What are you drinking, July 2025
12019 Gård Vintners Syrah Grand Klasse Lawrence Vineyards
CT says 93 Points
Vivino says 4.3 and $70.
I like it, very complex and dark.
Got a hit of Rosemary on the front end.
SWMBO likes Syrahs, but is not impressed.
Can’t win 'em all.
And yes, I’m in for a case w/Fall shipping…jumped all over it!
- 74 comments, 117 replies
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July eh? How’d that happen…ok a tale of 4 halves Tuesday, threw it together after driving all day back to SC…4four halves? Well, two half bottles, one half chicken and the poor chicken only had half of a leg.
Last night a little lamb with Rollen’s Raw Grains Carolina Gold rice and caprese. Good to catch some fresh corn and maters, it’s a short season here
2014 EMH Cabernet Sauvignon Black Cat
Hasn’t been this quiet for a while…some sort of boycott? Heck I’ll keep playing anyway…yeah too many pics and nothing to write home about anyway… yesterday’s pimento cheese patty and a long day at the beach today but Campo Grande rib chops in the smoker
@kaolis Do your meals always look this good?
@kaolis @rjquillin
Only when photoshop is one of the meal’s ingredients.
@kawichris650 @rjquillin there’s a comedian in every crowd… ha!
@kaolis
I’ll see if I can find it, to make sure my mind isn’t playing tricks on me.
IIRC, I believe @rjquillin was the one that commented a while back and suspected you might be artificially enhancing your food porn (my words, not his). I defended you and doubted the idea, although I have no evidence one way or the other. So my remark was aimed at Ron (in jest) due to his prior comment.
No boycott… just a busy couple of weeks!
Some really good wines here. Highlights were the AX-1, Roederer, Scherrer, and Victory… but all showed well.
@hscottk Busy drinking wine
Fifth Hill Pet Nat and a 2012 J Bookwalter “Protagonist”, while visiting family at a local Jellystone campground. Accompanied by Tortellini salad, cheeseburgers, chicken tenders, corn on the cob and brownies.
with leftover s’ketti, nothing fancy
2018 2 Hawk Vineyard & Winery Tempranillo Darow Series
@rjquillin Southern Oregon eh?
@kaolis but no idea how/where I procured it; it’s Rogue
While watching Riff Raff on Hulu.
@chipgreen How’s the vino? I still have a couple of bottles of the 04.
@chipgreen @InFrom I finished mine ages ago!
@chipgreen @InFrom @klezman I opened the last of mine a couple of years ago when my daughter and her (then future-) husband visited.
@chipgreen @InFrom @klezman @Mark_L To heck with the wine, I had to look up Riff Raff
@InFrom
Butterscotch, caramel and yellow apple. Softer and rounder than it was but still has enough acid to be food friendly, and of course there is Clark’s signature buzz of minerality on the tongue. Our last bottle of the 2005. Still have 1 each of the '03 and '04.
@InFrom @kaolis @klezman @Mark_L
I’m a sucker for dark comedies. Riff Raff was no Coen Bros. effort but it was satisfying enough and had a fun cast.
Second night of 2018 Bedrock Monte Rosso Cabernet. Took a long time to open up on the first night and I’m hoping it’s ready for business tonight!
Cast iron pizza after my attempt at Neapolitan didn’t work out. I think my flour was too old.
One of my wife’s clients was telling me about this place (The Ugly Drum) that makes the best smoked Pastrami in the world so I tried it out. And I have to say it’s probably the best I have had! With a mag of 21 Briords yum. Sadly they only sell on Goldbelly so it’s expensive but I’m glad I tried it.
@ScottW58 That looks like legit pastrami!
@klezman @ScottW58 Serious looking meat there I’d say. And gotta love a Briords
@klezman @ScottW58 The burnt ends kit looks tasty too
1
@jmdavidson1
a great marriage indeed
Flannery dry aged short loin tail, Flannery hanger, pan fried leftover Carolina Gold/leftover linguine
Sometimes ya gotta drink those special bottles.
