The Wine House SF Top Ten Wines Of 2012

Now that we’ve all settled into 2013, we have to say with excitement that this is going to be a great year! We are anxiously looking forward to all of the good things and the many great wines coming our way in 2013. But before we get too far into it, let’s have a look back as we reveal our Top Ten Wines of 2012!

The concept may sound simple … the top wines, right? Well, not so fast. We could tap into the multitude of reviews from wine writers and critics and fashion a list of highly rated, don’t drink until 2025, keep in a bank vault wines, but that’s not how we roll here at TWH. In years past, our Top Ten lists are comprised of wines we all love. Wines that deliver. Wines that outshine their respective price points. Wines that provide pleasure, because really, isn’t that what wine is all about? We taste a whole lot of wine throughout the year, both here and abroad, and only bring in the ones we deem worthy to be on our shelves for you, our customers. Choosing a Top Ten out of all of the wines we’ve said yes to is a fun albeit difficult exercise. It’s fun because we get to relive our tasting experiences, remembering the meals, the ambiance, and the company that went along with each wine. Remember, some of the wines have sold out, but we list them here based on their merits … So without further ado, here is The Wine House San Francisco’s Top Ten wines of 2012!!!

Please use these links to view our Top Ten from last year, 2010, or 2009.

NV Pascal Doquet Extra Brut Premier Crus Blancs de Blanc With New Year’s memories slowly fading, let’s begin with some bubbles. TWH mainstay Pascal Doquet makes some of the best Grower Champagne that we’ve encountered. He sure has been garnering praise recently from the likes of James Molesworth of The Wine Spectator and The Wine Advocate’s Antonio Galloni. Why wouldn’t he? His artisanal Champagnes have been wowing our staff for over a decade! When this Extra Brut landed here in our shop this year, it instantly became a favorite of our staff and all customers who have tried it.Here’s what Mr. Galloni had to say about it, “Doquet’s NV Extra Brut Premier Crus Blanc de Blancs is pretty, soft and enveloping. Dried pears, spices, crushed flowers and almonds wrap around the palate in this expressive, layered Champagne. This is one of the more open Extra Brut Champagnes readers will come across, likely because of the high presence of 2005 juice and full malolactic fermentation. Technical details aside, the wine is flat out delicious. 91 points”

NV Pascal Doquet Premiers Crus Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Sparkling; Champagne Blend; Champagne; $54.98

Michel-Andreotti Montagny les Guignottes White Burgundy. Honestly, we don’t really have to say much more than that. It is special wine. Unfortunately, supply and demand do what they do, and a great amount of it is priced in the ‘special wine’ echelon. Well, David’s trips to Burgundy have paid off yet again, as we are now importing the Montagny “Les Guignottes” from Michel-Andreotti. From the slightly off-the-beaten-path appellation of Montagny in Côte Chalonnaise, “Les Guignottes” outperforms its price point by far and reminds us that there is good White Burgundy out there for a fair price. First came the 2010. It’s an understatement to say that it sold out quickly. Then along came the 2011, it sold out too, but we just re-loaded and it’s back in stock. Which one made our Top Ten of 2012? It’s a dead heat. They both belong!

2011 Domaine Michel-Andreotti Montagny Les Guignottes White Wine; Chardonnay; Burgundy; $19.99

2011 Juicy Villages From Juicy Rebound Now for some local representation. You’ve got to love old-vine Mourvèdre. It’s rare to find a blend from California that showcases the grape in the leading role. Winemaker and hockey fanatic Douglas Danielak took 120+ year old Mourvèdre from the Evanghelo Vineyard in Contra Costa where the vines look like “little trees” and blended it with Syrah and Grenache to create a mouth-filling berry bomb bestowing it with the catchy name, Juicy Villages. There’s plenty of grip and tang to give Juicy Villages a well-balanced flavor experience. A whopping 100 cases were produced of this unique and delicious Côtes du Rhône-esque red. All that for a price that’s more than fair on your pocketbook. Bravo!

2011 Juicy Rebound Juicy Villages California Red Wine; Rhone Blend; Other California; $19.98

2009 Domaine Martin Bart Marsannay 2012 was the year of containers. It seemed all throughout the year, we were simultaneously in the process of consolidating one overseas, anticipating the arrival of the one already on the water, and unloading the container at our dock! That just means we found lots of goodies on our trips overseas. The 2009 vintage was a phenomenal one in France (more on that later), and we tasted a lot of great wines that now have “Imported by Wine House Limited” on their labels.So 2009 was great in Burgundy, especially for the red wines. So again, we’re sure the top names of the region produced formidable wines, but we like to kick tires and look under rocks to find value! David is on a roll bringing some amazing, new-for-us, high-quality producers to join TWH family! Another feather in his cap in 2012 were the wines from Domaine Bart in Marsannay. Their Les Champs Salomon was a home run of a Red Burgundy. It smelled fancy. It tasted fancy. Its price tag? Not so fancy. That all explains its sold out status. Welcome to TWH top 10, Domaine Bart!

Ravan From Kabaj We’ve got our eyes open for great wines from all corners of the wine world. Like Slovenia. Wines from Slovenia are catching favor with consumers and critics alike, popping up on restaurant wine lists and profiled in thoughtful wine publications. Just one whiff, just one taste was enough for us to throw caution to the wind and stack the Ravan from Kabaj high and proud. Were we concerned whether TWH customers would shy away from an unknown producer from an unfamiliar wine region? Not. The staff were all in for sure, but when a wine is this delightful, exotic and complex, we knew our adventurous clientele would embrace the Ravan from Kabaj just as passionately. The 2009 has sold out, but we find the 2010 a worthy successor!

2010 Kabaj Ravan White Wine Goriska Brda White Wine; other white varietal; Slovenia; $19.98

2009 Châteauneuf-du-Pape – Tour de l’Isle Imagine attending a traveling French wine trade show in Chicago in the middle of January … brrrrr! Seriously, at some point you have to ask yourself why? Well, part of our service to you all is to indeed kick tires, look under rocks, kiss some toads, and every now and then, we get lucky. Here goes your proof. Last January David braved the elements and flew into 6 degree Farenheit Chi-town. He met a lot of people and tasted a lot of wine. When he met the folks representing the Tour de l’Isle brand, he was gaga over their Châteauneuf-du-Pape! A sample bottle was shipped to the shop the following week, and now we all sing the praises of this rich, powerful (yet friendly), stone mineral driven, Grenachey Grenache! The 2009 was already in the US, courtesy of another importer. Well, we all love it so much that we made ‘em an offer they couldn’t refuse. We bought their entire stock and are now the proud importer of their wines! Boo Yah!

