@hscottk Coravin a glass, pretty tight. Only opened up a little before consumed with a Morgan Ranch steak. Might need a several hour to overnight decant. Seems like we shop at the same places.
@hscottk@msten
I drank the 2018 Alicante Bouschet over the last three days. Took a 24-hour decant to open up and then was just beautiful. Last small glass tonight. Starting to fade slightly. Haven’t opened the Tinta Cao yet. It might be in the same boat as the Alicante needing a longer decant.
@msten Very large cellar, some wines just get misplaced, not thought about until you run across them while looking for something else. 86 bottles of Wellington in cellar but barely 3% of cellar.
We need a ‘what will you drink tonight?’ thread. I’m trying to decide between 2015 Twisted Oak Touriga and 2016 Zeppelin Negrette. @klezman you have CT notes on both. Which one is more ready now? No real plan for dinner, so will probably just be on its own.
@hscottk Yikes, that Negrette was a year ago! Translating my own notes to my self suggests that both wines were good to drink. The Negrette was probably lighter, but depending on your preferences for acidity and such you may prefer the TO since it’s a bit softer. In neither case did I note that I thought the wine needed more time or sad that I drank it too early.
@klezman It was a tough call, but went with the 2015 TO… an extra year under its belt and CT drink by pushed me over the edge. The drink by info was bogus as expected, but the wine was very nice! Excellent with and without food. Thanks for the input, Klez!
tmi but lamb tacos with a hot sauce crema, an interesting concept from Rick Bayless, at least that’s where I got it…cheese goes down on the pan or skillet, let it melt, top with tortilla, let cheese get brown/crispy, then flip and top
Finishing up that 2017 Turley Library PS on its 4th day - pretty oxidized, which is a bummer. Then we’re oging to open our last bottle of 2013 Liquid Farm Mourvedre Rose.
@msten outstanding actually so that’s a good thing…what’s the Italian you popped? Edit: so erbaluce is the grape? Go figure…only 10 million more Italian grapes to learn right?
@kaolis A ton of waste? You mean like a large fat cap? I’ve never had that issue with them, but often times if there’s extra that looks like it would be wasted the weight is higher to compensate.
You could always email them…their customer service is fantastic.
Regardless, sorry to hear it when a Flannery steak lets anybody down! We’ve only had that happen once or twice in the last 8 or so years we’ve been buying.
@klezman Fat cap doesn’t bother me although one had quite a bit. It was internal gristle in both, I guess that’s the word for it. Like quite a bit. My lovely bride can chew through anything but couldn’t handle it either…ha! I won’t call, as you say their service is great, treat me well, and it’s only happened once or twice before.
Tonight I finished off the 2008 Wellington Estate Zinfandel and I paired it with these local mangalitsa pork chops. Both the wine and the chops were delicious.
Opened one of my @winesmith 2005 faux chablis. It’s probably getting close to kicking the bucket but is pretty delicious still. I have two more bottles left that I’ll need to put on my priority consumption list
Had some friends over for an Italian themed dinner party. We cooked up several different pastas and some homemade meatballs and each couple brought an Italian dish as well. I filled some racks we have in the living room with Italian wines and invited each of the ladies to pick a bottle. We started off with a couple bottles of Prosecco with apps and charcuterie before moving on to the main meal and wines.
N.V. Ruggeri Prosecco La Maschera x2
2018 Caposaldo Chianti
2015 Velenosi Lacrima di Morro d’Alba Querci’Antica
2008 Tua Rita Giusto di Notri Toscana IGT
2008 Donnafugata Contessa Entellina Mille e una notte
2017 Nervi Rosa
@chipgreen@rjquillin@ScottW58 What about that Lacrima? I’ve only had the one Garagiste has sold and it was super interesting the first time and the second one I bought was far less so.
@rjquillin@ScottW58
The Nervi is holding up very well. I’m down to 2 bottles left of the case I bought, will probably drink one this summer and save one for next year.
@klezman@rjquillin@ScottW58
The Lacrima was nice. Smooth, with a cherry-strawberry palate but not overly fruity. It had a nice earthiness to it as well.
@rjquillin
Fortunately it’s still very enjoyable, but I’m not sure for how long. Currently there’s plenty of dark fruit, balanced acidity, a little chalky, and bone dry. I think I have three more and I’ll likely drink then sooner rather than later. I wish I had more of the Barbera. Those were very nice.
@rjquillin@ScottW58 Good to know. I figured I wouldn’t open mine for a few more years yet.
Those fondant potatoes look delicious. As usual you make delicious looking food! And you’ve never let us down on taste either.
@FritzCat@kawichris650 Got one of those in a mystery case and drank about a year ago….was stellar. I think I have a ‘12 kicking around somewhere also….
@chefjess A couple of years has done nice things for this wine. Drinking well, and should only get better over the next few years. Definitely old world/AFWE in style. Works best with food imho.
@InFrom@ScottW58 A good solid bottle, still a bit primary. No idea where it came from or if I have more…love these little Bordeaux cheapies, still buy 'em.
If auto rotate is enabled on your phone, try turning it off before taking the photo and see if that helps resolve the issue. If that doesn’t work…
Another idea is try cropping the photo on your phone prior to uploading. Even if it’s just a minuscule adjustment. Doing so might remove any orientation info from the image EXIF data and allow it to post online in the correct orientation. I hope that helps.
2013 D Cubed Zin with spicy rub pork, chipotle scalloped sweet potatoes and green stuff. Wife says “yum” after tasting wine - I say good as I have just bought a case
@rjquillin to my congested nose it’s good. I think my normal preference would be for a Pinot that’s a little less extracted but it’s kinda perfect after the lingering congestion after a cold.
@klezman@ScottW58
No question it’s CF based. Seems the Merlot is adding some middle, but overall, at PnP, it’s still pretty closed up. Some crystal on the cork. Both tannins and fruit not as pronounced as I recall from my first a couple years ago.
2016 Gersing “Vamp” Syrah. I finally got one of those secondary fermentation bottles. Blew off enough in a decanter and then was enjoyable! With the bubbles it was a touch prickly.
