Too lazy to walk down 2 flights of stairs to grab a Wellington so opened this which is wonderfully fresh and tasty:
2005 WineSmith Pinot Noir Second Fiddle Fiddlestix Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills
Tasting with @ScottW58. Almond biscotti on the nose. Awesome- kept sniffing. Pear, green apple, lemon curd with a fresh, yet creamy mouthfeel. 3g/L dosage. Disgorged Dec 21. Just beautiful.
@hscottk@karenhynes@ScottW58 I purchased a bottle. Haven’t had shipped yet. And agree, cloudy doesn’t necessarily bother me a bit. Assuming you received recently sometimes cloudy wines take a bit of time to settle.
Unfortunately, my invitation got lost in the mail!
That’s nothing, my whole Flannery order got lost in the mail! Lots of us poor unfortunates commiserating over on the BD board. FedEx and the weather are to blame.
@davirom@InFrom@Mark_L you’re asking the unfortunate? Yikes. Wine like they’re losing thousands of dollars of product. Even if FedEx covers the $, it’s a colossal waste of food.
@kaolis@rjquillin@ScottW58 did you buy one bottle of that, too? In all seriousness, I need to try this. I think Winespies had it recently but saw it too late.
@hscottk@rjquillin@ScottW58@karenhynes Wine Slash has the 2018 Perry’s for $48 and the 2018 Spring Mountain Cabernet for $68 btw. Note to the inventory police I bought 2 of each… their shipping is reasonable, free to $20.
@chefjess@chipgreen@kaolis He definitely had a couple years (mostly 2009, iirc) that had more Brett than ideal. Still one of our favourite wineries for Zin and Pinot year in and year out, at least at Casemates pricing.
@chefjess@klezman
The sparkling Gewurz was delicious. Floral without being herbaceous like Pinot Meunier can sometimes be. Just a hint of sweetness played well with the spiciness of the food. I still have Randy’s sparkling Zin and Pinot to try. Is the Pinot a red sparkler as I assume the Zin is?
@chefjess@chipgreen Yes, the sparkling Pinot and Zin are both red. My notes from the 2010 and 2013 vintages suggest the dosage is right in the brut range - basically enough to balance the acidity.
@davirom@ScottW58 Nah…the actual green stuff didn’t get a mention!
The cabbage was the same stuff as several photos Scott posted above with that seared chicken thigh that we all thought looked delicious. And it lived up to the hype!
But if you’re ever in West LA/Culver and want the best cabbage ever then check out Destroyer. I had their cabbage dish last week and I’m still thinking about it. I don’t think I’ve ever said that about cabbage before.
Oh, and in case it wasn’t clear, the wine was the most memorable of the bunch.
@chefjess@ScottW58 I honestly don’t know if my #1 was the other bubbly or the Burg. Both were amazing but almost not fair to compare them.
The other bubbly was Paul Bara Comtesse Marie de France in case it’s hard to make that out and the Burg was Grands-Echezeaux from Domaine Thenard.
All three were 2008, except the Riesling, which was also excellent but a definite 4th place.
@chefjess@klezman
Well like they say there are no great wines only great bottles, did not show anywhere near as well as the last bottle I had. The Bara was scary good IMHO! The Burg was a wine I won’t soon forget IMHO of course
@rjquillin
Not the Oakville but the other Meander I have picked up I have been happy with @tso price.
I did order a couple bottles of the Oakville Reserve that is up today.
One of my best. Will this be your first open? In light that it drinks so well now and will also age incredibly, it’s a real shame that we have no plans to repeat the blend. Thus you have a pearl of great pirice. Let me know how it goes.
@karenhynes@winesmith This was the first I opened of the 6 that I got (a case split). At first taste (on opening) I wasn’t getting a whole lot, but after 4 hours, wow!
@hscottk@ScottW58
I haven’t had the 17 Hyland so I don’t have a means of comparison. This was tasty. Not ready when first opened, but gained complexity and depth with air. Decanted for ~6 hours. I will wait a few years to open the last bottle if I can keep my hands off of it for that long.
@hscottk Everyone seems to like these wines more than I do. I purchased these last BD. This is the first one I’ve had in a year and thought just ok. It seemed to flatten out and get boring after a few hours. The '17 I had last year didn’t wow, the '18 I rather enjoyed. Not sure if I have '16 or '20 left, don’t remember the offer and don’t have my eyes on them. I’ll be interested in your thoughts.
@kaolis Interesting. I especially appreciate feedback that goes against the grain. The berserker fanboy crowd can sometimes take over the conversation. All that said, it will be a couple of months before I get my hands on them to sample.
@Mark_L
I had a case of the Cheer that I, of course, forgot about until it showed up in my mystery case. I’ve since opened a few bottles as everyone seemed to like it. I don’t drink much Zin or Syrah and a few other varietals, so the mystery case pushed me out of my comfort zone a bit.
@ctmariner@klezman I’m happy to report that the Scott Harvey went great with the meal. I only had a little taste, but it was a big hit with our guests.
@ctmariner@InFrom@klezman IMO the D Cubed Zin is OK, but I’d prefer that Scott Harvey. If that’s the 2013 D Cubed, at least. I don’t get the $30+ valuation on CellarTracker for that 2013 D Cubed Zin.
@ScottW58
Was a 2009 and still a baby. Had great structure and fruit profile, but very shy in revelation. Opened up slightly with crazy swirling, but never fully blossomed. It would be fun to revisit every five years as this seems like it could go another 20 easy. A fellow taster took the remainder home so I’ll check in and see if comes out of hiding over the next few days.
Went to a Howell mtn cab tasting last night, 8 wines two flights of 4 wines. Four courses of food and opened with champagne, clearly I’m getting to old for this shit I feel like crap today most votes went to 14 Saunter, 2 2010 Notre Vin, 3 1991 Liparita. All wines tasted blind.
@chefjess@hscottk
I was surprised the Dunn’s didn’t show better especially because I finally got to try those with some age. You bet I’m happy to have Saunter and Notre Vin in the cellar
@chefjess
Oh I pounded water all night the problem was so much meat, smoked brisket, Morgan ranch short ribs and bacon meatballs who knew that was a real thing then tonight with food all cheese steaks and Kansas style ribs ugh I will be eating nothing but green crap for a week!