2009 Tour de l’Isle Chateauneuf-du-Pape Red Wine; Rhone Blend; Rhone; $34.99

2009 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon One of the advantages, and pleasures, of being in business for over 35 years (!) is the long-standing relationships we’ve forged with both customers and vendors. One of David’s first discoveries working at The Wine House was the debut vintage of Spottswoode’s estate grown 1982 Cabernet Sauvignon. The Wine House has been proudly offering their Cabernet Sauvignon every vintage thereafter. The 2009 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon is a standout among a very long line of outstanding efforts; it has that unmistakable thread of Spottsberry fruit pushing through with the signature silky tannins wrapping around it. It is a true collectable California Cabernet and we are happy and proud to include this monumental effort among our Top Ten Wines of the year!

2009 Spottswoode Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Napa Valley Red Wine; Cabernet Sauvignon; Napa; $144.98

2011 Gavi di Gavi We’ve been directly importing the Ernesto Picollo line of Gavi wines for 5 vintages now, and though we have always felt they smash the quality for price ratio, their 2011 Gavi di Gavi Rovereto has that extra umph that propels it into 2012′s Top Ten! Anya swears that it is the fact that Picollo’s top cuvée Rughe wasn’t made this year, so that special older-vine fruit made its way into the Rovereto. Whatever it was, there’s no denying the quality of this wine. Crisp, mineral driven, and precise, you would swear that the bottle cost would be twice or even three times as much as it is! It is that special. It’s very likely THE best white wine deal in the house!

2011 Picollo Ernesto Gavi di Gavi Roverto White Wine; other white varietal; Piedmont; $15.99

2001 La Rioja Alta Viña Ardanza Reserva Especial Chances are if you’ve been in our shop in the latter part of 2012, and perhaps overheard a customer request for a “special wine” or a “gift wine”, you would have heard a member of TWH staff gush over the merits of the 2001 Reserva Especial Rioja Viña Ardanza by La Rioja Alta. Whew, that’s a mouthful; but so is the wine! This well known Rioja producer has only thought it appropriate to make this special bottling in two other vintages: 1964 and 1973! Space limitations will keep us from gushing too much over this in writing, but let’s just say that if it were twice the price, it would still be a bargain. With 11 years of age, it can be enjoyed anytime from now until your 3 year old graduates from college … and then some!

2001 La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza Reserva Especial Rioja Red Wine; Red Blend; Rioja; $29.98

Bet you didn’t see this one coming. Of course it had to be a 2009 Bordeaux. I only wrote about this vintage and its wines umpteen times. But which one? Seriously, this was the toughest point of this exercise. But when you take everything into consideration, we’ve got to give the big tip of the cap to the 2009 Château Larrivaux, Haut-Médoc. I loved it out of barrel. Then, when the first 2009′s arrived in early 2012, it was on the first container. Chris and I grabbed a few of the new arrivals and taste tested them. His overwhelming favorite of the bunch was the Larrivaux. We opened another bottle the following week for Anya, Tom, and David to taste, and it was unanimous! Now that everyone was on board, we went back to the marketplace and loaded up. It is certainly not the only success story from the 2009 vintage, but that kind of quality for less than $25 resonates big time! Ignore at your own peril.

2009 Chateau Larrivaux Haut Medoc Red Wine; Bordeaux Blend; Bordeaux; $23.98

So there you have it, our Top Ten Wines of 2012! We’ve already begun tasting new wines in the new year, and we’re taking good notes, so we’ll have plenty of candidates for this list this time next year! Wishing you all the best in 2013! – Anya Balistreri & Peter Zavialoff

More Great Bordeaux: 2009 Potensac

Holiday Hours: The Wine House will be open Monday, December 31 from 10AM until 4PM. We will be closed New Year’s Day and reopen on Wednesday, January 2, 2013 resuming our normal M-F hours, 10AM until 6PM.

Greetings! We hope you all are having a healthy and happy holiday season. Talk about time flying?!? It seems like just the other day I was rattling off some resolutions for 2012. I think I did okay with them in 2012; it was a year of delightful surprise, hometown pride, a whole lot of live music, and of course, some great wine. When you spend the majority of the year with something tasty and interesting in your glass, it’s tough to focus on just one wine. Case in point, last night I was lucky enough to have been poured the 2001 Viña Ardanza Rioja Reserva Especial, and in a word, it was sensational! But Anya told you all about that one already. For my last Sunday email of 2012, I’m going back to the (like shooting fish in a barrel) well, 2009 Bordeaux. It’s a subject that I have written about often, but hey, with so many great wines, I believe that you cannot have enough 2009 Bordeaux in your cellar! Back in April 2010, I remember tasting the baby wines out of barrel, and I was blown away! Then began the waiting game. I tried to tell everyone that would listen that we all need to load up on 2009 no matter what. Well, I can understand the apprehension. Back in the day, I wouldn’t buy a case of wine without tasting a bottle first. Logical. So I felt like I was sitting on a big secret, only I was blabbing about it. But it was a different kind of secret, words are words, and wine tasting is wine tasting. One thing that I noticed early on was that the wines of the northern Médoc struck my particular fancy in 2009. Sure, Calon Segur, Montrose, and Cos d’Estournel, but also, Tour de By, Clauzet, Larrivaux, and Potensac. The 2009 versions of some of these smaller chateaux are head-turning values! Of the last 4 wines I mentioned, the only one I haven’t written up is the Potensac. Having tasted it out of barrel and out of bottle, I’m shocked I haven’t. Administered by the Delon family of Léoville Las Cases fame, Château Potensac lies between St Yzans and St Germain d’Esteuil in the northern Médoc. It was at Léoville Las Cases where I tasted the 2009 Potensac out of barrel. My synopsis? I’m going to read my notes verbatim here: “Pure racy cassis fruit w licorice, wood spice wei (well integrated), forest floor / dark full body, intensely concentrated, focused and made to be laid down a little while / savory robe, velvety tannins, acid survives finish, wow.” Also in the left margin is that squiggly line which means “a standout”. Usually, my notes are somewhat cryptic, as the way they’re written is meaningful, but in this case, you can pretty much determine what I thought. Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago. There was a wine potluck at the home of my landlord, everyone was to bring a bottle. I brought a 2009 Potensac. I decanted it for 90 minutes, poured it back in the bottle and headed on up. What a showing! The aromatics were explosively expressive: Pencil shavings, brambly purple fruit, forest floor, and a hint of spice gave way to a concentrated, yet elegant mouthfeel. The wine was fresh and lively, the acidity propping up the fruit, earth, and spice. The finish was long and in perfect balance, the tannins had slightly more grip than I remember out of barrel suggesting a long happy life for the wine. Someday I’ll wake up and regret not buying more 2009 Bordeaux, and there won’t be any more on the market. That day will come, sadly, but as for today, I’m still socking away 2009′s for the cellar. The Potensac included. For the price, I just had to pick up a 6 pack. Okay, 2013 here we come! I’m excited. The live music will continue, both as performer and spectator. Next gig is January 20. Champions’ League football is out for now, but how sweet it was! What I’m looking forward to most are the new wines that are waiting to be tasted in the New Year. Onwards and upwards! Happy 2013 everyone! – Peter Zavialoff Please feel free to email me with any questions or comments about 2009 Bordeaux, English Football, or live music: peter.winehouse@sbcglobal.net

