was from (some hill off Chambolle they forgot about?), but it waren't Cali-forn-eye-A, so much.
Lovely, as were a 2009 Domaine de la Cadette Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire "Melon"yes, a Melon... ba da bum... de Bourgogne. I noted in my dry, terse way, "Tasty biz." I was all Humphrey Bogart as Philip Marlowe. And then a mumblemumble something Alsatian, who knows (shakes head, looks down).
*What on earth is the past tense of "might"? Tried as I mought? Mighted?
originally posted by Chris Weber:I remember a few years ago a large blind tasting with a dozen Pinot Noirs, 4 each from Echezeaux, Russian River and Willamette Valley, and very few people guessed the 4 French ones correctly.
originally posted by MLipton:
Name dropper!
Thanks for the various suggestions and nudges in this thread. I have to say that most of my California knowledge (though not the Kistler) has come through the gracious generosity of Jay Miller.
No offense (to either of you), but isn't that a bit like getting sex education from the Pope? Myself, I rely on fabled Internet tastemaker FLJim for my continuing CA edumafication.
Mark Lipton
originally posted by Josh Beck:
AV Pinot
I also concur re: Mt Eden.
originally posted by Lou Kessler:
Mt EdenThe Mt Eden pinot does not have the track record of the chard, time will tell. Love the chard, my CA favorite white wine. The one I seem to drink almost every year.
Nice to hear, some discerning CA people not thrilled with consistency of their pinots. I'll have to pay more attention. thanks, for the heads up.originally posted by Jay Miller:
originally posted by Lou Kessler:
Mt EdenThe Mt Eden pinot does not have the track record of the chard, time will tell. Love the chard, my CA favorite white wine. The one I seem to drink almost every year.
Well, a 1991 Mt. Eden Pinot that I had about a year ago was a pretty convincing argument
originally posted by Lou Kessler:
Mt Eden Love the chard, my CA favorite white wine. The one I seem to drink almost every year.
I've tasted some of the chards at 10 to 15 years of age before, some were great some not so great but depending on the vintage and the storage they will go that distance. I just haven't made it a habit of aging my MT Eden chards for a great length of time.originally posted by maureen:
originally posted by Lou Kessler:
Mt Eden Love the chard, my CA favorite white wine. The one I seem to drink almost every year.
I've still got a 94 down in the cellar - what are my chances? Well-stored, of course.
I tend to agree with you, I don't think I've tasted anything by Kistler that has aged gracefully. Some of the chards have tasted pretty good with a steamed Maine lobster and a quart of melted butter.originally posted by Keith Levenberg:
I've recently had two very disappointing over-the-hill bottles of the '94 Mt. Eden chardonnay. The '95 in contrast is spectacular.
I have 2 or 3 more bottles of the '91 pinot so Jay just say the word if you feel like testing its consistency.
As for Kistler, I actually did find myself in a situation with some Kistler on the table two weeks ago. '99 and '07 Cuvee Elizabeth pinots, the former from Occidental Vineyard and the latter some other vineyard (Occidental having been acquired by Evening Land). To say they were awful really doesn't quite capture the experience, they were the type of wine that ties the mind up in epistemological knots trying in vain to comprehend the mindset that would find these not only acceptable but excellent. It is like if someone were to tell you that they enjoyed drinking spoiled milk, or if they swore to you that something you knew was blue was actually a bright orange to them. Can our fellow humans' taste feelers really be that alien? Anyway, I re-read Sharon's post twice wondering if I missed some sarcasm, but if a Kistler pinot really came out Chambolle-like, well, then, that only adds even more things to marvel about. What a fascinating universe this is!
originally posted by Florida Jim:
BTW, if you want to try some interesting CA pinots, may I suggest those from the Anderson Valley?
Not all of them but more than a few have a very clear sense of place and the better producers make wines that I think you would enjoy - at a third of that price.
Best, Jim