I miss being in the Loire Valley. I want to return to Chinon soon. I miss the air, the food, the castles, the gardens and their plants and flowers. I also miss treading upon ground once inhabited by Jeanne d’Arc and Leonardo.
And the wine there. I share a love of Cabernet Franc with Rabelais, and with Cardinal Richelieu, who had it planted it at Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil. Lively and full of red fruit — cherry and raspberry — when young, and, in the best examples, so complex and sophisticated when older.
She had visions.
I’ve poured many glasses of Breton, as inhabitants of the Loire call Cabernet Franc. Abbott Breton, a monk at Bourgueil Abbey, or Abbaye Saint-Pierre de Bourgueil-en-Vallée in French, was partial to the grape and planted it on the grounds of the monastery. His care for the vines impressed the area’s inhabitants, and they wanted some of their own. The rest is delicious history.
I recently tasted a Cabernet Franc from Cakebread Cellars (2019 vintage), and a certain hilltop castle came to mind. It’s in Chinon, and one fair spring day three companions and I dined well on that hilltop among the ruins of the castle. There was cheese, perhaps Brie and Mimolette, a loaf of bread, some butter and sausage. And with the food, a bottle of Cabernet Franc.
Rabelais would have enjoyed this wine.
Cakebread’s wine is 76 percent Cab Franc, 19 percent Merlot, and 5 percent Syrah. (You can find it at your favorite merchant, or on the Cakebread site, where it is sold for $75.) It’s a lovely wine, aged 17 months in 60 percent new French oak and 40 percent neutral oak. You’ll find the typical violet notes on the aroma, something that everyone should experience and appreciate. I drank this with pork and beef meatballs … know that Cabernet Franc’s acidity makes it a suitable pairing with many foods, never a bad thing.
Drink this now, or put it aside for a few years in a cool place.
Tasting wines on a daily basis brings abundant opportunity for assessment, reassessment, discovery, and reinforcement (“that wineis as good as I thought it was,” or, “I did not notice such stark acidity in my previous tasting of this Riesling”). It is an illuminating process.
The other day I opened a bottle of Domaine Guion Bourgueil “Cuvée Prestige” — 2018 vintage — with comparison as the goal … that, and enjoying a glass of something that I liked immensely back in April of 2020. I wanted to see how the ’18 had changed in the bottle between tastings. Little, was my answer; it was still one of my favorite wines of the year, and I look forward to drinking more of this wine come 2022 (and beyond).
Stéphane Guion knows how to make fine Cabernet Franc. (Courtesy Domaine Guion)
Stéphane Guion is the man behind this bottle — the fruit comes from vines averaging 50 to 70 years of age planted on a domaine that’s been certified organic since the 1960s — and works from his base in Bourgueil, in the Loire Valley. I first tasted wines from this producer back in the 1990s, at a dinner in New York, and recall that they were inexpensive and delicious.
Cabernet Franc is one of my favorite things to drink, and this one is among my top picks. Low alcohol, lovely acidity — cellar this one for a decade and thank me when you open it in 2031 — with wonderfully ripe, soft tannins. You’ll appreciate violet and strawberry aromas, plus some spice and tobacco. In the mouth, dark fruit and subtle black pepper. Pair this with everything from grilled asparagus to lamb, sausage, and seafood stew. You can find this wine for around $17 at select outlets, including Chambers Street Wines.
Buy as much of this as you can.
The lesson — or one lesson — to be had from the act of daily tasting is, aside from the pleasure of it, development of the palate. While taste is subjective, objectivity is vital to individuals engaged with wine. Taste, taste, then taste some more.
Another wine I sampled recently: the 2018 Aperture Cabernet Sauvignon. Jesse Katz, the young winemaker behind this bottle, has for a good while been the recipient of accolades for his approach, one that he began working on (if originally through osmosis) while traveling as a young boy with his father, photographer Andy Katz, in Bordeaux, Burgundy, and other wine-growing regions. The younger Katz was the first winemaker to be included in the “Forbes 30 Under 30” list, and Wine Spectator named him a “Rising Star.” He made wine for Justin Timberlake. And if all of that does not impress, his wines, including his Devil Proof Malbecs, will.