@klezman
It was delicious. Bright salmon color. Strawberries, raspberries on the nose and palate. Slightly creamy with a hint of almond on the finish. Fine mousse. Very elegant. Effervescence was more than typical so I let it rest and warm slightly. Acidity seemed a little less than normal. Maybe bottle variation. There was no disgorgement date. A little on the sweet side. I believe dosage is 8 g/L and with the abundance of fruit, less may have been okay. I’ve recently been drinking low dosage (4-6 g/L) so maybe it was just that change. For me, this would be a nice bubbly with friends or a very nice house sparkler for Sunday dinner to start off the week.
@klezman@ScottW58
Both or either. Not typically the wine for an average Tuesday night. A few friends got together a while back and shared several amazing wines. We typically always start with a glass of bubbly. My first 2007 Elizabeth. I have a few of the 2008 Elizabeth and several 2002 Nicolas Francois. Another simply stunning champagne. After the rack collapse a few months ago, I’m not waiting as long as I probably should. I would rather drink them early than lose them forever. That was just heartbreaking. If you have an opportunity to try, take it. Lovely wines.
@klezman@ScottW58
Ugh! That was not me and I didn’t lose as much as what was in the video, but very similar; glass and wine everywhere. It was horrible. I’m leaving more stuff in boxes and drinking the older and/or ‘special occasion’ stuff more regularly.
@chefjess
I know that video clip was worse than what you experienced, but still… I’m sorry for your loss.
I’m paranoid about something catastrophic happening like that and I try to limit any risk as much as possible.
This is a wine rack I made with parts upcycled from a baby crib. It takes up more floor space, but it provides peace of mind knowing that the 136 bottles are relatively safe since the top tier is less than 22" from the floor.
@kawichris650
That’s awesome. What a fantastic idea! I might have to look into possibly trying that out but I’ll need to procure some cribs. We’re all way past that age.
@chefjess@rc70 We love it, a bit of a learning curve. My bride always says I can’t believe we ate anything else. We have the Koda 16. It’s definitely big. Playing with making dough but also buy some dough from a local woodfired joint.
Picked up the vertical of these on BD and just need to try it even though it’s likely way too young: 2017 Red Newt Cellars Cabernet Franc Glacier Ridge Vineyards
@chefjess I quite liked it. Left some to follow over the next few days. I’ve had plenty of their Riesling and pink, but never red. So I figured I wanted to try one early. That’s why I got two sets of the vertical
This is delightful cool climate Franc. Just what I was hoping for. Napa this is not.
Man I don’t know how I missed these, got a few at this year’s BD, what a great right bank blend! Clocks in at 13.6 abv. With a newly arrived flannery hanger. Wow
Small sip of 2019 Sandlands Amador Chenin Blanc, but moving on to 1996 York Creek Vineyards Meritage to go with smoky short ribs, although not the dino variety.
2014 Sei Querce Six Oaks. Just to taste. There’s a 2015 on WS that intrigued me and I had this 2014 on the shelf. Good but didn’t blow me away for the $50 buy in.
@hscottk
I had this Friday and really enjoyed it after the chill wore off and around 30 minutes of air. Didn’t know what to expect with the PN/chard combo. Nice surprise. My first time trying her Willamette Blanc. Have you had this before or was this your first?
@chefjess It was our first time. It was very well received, especially by my mother-in-law. This alone was worth the price of admission!
I was a bit concerned after reading some less than stellar reviews that included the suggestion of smokiness. Thankfully, I found none in this bottle.
As an aside, the PN/chard blend makes it really tempting to put this in our Sodastream to add some bubbles. I just don’t think we’re brave enough for that experiment!
@hscottk
I was actually thinking the same thing. Maybe not the sodastream part as I think it would explode (I experimented with juice just once and never again), but that the wine would make a lovely bubbly.
I also found no smoke.
@hscottk
Wow. That article is scary. I simply tried lemonade one summer years ago but it was similar to shaking a bottle and then having extra fizz when opened. No projectiles.
Keeping the Kelley Fox vibe rolling with a 2015 Momtazi PN to accompany byob sushi. A nice pairing! I like this a lot, but the 17 Hyland is still our favorite.
@hscottk
Nice couple of nights! Have a few of the Blanc but have not tried yet. That 17 Hyland is great but you have to try any of the Maresh vineyard wines you might have a new love
Not near the best I’ve had, given mixers, but the Crystal Skull of Dan Aykroyd fame made it tenable.
Usually just see this drink as a nightcap, or early morning thing to have when coming to the aide of all night drinkers, but this hit the spot tonight.
You may do better at the Hilton in Rabat, a place in Put in Bay (island in Lake Erie,Ohio), or an unknown sit down restaurant in Butler, PA, but the Vodka is on par with any.
Personally, I’m glad to rediscover an almost forgotten drink.
Got our first of this year’s home dry aged rib steaks warming up right now. Then saw that people on CT think this is on the decline, so I figured I needed to open one and see: 2007 Leo Joseph Cabernet Sauvignon Lilian’s Lawrence Harrison Vineyards
Initial reaction is that it’s more advanced for its age than I’d expect but it’s far from gone. More licorice than I’d expect.
@klezman This came out on top in a blind tasting of 13 Zins last year. Beat out a Welly estate and Scherrer… some pretty good company! Noceto is on the short list to end my SIBWM.
@deadlyapp
It’s actually a regular 750 from the offer Jan 16, 2021. I think those mags were 2017s?
It’s a solid pinot. Food friendly, nice balance, a bit fruit forward on the nose and palate at first, but settled down quickly to reveal some nice spice notes. It’s very smooth, medium bodied, nice acidity. Paired well with my (perhaps odd) choice of lentil soup and trout livornese (baked trout with olives, tomatoes, lemon, garlic, and roasted potatoes). Overall very pleasant. I’d think it would be a crowd pleaser.
@klezman I had first grabbed a 2012 Cab Franc and didn’t really focus on the fact that it was one of Clark’s Roman Reserves. It wasn’t bad as is (though the center of the cork was crumbly) but I was mindful of all the advice to let it air out a lot, so we ended up with the Wellington instead. I decanted the Two Jakes, not sure which night or nights we’ll drink it.
@InFrom@kawichris650
Pretty darn tasty! Karen Approves!
A little funky on pop and pour, but that dissipated with a little swirling. Lots of dark fruit and some nice leathery notes on the background. Gonna cork it and revisit tomorrow.
ORdered some Bludsoe’s BBQ
Opened a 2015 I. Brand & Family Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello Road
Later going to have 2014 Sperling Vineyards Gewürztraminer Icewine for dessert
@Winedavid49
Not a clear favorite, TyTanium overall but a dedicated Syrah drinker was adamant the Bouncristiani was superior and at its peak, hard to argue against as it was delish!
