by Fred McMillin
for June 16, 1999

Marlstone and Moufflons

Prologue

"My '95 Marlstone pairs nicely with lamb."

...Clos Du Bois Winemaker Margaret Davenport

Lamb Milestones

10,000 B.C.—Cave-dwellers in North Africa herded flocks of MOUFFLONS, that inhabited the coastal plains. A wild species, with long hair around the neck and front legs, it has been described as the [precursor] of our present-day sheep.

...Toussaint-Samat's History of Food

Nine millennia later, "shish-kebabs were invented by Persian horsemen who stuck chunks of meat from fresh-killed sheep on their swords and broiled the meat over wayside fires. SHISH means sword or skewer; KEBAB means meat."

...Betty Wason, Cooks, Gluttons & Gourmets

So, I'm going to have my Marlstone red with a Persian lamb kebab...but how to make a Persian kebab? Well, I just happen to know someone who spent 3 years in the former Persia, now Iran, learning Persian dishes, including kebabs. The "student" was my wife. The photo shows Chef Abbas Nowruzi teaching her how to make GROUND lamb adhere to a sword-like flat skewer...tricky. We brought home six of the special skewers, so we can enjoy that kebab with this wine.

Today's Wine

1995 Marlstone Red
Clos du Bois, Geyserville, CA
Composition: Malbec, the Bordeaux varietal that does so well in Argentina, has also found a home in Sonoma County's Alexander Valley. It's become a part of the traditional Merlot-Cab Marlstone blend...now 10% Malbec, 45 Cab and 45 Merlot.
Apln.—Alexander Valley
Critics' Comments About Marlstone—As you would guess from the composition, Marlstone is not a tannic blockbuster, but smooths out very early.
My panel gave it a VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Contact—George Rose, (707) 473-2349, FX (707) 857-1667
Price—$30 range

Postscript

Clos du Bois makes impressive whites, too. Last year its sale of Chardonnay took another big jump...29%! That makes it one of the TOP FIVE premium Chardonnay producers in the U.S.A.

Note: For much more about Clos du Bois, see the March 19,1999 WineDay article "The Vagabond Winery".

About the Writer Fred McMillin, a veteran wine writer, has taught wine history for 30 years on three continents. He currently teaches wine courses at San Francisco State and San Francisco City College. In 1995, the Academy of Wine Communications honored Fred with one of only 22 Certificates of Commendation awarded to American wine writers.

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