The Right Answer & Ernesto Picollo 2011 Gavi di Gavi

Greetings all. It’s been another banner week here at TWH! There was much excitement here Thursday morning/afternoon as our staff nervously huddled around an AM radio listening to those tortuous Giants hold off a myriad of base runners and a hungry Reds team pent on breaking San Francisco’s hearts. We also were incredibly happy and proud to be mentioned in Decanter.com’s recent article announcing the launch of Opalie de Château Coutet, and of our current US exclusivity! Speaking of Decanter magazine, they regularly have a feature called “Confessions of a sommelier”. It is always a fun read, and this October’s feature with Robert Smith MS of Picasso restaurant at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas included a question we hear often, “What’s the best wine you’ve ever drunk and why?”It was Mr. Smith’s answer that had our staff abuzz in thought, praise, and delight. A couple of months ago, I mentioned in a write-up that we, the staff of TWH, are like a little family. We love to share our experiences with food and wine, and we love to laugh. We don’t necessarily laugh at everything; when something profound makes its way past the humor filter, we can be awestruck. Like we were when we read Robert Smith’s answer to that question. You see, we (obviously) all love wine. Which wine you ask? Many wines is the answer to that question. Sure, we all have our favorite regions and vineyards, but if you take a survey, you’ll find our favorites are quite catholic. Chris recently divulged that if it all came down to one bottle, it would be Red Burgundy for him. Tom’s preference lies in Burgundy as well, but in the Chardonnay vineyards of Meursault. There is enough evidence pointing to my appreciation of Bordeaux, though it is Sauternes that I choose to drink each year on my birthday. For this exercise, I asked Anya what her preference would be, and though I know she loves White Burgundy, Champagne, and Zinfandel, she brought the conversation back to Robert Smith’s answer to that question. Touché!

We all like different things. As I’ve said many times before, the beauty of the world is that we all have different taste. If we didn’t, the good stuff would have been gone years ago. Also, that we alone are the experts as to what we, ourselves, like. Tom and I were discussing this concept today. Even if we may not fancy a particular wine, it is important to recognize the wine’s merits. One doesn’t need a Dujac Clos St. Denis, Château Haut Brion, or Vega Sicilia Unico to enjoy a special moment. Oops. I almost gave away the punch line. Take the 2011 Petite Cassagne Rosé, it is EVERYTHING I love about Rosé. No fancy price, but a stunning wine meant to be paired with happiness. No kidding, I’ve gone through 2 cases, one bottle at a time. Then there’s the Château Larrivaux that I wrote about two weeks ago. What joy! Something that I discovered two and a half years ago is finally here, and is it resonating with customers AND staff alike!?! (More on that later). So which wine am I going to recommend this weekend? What’s the best white wine value in the shop right now? Hands down. No brainer. It’s the 2011 Gavi di Gavi Rovereto from Ernesto Picollo. We’re now working with our 5th vintage of wines from Gavi producer Ernesto Picollo, and his 2011′s may be the best of the bunch. At least this year’s Rovereto has me smitten! Complex aromas of white peach, stones, and lemon blossom head the zingy palate of refined, zesty fruit and mineral; leading to a crisp, lipsmacking finish with all components firing. This is classy juice, and it’s an incredible deal! Hat’s off to direct importation! What to pair it with? All the usual suspects; but the moral of tonight’s email leads us back to Decanter magazine and “Confessions of a sommelier”. What’s the best wine you’ve ever drunk and why?” Here’s Robert Smith MS’s answer, “It’s not a wine, it’s a moment: like enjoying rosé on the beach in Tahiti or having empanadas and Malbec while on horseback in Argentina.” How true. How profound. How perfectly unpretentious. That pretty much sums it all up. The most perfect pairing for any wine is the right moment. Cheers to you, Robert Smith MS! Thank you for that. So here at TWH, we’re sure to be huddled around the AM radio this week awaiting further Giants’ torture. We’ll all be tasting different wines this weekend, that will surely lead to some great conversation come Monday. Hopefully we’ll all have had some great moments to make those wines all the more special! – Peter Zavialoff Please feel free to email me with any thoughts about wine pairing moments or the frustration of international football breaks: peter.winehouse@sbcglobal.net

2011 Picollo Ernesto Gavi di Gavi Roverto White Wine; other white varietal; Piedmont; $15.99

$13.59 per bottle by the case!!! Note: Website will not calculate discount. It will be applied when we process your order here in our shop. This is about as good a deal that exists for a pedigreed Italian white!

