Port Brewing 'Mongo' VS. Russian River Brewing 'Pliny the Elder'

I had a beer tasting today with a new distributor we'll be purchasing beers from at Jar. They have a terrific selection of cool craft brews and, with my growing fascination for beer, I've deemed that Jar's selections are in need of a little face lift. It's very likely I would have blogged about the full line-up we looked at, but I found this particular aspect of the tasting a much more interesting topic.

While this particular distributor carries the seldom seen and highly sought after 'Pliny the Elder', made by the Russian River Brewing Company, it's nearly impossible to get. Very allocated and only a handful of accounts can get their hands on it - and even then, they may only get a case every couple of weeks. This is the beer that I've heard many a Master Sommelier say is their favorite beer in the world. It's a Double IPA that is exquisitely balanced and a life-changer in the category. At least, it was for me...

My salesman brought along an alternative to the tasting today: Port Brewing's 'Mongo'. Also a Double IPA, the word on the street is that the brewer, being a big fan of 'Pliny', has decided to make this homage, or tribute, or rip-off (whatever you prefer) to 'Pliny the Elder'. Makes sense - especially knowing that more people are looking for this beer than can get it. Filling a void, as it were!

While fascinated by this prospect, I was immediately skeptical. Could it be that there was a 'Pliny' wannabe?!!! And I haven't been told by my many beer pimps? Well, only one way to find out if it's true...!

I sat down to a slab of cheeses (to wipe away some of the hops) and decided to see if there was any comparison at all, aside from both falling into the Double IPA category. Unfortunately, there is little information about 'Pliny' on the Russian River website and the 'Mongo' spec sheet on the Port Brewing site is virtually unreadable. So, short of any real technical information, here are my findings based strictly on what's in the glass:

Appearance: Immediately it is apparent which is which. No need to ask anyone to blind taste you because you'd know as soon as you looked at them. While they appear nearly the same hue, the 'Mongo' is much cloudier and must not be as filtered.

Aroma: 'Mongo' has a sweeter core of oranges, mixed wiith the intense hoppiness, as well as a subtle tropical tone as well, along the lines of mango or ripe melon. Also, a bit of starfruit tanginess. Certainly, a sweeter overall character. A complete shift of gears to the 'Pliny': Much more savory character and more challenging to pick out any one aspect of it due to an incredible balance within all of its components. Slightly toasty, a little dill perhaps - not overtly any one thing, but rather a little of all things.

Palate: The 'Mongo' shows much less fruit on the palate than one would expect from the nose. While still fruity, it's extremely hoppy from start to finish, light to moderately bodied, with a medium-length, hoppy finish. Fairly astringent overall, with a pine-y and resinous finish. The 'Pliny', on the other hand, follows through on its promise from the nose: subtlety and complexity all beautifully balanced. Hoppy, but not overly so. Slightly fuller in the mouth, creamier, and seemingly more effervescent. There is also a sweet flavor of citrus here, but no real sweetness at all to speak of.

The Verdict: While it may or may not be modeled after 'Pliny the Elder', 'Mongo' is a totally different animal. It would be in closer competition with many other Double IPA's I've had over the past weeks than Pliny. It's a good beer - don't get me wrong! But I think even a beer novice would not be fooled if tasting these two side-by-side. My preferred choice: Hands-down 'Pliny the Elder'. 'Mongo' is more of a simple math problem to me. 'Pliny' is Algebra.

While I'm clearly a flag-carrier for Russian River Brewing Company and 'Pliny the Elder', by no means do I want it to seem that this was an unfair judging. I was actually hoping for 'Mongo' to show brilliantly against the 'Pliny'. I'd certainly be much happier to have something else to buy when I was craving 'Pliny' and couldn't get my hands on any. But, unfortunately, there is only one Chateau Margaux, despite how many Chateau also produce in the Margaux appellation. I think you get my point...

I remember drinking Tanqueray 10 for the first time and it drawing me into the crazy world of gin (which I had previously despised and had no palate for). A gateway drug, to say the least. Now I have cravings for gin from time to time. Not to say that I choose Tanqueray 10 anymore, but it was just what I needed to help me make the jump into that world.

'Pliny the Elder' did the same for me with India Pale Ale. Unfortunately, sometimes you start out with the best and there's no going back. But there are certainly a lot more IPA's in my fridge now as a result of the discovery: Great Divide 'Hercules', Lagunitas 'Maximus', Bear Republic 'Racer 5', and fortunately a sparce few 'Pliny the Elder'.