Still phenomenal.
@FritzCat You can still save the empty, somewhere
With BLTs and potato chips.
@chipgreen Nice. Hope you found some real vine ripe t’s.
Tacos, tamales, and Roussanne.
@kawichris650 what’s not to like right?
Smoked another pork brisket to celebrate our daughter and her husband +baby buying a house around the corner from us. Even the dog loved it
@ScottW58 Grampa going to be busy!
Ok, the cheddar/olive cheddar patty not particularly pic worthy, and the wine is what it is… actually better than the first bottle of this that we drank however. Why? Well I developed a new slow-ox/Audouzing method. You lay your bottle down, horizontally, in a freezer. When you go back to it 36 hours later you’ll find the cold air has expanded the wine, pushing the cork out ever so slowly. As the cork pushes out, the wine freezes in the neck of the bottle only. You’ll find the cork on the bottom of the freezer, frozen neck as stated, the balance of the bottle not even slushy, and not one drop spilled. Kaolising? ha!
@kaolis sure is looking like summer out there,
also interesting what a failing memory will produce
@kaolis @rjquillin
He messed around and found out!
Taco night.
Mississippi pot roast because it’s easy and delicious! With a pre dinner Chablis on zoom with @chefjess. And with dinner a 19 JB Neufeld Two Blondes cab. These guys are killing it with Washington cabs imho.
@ScottW58 They have some offers over on WB VinDependence Days. Not famiiar with. JB Neufeld that is
Finishing up that '14 EMH Black Cat.
I think it actually improved with a week or so in the fridge
2021 Shiba Wichern rosé. These guys do everything well.
@hscottk @hscottk On sale now at WB
@CorTot Still have some of them, or a new batch?
@rjquillin last one of the old batch, I haven’t seen these sold anywhere for quite awhile.
@CorTot how was it?
I think I still have one each 13, 14 and 15
Ok, for a while now I’ve been coming across a packet of au jus gravy mix, wondering why I have it, not usually in the arsenal. Someone say Mississippi pot roast? That jarred the memory banks…a little variation put in the oven here, the usual stuff but Flannery chuck steaks and hot banana pepper rings instead of the pepperoncini.
@kaolis Mississippi pot roast, a ma facon. Love the inspiration!
Last night’s din-din: Chili-crisp-roasted salmon filet (another NYT recipe, highly recommend), brown rice, and leftover string beans with pickled veg from a recent Vietnamese dinner. With '17 Our Wines PN.
The salmon looked better IRL than in the pic. And tasted better still.
Disappeared right before my eyes.
@msten that happens…
@kaolis @msten I was gonna say the exact same thing @kaolis! Summer right there!
@msten What did you think of the OVNI? I’ve only tried one bottle so far, which I thought had a bit of an odd taste. (Which didn’t keep us from finishing it.)
@InFrom First day of vacation, every cold beverage is going to be great. It was enjoyable, and I noticed that too but didn’t give it much thought.
This one disappeared pretty quickly as well.
With reverse seared pork chops.
The SB with a little she-crab soup and a salad, pork tenderloin in the smoker…would have finished it on a grill but the rain and lightning had me dancin’ as it was
Kind of a Hawaiian rubbed smoked pork chop and baked beans. Nothing like a good Riesling to wash it down!
@ScottW58 That IS a good Riesling
Roasted chicken thighs marinated in Ancho and Morita chiles with 15 or so garlic cloves and toasted cumin. Mexican street corn salad. And an unbelievably fresh 99 PJ champagne.
@ScottW58 Looks like one of them chickens was damn skinny
@kaolis yeah after it was in my belly!
2022 Onesta Cinsault Bechthold Vineyard
Opened this well over a week ago; fridge, no Ar.
Damn this is good
Over two nights, a Quilt “Threadcount” Paso Cab. It was recommended by LWS owner. I bit without any research. Wish i hadn’t.