To conclude this weekend’s write-up, I asked Anya to express her thoughts after recently tasting the 2009 Château Larrivaux.Here is her kind reply: “I could no longer resist the glowing reviews, my colleagues’ endorsements, nor the enthusiastic customer feedback for 2009 Larrivaux, so I bought a bottle last Saturday night and promptly opened it when I got home. Why resist you wonder? Well, I am not a big fan of young Bordeaux. I buy Bordeaux, yes, but I can be patient when in comes to cellaring wine, so I prefer to wait a few years before imbibing. Young Bordeaux can be astringent and disjointed to me or just all fruit and wood with no nuance. Then came along 2009 Larrivaux. Wow, what a nose! With no audience within earshot, I nevertheless exclaimed aloud “that nose, that beautiful nose!” just like Santa in the animated Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer movie. It was several minutes before I even took a sip as I relished the pencil shaving aromas and deep black cassis notes that wafted way out of the glass. I wasn’t expecting to like this wine as much as I did even though everything pointed to the contrary. I immediately got very concerned (because now she wants to buy them-PZ) as I now knew firsthand what Pete has been writing about since tasting the ’09s out of barrel. I am a believer. What impressed me about the ’09 Larrivaux, along with the classical aromatic notes, was the seamless integration of fruit, wood and acidity. The wine has lift and elegance without a hint of astringency.I can see myself drinking this wine over and over and never tiring of it. So there you have it. A great wine. A great price. Waiting for a great moment.

2009 Chateau Larrivaux Haut Medoc Red Wine; Bordeaux Blend; Bordeaux; $23.98

2009 Château Larrivaux, Haut-Médoc

Here at TWH, this has been quite the eventful week! I just got word that our next container from France is almost full and will be on the water shortly. On it will be some goodies from the Loire Valley and Burgundy as well as more 2009 Bordeaux. 2009 Bordeaux. Pinch me, I’m dreaming. They’re that good. As I’ve said recently, you don’t need a second mortgage to fill your cellar with high-quality 2009 Bordeaux. I’ve been excitedly writing about this subject ever since April 2010 when I returned from the En Primeur tastings. We sold healthy quantities of some of my recommendations as futures, and I’m grateful for those of you who participated in that. Things are different now. Today, as I write about yet another fabulous, budget-friendly 2009 Bordeaux, just know that the wine is here, ready to be tasted. Many customers have been picking up their 2009′s, and guess what? They’re loving it! No doubt they will be great in 15-20 years, but what’s simply amazing is that they’re already showing brilliantly. And this week, several customers have entered TWH elated at the quality of the 2009′s they’ve bought here, like longtime customer Ken, who was radiating about one that I recommended. One of the reasons why it’s great to have an independent family-style wine shop staffed with folks who love wine at your beckon call is that we pay attention to what you buy, what you like, and just as important, what you don’t like. Many years ago, Ken and I had a conversation about modern styled wines versus old-school ones. He mentioned that he preferred the latter, and when he said that, I knew I had something for him! I told him that we just so happened to have an atavistic Bordeaux from the celebrated 2000 vintage. He tried a bottle. Then another. Then another. Eventually it sold out. Ken came in this past week, and when I saw him, I rose from my desk and put a bottle of 2009 Château Larrivaux, Haut-Médoc in his hands. He bought several other wines that day, but when he and his better half came in today, she exclaimed, “He’s so excited about this wine that he brought in the cork!” What was it? The 2009 Château Larrivaux, of course. He was so happily excited that he went back and emptied the bin. Using terms like “lean”, “mannered”, and “very adult”, he then went on about its “cheap price.” It’s always such a good feeling when we’re able to find something affordable that resonates so well with a customer that they can’t contain themselves when they come back to the shop! He went on to say, “Once upon a time, you found an atavistic Bordeaux, and I loved it. I bought bottle after bottle, and then it sold out and we cried. You kept prospecting, kept on tasting, and low and behold, you’ve found another winner; thank you!” No. Thank you, Ken.

A little research yields some interesting tidbits. First off, the château is run by Berangère Tesseron, the wife of Basile Tesseron of 4th Growth Château Lafon Rochet in nearby St. Estephe. Basile is the nephew of Pauillac high flyer Alfred Tesseron of Château Pontet Canet fame. Larrivaux has been in existence since the late 16th century, and has been run by the women of the family throughout the generations. The wine has a particular degree of finesse and elegance, which could lead some to call it feminine, which just makes sense, considering the château’s history. Though Ken argued this point with me, saying that Red Bordeaux is masculine by rule. Either way, it is a fantastic wine from a legendary vintage for a very fair price that will bring pleasure to all who taste it for years to come. I highly recommend that all you budget-friendly Bordeaux lovers jump on this opportunity to taste this delectable wine. So yes, I get more and more excited every time I hear about any customer’s experience with any of our 2009 Bordeaux, and it has begun to happen with regularity! The Blues won a huge match this afternoon and last week’s Wilco shows were sensational! Good times! Even better, there’s budget-friendly 2009 Bordeaux here at TWH. Come and git it! – Peter Zavialoff Neal Martin’s notes: “A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc 3% Petit Verdot, this has a fine crisp dark brambly nose: good definition with hints of black olive tapenade and a touch of smoke. The palate is medium-bodied with a lovely, slightly “digestif” entry, good acidity, very well balanced with and fine, quite racy finish. Very fine. Tasted March 2010. (89-91 points)” Above photo of Berangère and Basile Tesseron from efwines.com

A Great Budget Friendly 2009 Bordeaux: Château Clauzet

One of the best things about being direct importers is that we taste the wines and we decide which wines are up to snuff to bring over for our customers. Direct importation also means there’s no middle man with his feet up on a desk carving out a chunk of change that gets passed along to the consumer. When we’re out on the road, we’re not just tasting the tried and true, we’re always looking for new producers and new wines, sometimes from lesser known locales. We’ve been on a bit of a roll this year, a recently discovered Red Burgundy turned some heads and sold out quicker than you can blink. The same thing happened 2 weeks earlier with a White Burgundy. Gone. Gone in a week gone. We’re going to do it again here; this time with Bordeaux. If you love Red Bordeaux that won’t break the bank, you’re going to love this one.

One afternoon in April 2010, in this very room, more than 80 barrel samples from Bordeaux’s 2009 vintage were tasted. As we all know, the vintage is and will be the stuff of legend. Of course with a vintage like 2009, no one needs a Bordeaux scout to tell them that Leoville Las Cases, Margaux, and Montrose were excellent. Mind you, it was great education to taste barrel samples from Bordeaux’s prized chateaux, but it was important to pay very close attention to the smaller producers; to find wines that were budget-friendly. Budget-friendly and GREAT, that is. There were several winners that came out of this room that day. I wrote about one of them shortly after returning from France. The futures sold out shortly thereafter. Well, budget-friendly winner #2 just landed here in our warehouse, and we strongly urge you to check it out.

