TN '94 Mondavi Moscato d'Oro/Mara '01 Zin
 

[As I was about to type this, I just wondered: does anyone actually use
these TN of wines that are most unlikely to be currently available? If
so, for what? Not that there's anything wrong with the info for its own
sake, just curious. Anyway..]

Good wine weekend :).

One of my favourite CA sweet wines when we first had it ('96, I think?),
this turns out to have aged gloriously. Overwhelmingly floral, to me
prompting thoughts of hibiscus but I'm not a flower guy :). More
powerful than when young, smoother but lost nothing in complexity or
length, refreshing while still intense. Really very good - glad we have
more. Opened somewhat unlikely-ly (yuk, sorry) to go with or (we
thought more likely) after Chicken Tikka Masala, which turned out to be
an unexpected pleasure of a match. This was a really pleasant way to
end the day: A (stealing Dale's scale). I think this was $11 back then,
and it lists for ~$15 now. For us, novices at any storing of wine
long-term, this was an eye-opening experience.

On Sat we made a rare foray into NYC and had lunch at Chanterelle.
Didn't really live up to my expectations: the high points were sublime,
but it was a lot more inconsistent than I expected. No worries - we had
very good friends and lots of time. The four of us had a variety of
choices, but tending toward the rich/heavy (the lamb, which would have
been potentially the gamiest, got sent back(!) though). Anyway, the
point of this was to note that we drank the 2001 Mara Napa (Marquise
Reserve) Zin which was full of character and spice, and well-suited to
drinking with the various dishes; better with food than alone, as the
slightly oversharp impact was blunted to where we wanted it. $70 at
restaurant price. Dried cherry, lots of pepper, felt very well-crafted
with good residual flavour. Probably a B- if drunk alone but a B+ to A-
with food.

TN '94 Mondavi Moscato d'Oro/Mara '01 Zin
 

In article >, Ewan > writes:

>As I was about to type this, I just wondered: does anyone actually use
>these TN of wines that are most unlikely to be currently available? If
>so, for what? Not that there's anything wrong with the info for its own
>sake, just curious. Anyway..]

Hi Ewan:

Well, while I might not be likely to use for buying decisions, I read out of
interest in wine's progression, and to add to my mental picture of how
California muscats do. I probably won't use for any concrete decision, but this
might make me more likely to try aging a California muscat. Who knows- I browse
wine shops a lot,maybe I'll run across a bottle of this in discount bin.

>
>On Sat we made a rare foray into NYC and had lunch at Chanterelle.
>Didn't really live up to my expectations: the high points were sublime,
>but it was a lot more inconsistent than I expected. No worries - we had
>very good friends and lots of time.

Sorry it was inconsistent. Heard their best pastry chef is gone, living in Napa
:)

The Mara sounds interesting, not a wine I know.


Dale

Dale Williams
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TN '94 Mondavi Moscato d'Oro/Mara '01 Zin
 

Dale Williams wrote:

> >[I said:]
> >As I was about to type this, I just wondered: does anyone actually use
> >these TN of wines that are most unlikely to be currently available? If
> >so, for what? Not that there's anything wrong with the info for its own
> >sake, just curious. Anyway..]

> Well, while I might not be likely to use for buying decisions, I read out of
> interest in wine's progression, and to add to my mental picture of how
> California muscats do. I probably won't use for any concrete decision, but this
> might make me more likely to try aging a California muscat. Who knows- I browse
> wine shops a lot,maybe I'll run across a bottle of this in discount bin.

Well, good :). Glad someone's taking it in.

> >On Sat we made a rare foray into NYC and had lunch at Chanterelle.
> >Didn't really live up to my expectations: the high points were sublime,
> >but it was a lot more inconsistent than I expected. No worries - we had
> >very good friends and lots of time.
>
> Sorry it was inconsistent. Heard their best pastry chef is gone, living in Napa
> :)

Well, a cardamom panna cotta (with rose syrup and pear beignets - except
they weren't beignets, really) was one of the high points. Beautifully
delicate. I don't want to put anyone off going - it was good, just not
*as* good as I had thought/hoped.

> The Mara sounds interesting, not a wine I know.

I forgot to mention that it is unfined/unfiltered, which I like.

E

TN '94 Mondavi Moscato d'Oro/Mara '01 Zin
 

Ewan wrote:
<snip>
> One of my favourite CA sweet wines when we first had it ('96, I think?),
> this turns out to have aged gloriously. Overwhelmingly floral, to me
> prompting thoughts of hibiscus but I'm not a flower guy :). More
> powerful than when young, smoother but lost nothing in complexity or
> length, refreshing while still intense. Really very good - glad we have
> more.
Hi Ewan,
I still have a 97 Mondavi Moscato d'Oro in my cellar. Never have had an
occasion to drink it and I've wondered if it's still good. Maybe so.

Dick