A slightly disappointing Egly rose on our weekly zoom with @chefjess but the Flannery Kali burger with onions cooked in the beef fat (of which there was a ton) rocked! I’m back baby
Help me out here fellow Casemates:
Anniversary dinner with fresh 40-day dry aged ribeyes.
What wine to drink?
2014 Georges de Latour
2014 Beringer Private Reserve
2914 Hewitt Cab
2013 Turnbull Estate Cab
2011 Mollydooker Velvet Glove
2004 Quintarelli Recioto (kidding, save this for desert)
Caymus Cab (several vintages including 40th Anniversary)
Sorry, no Shafer One Point Five, which would be the obvious answer.
@FritzCat I would avoid Caymus because the few I’ve tried were all quite sweet and were not good food wines for my palate. Don’t know how they age though.
I’d probably go for the 2011 just because it’s older than the others. The bit of funk with a dry aged steak goes well with funk on an older wine, IMO. But in any case it’s a nice list of wines to choose from!
@FritzCat
Well you are eating a nice steak for a special occasion and you love the bigger wines (iirc) so I would go with either the 2014 Georges de Latour
2014 Beringer Private Reserve, both of those clock in pretty high these days and I think they would be more special than the Caymus or Mollydooker ymmv. Either way happy anniversary!
@FritzCat Thanks for the input. I would go for the Georges, but I was outvoted by SWMBO, and we will have the Mollydooker.
Didn’t know I had it 'til I looked in one of “the box of good stuff”.
@klezman@ScottW58 It’s an optical illusion. There is a separator in there somewhere. And yes, I went heavy on the 2010 Virage WS offer. it’s drinking so well right now. Wish I’d bought more!
@msten My last 2 Nocetos, a ‘13 OGP zin and an ‘11 AX-1. Both are great, with the AX-1 moving into “special” territory. I really miss seeing them on CM. I’d happily join their wine club if they shipped to my state. The Notre Vin is all @scottw58’s fault
@msten@ScottW58@klezman Next time I’m in SoCal I’ll bring one to toast to your evolved palate! My mother lives in Temecula so I’m there every so often.
Doing my part for Wellington Weekend with the 2010 Estate Syrah. With a h/t to @ddeuddeg for demonstrating, at a long-ago wine.woot get-together, the proper use of the ah-so. I finally got it to work!
It might have been on an elderly bottle of Pedroncelli I brought, that turned out to be something of a dud. At that farewell party in Virginia, shortly before the old site shut down.
Now that we’re back to wine, finishing off the Grenache from yesterday and doing part 1 of tasting the swill a flying monkey dropped at our house the other day.
It’s a heavily discounted flyer bottle of fruit from Costco for $40 (after 20 rebate/discount) with a CT average of $63+, it will not have additional company.
2015 1849 Wine Company Cabernet Sauvignon Declaration
This label features artwork entitled “Declaration” by legendary American contemporary artist, Saber. This artistic emancipating piece echoes the historically significant words of our Founding Fathers, that we all are endowed with the unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Oh, Scott, they still have the $5 crab down here too!
Looks like a good night to eat and sip at home from other posts.
@PetiteSirah
If you’re on your phone, you need to rotate your phone so you’re holding it sideways. Then tap on the photo icon (circled in red) to upload and insert images into your post.
@ScottW58 I was just digging thru (sorting) some unknown cases at one of the lockers and found two bottles of this. No idea I even had any, despite them listed as ‘pending’.
@klezman
this one?
2006 Macarico Aglianico del Vulture Macarico
It’s supposed to be at the locker location you visited with me.
We should turn it into an exploratory dig next time you’re down.
@ScottW58
Delicious on all fronts. Added some Calabrian chilies to the grits. Yum! I’ve said this before that the 2021 Kabs are fantastic. This may be a vintage to drink now. The fruit and acidity is in great balance but long term, who knows if that fruit will fade and will the acidity linger? Regardless, I can’t seem to keep my hands off so I may not have any left to age. Just lip smacking good. The Hebrart bubbles are always such a pleasure. Haven’t had one yet that I’ve not enjoyed.
@klezman The Alienor was great. 2012 seemed young, 2008 was singing, and the 2009 was quite fruity. Across the four of us, 2008 was the WOTN.
This bottle of FroZin has a backstory that probably tainted the tasting. It was fine? Sweet but not too sweet, Zinny but not too much. I’d say drink now, but it’s not gonna knock your socks. I much much preferred the Vinitwo for a Meeker-bottled dessert wine.
Tasting group did wines from a new producer or a new varietal from a favorite producer. Then we added a few that we wanted to check on. A few BD14 newbies in the mix.
@klezman
That was us. Tim brought the LL based on the comments over the last few days. Wanted to check in on progress as he mentioned he has approx 4 cases. We all concluded it needs a lot of air and hopefully it will open and develop over the next few days but if this was it, it’s past its prime. Nose was less than giving and it just didn’t have much to offer. None of us really enjoyed it, but hope it blossoms with some air and time open.
@klezman@rjquillin
We’re hoping it just needs more air and time. Someone said they drink better early and the fruit fades fast. I also find it hard to believe this is it, but have no experience with this vineyard and comments suggest the lifespan is only 2-3 years so 5 years may be a stretch? All I know is none of us were thrilled and crossed our fingers it would get better over the next few days. Maybe it just enters a dumb phase from 4-15 years similar to the Chave Hermitage Blanc. We’ll see what Tim says over the next few days.
@ScottW58 No huge opinion, yet, but SWMBO likes it, while I’m still a bit neutral+. I wouldn’t be upset if I had additional, which I don’t. Ok, Good+
I see someone thought drink by '20; I disagree.
Made some chicken cordon blue, I will say chicken breasts are damn good when you stuff them with ham and cheese wine took forever to open up but when it did hell yeah! I think my favorite of the Bedrocks.
@chefjess The Spaniard was more tart than I remembered, but it went really well with grilled tenderloin with chimichurri sauce. I love “rediscovering” wines from the basement that I haven’t had in while.
@TimW@ScottW58
We thought both of our bottles were quite oaky. Hoping that settles by tomorrow. Unfortunately, we were deprived of your tenderloin with chimichurri. That looks fantastic!