Tasting numerous barrel samples one after the other is tough work, no matter what anyone says. Their similarities run into each other, and if one is not concentrating, the exercise is lost. When I tasted the sample for the 2009 Château Clauzet, I was greatly impressed. Calling it “easy to like” in my tasting notes, I admired its structure and balance. It is medium bodied; elegant as a princess. There is plenty of dark red fruit, smoky incense, and spice to charm the taster, but the trump card of a St. Estephe from a great vintage is its underlying mineral presence; and this one has it. The beautiful thing is that the 2009 Château Clauzet tastes like St. Estephe and the price for a case is lower than the price for one bottle of 2009 Cos d’Estournel. A little about the Château: Belgian Baron Maurice Velge first dipped his toe in the St. Estephe water in 1997, purchasing 2-3 hectares of vineyards from Château de Côme. A short while later, he purchased Château Clauzet and its 5-6 hectares. The château sits in the village of Leyssac, just west of the road that connects the famous Cos d’Estournel with Château Montrose and others. After several other transactions, Clauzet’s vineyard plots total over 20 hectares. These plots are located between Montrose, Haut Marbuzet, Meyney, and Cos d’Estournel … some prime real estate. Baron Velge wasted no time hiring José Bueno, cellarmaster at Clerc Milon and d’Armailhac and 23 year employee of Baron Philippe de Rothschild, making him technical director of Château Clauzet. Respecting the individual terroirs is the name of the game now at Clauzet. Careful attention is paid to each plot throughout the year, and the fruit selection is strict. The result is a quality Claret that will put a smile on your face and will keep cash in your wallet. The 2009 Château Clauzet will certainly do that! – Peter Zavialoff Please feel free to email me with any questions or comments: peter.winehouse@sbcglobal.net For more info on Château Clauzet, click here.

2009 Chateau Clauzet Saint Estephe Red Wine; Bordeaux Blend; Bordeaux; $25.98

The Wine Advocate’s Neal Martin tasted it out of barrel and had this to say, “Tasted at Vintex. The Clauzet has a rather floral, almost Margaux-like bouquet with good definition, smoky, earthy aromas developing with further aeration. The palate is full-bodied with dense, chewy tannins, a masculine Saint Estephe with good weight, but showing good definition and focus towards the finish that should unwind nicely throughout its elevage. Tasted March 2010. (88-90 points)” After tasting it out of bottle, he remarked, “Tasted at the Cru Bourgeois 2009 tasting in London. The Clauzet 2009 has a very classic, cedar and sous-bois tinged bouquet with good depth of fruit. The palate is harmonious and well-defined with light, tensile tannins and very refined, elegant finish. Bon vin! Tasted September 2011. (90 points)”

Now In Stock!!! 2009 Château Cantemerle

As we head full-steam into the dog days of summer, things are getting pretty exciting around here. Our next container from France has been collected and is awaiting transport! What’s on it, you ask? More 2009 Bordeaux, that’s what! I have gone on the record declaring 2009 to be “my favorite Bordeaux vintage for the rest of my life”, and am happily squirreling bottle after bottle away in my cellar to remind me lest I forget someday. There are some unbelievable wines on that container. Off the top of my head, I know there are good quantities of a couple sub $25 bottles that will blow you all away with their quality. I’ll be sure to let you all in on what they are when they get here. Let’s focus instead on what is already here. We recently received our 1st container of 2009 Bordeaux, and boy has it been fun tasting and recommending them! Despite their youth, these wines are open, accessible, and expressive, revealing exactly what makes 2009 such a great vintage: fresh, rich, deep, and expressive fruit framed by a perfect balance of tannins and acidity. The precocious fruit leads me to believe that many wines will be consumed before their respective maturity dates, but who cares? See joy, feel joy. My strategy has been to taste and experiment with the lower priced 2009′s (I’m cellaring them too), but also to carefully select some more serious bottlings to get a chance to know what 2009 will taste like in say … 2025!

The first serious 2009 that I’ve socked away is the Château Cantemerle. This Haut-Médoc Fifth Growth property has been on my radar for many years now. It’s about a 5-iron from Margaux, and stylistically, Cantemerle’s wines have that Margaux-like charm. You may remember a recent write-up about the 2009 Château Cantemerle, written shortly after having tasted it out of bottle for the first time. It was being sold on pre-arrival at the time, and sold so well, we went back to our negociant and bought some more. Guess what? It’s here now! Tasting a 2009 Château Cantemerle today is a bit of a crime, but it will reveal how incredible the 2009 vintage is. I wouldn’t recommend tasting/drinking more than 1 bottle at this stage of its life, but for scientific purposes, I caved, and is it ever great. Robert Parker had this to say about the wine: “Readers looking for the more ethereal, elegant side of Bordeaux need search no further than Cantemerle, one of the estates in the very southern end of the Medoc. Dense ruby/purple (nearly opaque), this wine offers up notes of lead pencil shavings, spring flowers, raspberries and black cherries. The wine is ethereal, medium-bodied, and by no means a blockbuster, but long and intellectual. However, the tannins are present, and the wine is certainly capable of putting on weight with time in the bottle. Give it 3-4 years of bottle age and drink it over the following 25+ years. – 91+ points” And The Wine Advocate’s Neal Martin had this to say: “Tasted at the Union de Grand Cru in London. The Cantemerle 2009 has a lovely floral, almost Margaux-like bouquet with fine delineation and intensity. The palate is well balanced with fine delineation, a little grainy on the entry but very focused on the supple finish. This is a very attractive Cantemerle that should age with panache. Tasted November 2011. – 91 points” I don’t want to open up Pandora’s box here and regale you all with my quirky beliefs and and prejudices about points and wine, but let’s just say that if I look up a wine that I haven’t tasted yet, I am more likely to enjoy a wine in the 88-92 range than I will a 96-100. Just sayin’. I sure hope everyone’s enjoying their summer. We’re plugging away for you all tasting this and tasting that, looking for liquid gems for drinking now and for laying down. Here at TWH, our palates never tire! As I said, we’re excited about the next Bordeaux container coming soon, but let’s continue to relish in the one that has already arrived. For after all, it brought us the 2009 Château Cantemerle! – Peter Zavialoff Please feel free to email me with any questions or comments regarding 2009 Bordeaux, Château Cantemerle, Points and Wine, or how I’m passing the time until footy season starts: peter.winehouse@sbcglobal.net

