OTBN Feb 23, 2008

Open That Bottle Night is a fun invention of Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher who write a wine column for The Wall Street Journal (Tastings). Some 8 or 9 years ago they discovered that they had waited too long to open a "special" bottle of wine. You know, the kind of bottle for which there is never a moment special enough to open it. So it sits there becoming even more precious, and it sits and sits some more. Some day you open it and discover that oops, it should have been opened several years ago. So they created OTBN to be that special event when you reach into your cellar and grab a bottle that you have been waiting to open. It doesn't have to be the most expensive bottle in your collection, it doesn't even have to old, but it should have some special significance to you of shared memories: a winery that you visited, a vacation, a gift from a loved one, you don’t even have to have great expectations that it will taste good (although I would suggest bringing a backup bottle if that is the case, you do want to drink some wine after all!). OTBN can be a private affair to share that special bottle with the person that also shares those cherished memories or it can be an excuse to have a great party with good friends.

The official date for OTBN is the last Saturday in February but because of scheduling conflicts we celebrated a week later this year, and what a celebration it was. Mike and Leslie graciously volunteered the use of their house for the event and the agreement was that every couple would bring a special bottle and an appetizer to share. Well you know how it is with foodies and winos, I mean people who enjoy good food and fine wine, they never bring just one bottle…

When we got there Mike had a bottle of Penley Estate 2004 Coonawarra Shiraz open just to get everyone’s palate warmed up. This showed good balance and fine tannins, one of the more reserved wines I’ve seen Mike open! Our other Mike brought a bottle of his 2006 Pinot Noir from his backyard vineyard. This was the inaugural vintage and it was a success. While there was something a bit reduced about the bouquet the raspberry jam and cranberry flavors really coated the palate and the wine had a nice acidic lift on the finish that made you want another sip. We’re all looking forward to the next vintage.

Let’s see, for food we had: duck foie gras, venison pâté with pistachios, rabbit/pork pâté with pistachios, and a delicious caramelized onion and apple concoction on phyllo dough from Mike and Tanya, smoked salmon with capers and slivered onions from Linda and me, a great scallop céviche that Leslie & Tom provided, grilled beef and lamb with several great sauces provided by Mike & Leslie, and spanakopita from Les & Lorri. All in all a nice collection of flavors and textures to go with the great wines.

Once everyone arrived we sat down to enjoy the wines. First up was a 2004 Reserve Fumé Blanc To Kalon Vineyard from Robert Mondavi that Les & Lorri got at the tasting room several years ago. Les paid $65 for it and this leads to the quote of the night: “I usually don’t spend that much for a regular bottle of wine!” referring to the clear color of the contents. This sauvignon blanc has a laser beam of acidity with concentrated flavors of mango, passion fruit and white peach, really special. This went great with the pâtés, the céviche and the phyllo dough tart.

Next up was the 2002 Nicolaysen Pinot Noir Edna Valley that Mike and Tanya brought. This was fruit-driven and spicy with hints of smoke and a rich depth of flavor that went really well with the smoked salmon and the grilled lamb, yummy Pinot. They only make a few hundred cases of this wine and it is only available directly from the winery. Well worth it I say.

Les & Lorri also brought a bottle of the 2001 Domaine Ott Bandol Château Romassan (mostly Mourvèdre with Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah too). The story behind this wine is that Ott is Lorri’s maiden name and she had us get some bottles for family gifts and she wanted to share the wine with her extended wine family too. For me this had good color, a Southern France, slightly herby nose with a chewy, spicy, well balanced palate. Good intensity. I love Mourvèdre and this is a good example of what the grape from this region can offer. It was great with the grilled lamb and spanakopita.

The 1989 Niebaum-Coppola Rubicon, (a claret blend of Cabernet Sauvignon primarily with Merlot and Cabernet Franc), demonstrates why you must take wine reviews with a grain of salt. In 1994 Wine Spectator rated this wine 83 Pts and gave this comment: “Tough and chewy, with hard-core tannins that override the smoky herb and currant flavors. Has just enough texture to fend off the dry tannins. Cellaring recommended; try after 1997.” It was silky and delicious. The tannins had obviously resolved and there was ample fruit almost 20 years after the vintage. This was really nice with the grilled beef. Thanks went to Leslie and Mike for this little gem.

The 1999 Cyrus from Alexander Valley Vineyards was the last bottle of wine that Linda and I had from the very first wine club that we joined back in about 1985. A Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. Wonderful complexity, with gobs of currant, new leather, exotic spice and creamy oak and a solid backbone of tannin and acidity. This was great with the beef and lamb as well as the rich pâtés.

Tom and Leslie brought two wines and the first that we tasted was a small production Cabernet Sauvignon from the Stag’s Leap District from Robinson Family Vineyards. The 7 acre hillside vineyard sits under the Stag's Leap Palisades right above the Joseph Phelps property. The 2000 Robinson Family Cabernet Sauvignon has an ultra rich "brooding" nose of black currants, dark cherry, bouillon, vanilla and mocha. The equally large scale flavors are of cassis, black cherry, bouillon, toast, mocha and vanilla, and they submerge the tannins in the classic Stag's Leap manner, but with much more power and body. Classic Napa Cabernet that of course went extremely well with the grilled meats. The second bottle they brought was the 2004 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon. While yet a young Cabernet this showed a supple mouth feel and had gobs of currant and black cherry aromas and flavors along with some creamy oak that was not over done. Ditto on the food pairing.

Last up: the 2001 Penfolds RWT provided by our hosts Leslie and Mike. This Barossa Valley Shiraz is almost black in the glass and smells of ripe cherries, blueberries and smoke. Full-bodied, dense, and layered the texture of this wine is like velvet and the finish goes on and on. Big Barossa Shiraz! This doesn’t go with food, it is food!

Well there you have it. OTBN 2008 was a great success and we are already talking about the wines that we want to open next year.