@chefjess@ScottW58 I don’t know how I survived 50 years without knowing about chimichurri sauce. I just discovered it last year, and really do love it on occasion with steak. The leftover chimichurri really makes a great grilled chicken salad dressing for the next night, too.
@chefjess@TimW
My Spaniard was the 12 and still showing a lot of oak, nice fruit tho. Waiting for a flight to South bend now, was really hoping we would be going to Charleston but those plans fell through ugh.
@hscottk I’m happy to say it was fine, maybe a little muted on day 1 but delicious on day 2. I hadn’t opened one since 2020 and have quite a few left, will try another one soon.
@rjquillin It’s doing great, dry, very smooth. I have nothing to compare with since it’s the first one I’ve opened since buying here in 2018. Better today than when opened last night, but it followed a 2012 Victory on day 2 last night.
@klezman
Easily the Unico has the class of the two, the Ygay is more rustic they both need more time IMHO (you won’t hear me say that very often) fortunately I have more of both
@karenhynes
Yes, you really do need a better camera (or at least how to do a proper white balance), but the source material I can confirm is quite tasty.
@rjquillin
I’m sitting in a spot at my Friday night bar/restaurant that is heavily influenced by some neon lighting in the windows behind me. No such thing as white balance.
@davirom@InFrom
I grew up in the Cleveland area, only a half hour North of Akron but had never heard of Jojos until I moved down here. They are potato wedges with seasoned breading, deep fried to be crisp on the outside and tender inside.
@chefjess Better on pop and pour I thought. I lost interest in it after a bit. Might be me, I think I bought too much of the entry syrahs and zins and there is a sameness to them year to year. Or could be my yak palate. The basic zins get my nod over the syrahs
@rjquillin I lose an occasional case or bottle…not privy to any details but from casual comments out here seems like your problem could be exponentially worse…ha!
@chefjess
Well if I choose maybe the Lafite by a hair over the HB, I’m with @mstern tho any of the wines would have been a WOTY candidate by themselves on any given night.
@InFrom
Yes those Spanish wines were what I picked first when I was told we were going to a great tapas restaurant the first night the Raul Perez on the last night was just a chance pick and I’m happy because it was fantastic
Brought a few of these 100% Meunier bottles home from K&L a little while ago so it’s time to taste one!
NV Gilbert Jacquesson Champagne Blanc de Noirs Brut “Cuvée Tradition”
It’s not February yet!
@klezman
It is for those of us not on the west coast lol.
Happy Wednesday!!!
Too lazy to walk down 2 flights of stairs to grab a Wellington so opened this which is wonderfully fresh and tasty:
2005 WineSmith Pinot Noir Second Fiddle Fiddlestix Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills
A purchase years ago from BD. Paired well with beef short rib stew and pappardelle.
@jmdavidson1
Nice I just found 3 of the 16’s in my cellar and have no idea when I bought them?
Another lovely wine and tasting with @chefjess
Tasting with @ScottW58. Almond biscotti on the nose. Awesome- kept sniffing. Pear, green apple, lemon curd with a fresh, yet creamy mouthfeel. 3g/L dosage. Disgorged Dec 21. Just beautiful.
Work dinner - had a Swartland Chenin Blanc, a 2019 Burgundy, and 2016 Bordeaux. All were great!
2008 Mountain Queen Productions In The Hall of the Mountain Queen
2018 Bedrock Wine Co. Grenache Gambrels of the Sky
2015 Enclos de Viaud
@CorTot
I always liked them how is it?
@ScottW58 this one’s alright. Wouldn’t buy more of this bottling though.
With a bastardized meatball sandwich I used sausage instead of meatballs
pretty good if I don’t say so myself.
@ScottW58 Let me think on that…doesn’t that make it a sausage sandwich?
@kaolis
Not when you put marinara and provolone on it
@kaolis
can you try again, since I did an oops poof
Yup, long week…
sorrry
@rjquillin I’ve been banned!!
@kaolis @rjquillin Looks like things have been made right.
@Mark_L @rjquillin hey!
Finishing up a 2018 Turley Zinfandel Dupratt Vineyard and then on to 2016 Domaine de Fregate Bandol
@karenhynes
Inquiring minds?
@karenhynes @ScottW58 I’m darn curious as well.
@hscottk @ScottW58
I’m going to reserve judgement at the moment. More details to come. l will say it tastes fine, but it’s …cloudy?
@hscottk @karenhynes
Cloudy/unfiltered? doesn’t bother me as long as it tastes good.
@hscottk @karenhynes @ScottW58 I purchased a bottle. Haven’t had shipped yet. And agree, cloudy doesn’t necessarily bother me a bit. Assuming you received recently sometimes cloudy wines take a bit of time to settle.
@hscottk @kaolis @karenhynes
A bottle???!!! Do you eat one chip too
@hscottk @kaolis @ScottW58
@hscottk @karenhynes @ScottW58 Yes one single bottle, a bottle, if it’s good I’ll be happy if it sucks I won’t be sorry
@hscottk @kaolis @karenhynes
Lame! You need to suffer like the rest of us when we buy 3 crappy bottles
Prepping dinner
@davirom
Looks like a great night!
@davirom Unfortunately, my invitation got lost in the mail!
@davirom The finished product
@davirom
Looks darn tasty!
@karenhynes It was. It was. There may actually be something to 60 day aging.
@davirom @Mark_L
That’s nothing, my whole Flannery order got lost in the mail! Lots of us poor unfortunates commiserating over on the BD board. FedEx and the weather are to blame.
@davirom @InFrom @Mark_L you’re asking the unfortunate? Yikes. Wine like they’re losing thousands of dollars of product. Even if FedEx covers the $, it’s a colossal waste of food.
2017 Juslyn Perry’s Blend. A baby. I’d post a pic but it would probably be deleted…ha!
@kaolis
love the Perry’s blend!
@kaolis
Lol why does Ron hate you?
@kaolis @ScottW58
geeze, with so little spam posting lately, I had to stay fit for the task.
@rjquillin @ScottW58 One minute I’m banned, one minute I’m hacked!
@kaolis @rjquillin @ScottW58 did you buy one bottle of that, too?
In all seriousness, I need to try this. I think Winespies had it recently but saw it too late.