2009 Château Fleur Cardinale (Pre-arrival)

Just back from the annual Bordeaux en primeurs tastings, I’m happy to report that all went well; the meetings, the weather, and of course, the wines. In general terms, the vintage was a challenging one for those making red wines, though there were still some successful standouts. The dry whites of Pessac-Léognan and gold wines of Barsac/Sauternes showed amazing freshness and purity, and will be celebrated for many years to come. Stay tuned right here for further information about the wines and for our 2011 Bordeaux Futures campaign, which will be unveiled very soon! I scheduled a multitude of meetings over 10 days, and they were all informative and constructive. Ranging from negociant visits, to cocktail parties and dinners, visits to growers and chateaux, and the tastings themselves, it was great to meet many new people and greater still to see familiar associates and friends again! Though my days were fairly planned out, I still made sure I had some time to allow for the serendipitous. Alas, this tactic has rewarded me time and time again, and this year was no exception. It all started with meeting #1, first thing Thursday morning. I met with a negoce whom I’ve known for a couple of years, and at one point he asked me what our best selling Bordeaux wines are. I said that I didn’t know off the top of my head, but after giving it a little thought, I said, “Fleur Cardinale. It’s a great wine for a great price.” Ah, the beauty of calling right into someone’s hand! It turns out he is a family friend of Florence and Dominique Decoster, owners of Château Fleur Cardinale. We had a light-hearted chuckle over this coincidence (though I don’t believe in coincidences), and resumed our discussion. Fast forward to Monday, day 1 of 5 crazy tasting days. I attended le Cercle Rive Droite tasting in St. Emilion. It can be an overwhelming tasting, as there are well over 100 Merlot based samples coming from Pomerol and St. Emilion, in addition to other Right Bank appellations. It is at this tasting where I usually get the opportunity to taste Château Fleur Cardinale. At large tastings like le Cercle, I tend to zone out so I don’t get overwhelmed, and take them one at a time. So when I showed up at the table to taste the Fleur Cardinale sample, it didn’t fully register that it was Florence Decoster that was pouring it for me. We had a chat about the wine and then she told me about a new property that they recently acquired. I then mentioned to her that one of her sons visited us here at TWH last year, and of my acquaintance with the family friend negociant. It was a very pleasant visit, and back in my zoned out mode, I marched on to taste more. I like to attend the larger tastings during/around lunch time, when the masses are eating, drinking, and socializing, leaving me room to fly through the wines. I can always get a small bite afterward. I forgot where I was exactly, maybe tasting Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux, but I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned and it was Florence. She asked me if I would like to join the Decosters for lunch, provided my schedule allowed. I pondered this for a moment. I had 2 hours until my next appointment. When traveling, allow for serendipity, things like this happen.

We stepped outside, I was immediately introduced to Dominique, and off we went to lunch. The only word I can use to describe lunch that day is soulful. It was. Speaking English very well, Florence and Dominique regaled me with their story of Dominique selling his famous Porcelaines Haviland in Limoges, to their investing in St. Emilion by acquiring Château Fleur Cardinale in 2001. All the while as I listened, I could feel the Decoster’s collective passion. At one point, Dominique mentioned to me that stylistically, their wine is made to suit their own palates. He explained to me that when one owns a property in St. Emilion, you drink your own wine a lot, so you better like it! All humor aside, there is truth in that. I went on to tell them how well their wines do with our customers, as they have consistently been price/quality leaders in our Bordeaux section for over 5 vintages. After tasting their 2009, it looks as if we will have another PQR leader on our hands come summer! Full body, rich structure, ripe fruit, hints of spice, earth, and cola. All’s well here. Please see The Wine Advocate’s review below. As is usually the case, time flies when you’re having a blast, so it unfortunately was time to pack it up and continue with our day. Florence and Dominique back at the tasting, and me with my appointments in Pomerol. What a great couple. What passion. I feel very lucky. As I said, it’s wonderful to meet new people, and this year I met many. My passion for Bordeaux has again brought me there to scout out a new vintage for all of you. As prices are released, we expect to be active in the 2011 Futures market, and I will be here ready to help you choose which wines suit you best. Thanks for the opportunity! – Peter Zavialoff Please feel free to email me with any questions or comments on Bordeaux, the 2011 vintage, serendipity, or English Football: peter.winehouse@sbcglobal.net

2009 Domaine l’Aurage: Mitjavile Magic

Ah Bordeaux. We’ve gone down this trail a gazillion times, but pardon me, here I go again. First of all, I’m here. In Bordeaux. Just had a great dinner, looking forward to all the upcoming week has in store. I’ve already had several meetings with negociants, and if there is one thing that’s clear, they’re all saying that 2009′s are either out of stock, or that what they can offer now costs much more than we initially paid. Well, that makes sense. It is a great vintage, no question. So how do we “profiter”, as the French say? Easy, find the wines that we still have for sale at the opening price. Here’s one that very well may be overlooked. Domaine l’Aurage. What? Never heard of it? You should. You will. Domaine l’Aurage is the property that belongs to Caroline and Louis Mitjavile in what used to be called “Côtes de Castillon”. Nowadays, its appellation is “Côtes de Bordeaux”, yet it still carries the “Castillon” moniker. Confusing? Pardon me for making it more so. Do you see this picture of Louis? Some of his vines are on both his right and left. The vines behind the tree with ivy on it? Those don’t belong to him. But they are in St. Emilion. Yes, that is the border. Caroline and Louis’ driveway effectively, is the border between St. Emilion and Castillon. Louis is the son of François Mitjavile of Château Tertre Roteboeuf fame. The wines of Tertre Roteboeuf are highly celebrated amongst Bordeaux buffs in the know. I can go on and on about François and, not only Tertre Roteboeuf, but his Roc de Cambes as well, but not tonight. 2 years ago this week, I found myself in the cellar at Tertre Roteboeuf with François, and I was re-introduced to his son, Louis, or Loulou, as he is affectionately known by his loved ones. Louis is a strong spirit, who has worked in and around St. Emilion, Fronsac, and elsewhere. He knows far more about winemaking than a multitude of wine people that I know. So when I visited Tertre Roteboeuf 2 years ago, I was so happy to have been re-acquainted with Louis, and when I tasted HIS wine, my mind was certainly cast into the realm of thinking that, yet again, apples don’t fall far from their respective trees. Coming from Castillon, the 2009 Domaine l’Aurage benefited from the perfect growing season that the vintage stamped on all of the wines from Bordeaux. Taking that into consideration, it also had that “Mitjavile signature” of opulence, great weight, texture, expression, and balance. I do not want to dampen the allure of François’ wines (Tertre Roteboeuf and Roc de Cambes), as they are well worth the cost, and then some, but here’s a chance to get in on the Mitjavile magic at a phenomenal price that quite simply, you’re not going to see again. That’s right, the 2009 Domaine l’Aurage is available, on pre-arrival, at the amazing price of $29. Get out! You’re not serious. Oh yes, we are. This is pure, silky magic in a bottle. When I tasted it out of barrel, I was thinking, “Okay, yep, this is the stuff. It’s got the verve, it’s got the style. But, sigh, probably going to be high 40′s, low 50′s?” Ahhhnttt! Wrong. How about $29??!!?? Seriously, you cannot find better Right Bank Bordeaux under $30 than the 2009 Domaine l’Aurage. Nope. I challenge you. Think juicy, ripe dark red/purple fruit, a hint of cola, earth, tobacco, allspice, and a hint of vanilla. On the palate, it enters so silky, then intensifies with all of those components firing in full-on fashion. The acid/tannin tandem, is so harmonious, you just have to take another sip to believe it. Yes, $29 (on pre-arrival). Oh, did I mention? We are the ONLY merchant in the USA with this wine. We’ve been around almost 35 years, we’ve got connections! You will not see Domaine l’Aurage for sale under $30 again. I strongly urge you to secure your allocations now. Scout’s honor, you will not be disappointed. Pardon me for banging the table yet again, but taking in the weather here in Bordeaux, and just settling in to the pace of the place has rekindled my passion for it (like it was ever extinguished). I hope to discover many new things this year while here, and you can count on me to fill you in on them when I do! Until then. Peter Zavialoff Please feel free to email me with any questions or comments about Bordeaux, especially if you would like to hear my impressions of any particular 2011 barrel samples: peter.winehouse@sbcglobal.net I will try to reply as best I can.