Somked some thigh quarters and tried this because the latest release hit my inbox. As great as this wine is/will become imho I decided I can’t buy anymore cabs that need 10 or twenty years to mature cause I’m too damn old, well except maybe Macdonald I’m proud of myself!
@rjquillin
Umm yeah I’m not buying my wine for the kids who might sell it for 10 cents to the dollar or guzzle it to get drunk. They will get plenty of other stuff!
@InFrom@ScottW58@CroutonOllie
Thanks all. Not COVID. Just some GI thing that will hopefully be gone by morning.
The chicken soup is homemade, of course. All chicken bones gets second use here. Cook for ages with some veggies and that’s about all there is to it. Onion, celery, carrot, parsnip.
@hscottk
Right! This is the first Lewman I popped, oh man I made a mistake not buying these on BD this year. If you have more than one of these no crime in opening one. Just delicious!
Another delicious dinner with friends this past weekend.
This one had a French theme. I paired the wines so that each wine would pair well with 2 consecutive courses, as we find that the wines and food courses do not always sync perfectly. This allowed for some flexibility and overlap between the wines and courses.
We started off with an appetizer of baked raspberry jam and brie on sliced baguettes, paired with N.V. Dosnon Champagne Recolte Rose.
Followed by a salad of butter lettuce with feta and cayenne candied walnuts. A 2017 Domaine Saint André de Figuière Côtes de Provence Rose Premiere bridged the gap between the appetizer and the salad.
Casemates is acting up again, balking at anymore .jpg uploads with the message “you can only upload images”.
The next course was probably the best soup I have had in my life! It was a butternut squash soup with prosciutto crisps. We segued from the salad into the soup with a 2009 E. Guigal Crozes-Hermitage Blanc (93% Marsanne And 7% Roussanne).
Now it was onto the entree: roast chicken with carrots, parsnips and potatoes. We opened both a red and a white for this course. 2010 Château de Beaucastel Côtes du Rhône Coudoulet de Beaucastel and a 2013 Louis Jadot Pouilly-Fuissé.
Finally, we finished the meal with dessert. Chocolate creme fraiche cupcakes. Opened two wines with this course as well, since not all appreciate dessert wines. 2003 Château Tirecul La Gravière Monbazillac (Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc sticky) and a 2003 Château Sainte-Colombe for those who wanted to keep it dry.
@chipgreen
Fantastic night of food and wine Chip! few questions I bought a bunch of that 10 Coudoulet because everyone was saying how good it was going to age but of course I burned through the last of those a few years ago how was it holding up? And that Monbazillac was always great and forgot about them, good? And lastly the 03 Sainte-Colombe was maybe the best qpr last Bottle every had still holding up?
@ScottW58
The Coudoulet actually seems like it has not hit its peak yet. It was a little tight upon PnP and was just starting to open up about 45 minutes later when it was finished.
The Monbazillac was excellent. Toffee, butter pecan, apricot, fig, etc. In a really nice place and glad I have one more.
Agree about the Sainte-Colombe, in fact I think it was enjoyed as much or more as the Coudoulet. Definitely had some funk to it, possible Bret but we all liked it.
@chipgreen@klezman@ScottW58
My CT suggests there may be a half case of the Sainte-Colombe up there in box K12.
Supposed to be some Halcon and Ped Rosé in the same box
Drink a couple, or give one to Scott.
What is better than a home-cooked meal when someone else does most of the prep? Nothing! Great salmon burger from the local fish store, a couple of toasted brioche buns, topped with slaw, and an orange wine from Slovenia to go with.
2018 Sabelli-Frisch La Malinche (Mission) with a scallop BLT salad with a balsamic reduction. 2022 BD purchase - very nice wine!
@ctmariner We popped an 18 “milk fed” Marsanne which was interesting … not your typical white wine for sure!
2010 The Black Arrow
from Flora Sptings
Damn!
Happy Wellington Wednesday!
2016 de Negoce 275 Howell Mtn Cab
2018 Sabelli-Frisch Tinta Cão Luciades Tamayo Vineyard. Third Sabelli-Frish tonight on the board.
@msten It’s Sabelli Frisch night! How is that one? I got the sense it might need some time….
@hscottk Coravin a glass, pretty tight. Only opened up a little before consumed with a Morgan Ranch steak. Might need a several hour to overnight decant. Seems like we shop at the same places.
@hscottk @msten
I drank the 2018 Alicante Bouschet over the last three days. Took a 24-hour decant to open up and then was just beautiful. Last small glass tonight. Starting to fade slightly. Haven’t opened the Tinta Cao yet. It might be in the same boat as the Alicante needing a longer decant.
@hscottk @msten Just got my Morgans this week.
The SF arrived some time ago and yes, the Luciades took days for me to unwind.
I was just reminded it’s March not February…how the heck did that happen?! ha!
@kaolis We all lost two, perhaps three days!
Or only one three out of every four years.
Duke and Wagyu burgers.
@rc70 How can anyone still have any Duke left! We typically ran through the cases each year in short order.
@msten Very large cellar, some wines just get misplaced, not thought about until you run across them while looking for something else. 86 bottles of Wellington in cellar but barely 3% of cellar.
2019 Ultreia Saint Jacques Bierzo with a selection of empanadas and some green stuff!
We need a ‘what will you drink tonight?’ thread. I’m trying to decide between 2015 Twisted Oak Touriga and 2016 Zeppelin Negrette. @klezman you have CT notes on both. Which one is more ready now? No real plan for dinner, so will probably just be on its own.
@hscottk Yikes, that Negrette was a year ago! Translating my own notes to my self suggests that both wines were good to drink. The Negrette was probably lighter, but depending on your preferences for acidity and such you may prefer the TO since it’s a bit softer. In neither case did I note that I thought the wine needed more time or sad that I drank it too early.
@klezman It was a tough call, but went with the 2015 TO… an extra year under its belt and CT drink by pushed me over the edge. The drink by info was bogus as expected, but the wine was very nice! Excellent with and without food. Thanks for the input, Klez!
@kaolis 2018 SB… things get fuzzy for reasons I can’t explain…
With crackers and cheese no clue what I’m doing for dinner.