@hscottk @rjquillin @ScottW58 bought six, so there!
@hscottk @rjquillin @ScottW58 @karenhynes Wine Slash has the 2018 Perry’s for $48 and the 2018 Spring Mountain Cabernet for $68 btw. Note to the inventory police I bought 2 of each… their shipping is reasonable, free to $20.
with Thai food
@chipgreen
that’s interesting. How was it?
@chefjess @chipgreen Yes, do tell! I’ve had mixed experiences with Randy’s Gewurztraminers.
The (red) sparkling Zin and Pinot though…yum…
@chefjess @chipgreen @klezman I’ve had a couple bad experiences with his Pinots and x’ed him off the list.
@chefjess @chipgreen @kaolis @klezman
Price creep has had a similar effect as well.
@chefjess @chipgreen @kaolis He definitely had a couple years (mostly 2009, iirc) that had more Brett than ideal. Still one of our favourite wineries for Zin and Pinot year in and year out, at least at Casemates pricing.
@chefjess @klezman
The sparkling Gewurz was delicious. Floral without being herbaceous like Pinot Meunier can sometimes be. Just a hint of sweetness played well with the spiciness of the food. I still have Randy’s sparkling Zin and Pinot to try. Is the Pinot a red sparkler as I assume the Zin is?
@chefjess @chipgreen Yes, the sparkling Pinot and Zin are both red. My notes from the 2010 and 2013 vintages suggest the dosage is right in the brut range - basically enough to balance the acidity.
Last evening’s spoils. The last of my '08s.
Had Adam oops I mean Klezman and his way better half over for dinner and drank some good wines
@ScottW58 good is an understatement. When Cristal is your (and the consensus, I think) third ranked wine of the night…
We also need that cabbage recipe. Reminds us of Alsatian choucroute.
@klezman @ScottW58 Wait! Dinner at Scott’s and what was memorable was the green stuff??!!
@davirom @ScottW58 Nah…the actual green stuff didn’t get a mention!
The cabbage was the same stuff as several photos Scott posted above with that seared chicken thigh that we all thought looked delicious. And it lived up to the hype!
But if you’re ever in West LA/Culver and want the best cabbage ever then check out Destroyer. I had their cabbage dish last week and I’m still thinking about it. I don’t think I’ve ever said that about cabbage before.
Oh, and in case it wasn’t clear, the wine was the most memorable of the bunch.
@davirom @klezman
Lol! Nope my cabbage was laced with bacon/lardons so my reputation still stands, nice try tho
@davirom @klezman @ScottW58 Nothing much to say but…nice!
@klezman @ScottW58
Nice spread!! Third ranked wine of the night?? What was - and 2? What year was the Cristal?
@chefjess @ScottW58 I honestly don’t know if my #1 was the other bubbly or the Burg. Both were amazing but almost not fair to compare them.
The other bubbly was Paul Bara Comtesse Marie de France in case it’s hard to make that out and the Burg was Grands-Echezeaux from Domaine Thenard.
All three were 2008, except the Riesling, which was also excellent but a definite 4th place.
@chefjess @klezman
Well like they say there are no great wines only great bottles, did not show anywhere near as well as the last bottle I had. The Bara was scary good IMHO! The Burg was a wine I won’t soon forget IMHO of course
Finishing up day two 2020 Kutch McDougall
Corliss to go with grilled rack of lamb and smashed potatoes.
The PS with dark chocolate after dinner.
@jmdavidson1
We loved the Gianna’s Block PS.
Working my way through Spain. The Depaula was delicious. Opened an Enfield as the spring release is this week.
My last 2013 PYCM Bourgogne blanc
This is super good. Wish I could get more for $30!
@klezman
Yes we all do
The best 4.99 a pound I have spent in a while! Man I have to get back to Oregon
@ danandlisa
@chefjess
That’s pretty! And always good imho
Happy WW!
Hate to one up y’all but put some chicken thighs in the smoker tonight…
@kaolis
Lol I used to love that stuff, have not had it in awhile tho.
2011 Wellington Syrah England Crest Sonoma Valley
2017 Shiba Wichern Havlin Vineyard Pinot Noir
@rc70
You tried any other of the Meander Oakville yet?
tso has the '16 up.
thoughts?
@rjquillin
Not the Oakville but the other Meander I have picked up I have been happy with @tso price.
I did order a couple bottles of the Oakville Reserve that is up today.
Was digging on the rack for something for tonight and ended up pulling out a @WineSmith Unicorn.
One of my best. Will this be your first open? In light that it drinks so well now and will also age incredibly, it’s a real shame that we have no plans to repeat the blend. Thus you have a pearl of great pirice. Let me know how it goes.
@winesmith, @Mark_L
I need to dig through the boxes to find those Unicorns…and the Tannat.
I know they’re around here somewhere!
@karenhynes @winesmith This was the first I opened of the 6 that I got (a case split). At first taste (on opening) I wasn’t getting a whole lot, but after 4 hours, wow!
Hopefully some will remain hidden for the five years needed for bottle bouquet to flourish.
Another great tasting with @ScottW58
@chefjess @ScottW58 What was the consensus? How does it compare with the ‘17 Hyland? That was our KF gateway wine.
@hscottk @ScottW58
I haven’t had the 17 Hyland so I don’t have a means of comparison. This was tasty. Not ready when first opened, but gained complexity and depth with air. Decanted for ~6 hours. I will wait a few years to open the last bottle if I can keep my hands off of it for that long.
@chefjess @ScottW58 The ‘17 was incredible. Still have one left. Will give the 19s a bit more time.
@chefjess @hscottk
Good idea, it was delicious but very primary.
Yes good times! And enjoying retirement
@ScottW58 Hell to get old(er) but now you have an excuse not to do anything…ha…enjoy!!
@kaolis
I need to go back to work to relax 
thanks
Indeed it is hell, but now the wife wants me to do all the grunt work instead of hiring someone
@ScottW58 I gotta guy for that…
2019 Our Wines…
@kaolis Picked up the ‘17 - ‘20 vertical on BD. What vintages have you tried? How does this rate?
@hscottk Everyone seems to like these wines more than I do. I purchased these last BD. This is the first one I’ve had in a year and thought just ok. It seemed to flatten out and get boring after a few hours. The '17 I had last year didn’t wow, the '18 I rather enjoyed. Not sure if I have '16 or '20 left, don’t remember the offer and don’t have my eyes on them. I’ll be interested in your thoughts.