Jesse Katz made this.
First, know that the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon from Aperture Cellars is drinking well now. If you were to open a bottle of it this evening and pair it with a grilled ribeye you would have no regrets. However, this wine will also reward patience. Drink a bottle now, and put one (or a case) away for eight years or so.
The Alexander Valley AVA is the source of this wine, which is 86 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 7 percent Malbec, 5 percent Merlot, and 2 percent Petit Verdot. It retails for $70. The Cabernet here is sourced from four volcanic-soil sites on hillside slopes, and the wine is unfiltered, unfined, and un-acidified.
By the way, if you can get your hands on some of Katz’s Malbec, do so.
Do give this bottle some time to breathe … decant it for a few hours. The cassis, tobacco, and coffee notes will please your olfactory senses, and the dark fruit and slight spice and vanilla will linger in the mouth.
A sparkling wine with a British accent. (Courtesy Nyetimber)
Let’s turn to some sparkling wine from England — West Sussex and Hampshire to be exact. It’s from Nyetimber, and it’s a multi-vintage cuvée (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier) that retails for $55. I consider this one of my go-to sparkling wines at that price level, and like to keep one chilled at all times.
The Nyetimber Classic Cuvée is aged for an average of three years, and its toasty quotient is remarkable. Brioche, frangipane, a slight nuttiness … all of that is there, plus fine bubbles and an elegance that makes this wine more than ideal for celebrations, anniversaries, and brunch. Would I pair it with oysters or salmon? Yes, and if toro and ebi were served to me I’d be happy drinking this wine with them as well.
Nyetimber as a producer has put a lot of money and thought into reducing its carbon footprint, and I like that. Thirty percent of its estate holdings is comprised of “nonproductive” hedgerows, sheep from a nearby farm graze the grass and other ground vegetation in vineyard plots — their waste supplies nutrients to the soil, and their eating habits reduce the use of tractors and lower carbon emissions. I am a firm believer in the adage that every little effort counts, and these types of practices at Nyetimber (and at many other producers) add up.
The Contini Bonacossi family has been making wine for a long time.
Finally this week, a red wine from Italy that spoke to me with confidence and promise. It’s from Tenuta di Capezzana, an estate whose founding dates back to 804 A.D. It’s situated 12 miles west of Florence, and is a leading name in the Carmignano region, the history of which is fascinating.
In 1716, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo III de’Medici, granted the region official and legal status; today, Carmignano DOCG regulations stipulate that Sangiovese must be at least 50 percent of the blend, and allow 10 to 20 percent of Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc, as much as 20 percent Canaiolo Nero and 5 percent Mammolo and Colorino, and up to 10 percent white grape varieties, such as Trebbiano or Malvasia.
To the wine: It’s the 2015 Trefiano Carmignano Riserva DOCG, and it has a suggested retail price of $59. It’s bottled during the best vintages only, “best” as deemed by the winemaker, and it’s aged for 18 months in French oak (10 percent new oak) and an additional year in bottle.
The 2015 is 80 percent Sangiovese, 10 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10 percent Canaiolo, a blend put together well by Benedetta Contini Bonacossi (Capezzana is owned by the Contini Bonacossi family). For those of you who are interested in names, Trefiano refers to the 15th-century villa purchased in the 1920s by the Contini Bonacossi clan. Five hectares of vineyards that surround the villa are the source of the grapes used to make this wine.
Deep ruby in color, the Trefiano greets the nose with dark cherry and cedar. This is a wine with serious intent, and I loved it with lamb. Steaks, wild boar, and sausages would be other great pairings. Ripe tannins never jar the drinker, and the tobacco notes on the palate are delightful. I’m looking forward to revisiting this vintage in five years.
I also sampled three other offerings from Capezzana, bottles at different price points; each is worth consideration.
I began with the 2018 Barco Reale di Carmignano DOC, at $18 a great value. It’s 75 percent Sangiovese, 15 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 5 percent Canaiolo, and 5 percent Cabernet Franc, and is fermented in stainless steel and aged in Slavonian oak. Drink now.