A Day with Lewis Cellars

On the heels of our Annual Wine Date, it just so happens that my good buddy Dennis from Lewis Cellars travelled down from Napa to show off the new releases from the winery. We've had a long-standing business relationship that has turned more to friendship now. I've always had a special place in my heart for Lewis wines, even if my personal taste has turned more European in recent years.

The purpose of this particular visit from Dennis was to show the new spring releases, which basically encompass the "Reserve" labels from the winery. Here are the tasting notes:

Sauvignon Blanc 'Reserve' 2009: Lots of ripe melon and tropical notes, blended with freshly ground baking spices. On the palate, chalky texture, but nicely balanced with a rich mouthfeel. Intense for SB, 75% new oak - Chardonnay drinker's style.

Chardonnay 'Barcaglia Lane' 2009: Butterscotch, caramel, fig paste, toast, apple pie, pear tart, overripe pineapple - a plethura of sweet, rich flavors featured in a very BIG package. Some structure here as well. A monstrous Chardonnay and not for the faint of heart.

Chardonnay 'Reserve' 2009: Ripe, but very controlled nose, a touch of herbaceousness, chalky sweetness, with sweet acidity upwelling on the finish. Controlled fruit with terrific balance. Buttered popcorn finish where the oak shines. Surprisingly more Burgundian-styled than my recollection of other vintages. Impressive.

Cabernet Sauvignon 2008: The entry-level Cabernet shows ripe, spicy black currant jam and blackberry with a red-fruited edge. Surprisingly approachable now with very soft structure. Caramel undertones and pie dough underlying. Not one for the cellar, but delicious drinking for tonight, in a plush, ripe and hedonisitic style.

Cabernet Sauvignon 'Reserve' 2008: Significantly more depth and richness than the Napa bottling, darker and more defined fruit, yet holding a freshness to the acidity. Earth tones and charcoal add complexity under the ripe fruit. A chalky sheath of tannin, but completely approachable now. Long, rich, finish.


One of the most interesting, frustrating, and fascinating parts about following the wines of Lewis Cellars is that they can vary significantly from year to year. The Lewis' don't own any of their own vineyards so the source of fruit for many of the wines could, potentially, change from vintage to vintage. Also, they've run through a number of assistant winemakers, including the likes of Helen Turley and Kristoff Anderson, throughout the years since their start in the early nineties. I'm not always sure what to expect anymore, but the obvious through-line is usually attention paid to very ripe fruit and extracted wines.

As for these new releases, I was very pleased to see a more approachable style than I have in recent years. Especially purchasing for a restaurant! These are wines made for enjoying now and in a few years, but don't forget about them in the cellar. In my personal opinion, that's where Napa Valley and Lewis Cellars really excel. Congratulations on a successful new vintage!

The World Pinot Noir Competition

An unprecedented competition featuring the world's greatest Pinot Noirs was held yesterday in Pasadena. Russ Meek, managing partner of Red, White & Bluezz, organized this slapdown to prove once and for all, amongst a group of thirteen wine professionals, whose bottle truly reigns supreme. The "best of the best" from the vintages of 1990 through 2001 were on the table. Wines were represented from Oregon, California, Burgundy, Australia, New Zealand and Germany. And names like Marcassin, Serafin, Bindi, Beaux Freres, Cristom, Serafin, Williams Selyem and DRC were in play.

As a judge on the panel, I sat down to two flights of ten Pinot Noirs, poured blind. Russ implored us not to try to determine which of the wines was which, or even agonize about where we thought they were from. Rather, the idea was to determine which truly expressed a purity of the grape and showed typicity, as well as complexity. Of course, there is always the "wow" factor to consider as well. Ultimately, we were asked to rank the twenty wines poured in descending order from best to worst.

While all the fun of these kinds of tastings is the period during which you are analyzing the wines, it doesn't really make for a very interesting blog. Reading twenty blind tasting notes, I'd probably lose you around wine number four. So, here are the results, with some brief commentary from my notebook:





The Top Ten in ascending order:






