Red Wine with Fish

Red Wine with Fish is on hiatus. Have been for some time, actually.

Most of my activity is focused on Willamette Shakespeare right now, so you can catch up with me there.

Look for this weblog to come back to life some time in the future.

Last week I had the opportunity to taste a 1994 - 2007 vertical of Chehalem’s Reserve Pinot Noir. I have had some of those wines individually and tasted smaller verticals, but this was the first time I had tasted through them all. It was instructive. It definitely challenged conventional wisdom about what makes a “good” vintage.

Since 1994, there have been a number of “great” vintages in Oregon according to the press. Let’s compare Wine Spectator, Robert Parker’s view of the vintage and my experience with Chehalem’s Reserve Pinot:

It seems that I am not on the same wavelength as Harvey and Robert, particularly on the older vintages. A great Oregon Pinot to me is one, I guess, from a so-called lack-luster vintage that has 5+ years of age. In my view, the “great” vintages: 1994, 1999, 2002 and, by extension, 2006, are for drinking within the first couple of years, before the alcohol and tannin takes over the fruit.

I am going to finish off my 2002 - 2004s and 2006s. The 2005s, 2007s and eventually 2008s are going to sit for a long time.

Of course, this is only one set of data-points and might not apply equally to all producers, all AVAs, etc. But I think it is a good starting guide. I am not convinced at this point that most producers lower-end bottlings will have the longevity of the higher-end stuff (this is the “Reserve” after all), but I am not sure. It could be that, in a cool vintage, there is too much underripe fruit in the non-reserve stuff but perhaps not.

We also did a 1996 - 2007 vertical of the Ian’s Reserve Chardonnay. More on that later…

From John Cole’s Balloon Juice (via Delong):

I really don’t understand how bipartisanship is ever going to work when one of the parties is insane. Imagine trying to negotiate an agreement on dinner plans with your date, and you suggest Italian and she states her preference would be a meal of tire rims and anthrax. If you can figure out a way to split the difference there and find a meal you will both enjoy, you can probably figure out how bipartisanship is going to work the next few years.

So let me get this straight, after eight years of creating the biggest budget deficits in US history, the Republican Party is offended because the stimulus package is too big, at least in part due to the fact they (the Republicans) insisted on tacking on $30 billion in tax cuts. As a result, they are going to force the Democrats to knock out $110 billion in education, infrastructure and budget relief to the states. BUDGET RELIEF TO THE STATES! This money would be guaranteed to be spent immediately due to massive state budget shortfalls.

It seems the Republicans, despite rhetoric to the contrary prefer a big federally-mandated tax cuts (which incidentally generally forces states to do the same) to allowing the states to determine how best to spend the money on their own.

Of course, the Republican Governors are pissed. They are facing massive budget short falls largely through no fault of their own.

$600 billion went to find WMDs that everyone pretty well knew weren’t there. $700 billion went to bail out wreckless and greedy financial institutions. Saving the states from budgetary disasters and rebuilding schools doesn’t seem like it should be controversal at this point.

I think the Republican Governors should start their own party. To quote Brad Delong:

Raze the Republican Party to the ground. Plough it under. Scatter salt in the furrows so it can never grow back. We need another, very different opposition party to face the Democrats. We need it now.

The time for bi-partisan outreach is past. If the party won’t play, they have to pay.

American Society of Civil Engineers did a report card on our infrastructure. We suck. So, whether or not the stimulus package works to stimulate the economy over the short term, our infrastructure is completely falling apart and we need about $2.2 trillion dollars of spending to fix it.

2009 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure

That’s the Reduced Shakespeare Company, of course. The RSC in London is yet to ask us to audition for anything. The Gallery Theater in McMinnville did, though and Sydney and I were both cast. So come see us in our first time on stage together since 2004 (not counting our wedding… yes, there was actual theatre in our wedding). The show opens 3/28.  For more information, see the Gallery’s website.

Yesterday, I came back from Dallas, Oregon with 300+ lbs of beef in the back of my Mini Cooper S. We had ordered a half-cow (heretofore named Bessie) from McK Ranch which we split with a co-worker of mine. Tonight we had our first cut. It was a round steak. I marinated it in Lea & Perrins for 30 minutes and broiled it. On the side we had brussel sprouts from our CSA and cheddar mashed potatoes from a local farm. Other than the 2004 Switchback Merlot from Napa, it was a very, very local meal.

How was it? Good. Needs work. I have, in the past, hovered between a very small number of specific cuts of beef that I know how to deal with: NY strip, tenderloin, sirloin, petite sirloin and skirt mainly. This one was new to me and, in future I think I would marinate longer with more acid, perhaps some lime; break down that muscle tissue a bit. Nice flavor though.

The Switchback is massive. Not a “food wine”. At 15.5% alcohol and, I think, a tiny bit of residual sugar, this is almost a dessert wine. Not generally my style, but fun in a hedonistic kind of way (to borrow from Parker). A rich chocolatey nose with a touch of rose (EA?), massive and mocha-like, no, more like mocha mousse in the mid-palate and coffee-flavored sandpaper on the finish.

So, thank you Bessie for giving your life for our sustenance and enjoyment. I will endeavor to do a better job with your delicious meaty flesh next time. And hopefully choose a wine that complements your subtle and delicious flavors a little better.

Amen.

I don’t drink much wine that costs $6. I drink a lot of Pinot Noir. For $6, the Pinot Noir you get is probably not very good. Well, actually, the bottle is empty and the cork missing. $6 Pinot Noir doesn’t really exists from what I have seen.

Anyway, I tasted the Campo do Borja Vina Borgia, a 100% Grenache wine that was selling at our local Roth’s grocery store for slightly under six bucks. I figured it would be amusing. Nope. It was very impressive. It would have been impressive for twice that. Or three times.

Plum, cherry and spice on the nose and bright red fruit, white pepper and black current in the palate. Impressive acid and barely a hint of the stewed quality I so often find in hot-weather wines. Nice clean red fruit on the finish.

Really, really nice. It’s simple and straightforward and went great with the wok-fried lamb, chard and baked rice dish I made.

Recommended at twice the price. A steal for the actual price.

It is official. Willamette Shakespeare is now an Oregon non-profit. This summer will be our inaugural season. The production will be As You Like It. Performance dates and venues TBA. We have a new site up (very much in process), a Facebook group and a mailing list for people interested in keeping up with the company. If you would like to join the mailing list, just e-mail list@willametteshakespeare.org.

See you this summer!

I know Hal Medici prefers his 2002, but at least as of right now, I would rather be drinking this one. Light to medium in body, with pretty red and black fruit and nice clove-like spiciness, this paired quite nicely with the roast leg of lamb. Aroma of dried strawberry with a hint of toast and vanilla and that funky smell that my friend Rob likes to call “Pinot Stink”. Nice bright food and a sweet raspberry finish.

It is drinking really, really well and I expect it is pretty close to its peak.

2001 is a funny vintage that a lot of the locals, my boss included, don’t like. It was cool and damp and most of the wines are light in color and extraction. I can’t rightly say I remember what they were like when released, but I find I like the vintage a great deal, particularly for food-friendliness. I think I just might try to find a little more of this wine.