The 2009 Château Cantemerle and the 2009 Château La Lagune

Here’s to hoping everyone made it through St. Patrick’s Day okay! Wait a minute, St. Patrick’s Day? Wow, time is really flying now. It just occurred to me that the next time I chime in with a Sunday email, I will do so from a hotel room in Bordeaux. Yep, it’s that time of year again; I still have a couple of loose ends to tie up, but I’m pretty much ready to head across the pond to taste the red, white, and gold wines from the 2011 vintage out of barrel. You know I’m a bit of a wine geek, doing things like encouraging people to drink Riesling with their corned beef and cabbage, for instance, but my passion and devotion in the wine world is found along the banks of, and further inland of the magical estuary known as the Gironde. Bordeaux. For me, it’s the beginning and end of every story. For me, it’s all I want; all I need. It was around 2 years ago when I jetted off to Bordeaux to taste the massively successful 2009 vintage out of barrel, and as I’ve said before, no wine cellar would be complete without representation from this illustrious vintage. As was mentioned in my previous Sunday email, Robert Parker’s ratings of 2009 Bordeaux out of bottle were released at the end of last month, with a remarkable 19 wines earning his highest praise. Say what you will, and it’s all been said, but I drink wine, NOT points. One wine that struck a strong chord within me was the 2009 Château Cantemerle. I know this property well, as it sits just south of Margaux in the Haut-Médoc. One of my best pals and bandmates turned me on to the stuff when he lived in London and regularly sought advice from the staff at his local Nicolas shop in Notting Hill. Another pal of mine was generous enough to invite me over to his home on my last birthday and pop a bottle of Cantemerle’s 1983. If you can get your hands on one of those, I strongly recommend you do! Surely, someday I believe the 2009 version will trump that 1983 experience. The wine has it all. My usually reserved tasting notes seem to have been written by a teenager on the last day of school before the summer. The famous squiggly line, exclamation points, and the phrase “Home Run” jump off the page. But a closer look reveals words like nuanced, elegant, fresh and silky. It is abundantly clear that I was highly impressed with the 2009 Cantemerle. When you consider the price, compared to the other Cru Classé wines, this was a no-brainer. When I returned from the 2009 UGC tasting in Los Angeles, David asked me if there were any wines that we should be buying more of. Without thinking, without consulting any of my notes, and without hesitation, I said, “Cantemerle and La Lagune” (more on that one later). Wham! Bam! A few days later, several more cases were confirmed from our sources in Bordeaux, and I’m so excited knowing that they will be arriving sometime this year! Dismiss at your own peril.

 

2009 Chateau Cantemerle Haut Medoc (Pre-Arrival) Red Wine; Bordeaux Blend; Bordeaux; $39.00

“Readers looking for the more ethereal, elegant side of Bordeaux need search no further than Cantemerle, one of the estates in the very southern end of the Medoc. Dense ruby/purple (nearly opaque), this wine offers up notes of lead pencil shavings, spring flowers, raspberries and black cherries. The wine is ethereal, medium-bodied, and by no means a blockbuster, but long and intellectual. However, the tannins are present, and the wine is certainly capable of putting on weight with time in the bottle. Give it 3-4 years of bottle age and drink it over the following 25+ years. 91+ points” – Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

 

Châteaux Cantemerle and La Lagune are 2 of only 5 properties awarded Cru Classé status in the 1855 classification that are not from the Médoc’s most-famous appellations (both are Haut-Médoc). Situated nearby Cantemerle, La Lagune is one of my favorite, favorite “under the radar” Bordeaux properties. It has been for some time now, but all of a sudden, in the past 4 months, it has exploded, as everywhere I look, there it is again. Seriously, it all started with 10 bottles of the 1985 (until 2009, my favorite vintage) that we purchased from a private cellar. I know the wine, it was priced $300 lower than Chateau Margaux of the same year, but it is every bit as enjoyable. A couple of customers listened to my advice, and they were very pleased. Then, a customer and his father came in and tried one. The phone rang an hour later, the customer’s father had declared it “the best wine I’ve ever had”, and now he is a customer too! In fact, he scooped up what was remaining, and sampled the 2006 which was much to his liking. Then I was having lunch with my sister at The Left Bank in Larkspur, and there was a large table of older gentlemen conducting a wine tasting. Without craning my neck too much, I saw some familiar fancy California labels, but I didn’t want to gawk, so I let my curiosity dissipate while enjoying my visit with my sister. Our server, and that of the table of wine tasters, is a friend of mine, so when the tasting finished and the large table emptied, I asked her about the wines. Turning my head completely around, I looked and there it was, a bottle of La Lagune. I asked to see the bottle, and she brought it to me. 1986. And there was still wine in it, which she permitted me to taste. Magnificent! Time had been good to this bottle. I couldn’t help noticing the back label which clearly stated, “Imported by Wine House Limited.” A couple of weeks ago, I arrived at work and as I signed in to my work email account, there was an email from a representative from La Lagune inviting me to the Chateau when I visit later this month, spooky. My schedule is pretty tight, but I’m trying to figure out how to fit it in. But back to the L.A. tasting. If I thought the Cantemerle tasting notes were written by a teenager, then the La Lagune notes were written by an exuberant lottery winner. 2 squiggly lines … I believe that this is the ONLY time I’ve ever done that, “Good God! Vitamin-like minerals, rich, deep, dark red and purple fruit, great weight, sublime!” I don’t know what winning the lottery feels like, but while tasting the 2009 La Lagune, I think I have an idea.

