2016 Marqués de Riscal Rioja Finca Torrea
This has now been open in the fridge since last Friday.
Tonight was the best glass and it’s gone.
Killing Wellington, from last Wednesday, to follow.
@ttboy23 Kutch was a 2012 McDougall. Pretty tasty, holding up well. Really like his 12’s, even the Sonoma Coast is still drinking very well. A glass or two left for today after all.
@hscottk …and we have a winner! I should say that each of these were quite good, which was part of the fun. I like some fruit in my zin, and that definitely showed in the tasting results.
Third place, Wellington estate. Fruit fading a bit, but good acid and a definite oak influence. On a 100 point scale, this would be high 80s.
Second place, Scherrer old vines. I expected this to come out on top, which is part of what make blind tastings so interesting. Raspberry, menthol, allspice… it’s all there. I gave it a 90 in CT.
First place, Noceto OGP. This just edged out the Scherrer, with a ton of complexity and fruit: cranberry, raspberry, cedar, and just the right amount of acid. I think the Noceto zin flies a bit under the radar, eclipsed a bit by SH 1855 1869 and other top producers. It’s a nicely balanced zin that hits all the right notes, fully deserving of the top spot.
This was my first horizontal blind tasting and really enjoyed it. Looking forward to doing things like this with larger groups as COVID restrictions ease.
@hscottk Fair question - you’re right, they’re all well in my wheelhouse and I can’t stand jammy fruit bombs. Might as well have grape juice!
So within my Zin preference this trio (which I’ve had all of these, although not side by side) gets all the variation. Peter’s is richer and darker and I’m only starting to get into the 2009-10 as starting to enter my preferred drinking window. I drink the Meeks a bit earlier.
The Noceto is lighter all around, given it’s Amador and has an overall redder fruit profile.
The Scherrer I’m only starting to figure out, but I found it in between. Not as big and rich as Peter’s Zins but still built to age at least a decade. I liked the 2013 OMV last year enough to go in on some futures for the 2019.
So yeah, none are over the top Michael David-style stuff. But within the realm of “serious” Zin, this shows a diversity of styles to me. You want to really span the gamut, probably add in some Bedrock, Turley, and Ridge. 8-10 years old is, imo, also a good window to do this sort of thing since the super youthful fruit has faded a touch and the rest of the wine can come out.
Edit: I never actually got any 2013 Wellington Estate Zin. My vintages of that end at 2012 unfortunately.
@kawichris650 Yep, same vineyard. I think there’s a third producer also sourcing grapes from there. I just tend to hear more about the 1869 for some reason. Was really impressed with the OGP.
@hscottk@kawichris650 I think we hear more about it here because we’re Scott Harvey homers.
The Original Grandpere Vineyard is use by, iirc, 4 wineries: Scott Harvey, Noceto, Andis, and Macchia.
@hscottk@kawachris650 I had a 2018 Once & Future Zin w/ Easter Dinner, and it was good, but…
If you have the chance, try some Wilson Zin (Sonoma). It is phenomenal.
@hscottk@klezman Old Hill Ranch. Yeah, CT reviews looked very good, and I wanted to try something young. I still have several from last year’s Berserker Day…I’ll wait.
@FritzCat@hscottk I had a 1993 Ravenswood Old Hill a couple weeks ago. Really shows what classically styled Zin can do, even though it’s made in the “no wimpy wines” style! I tried a 2014 O+F Bedrock Zin a few months ago and decided it needed another few years to be in my window. For me, too much fruit obscures the other interesting stuff going on.
@hscottk@kawichris650@klezman I had an OGP vineyard vintage “horizontal” back in the woot days, with Noceto, S Harvey, Di Arie. Unfortunately didn’t get a group together to taste. I did have a WineSmith Grenache from the same grapes as a sparkler, rose and a red.
@FritzCat@hscottk A few years back Wilson swept the San Francisco chronicle tasting. I called the Vineyard and had them put together a mixed case for me. They were fantastic.
@hscottk@msten Yes! A few years back I was wandering around a grocery store in Santa Rosa, and asked a clerk for a wine recommendation, and he steered me toward a Wilson Zin. I joined their club, and finally stopped when I had too many to drink. I’m having (mostly vaccinated) people over on Saturday, and planning to focus on Cabs…maybe I’ll pull out an older Wilson…
@losthighwayz my biggest downside is that I’m not a big lamb fan, though the meal was planned as a gift to someone else who was, and it was a great pairing, but I prefer my lamb in a biryani or Persian meal, which would have led to a totally different wine choice.
@klezman@losthighwayz@Winedavid49 my pick for next fancy meal is fish, I’ll post picks of the lamb when I can, need to sleep, have class from 3am-9am ET 4/5 and there’s a test at the end! Will check the wine offering for Monday when I’m done that!
@CorTot@kaolis@rjquillin
Yeah someone on the CT board consistently talks how great Richard Arrowood’s wines were so I took a chance on this bottle when it came up in a K&L auction, nobody bid on it and got it for 80 bones. Really great buy
@kaolis
That’s one of my biggest problems with Burgundy I never know if it’s too early too late or the wine just sucks and sadly I can’t afford to find out
@rjquillin@Winedavid49 My experience last Fall was that Roessler Pinot Noirs were still in fine shape; the Chardonnays, not so much - all of three bottles we tried were thoroughly oxidized.
@rjquillin@Winedavid49 If you need to send some of that Roessler around there are plenty of good home for it! The 2008s and 2009s have all been good to excellent. None have been over the hill yet.
Very interesting Easter Dinner with a few friends: SWMBO and rpm, our knowledgeable friends who have tasted with us before as Lab Rats, and a single lady who enjoys fine wine.
California Roederer (we were out of Iron Horse here in FL…) with hors d’oeuvres and an asparagus tart as the first course… lovely.
Grilled lamb chops as the main course. What does one drink with lamb chops?
The wine can only be described as stunning. Wonderful mature nose, but with significant restrained black currant fruit, hints of violets and licorice, mingled perfectly with the Rutherford dust and the bottle age characteristics. Good fruit, full flavor in the entry, medium body, no flabbiness in the middle palate which one often gets as an old wine slides towards oblivion, a quite long finish, with resolved but present tannins - velvet, and absolutely no hint of acetic acid. Had I tasted this blind without knowing its age or provenance, I would have said Rutherford bench Cabernet, made in the old style, but only about 20-25 years old, with years of life left. Maybe a Corison, but nothing heavier or less complex.
For those lucky few who remember the 2012 Cabernet Seminar section of the rpm Magical History Tour, and the amazing variants on the 1968 Louis Martini Special Selection Cabernet, this wine was substantially superior and tasted younger, 8 years further on. And I’m not taking anything away from the quality of the Martini which was one of the best wines of the year. The characteristic elegance of the 1968 vintage was a remarkable display of winemaking.
All of this in a bottle with a high shoulder fill…
The second red (since the BV really yielded a glass each) was also a stunningly good wine, though much too young and with a very different, but fascinating profile (we had originally planned on a 1970 Chateau Pichon-Lalande, but after the BV, we decided that the Pichon deserved a chance to be the star of an evening): 2013 Cheval des Andes which our wine friend couple had brought in case one of our bottles was OTH.