@kaolis Interesting. I especially appreciate feedback that goes against the grain. The berserker fanboy crowd can sometimes take over the conversation. All that said, it will be a couple of months before I get my hands on them to sample.
@karenhynes What? No PN??!!!
@Mark_L
I know! Pretty unusual for me, right?
Edit: actually kinda sad about that.
@karenhynes Just wanted to be sure you hadn’t been visited by the pod people.
@Mark_L
Ha!
I thought I’d mix things up a bit. Grabbed a reliable DH blend and the Zin was in my mystery case a few months back.
@karenhynes I’ve started opening some of the mystery case, but so far just a QPR and Cheer Is (Almost) Here (which I had already depleted cases of).
@Mark_L
I had a case of the Cheer that I, of course, forgot about until it showed up in my mystery case. I’ve since opened a few bottles as everyone seemed to like it. I don’t drink much Zin or Syrah and a few other varietals, so the mystery case pushed me out of my comfort zone a bit.
2017 Scott Harvey Zinfandel Mountain Selection and smoking a chicken
@klezman Just saw your note in CT, very encouraging. I’m thinking of opening this in a bit to go with turkey chili. This or the D cubed. @ctmariner
@InFrom @klezman I think both would work well with turkey chili. We had D Cubbed with spiced chickpea and kale stew with coconut and turmeric.
@ctmariner @InFrom I’ve never had the D Cubed. But yeah, the Scott Harvey has evolved nicely in the last 2 years.
@ctmariner @klezman I’m happy to report that the Scott Harvey went great with the meal. I only had a little taste, but it was a big hit with our guests.
@ctmariner @InFrom @klezman IMO the D Cubed Zin is OK, but I’d prefer that Scott Harvey. If that’s the 2013 D Cubed, at least. I don’t get the $30+ valuation on CellarTracker for that 2013 D Cubed Zin.
2013 Jana Winery Riesling Old Vine Mendocino
Spanish tasting. Very interesting. Priorat blanco to a 1975 dessert wine and everything in between.
@chefjess
Fun! How was the Pingus?
@ScottW58
Was a 2009 and still a baby. Had great structure and fruit profile, but very shy in revelation. Opened up slightly with crazy swirling, but never fully blossomed. It would be fun to revisit every five years as this seems like it could go another 20 easy. A fellow taster took the remainder home so I’ll check in and see if comes out of hiding over the next few days.
2016 keller estate Pinot noir la Cruz vineyard
@CorTot
Breakfast of Champions!
@karenhynes not quite, but I like where your heads at.
Looks like last night was Keller night!
2016 Keller Estate Rotie
2013 D cubed Chiles Valley Zinfandel
Went to a Howell mtn cab tasting last night, 8 wines two flights of 4 wines. Four courses of food and opened with champagne, clearly I’m getting to old for this shit I feel like crap today
most votes went to 14 Saunter, 2 2010 Notre Vin, 3 1991 Liparita. All wines tasted blind.
@ScottW58
Nice! Not surprised that Saunter took the top seed. Water is your friend
@chefjess @ScottW58 What a great event! How did the Dunn’s fare? And hey, at least you don’t have work on Monday!
Should also add that Notre Vin and Saunter are now about 30% of my total cab holdings. Let the good times roll!
@chefjess @hscottk
I was surprised the Dunn’s didn’t show better especially because I finally got to try those with some age. You bet I’m happy to have Saunter and Notre Vin in the cellar
@chefjess
then tonight with food all cheese steaks and Kansas style ribs ugh I will be eating nothing but green crap for a week!
Oh I pounded water all night the problem was so much meat, smoked brisket, Morgan ranch short ribs and bacon meatballs who knew that was a real thing
@chefjess @ScottW58 that’s quite the weekend! I, OTOH, came down with a stomach bug today. Yuck.
@ScottW58
What?!
Paging Ron… It seems Scott’s account has been hacked!
@kawichris650
Lol! Well maybe I will throw some chicken in… Dark meat of course
A Spanish Garnacha with BBQ pork ribs, soul rolls, cole slaw, green beans, dirty rice and fried grits.
Paringa Sparkling Shiraz.
Cheap and delicious.
Bought on Casemates July 29, 2019.
Hall, Darwin Syrah, 2013.
Damn! I’m glad I bought a case,
Fantastic!
2nd day, better than first…decant it.
@FritzCat
So, better on day two suggests no hurry at all, but is it really ready now, for one that doesn’t have a case to taste through?
@rjquillin Good question. You’re right, there’s no hurry, but it’s very good now with a long decant. Will it get better? Ask me in a couple of years.
@chefjess A favorite
@chefjess @kaolis
Indeed! enough body for you chef?
@kaolis @ScottW58
Loved it!! Good suggestion.
@CorTot Go figure…never knew they did a sparkling.
@kaolis I cannot see anything wrong with this picture
@kaolis @ScottW58 Pro tip: do everything kaolis just did.
@hscottk @kaolis @ScottW58 that a lamb rack? I’m definitely planning on doing one this week when my Flannery Berserker order is in!
@hscottk @klezman @ScottW58 10-4 on the lamb
Chicken leg quarters with a really fine champagne! And all kinds of healthy green crap! Pretend you don’t see the Alabama white sauce
@ScottW58 No beef or pork or bacon? Shame on you!
Happy WW!
That’s Creminelli Barolo, mousse de foie de canard au porto, goat cheese brie, aged gouda, turkish delights, and other stuff I’m too lazy to mention.
@kawichris650 If it weren’t for these posts, I’m not sure I’d always realize it is Wednesday; sigh…
I look at the '11, '12 and '13s and it seems like was like yesterday when those were offered. I keep thinking of them as too young to consume.
With cheeseburgers, tater tots and spinach.
A slightly disappointing Egly rose on our weekly zoom with @chefjess but the Flannery Kali burger with onions cooked in the beef fat (of which there was a ton) rocked! I’m back baby
With three-cheese tortellini and garden salad.
Tasting with @ScottW58. The Egly rose was slightly tart. Hoping it develops tomorrow. The Flannery Berserker blend tacos were delicious.
