If you're a guitar player you probably already know who Sonny Landreth is. For the flautists among us, Sonny is an incredibly inventive guitar picker from Louisiana, who also happens to be a fan of good red wine. So, when he comes to town, the guitar geeks among us hook him up. Last time we plied him with a 2002 Northstar Merlot. This time we hauled out some bigger guns.
First up was a 2003 Woodward Canyon cab (not the artist series) supplied by my pal Rusty, who received the bottle as a wedding gift barely a year ago. Talk about willingness to share! He could have opened it up on his 10th or 20th anniversary. Needless to say, A+.
The Woodward was followed with my only bottle of 2003 O-S (nee Owen-Sullivan) Ulysses (Sheridan). I barrel tasted the Ulysses two years before it was released, and it was incredible then. It's even better now, of course, and the fact it's 60% cab franc doesn't hurt. More spine than at a convention of chiropractors. Another solid A on the scorecard.
We finished up with a 2002 Cooralook Strathbogie Range cab, which was surprisingly good and held it's own next to the previous two monsters. Come to find out it's being carried by Richard Kinssies at his south Seattle wine warehouse, for a mere $15. B+, but an A in the QPR department.
Btw, I found three of the allegedly sold-out 2005 Betz syrahs at the Westlake Ave Whole Foods. I grabbed a bottle of the Besoleil ($45). I really wanted a La Serenne, too, but at $56 it was pushing my envelope a bit too hard. La Serenne is made from 100% Boushey vineyard grapes, and I've got a six-pack of '04 Lowdon Hills Boushey Syrah on the way. So, I'll be okay. :)
The other Betz at Whole Foods was the La Cote Rousse. They didn't have the Chapitre 3.
JJ