A Humble Evening at Bern's, Some Observations, and the Omnipresence of Rolland in My Life

WINE TALK
21

Drinking an 18 year Macallan right now to settle down. No vino this fine evening. Today was admittedly a bit rough.

22

Ha! No worries—I figured after Adrian’s tasting note we’d be going after them! I still have two bottles left from the same group that bottle came from, also purchased on Winebid. I’ll save one for the the next time the kids drag us down to Orlando. I have a half a case of the ‘75 from HDH but I haven’t had them delivered yet.

23

I think it is fair to say that, as far as wine lovers are concerned, Bern’s has jumped the shark. Those prices are absurd, especially the Pontet Canet.

I can’t say I am that impressed with the sommelier’s choices. Very ho hum, especially the Haut Bages Liberal. Come on, this is the restaurant with the country’s finest wine list, and a knowledgeable wine guy asking for help. If this is Bern’s best, I will stay in New York, and pay corkage on a wine that is infinitely more interesting.

24

Mmmmmmm … my desire to someday check out Bern’s is waning. Thanks for the write-up, Robert.

25

If you own them, they’re not Billecart-Salmon’s.

26

FdP is good stuff huh?

27

After reading this, I checked fares JFK/TPA and MCO. You can fly for under a $100 R/T non-stop in late January. Hmmm.

28

Sheez, he likes Caymus. With sushi, he doesn’t care.

About a year ago, I was with three of my wine friends at one of the best sushi places in the SF Bay area (small place, 9 seats at the counter). A couple who were there brought a 2000 Chateau Angelus.

-Al

29

Mark - I think it is only fair to add another opinion to this thread. I hate to see so many people who have not been to Berns or not been lately jumping on the Berns is over bandwagon based on the price of one bottle which seems oddly high. Is Berns what it once was? No. Can you buy DRC at 1/4 going rates? No. Do they have over 1 million bottles of wine with impeccable provenance? Yes. Burgundy has been picked over but there are still a few things to drink and they are continuing to find gems in the offsite cellar. But the Bordeaux section is still deep going back to the 1800s. Still lots to find from California and all over. On my last trip I found a 76 FK Schmidt Pettenthal BA which is the plot that Klaus-Peter Keller purchased that he sells for 1000 Euros at the auctions, it was stunning and cheap. No offense to Robert but why would any of us order an 03 Bordeaux when you could order a 1918 with perfect provenance for roughly the same price. I am going for two nights at the end of the month, will report back. And for reference I go at least twice a year (multiple nights) to Berns and also to Tour d’argent.

30

Don’t be stalking me now, Big Daddy wants that wine! [wow.gif]

31

Robert is exactly right. I hope my post put my evening into context, without causing anyone to think the Bern’s experience of yore is entirely over. It is not, you just have to search harder, Perhaps experiment a bit, and have fun. There are indeed some bottles of 1918 for the exact price of what that 2003 Pontet Canet cost. I’ve had some Leovilles from that year that were quite outstanding, and in a flight of three, only one off. That would not have been the wine for the group that I brought, which is fine. The 2003 PC was perfect for that group. Remember that not all of us are wine geeks. Not my choice at all, my buddy wanted a 2003 and we were splitting the tab! Ask the Somm what their number one selling wine is. You may be surprised to hear, but it is Caymus. Charlie Carnes quipped to me last time he went, he saw three tables with Caymus.

So could the Somm have gotten be some better choices, sure. I saw a 94 Dominus and a 96 Calon Segur that might have been better, but that’s ok. Lots of Mondavi Reserves from the early 1990s as well. I really liked that Beringer, and it reminded me of the past. I know Haut-Bages is not a major force now from the 1855 Classification, but since I had never had it, I said what the heck. Again, I’m totally satisfied with that choice. I set the context of the 1990s for him and gave him a budget. It was a wonderful experience for my clients, getting their texts all the next day about it was well worth it. And I enjoyed it as well. I go back regularly enough, sometimes solo, for me to geek out whenever I want. I have an office and business in Tampa. And for wine lovers, it is still well worth the visit. Heck. I love the food and the ambience and all of its quirks. Definitely do not pass on Berns if you have never been.

And I should note, expect that some wines on the menu are now gone. Things change fast. Geeks follow geeks. After Keith Levenberg and Charlie Carnes raved about a 1949 Talbot - priced about the same as the 2003 PC - that thing was way gone off the list. I asked, as I had debated one more last bottle. But, the group was more interested in desserts than a tired old claret. [cheers.gif]

32

Thanks for your well put, articulate response Robert. And I don’t doubt Caymus is their most popular selling bottle. I asked several years ago and it was Cakebread.

For those who have not been Berns, it has to be one of the top grossing restaurants in the country. They are booked solid every day of the year. On the weekends they do 800-1000 covers a night and ~98% of the tables do not take advantage of the wine list. More for all of us!

33

Yea not doubt, it was packed on a Sunday night. We took the kitchen and cellar tour for the group. I’ve done it several times so wasn’t listening much, but my ears did perk up when they said they go through 700 pounds of onions for their iconic onion soup that comes with every meal.

34

Fun night! Thanks for the insightful write-up.

Seems like Bern’s has never been more popular. How long in advance did you make the reservation? A few years ago I tried to line up something for my wife’s business dinner and the place was booked a week+ in advance, except for a couple of undesirable end-of-night times. She’ll be headed down that way again soon but probably won’t have exact dates until a week or so before the trip.

None of those quoted prices strike me as unusually appealing…other than they had the wines in good shape. The P-C price = Ouch. VERY different from the stories told a decade+ ago.

There must be hundreds of bargains left…based on the ongoing accounts of the age/size of the inventory. Seems like tapping in to the value will require Somm input, taking some roads less traveled and gambling on dotage…unless you have particularly keen eyesight/insight a la Mr. Dentice.

Bern’s is on my wishlist but not high enough to book a dedicated trip unless already heading towards the FL Gulf Coast.

RT

35

I do not like 2003 Bordeauxs. But, if I was there with a client or business associate who preferred a 2003 Bordeaux, I would order a 2003 Bordeaux. If I were at a restaurant with clients and business associates who were not wine geeks, I would never order a 1918.

36

I hear you and understand. However we are on a wine board and I just wanted to point out that you can order one of the many great 1918s and many other great wines for roughly the same price. My point is simply don’t jump to conclusions about Berns based on the price of that bottle.

37

Robert: Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering [enologist]; to the last I grapple with thee; from hell’s heart I stab at thee; for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee.
Rolland: huh? Anyone got a light?, my Davidoff went out.

38

And Whoppers Junior (thank you W. Safire).

39

Thanks for the insight Howard. One of us will be sure to alert the media. Film at 11.

40

I am pretty sure there are no 1918s left, and the '20s-'40s are now mostly reduced to off-vintages. But some of those off-vintages are still great bottles because the provenance is so good. Note that there are still some wines on the printed list which are no longer available (they can only print the book once a year, and some things are down to their last bottle or two) or which are not in a condition you’d want to bother with.

While they have definitely recalibrated their pricing across the board (except for a few gifts for treasure hunters) the high price of the '03 here is in line with what they’ve always done - I always thought of it as punishment for those ordering young wine, to help subsidize the rest of us…