Random bottle from Full Pull found in a case
2016 Mountain Queen Productions In The Hall of the Mountain Queen
Help me out here fellow Casemates:
Anniversary dinner with fresh 40-day dry aged ribeyes.
What wine to drink?
2014 Georges de Latour
2014 Beringer Private Reserve
2914 Hewitt Cab
2013 Turnbull Estate Cab
2011 Mollydooker Velvet Glove
2004 Quintarelli Recioto (kidding, save this for desert)
Caymus Cab (several vintages including 40th Anniversary)
Sorry, no Shafer One Point Five, which would be the obvious answer.
@FritzCat I would avoid Caymus because the few I’ve tried were all quite sweet and were not good food wines for my palate. Don’t know how they age though.
I’d probably go for the 2011 just because it’s older than the others. The bit of funk with a dry aged steak goes well with funk on an older wine, IMO. But in any case it’s a nice list of wines to choose from!
@FritzCat
Well you are eating a nice steak for a special occasion and you love the bigger wines (iirc) so I would go with either the 2014 Georges de Latour
2014 Beringer Private Reserve, both of those clock in pretty high these days and I think they would be more special than the Caymus or Mollydooker ymmv. Either way happy anniversary!
@FritzCat Thanks for the input. I would go for the Georges, but I was outvoted by SWMBO, and we will have the Mollydooker.
Didn’t know I had it 'til I looked in one of “the box of good stuff”.
@FritzCat
@FritzCat That’s some nice looking beef!
Wellington weekend has arrived. 2012 Zin/Meeks.
@hscottk
Am I hallucinating or do you have one slot that fits 2 bottles of Virage on top of each other? Or many slots Nice!
@hscottk @ScottW58 You don’t seem to be hallucinating. Unless we’re hallucinating the same thing.
What else is on tap for Wellington Weekend?
@hscottk @klezman @ScottW58 @markdaspark
Looks like a good sized Clayhouse that MdS would be going after were it a PS
@hscottk Nice Racks.
@klezman @ScottW58 It’s an optical illusion. There is a separator in there somewhere. And yes, I went heavy on the 2010 Virage WS offer. it’s drinking so well right now. Wish I’d bought more!
@klezman @MarkDaSpark @rjquillin @ScottW58 That was a deal from the old site. My only jeroboam. Need a good occasion to crack that one.
@FritzCat They get the job done! Should have went bigger, as they all say….
@hscottk some noceto, some Notre vin…
@msten My last 2 Nocetos, a ‘13 OGP zin and an ‘11 AX-1. Both are great, with the AX-1 moving into “special” territory. I really miss seeing them on CM. I’d happily join their wine club if they shipped to my state. The Notre Vin is all @scottw58’s fault
@hscottk @ScottW58 yep, also took the Notre Vin recommendation and pleased with both the Howell Mtn and Cuvee.
@hscottk @msten
You’re welcome! but if any of you all feel the need to unload them I will take them off your hands
@msten @ScottW58 @klezman Next time I’m in SoCal I’ll bring one to toast to your evolved palate! My mother lives in Temecula so I’m there every so often.
@hscottk @msten @ScottW58 We’ll happily host a gathering in your honour!
@hscottk @klezman @rjquillin @ScottW58
You mean like this one (D&D)?
Taco night.
@jmdavidson1 How’s that Corison doing? I’ve got really high hopes for that vintage…
@klezman Consistent with most 2011’s. Cassis, soft tannins, typical Corison by nature. Woot tour purchase.
2016 Tercero Carignane
lasagna
While digging through the cellar found 3 of these 12’s with tacos.
@ScottW58 We had tacos as well.
@ScottW58 For better and for worse, being strict about CellarTracker means I never have random finds. That’s a really good one though!
@klezman
Yeah with mild spice tacos this was great! Bone dry with a hint of sweetness.
@karenhynes
Can I say Karen it’s time to upgrade your camera
@ScottW58 I tried to swap in a better pic but it was too late.
2013 Wellington Chardonnay (participating in Wellington Weekend, I guess!)
2014 Ca’Del Grevino Grenache Grevino
With pizza.
The last of the Welly zin and some Casamigos Reposado. Man cannot live on wine alone!
Doing my part for Wellington Weekend with the 2010 Estate Syrah. With a h/t to @ddeuddeg for demonstrating, at a long-ago wine.woot get-together, the proper use of the ah-so. I finally got it to work!
@InFrom I did that?
@ddeuddeg You did do that!
It might have been on an elderly bottle of Pedroncelli I brought, that turned out to be something of a dud. At that farewell party in Virginia, shortly before the old site shut down.
@CorTot
How is it?
@ScottW58 really solid, entertained me while my rotisserie chicken cooked very sloooowly.
@CorTot @ScottW58 I love those aged Ridges. Buchignani is a great vineyard, too.
@CorTot
Nice!
Now that we’re back to wine, finishing off the Grenache from yesterday and doing part 1 of tasting the swill a flying monkey dropped at our house the other day.
@klezman swill?
@davirom we haven’t opened the bottle yet - just joking around.
@davirom OK, it was also a semi-clue…
With Julia’s Santa Barbara Fish Stew and Alton’s Knead Not Sourdough bread that @CorTot turned us on to
@rjquillin
What wine is that?
@rjquillin Well that looks more than tasty…lamb? No idea on the wine
@rjquillin nice looking lamb shank
@klezman @scottW58 @kaolis
Shanks, check.
It’s a heavily discounted flyer bottle of fruit from Costco for $40 (after 20 rebate/discount) with a CT average of $63+, it will not have additional company.
2015 1849 Wine Company Cabernet Sauvignon Declaration
This label features artwork entitled “Declaration” by legendary American contemporary artist, Saber. This artistic emancipating piece echoes the historically significant words of our Founding Fathers, that we all are endowed with the unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Oh, Scott, they still have the $5 crab down here too!
Looks like a good night to eat and sip at home from other posts.
@kaolis @klezman @rjquillin
That cool label certainly caught my eye, too bad about the juice. Good to hear about the crab going to check it out today
Finishing off the riesling from last night with Harissa roasted chicken,
fondant potatoes green crap and butternut squash noodles for the boss 
@ScottW58 to heck with the rest of it…I want them taters
@ScottW58 I need to learn how to make those. Instead I’m making garlic truffle mashed potatoes to go with my home aged rib steak.
