Match Book
Pierro
Chardonnay 2019
Incredible power and intensity. A more difficult food match than I remember from last tasting. Complex and rich. — 5 years ago
Belle Glos
Las Alturas Vineyard Pinot Noir
Another gift from a friend. I took it to book club. It was a hit. — 7 years ago
Antica Terra
Ceras Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2013
It’s usually a good sign when the winemaker can articulate what the wine is about like this: “Ceras is Botanica’s counterpoint. Its color is more purple than red. It is more about minerals and herbs than fruit and flowers. It is a focused and elegant distillation of rock rather than an opulent cascade of fruit. It is an expression of the geology that lays beneath our land, the tart blue fruits of the coast range and the tender herbs that one finds amongst the trees and mushrooms of the Northwest forest.”
Her 2013 Ceras is yet another example of Maggie Harrison’s sorcery over the vines at Antica Terra. The focus and intensity of flavor is off the charts, yet it maintains an almost ethereal weightlessness, only emphasizing the layer of silk that separates you from the wine. The pungent rock is so on point and distinctive it instantly reminded me of the scent of lichen growing on rocks, which I experienced in Colorado when I was 7 or 8 years old. This sets the stage for the level of complexity exhibited. The fruit has both an extraordinarily high level of purity and yet the woven tapestry of herbs and spices and even fruit blending are impossible not to notice. The key being that nothing is forced.
The nuance of complexity only being noticed when desired is nearly an impossible feat. I can’t help but recall James Conaway quoting Andy Beckstoffer in his recently released book: Napa at Last Light: America’s Eden in an Age of Calamity. “If a wine was a model with a chipped tooth, you’d have to give her something to compensate with. If she needs better shoulders, better breasts, give her some. But her real charm is in how she carries the defect.”
After reading his book, I can tell you I’m definitely not certain whether you can accept his quotes verbatim. One thing is certain, though, Maggie Harrison’s Antica Terra wines carry the defect like no other. — 8 years ago
Jean-Paul Thevenet
Vieilles Vignes Morgon Gamay 2014
A great friend brought this magnum to thanksgiving in days of yore when we still lived in NYC, and I held off to give it due time…a decade or so later it shined with a youthful vivacity that I wish I could match! — 7 months ago
Domaine Coche-Dury (J.F. Coche Dury)
Meursault Chardonnay 2015
Man Coche just puts everyone else to shame. 2015 is just incredible, belying the warmth of the vintage with electric energy, racy acids and a texture that sets it apart, wrapping around the palate with tremendous density and depth to its layers. I want to smell its struck match-lemon custard bouquet all day. Still my favorite white wines along with Raveneau. — 2 years ago
Enderle & Moll
Muschelkalk Pinot Noir 2009
What can I say? Needs about 30 min of air odd at first and than absolutely brillant. Raspberry driven, thyme, touch oregano, lime, quite tannic at first which mellows out in the glass over time. Drink now or keep for 1-2 years more. A benchmark wine. A unicorn, A singleton, no one makes wine like Enderle & Moll. A perfect match with Salmon. Needs food. — 5 years ago
Cakebread Cellars
Napa Valley Chardonnay 2016
Nice match for Dover Sole in brown butter. — 5 years ago
Casa Contini
Verso Rosso Salento Negroamaro Blend
Cheese match — 6 years ago
Domaine Coche-Dury (J.F. Coche Dury)
Les Enseignères Puligny-Montrachet Chardonnay
Precise, chiseled, match stick — 8 years ago
Domaine du Mas Blanc (Docteur Parcé)
Banyuls Rimage La Coume 2007
[Half bottle] This lovely 17-year-old Banyuls has finally knitted together into a very fine example of Dr. Parce Banyuls (old vine Grenache made in the same way as Port), earlier bottles were terribly disjointed and lacking balance and sweetness). Served with Viennese Sacher Torte my wife made for dessert!
Our first Dr. Parce was the 1967 “Vielles Vignes” which was fantastic and is still my reference point. We had that in 1987 at Pierre Gagnaire’s restaurant in St. Etienne, before he moved on to Paris, his staff was kind enough to comp us a bottle — blind — while my brother and I embarrassed ourselves trying to identify the wine!! That bottle was tried with Pierre’s famous “chocolate soup” dessert, the recipe for which was in Patricia Wells’ “Food and Wine Lovers of France” book from the mid-1980s — memorable combination!!! — 2 years ago
Domaine Leflaive
Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru Chardonnay 1996
struck match. Loads of punch and drive. Great structure. Killer. Coche-like — 2 years ago
Deep Woods Estate
Reserve Margaret River Chardonnay 2013
A very good modern Chardonnay from the Margaret River. Smoky Leesy Flinty Mealy , struck match aromas. Lean to medium weight palate with mainly citrus and ripe grapefruit flavours. Barb thought nectarine notes as well. Still quite delicate but with great length and persistence. This Chardonnay won the James Halliday Chardonnay Challenge in 2014 from 680 entries and 98 points from James. — 5 years ago
Match Book
Estate Bottled Petit Verdot
Delicious. Smells of blueberry and minerals. Strong tannins. Fragrant. Yum yum yum. Plenty of alcohol to get the boys buzzin. — 7 years ago
Leeuwin Estate
Art Series Margaret River Chardonnay 2013
At the Downs Club Magnum Christmas Dinner. A tinge of green to the Lemon yellow colour - very youthful. Restrained for an Art Series where temporarily they joined the Aussie trend at the time for leaner sulphidic burnt match aromas. This is a good balance between their normal peaches and cream and the leaner crisper style. This was an excellent wine and remains one of Australia’s best Chardonnays. — 8 years ago
Marco Rodriguez
Love it. Had it at the Rusty Pelican in Miami trying to match seafood and steak. Dark fruit flavors of plum and cherries. Oak/vanilla hints. Well balanced wine with a long finish. — a month ago