WTN: Cabs with Cassoulet

Got together last weekend for a great cassoulet and the theme was cabernet. 10 attended and the opinions were all over the place. Below are some very brief notes and my ratings. The wines were all served blind in the following order.

'04 Clos Roche Blanche Cabernet - Interesting, somewhat cerebral and complex, balanced with nothing dominating, certainly "old world". Since I brought this wine I guessed what it was. Would never be confused with a domestic cab. Happy to not find any green flavors. 17.5/20

'01 Karl Lawrence - Ripe, somewhat sweet, eucalyptus, more alcohol than I like to detect. 16/20

'05 Dehlinger Cabernet - ripe, fat, almonds, cinnamon, waaaay to much alcohol on the palate, IMHO. This wine was 14.9% and it jumps out at you. The group did not agree. I put it as the second worst wine and 4 of 10 thought it was the best wine of the night. 15.5/20

'00 Dehlinger Cabernet - Structured, smooth and easy to drink, full bodied but not an in-your-face wine and enough tannins to impress. Seems like it would have quite a few years ahead of it. I liked this wine. After revealing the wine it was hard to imagine it as the same producer as the previous bottle. The vintage was the difference, '05 was big and fat and '00 was thought by many to not be a good cabernet vintage and more lean. 17.5/20

'97 Beringer PR - Obvously a CA cab but nicely balanced, with tannins and acidity present but not overpowering. Medium body, play dough on the nose and some sweet tomato on the palate. Medium body. If you took all opinions and averaged them this may have been the WOTN. 17/20

'04 Field Stone - med body with soft tannins but too acidic. Did have a long finish but not a great drink 16/20

'05 Carr - Burnt flavors, weak fruit and thin. Worst wine of the night for me and glad there was some more of the others still left. Hopefully this was a cooked or off bottle. 15-/20

Bruce and Karen Lowry were the hosts and Karen's food was as good or better than the best wines. The really obvious thing is how some people like big new world wine with high alcohol and others, myself included, have a problem with these wines. Different strokes.

Walt

[Jenise]

Interesting line up. Had to laugh at the "playdough nose"--I didn't realize I remembered what playdough smelled like, but as a kid I loved that smell and it came back to me instantly. Wouldn't like it in my wine!

Interesting that you didn't find the KL appealing--you buy these wines, right? Or at least, you used to. I've quit, have passed on the 02 and 03's, they dropped me off the mailing list. I didn't protest.

Walt,

I suspect that Lou Kessler will be right along with exactly the right kinds of wines for cassoulet. I mean after all he is forced twice per year to eat the best cassoulet (or so I imagine it) in the world, served right at his own table. If I ever get to Cal at just the right time, I fully mean to crash that dinner!

Interesting line up. Had to laugh at the "playdough nose"--I didn't realize I remembered what playdough smelled like, but as a kid I loved that smell and it came back to me instantly. Wouldn't like it in my wine!

Interesting that you didn't find the KL appealing--you buy these wines, right? Or at least, you used to. I've quit, have passed on the 02 and 03's, they dropped me off the mailing list. I didn't protest.

Playdough is someone else's adjective. I agreed to post notes but asked for some comments from everyone. I don't know what playdough smells like but figure RP makes up 75% of his adjectives so ours should be OK.

I dropped off of the KL list as they are just too ripe, sweet and alcoholic. I also dropped off the Dehlinger list for the same reason. The only list I am still on is Rafanelli as I think they make the best zins on the west coast. I also pick up ESJ syrah wines but seem to find them occasionally in IL and can always buy direct from Steve. Other than that all of my wines come from Europe.

Walt

Got together last weekend for a great cassoulet and the theme was cabernet. 10 attended and the opinions were all over the place. Below are some very brief notes and my ratings. The wines were all served blind in the following order.

'04 Clos Roche Blanche Cabernet - Interesting, somewhat cerebral and complex, balanced with nothing dominating, certainly "old world". Since I brought this wine I guessed what it was. Would never be confused with a domestic cab. Happy to not find any green flavors. 17.5/20

This wine, unlike most of the others I'd guess, is not just Cab S, but also Cab F. Not that that invalidates your point in any way.

Mark Lipton

Got together last weekend for a great cassoulet and the theme was cabernet. 10 attended and the opinions were all over the place. Below are some very brief notes and my ratings. The wines were all served blind in the following order.

'04 Clos Roche Blanche Cabernet - Interesting, somewhat cerebral and complex, balanced with nothing dominating, certainly "old world". Since I brought this wine I guessed what it was. Would never be confused with a domestic cab. Happy to not find any green flavors. 17.5/20

This wine, unlike most of the others I'd guess, is not just Cab S, but also Cab F. Not that that invalidates your point in any way.