Coffee… still waiting for that mead
tmi but lamb tacos with a hot sauce crema, an interesting concept from Rick Bayless, at least that’s where I got it…cheese goes down on the pan or skillet, let it melt, top with tortilla, let cheese get brown/crispy, then flip and top
@kaolis
I gotta try that!
Oh man getting a crispy cheese skirt on anything would be great
@kaolis @ScottW58
Yum!!
@kaolis That wasn’t TMI, that was just the right amount of information. This will be coming to a taco near me soon enough.
@kaolis
Oh yeah how was the syrah!
@ScottW58 Really good, I buy too many of these and the OVZ but that’s ok. No hurry to get at it, needed a couple hours to come around.
Sideways. Haha!
@karenhynes Nicely done!
@karenhynes not gonna “fix” this one.
2015 baker Lane Syrah estate
Finishing up that 2017 Turley Library PS on its 4th day - pretty oxidized, which is a bummer. Then we’re oging to open our last bottle of 2013 Liquid Farm Mourvedre Rose.
Heck of a lunch
@radiolysis How was the Randall Graham stuff?
@kaolis the Grenache was surprisingly better than the Syrah. More lively and fun. I’ve never really found a Grenache that spoke to me, but now I have!
The Syrah was also the last bottle we opened and very possible it was just fatigue. We really went to town.
The price is high, so my endorsement is limited, but I’ll buy more Grenache.
Background on the rest of the meal: asparagus, leek, and chevre quiche; green salad; fresh tropical fruit.
The 2020 Luna SB was funk in a bottle – odd melons, papaya, underripe mango. Really complimented the tropical salad.
2003 Pax Syrah Cuvée Keltie
@rjquillin and? different vintage obviously but sitting on a lonely bottle of '04.
@kaolis
I wish I could give that a reasonable reply.
Best I can come up with after that first glass is
As this was my first Pax, I had no idea what to expect, but it wasn’t what I expected.
More tasting tonight, and it’s much improved over yesterday, imo.
I’m now liking how it’s presenting it’s age, and I couldn’t say that yesterday.
With a couple of Flannery CA Reserve strips from BD. They were tasty but very disappointing. A ton of waste on both.
@kaolis hopefully the wine delivered
@msten outstanding actually so that’s a good thing…what’s the Italian you popped? Edit: so erbaluce is the grape? Go figure…only 10 million more Italian grapes to learn right?
@kaolis A ton of waste? You mean like a large fat cap? I’ve never had that issue with them, but often times if there’s extra that looks like it would be wasted the weight is higher to compensate.
You could always email them…their customer service is fantastic.
Regardless, sorry to hear it when a Flannery steak lets anybody down! We’ve only had that happen once or twice in the last 8 or so years we’ve been buying.
@klezman Fat cap doesn’t bother me although one had quite a bit. It was internal gristle in both, I guess that’s the word for it. Like quite a bit. My lovely bride can chew through anything but couldn’t handle it either…ha! I won’t call, as you say their service is great, treat me well, and it’s only happened once or twice before.
Erbaluce, that’s a new varietal for me.
@msten
Interesting. How was it?
@chefjess Everyone enjoyed the bottle. Acidic, oily mouthfeel, crisp, apple, herbs. Would look for again.
@msten It’s a tasty variety, isn’t it? Got some from Garagiste a while back. I can’t say no to a new variety.
Ordered a bunch of sushi for molarchae’s birthday. She chose to open a 2014 Iron Horse Vineyards Gratitude.
Tonight I finished off the 2008 Wellington Estate Zinfandel and I paired it with these local mangalitsa pork chops. Both the wine and the chops were delicious.
@kawichris650
Whoa where did you get a chop like that!?
@ScottW58
Straight from the source.
Here’s a link…
https://grillinmeats.com/product-category/local-minnesota-meats/premium-pastured-mangalitsa-pork/
I’m sure you could probably find a source that’s closer to you though since the breed is gaining popularity.
@ScottW58
This short video (featuring a different farmer) shares a bit of info about the breed.
Opened one of my @winesmith 2005 faux chablis. It’s probably getting close to kicking the bucket but is pretty delicious still. I have two more bottles left that I’ll need to put on my priority consumption list
@deadlyapp Probably a good idea. That vintage fared less well than the older wines but is still in good shape. Find some halfshell oysters.
Delamotte NV brut… with sushi
The cheese is Cypress Grove Truffle Tremor. If you’ve never had it, you owe it to yourself to try some.
@CorTot Not that I can remember the names of any I consumed, but I do recall some good ones when I was in the area, ca. 1990.
Had some friends over for an Italian themed dinner party. We cooked up several different pastas and some homemade meatballs and each couple brought an Italian dish as well. I filled some racks we have in the living room with Italian wines and invited each of the ladies to pick a bottle. We started off with a couple bottles of Prosecco with apps and charcuterie before moving on to the main meal and wines.
N.V. Ruggeri Prosecco La Maschera x2
2018 Caposaldo Chianti
2015 Velenosi Lacrima di Morro d’Alba Querci’Antica
2008 Tua Rita Giusto di Notri Toscana IGT
2008 Donnafugata Contessa Entellina Mille e una notte
2017 Nervi Rosa
@chipgreen How is the Nervi holding up?
Got a bunch in a storage locker I likely need to excavate for.
@scottw58 you still have some as well?
@chipgreen @rjquillin @ScottW58 What about that Lacrima? I’ve only had the one Garagiste has sold and it was super interesting the first time and the second one I bought was far less so.
@chipgreen @rjquillin
Uh I burned through those a while ago but I do have some 20’s coming
@chipgreen @ScottW58
same source?
@rjquillin @ScottW58
The Nervi is holding up very well. I’m down to 2 bottles left of the case I bought, will probably drink one this summer and save one for next year.
@klezman @rjquillin @ScottW58
The Lacrima was nice. Smooth, with a cherry-strawberry palate but not overly fruity. It had a nice earthiness to it as well.
Grilling up a Flannery hanger
1996 Château Peyrabon, Haut-Médoc
@kawichris650
I hope that '08 held up better than the last '07 I waited too long on.
@rjquillin
Fortunately it’s still very enjoyable, but I’m not sure for how long. Currently there’s plenty of dark fruit, balanced acidity, a little chalky, and bone dry. I think I have three more and I’ll likely drink then sooner rather than later. I wish I had more of the Barbera. Those were very nice.
I’m aware of the typos, but not before the 5 minute editing window closed.