#10: Tolosa Estate 2001: Heavily oaked, rosey and potpourri, perhaps a bit too much alcohol on the nose and volatile acidity
#9: Bindi 'Original Vineyard' 1997: Savory and meaty nose, celery and tomato juice with salt - A Bloody Mary!, rhubarb and earth, peak drinking and haunting! This was my #3 vote.
#8: Serafin 'Charmes Chambertin' 1999: Youthful, expressive red fruits, brown sugar note that comes off as sweeter, very balanced palate with earth
#7: Williams Selyem 'Rochiolli' 1991: Super-intense nose of oak, fruit cake, cherry cobbler, coconut. Over-oaked and over-the-top!
#6: DRC 'La Tache' 1990: Sour cherry, dried flowers, tree bark, mushrooms, significant earth and exquisite balance, while still structured. Silky texture.
#5: Cristom 'Marjorie' 1996: Tangy red fruits, meaty and savory, green notes, leaves, earth and mushroom, still present tannin, velvet texture, elegant, dusty oak in the finish, red-fruited acidity drives a long finish. This was my #2!
#4: Daniel Schuster 'Omihi' 2001: Very intensely sour red fruits with earth, salt and singed herbs. Might be too tangy for most. Baked red fruits with rhubarb. Horsey character as well. Still showing structure. Animalistic!
#3: Hudelot-Noelle 'Richebourg' 1999: Candied red fruit, watermelon rind, anise, sweet strawberry, soft florality, blackberry seeds. Firmly structured and seeming very young and primary. Way ahead of its peak, but has the potential to be phenomenal. Long finish. This was my #4.
#2: Mortet 'Clos de Vougeot' 1996: Evolved character, but still fresh as well. Dusty spices, perfumey potpourri and very expressive. Pure red fruits on the palate, welling acidity, earth tones and fine, chalky tannin. Super-long finish and drinking in what appears to be its peak. Refreshing quality! My #1 wine of the tasting!
#1: McKenna 'Martinborough' 1998: Tangy red fruits with forest floor and mushroom, balanced and appearing youthful still. Evolved quickly with air showing further earth character. Fruit in secondary development, fairly structured, dusty, anise. Very good, but perhaps just ahead of its peak.

In order from #11 through #20, these were the remaining wines on the table:

Bass Phillip Reserve 1998,
Williams Selyem 'Allen' 1995,
Furst Centgrafenberg "R" 2000,
Marcassin 'Marcassin Vineyard' 1998,
Beaux Freres 'Beaux Freres Vineyard' 1994,
Lignier 'Clos de la Roche' 1995,
DDO 'Laurene' 1999,
Patz and Hall 'Alder Springs' 1999,
Yarra Yering 1997,
Yering Station 'Reserve' 1997.

What is to be learned from all of this? As it almost always happens, the voting is completely across the board when there are this many "great" wines on the table. It's a classic case of "splitting hairs" and personal preferences. And, furthermore, this is just a snapshot of all of these wines' lives. The results would be completely different with different tasters, on a different day, or with even different bottles of the same wines. While interesting to see the results of, by no means should the results of this kind of tasting influence anyone's decisions on what to keep in their cellar or on their wine list.

Peronally, I learned that I have more of an affinity for Burgundy than I thought I did. I placed all five Burgs in my top 11 out of 20, including #1. I was still happy to see that my top 3 were diverse, including France, Australia and Oregon. It reinforces my hope that I will always keep an open mind regarding wine regions and styles. This was a very successful tasting for me and certainly a once-in-a-lifetime experience to taste all these wines together.

A Beer Cellar

I was discussing beer with a colleague not long ago. More specifically, we were talking about cellaring Barley wine-style ales. I quickly came to the realization that I've never had any "aged" beers and, for that matter, don't even know anyone who ages beer. It's challenge enough to find people who can actually find the patience to cellar wine.

So - I've spent some time over the past month seeking out the startings of my new Beer Cellar. I gave a pretty good push over the past few days looking around for some of the rare Russian River Brewing Company bottlings. I visited every Whole Foods in the vicinity and managed to piece together what looks like a fairly good starting place. At this point, I've got one double-shelf cleared out of the wine cellar (and refilled with beer) which, assuming I don't get desperate one night and tear into it, ought to be enough for educational purposes. Although, I'm already having thoughts of dedicating one of the smaller cellars completely to beer.

The starting round-up looks a bit like this: Allagash 'Four Ale' and 'Curieux', Great Divide 'Old Ruffian', Lagunitas 'Gnarly Wine', Stone Brewing Company 'Old Guardian' and 'Belgo', as well as the .375 ml bottlings from Russian River that include 'Consecration', 'Damnation', 'Redemption', and 'Sanctification'.

I even located a couple of bottles of Pliny the Elder at Green Jug in Woodland Hills. They're not for aging, but I'm happily going to enjoy them in the meantime.