Next, the 2016 Villa di Capezzana Carmignano DOC ($30). It’s considered the flagship wine of the estate; 80 percent Sangiovese and 20 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, fermented in French oak and aged for a year in the barrel. Drink now-2026.
Finally, the 2013 Ghiaie della Furba Toscana IGT ($51). As with the Trefiano, this wine is made in the best vintages only. “Ghiaie” refers to the gravelly soils near the Furba, a stream on the estate. It’s 40 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 35 percent Syrah, and 25 percent Merlot. Delicious now, and is still full of aging potential.
Next week, I’ll be sitting down with, among other selections, some California Zinfandel, a Prosecco, and a Malbec from the Temecula Valley AVA.
I love to talk about wine with people who share my passion for it. We open bottles, we trade stories about travel and soil types, terroir and residual sugar, and we talk of taste and food and restaurants. We recommend wines to one another, we drink, and we learn a lot.
In Wine Talk, I introduce you to friends, acquaintances, and people I meet as I make my way around the world, individuals who love wine as much as I do, who live to taste, who farm and make wine. You’ll appreciate their insight, and I hope you’ll learn something from them as well.
The wine bug can bite hard. Just ask Eric Sigmund. He took a part-time job at Total Wine & More to help pay off his student loans — Sigmund has a law degree — and discovered a new love, one that eventually forced him to put aside a career in international law and enter the world of wine professionally.
Sigmund is now the chief operating officer for Reddy Vineyards, and oversees sales and marketing, distribution, compliance, and human resources at the winery, which is based in Brownfield, Texas.
Reddy was founded in 1997 by Dr. Vijay Reddy, whose expertise in soil chemistry and experience as a farmer — cotton and peanuts in India — made him a natural at growing grapes. He came to the United States in 1971 and earned a graduate degree in soil and plant science, then, in 1975, a doctorate. He and his wife, Subada, started a soil consulting business, which led them to their first grape plantings. Reddy now encompasses more than 300 acres planted with 38 varietals.
Sigmund joined the Reddy team in early 2019, after having spent nearly five years with Total Wine, ending his tenure with the company as an associate buyer. He holds degrees from the University of Iowa and Syracuse (juris doctor). As you will learn, Sigmund is an avid ambassador for the Texas wine industry.
James Brock: How has COVID-19 changed your work and life?
Eric Sigmund: COVID has forced us to become more openminded and flexible. When the initial lockdowns began, in March, we were quick to pivot to maximize our online footprint. We emphasized driving traffic to our eCommerce site, utilized social media for customer acquisition, and brought our story and products into customers’ homes via virtual tastings.
Virtual tastings are a sign of the times.
Virtual and online touchpoints will continue to be core elements of our customer-service strategy. We also doubled down on our retail strategy. During COVID, we expanded our retail footprint within Texas and accelerated the development of a new series of wines designed for grocery and fine-wine retailers. We are extremely proud of these wines, as they provide consumers an affordable 100 percent estate-grown and estate-produced lineup of premium Texas wines that were previously not widely available within the state.
JB: Tell us about three wines you think are drinking well at the moment. What makes them worthwhile? How about a food pairing for each one?
ES: The Reddy Vineyards Field Blend is our flagship wine. The 2017 vintage is drinking great. It’s a proprietary blend from a unique circular-shaped block in the vineyard that is planted with eight varietals. This 2-acre block is harvested together and co-fermented. Because of the way we craft this wine, it displays many layers, but is also very harmonious, since the wine started as a blend even in the vineyard.
“The Circle” Field Blend
Everything about this wine is a bit unorthodox, but that’s what makes it so interesting to drink. This wine is available on our website for $35 and can be found in several retailers within Texas.
Our 2019 TNT Red Blend is a 63 percent Tempranillo and 37 percent Touriga Nacional. These varietals do exceptionally well in the warmer climate of west Texas and produce an amazing synergy of aromatics, color, body, structure, and flavors when blended together. It’s very “Texas.” I love to pair this with some good barbecue. The wine is young with good tannic grip, but it is still approachable. It retails for $40, and can be found at retailers including Total Wine and Central Market throughout Texas.