It’s a Wagner special – dripping with “purple”, dirt, and booze.
Better chilled. Oh well. Live and learn.
2018 Cheer! Pedroncelli, of course.
First wine to try out my Coravin…worked perfectly.
It’s a winner, P&P (not really P, I guess, but definitely P) and a few days later.
My basil and chives are going crazy! Making pesto tonight.
Very much enjoyed
Trying this BD purchase: 2022 Six Cloves Wines Zinfandel Castanon Vineyards
With pork chops, but not the fancy kind!
@klezman How was the zin? A previous buy? I looked at that briefly, they just had an offer on zindependence days
@kaolis It’s good. I got it this last Berserker Day. The closest comparison I have is the Briceland Humboldt Zin - light and bright. Could even be mistaken for a Bechtholt Vineyard Cinsault. I like the style but it’s not going to scratch that itch for deep brambly Zin and the like. You would never confuse this for Turley (more like the antithesis of Turley), or even Easton, Bedrock, Scott Harvey, etc.
Okay tried a different way to cook the Campo Grande rib rack, wrapped in foil and cooked for 1.5 hours and then broiled to get some browning. Much better than smoking or throwing on the grill as you can see from the pic it sucked the meat up the bone to give you nice meaty bites much like a dino ribs, I have to get a few more of these
with some saffron rice. Damn these are rocking good! With a new favorite cab. Has something changed here? I don’t have to flip the phone sideways to post pics or is it my new phone 
@ScottW58 it’s your phone - no change on my end.
Those ribs look great.
@klezman @ScottW58 yum, need to add ribs to my next order…how’s that wine, haven’t tried one yet.
@kaolis @klezman so freaking good! Decanted 4 hours and the best glass was leftover the next day. So balanced very happy I took a chance on them!
Ona roll with Onesta, so
Some Costco ribs and mac salad and
2018 Onesta Syrah Golden Vineyard
Yeah, seems like this is going to need some time…
So yesterday I discovered a neighbor up the road bakes a little sourdough on the side, and it is absolutely delicious. With a little homemade bacon and the maters here are still hanging on.
@kaolis
Don’t see this very often
@kaolis WineDavid49 Seeing that Blackbird reminds me to nudge WD into getting Casemates another offer. I am a fan.
@Winedavid49 @jmdavidson1 agree
@kaolis @WineDavid49 Seeing that Blackbird reminds me to nudge WD into getting Casemates another offer. I am a fan.
@jmdavidson1 @kaolis @Winedavid49 You can say that again… Oh, you just did!
@kaolis @Mark_L WD was left off the earlier response.
Great wine, fantastic steak.
@msten nice! Is that the ocean out there or a lake?
@ScottW58 Mullett Lake, Michigan
@msten looks like the perfect time of the year, enjoy your vacation!
@msten
Oh, there’s the wine!
Cooking up some Flannery burgers, opened a 2013 Tablas Creek Esprit de Tablas. A little dessert wine coming later most likely.
Wine braised Copa cut from Campo Grande on mashed potatoes, loving the cookbook that came with the order
I did throw in extra pepper and some Worcestershire to counter balance the sweetness that comes from the onions and carrots. Delicious even with all the green stuff garnish 
@ScottW58 another cut not tried yet…not exactly oven and braising weather here but I’ll get over it
2018 2 Hawk Vineyard & Winery Tempranillo Darow Series
Since I managed to grab two cases of the offer today I figured I might as well starting opening some of the existing stock
2019 WineSmith Petit Verdot, Alexander Valley
Still a bright purple rim and not showing much age at all.
Winging it for sure…veal patty stuffed with bacon and fresh herbs, more Rollen’s grits, burrata
@kaolis yum! How was the Rochioli?
@ScottW58 Delicious although a bit tight, lots of layers. Better day two, my guess even better year five
I think I’m a month behind. I’m just adding the last two Wed night wine dinners.
