Disillusionment with high scores yet again

After our previous get together with F, where she discovered the much loved Schild Barossa Shiraz I served was not the much vaulted 96 point 2004 but the lowly 2006, she demanded that I "make it up to her". She also was curious about the recent 94-point Neyers 2007 Shiraz Old Lakeville Road $33, as was I.

And that seemed like a perfectly good reason to try these two "giants of WS points" over dinner.

I was at Costco that afternoon to pick up broccoli to go along with the takeout Italian food F would bring, but I got fairly excited at the food choices surrounding me. And I realized I had some yummy spaghetti sauce made a few days back... it seemed a shame not to use that up and while at it, not to cook up the whole darn meal. A quick phone to F to call to cancel the takeout and I was in my happy place, all set to make dinner of my choosing and standing in the middle of Costco.

I picked up some more of the Martha Stewart meatballs with lemon grass and habanero, in their bright green package with orange trim. They are quite good and super easy to warm up. They will stay in the refrigerator for several weeks and if you do freeze them, they thaw quickly. Also I got lots of produce. I was glad to see this Costco has brussel sprouts, finally. And I ended up buying some wine at Costco, but not as much as you might have expected. This is detailed in my previous blog, about Italian wines.

There were six of us for dinner, which consisted of home-made fettuccine with two different meatball tomato sauces. The vegetables were blanced broccoli with a soy sauce vinaigrette. For wine, I figured three bottles possibly going to four. Especially if one bottle was bad. And so the disappointment began.

The first was a bottle from Costco. The Fontanafredda 2007 Briccotondo (WS 90, $10). It was pretty much as I remembered it. Fruity for a Barbera with tangy plum and red berry. A perfect cooking wine too, as I used some in the sauce. But nobody loved it. And a few put it at the bottom of their list. Sigh. My score: 89. (See another review of this wine)

Next, Neyers 2007 Shiraz Old Lakeville Road (WS 94, $30), tasted thick and flat. It had the characteristics I've come to expect from James Laube's 92+ pointers, which is a rich wine with purple berry, some unusual notes and a medium finish with not a whole lot of acidity or tannins. After a bit this wine opened up and I got some interesting flavors of beef stock and a beam of soy sauce. Interesting yes, but not especially appealing. Nobody else really seemed to like this either. My score: 85.

Then, one of the highest scoring wines I've had the pleasure to try, the Schild 2004 Barossa Shiraz (WS 96, $22). And it was a good but not great wine. Not nearly as rich or thick as the 2006 (WS 88), the 2004 was medium bodied with some richness, and it had more unusual flavors than the 2006, but again they were not flavors wow'ed me. I can see a 91, but that's about it. Most people liked this. My score: 88.

Finally, F screamed that I wasn't even going to open a Cabernet, so I relented. This was a bottle the Wine Club had recommended when I was looking for a good $15 cab about 4 months ago. Of course this was closer to $22, but I've learned wine people all have a hard time hearing price limits. It was the Waterstone 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (WS 82, $22). I hadn't seen the review until just now (as I'm typing this) and it was exactly what the WC said it would be. A nice Napa Cab. Not especially big, but sweet and smooth with refined fruit, spice and vanilla. The favorite of most people. My score: 89 to 90.

Finally, a few days later, I cracked open another highly rated wine that I have been saving for 4+ years. The Columbia Winery 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Yakima Valley Otis Vineyard Signature (WS 92, $22, #55 in the top 100 of 2004). I'd tried this bottle before and always found it thin and herbal, like green tomatoes. And this bottle was no different. Thin and dilute with a green tobacco and green pepper notes along with purple berry. Touch of tannins and acidity in an elegant body. Almost Pinot Noir like in feel. Or like a fine European Bordeaux in body. Well this is my last bottle so I won't be wondering if will get any better. It won't, though my like for it varies on my mood. (While I never loved this, it lasted a couple of days after opening, showing it was not a fruit bomb. And it had light elegance I could see someone else falling in love with). My score: 84 to 88.

Smooth and polished, an elegant red with depth of flavor that sneaks up on you. Currant, blackberry, smoky spice and dried tomato flavors compete for attention, building in intensity as the fine tannins subside on the long finish. Best from 2006 through 2015. 2,380 cases made.

I realize I'm probably having my wine period where nothing tastes great, but I think I'm finally realizing deep down, at a core level, that the super high scores, say those above 92, have little to no correlation with how much I will enjoy a wine. So, except for the prestige factor to yammer about buying or anticipating or trying wine X, why am I trying to get these wines again?

These days I'm now most excited when I see a new world wine getting 88 or 89 pointer for $11 with wide availability. That's something you can yammer on about and drink tonight.