The 2019 Reserve Viognier / Marsanne Blend is our premier white wine. These Rhône whites thrive in Texas. Viognier, in particular, is a star performer, but I really love Marsanne, especially when it sees some new oak. I see barrel-aged/fermented Marsanne as Texas’ version of oaked Chardonnay. This wine was aged 50 percent in new French oak for six months and gives the drinker a lot to enjoy. Secondary notes dominate the aromatic profile, but the Viognier lifts the wine on the palate with nice acidity and bright citrus, while the Marsanne adds body and creaminess.
A trio from Reddy Vineyards
This wine won Double Gold and Best-in-Class Viognier at the 2021 Houston Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition, which is a great accomplishment. Pair it with lobster, scallops, or poultry. You can buy it on the Reddy Vineyards site ($50).
JB: If cost was no consideration, tell us the one bottle you would add to your personal collection, and why.
ES: This question doesn’t resonate with me. When searching for wines to buy, I’m looking for new and interesting experiences. Perhaps it’s a varietal or a region I don’t frequently taste, an up-and-coming producer, or the wine was made utilizing an interesting technique.
I’ve enjoyed plenty of rare, blue-chip wines, and there are many more I haven’t had the opportunity to taste, but seeking these wines doesn’t interest me. Wine needs to be more accessible (but don’t confuse accessibility with availability for the sake of quantity), so I’m generally looking for wines $50 and under, which overdeliver and can serve as a reference point for emerging trends or further research.
Currently, I’m particularly interested in aged (dry) white wines. These wines can be misunderstood and underappreciated. The best white wine I have ever tasted was a 2012 Texas Viognier that I drank last year, the Pedernales Cellars Reserve Viognier. It retails for about $40. It was exquisite — a true wine epiphany moment. It was still youthful and bright but had developed seemingly endless complexity. Every time I sipped it, I tasted something different, and the wine continued to evolve over the next two hours as I drank it. That experience helped reshape my perception of old whites and of the incredible potential of Texas wine. (Editor’s note: The fruit for the Pedernales Viognier came from Reddy Vineyards.)
JB: What is your favorite grape, and why?
ES: I’ve always been particularly fond of Syrah. I love a bold and spicy Syrah from Rhône and enjoy expressions from Barossa or McClaren Vale as well. Meaty versions can be a lot of fun to drink, too. Syrah just hits the right notes — the dark fruit, the structure, the depth — it’s what I’m looking for in a big red.
The 2019 Reserve Cabernet Franc from Reddy Vineyards
JB: How about one bottle that our readers should buy now to cellar for 10 years, to celebrate a birth, anniversary, or other red-letter day?
ES: Our 2019 Reddy Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Franc is tremendous. It is a blend of 89 percent Cabernet Franc and 11 percent Petit Verdot. 100 percent new French Oak. This wine was just released and will age well for a very long time. It sells for $75.
JB: Where is your go-to place when you want to have a glass or bottle (outside of your home and workplace)?
ES: To be honest, when drinking outside my home, I tend to drink beer and cocktails. I like to drink something new every time I enjoy a beverage. It is much easier to find new and unique items on a beer list or cocktail menu since these rotate more frequently. Unfortunately, too many wine lists tend to be static and feature the usual suspects. Plus, the wine markups at restaurants are just crazy when I can purchase that item for a third of the cost at my local retailer.
Good cocktails are handcrafted, so they are more unique to the restaurant. This is a huge problem for the wine industry. I’d encourage restaurant owners who are passionate about wine to focus on smaller, rotating menus that will keep guests interested. One positive of COVID is the wide adoption of eMenus, which makes it easier and more cost-effective for restaurateurs to run dynamic beverage lists. I hope this will continue long into the future.
JB:If there was one thing you wish everyone would keep in mind when buying and drinking wine, what is it?