I've also been tasting a number of other Barley wine beers over the past couple days, looking for a few other labels to add to the mix. It's easy to forget how much alcohol they have in them. And they only come in larger formats! This morning I woke up with a vice grip on my head...

The goal now is to forget about them for two to three years. When the great day comes that I will remove them from hibernation, the idea is to purchase current release versions of the same labels and taste the aged version next to its youthful sibling. This was the easy part. Forgetting about them for an extended period of time will be the biggest challenge.

Hopefully, in a few years we will all be around for the "Aged Beer" blog. I look forward to sharing it with you.

The 2007 Vintage of Bond

A number of Los Angeles sommeliers and chefs were fortunate enough to be invited to Spago this afternoon to taste through the 2007 vintage of the Bond wines. Bond is the sister winery of Harlan Estate that specializes in terroir-driven, single-vineyard wines from Napa. Paul Roberts MS and Amanda Harlan were hosting the event, along with Wine Director (and good friend) Chris Miller of Spago.

These 2007's come across as anti-2007. That is, they aren't just flashy, jammy crowd-pleasers. They are deftly balanced with ripe fruit and lots of structure in some cases as well. More importantly, they incorporate savory notes and minerality not often found in many Napa wines. And as they sat in the glass, they continued to open and change.

Here is the snapshot recap:

Melbury 2007: Chocolate cherry cordials and graphite on the nose with crushed violets, anise and elegant perfume. Very generous fruit aromatically. On the palate, consistent cherry flavors mixed with currants, vibrant acidity and a red edge to the fruit that keeps the wine lifted. Blackberry seeds on the finish add astringency. Sandalwood and cinnamon layer in throughout.

Quella 2007: Black currant fruit on the nose with florality, blackberry and a soy-like savory edge. Blueberry, as well. On the palate, a silky texture with crushed flowers, earthen minerality and blue/black fruits to support. Long, savory finish with red licorice. A dark wine that also has a darker, lifting acidity.














St. Eden 2007: St. Eden has always been my favorite of these wines and this was no exception. On the nose, rich fruit and spices find impeccable balance together. Blue, red and black fruits all find harmony. Cedar and perfume with a green savory spice as well. On the palate, Dark cherry, chocolate, thyme, crisp acidity and firm, integrated tannins. This is a big wine that stays light on its feet and fulfills everything I want in a Napa Cab.

Vecina 2007: On first smell, it comes across as a little reductive and herbal. This blew off after some time in the glass. Lots of soy, salt and savory components with black currant and blackberry. On the palate, BIG tannins and more of the savory elements from the nose. Minerality, potpourri, anise. A silky textured wine with lots of structure.

Pluribus 2007: A tangy nose, almost reminding me of Syrah, Burgundian mushroom, graham cracker, florality with blue and black fruits. On the palate, ripe and rich fruit followed by powerful tannin. Espresso, eucalyptus and savory minerality. A real powerhouse in every sense of the word. Finishes long and savory.

Paul and Amanda also brought along two wines from the 2006 vintage to show a comparison of the vintage and how these wines come together with just a little time in the bottle:

Quella 2006: Meaty black fruit aromas, dusty spices, savory edge, florality, graphite, roasted mushroom. Tangy character. On the palate, blackberry flesh and seeds, roasted espresso beans, dark perfumey flavors. Finishes very long.

Vecina 2006: A consistent herbal tone that blew off, as in the 2007. Dark fruit aromas, smoke and charcoal. Very structured with savory notes, soft fruit and very firm tannin. Very dry. Black cherry, red licorice, rose petals. Tannic and in need of time still.

Paul grilled the chefs in the room on their opinions for food pairings. Wolfgang Puck threw out a few ideas for the Quella 2007 and even offered his thoughts on how to make such a heavy red work with fish. Paul recommended braised dishes and mushrooms with the St. Eden. And also mentioned that the Vecina has a tendency with all of its salinity to work well with tomato dishes.

This is always an amazing tasting and so interesting to see these very distinct vineyard sites. It's refreshing to think that there really are microclimates and some terroir in the Napa Valley. I will be looking forward to following the evolution of these wines in the coming years. They are certainly worthy of cellaring and tasting in ten to twenty years.

Annual Wine Date 2011

Kara and I have an Annual Date with a bottle of wine. It started in my fledgling days of learning about wine. I bought a case of Lewis 'Reserve' Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 from Woodland Hills Wine Company. It was the first wine I'd ever bought a full case of anything. We drank our first one on March 6th of 2006. I think it was coincidence (or maybe I planned it subconsciously), but we decided we would drink through the case on the same day every year for the following twelve years to see how a wine truly evolved over time. To date, this is still the only wine I've really checked in with this regularity.