@kaolis
Them taters are fantastic just a pain in the ass to peel!
Hardly ever do filet but wife enjoys…not exactly gourmet night but didn’t suck…green stuff didn’t make the pic
@jmdavidson1 Nice lineup! WOTN?
I’m drinking tomorrow’s casemates bottle.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/7QKGmmULbM81WVLo9
How the hell do I insert pics on here anyway?
SOMEONE GET THESE KIDS OFF MY LAWN
@PetiteSirah
If you’re on your phone, you need to rotate your phone so you’re holding it sideways. Then tap on the photo icon (circled in red) to upload and insert images into your post.
Sorry guys, I’m just going to buy these all myself or lie to you so that you don’t end up buying.
@PetiteSirah Hmm…I wonder what kind of wine the next offering might possibly be???
@Mark_L @PetiteSirah It wouldn’t be the first time Swilly Idol shipped shiners.
@Mark_L @msten
*Idle
@TimW
Food pairing. Grilled beef tenderloin with chimichurri sauce, mashed potatoes, grilled carrots, and grilled tomatoes.
With a Morgan flat iron and green stuff, did not taste a day over 19 let alone 40 something, great bottle!
@ScottW58 Cool…
@ScottW58 I was just digging thru (sorting) some unknown cases at one of the lockers and found two bottles of this. No idea I even had any, despite them listed as ‘pending’.
@rjquillin you find that (now mythical) Aglianico?
@klezman
this one?
2006 Macarico Aglianico del Vulture Macarico
It’s supposed to be at the locker location you visited with me.
We should turn it into an exploratory dig next time you’re down.
@rjquillin yeah that’s the one!
Pending since December 2013!
With shrimp and spicy grits.
@chefjess
Really want to hear how the shrimp and grits were but how were the wines
@ScottW58
Delicious on all fronts. Added some Calabrian chilies to the grits. Yum! I’ve said this before that the 2021 Kabs are fantastic. This may be a vintage to drink now. The fruit and acidity is in great balance but long term, who knows if that fruit will fade and will the acidity linger? Regardless, I can’t seem to keep my hands off so I may not have any left to age. Just lip smacking good. The Hebrart bubbles are always such a pleasure. Haven’t had one yet that I’ve not enjoyed.
@radiolysis I’ve got some of that Alienor coming in a few weeks…how is it?
And how’s that Frozin? We have a bottle sitting around getting older.
@klezman The Alienor was great. 2012 seemed young, 2008 was singing, and the 2009 was quite fruity. Across the four of us, 2008 was the WOTN.
This bottle of FroZin has a backstory that probably tainted the tasting. It was fine? Sweet but not too sweet, Zinny but not too much. I’d say drink now, but it’s not gonna knock your socks. I much much preferred the Vinitwo for a Meeker-bottled dessert wine.
@radiolysis Sounds like the 2009 has a long life ahead, then! That’s what I’ve got coming.
Tasting group did wines from a new producer or a new varietal from a favorite producer. Then we added a few that we wanted to check on. A few BD14 newbies in the mix.
@chefjess (a) I need a tasting group like this! (b) thoughts on the Limerick Lane? I see some chatter over on WB…
@klezman
That was us. Tim brought the LL based on the comments over the last few days. Wanted to check in on progress as he mentioned he has approx 4 cases. We all concluded it needs a lot of air and hopefully it will open and develop over the next few days but if this was it, it’s past its prime. Nose was less than giving and it just didn’t have much to offer. None of us really enjoyed it, but hope it blossoms with some air and time open.
@chefjess @klezman
An '18 that didn’t make it to '23!?
@klezman @rjquillin
We’re hoping it just needs more air and time. Someone said they drink better early and the fruit fades fast. I also find it hard to believe this is it, but have no experience with this vineyard and comments suggest the lifespan is only 2-3 years so 5 years may be a stretch? All I know is none of us were thrilled and crossed our fingers it would get better over the next few days. Maybe it just enters a dumb phase from 4-15 years similar to the Chave Hermitage Blanc. We’ll see what Tim says over the next few days.
2014 Silas Pinot Noir Calliope Rosé
Another one from BD XIII I found and hadn’t even entered.
@rjquillin
Good/great/sucks???
@ScottW58 No huge opinion, yet, but SWMBO likes it, while I’m still a bit neutral+. I wouldn’t be upset if I had additional, which I don’t. Ok, Good+
I see someone thought drink by '20; I disagree.
Made some chicken cordon blue, I will say chicken breasts are damn good when you stuff them with ham and cheese
wine took forever to open up but when it did hell yeah! I think my favorite of the Bedrocks.
2006 Madrigal Petite Sirah w/ spaghetti & meat sauce, pepperoni rolls and garden salad.
@chipgreen 2014 D&D?
@rjquillin
Nope, just part of a random mixed case I bought 10 years ago.
Vintage 2018. Tasty stuff!
Double the fun tasting with @ScottW58. Had to start with bubbles then thought we’d check in on The Spaniard after seeing @TimW post a few days ago.
@chefjess The Spaniard was more tart than I remembered, but it went really well with grilled tenderloin with chimichurri sauce. I love “rediscovering” wines from the basement that I haven’t had in while.
@TimW @ScottW58
We thought both of our bottles were quite oaky. Hoping that settles by tomorrow. Unfortunately, we were deprived of your tenderloin with chimichurri. That looks fantastic!
@chefjess @ScottW58 I don’t know how I survived 50 years without knowing about chimichurri sauce. I just discovered it last year, and really do love it on occasion with steak. The leftover chimichurri really makes a great grilled chicken salad dressing for the next night, too.
@chefjess @TimW
My Spaniard was the 12 and still showing a lot of oak, nice fruit tho. Waiting for a flight to South bend now, was really hoping we would be going to Charleston but those plans fell through ugh.
Happy Wednesday! It’s also national margarita day, but I’m sticking with wine and a homemade pizza.
@kawichris650 Shoulda made it a Margarita pizza!
@catcoland How are those doing?
@hscottk I’m happy to say it was fine, maybe a little muted on day 1 but delicious on day 2. I hadn’t opened one since 2020 and have quite a few left, will try another one soon.