![Best Argentine Wine EVER!][2]
I cannot say enough about the Malbec dominated (67%) Cab (25%) and Petit Verdot (8%) blend. A wine that will clearly develop well for at least 25-35 years, I would estimate peak around 2050. Our friends had managed to snag a fair bit of this at less than half what it was supposed to cost a few years ago, and were thrilled to share it. Lovers of great Cab/Bordeaux: go buy some and lay it down! You can’t buy 50+ year old BV de Latour, but you can buy this and put it away to slumber towards perfection.
Finishing off a 2016 Heart’s Needle Riesling from Mendocino and them moving on to a 2018 Piers Pinot Noir PK from Sonoma Coast. Piers is one of the Garagiste “hidden” labels for private bottlings. This one is from Lioco.
Drove down to the Hocking Hills region of Southern OH over Easter weekend with my wife and her sister, to visit another sister and her husband.
Saturday;
2018 Vacationer Rose
2001 Marqués de Riscal Rioja Gran Reserva
2009 WineSmith PennyFarthing Chardonnay
NV Graham Beck Brut Rose
Sunday;
N.V. Segura Viudas Cava Brut Reserva Heredad 1.5L
2013 M Cellars Noiret
2009 Elevage Wine Company Cabernet Sauvignon Raised by Wolves
Had the Rioja with some delicious flatbread pizza made from Pillsbury dough brushed with EVOO and sprinkled with basil, onions, green and red peppers and Italian sausage. The wine was just as good as everyone has been saying. Glad I got in on it.
Kicked off Easter Sunday with a breakfast of bacon, scrambled eggs and hash browns with a side of banana bread. Used the Segura Viudas for Mimosas.
Drank the Raised By Wolves Cab with dinner - grilled ribeye, roasted yukon gold potatoes and tortellini salad. Can’t go wrong with “Cab and a slab” and the RBW was drinking great!
Marqués de Riscal Spanish Rioja, 2016
OK, this keeps coming up, and I have(had) 11 bottles left. I don’t recall the first one, but #2 is: Great fruit, full spectrum. Drying tannins. Enough acid to make me want to take another sip.
Will be drinking with an avocado salad that I made; avocados, tomatoes, roasted pablanos, jalapenos, red onion soaked in rice wine vinegar, cilantro, a shallot, fresh garlic, coriander, cumin, salt, black pepper, a little garlic powder, a little chile powder and a little lime juice.
The alcohol is well-masked. Relatively short finish. Overall, a very nice drinking wine.
Now in the correct thread! Our second dinner of the year out on our gazebo enjoying a beautiful mid-Missouri evening, with a 2015 North By Northwest Rose.
Wellington Wednesday - found a 2012 Sonoma County Merlot.
While looking around basement I also found some 2006 and 2007 Gazzi Pinot Noir and Chardonnay hidden in the corner. Searched CT and notes there say drink Pinot by 2016. Any thoughts?
@dirtdoctor You’ve got some of that Gazzi?! Lucky bastard! IIRC the 2006 and 2007 were straight Pinot while 2008 or whatever it was had Syrah blended in. Next you’re going to say you still have D’Ontspille Le Black!
@dirtdoctor@klezman
I have one each of the '07 and '08. The '07 is 84% Pinot, 16% Syrah, while the '08 is 86% Pinot and 14% Syrah. I also have one D’ontspille.
@dirtdoctor@klezman
Ok, while we’re doing inventory, still have a few of the 1l '04, and 3 or 4 each of the '07 and '08 in 750’s. Could only wish for some D’Ontspille Le Black
@klezman@rjquillin
Based on the responses, it seems like I may not be too late to enjoy these (at least the Pinot). I looked at the WE 2021 Vintage Chart and it shows 2006 and 2007 Sonoma Pinot as likely past peak and potentially undrinkable for 2006. Seems like I should get to them soon though.
@ScottW58
I also got my second shot yesterday - cheers!
My celebration was a little more subdued. Went right from the vax appt. to a local brewery. Ordered some Chinese takeout from the place 2 doors down from the brewery and enjoyed the food while tasting through a flight of beers with my LW. Took a planned day off today as a just-in-case but other than a slight headache and sore arm, so far so good!
@chipgreen@ScottW58 Congrats on your 2nd shot! Thank you for posting about your vaccination. I was lucky and had no side effects. I have been fully vaccinated since 3rd week in January (healthcare worker). I think it’s important for those that are nervous to hear other stories and that most side effects are minimal or short lasting. Just wanting to do my part as a good human and stay health myself and for those around me. I have enjoyed little more social activity with other vaccinated people. Looking forward to everything getting back to normal!
@FritzCat i miss finding the CH specials at Costco every once in a while. The Lot 678 pinot was a work-favorite. We must have drank that by the caseload.
Couple of halves. The '14 Qupe was the last of the bunch. Too much bottle variation so just wanted to make it go away. The '13 Particular I forgot about and it was the last of those as well.
@CorTot This Qupe maybe the best of the 6.
Last Bottle purchase as well on the Particular. A bit fruit forward maybe from what I expected (which I’m certainly not averse to) but I’ve enjoyed them.
@ScottW58 '12, has definitely changed since release, which was what only 3, 4 years ago? Losing it’s youthful exuberance for sure, needed a couple of hours to strut it’s stuff.
As you say celebrations are taking on a new meaning. Celebrating we went out for our second little outdoor lunch today in two weeks, after hibernating for a year after being fully vaccinated. Fingers crossed the trend can continue!
@Winedavid49 First one I’ve opened, so no basis for comparison. I kinda get what Klez mentioned, about a ‘house’ style Randy has, but it’s a good thing here. Nice and restrained, didn’t get any raisins and in no way over-the-top or over-the-hill; for me it’s in a nice place. Three CT peeps say drink by 2021, seems like it’s easily got additional. I see we got them for $20+ four years ago, now over $40 on Wine Searcher.
Well done. Missed today’s offer.
@rjquillin@Winedavid49 Randy’s Zins are especially long lived. The 2009 RRV is still in a great drinking window and the 2013 is just getting into my preference for its prime drinking.
We drank a 2005 Estate (i.e. Home Ranch) back in 2017 and it was phenomenal, and showing no signs of slowing down. At the winery some time around 2013 we tasted the 2002 (his inaugural vintage) and it was excellent but too spendy for us to take a bottle home.
CellarTracker tells me that molarchae and I have consumed over 5 cases of Harvest Moon in the last 9 years.
@CorTot@rjquillin I like the occasional IPA, but I just wish breweries out here would produce a wider range of styles, is all. And I’m long since over the whole “how bitter can we make it” race.
@CorTot@kaolis@klezman@rjquillin I’m happy to live on IPA, but my bride loves reds and browns. I totally agree that too often a brewery falls down the rabbit hole and spends all the effort on IPA and hazy and milkshake beers, leaving her wanting.
My favorite local brewery, now closed over two years, had the broad spectrum. IPA, sure. Foeder aged sour, yep. And browns and reds. A great full range.
Back to the w00tstout, Stone makes great beer and with new leadership has moved beyond heavy hopped exclusively. We’ll see what that means for market share and longevity.
2001 Marques De Riscal Gran Riserva Rioja
2012 Baker Lane Syrah
Showing dad how to smoke em’ Dino ribs in a ceramic grill. I’m so glad they turned out pretty good, with all this talk…
Realized I hadn’t tried one of these yet, damn I’m glad I have some! Also smoked some pork chops, you know putting some smoke on pork chops is magical
Damn my new phone doesn’t show the upload link for pics
I rarely ever post a wine that wasn’t purchased from here (or the old site) but this is a bottle I picked up locally quite some time ago. It has held up very well and was surprisingly tasty.
