We went to Van Gogh's in Roswell (just outside of Atlanta) for Mrs. Golf&Zin Nut's birthday. I had crab cakes with goat chees ravioli and Mrs. Golf&Zin Nut had gnocchi bolognese. Food was, as usual, fantastic. I seem to remember a glorious wine list, but I was mistaken. They had lots of overpriced trophies with the usual (not even close to ready) recent vintages of Bordeaux, American Cabs, and alomst no Oz wines to speak of. Try not to fall down when you read these prices:

1992 Ducru- Beaucaillou ($147) -- This wine was selected because it was, in my estimation, the best "ready-to-drink" wine on their list. If they've had it it at this price for a while, its no wonder that its been in their cellar this long. I was horrified to read that the release price on this beauty was only $28.00. The wine was beautiful going into the decanter. Deep purple with color sturation out to the very edges. The cork showed almost no saturation (maybe 2-3 mm). Unfortunately, we didn't have time to really wait on the wine, so we dove right in. The first glass was extremely tight with hints of berries and prunes with a lengthy finish. By the time we got around to the second glass, the wine had been opened for around 1 hour, and it was a new wine. The tannins were obviously well-integrated. The wine which had a sharp and spicy component was now soft and smooth. The prunes were gone, replaced by more berries and a hint of vanilla. 20-30 second finish. I give it an 80 fresh out of the bottle, blossoming to a 90+ after an hour.

1993 D'Yquem ($38/glass). I think it was telling that they served this wine with glasses that had Inniskillin etched on them (should've gone with that wine instead). Beautiful color with a grassy amber hue and the nose was devine. I'd describe this a medium sweet with hints of apricot jelly and earthy characteristics. A very tasty wine, but not even close to worth the cash. Maybe 85 points.
*******************

POST SCRIPT on the Ducru-Beaucaillou: I thought this wine was harsh when it first came out of the bottle but it softened into a lovely wine after just an hour. A wonderful mature early-'90's Bordeaux. I just looked it up on Spectator and eBob. This wine really exemplifies the difference between James Suckling's and Robert Parker's palate. Parker describes the wine in glowing terms and gives it an 87. Suckling poo-poos the wine and gives it a 79. I'm in Bob's camp on this one.

POST-SCRIPT on VAN GOGH'S WINE LIST -- the best word to describe this is extortionate. When I look over wine lists, I always look for certain wines that most restaurants have. They wanted $129 for a 1999 Alex. Vy Silver Oak (not really a bad mark-up on this inferior bottling). I laughed when I saw they wanted over $120 for a recent Jordan Cab (can't remember if it was the 1999 or 2000). A 1997 Diamond Creek (Volcanic, I think) was around $170. They had pretty good veriticals of Dominus and Opus and roughly a 100% mark-up.

I have no problem with restaurants making money on their wine list, but give me something on the list that's a relative value. The closest thing to a value I saw was a 2001 Groom Shiraz for $77 (that's probably 3x wholesale). I didn't order this because I have two cases of it at home.


Message edited to correct the typos I noticed....

"Well, the world needs ditch-diggers too."

[This message was edited by Golf&Zin Nut on Mar 19, 2004 at 12:02 PM.]

G and Z,

Happy Wife's birthday!

On the wine prices - welcome to the world of Pennsylvanians! It really ##$@#s to go into a good restaurant and pay 80-100 bucks for wines that I either have or can get for 30-40 bucks. On the other hand, if the food portions and prices are right, I am OK with a premium to select and drink a nice wine with the good meal. This is a rarer occasion, though.

At least you didn't have a Zin with dinner!

Regards,

DBW

G&ZN;
I've heard the same about Van Gogh's wine list. Sounds like they should change the name of the restaurant to Van Doooooooogh! (Van Dough would be appropriate, too.)

Anyway - give a belated Happy B-day to the Mrs. G&ZN.

"This wine should be eaten, it is too good to be drunk."
Jonathan Swift

G&ZN,
Surprised to hear the food was good at Van Gogh's. It used to be one of my favorite restaurants, but the last three trips were awful, and we swore it off. The once great crabcakes were served smothered in a sickly sweet vanilla sauce on my last trip.

As for the wine prices, I guess the Sedgewick's are trying to squeeze the profits out of that place before giving up on it. I hear they are putting all their efforts into Aspen's, hoping a national company will buy it as a chain idea (like Stoney River).

I hear Rainwater and no corkage calling in the future.

The best time to have white wine is when there is no red wine.

Meritage --

I had a crab cake, and it was really quite good. No vanilla sauce on this baby, but there were a few fresh mandarin orange slices. I thought it compliomented the sweetness of the lump crab meat quite well.

As I've posted here before, I have a wine locker at Rainwater and love the place. My wife only likes to go there every three month sor so, and we've already been inside that window. It was her birthday....

Kybo--

I'll pass along your birthday sentiments.

When's your next trip down -- the golf course is greening up nicely.... You need to bring Mrs. Kybo -- isn't it time to strat house hunting???

"Well, the world needs ditch-diggers too."

G&ZN;
Yes, it's about time to hit the pavement - I've been web-searching the RE market for the past several months...only thing holding us back from putting our place on the market is finalizing Mrs. K's transfer papers.

Because of my biz travel plans, I probably won't be in Atlanta until the end of April, but I'll keep in touch.

"This wine should be eaten, it is too good to be drunk."
Jonathan Swift

Kybo,
My house in Atlanta is for sale. Sounds like your type of place too.Golf course community, 1500 bottle wine cellar with stone tasting room and fire place, media room, study, screened porch, koi pond, steam room...all for under $400k, what a bargain! and only 15 minutes from Rainwater!
Just thinking out loud

The best time to have white wine is when there is no red wine.

Meritage --

Where's that house -- either in the projects or in Cherokee county?

We've got a 2800 sq. ft. townhouse in Sandy Springs on the market for just under $400K. No wine cellar, no koi pond, no stream. Nice neighborhood, though.

Kybo -- one of my neighbors just put their house on the market - -for sale by owner. Want me to find out the details for you?

"Well, the world needs ditch-diggers too."

Meritage:

Polo Fields or Crooked Creek?

Seriously, though, email any particulars to bfrye@peachstate.com, 'cuz ya never know!

"This wine should be eaten, it is too good to be drunk."
Jonathan Swift

Kybo,
Polo anyone?

The best time to have white wine is when there is no red wine.