Been going through these two bottles the last couple of days and made some fondant potatoes to go with my dogs
@ScottW58 Do I need to fetch these from the locker?
@rjquillin
You could or you can save them for 10 or 20 years, the Ferguson rocks!
@rjquillin @ScottW58 Good to know. I figured I wouldn’t open mine for a few more years yet.
Those fondant potatoes look delicious. As usual you make delicious looking food! And you’ve never let us down on taste either.
@klezman @rjquillin
Good thing I didn’t take a picture of the hot dogs
@klezman @rjquillin @ScottW58 I almost thought at first glance those potato things were grilled scallops and was going to get jealous!
Almost as good as grilled scallops sadly I didn’t have any thyme so settled for green onions
I’m not sure what I’m making for dinner yet, but since it’s Wednesday, I know I’ll be opening this…
@FritzCat
I gotta say I’m a little jealous. That’s one of the few Wellingtons I’ve never had the pleasure of trying. Cheers!
@kawichris650 Totally random, saw the gold capsule with the coat of arms on it and pulled it out. Still have several Wellingtons. Cheers!
@FritzCat @kawichris650 Got one of those in a mystery case and drank about a year ago….was stellar. I think I have a ‘12 kicking around somewhere also….
@FritzCat Inspired by your example, we opened the 2012 tonight. So lovely!
2017 Halćon Esquisto with pan seared Morgan 7oz Tri tip. Not bad for a Wednesday.
@hscottk
How’s that drinking? I was a rat for that offer and it was delicious at the time, but would think it’s even better now.
@chefjess A couple of years has done nice things for this wine. Drinking well, and should only get better over the next few years. Definitely old world/AFWE in style. Works best with food imho.
Did the Marcella Hazan roasted chicken again so easy and could be my last meal
Second night of a 2018 Coterie Cellars Syrah, Las Madres Vineyard, Carneros. This stuff is great!
@msten Impressions? Drink/hold?
@hscottk Everyone enjoyed it.
It’s not Wednesday, but 2013 Wellington Vineyards Zinfandel Meeks Hilltop Ranch
A Walmart waygu burger smothered with bad American cheese, tots and cheap Bordeaux…
@kaolis Sounds like a helluva good night.
@InFrom @kaolis
Hmmm tots! How was the wine
@InFrom @ScottW58 A good solid bottle, still a bit primary. No idea where it came from or if I have more…love these little Bordeaux cheapies, still buy 'em.
2011 Denier-Handal Family Selection (DCV Red Wine Blend)
Seldom do I get to say last bottle, but 6½ years after a Woot! purchase, this is now on it’s way to gone.
Thanks @winedavid49
Wellington Weekend! 2013 Syrah, CWC, with Flannery hangers. Grilling season has officially begun in the northeast.
I have no idea why my pics all load sideways.
@karenhynes As long as you did not drink it until you were sideways, NTTAWWT
Love me some Selyem!
@karenhynes
If auto rotate is enabled on your phone, try turning it off before taking the photo and see if that helps resolve the issue. If that doesn’t work…
Another idea is try cropping the photo on your phone prior to uploading. Even if it’s just a minuscule adjustment. Doing so might remove any orientation info from the image EXIF data and allow it to post online in the correct orientation. I hope that helps.
Flannery burgers from the good ol US of A and a beautiful cab from Tuscany.
A weird beer (micro brew), quite potent, and some aged cognac. Wine is here, aplenty, but was in more of a ‘give it hell’ mood tonight.
2013 D Cubed Zin with spicy rub pork, chipotle scalloped sweet potatoes and green stuff. Wife says “yum” after tasting wine - I say good as I have just bought a case
@CorTot How was that?
Used to be a club member, but the AbV just kept creeping up and up and I lost interest.
@rjquillin to my congested nose it’s good. I think my normal preference would be for a Pinot that’s a little less extracted but it’s kinda perfect after the lingering congestion after a cold.
CT didn’t know I had this. Neither did I, but there it was in a styro, with some '07s as well…
2012 Virage Vineyards Bourriquot
Red BxD blend
@rjquillin And? Inquiring minds who just received three of them want to know…
@klezman @rjquillin
Yeah I’ve never had one of those.
@klezman @ScottW58
No question it’s CF based. Seems the Merlot is adding some middle, but overall, at PnP, it’s still pretty closed up. Some crystal on the cork. Both tannins and fruit not as pronounced as I recall from my first a couple years ago.
About to try it out with some Morgan tips.
@klezman @ScottW58
Still much lighter in body than I recall…
Worked with the Wagyu, but one of those '07s may have been the better choice.
2013 Wellington Zinfandel, Meeks Hilltop Ranch.
Grilling up some housemade sausages from the German market in Torrance. So it’s beer tonight!
2018 WineSmith Cellars Grenache Dry Rosé
2016 Gersing “Vamp” Syrah. I finally got one of those secondary fermentation bottles. Blew off enough in a decanter and then was enjoyable! With the bubbles it was a touch prickly.
@radiolysis same encounter with the vamp. I haven’t had another since it scared me off last
@chefjess Oooo…fancy! How is it? I had somebody tell me once that if I’ve never had Ruinart then I’ve not had great Champagne.
@klezman
It was delicious. Bright salmon color. Strawberries, raspberries on the nose and palate. Slightly creamy with a hint of almond on the finish. Fine mousse. Very elegant. Effervescence was more than typical so I let it rest and warm slightly. Acidity seemed a little less than normal. Maybe bottle variation. There was no disgorgement date. A little on the sweet side. I believe dosage is 8 g/L and with the abundance of fruit, less may have been okay. I’ve recently been drinking low dosage (4-6 g/L) so maybe it was just that change. For me, this would be a nice bubbly with friends or a very nice house sparkler for Sunday dinner to start off the week.
@klezman
To me, this is a great champagne. Simply stunning. May even be better with a few more years, but it is drinking beautifully now.
@chefjess @klezman
special occasion or just the right thing to do?
Wow! Great wine… I hear never had one myself
@klezman @ScottW58
Both or either. Not typically the wine for an average Tuesday night. A few friends got together a while back and shared several amazing wines. We typically always start with a glass of bubbly. My first 2007 Elizabeth. I have a few of the 2008 Elizabeth and several 2002 Nicolas Francois. Another simply stunning champagne. After the rack collapse a few months ago, I’m not waiting as long as I probably should. I would rather drink them early than lose them forever. That was just heartbreaking. If you have an opportunity to try, take it. Lovely wines.