Mark Lipton

The host said cassoulet and cabernet so thought it would be interesting to bring a CF. My problem with CF is that I many times pick up green pepper flavors and therefore do not often drink or buy CF. The Clos Roche Blanche did not have any "green" flavors and was very nice.
Walt

I don't know what playdough smells like

Wow, that is hard for me to believe. I've read several studies over the years citing Play-doh as one of the most globally recognizable and nostalgiac aromas there is. I mean, did you have a childhood?

Here, get yourself some of this and spray it all over: http://www.toymania.com/news/messages/8137.shtml

All in good fun,
Michael

Walt,

I suspect that Lou Kessler will be right along with exactly the right kinds of wines for cassoulet. I mean after all he is forced twice per year to eat the best cassoulet (or so I imagine it) in the world, served right at his own table. If I ever get to Cal at just the right time, I fully mean to crash that dinner!

First of all I'm forced to eat the best cassoulet three times a year. Second of all if you're in CA at the right time we'll find a place for you.
After many years of experimenting with many different types of wine it is the consensus of the participants that Rhones both north and south are the best, followed closely by SO France, Bandol, etc. On Steve Edmunds suggestion we tried Barolo, Barbaresco, and they were winners. Wines that are somewhat rustic, earthy, etc do the best. Cab is not a good match in our collective experience. Pinot forgetaboutit! Zin is mediocre at best, too fruity. Hopefully Jenise will not put a contract out on me but you need macho masculine type wines with a litttle taste of warm dirt.
The confit has been made and is melding since last September in the frig. The first dinners will be two in Jan and one in March. I'm a true martyr.

Walt,

I suspect that Lou Kessler will be right along with exactly the right kinds of wines for cassoulet. I mean after all he is forced twice per year to eat the best cassoulet (or so I imagine it) in the world, served right at his own table. If I ever get to Cal at just the right time, I fully mean to crash that dinner!

First of all I'm forced to eat the best cassoulet three times a year. Second of all if you're in CA at the right time we'll find a place for you.
After many years of experimenting with many different types of wine it is the consensus of the participants that Rhones both north and south are the best, followed closely by SO France, Bandol, etc. On Steve Edmunds suggestion we tried Barolo, Barbaresco, and they were winners. Wines that are somewhat rustic, earthy, etc do the best. Cab is not a good match in our collective experience. Pinot forgetaboutit! Zin is mediocre at best, too fruity. Hopefully Jenise will not put a contract out on me but you need macho masculine type wines with a litttle taste of warm dirt.
The confit has been made and is melding since last September in the frig. The first dinners will be two in Jan and one in March. I'm a true martyr.

The guy's wife wanted to make cassoulet and it was really great. I think he chose the theme cabernet because "cassoulet and cabs" seemed to rhyme. My choice would have been Rhone, probabably more from the South than the North.
Walt

[Jenise]

Hopefully Jenise will not put a contract out on me but you need macho masculine type wines with a litttle taste of warm dirt.

What? I love macho masculine types with a little taste of warm dirt (be that men OR wine )!

[/quote]

The guy's wife wanted to make cassoulet and it was really great. I think he chose the theme cabernet because "cassoulet and cabs" seemed to rhyme. My choice would have been Rhone, probabably more from the South than the North.
Walt[/quote]
I would agree with your assessment if I had to make a choice it would be South.

[David M. Bueker]

When I have cassoulet in Toulouse I drink Cahors.

Works for me.

When I have cassoulet in Toulouse I drink Cahors.

Works for me.

I mentioned Bandol, SO France, in my original post. Wines from Cahors definitely meet the criteria of "terroir dirt". I mean that in a good way.

When I have cassoulet in Toulouse I drink Cahors.

Works for me.

I mentioned Bandol, SO France, in my original post. Wines from Cahors definitely meet the criteria of "terroir dirt". I mean that in a good way.

The problem with Cahors is that the wines are so variable there. If you're talking about the handful of quality producers, then absolutely, but for the vast majority of insipid, Bdx-wannabe wines made there, no way. To a lesser extent, the same holds true with Madiran, which now sports some seriously spoofy output, but Madiran/Irouleguy are my top choices after a fraction of the experimentation that Lou has engaged in. To me, some tannin is useful in pairing with my cassoulet (hence Tannat) but also, as Lou mentions, some rusticity does well, too. In the Rhone valley, Cornas gets my nod for cassoulet with more rustic CdPs a close second.

Mark Lipton