You mean you mostly drink David-provided wine or that you only post when you do? The rest of us feel no such restraint!
I’ll post whatever beverage I’m enjoying, no matter where I got it. For example, I’ve posted various beers on occasion. But yes, the vast majority of my wine collection is a result of David’s ability to source great wine at great prices, and rob us all of our money.
@chipgreen@karenhynes agree about to exchange mine with some ‘mates and have not even tried it yet… the WS CF I’ve decanted for the last two weeks is calling my name tho…
@rjquillin
I still have one left. I shared some with 4 other people at a DIY sushi night and although the sushi turned out GREAT, no one was impressed with the saké. The assumption was perhaps it was oxidized, but I have very little experience with the beverage.
@kawichris650@rjquillin
I still have one each of the Saké One Fifty and Joy plus some Momokawas from even further back in the WW days. Saké is an acquired taste that I have not yet acquired.
2016 Copain Les Voisins Chardonnay, Anderson Valley
2015 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir, Terra de Promissio Vineyard, Sonoma County
2017 Sandler Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley
Siduri Pinot (mystery…I have no details
…with a variety of empanadas, great friends, and a lovely fire pit.
In-laws visiting.
NV Domaine Brazilier Coteaux du Vendômois Brut Methode Traditionnelle
2014 Red Newt Cellars Dry Riesling
Two Garagiste offerings, as it turns out. In-laws grew up around the Finger Lakes and wanted to have something local. That, and it’s delicious.
Family visiting – grilled up some delicious bbq chicken and had it with a 2018 Pedroncelli Zinfandel, and when it was gone opened up a 2016 Twisted Oak *%#&@! “Potty Mouth”.
Interesting evening, we’ll see what tomorrow brings.
Found a bottle I think I retrieved from @klezman from a K&L pickup
2002 Three Dog Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
Nice bottle at 19 years with supposedly two more still stored up north.
The kicker was some Flannery custom burger blend 25% Prime Hanger, 25% Wagyu Chuck and 50% dry aged steak, but…
The vacuum pack was compromised and there was some frost and discoloration so I put it in the fridge to thaw out. Had intended to make burgers last week but life and a granddaughter got in the way. Found it in the fridge today covered in a grey mildew/mold. Smelled ok so I knocked it off and grilled up a really well aged burger that tasted damn good.
Hopefully I’ll be around tomorrow, but if I’m not, you know why and that I went out happy. and klez can divvy up my northern stash.
@InFrom@rjquillin glad to hear it! I’d have to sneak that one past candace, she would never let anything past it’s pull date enter our food supply chain.
@bunnymasseuse@CorTot@InFrom@klezman@rjquillin And I thought I was being brave when my Flannery order took 10 days to get here during the crappy weather a few weeks back. Took it like a man and have been eating it up…ha! But I think you win
We got to most of these, missed some, pulled out a few others. First post-vaccine get-together, but not the last.
People particularly liked the Long Point Sangiovese, the Earthquake Zin, the Masi Amarone, a Chappellet Signature Cab (2016) that I added, and the 1997 Vintage Port. The de negoce Merlot, even though I decanted it for several hours, was a disappointment. We didn’t get to the Faust, so I gave it to a self-described Cab drinker to try at a later date. We had a couple of non red drinkers, one had Moscato and another had a Pinot Grigio. Lots of good food was had, including deserts with the Port.
Shared my last (of 3) 2005 WineSmith Faux Chablis with my wife, and daughter and her boyfriend who were traveling through (with a shrimp 2-ways dinner – scampi and boiled). A wonderful evening.
Two Garagiste bottles the other night, now two bottle from here:
2017 Pedroncelli Dry Rosé of Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley
2018 Stolpman Syrah
With smoked ribs.
@ScottW58 I mean, it’s 7 years old, fresh as a daisy, and a nice combination of the older school balanced style but with the heft that comes from mountain fruit. I’m a fan, and will probably do a bottle every 2 years from here on out to see what happens.
@rjquillin
The 07 Virage is in a great place, for me one of the best bottles I’ve drank in the last year.
The Groth is young but a several hour decant and it was very good, old school style. Expect my next one in 4 or 5 years to be better.
@rc70@rjquillin
Man I loved that 07 and drank through a couple of cases! Wish I had more but I do have a bunch of the 12’s and they are almost as good imho.
Found this in the cellar and tried it with some smoked ribs, woof hard dry and tannic! And very little fruit. Will leave the rest in the decanter and try tomorrow but don’t have much hope.
@hscottk It’s good stuff. Definitely benefited from air. Opened it and poured right into a decanter and gave it a big slosh around. Red fruit, fairly earthy but not funky, and tastes like they got some stems in there in a good way. I only opened one this young because I bought four of them. They’re good now with air (somewhat closed without) but it’s nowhere near sappy or too young-tasting otherwise. Should age for quite a long time.
With roasted chicken and polenta. Damn I love these, and for miles who asked what they are like this bottle is red fruit mostly, graphite, tannin, acid structure for days. A Corison made by a man
@rc70@ScottW58 I’m going to Coravin (almost wrote Corison Lol) a 14 ESV tonight and then pull the trigger. Any thoughts on Redhead Vineyard? Or should I go all 14 ESV?
@hscottk@rc70@ScottW58 So who’s going to pop the single clone Redhead Vineyard and report back? You’re not helping me here with the Corison comparisons!
@hscottk@klezman@rc70
Trying one of my Redhead’s is a great idea but finding one is a whole different problem ugh. I think I know which cooler they are in but they are buried deep and it would require a lot of digging
@klezman@rc70@rjquillin@ScottW58 Drank a glass of 14 ESV. Very nice wine. More oak and less floral than Corison, but well integrated. Popped a 2018 deNegoce #44 Rutherford cab for comparison. Definitely outperformed the 44. Went with additional 14 ESVs and a couple of ‘16 redheads.
@hscottk@klezman@rc70@rjquillin
To me I got graphite not oak but because graphite really has no smell it’s another way of saying wood very common it some great Bordeaux wines. Just took delivery of 4 more and a couple of red heads today.
@hscottk@rc70@rjquillin@ScottW58 Anybody try their Sauv Blanc?
The shipping is killer for < 6 bottles, too, so if anybody wants to help out, let me know.
@bunnymasseuse Quite good (and still plenty of time left). I specifically got it out because I thought half the bottle would be left and I wouldn’t be returning to it for 4-5 days – in such a case Clark’s wines are the obvious choice! But at the last minute we ended up inviting a friend over for dinner and the bottle got finished (so it never really got as much air as I would have wanted).
The last straggler of my BD purchases, I had to have it held a bit. Well worth the wait. My photo doesn’t show that it’s the 2015 vintage. A real BD find.
@bunnymasseuse
I was absent last week, too! Had dinner with some friends in from Sonoma last week and a a local place across the street tonight…trying to be a bit more social. Don’t tell the authorities!!!
2018 Duckhorn Vineyards Decoy Red w/filet mignon w/bernaise sauce, field greens salad, sauerkraut balls and chocolate covered angel food cake a la mode.
@rjquillin The pork medallions were excellent, it is a Julia Child recipe, very easy to make by her standards. The wine was also excellent, good minerality, a hint of vanilla, and my wife got peach, though I didn’t. After the Judgement at Paris, I thought of Chateau Montelena chard as a reference point and this was my first experience with it.