@chefjess @klezman
Collapse ugh, man i hope this wasn’t you!
https://imgur.com/a/vSC3pQ8#We8Wjoo
@klezman @ScottW58
Ugh! That was not me and I didn’t lose as much as what was in the video, but very similar; glass and wine everywhere. It was horrible. I’m leaving more stuff in boxes and drinking the older and/or ‘special occasion’ stuff more regularly.
@chefjess @klezman
Yeah I’m drinking older and special stuff more often just because I’m old
@chefjess
I know that video clip was worse than what you experienced, but still… I’m sorry for your loss.
I’m paranoid about something catastrophic happening like that and I try to limit any risk as much as possible.
This is a wine rack I made with parts upcycled from a baby crib. It takes up more floor space, but it provides peace of mind knowing that the 136 bottles are relatively safe since the top tier is less than 22" from the floor.
@kawichris650
That’s awesome. What a fantastic idea! I might have to look into possibly trying that out but I’ll need to procure some cribs. We’re all way past that age.
POPSOCKETS! SPA KITS! POLLY POCKETS! AWESOME!
2013 Joseph Swan Vineyards Pinot Noir Great Oak Vineyard
Well it is Pi Day… bad wtso Chianti, and still learning my Ooni…ha!
@kaolis
How’s the Ooni? I’ve heard great things. That looks delicious!
@chefjess @kaolis
I have the little one, the Ooni Koda12 gas model and it works great. For the $$ Ooni is hard to beat imho.
@chefjess @rc70 We love it, a bit of a learning curve. My bride always says I can’t believe we ate anything else. We have the Koda 16. It’s definitely big. Playing with making dough but also buy some dough from a local woodfired joint.
@kaolis that chianti turned out bad? I just got a bottle from Underground and wasn’t really sure what to expect
Picked up the vertical of these on BD and just need to try it even though it’s likely way too young: 2017 Red Newt Cellars Cabernet Franc Glacier Ridge Vineyards
@klezman
Thoughts? How’s it drinking? I also picked up a 3-pack but haven’t tried yet.
@chefjess I quite liked it. Left some to follow over the next few days. I’ve had plenty of their Riesling and pink, but never red. So I figured I wanted to try one early. That’s why I got two sets of the vertical
This is delightful cool climate Franc. Just what I was hoping for. Napa this is not.
Man I don’t know how I missed these, got a few at this year’s BD, what a great right bank blend! Clocks in at 13.6 abv. With a newly arrived flannery hanger. Wow
Trying my first Rivers Marie Chardonnay - 2020 Sonoma Coast. First couple sips and it’s delicious.
Flannery hangers and Cab Sauv, always a good match.
@rc70
Yum!!!
2014 Winesmith Granache
Oddly, I don’t seem to have a lot of 2014 wines.
BD 21. We’ve enjoyed every bottle from the mixed parcel.
@msten
I agree those are really nice wines!
@msten @ScottW58 Agreed! We’ve only tried the Nuestro Sueño, but was enough for us to re-up for BD22. Need to pop a Lewman one of these days.
Last one, very nice, still has life ahead for anyone that may have some.
Too much time on my hands so smoked some dino ribs, kind of liking life right now
@ScottW58 what’s the difference between that one and either the Migoua or the Tourtine?
And what’s with the pie?
@rjquillin
Single vineyard vs blend all great and different IMHO. Pie was yesterday’s crappy dinner
@ScottW58 π was Monday
@rjquillin @ScottW58 totally missed on pi day over here. That looks like some great rib!
First Wellington Wednesday in a long time
Small sip of 2019 Sandlands Amador Chenin Blanc, but moving on to 1996 York Creek Vineyards Meritage to go with smoky short ribs, although not the dino variety.
Bunny’s Irish shrine:
2014 Sei Querce Six Oaks. Just to taste. There’s a 2015 on WS that intrigued me and I had this 2014 on the shelf. Good but didn’t blow me away for the $50 buy in.
2006 Ridge Three Valleys Red.
Great nose, pretty good for a 16 year old Zin blend.
@FritzCat I’ve always wondered how that blend does with age. It’s their entry level wine along with East Bench.
@klezman Good, not spectacular…It was probably better young. I’ve got half a dozen old Ridge late harvest zins that should be interesting.
A celebration with Louis Roederer collection 242.
2017 Azienda Agricola Le Ragnaie Rosso di Montalcino
With fish and chips
Marine Room B-day bottles last night with swmbo and elder daughter visiting from TX.
1978 Bonnaire Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Special
2006 Iron Horse Vineyards Brut Rosé
For my birthday:
@Mark_L
Happy Birthday!
@Mark_L
Happy birthday!
How’s it drinking?
@chefjess Doing very nicely.
Graham’s 10 year Tawny Port
Nothing to write home about…
2020 Kelley Fox Willamette Blanc
@hscottk
I had this Friday and really enjoyed it after the chill wore off and around 30 minutes of air. Didn’t know what to expect with the PN/chard combo. Nice surprise. My first time trying her Willamette Blanc. Have you had this before or was this your first?
@chefjess It was our first time. It was very well received, especially by my mother-in-law. This alone was worth the price of admission!
I was a bit concerned after reading some less than stellar reviews that included the suggestion of smokiness. Thankfully, I found none in this bottle.
As an aside, the PN/chard blend makes it really tempting to put this in our Sodastream to add some bubbles. I just don’t think we’re brave enough for that experiment!
@hscottk
I was actually thinking the same thing. Maybe not the sodastream part as I think it would explode (I experimented with juice just once and never again), but that the wine would make a lovely bubbly.
I also found no smoke.
@chefjess Yeah, probably not worth it… but so tempting! https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/sodastream-wine-is-a-very-bad-idea-article
@hscottk
Wow. That article is scary. I simply tried lemonade one summer years ago but it was similar to shaking a bottle and then having extra fizz when opened. No projectiles.
Keeping the Kelley Fox vibe rolling with a 2015 Momtazi PN to accompany byob sushi. A nice pairing! I like this a lot, but the 17 Hyland is still our favorite.
@hscottk
Nice couple of nights! Have a few of the Blanc but have not tried yet. That 17 Hyland is great but you have to try any of the Maresh vineyard wines you might have a new love
@ScottW58 picked up the 2019 Maresh 3 pack sampler on BD. Looking forward to trying them.
