TNs--Mike on Tour, California, July 5 at Steve and Misuk's in San Marcos

What a phenomenal kick-off to this year’s tour. I can’t thank Steve and Misuk enough for hosting and for hosting me. They are amazing. Really glad to see lots of faces who I hadn’t seen in 9 years. As a great bonus, the one and only Vinotas has moved out here, unbeknownst to me until a couple days ago, and he was able to come as well. I hadn’t seen Michel in 10 years, so it was marvelous to catch up. My thanks to everyone for the great brings of wine. The bar has been set high. The theme was old world and new world pinot.

THE WINES

2012 Marguet Shaman Champagne

very balanced and gently insistent.

2012 Aubert Eastside Chard

Neither Steve or I have had an Eastside before. This was bang-on delicious. It has a tension and raciness I have rarely seen in these. And still, fruit shows very clearly, star fruit and definite pear component

2005 St. Innocent Seven Springs PN

fine, full brambly stiff, tons of earch and some pepper notes. Still kinda attractively primal—it’s definitely drinkable with glints of currant & raspberry, but 5 more years will be all to the good.

2001 SQN #6 Shea PN

soy, still rich maraschino cherry scents, some red licorice too. After 17 years, it is still rich-candy drop but with strong character and presence

2017 Day Wines Vin de Days

A curious beast with splashes of Gamay and Cab Franc (3% each). nip of nutmeg to a quiet bouquet. Pleasant enough, tasty bits of baking spices around strawberry, but less than the others in this flight

2016 Smockshop Band White Zinfandel

You gotta be kidding me? Well, read on brave soldiers! A number of people get a kerosene element off the aroma here and I agree, with watermelon underneath. Wow. Who would have thunk. very interesting with texture that matches very nicely with the flavours. Those are hard to pin down, but on the breathe-back, there is a ton of lavender, of all things. A marvelous wine to put on the table for naysayers, there is real quality here, very thankful to Steve for opening this.

2015 Ferrari Irancy

Bright red berry and cherry fruit. Touch of cinnamon heart. Bright palate too–a shortish finish and some woodsy notes.

2007 Mommesin Clos de Tart

Probably prompted the most discussion at the table. Baking spices and even a hint of gingerbread for me. “Active” nost with red cracked pepper maybe. A long wine dans la bouche, there’s a persistent bitterness right through the whole experience. I wondered if there was a little VA. Others maintained it was just much too young. It’s just on the other side of strident, though with a lot of red fruit.

2015 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Volnay Pitures-Dessus

Smells like a beautiful 2015. Cherry, plum, chocolate and roasted chestnut. Super-young, but the power and drive on this are excellent, as is the purity. In 10-15 years, this’ll be a special wine. 90+

2004 SQN Covert Fingers PN

big–very big. Huge ripe fruit. Big, very big. So much jam. A petite sirah in PN clothing? It would have been better to have this in some sort of different setting. It sticks out here. Don’t get me wrong—I’ve liked my share of SQNs, just not the pinots.

2006 Marcassin 3 Sisters PN

Splendid nose full of exuberant strawberry, raspberry and currant. It just lilts so nice. Plenty of taste and acid, but this might be more advanced than it should be, somewhat forward and less classy than I’m used to, if still good. It smooths out a bit with time in the glass.

2009 Clos Pepe Estate

This is one of the good ones! Fascinating nose of plum, tiny black licorice, dab of citrus and tobacco. Tasty, it’s polished and very composed with some chestnut and other nutty as accents to cherry and blackberry fruit.

2009 Domaine Louis Nie Clos Bellefond Pommard La Platiere

Never heard of this producer, negociant or 1er cru, but this was a winner. Active bouquet—floral, hints of fruit and some tomato leaf. mmm—oh, that’s good. Great grip and roundness on the tongue. Gets better with each sip, gains character and presence each time down the throat with lovely core of dark fruit. I do think this edges out the PYCM for my WOTN.

2011 Chateau La Tour Blanche

I brought this specifically as a remembrance----the last time I was at a San Diego offline was 9 years ago and Bill Bender was very nice to bring a full of 2001 LTB. I found lime and mango with slices of vanilla. A young example, it doesn’t quite, yet, have the feathery feel, but there is length and it’s clean with peach and pineapple.

OC today, already having such fun.

You still in SD? I’m around . . .

Off to a nice start!

