The images of Andrei and Bern Laxer himself should have been a clue as we faced a dozen beautiful reds and debated whether they might be Bordeaux, Burgundy, Brunello or old Australians. 

Wrong, wrong, wrong almost all the way through, especially any thoughts of Oz. The right answers drawn from Bern’s endless cellar by sommelier Brad Dixon, were three flights of Californians, mid-range Bordeaux, then more Californias, all at least 20 years old, when we could barely say shiraz. 

In my guessing, I forgot the prime attraction of Bern’s, that it has such wines, thousands of dusty bottles from forgotten decades. These are wines that don’t often exist anywhere else;  here they are stored perfectly.

One California cab had faded, but the rest were in remarkable health, from delicate to thick with raisins. But who among us was thinking of an ‘83 St-Julien?

1990 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa) $84.99

Or the real stumper, a 1973  Inglenook charbono. Many wine drinkers today cannot imagine when Inglenook was one of Napa‘s greats (along with BV, Krug and the upstart Mondavi); Bern’s wine list remembers and has the delicious proof on hand. (B-21 does too; you can get a take-home taste of Napa’s golden age, the 1990 Berigner Private Reserve, a 94-pointer, for $84.99). 

Even those who remember the ’70s may not know charbono. Like zinfandel it was an old workhorse grape in California vineyards, of unknown ancestry and rare anywhere else.  It was like dolcetto or barbera but probably closer kin to the corbeau of France or the douce noire of Savoie. Inglenook championed it as a fine wine grape but it was since lost. 

The ‘73 is was a plum lovely thing. I would have placed it as a still vigorous old Burgundy, smooth with earthy tones of mushrooms, white pepper and blackberries. 

If you missed charbono first time round, your second chance is coming. A small-scale charbono revival has quietly begun. A dozen or more  labels, both Italian old-timers and the wise modernists fond of endangered varietals: Summers, Parducci, Turley, Shypoke,  Pacific Star and Fife among them. 

Two lessons: 

1. Charbono is still hard to come by, so look for some on your next trip to the wine country, especially in Calistoga.
2. When at Bern’s, forget the likes of Silver Oak. Make that phonebook of a wine list your friend and dig deep… Pick a region from Napa to the Piemonte or the Rhone and look back 20 years; you’ll find remarkable treats well below $100. 

- Chris Sherman, The Blogging Nibbler

1989 Penfold’s Grange Hermitage:   True figgy pudding and the champ of the night, plummy, berry fruits and lots of spice at 20, easy and smooth drinking.  Long finish.

1985 Echezeaux:  This took time, perhaps a full hour in a decanter,   and revealed itself to s joy in prefect condition, cherries wrapped in dark cocoa and coffee. Earthy and strong enough to last another ten.

1998 Moccagatta Barbaresco Bric Balin ($37.99)

1972 Barbaresco:  Producer unknown, but it had a B-21 price tag of $19.99.  Near its limit, but a remarkable show for a theoretically light Nebbiolo, still clean, distinct berry brightness surrounded by cedar, tobacco and earth tones.

 I report on these oldies in case you’re looking at some in your closet and wondering “Should I…”

The answer is YES.  Make it a New Year’s resolution.  Open those old bottles and make room to re-stock.  B-21 has Barbarescos from 1998 at $37.99 and Echezeaux from the great 2006 for $99.99.  It’s much more fun than cleaning out the garage.

- Chris Sherman, The Nibbler

Joseph Drouhin Latricieres-Chambertin 1990:
This bottle was not correct, the unfortunate reality of older bottles sometimes.  I came back to it as notes in my Blackberry reminded me I had tasted within the last year – stunning wine.  All the animal one expects in a Grand Cru Gevrey just not this time. Bobby stashed away a lot of 85’s and 90’s years ago and the prices have not really moved much… I have had some great Drouhin wines here over the last 10 years.  Wine well stored.

Bouchard Beaune L’Enfant Jesus 1993:
Superb.  I was a fan of many 1993’s on release and this is why.  This is what a great Beaune should be and at 89 bucks on the wine list; a steal!

Haut Batailley (Pauillac) 1996:
Good earthy/mushroom overtones initially, and with time really dominated the wines profile.  Not clear that this was Pauillac to me, but for the price I could not pass, but will for next visit.