Last year, the bottle we tried was losing its structure and the fruit was getting a little tired. I decided to sell off a handful of the bottles, knowing this wine wasn't going to make it the full twelve years. Next year will be our last bottle, unfortunately. AND fortunately...



Our neighbors, Chris and Cher, invited us over for homemade pizza and bread. Chris' former supervisor has a small bread-making company called "Well Bread in LA" that makes fantastic product which we sampled last night. The Country Bread was spectacular for homemade and as good (if not better) than any artisanal bread from the bakeries. Great sourdough-style tang under fresh whole wheat flour with the soft, light airy texture I always look for in bread. Some Grilled Chicken & Apple Sausages added to the mix with a handful of appetizers and we were ready for vino.



So - the Lewis 'Reserve' Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 in the year 2011: The color on this was surprising as I don't remember it being so light. Nearly as light as some current release Pinot Noirs I've seen (and lighter than some others...). Very spicy oak-based aromas are pronounced on the nose with some fruit underlying. On the palate, light black and red currant, blackberry, and oak overshadowing all of it. Tannins are moderate, heading toward moderate minus with some acidity still hanging on. It's losing its fruit and vivacity at a rapid pace now, it seems, leaving mostly oak profile.

While servicable, this wine was definitely a disappointment. But older Lewis wines have consistently been disappointing for me. They're not really meant for aging, in my opinion. I think the joy of this winery is found with just a couple of years in the cellar. Mind you, there has been a slew of different winemaker's influence over the years, so a number of different cooks in the kitchen can have an effect. Also, this was not a profoundly great vintage, by most opinions, and I have not been wildly pleased with many of my aged 2001's at this point.

Kara wanted to go ahead and drink the last bottle last night. She liked it and, I think, was fearful of how it might show next year. So am I, personally. Rather than cut our annual date any shorter, I ran back to the house and grabbed the 2002 vintage of the same wine, which we had also not tried for about a year, coincidentally.


The 2002 Lewis 'Reserve' Cabernet Sauvignon was showing a hundred times better than its older brother. The fruit was blue/black as opposed to red, with plenty of oak on it, but showing as fresh vanilla and mocha as opposed to dried, dusty baking spices. The texture was plush and alive, with integrated, but soft, tannin. This is definitely a more robust wine, as the vintage would suggest. Much sweeter and much more crowd-pleasing. The entire table was definitely in the 2002 camp. Not a surprise, though. The 2002 and 2003 vintages were my favorite from Lewis, in part due to the involvement of talented winemaker Kristof Anderson during those years.


All in all, we had a great time sharing our yearly tasting with our gracious hosts on their heated terrace. And a hearty thanks to "Well Bread in LA" for the amazing bread and pizza. With any luck, we'll be able to share this moment with our neighbors again next year.

I highly recommend this experience. Pick up an age-worthy wine and give it a go. It doesn't necessarily have to be the same date every year, but in the ballpark would be appropriate. Take some detailed notes on the wine each year and see how your comments change. It's a lot of fun. Mind you, over time our our tastes and preferences will change. But keep an objective eye open and be sure to comment on the same aspects of the wine each year: fruit, tannin, acid, overall impression, etc. I think it's a rewarding experience and I've really enjoyed taking this journey.

Maybach 'Materium' Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Another chapter in the continuing saga of the wildly overpriced "California Cult Wine" fiasco! The more I keep opening these highly-scored and tragically expensive wines, the more I understand why people are less willing to spend more. Especially these days! Not that any of these are bad wines, but I can compose a list of wines that run under $50 that I would buy first.

So - the Maybach "Materium" Cabernet Sauvignon. You may not know the winery, so here is the lowdown, in a nutshell: In the continuous emergence of new cult wineries, Maybach reared its head in 2004 with famed winemaker Thomas Brown at its helm. The Maybach family was the same that invented the first Mercedes vehicles in the early 1900's. Like most who make their money in some other field, they turned to making wine to lose some of it. However, Robert Parker lavished the Maybachs with scores 95 and above for their first five vintages, including a near-perfect 99 pts in 2007, earning the winery a following.

Thomas Brown is a highly respected winemaker these days, with a number of projects under his belt. The most notable of these projects is quite possibly Fred Schrader's wines, rarely seen due to small production and lavish press from (you guessed it...) Robert Parker. With a vineyard in this location (just above Dalle Valle off the Sliverado Trail), one can only anticipate great things!