2012 Two Jakes of Diamonds Cabernet Sauvignon – visiting my daughter and son-in-law and thought I’d give it a try with the beef tenderloin he is cooking.
@klezman@msten agreed. My case of Isa should arrive this week. maybe it’s the light but it looked more white than pink. @cortot does it look like a rosé?
@hscottk@klezman@msten yes its a light pink/copper, think less extracted more acid driven. It was delicious, probably better than the last couple of releases which I also really liked.
2011 Pedroncelli Zinfandel Bushnell Vineyard Dry Creek Valley
With some chicken sausages. The wine is excellent - dark fruited goodness with plenty of complexity. This is why I love wines at around 10 years old.
@ScottW58 Nice. Lemon nose, palate and finish. Some floral aromas. Pleasant acidity with some creamy mouthfeel. Paired nicely with brats and a mustard glaze. Second Fine Disregard from BD shopping spree.
@Winedavid49 Unfortunately, this wasn’t the
2011 The Crusher Big Orange Wilson Vineyard
offered in '13 (I do still have one), but something from World Market I had hoped would be interesting. Drinkable, but well past prime.
@rjquillin really great. It absolutely didn’t taste 21 years old. No bricking, no nuttiness, just clean and fruity. More amazing since it was a 375mL from a discount grocer.
@ScottW58
Garagiste mystery purchase, good QPR . Went well with Flannery hangers with a spicy dry rub. I’d say it’s in a very good place now and for the next 2 maybe 3 years before fading.
Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
2017 (I think it’s 2016 1/2)
I’ve heard it called a Baby Grange because they age it in old Grange Barrels.
Very good. Lot’s of crud in the bottom.
This was night 2, both nights were equally good.
@kawichris650 I think I have one of those that I’ve stuffed to the back of my cellar for years down the road. How’s it doing now?
@radiolysis
Pedroncelli wines always drink better with some age on them.
It’s drinking very well.
Loring Wine Company 2018 PN, Kessler Haak Vineyard. So much cherry!
I see it took some LARGE BOLD TEXT to get the new thread started!
/giphy large-bold-text
@rjquillin
And yet some people are still using the March thread.
@kawichris650 @rjquillin you can lead Scott to water…
@kawichris650 There are always a few.
Some will even initiate a duplicate thread.
@kawichris650 @rjquillin monthly habits are hard to break
@rjquillin
I was tempted to bring back this thread for fun, but decided against it because it’d likely just cause more confusion/chaos haha.
@kawichris650 @rjquillin anti-April drinking here we come!
@kawichris650 @rjquillin
In honor of Cortot and his love of chaos and Ron wielding his power to piss off Chip I brought it back for you, you’re welcome
2016 Marqués de Riscal Rioja Finca Torrea
This has now been open in the fridge since last Friday.
Tonight was the best glass and it’s gone.
Killing Wellington, from last Wednesday, to follow.
Scott Harvey Barbera. Very tasty!
Spellbound Cabernet Sauvignon, wish they would bring this back!
Some Cheers… and some Château de Bel-Air
Spousal birthday Friday. With cumin-rubbed lamb chops, olive-oil mashed potatoes, and roasted carrots.
I didn’t bother trying a corkscrew, I went straight for the ah-so, and I still came out with just half the cork. Hence the decanter.
@InFrom
Someone didn’t well time a birthday for a Wednesday.
Any day above the turf line is a day for a Victory however.
Onesta Cinsault. Great QPR! Love this wine
Finishing up the Walter Scott from last night and most likely finishing up tonight’s Kutch tonight
@kaolis love a good Pinot! What was the Kutch?
@ttboy23 Kutch was a 2012 McDougall. Pretty tasty, holding up well. Really like his 12’s, even the Sonoma Coast is still drinking very well. A glass or two left for today after all.
Pedroncelli Rose, 2018, I think.
@karenhynes How was that? Haven’t touched my case yet.
@karenhynes Oh wait, mine are 2019.
@hscottk
2018s are delicious! I think I forgot I had them, so I still have most of the case left. Ooops!
2013 Zinfandel smackdown! Blind tasting of Scherrer, Noceto OGP, and Welly estate. Who will come out on top?
@hscottk Talk about three very different Zins…
@hscottk @klezman
All in the name of science! I can’t wait to hear the results, even if it’s just a matter of opinion/preference.
@hscottk @klezman
Agree.
Which Peter bottling?
This seems likely to come down to personal preferences.
Great Friday evening tho…
Finishing off the Roussanne; seems better tonight.
@hscottk
Last time I dropped a Scherrer zin on a blind tasting it won
@hscottk @klezman @rjquillin The Estate Wellington. Per the (much enlarged) label. Oh, and I just noticed, also per the OP.
@hscottk @InFrom @klezman
doh
@rjquillin
I finished off the Roussanne tonight as well, and I also thought it was better tonight than it was on Wednesday.
@kawichris650 Long live Wellington Roussanne.
Still have a few cases, need to find that '10; no CT notes since '16
@hscottk @ScottW58 the competition was pretty weak (brown) if I recall.
@hscottk …and we have a winner! I should say that each of these were quite good, which was part of the fun. I like some fruit in my zin, and that definitely showed in the tasting results.
Third place, Wellington estate. Fruit fading a bit, but good acid and a definite oak influence. On a 100 point scale, this would be high 80s.
Second place, Scherrer old vines. I expected this to come out on top, which is part of what make blind tastings so interesting. Raspberry, menthol, allspice… it’s all there. I gave it a 90 in CT.
First place, Noceto OGP. This just edged out the Scherrer, with a ton of complexity and fruit: cranberry, raspberry, cedar, and just the right amount of acid. I think the Noceto zin flies a bit under the radar, eclipsed a bit by SH
18551869 and other top producers. It’s a nicely balanced zin that hits all the right notes, fully deserving of the top spot.This was my first horizontal blind tasting and really enjoyed it. Looking forward to doing things like this with larger groups as COVID restrictions ease.
@klezman Interesting you see them as so different. How so? Personally, I found a number of similarities. None were exceedingly jammy, for example.
@hscottk Fair question - you’re right, they’re all well in my wheelhouse and I can’t stand jammy fruit bombs. Might as well have grape juice!
So within my Zin preference this trio (which I’ve had all of these, although not side by side) gets all the variation. Peter’s is richer and darker and I’m only starting to get into the 2009-10 as starting to enter my preferred drinking window. I drink the Meeks a bit earlier.
The Noceto is lighter all around, given it’s Amador and has an overall redder fruit profile.
The Scherrer I’m only starting to figure out, but I found it in between. Not as big and rich as Peter’s Zins but still built to age at least a decade. I liked the 2013 OMV last year enough to go in on some futures for the 2019.
So yeah, none are over the top Michael David-style stuff. But within the realm of “serious” Zin, this shows a diversity of styles to me. You want to really span the gamut, probably add in some Bedrock, Turley, and Ridge. 8-10 years old is, imo, also a good window to do this sort of thing since the super youthful fruit has faded a touch and the rest of the wine can come out.
Edit: I never actually got any 2013 Wellington Estate Zin. My vintages of that end at 2012 unfortunately.
@hscottk
I could be mistaken, but I believe the OGP and SH 1869 are from the same vineyard. So perhaps Scott just has some magic up his sleeve haha.
