CORKAGE: A TALE OF TWO PINOTS
I love hanging out with Simpone -- 1) because he lives in beautiful Santa Inez, and 2) he’s the guy who (like me) opens up two bottles of wine at the same time, gives each of us two glasses, and we alternate drinking both, tasting both, contemplating both, until they’re gone.
We drink both of these Pinots before dinner, with some cheese:
1) (the wine Simpone brought) KENNETH CRAWFORD Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills, Turner Vineyard, 2005. 14.3 percent alcohol.
2) (the wine I brought) VARNER Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains, Spring Ridge Vineyard, Hidden Block, 2005. 14.3 percent alcohol.
Okay, the Kenneth Crawford puts it all out there. Dark fruits, good structure, intense flavor, delicious. 92 points from Robert Parker! Yummy, yummy – oh wait – I’m five or six sips into it, and I’m bored. Robert Parker must have only had one or two sips, which I guess is all a professional wine critic has time for. I can’t avoid the analogy to Coca Cola.
First of all, the Crawford kinda tastes like Coca Cola. Second, Coke is undeniably delicious, but the last sip is pretty much the same as the first sip. A Coke does not “evolve” in the glass. That’s why it costs one dollar. The Kenneth Crawford costs 35 dollars. (Remember, Simpone chose this wine, not me – not that I’m competitive.)
The Varner is a whole different story. (Remember, I chose this wine) It’s much more reticent than the KK, reserved, a beautiful light color, transparent like a soft silk. The image that comes to mind is a perfect cherry: beautiful fruit with a pit in the middle. Sweet and yielding on the outside, but firm and strong at the core. The kind of wine that’s alluring rather than attacking. It makes you want to go to it. It’s letting you call it, rather than it calling you. It’s playing “The Rules”. I’m smitten. The bottle gets better and better, changing, revealing more and more, slowly.
We toast to the last sip of the Varner. I’m already concocting an event, or an excuse, for another bottle later in the week. It’s all gone. There’s still more of the Kenneth Crawford left, but it’s like a woman who gave it up too quickly. I can’t even look at it.
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I agree, Justin, that was definitely the subtext of the Beatles song. I will soon blog about the ‘78 La Tache I had at Patina a few years ago, never has my head spun more. But I’ve had tons of great Burg experiences with way lesser bottles. And of course a lot of times you spend way too much money on a Burg and it disappoints. To say I’d be excited to hav... more >
You say you want an evolution, well, ya know, we all wannna drink some Burgundy. I’m pretty sure that’s what Lennon was really getting at in that tune; at any rate, I’ll pop some head-spinning Burgs next time we’re in the same vicinity, sir, I promise. Yours truly, the Pinot Nazi numero-uno.
good recs, rgurland, want to try both, especially that dusky goose
Good description of the Varner. Makes me want to try some. I recommend looking at Peay (sonoma) or Dusky Goose (Oregon) if you can get your hands on it. Those are the two more impressive domestic Pinot Noirs I have tasted in the past few months. Both came to mind from the description above.
yo thanx, Say Hay
Great post. Appreciate the Coke analogy. I may use it but will give you credit of course ;)