First pic was this past Wed night. Second pic is the prior week
@chefjess Always a top notch lineup!
@chefjess @klezman Any recall of the Gruaud-Larose? Bought a few on release, enjoyed a bottle early on and haven’t touched one since
@kaolis @klezman
Fantastic. Some folks preferred it over the LLC. I thought it was much more open and ready as the tannins had softened and the savory notes came across. You should definitely pop one soon. The LLC had more structure and could go another 10 years. I enjoyed both very much.
Meeting up with some 'mates at a local pizza shop to eat, drink and swap wines!
@chipgreen what vintage and how was it?
Curious as I have a few…
@rjquillin
2016 mag, drinking beautifully!
After a schweddy hike through the woods, yeah I did that!
@FritzCat @MarkDaSpark Thanks for the suggestion. Now TOTALLY refreshed!
Wellington Criolla Port
throwing plenty of sediment, as one might expect
NEOhio ‘mates got together for what we all agreed was a far to long hiatus. We met for dinner at a great local Italian spot (23 years old we learned) for dinner and wine (shh, they allow byob) Much pasta consumed and much wine drank. We moved the party to our patio for dessert and a few more bottles. Alas, the rain became too much, but we persevered inside a while longer. Was a great time. We missed those who couldn’t make it. My wine of the night was the 1999 Wellington Mohrhardt Ridge Cab Sauv. It had the firmest cork I think ever pulled out of a Wellington with very little sediment. It was excellent.
@pjmartin
A great time was had by all! Thanks to PJ and his wife for opening up their lovely home for an after dinner party. Mrs. PJ is an amazing baker.
1999 Wellington Cab was definitely WOTN! Delicious. I think Red Car gets those grapes now (Mohrhardt Ridge).
@chipgreen @pjmartin
I think I got that miss properly inserted.
Nice looking lineup; pastries as well!
@chipgreen @pjmartin @rjquillin I’d say looks like a helluva good time.
@chipgreen @kaolis @pjmartin @rjquillin
Indeed! But I would hate to be that guy dragging that case up those stairs from the basement
@kaolis @pjmartin @rjquillin @ScottW58
Good eye! 👁
@chipgreen @kaolis @rjquillin @ScottW58
It’s the trip going down with full cases that is harder (and riskier!) One of the comments I heard had something to do with “leg day.”
@kaolis @pjmartin @rjquillin @ScottW58
I’ll take gravity’s help but have started making an effort to lean forward a bit on my way up with a load, and lean back a bit on the way down. Just hedging my bets a little!
@chipgreen @kaolis @pjmartin @rjquillin @ScottW58 I have some similar steps to our lower level (“basement”). I’ve got weak legs (from a spinal cord issue) and bad knees, so I don’t carry full boxes down. I turn them “long ways” down the stairs and slide them down (as I go down backwards before the box).
2010 Iron Horse Classic Vintage Brut
Great bottle. Red fruit. Nice evolution since the prior bottle I had 6 years ago.
Flannery hanger, rice grits, stuff
2014 Me (Substance Merlot)
(Made by K Vintners, Charles Smith)
Yeah, that Charles Smith!
Not getting a lot of love on Cellartracker.
I like it. SWMBO likes it.
Blind, I wouldn’t have a clue. Seems younger and generic, but good.
Ahhh!!! Robert Parker gave it 94 Points!
Probably should drink up!
@FritzCat
Big fan here, especially the K Vintners wines. Went to his tasting room next to Sea-Tac airport on our honeymoon. We were told he was “in the building”, so asked if we could meet him. The tasting room attendant went to look for him and came back saying “he must have left already”. I will choose to believe that he had actually left and didn’t blow off a couple on their honeymoon!
With Philly cheesesteak pizza
@chipgreen last had one 11/2021; quite tasty then. now?
@rjquillin
Light and nimble. Very nice with or without food.