ES: I’d encourage customers to think more about where the wine came from and how it was made. Don’t be afraid to ask questions of the wine steward at your local wine shop. Hopefully, that person can help guide you — in a well-informed but unpretentious manner — to find a wine that not only fits your taste preferences, but also your values.
At the same time, shopping for wine shouldn’t have to be a chore. This is another challenge for the wine industry as a whole. This burden falls to the producers to be more transparent and communicative of these facts with consumers. It’s great to see more producers leaning towards transparency, but the wine industry should also be wary of those who try to capitalize on marketing things like “clean wine.” This, too, can be dangerous for the industry by legitimizing misperceptions and creating misinformed customers.
Eric Sigmund: “Don’t be afraid to ask questions of the wine steward at your local wine shop.”
JB: What is your “wine eureka moment,” the incident/taste/encounter that put you and wine on an intimate plane forever?
ES: I previously described an experience I had with a Texas Viognier, which solidified my belief of the world-class quality of Texas wine. I’ve only had two other wines that elicited the same type of “eureka moments” — so these are very rare.
Instead, my passion for wine developed as I began working a second job as a wine associate in a local Total Wine & More to help pay off student loans. At that time, I was a practicing attorney who had zero experience with wine. For me it was, and continues to be, “discovery”. Each wine tells a story — about place, about geography, about weather, about people or family, about heritage, about the future — that is captivating.
There are also countless links between law and the alcohol business that add another layer of intrigue. Today, more than anything, I love sharing my passion for wine with others and seeing that same spark ignite interest in this journey of discovery.
JB: What has been the strangest moment/incident involving wine that you have experienced in your career?
ES: Recently, I led a tasting at Cadillac Wines in Fort Worth, Texas. This tasting was set up through our distributor and I had never visited the location before the event, but had heard they were known for carrying a nice assortment of high-end boutique wines.
When I arrived, I pulled into a Cadillac dealership. I was confused. There was a small sign upon entry that read “Cadillac Wines” and offered a direction to follow. I drove through the dealership and found no sign of anything related to wine. I Googled the shop again and, apparently, I was in the right place. I eventually parked and went inside to a beautiful showroom. Lots of luxury cars, no indication of wine.
Finally, as I walked towards the main reception area, I saw an incredible floor-to-ceiling wine cellar at the end of the hall. This 12’x20’ cellar was filled with unique and rare wines and is a destination for wealthy wine collectors. Now dazed and confused, I proceeded to taste through a selection of our wines with folks shopping for cars and loyal followers of the Cadillac Wines mailing list, right in the middle of the dealership. This was easily one of the strangest tasting experiences I’ve had in my career.
Published in 1955, a pleasure to read today
JB: Your favorite wine reference in a work of literature?
ES: I thoroughly enjoyed reading An Invitation to Wines, written by John Storm and published in 1955. This book was written as a guide to introduce “uncomplicated people” who “consume millions of gallons of wine without any folderol whatsoever — without purrings or posturings or poetic rhapsodies” to the world of wine. Widely outdated on many levels, it’s a glimpse into the post-Prohibition wine industry and how wine was perceived at the time. Interestingly, there are many parallel challenges observed by Storm that continue today. It an interesting and humorous read (the latter certainly not intended) that provides perspective into the world of wine that was and the challenges we face today.
I love to talk about wine with people who share my passion for it. We open bottles, we trade stories about travel and soil types, terroir and residual sugar, and we talk of taste and food and restaurants. We recommend wines to one another, we drink, and we learn a lot.
In Wine Talk, I introduce you to friends, acquaintances, and people I meet as I make my way around the world, individuals who love wine as much as I do, who live to taste, who farm and make wine. You’ll appreciate their insight, and I hope you’ll learn something from them as well.
I was waiting on Michael Kennedy at the bar. I had tasted his wines the week before, and was looking forward to meeting him in person. Email correspondence had given me a good idea of the man — thorough, enthusiastic, intelligent — and I’m always happy when my initial assessment is verified. In Kennedy’s case, I was correct.