@kawichris650 Yep, same vineyard. I think there’s a third producer also sourcing grapes from there. I just tend to hear more about the 1869 for some reason. Was really impressed with the OGP.
@hscottk @kawichris650 I think we hear more about it here because we’re Scott Harvey homers.
The Original Grandpere Vineyard is use by, iirc, 4 wineries: Scott Harvey, Noceto, Andis, and Macchia.
@hscottk @kawachris650 I had a 2018 Once & Future Zin w/ Easter Dinner, and it was good, but…
If you have the chance, try some Wilson Zin (Sonoma). It is phenomenal.
@FritzCat @hscottk Which O+F? That’s super duper young for those.
@hscottk @klezman Old Hill Ranch. Yeah, CT reviews looked very good, and I wanted to try something young. I still have several from last year’s Berserker Day…I’ll wait.
@FritzCat @hscottk I had a 1993 Ravenswood Old Hill a couple weeks ago. Really shows what classically styled Zin can do, even though it’s made in the “no wimpy wines” style! I tried a 2014 O+F Bedrock Zin a few months ago and decided it needed another few years to be in my window. For me, too much fruit obscures the other interesting stuff going on.
@hscottk @klezman Good to know.
@hscottk @kawichris650 @klezman I had an OGP vineyard vintage “horizontal” back in the woot days, with Noceto, S Harvey, Di Arie. Unfortunately didn’t get a group together to taste. I did have a WineSmith Grenache from the same grapes as a sparkler, rose and a red.
@FritzCat @hscottk A few years back Wilson swept the San Francisco chronicle tasting. I called the Vineyard and had them put together a mixed case for me. They were fantastic.
@hscottk @msten Yes! A few years back I was wandering around a grocery store in Santa Rosa, and asked a clerk for a wine recommendation, and he steered me toward a Wilson Zin. I joined their club, and finally stopped when I had too many to drink. I’m having (mostly vaccinated) people over on Saturday, and planning to focus on Cabs…maybe I’ll pull out an older Wilson…
NV Philippe Gonet Champagne Brut Grande Réserve
This Merlot was really good. The few extra years in storage was not an issue. I believe it improved.
It’s my last one.
[1]:
2015 Tin Barn Zin.
well crafted, i like it alot.
@Winedavid49 you should post more often.
@karenhynes ok. i’m a bit shy what with my insipid typos…
@Winedavid49 we don"t mnid you’re typos!
I’ve most certainly had a few of my own here over the years!
@karenhynes dooley knoted
Crown of lamb, spinach, rice, cucumber salad, and 2001 Marqués de Riscal Rioja Gran Reserva
@bunnymasseuse had the Marques last week. It is amazing imo
Great pairing!
@losthighwayz my biggest downside is that I’m not a big lamb fan, though the meal was planned as a gift to someone else who was, and it was a great pairing, but I prefer my lamb in a biryani or Persian meal, which would have led to a totally different wine choice.
@bunnymasseuse @losthighwayz as we speak cooking two leg of lambs (ours) for Easter brunch. one in a dutch oven the other on a rack. nervous…
@bunnymasseuse @losthighwayz @Winedavid49 sounds delicious!
I’ll repeat my other to relieve you of any extra lamb you have hanging around.
@klezman @losthighwayz @Winedavid49 my pick for next fancy meal is fish, I’ll post picks of the lamb when I can, need to sleep, have class from 3am-9am ET 4/5 and there’s a test at the end! Will check the wine offering for Monday when I’m done that!
@bunnymasseuse that is quite early. Good luck!
@bunnymasseuse
Yes good luck. And also, happy Easter!
Too much Zin talk
2013 Super Hero Wines InZINerator
first one I found went well with a Berserkers blend Flannery burger.
Full vaccinated get together with best friends, nice to have life getting back to “normal” .
@rc70 Nice!
Drank the 2007 Latour with Easter dinner of smoked turkey. Love the Latour.
Opening this old guy up for Easter with the family. Happy Easter everyone!
@ScottW58 Been hanging onto that one, or a more recent acquisition?
@rjquillin
Picked it up about a year ago, now that the family can come over I’m going through as many magnums as i can! Oh and it’s quite good!
@rjquillin @ScottW58 Oh wow, I bet it is!
@rjquillin @ScottW58 I’ve only had one arrow wood, and I loved it.
@CorTot @rjquillin @ScottW58 Lots of seriously good wine made by Richard Arrowood. Worth a google search.
@CorTot @kaolis @rjquillin
Yeah someone on the CT board consistently talks how great Richard Arrowood’s wines were so I took a chance on this bottle when it came up in a K&L auction, nobody bid on it and got it for 80 bones. Really great buy
Nice perfume on opening, just ok to be honest. Maybe just a baby?
@kaolis
That’s one of my biggest problems with Burgundy I never know if it’s too early too late or the wine just sucks and sadly I can’t afford to find out
2008 Roessler Pinot Noir Peregrine
@rjquillin whoa, i just found some old Roessler (next to the pallet we lost…) was this any good???
@rjquillin @Winedavid49 My experience last Fall was that Roessler Pinot Noirs were still in fine shape; the Chardonnays, not so much - all of three bottles we tried were thoroughly oxidized.
@rjquillin @Winedavid49 If you need to send some of that Roessler around there are plenty of good home for it! The 2008s and 2009s have all been good to excellent. None have been over the hill yet.
@klezman @rjquillin @Winedavid49 Dang, those pinots were good!
@Winedavid49 Oh yeah!
Just move them over to that other pallet.
Those aren’t the bottles you were looking for.
Very interesting Easter Dinner with a few friends: SWMBO and rpm, our knowledgeable friends who have tasted with us before as Lab Rats, and a single lady who enjoys fine wine.
California Roederer (we were out of Iron Horse here in FL…) with hors d’oeuvres and an asparagus tart as the first course… lovely.
Grilled lamb chops as the main course. What does one drink with lamb chops?
The wine can only be described as stunning. Wonderful mature nose, but with significant restrained black currant fruit, hints of violets and licorice, mingled perfectly with the Rutherford dust and the bottle age characteristics. Good fruit, full flavor in the entry, medium body, no flabbiness in the middle palate which one often gets as an old wine slides towards oblivion, a quite long finish, with resolved but present tannins - velvet, and absolutely no hint of acetic acid. Had I tasted this blind without knowing its age or provenance, I would have said Rutherford bench Cabernet, made in the old style, but only about 20-25 years old, with years of life left. Maybe a Corison, but nothing heavier or less complex.
For those lucky few who remember the 2012 Cabernet Seminar section of the rpm Magical History Tour, and the amazing variants on the 1968 Louis Martini Special Selection Cabernet, this wine was substantially superior and tasted younger, 8 years further on. And I’m not taking anything away from the quality of the Martini which was one of the best wines of the year. The characteristic elegance of the 1968 vintage was a remarkable display of winemaking.
All of this in a bottle with a high shoulder fill…
The second red (since the BV really yielded a glass each) was also a stunningly good wine, though much too young and with a very different, but fascinating profile (we had originally planned on a 1970 Chateau Pichon-Lalande, but after the BV, we decided that the Pichon deserved a chance to be the star of an evening): 2013 Cheval des Andes which our wine friend couple had brought in case one of our bottles was OTH.