Of all things, Bloody Mary’s!
Not near the best I’ve had, given mixers, but the Crystal Skull of Dan Aykroyd fame made it tenable.
Usually just see this drink as a nightcap, or early morning thing to have when coming to the aide of all night drinkers, but this hit the spot tonight.
You may do better at the Hilton in Rabat, a place in Put in Bay (island in Lake Erie,Ohio), or an unknown sit down restaurant in Butler, PA, but the Vodka is on par with any.
Personally, I’m glad to rediscover an almost forgotten drink.
2016 R. Merlo Family Estates Pinot Noir
Went to a whiskey tasting. Had some good stuff. Surprisingly, the Oban 18 was probably the winner on the “interesting” scale.
Got our first of this year’s home dry aged rib steaks warming up right now. Then saw that people on CT think this is on the decline, so I figured I needed to open one and see: 2007 Leo Joseph Cabernet Sauvignon Lilian’s Lawrence Harrison Vineyards
Initial reaction is that it’s more advanced for its age than I’d expect but it’s far from gone. More licorice than I’d expect.
'19 Pedroncelli Zinfandel Mother Clone
Yum…
An old sentimental favorite that I bought every bottle that wdc had with leftover rotisserie chicken
2013 Campesino “Chiquis Rose”, before he called it “Isa”.
Side by side with a 2015 Isa for comparison.
@chipgreen nice pair, and colors
@chipgreen @rjquillin Never seen the Chiquis before! And I miss that 15 Isa. Was the best vintage I’ve tried to date, but long gone.
Glad I got a case the last time it came around…
@FritzCat and…
@msten delicious…
It’s getting hot again ugh
@ScottW58 Come visit our side of the hill? It’s been a while again! And it cools down quickly this time of day.
@klezman
Good call! But for us lowlifes we might have to get our visa renewed to travel to that side of the hill/tracks
@ScottW58 We can repay your time renewing that visa with a haul of fresh oranges and passionfruit from the garden?
@klezman
@ScottW58
We are looking at 2" - 5" of snow this weekend!
@CorTot recent delivery?
@rjquillin this was from a earlier direct buy.
2013 Vino Noceto Zinfandel OGP Grandpère Vineyard
@WineDavid49 we need more of this at kick-ass prices!
@klezman This came out on top in a blind tasting of 13 Zins last year. Beat out a Welly estate and Scherrer… some pretty good company! Noceto is on the short list to end my SIBWM.
2017 Onesta Cinsault Bechthold Vineyard
2013 D Cubed Zinfandel, Brown Vineyard
Straight off yesterday’s UPS drop. The rattage didn’t lie, this is a very nice bottle.
@karenhynes is that the magnum offer from right around New years? How is it?
@deadlyapp
It’s actually a regular 750 from the offer Jan 16, 2021. I think those mags were 2017s?
It’s a solid pinot. Food friendly, nice balance, a bit fruit forward on the nose and palate at first, but settled down quickly to reveal some nice spice notes. It’s very smooth, medium bodied, nice acidity. Paired well with my (perhaps odd) choice of lentil soup and trout livornese (baked trout with olives, tomatoes, lemon, garlic, and roasted potatoes). Overall very pleasant. I’d think it would be a crowd pleaser.
@karenhynes yes the mags were 2017. I’ve seen mixed comments overall on the bernardus so wasn’t sure. Glad you seemed to enjoy it.
2017 Iron Horse UnOaked Chardonnay…because it looked like a good pairing for our dinner tonight.
Still have a half case of this Rosé left, bought 4 cases for my wedding and probably only drank half of it. Still doing well.
The Zapata was a wine spies purchase, for $19 it is very good value.
Flannery pork chops Carolina gold rice and 2016 A Tribute to Grace Luke.
@ScottW58 and chocolate squiggle cupcakes for dessert. Nice pairing.
@rc70 Nice touch!
My one and only bottle of 2013 Wellington Vineyards Cabernet Franc Baron Vineyard. All I can say is, mmmmm. Sorry I had but one.
@InFrom I nearly opened that tonight too
@klezman I had first grabbed a 2012 Cab Franc and didn’t really focus on the fact that it was one of Clark’s Roman Reserves. It wasn’t bad as is (though the center of the cork was crumbly) but I was mindful of all the advice to let it air out a lot, so we ended up with the Wellington instead. I decanted the Two Jakes, not sure which night or nights we’ll drink it.
2018 WineSmith Petit Verdot Hidden Spring
working on a 375 opened ??? days ago and think this is the only sample I have.
Pretty tasty.
@karenhynes
Very fitting!
@karenhynes @kawichris650 Indeed. How’s the Karren, Karen?
@karenhynes too funny, I touched one of those this evening. Was going to have some Flannery rib eye and Rudd with a '97 York Meritage.
@InFrom @kawichris650
Pretty darn tasty! Karen Approves!
A little funky on pop and pour, but that dissipated with a little swirling. Lots of dark fruit and some nice leathery notes on the background. Gonna cork it and revisit tomorrow.
More pizza. More Love You Bunches.
ORdered some Bludsoe’s BBQ
Opened a 2015 I. Brand & Family Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello Road
Later going to have 2014 Sperling Vineyards Gewürztraminer Icewine for dessert
From this year’s BD. This is great juice; grapefruit, pineapple, round mouthfeel, just outstanding.
@davirom
Damn sounds like another one I should try.
@davirom @ScottW58 I skipped them this year, but really enjoyed everything I got from them the year before.
@ScottW58 I really like the Ant+Farm SB, but this is better
@davirom @InFrom @ScottW58
Mine arrive this week so I’m excited to try these with the positive reviews.
ended up with some Langostino ravioli in an alfredo sauce and a
2011 Sojourn Chardonnay Sangiacomo Vineyard instead
With dear friends.
@rc70 was there a favorite?
@Winedavid49
Not a clear favorite, TyTanium overall but a dedicated Syrah drinker was adamant the Bouncristiani was superior and at its peak, hard to argue against as it was delish!
In honor of today’s offering. One 2011 Tercero deserves another! Not pictured: Flannery hanger steak.
Not the correct thread, but I thought it would give everyone a chuckle. Only five years ago.
@msten
That’s a quite an assortment!
@msten
Shipping hasn’t changed much.
@msten
That’s awesome. I miss those wines.