2009 Chateau La Lagune Haut Medoc (Pre-Arrival) Red Wine; Bordeaux Blend; Bordeaux; $69.00

“It is not unusual that the 2009 La Lagune is a spectacular effort given the fact that this estate has been making terrific wines over the last decade or more. It boasts a dense purple color as well as a beautiful perfume of blueberries, mulberries, cassis, white chocolate and subtle toasty oak. Notes of Chinese black tea, cedarwood and forest floor also make an appearance in the singular aromatic and flavor profiles. This sumptuous, full-bodied La Lagune possesses low acidity, abundant but ripe, sweet tannin and a long, 45-second finish. Give this beauty 5-7 years of bottle age and drink it over the following three decades. 95 points” – Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

 

So there you have it, 2 Cru Classé Left Bank Bordeaux from the 2009 vintage that are way long on quality and more than reasonable in price. Alas, here we are in mid-March. I’m all set for another scouting mission to my favorite wine region on the planet. I promise to take more pictures and post them on our Facebook page. I promise to taste more wines than last year. I will be a good boy and make all of my appointments on time, just like last year. Lastly, I promise not to be too distracted at the Commanderie dinner, fully knowing that my team will be playing the deciding match of the European Champions’ League Quarter Finals that evening. Scout’s honor! – Peter Zavialoff

2009 Bordeaux Back In Stock: Chateau Couronneau

Whew! What a day yesterday was. I got up at 5:30 AM in order to prepare for a drive to the airport and a flight down to Los Angeles in order to participate in the Unions des Grands Crus de Bordeaux tasting of the newly bottled 2009 vintage. I’m sure I wasn’t alone holding high expectations for the wines from a vintage that was overwhelmingly impressive when I tasted them out of barrel two years ago. In a word, the wines shined. Shined. Like Soul Shine. Better than sunshine. Better than moonshine. Way better than rain (more on that later). The energy that filled the large room at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica was electric. Some of my overhears: “Classic Margaux. Note the subtlety, yet the expression.” “Psst. The wines aren’t normally this good so young, are they?” “I’m not wasting this glass.” I could go on and on, but the collective euphoria I experienced just means to me that the vintage will be a popular one for all of us who love wine, especially those of us who love Bordeaux. We will be getting our Cru Classé 2009 Bordeaux in different shipments throughout the calendar year, look out for emails alerting you to the in-stock availability as they come in. Some of the more well known names will begin to arrive in late March. In the meantime, we just reloaded on a 2009 Red Bordeaux that has shown so well that it sold out quicker than you can say 2009 Château Couronneau! It is always with great pleasure when I visit Christophe and Bénédicte Piat in Ligueux around the time of the En Primeur tastings in Bordeaux each spring. They have a lovely Château and a lovely family, but that just makes sense as they are truly wonderful people. Proudly displaying the banner sporting the “Agricole Biologique” logo in front of their property, they believe in the methodology and the proof’s in the juice. My visit this past April was met with outstanding weather, and we decided to eat our dinner al fresco. Seeing that I had a long drive back to Bordeaux after dinner, I had to spit all of the wine that was served (so professional), assuring a clear head for the return leg. The toughest wine to spit? The 2009 Château Couronneau Rouge, of course. All of that 2009 goodness, the wine showed expressive dark red fruit, herbs, and earthy mineral. The tannins were smooth allowing for a sensational finish of high toned fruit, hints of autumn leaves, and a just-used shovel. This is not the first time I’ve written about this wine, but seeing that it sold out so quickly, many of you may not know that it’s back in stock. Ding! Ding! It’s baaaaack: 2009 Château Couronneau is here at TWH, back in stock! So we wait. The heavy hitters from the 2009 vintage will be arriving soon enough, many of them will benefit from short/medium term aging (though many will be highly enjoyable upon release). The 2009 Château Couronneau is one of those “highly enjoyable now” wines (though a few years in the cellar couldn’t hurt). To borrow from Meursault’s Jean-Baptiste Bouzereau’s list of quotes, “If pleasure is here for the taking, why not take it?” So yes, an amazing tasting, an amazing day. I had a moment in that room. Time stood still. The sounds around me faded and I just looked around the room. I was tasting the best of the best. I had many friends around the room that I saw enjoying the occasion. I felt so perfectly placed that I snapped out of it and proceeded with my duties. Then the lights flickered and it was time to go. The final tally? 94 wines. Not bad. Please contact me should you want to discuss any particular wine in detail. During the tasting, I overheard a rumor that ALL flights back to SF were delayed (and this was at 4:00 PM). I dismissed it, as my flight wasn’t until 9:40 PM. After dinner, I called the airline just to see where we stood, and gulp, the flight was delayed until 12:20 AM!!! Not good, not good, so not good. Waiting at the airport, by some stroke of good fortune, I happened to notice a fairly large group of people moving from the gates in the direction of ground transport/baggage claim, so I got up to investigate. Good thing I did. They stuffed all passengers (and checked luggage) from all 3 delayed SF bound flights into 1 and off we went at approximately 11:00 PM. With a significant rain storm pounding the California coast, I must say that I experienced the most turbulent flight in all my airplane experiences last night. All’s well that ends well and when I turned the lock on the treehouse door at 1:55 AM, I was relieved. What a day, indeed. – Peter Zavialoff Please feel free to email me with any questions or comments on 2009 Bordeaux, the upcoming Wilco shows, or of course, English Football: peter.winehouse@sbcglobal.net