Bon Voyage Jeff Cassetta (Some Palmers & Etc.)
Fringale Restaurant, San Francisco
Tasted May 4, 2005 by PaulH with 1,607 views
Introduction
In San Francisco for business, Jeff Cassetta had organized a superb Bordeaux tasting at Masa's the night before. Jeff isn't the sort of fellow to let opportunity pass by, so he had offered to bring a 1983 Palmer to a follow-up dinner the next night, but as he had to catch a red-eye flight back to Michigan, he didn't want the proceedings to last quite as long as the previous night's adventure (2am). So Jeff, Christine, Gene and I (all fugitives from the seven-hour Bordeaux Blowout the night before) gathered at 7:00 p.m. at Fringale for dinner, conversation and some wine. We started with some Champagne which I unfortunately did not take any notes on. But then it was on to the..
Flight 1 - White Wines (2 notes)
I brougt along a bottle of Rochioli Sauvignon Blanc which turned out to be quite mediocre, so I went back home (only about 120 steps) and brought back something a bit unusual that I thought the company might enjoy (the Clos Rougeard). Fringale was offering a special asparagus salad with truffle oil which went well with the acidic Saumur-Champigny. (Q: What are white wines? A: Wines you have to drink while waiting for the red wines to be served. Thankfully, only half of this flight fit this definition.)
White
2004 J. Rochioli Sauvignon Blanc
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Perfectly fine straw/gold color, with the nose showing a touch of green apple and a lot of ripeness verging on candied fruit. The palate was creamy with a medium body and very ripe fruit and a finish showing some residual sweetness. Not enough acid to balance the sweetness and fruit. Not my cup of tea. Most of the bottle ended up as a gift to the Fringale kitchen.
White
2000 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur Blanc Brézé
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur
This is an interesting wine, a big fully-dry chenin blanc which, as a bit of research with Google shows, seems to be regarded as a cult wine in France. Color was pale silver/gold almost like vodka. The nose showed tar, a lot of black pepper and a bit of petrol it was reminiscent of a riesling nose. On the palate it showed good fruit with plenty of acidity and underlying structure. After following it in the glass for about an hour it started to soften, become more fruity and showed a long creamy finish. This is good stuff which obviously needs more time.
Flight 2 - Pinot (1 note)
I had never tasted a Merry Edwards wine and had high hopes when offered this chance to taste a wine from this legendary winemaker. Perhaps my palate was Bordeaux-ized by the previous night, but I was quite disappointed in the ME...
Red
2001 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir Meredith Estate
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Marked alcohol on the nose. Palate was alcoholic, overripe, and disjointed. This was not very pleasant and after the initial sips, remained untouched by the foursome having dinner.
Flight 3 - Bordeaux (3 notes)
Continuing the previous night's theme of Bordeaux, we next had three outstanding wines from Bordeaux's left bank. These wines were excellent and went well with steak, lamb chops and Duck leg confit from the Fringale menu.
Red
1983 Château Palmer
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Color is still a deep and dark red looking very youthful. Nose is flowerly with sweet lavender, violets, saddle leather, cedar and plums. Tannins are fully resolved, with the palate showing nice richness and a bit of oak. The finish shows a lingering taste of anise with slightly dry tannins. A really lovely and enjoyable bottle of wine.
Red
1999 Château Palmer
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
A deep opaque and purple/red color advertises the youth of this wine. The nose was open for business showing graphite and lead with sweet fruit and -- perhaps -- a touch of alcohol. While it still tastes like Bordeaux, it is remarkable how modern and global-style this wine tastes, with low acidity, and lots of ripe fruit (in 1999?). The palate is quite ingratiating with a medium-full body, chewiness and rich tastes of bittersweet chocolate -- though there isn't a lot of complexity. The finish was long and showed still firm tannins. As the wine aged in the glass, the fruit receded and the tannins remained (ah, more like a 1999). This is very good wine, but it seems atypical for Bordeaux. I wonder how well it will age?
Red
1996 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Very youthfull in appearance. Nose of spice, pepper and chocolate. The palate is inviting and smooth -- a wine like Marilyn Monroe dressed in black velvet with cleavage, eating bittersweet chocolate. Lush, chewey, good acidic backbone and quite firm but sweet tannins. This is great now and is going to be something quite special with a few more years on it.
Flight 4 - Dessert and Port (1 note)
Fringale graciously put together a cheese course for us. The table also ordered a tarte tatin and one other dessert. Needing more wine (?) I managed to find a bottle of port and present it at the table.
Red - Fortified
2000 Krohn Porto Late Bottled Vintage
Portugal, Douro, Porto
Not much has changed since my last note. Nose of coffee and molasses; palate big and mouth-filling with a full body and tastes of blueberries, chocolate, eucalyptus and cloves. Long, lingering finish. This wine is bit rough, but it isn't a 30-year old vintage port, either. Still the best $14 bottle of port I've ever seen.
Closing
Jeff's generosity with his wines is tremendous. It was a lot of fun spending two evenings eating and drinking and talking. While not as extravagant as Tuesday's affair, our little send-off dinner was instructional, often very impressive, and I trust it was helpful in enabling Jeff to sleep on the plane. Thanks to Jeff, Christine and Gene for the great wine and company.
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