KRULL! A SKULL! BRETT HULL! AWESOME!
Somked some thigh quarters and tried this because the latest release hit my inbox. As great as this wine is/will become imho I decided I can’t buy anymore cabs that need 10 or twenty years to mature cause I’m too damn old, well except maybe Macdonald
I’m proud of myself!
@ScottW58
What about the children, and grand children!
@rjquillin @ScottW58
I got a 3-pack of the latest release. Prices have remained consistent as has the wine. How is the 2018 drinking?
@ScottW58 can’t speak to the wine but the leg quarters look awesome!
POPSOCKETS! SPROCKETS! DAVY CROCKETT! AWESOME!
@rjquillin
Umm yeah I’m not buying my wine for the kids who might sell it for 10 cents to the dollar or guzzle it to get drunk. They will get plenty of other stuff!
@chefjess @rjquillin
It’s a pretty great wine that could use some years, solid buy imho
@CorTot
Yes they were
Chicken soup
@klezman Oh no! Regular crud, or covid crud?
@InFrom @klezman
Ugh either crud sucks
@klezman
Sorry that it is chicken soup, but I’m sure you could give great direction on what is good there, too.
If under the weather, hope you get back to normal soon, and share the best chicken soup pointers, as well.
@InFrom @ScottW58 @CroutonOllie
Thanks all. Not COVID. Just some GI thing that will hopefully be gone by morning.
The chicken soup is homemade, of course. All chicken bones gets second use here. Cook for ages with some veggies and that’s about all there is to it. Onion, celery, carrot, parsnip.
@InFrom @klezman @ScottW58
Thanks for the cooking tips, I’m clueless, and hope you get back to feeling great, shortly.
That '97 York Creek and the Flannery meat that missed yesterday.
Good lord there seems to be no end of great wines coming out of Oregon these days!
@ScottW58 And under $25/btl to boot! I’ve been holding the Lewman’s but sounds like I need to pop one soon.
@hscottk
Right! This is the first Lewman I popped, oh man I made a mistake not buying these on BD this year. If you have more than one of these no crime in opening one. Just delicious!
@ScottW58 Oregon is where you and your lovely wife need to be.
@danandlisa
Oh we will be there can’t wait
Another delicious dinner with friends this past weekend.
This one had a French theme. I paired the wines so that each wine would pair well with 2 consecutive courses, as we find that the wines and food courses do not always sync perfectly. This allowed for some flexibility and overlap between the wines and courses.
We started off with an appetizer of baked raspberry jam and brie on sliced baguettes, paired with N.V. Dosnon Champagne Recolte Rose.
Followed by a salad of butter lettuce with feta and cayenne candied walnuts. A 2017 Domaine Saint André de Figuière Côtes de Provence Rose Premiere bridged the gap between the appetizer and the salad.
Casemates is acting up again, balking at anymore .jpg uploads with the message “you can only upload images”.
To be continued…
The next course was probably the best soup I have had in my life! It was a butternut squash soup with prosciutto crisps. We segued from the salad into the soup with a 2009 E. Guigal Crozes-Hermitage Blanc (93% Marsanne And 7% Roussanne).
Now it was onto the entree: roast chicken with carrots, parsnips and potatoes. We opened both a red and a white for this course. 2010 Château de Beaucastel Côtes du Rhône Coudoulet de Beaucastel and a 2013 Louis Jadot Pouilly-Fuissé.
Finally, we finished the meal with dessert. Chocolate creme fraiche cupcakes. Opened two wines with this course as well, since not all appreciate dessert wines. 2003 Château Tirecul La Gravière Monbazillac (Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc sticky) and a 2003 Château Sainte-Colombe for those who wanted to keep it dry.
@chipgreen You had me at prosciutto crisps. Both the food and the pairings look fantastic.
@chipgreen @InFrom all I know is my invite got lost in the mail!
@chipgreen
how was it holding up? And that Monbazillac was always great and forgot about them, good? And lastly the 03 Sainte-Colombe was maybe the best qpr last Bottle every had still holding up?
Fantastic night of food and wine Chip! few questions I bought a bunch of that 10 Coudoulet because everyone was saying how good it was going to age but of course I burned through the last of those a few years ago
@chipgreen @ScottW58 Yeah, weren’t those '03s $10 per bottle or something? I thought they looked familiar. I also finished mine ages ago.
@ScottW58
The Coudoulet actually seems like it has not hit its peak yet. It was a little tight upon PnP and was just starting to open up about 45 minutes later when it was finished.
The Monbazillac was excellent. Toffee, butter pecan, apricot, fig, etc. In a really nice place and glad I have one more.
Agree about the Sainte-Colombe, in fact I think it was enjoyed as much or more as the Coudoulet. Definitely had some funk to it, possible Bret but we all liked it.
@chipgreen @klezman
Yup $10 a bottle I think I burned through 3 cases of that stuff and enjoyed every one.
@chipgreen
Great to hear they all showed well! Yeah I have to look for some of that Monbazillac for old times sake great dessert wine!
@chipgreen @klezman @ScottW58
My CT suggests there may be a half case of the Sainte-Colombe up there in box K12.
Supposed to be some Halcon and Ped Rosé in the same box
Drink a couple, or give one to Scott.
I really do enjoy those overextracted “Wagner Family of Wines” wines…on occasion.
Owen Roe 2012 Syrah
2017 Harbour Estates Cabernet, Niagara Peninsula VQA
Going back to Canada for tonight’s wine!
pulled a cork on the recent
2018 Denier-Handal Don Angelo
couple days ago; a pleasant surprise;
nothing the last two nights
2019 Klet Brda Krasno Sauvignon/ Ribolla
What is better than a home-cooked meal when someone else does most of the prep? Nothing! Great salmon burger from the local fish store, a couple of toasted brioche buns, topped with slaw, and an orange wine from Slovenia to go with.
@InFrom
Wow that looks great especially with the limited amount of green stuff
@ScottW58 Yeah, the greenest thing was the slaw, it was great on the sandwich.
Can beet salad be considered green stuff?
@InFrom
Beet salad nope because I love it! And slaw
2018 Pedroncelli Mother Clone Zinfandel. Like a comfy sweater.
2016 Pedroncelli Sangiovese. Like a Patagonia vest.
@FritzCat
@FritzCat @radiolysis the finance bro of wine
Last night, 2017 OTP Rose then 2014 Keating Petite Sirah.