He had come to Houston to sell his wine, which I was representing with Monopole Wines. Component is Kennedy’s label, and wines bearing the name hail from Napa and Bordeaux. He and his partners have three lieux-dits (left and right banks) in Bordeaux from which they source fruit (Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon), and in Napa they have made wines with grapes grown in the Yount Mill Vineyard (Semillon), the Caldwell Vineyard (Cabernet Franc), and on Pritchard Hill (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot).
Lunch was a glass of wine and a croquet madame, paired with lots of conversation, and afterward, I was convinced that Kennedy was someone I would be glad to know. We visited a few restaurants, and a country club or two, and sold some wine. We had dinner that evening, at Tony’s, joined by a few people Kennedy had met on Grand Cayman — he was a sommelier at Blue by Eric Ripert at the Ritz-Carlton — and the conversation continued (and continues).
Kennedy’s career includes serving as the beverage director at the Cayman Cookout, and his first vintage at Component was 2013. If you haven’t tasted what he is making, you will be in for a pleasant experience. I look forward to again sharing a table with him after the pandemic’s demise allows such pleasures.
Here is Kennedy in Wine Talk:
James Brock: Tell us about three wines you think are drinking well at the moment. What makes them worthwhile? How about a food pairing for each one?
Michael Kennedy: In our portfolio, I have really been loving our Sémillon this summer. It’s über fresh, with a bit of saltiness — perfect with raw oysters or other beach foods like ceviche. I have also been drinking quite a bit of our 2017 reds from Bordeaux. It’s a “fresh” vintage, so that means they’re drinking well young. Unlike in 2016, where our wines were austere and serious, the ’17 allows for some immediate pleasure out of the bottle. Strange, of course, to say young Bordeaux at this price point is drinking well, but I love vibrancy and acidity, which it delivers.
I am drinking these wines with summer meats — meaning pork tenderloin, crispy-skin chicken — especially if prepared simply on the grill, perhaps with some herbal friends like grilled rosemary. This will really trigger the herbacious qualities of the wine, while allowing the juicy acidity to play well with mid-weight meats. (2018 Component Semillon, Yount Mill Vineyard, Napa $68 a bottle, 2017 Component La Carrière Cabernet Franc, Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux $170 a bottle.)
JB: If cost was no consideration, tell us the one bottle you would add to your personal collection, and why?
MK: If cost was no matter … I’d love to have a cellar full of Château Lafleur. I truly have not had an experience quite like I had visiting the estate and learning from their winemaking team. The wine is so light, almost hard to believe it comes from Bordeaux, but what it doesn’t have is where I fall in love. It replaces weight with flowery elegance and toys with your mind. At one moment, the wine is intense, in the very next it is subtle. Alternatively, I’d love to acquire all of the old American Zinfandels out there — the classics from Ravenswood, Ridge, Swan — even further back from Martini and others. This varietal is so underappreciated — in fact, I like it that way.
JB: What is your favorite grape, and why?
MK: I wish I was cool enough to say something like Palomino or even Chenin Blanc, but I have to say the white wine I drink most at home is Chardonnay. I am a sucker for Bourgogne Blanc. Benjamin Leroux described it as the “red wine of white wines,” and that’s true. It can be so complex — texturally, aromatically — and confounding as well. If there’s another varietal I love, it’s Cabernet Franc — the feminine to the masculine Cabernet Sauvignon.
Component has roots in Bordeaux and Napa.
JB: How about one bottle that our readers should buy now to cellar for 10 years, to celebrate a birth, anniversary, or other red-letter day?
MK: Buy more American Zinfandel — something like Bedrock from a historic vineyard site (Monte Rosso, planted in 1886, is a good start). Not many people realize that some of the consistently oldest vines for commercial production are right here in the US. Plus, Zinfandel ages beautifully.
JB: Where is your go-to place when you want to have a glass or bottle?
MK: All I want to do right now is go sailing with a bunch of friends and a cooler filled with entry-level white Burgundy, Vinho Verde, Muscadet and Pinot Grigio. Maybe next year …
JB: If there was one thing you wish everyone would keep in mind when buying and drinking wine, what is it?