Okay - well 'Materium' is not as expensive as some other newcomers I may have spoken about in the past, but $110 is still not a drop in the bucket. I took a 3-bottle allocation of the 'Materium' in the 2005 vintage (after the 2004 earned some praise). It's been hibernating in the cellar ever since and I've been itching to open one as I keep watching all of this hype building around it. Last night, I checked some sites to see how it was drinking and, by all accounts, most were saying that it was fairly soft, despite what a certain critic established as a long-lived wine.

With a Prime NY and loaded bakers on the table, I finally dug into the 'Materium' 2005. It was, indeed, softer than I would have expected, bordering on what some would even call "sweet". The fruit is plenty lush, with black currant, blackberry and even a little high-toned raspberry edge. Underlying, the oak is fairly well-integrated, showing anise, chocolate, and baking spices. Not wildly complex, but it really feels a little over-the-top due to the lack of structure. Kara and I immediately note that it reminds us of some wines we've had recently at half and even 1/3 the price. Furthermore, it is absolutely nothing like Chateau Margaux, as one critic spouts in his review. If I were Paul Pontallier, I would sue...

My recommendation: drink 'em if you've got 'em! This wine doesn't seem to have enough tannin for the long haul, despite having fruit in spades. I could be wrong, but I'm not one to risk it. This drinks fine now, for its style, and isn't likely to show more complexity.

I took an allocation of the 2007 as well. I hope the 2005 was part of the learning curve for Thomas in this vineyard. I will look forward to tasting his most highly revered vintage in a couple of years. I hope it finds better balance in the bottle. If not, Winebid here I come!

Bill Harlan at Jar

I was working on a complete overhaul to Jar's wine list when I received the notification that Bill Harlan was coming into Jar with a party of ten people that night. For those who may not know Bill, he is the owner of two very highly regarded wineries in Napa: Harlan Estate and Bond. Aside from the amazing press they receive, they also make some pretty spectacular wines and the style of California Cabernet that I love to drink. Unfortunately, the expense of these wines make them prohibitive to drink on a regular basis.

The group brought along a few bottles with them and picked up a couple of Napa Chardonnays from Jar's list. So, what does Bill Harlan drink? The line-up was as follows:

Lewis Cellars, Napa Chardonnay 2008
Pahlmeyer, Napa Chardonnay 2007
Dujac, 'Clos la Roche' 1985
Rouget, Vosne Romanee 'Cros Parantoux' 1996
Harlan Estate, Cabernet Sauvignon 1993

As this blog is about Mr. Harlan's visit, I am skipping the Burgundies and providing a tasting note only for his 1993 bottling: On the nose, a meaty character that is immediately intriguing, as well as slightly baked fruits. A strong core of black cherry on the palate, with charcoal, graphite and black currant. Plush, but balanced texture and absolutely seamless in its construction. Finishes very long with dusty spices, anise and leather, as well as chalky tannin that builds. Not tiring on the palate at all and drinking perfectly. An excellent wine from a challenging vintage.

The group had an excellent time and left us to attend another dinner party. Two dinners back-to-back...? I love the way this group rolls!


In honor of Mr. Harlan's visit, I felt compelled to actually sit down and enjoy a bottle of his wine that evening. I had just added the 2006 Bond 'Matriarch' to Jar's list that afternoon and thought it would be a good time to test out a bottle. I've tasted through the full line of Bond's single vineyard wines from 2006 twice now, but never tried the blend of the "elegant leftovers" that make up Matriarch. So, with some delicious Mulberry Pizza on the table at midnight, we dug in.

Black fruits and smoke/charcoal on the nose, which is a little tight at the moment. The plush black fruits are there, but not as pronounced as they would like to be. Very structured on the palate, the fruits are balanced and ripe, but this is a wine that will be best with some time in the cellar. All of the components are here for the future: dark black cherry and currant, firm tannin, smokey charcoal, and balanced spicy oak. Very primary at the moment, but still delicious.

If you haven't experienced Mr. Harlan's wines, they are highly recommended by almost everyone I know. The Bond 'Matriarch' and Harlan 'Maiden' are second labels that are somewhat more affordable than their older brothers, but still at a premium pricepoint. The main wines are nothing less than super-premium and the best vintages are very hard to find. A bottle of the 1994 Harlan Estate sold for $2200 on Jar's list. Are they worth it? It's not my place to tell you, but it's definitely worth making up your own mind.