![Best Argentine Wine EVER!][2]
I cannot say enough about the Malbec dominated (67%) Cab (25%) and Petit Verdot (8%) blend. A wine that will clearly develop well for at least 25-35 years, I would estimate peak around 2050. Our friends had managed to snag a fair bit of this at less than half what it was supposed to cost a few years ago, and were thrilled to share it. Lovers of great Cab/Bordeaux: go buy some and lay it down! You can’t buy 50+ year old BV de Latour, but you can buy this and put it away to slumber towards perfection.
@rpm Sounds amazing! Happy Easter!
Finishing off a 2016 Heart’s Needle Riesling from Mendocino and them moving on to a 2018 Piers Pinot Noir PK from Sonoma Coast. Piers is one of the Garagiste “hidden” labels for private bottlings. This one is from Lioco.
Something young earthy and delicious!
@ScottW58 Looks like Hoffer Vyd, but all I see in CT is rosé from there, and that glass does not look like a rosé.
@rjquillin
That is all correct, she makes Grenache in a lighter spectrum than anyone else.
Drove down to the Hocking Hills region of Southern OH over Easter weekend with my wife and her sister, to visit another sister and her husband.
Saturday;
2018 Vacationer Rose
2001 Marqués de Riscal Rioja Gran Reserva
2009 WineSmith PennyFarthing Chardonnay
NV Graham Beck Brut Rose
Sunday;
N.V. Segura Viudas Cava Brut Reserva Heredad 1.5L
2013 M Cellars Noiret
2009 Elevage Wine Company Cabernet Sauvignon Raised by Wolves
Had the Rioja with some delicious flatbread pizza made from Pillsbury dough brushed with EVOO and sprinkled with basil, onions, green and red peppers and Italian sausage. The wine was just as good as everyone has been saying. Glad I got in on it.
Kicked off Easter Sunday with a breakfast of bacon, scrambled eggs and hash browns with a side of banana bread. Used the Segura Viudas for Mimosas.
Drank the Raised By Wolves Cab with dinner - grilled ribeye, roasted yukon gold potatoes and tortellini salad. Can’t go wrong with “Cab and a slab” and the RBW was drinking great!
2017 Ernest vineyards Pinot noir Sonoma coast
Marqués de Riscal Spanish Rioja, 2016
OK, this keeps coming up, and I have(had) 11 bottles left. I don’t recall the first one, but #2 is: Great fruit, full spectrum. Drying tannins. Enough acid to make me want to take another sip.
Will be drinking with an avocado salad that I made; avocados, tomatoes, roasted pablanos, jalapenos, red onion soaked in rice wine vinegar, cilantro, a shallot, fresh garlic, coriander, cumin, salt, black pepper, a little garlic powder, a little chile powder and a little lime juice.
The alcohol is well-masked. Relatively short finish. Overall, a very nice drinking wine.
Just opened a 2013 Woot Cellars Revelry. Initial sniffs and tastes - this is evolving nicely!
Now in the correct thread! Our second dinner of the year out on our gazebo enjoying a beautiful mid-Missouri evening, with a 2015 North By Northwest Rose.
Wellington Wednesday - found a 2012 Sonoma County Merlot.
While looking around basement I also found some 2006 and 2007 Gazzi Pinot Noir and Chardonnay hidden in the corner. Searched CT and notes there say drink Pinot by 2016. Any thoughts?
@dirtdoctor You’ve got some of that Gazzi?! Lucky bastard! IIRC the 2006 and 2007 were straight Pinot while 2008 or whatever it was had Syrah blended in. Next you’re going to say you still have D’Ontspille Le Black!
@dirtdoctor @klezman
I have one each of the '07 and '08. The '07 is 84% Pinot, 16% Syrah, while the '08 is 86% Pinot and 14% Syrah. I also have one D’ontspille.
@dirtdoctor @klezman
Ok, while we’re doing inventory, still have a few of the 1l '04, and 3 or 4 each of the '07 and '08 in 750’s. Could only wish for some D’Ontspille Le Black
@dirtdoctor @rjquillin damn that’s nice. I finished my Gazzi ages ago.
@klezman @rjquillin
Based on the responses, it seems like I may not be too late to enjoy these (at least the Pinot). I looked at the WE 2021 Vintage Chart and it shows 2006 and 2007 Sonoma Pinot as likely past peak and potentially undrinkable for 2006. Seems like I should get to them soon though.
Drinking a rodent-oriented wine and a comparison.
Part 2 is tonight.
@klezman how do I get stuck with a crappy Wolgang Puck rat bottle and you get 2 Friday offerings in a row? Briceland was the first.
@klezman @losthighwayz
Are you really complaining about free bottles of wine?!
@klezman @ScottW58 yes!
@klezman @losthighwayz @ScottW58
A little celebration tonight getting my second shot tomorrow morning, man the world has changed celebrating getting a shot
@ScottW58 Cristal? Wow, I didn’t even get a lollipop.
@ScottW58 hot damn that’s a nice lineup! How many people is that for?!
Looking forward to seeing you and Andrea over dinner very soon!
@klezman
gonna be soon now! Feeling crappy after my second shot but not so crappy that I can’t smoke a bird!
4 vaxed people
@InFrom
Lol! Well I had to give that to myself
@ScottW58
I also got my second shot yesterday - cheers!
My celebration was a little more subdued. Went right from the vax appt. to a local brewery. Ordered some Chinese takeout from the place 2 doors down from the brewery and enjoyed the food while tasting through a flight of beers with my LW. Took a planned day off today as a just-in-case but other than a slight headache and sore arm, so far so good!
@chipgreen @ScottW58 Congrats on your 2nd shot! Thank you for posting about your vaccination. I was lucky and had no side effects. I have been fully vaccinated since 3rd week in January (healthcare worker). I think it’s important for those that are nervous to hear other stories and that most side effects are minimal or short lasting. Just wanting to do my part as a good human and stay health myself and for those around me. I have enjoyed little more social activity with other vaccinated people. Looking forward to everything getting back to normal!
@chipgreen @dawnlac @ScottW58 Two more weeks…counting down the days…
@chipgreen @dawnlac @klezman
Yeah it was all kind of exciting, oh and healthcare worker Dawn thank you!
@chipgreen @dawnlac @ScottW58 You know what’s going to be even more exciting? When we see you guys for dinner in a couple weeks!
Very nice pizza wine.
@rc70 will take note! Always pizza wine hunting for summer, not sure why but I do it!
CH Lot 487 Lodi Field Blend,
Zin, Syrah, PS and Tempranillo.
Latest Cellartracker review was 2017.
Very Good…still. $13, thanks CH.
@FritzCat i miss finding the CH specials at Costco every once in a while. The Lot 678 pinot was a work-favorite. We must have drank that by the caseload.
Since I missed Wellington Wednesday yesterday, I’m making up for it tonight.
Couple of halves. The '14 Qupe was the last of the bunch. Too much bottle variation so just wanted to make it go away. The '13 Particular I forgot about and it was the last of those as well.
@kaolis I agree in the bottle variation issues on the ‘14 qupe.
I also have one left and should probably kill it.
I’ve picked up those 1/2 btls of Particular from Last Bottle and really liked it. I would definitely buy more if offered.
@CorTot This Qupe maybe the best of the 6.
Last Bottle purchase as well on the Particular. A bit fruit forward maybe from what I expected (which I’m certainly not averse to) but I’ve enjoyed them.
@CorTot @kaolis just had a '14 Qupe Sawyer just to see if i had a bad bottle or a good bottle. This was a good one.
I love half bottles.