MK: Wine is wine, you know? One of the coolest guys in the business is a man named Alessandro Masnaghetti. He’s an Italian mapmaker, and he said something that struck me recently in regard to “famous” winemakers. He talks about the phenomenon of “genuises” in winemaking being compared to Einstein or Dante — and the ridiculousness of this. One of those men discovered the theory of relativity, winemakers make wine for people to consume. I don’t know, I guess I just wish people would enjoy wine more — and stop “analytically tasting” wine. Just love what’s in your glass (but make sure it’s tasty).
JB: What is your “wine eureka moment,” the incident/taste/encounter that put you and wine on an intimate plane forever?
MK: I feel like I’ve been talking a lot about Bordeaux, but, oh well. I have two moments, and both over a bottle of Bordeaux.
First, a 1996Château Montrose with my then-mentor, Allyson Gorsuch. We had worked a long tasting event and one of the benefactors of the event put out cases of wine from his cellar for us (the sommeliers working the event) to enjoy. I was just studying for my Certified Sommelier, and Gorsuch was studying for her Advanced. Everyone immediately took the Burgundy and Napa big shots, and we went with Montrose. It was in the “bret” days of the estate — and man was it awesome. We popped the bottle, sat down, and talked for two hours, watching the wine evolve. Over that conversation (which was arguably better than the wine), we saw this wine take a wild ride. It taught me about complexity.
The most important wine lesson I learned over a bottle of wine happened in 2012, when I had been given a bottle of 2005 Carruades de Lafite (the second wine of Lafite). I opened it with essentially the only wine collector I knew at the time. He had an excellent old-world cellar, and in an effort to prove to him that I knew something about wine (I had recently passed my Certified Sommelier) I googled everything on the internet I could find about the estate, the winemaker, the vintage, etc.
I opened the bottle and started babbling through everything I memorized earlier that day. This kind and experienced collector was so gracious; he listened and engaged sparingly. And when I ran out of information, it was a much quieter turn in the evening. After some time of silence, he started telling me things like, “This wine has really improved since I tasted it shortly after release five years ago,” and, “It reminds me of how the 1990 tasted at this stage,” and, “It seems to me that this wine will have a similar path of aging to the 1996”. It was in that moment that I realized I cannot “memorize” experience and that I should shut up, listen, and drink as many great wines as I can. To this day, I have to fight the urge to say too much, because I don’t want to miss something of meaning from someone more intelligent, experience, and generous than myself. (Although look how much I wrote here.)
JB:What has been the strangest moment or incident involving wine that you have experienced in your career?
MK: Too many to mention. It’s an industry filled with characters! One of my favorites, though, is also one of my most embarrassing. I was 21, first month in the industry — straight out of college — and my brother’s friend who owns a really excellent distribution company invited us to a portfolio tasting. We of course decided to attend and loved every minute of walking around experiencing the different wines and producers.
It was all well and good until we walked up to the table of a top Italian winemaking family, hosted by the beautiful daughter of the founder. She was in a stunning white dress and had opened some of their family’s top red wines. There was even an older vintage in a large, wide-based decanter. I tasted through, somewhat starstruck about the wines, and when it came for her to pour us the older wine, I took a deep sip of it. My wonderful brother whispered a comment about her not being able to use the decanter well right as the wine hit my palate, and I sprayed the family’s rare red wine all over this woman in the white dress. I was mortified, and basically blacked out and ran away. I saw her years later from across the room at Food & Wine Classic in Aspen and immediately changed course to avoid her in the off chance she recognized me. So, yeah.
And it was good …
JB: What is your favorite wine reference in a work of literature or a film?
MK: I feel like there are plenty of deep and philosophical references out there, but I recently started looking at biblical wine references. I found a diagram of a wine press from Jesus’ times and then decided to see exactly how much wine Jesus made as his first miracle. Turns out, we know quite exactly how much wine: “Six stone water jars, containing 20-30 gallons each”. That’s about equal to 1 ton of grapes or two standard barrels, or 50 cases of wine. Man, I would have loved to have tasted that.
Recent Comments