@catcoland Ahhh, I miss Wellington. My last ‘Victory’ is smiling at me. What to do, what to do.
@catcoland
Oh my, five years since I last sampled this one. How’s it doing?
@rjquillin It’s doing great, dry, very smooth. I have nothing to compare with since it’s the first one I’ve opened since buying here in 2018. Better today than when opened last night, but it followed a 2012 Victory on day 2 last night.
Starting the trip out with some fun stuff at a tapas restaurant.
@ScottW58 You’re not messing around! Which do you prefer?
@klezman
Easily the Unico has the class of the two, the Ygay is more rustic they both need more time IMHO (you won’t hear me say that very often) fortunately I have more of both
2016 Red Newt Cellars Kelby James Russell Dry Rosé
@karenhynes
Yes, you really do need a better camera (or at least how to do a proper white balance), but the source material I can confirm is quite tasty.
@rjquillin
I’m sitting in a spot at my Friday night bar/restaurant that is heavily influenced by some neon lighting in the windows behind me. No such thing as white balance.
@karenhynes or Mister Month either.
2010 Virage Vineyards
tasting for science, since I now have enough I can consider pulling a cork with no remorse of it being the last one I’ll pull.
drinking, since it’s sushi/sashimi night
NV Momokawa Silver Junmai Ginjo
for those other than @chipgreen that may remember these
@winedavid49
Why don’t we see these…?
@rjquillin
Wait!? Since when does remorse come into play when drinking wine?
@rjquillin @ScottW58 Oh, you know – he might run out of something!
@InFrom @rjquillin @ScottW58
@rjquillin those 2010s are great. Go science!
What’s that really dark fish next to the ridiculously large and tasty looking scallops?
@InFrom @karenhynes @rjquillin
Lol
@klezman
Katsuo, it’s lightly broiled on the surface and served in a ponzu, the blue blue dish upper left.
The fresh wasabi is the cherry on top.
@rjquillin
At what point are you going to cook all that fish?
@InFrom @ScottW58
Think days to drink…
@ScottW58 Do I know you, or was your account hacked?
@rjquillin @ScottW58 Lol
@klezman @rjquillin 1. Katsuo = tuna? 2. I don’t think I’ve ever seen fresh wasabi, that’s cool. 3. those are some big-ass scallops!
@InFrom @klezman
Katsuo Tataki to be more precise.
Fresh wasabi is a must. So different from the dried or paste.
@InFrom @rjquillin so molarchae was right - tuna! Skipjack, to be precise.
Italian restaurant tonight so matching wines
2010 Ca’Rozzeria Barolo Tre Comuni
Great value from Rimmerman.
@klezman
a Pied2 Mystery Wine 2010 Barbaresco
from long ago; yup.
@rjquillin pied2?
@klezman
quote from the offer, Nov 7, 2014
My lips are sealed. But tasted hood
I thought I had the cork beat with the ah-so once again, but it broke on me halfway down. Somehow managed to get it hooked on the corkscrew though.
@InFrom
@rjquillin Yeah, I know, one Durand to rule them all. Or rule the mall.
@InFrom @rjquillin
Durand is one of the best purchases I’ve ever made.
My go to for opening any Wellington, saves lots of frustration.
Our last bottle of this with fried chicken, mac ‘n’ cheese, mashed potatoes, hot rice, jo jos and garden salad.
@chipgreen You made me look up jojos. We’re pretty sheltered in this here backwater.
@InFrom Are you going to share with the rest of us? Just being lazy
@davirom To quote Colbert, is… potato. https://bentleysroastbeef.com/jojo-potato-best-restaurant-nashua-nh/#:~:text=What’s a jojo%3F,way bigger and more flavorful.
@davirom And if anybody’s going to share, it should be @chipgreen. That’s quite a spread!
@davirom @InFrom
I grew up in the Cleveland area, only a half hour North of Akron but had never heard of Jojos until I moved down here. They are potato wedges with seasoned breading, deep fried to be crisp on the outside and tender inside.
@chipgreen @davirom Sounds like something I could eat more than a few of.
Came upon a case of these today that I didn’t know I had…
@kaolis
How is it?
@kaolis Welcome to a room in my world!
@chefjess Better on pop and pour I thought. I lost interest in it after a bit. Might be me, I think I bought too much of the entry syrahs and zins and there is a sameness to them year to year. Or could be my yak palate. The basic zins get my nod over the syrahs
@rjquillin I lose an occasional case or bottle…not privy to any details but from casual comments out here seems like your problem could be exponentially worse…ha!
Last night of visiting my sister in-law and way too good of a night for a simple human like my self! With some dry aged steaks and lobster.
@ScottW58
Wow! Amazing line up. What was your WOTN?
@ScottW58 You skewed very Spanish for this trip. Inspired by the anticipation of tapas?
@ScottW58 I second @chefjess’s comments!
Also, when are you going to visit us SoCal folks?
@ScottW58 Giddy-up! Can you adopt me, or maybe just in-law me?
@ScottW58 Good for you and your family. Sharing your toys brings joy to everyone. I don’t know how you can choose a WOTN.
@chefjess
Well if I choose maybe the Lafite by a hair over the HB, I’m with @mstern tho any of the wines would have been a WOTY candidate by themselves on any given night.
@InFrom
the Raul Perez on the last night was just a chance pick and I’m happy because it was fantastic 
Yes those Spanish wines were what I picked first when I was told we were going to a great tapas restaurant the first night
@msten
When your 65 years old as I am with a cellar full of nice bottles it’s time to share them with family and friends.
@msten @ScottW58 We’re certainly grateful when you do!
@kaolis
Well when I do finally make it to Charleston I will consider you my brother from another mother
2013 Revelry!
It’s doing quite well, starting to show some secondary notes finally. Glad I’ve got 7 more to last at least the next decade.
Brought a few of these 100% Meunier bottles home from K&L a little while ago so it’s time to taste one!
NV Gilbert Jacquesson Champagne Blanc de Noirs Brut “Cuvée Tradition”
2009 Roessler Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard
This is great!
2015 Baer Winery Star Merlot
Had to try one, forgot I bought them on BD, in the decanter for 6 hours and really really wish I bought more! With flannery burgers.