@kaolis
Well now! You must be celebrating something? Looks fantastic, what year is the Marcassin?
@ScottW58 '12, has definitely changed since release, which was what only 3, 4 years ago? Losing it’s youthful exuberance for sure, needed a couple of hours to strut it’s stuff.
As you say celebrations are taking on a new meaning. Celebrating we went out for our second little outdoor lunch today in two weeks, after hibernating for a year after being fully vaccinated. Fingers crossed the trend can continue!
2017 Flowers Pinot Noir Estate Rosé
2013 Winesmith Saint Laurent Carneros Ricci Vineyard
2010 Two Jakes Petite Sirah
2013 Harvest Moon Zinfandel Russian River Valley
@rjquillin how is the '13 holding up?
@Winedavid49 First one I’ve opened, so no basis for comparison. I kinda get what Klez mentioned, about a ‘house’ style Randy has, but it’s a good thing here. Nice and restrained, didn’t get any raisins and in no way over-the-top or over-the-hill; for me it’s in a nice place. Three CT peeps say drink by 2021, seems like it’s easily got additional. I see we got them for $20+ four years ago, now over $40 on Wine Searcher.
Well done. Missed today’s offer.
@rjquillin @Winedavid49 Randy’s Zins are especially long lived. The 2009 RRV is still in a great drinking window and the 2013 is just getting into my preference for its prime drinking.
We drank a 2005 Estate (i.e. Home Ranch) back in 2017 and it was phenomenal, and showing no signs of slowing down. At the winery some time around 2013 we tasted the 2002 (his inaugural vintage) and it was excellent but too spendy for us to take a bottle home.
CellarTracker tells me that molarchae and I have consumed over 5 cases of Harvest Moon in the last 9 years.
Trader Joe’s Brut Rose
Winesmith Petit Manseng
cause well, I Like it sweet
2011 Ty Caton Cabernet Sauvignon Caton Vineyard
2008 Basel Cellars (Walla Walla) Merriment Blend.
w/ Dry Aged Ribeyes. Fantastic!
@FritzCat So good, in fact, that de negoce (you know, Cameron Hughes) has a case of Walla Walla blend for $96 (+tax & $29 shipping), so I bought one!
2009 Twisted Oak Tempranillo
@mommadeb Working on a deal with El Jeffe. it’s taking longer than normal, but i’m undeterred!
@mommadeb @Winedavid49 keep it up!
@Winedavid49 ? for real? I can’t wait to see what it is!!
@mommadeb @corTot yea, he’s been almost apologetic. i’m like, it’s cool dude, just let me know when you are ready… !
@Winedavid49 man, hopefully during cooler shipping weather? Been waiting for some twisted oak for quite some time.
@Winedavid49
Did you try smacking him with a rubber chicken?
@chipgreen @Winedavid49
Instant pot lamb shanks with 2001 Vecchie Terre di Montefili Bruno di Rocca
Correcting the location of tonight’s consumption when we finally got around to cooking that corned beef.
@klezman
@kawichris650
It was seriously good; dark, creamy and coffee-like with a touch of molasses.
w00tstout
@rjquillin I’ve had that beer before. Quite good. Especially since it’s not an IPA!
@klezman I don’t personally consider an IPA a beer.
Should that opinion be in Poli"ticks"?
@klezman @rjquillin w00tstout has been a favorite of mine. I enjoy stouts, but I’m definitely in the IPA/sour camp for a regular BEER.
@klezman @rjquillin yes, that opinion doesn’t belong here!!! IPAs can be wonderful.
@CorTot @rjquillin I like the occasional IPA, but I just wish breweries out here would produce a wider range of styles, is all. And I’m long since over the whole “how bitter can we make it” race.
@klezman @rjquillin I think most people are tired of that so it’s made for some forced creativity in that space. More variety to say the least.
@CorTot @klezman @rjquillin Agreed. I’m in the IPA camp for some time now. But the category has evolved for sure, it’s not a narrow profile.
@CorTot @kaolis @klezman @rjquillin I’m happy to live on IPA, but my bride loves reds and browns. I totally agree that too often a brewery falls down the rabbit hole and spends all the effort on IPA and hazy and milkshake beers, leaving her wanting.
My favorite local brewery, now closed over two years, had the broad spectrum. IPA, sure. Foeder aged sour, yep. And browns and reds. A great full range.
Back to the w00tstout, Stone makes great beer and with new leadership has moved beyond heavy hopped exclusively. We’ll see what that means for market share and longevity.
2001 Marques De Riscal Gran Riserva Rioja
2012 Baker Lane Syrah
Showing dad how to smoke em’ Dino ribs in a ceramic grill. I’m so glad they turned out pretty good, with all this talk…
2014 JJ Prüm WS Spätlese with sushi.
2015 Bodegas Hidalgo Rioja La Gitana Gold Reserva (a Costco purchase) with grilled steaks on a beautiful evening.
Tried a reverse sear on the Kamado with a Flannery hanger shockingly it worked great! 10 Notre Vin on deck
Smoked a bone on pork loin roast with
2018 Kevin White Winery La Fraternité
@msten
Love love both of your choices! How was the Kevin White?
Some steaks and 2017 Scott Harvey Zinfandel (red label)
One of two glasses left drank of the Argentina wine that Was delivered on Friday, chilled and tasted like it also wanted to be a sangria…
@CorTot had this the other night. solid. you?
@CorTot @Winedavid49 Any chance of a J Dusi offering soon?
@Winedavid49 enjoyed it quite a bit with BBQ, Solid wine for the price. I left the balance with my dad so I’m not sure how it is tonight.
First coworker get together since we’re all double vaccinated:
2013 Onesta Cinsault
2013 Bonny Doon Vin Gris Tuilé
2008 Reilly’s Barking Mad Riesling
Russian River Brewing Defenestration
Russian River Brewing Pliny the Elder
Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA
Waterhouse Cider
TYKU Junmai Sake
@radiolysis Love Russian River Brewery. Defenestration is among my favourites there, too. Pliny is one of the good douple/triple IPAs.
2013 Tin Barn Zin. Nice by itself and with pasta w/ spinach, ricotta and red sauce
@dawnlac
Reverse Wine Snob (care of WD) has a 6-pack of the 2015 vintage for $90 and only $5 for shipping.
https://www.winedealmaker.com/product/rws-insider-deal-tin-barn-vineyards-zinfandel-russian-river-valley-6-bottles-2/
2016 Fattoria di Basciano Chianti Rùfina
Realized I hadn’t tried one of these yet, damn I’m glad I have some! Also smoked some pork chops, you know putting some smoke on pork chops is magical
Damn my new phone doesn’t show the upload link for pics
@ScottW58
Try turning it sideways? (The phone, not the wine )
@ScottW58
Yep what Karen said. When using your phone in landscape view, the icon to upload inages should appear.
@karenhynes @ScottW58 TIL to rotate the phone. Thanks Karen.
Damn you’re good! Karen
@rc70 I have got to start digging out my Cabots.
I rarely ever post a wine that wasn’t purchased from here (or the old site) but this is a bottle I picked up locally quite some time ago. It has held up very well and was surprisingly tasty.
@kawichris650 You mean you mostly drink David-provided wine or that you only post when you do? The rest of us feel no such restraint!
@kawichris650 @klezman
and it’s drinking well!
