Tribeca-Manhattan, NY. - The Hope’s 3rd Annual "Taste of Hope" Dinner and Wine auction to support City of Hope was a huge success last week. Raising a record breaking $225,000 at the event that was easily the heaviest gathering of the entire music and radio business in years with LA Reid, Steve Bartels, Richard Palmese and a couple of former NY Knicks John Starks and Allan Houston were in attendance. Learn about last year's event >>
As a table wine sponsor I lined up what turned to be an amazing evening for everyone at table #16. This was evident when we made a lot of new friend when they heard what we were drinking;
Starting with a nice Champagne Toast from Chad Brown (who hired me in NYC).
We get into Califorinia' Greatest Hits:
1) Champagne Toast - Bollinger Champagne (not from Cali...)
2) Cakebread Cellars – Chardonnay 200 Napa Valley
3) Cakebread Cellars – Chardonnay Reserve 2005 Carneros Napa
Drink now -2011. Consistently scores 90+ pts in WS.
4) Duckhorn – Merlot 2006 Napa Valley
One of the Napa’s biggest Merlots. Drink now – 2009. 90 pts in WS.
A Salute to Robert Mondavi and his Napa Cabs scoring over 90 pts in 2000’s and 1990’s
VERTICAL TASTING – Different Vintages of same wine *bonus taste
*) Robert Mondavi – Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Napa Valley
Best from now – 2018 92 pts in WS.
6) Robert Mondavi – Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 Napa Valley
Best from 2008 – 2018 95 pts in WS. Very Nice
7) Robert Mondavi – Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 Napa Valley
Best from 2005 – 2012. 94 pts in WS. This was fantastic too!
*) Robert Mondavi – Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 Napa Valley. Best from now – 2011. 90-92 pts in Parker recent tastes& 90pts in WS. Although no considered a great year for Napa this was very nice for 2000 vintage.
9) Robert Mondavi – Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1999 Napa Valley
Best from now-2012 94 pts in WS. This was spectactular!
10) Robert Mondavi – Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1996 Napa Valley
Drink now - 2011. 95 pts in WS. This wine has held up well and maybe one of the finest expressions of a big Napa Cab - Thanks Bob!
MERITAGE - BATTLE OF THE BLENDS
(Merit + Heritage) Red Meritage Wines must be a blend of at least two of the following: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cab-Franc, Malbec or Petit Verdot. No single grape may make up more than 90%. The price point doubles in each of these bottles. ($60, $125, $240) And people were surprised that Trilogy at that price point holds it own!
11) Flora Springs - Trilogy - 2003!
12) Rubicon Estate - 2002 Rutherford, Napa Valley
A Bordeaux expression in Napa. Co-owned by Francis Ford Coppola. Drink now - 2012. 91 pts in WS.
13) Joseph Phelps – Insignia 2001 Napa Valley
Meritage blend (Cab , Petit Verdot and Malbec. A more recent vintage of Insignia finished #1 on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list and the price skyrocketed! Drink now - 2012. 94 pts in WS.
http://www.cityofhope.org/giving/fundraising-support-groups/music/taste-of-hope/Pages/default.aspx
Here's what a typical table looks like...some of the finest wine assembled...
Where's all the food?
