Going On and On

Yes, for a change, I've had little to say.

Fixing up the last bits of books, writing thank yous and fixing glitches. Generally figuring out what my next move is, and wondering yet again, what is this thing called wine. Find myself with nothing to say and struggling to return to writing roots. Of course there's always wine sprinkled in.

 I seem to have shrunk and inch and gained 7 pounds. THEY tell me that I'll lose the kilo I need to IF I drink less. I think this is a big fat lie. Yes, just to prove them wrong, I am experimenting with drinking less. So, to prove  nothing, last night I was so happy to be drinking the

2008 Guion Bourgeuil with some olives as I was trying to figure out what the hell I'll talk about for an hour next Sunday at the London Natural Wine Fair!.

Back to wine: The Guion continues to be a fabulous inexpensive-ish house wine. Earthy, nothing but the hint of forest fruit. Seems as if Chambers Street is out of it, so sorry! 

I have a pile up of California Pinot, because people are trying to convince me it's worth drinking. I am still unconvinced. But I will get to them. Promise. 

On Easter Weekend, my friend Peter (aka The Young Collector) was in town to dance.  He brought with him an older Calera because he knows of my quest.  

 25 years old and the wine still has not gone secondary. And I realize the fruit just doesn't go away. This is really puzzling. Why doesn't it move? I want it to move. I want it to lose its baby fat, but it clings on and refuses to grow. Is it the grape, the soil? I find this quite a bit with California, the wine holds in there until it dies but with little developing of complexity or nuance. Back to the tasting room.

 

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Having seen my lament on Facebook or Twitter (you can follow me @alicefeiring) that I couldn't find these wines by Frederic Cossard in the New York Market, he said, well, then move back to Boston. Seems as if they made a brief appearance at Gordon's and Peter wisely bought them before he even knew they were this thing called, natural.

LOVELY! Not important, but just a lovely whisper with roses and tar and still a tad of tannin. 

Always packing something interesting, Peter also brought this refresher.  

A gorgeous 2009 rosé from Digioia-Royer, a rosé from Chambolle, which I think is my first. Can only find it, I think, for $20 from Berman's in Boston. Love! What a gorgeous rosé. And from Le Serbet, and Becky Wasserman, of course. Okay, Becky, hook me up when I come to visit in June, okay?

Finally, because I have been sorely disappointed with the wines of Baumard, Peter brought one from the days when I liked them. And you know what? This in 1981 was before Jean was joined by his son, so it is old regime and the wine sang true. A complete wine, just beginning to age. Just lovely chenin. 

PS: I am in love Jody William's Buvette on Grove Street. Safe drinking and small bites. Perfect for dieting wine writers, even if the bites are quite rich.

 

Comments

[Josefa Concannon]

Alice

Having a ton of experience with the wines of Calera, I must mention a few things:

Selleck is one of Calera's estate vineyards. It is a block on top of Mt. Harlan. Josh originally dedicated three blocks as single vineyards when he planted Calera in 1975. He considers it to be the site that produces the most complex wines. All of Calera is planted on a limestone mountain that was once the site of a commercial limestone quarry and the Selleck vineyard is the rockiest and the most limestone dense.

Mt. Harlan is a remote place and has been granted an AVA and one of the few "one man" AVA's. It is in the Gavilan mountain range and the vineyard is at about 2200 feet above sea level. The place is truly spectacular, and if you get out to the bay area and have a free day, get out there to see this place.

As for the wine, I find the older ones interesting because, like you said, they hold their primary characters for ages but still have this unique savory quality. I don't find them to be typical of today's California pinots at all but representative of a traditional, old school California.

[Alicefeiring]

Josefa, Thanks so much for chiming in. I've been terribly careless lately. Of course! Selleck. Of course!