@chipgreen @winedavid59 needs to do some arm twisting and get another offer up here again
2015 Bell Wine Cellars Cabernet Franc
Homemade lamb ragu and Caesar salad
2012 Merriam Cab Sauv with filet medallions, twice baked potatoes, mixed veggies and some green stuff buried under mozzarella cheese and salad dressing.
Dang this chard is one tasty bottle…thighs with a little mushroom/kalamata/rosemary/lemon snuck under the skin… @chipgreen … and croutons are so yesterday, it’s FlipSides or go home baby
@kaolis
I just don’t understand these new fangled salad toppings.
Wed night wine dinner. She did a special tasting menu for us. It was spectacular!! I think I missed a few pics as we were busy digging in. So fresh and delicious. The wines paired perfectly.
@chefjess You really need to step up your game ya know…where’s the FlipSides?
Hey, the Maybach pinot…thoughts?
@kaolis
Sorry, the only potato was gnocchi
Maybach was fantastic. Short decant about 15 minutes just to let it open. For such a young wine, it was firing on all cylinders. Just lovely
@chefjess Thanks, have been pondering picking a few up, along with the chardonnay. Have not had either.
2008 Alienor Grand Vin
Second half of a 2019 Bedrock Gibson Ranch Heritage
Chunk of filet, stuff…
CG Secreto steak from the recent WB offer w/ tzatziki & crispy potatoes, truffle risotto and the token green
@rjquillin yum!
@rjquillin @ScottW58 oh yeah…looks perfect…your first go at CG?
@kaolis @ScottW58
yup, but with all the packs in the freezer, won’t be the last
Sisters and kids came over so chickens smoking in the barrel and shrimps on the barbie, boring green stuff not pictured
@ScottW58 plenty of damage to those bottles
@rjquillin @ScottW58 A 2008 Sequoia Grove cab was a gateway wine for me back in the day. A work friend recommended it to me and I was amazed that wine could be more than 2 buck chuck.
@hscottk @rjquillin @ScottW58 those chickens…yes
2022 Shiba Wichern rosé… with sushi, of course! Both were excellent.
@hscottk You say “of course”, but Ron probably says “where’s the sake in a masu?”
@klezman I say “of course” because we’re eat so much sushi. I’ve never been a huge sake fan but that is changing. Lately, if we don’t bring wine to the restaurant, they bring us sake gratis. It could be worse!
@hscottk Ah, it’s “of course” on the sushi not the wine!
We like bubbly with our sushi, but also a variety of other things. Having reasons to open bubbly usually take precedence, though.
Try a namazake if you can get one. It’s a totally different world from the regular stuff. So much more interesting and complex!
@hscottk @klezman
Yes, and well chilled, daiginjo or better.
@klezman @rjquillin Champagne is probably our top pairing choice as well, with Pinot a close second.
@hscottk @rjquillin is daiginjo more important than junmai?
Try the Dasai they have at K&L - I stopped by a tasting last week and it’s pretty good. All daiginjo.
@hscottk @klezman
daiginjo is junmai, more commonly seen as junmai daiginjo.
A quick search found this that briefly goes over the grading system.
@hscottk @rjquillin even the link you sent agrees with my understanding that you can have non-junmai daiginjo.
I’ve found that I care more about not having added alcohol (i.e. I prefer junmai) than I do about rice polishing ratio.
@hscottk @klezman @rjquillin
I don’t know what any of this means? I did like these 3 a lot and I never really liked Sake.
@hscottk @rjquillin @ScottW58
Ginjo = at least 40% of the rice polished away/60% or less remaining (they use the amount remaining)
Daiginjo = at least half the rice removed, so polishing ratio is max 50%
Genshu = undiluted with water from brew strength
Nama or Namazake = unpasteurized
Junmai = no neutral spirits added, only what the yeast make
Def bringing up the rear…Flannery olive and wine sausages (which quite honestly are just ok…but no one here in SC knows how to make sausage, need to stick to my Midwest and Wisconsin purveyors)
Another CG experiment, Flank steak empanadas; first attempt at one of those, dip is from the book as well, except for some added cilantro.