He’s in oc today with the oc guys

Shoot–wish I’d known, Larry—we would have loved having you join us. See you in a few days, though.

You know you’re not an OC guy, right???

yep. he’s not hanging out with me.

Just making sure, Fu man. I know you only make it down there for ‘clients’ these days…

$200 3hr round trip Uber rides are not in my wheelhouse.

Except if Juge and Peking Duck is on the menu . .

There’s never Peking Duck that far south.

And juge.

Mike,

Great to see you last night! Although we’ve met up in The OC at Falltacular a number of times over the years, glad you finally made it back to the San Diego area. Your original visit 9 years ago was significant, as that was my first offline event as a (not so young) wine novice. It introduced me to some great San Diego wine lovers that I still hang out with to this day. We were able to get a few of them back for a reunion last night and glad we could kick off the 2018 “Mike on Tour”.

I suck at wine notes and will claim that I was too distracted with host duties, but I did enjoy all the wines and the generosity of the group. Your PYCM and Bill’s Clos de Tart were my favorites. It was a treat to try the SQN Pinots, but as you noted, they probably would have been better in a different setting. I think I proved that this evening. Although I would not have guessed Pinot on the '04 Covert Fingers, the remaining half glass was outstanding on its own with the leftover beef tenderloin and mushrooms tonight. A great steak Pinot. The 01 “6” was also still surprisingly large at 17 years old and my favorite of the two.

The Champagne you referenced was the Marguet Shaman 12, the remnants of which are also drinking well tonight!

Glad you enjoyed the Smockshop Band White Zin. It was recommended to me by the same person who recommended the Marguet. Smockshop is a project of Nate Ready in the Hood River area of Oregon, and a second label of sorts for his Hiyu wines. I guess I shouldn’t have told Michel my local source, as when I went back to order a couple more bottles today they were sold out. Lucky for me there was a half glass of that left tonight, so I am still drinking well. I do get the slight kerosene you referenced, along with pepper and the watermelon. An interesting wine that punches above its weight class for sure.

Hope the rest of the tour goes well and glad that we could host you for Opening Night!

Cheers!

Steve

I love 2005 St. Innocent Seven Springs PN .

We softened up ‘ol Grammer last night here in the OC. When he pulled up to my pad, north of Steve’s house, I believe it was about 108 here? Even inside the restaurant when we did dinner with about 14 of us, it was like a friggin’ oven inside.

I think Sweater Boy is still sleeping but assume shortly he will be cranking up some TNs as there are bottles all over my kitchen counter.

Steve–PS, I LOVE Marguet. I assume now you are dipping into the broader range of things Benoit is making? That 12 Shaman is excellent.

Happy to see you got off to a great start Mike. We shall do our best to continue the trend tomorrow night here in Santa Barbara.

Frank - we “acclimatized” Mike a bit for you. Was only supposed to be 85 on Thurs, but the heat wave arrived a day early and we hit 97 at start time.

As for the Marguet, the Shaman 12 is the only one I’ve had, now twice. I’ve never been a Champagne guy, but bottles like this are the potential gateway drug, particularly with the great enabler (Envoyer) just up the road. Will definitely be on the lookout for Benoit’s other bottlings.

Blake - hope the most recent SB fire is not a threat! It could be a crazy week in CA for fires with this heat and dry air. Several in San Diego County at the moment.

Thanks again to Mike for giving us all a good reason to gather together and share some great bottles and friendship!

Cheers!

Steve

We’re sitting here right now in my kitchen drinking a few things and catching up. Thank god it has cooled at the coast today as I almost lost my mind yesterday.

Appreciate your weigh-in, Steve, as well as helping identify the Champagne for me, note amended above. Notes for the OC dinner and afterparty are up

Mike

Steve, we`re having a cold front move through and its only in the low 90s this aft with predictions for more “reasonable” weather tomorrow. So far, no evidence of sundowners today although they hit here usually in the early eve. The last news here that I heard says 88 acres burned with 20 structures lost. No threat to us in the downtown area. Welll be good Mike.

That was a lot of fun, Mike it was good seeing you after 10 (!) years. The wines were very interesting, some more to my liking (Burgundy, Clos Pepe, white Zin skin-contact) than others (SQN - while interesting to try, sorry that’s not Pinot Noir, it was more like spoofy Syrah wannabe for me).

That said, it was a great (and delicious) dinner, good to see some old faces and meet new ones.
Cheers!