@rjquillin
Ohh can’t wait to try this recipe
@rjquillin oh and I see the greatest pepper mill ever created by man in the background
@rjquillin @ScottW58
That’s no mill… that thing’s a canon!
(The MÄNNKITCHEN pepper cannon, for anyone that’s curious. )
@kawichris650 @ScottW58
and worth every penny!
of which there were many…
@kawichris650 @rjquillin @ScottW58 I can’t imagine $200 for a pepper grinder, even if it is a cannon!
@kawichris650 @klezman @rjquillin @ScottW58 Oh nice touch on the empanadas
Halls in Charleston, so yeah standard steakhouse fare, wouldn’t one think I’d switch it up a bit? Nah…when in Rome…
@kaolis how’s their corkage?
@rjquillin $45/ea limit 2, 3rd bottle at $90. Mag $90. I always share, sometimes one or both gets waived, last night, no.
@kaolis Kaolis flexing his muscles! How was the 19?
@ScottW58
Seamless and delicious, had about 1/3 of the bottle left for tonight. I was a little hesitant about popping it, traveling and all, so I asked Alex what he thought and he suggested giving it an eight hour double decant if possible but short of that he said go for it anyway, that we wouldn’t be disappointed. Well I was able to double decant for a couple of hours, albeit into a blender vessel, probably not what he had in mind, nor did I. And nooooooooooo the blender was never turned on, decant vessel only ha!
Chard was '08, definitely showing its age, first impression was quite tasty first couple of hours, then got a little meh, but there was a bit of that left for tonight too and actually held up quite well
@kaolis @ScottW58 And here I was hoping you did the next level version of the Mollydooker Shake!
@kaolis great to hear, will put one on the short list! Btw what vintage did you make the list? I made it for the 13 but only keep 2 from each vintage selling 1 at my cost to different friends.
@ScottW58 Well that was part of my dilemma, not too many vintages to choose from. I signed up for the list early 2014. First offer was in 2021 for the 2018, of which I popped one last year. Wasn’t going to do a '21 and didn’t get in on that small first come first serve offer of '20. So that left the '19.
And this little dish, with a nice IPA, was a yum … pile of blue crab claws in butter and garlic…with the obligatory Texas Pete
Barones rectangular pizza and a couple of nice wines! Next week Burwell Nebraska for the Morgan ranch deck party will post pics
pic of the tee shirt I will be wearing on the float at the town festival Saturday morning lol! Should be fun 
when I say float I mean trailer pulled by a pickup truck.
@ScottW58 Barones? Are/were you around Chicago?
@ScottW58 the real question is how one gets an invite to such an exclusive gathering!
@klezman Clearly it’s my sparkling personality, or I bribed someone
@klezman @ScottW58
Or you purchase a cold semi full of CG frequently.
@ScottW58 so you’re saying it’s a bribe?
@klezman @rjquillin @ScottW58 Morgan Ranch, not CG, but I believe he gets a semi of each regularly
@ScottW58 Tidings, bought some '21, first offer, delivery confirmed last November or something like that…want to try one…
but…
I
can’t
find
them
anywhere
grrrrr
@kaolis @klezman @rjquillin
but as long as my cholesterol is low keep the trucks a coming!
Ahh thanks for clearing that up, could not figure out what CG was. I’m old and slow
@kaolis @ScottW58
welcome to my world;
is it here, under/behind something, over there, which state?
@Mark_L nope Los Angeles they used to be a staple here now only one left
@kaolis lol! Love me some Tidings.
@Mark_L @ScottW58
I had Barone’s Pizza in Chicago as a kid, when visiting cousins. I even got a Barone’s Pizza t-shirt, which I proudly showed off to my friends in Ohio.
2017 Santa Cruz mountain vineyards Cabernet, Lucchesi vineyard
With my first try of Campo Grande. All very good.