LoL actually I think I bought this here
@klezman
I’ll post whatever beverage I’m enjoying, no matter where I got it. For example, I’ve posted various beers on occasion. But yes, the vast majority of my wine collection is a result of David’s ability to source great wine at great prices, and rob us all of our money.
2013 Failla Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
$25 from Last Bottle? Decent deal.
2015 Onesta Cinsault
You know what day it is.
2019 Dynamite Hill Tempranillo, Estate Bottled - this is some baaaad 4$$ juice!! Loving this!
2013 Wellington Vineyards Marsanne
Should have started drinking Peters whites years earlier than I did.
2019 WineSmith Tannat
@karenhynes
Thoughts?
@chipgreen @karenhynes agree about to exchange mine with some ‘mates and have not even tried it yet… the WS CF I’ve decanted for the last two weeks is calling my name tho…
@bunnymasseuse @chipgreen @karenhynes It was tasty. Glad I got a case.
With some smoked ribs, man I gotta get me some more of these!
2010 Domaine de la Terre Rouge L’Autre
@winedavid49 remember these?
NV SakéOne G Joy Junmai Ginjo Genshu
Last bottle of the Joy.
Rather tasty, perhaps even improved since last visited.
@rjquillin
I still have one left. I shared some with 4 other people at a DIY sushi night and although the sushi turned out GREAT, no one was impressed with the saké. The assumption was perhaps it was oxidized, but I have very little experience with the beverage.
@kawichris650 @rjquillin
I still have one each of the Saké One Fifty and Joy plus some Momokawas from even further back in the WW days. Saké is an acquired taste that I have not yet acquired.
@chipgreen @kawichris650 @rjquillin oh i know. Steve the president (good guy) just stopped being interested. broke my heart. will try again.
@chipgreen @kawichris650 @rjquillin @Winedavid49 thanks, did not buy back then but def a sake fan.
2015 Briceland Petit Verdot. Delicious! @winedavid49 If Andrew had a good experience, Briceland is one you should bring back
@chefjess I knew Briceland would be a hit here!
1994 Ravenswood Petite Sirah Sonoma County with Flannery strips
2014 Ledge vineyard drive
2020 K-Vine Rose buckshot vineyard
2016 Copain Les Voisins Chardonnay, Anderson Valley
2015 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir, Terra de Promissio Vineyard, Sonoma County
2017 Sandler Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley
Siduri Pinot (mystery…I have no details
…with a variety of empanadas, great friends, and a lovely fire pit.
@karenhynes
A really good night I bet
Nobody’s drinking? What kind of Saturday night is this?
Just opened a 2010 Wellington Zin, Meeks Hilltop Ranch. Haven’t tasted it yet. One more left after this one.
In-laws visiting.
NV Domaine Brazilier Coteaux du Vendômois Brut Methode Traditionnelle
2014 Red Newt Cellars Dry Riesling
Two Garagiste offerings, as it turns out. In-laws grew up around the Finger Lakes and wanted to have something local. That, and it’s delicious.
Absolutely killed it! Fun stuff.
Family visiting – grilled up some delicious bbq chicken and had it with a 2018 Pedroncelli Zinfandel, and when it was gone opened up a 2016 Twisted Oak *%#&@! “Potty Mouth”.
Interesting evening, we’ll see what tomorrow brings.
Found a bottle I think I retrieved from @klezman from a K&L pickup
2002 Three Dog Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
Nice bottle at 19 years with supposedly two more still stored up north.
The kicker was some Flannery custom burger blend 25% Prime Hanger, 25% Wagyu Chuck and 50% dry aged steak, but…
The vacuum pack was compromised and there was some frost and discoloration so I put it in the fridge to thaw out. Had intended to make burgers last week but life and a granddaughter got in the way. Found it in the fridge today covered in a grey mildew/mold. Smelled ok so I knocked it off and grilled up a really well aged burger that tasted damn good.
Hopefully I’ll be around tomorrow, but if I’m not, you know why and that I went out happy. and klez can divvy up my northern stash.
@rjquillin Good luck Ron.
It’s been good to know ya.
@rjquillin A cautionary tale as I just placed my first Flannery order yesterday.
@rjquillin lol, I’m glad you died a happy man.
@CorTot @InFrom
I made it 12+ hours; you’re not rid of me and pulling corks, yet…
Zero issues actually.
@davirom It’s a slippery slope. Hangers?
@CorTot @InFrom @rjquillin A little mycotoxin never hurt anybody…
@InFrom @rjquillin glad to hear it! I’d have to sneak that one past candace, she would never let anything past it’s pull date enter our food supply chain.
@CorTot @rjquillin Yeah, same here, I’m always hearing “don’t eat that!”. Anyway, glad Ron didn’t suffer an ignominious death by chopped meat.
@rjquillin Yes hangers and some pork. We stopped buying commercial pork when the feds turned inspections over to the processors.
@CorTot @InFrom @rjquillin We have a simpler rule - if it looks/smells bad then it’s bad. If it looks/smells good then it’s good!
@CorTot @InFrom @klezman @rjquillin agree, I trust my sniffer 99%!
@bunnymasseuse @CorTot @InFrom @klezman @rjquillin And I thought I was being brave when my Flannery order took 10 days to get here during the crappy weather a few weeks back. Took it like a man and have been eating it up…ha! But I think you win
We got to most of these, missed some, pulled out a few others. First post-vaccine get-together, but not the last.
People particularly liked the Long Point Sangiovese, the Earthquake Zin, the Masi Amarone, a Chappellet Signature Cab (2016) that I added, and the 1997 Vintage Port. The de negoce Merlot, even though I decanted it for several hours, was a disappointment. We didn’t get to the Faust, so I gave it to a self-described Cab drinker to try at a later date. We had a couple of non red drinkers, one had Moscato and another had a Pinot Grigio. Lots of good food was had, including deserts with the Port.
@FritzCat nice job! Good to see get together coming back.
@FritzCat Nicely done!
@FritzCat
Almost looking “normal” again.
Burgers for them, Morgan waygu strip loin for me!
@hscottk Doesn’t matter who “them” is, that’s a sweet deal!
Shared my last (of 3) 2005 WineSmith Faux Chablis with my wife, and daughter and her boyfriend who were traveling through (with a shrimp 2-ways dinner – scampi and boiled). A wonderful evening.
Two Garagiste bottles the other night, now two bottle from here:
2017 Pedroncelli Dry Rosé of Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley
2018 Stolpman Syrah
With smoked ribs.
2013 Sky Vineyards Zinfandel Mt. Veeder
Hell of a deal from K&L for $20. Old school.
@klezman
have not bought zin in a while! Hope the hype is real?
Yes! Bought some and the 14
@ScottW58 I mean, it’s 7 years old, fresh as a daisy, and a nice combination of the older school balanced style but with the heft that comes from mountain fruit. I’m a fan, and will probably do a bottle every 2 years from here on out to see what happens.
@klezman
Sounds great, hopefully I will think so too…sadly I read they lost the entire vineyard to the fires?
@klezman @ScottW58
Is there some reason others aren’t alerted, or did I just miss it?
2008 Roessler Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard
Last night with best friends and Flannery hangers.
@rc70
mmm, how’s that '07 doing?
'13 Groth, young?
@rjquillin
The 07 Virage is in a great place, for me one of the best bottles I’ve drank in the last year.
The Groth is young but a several hour decant and it was very good, old school style. Expect my next one in 4 or 5 years to be better.
@rc70 @rjquillin
but I do have a bunch of the 12’s and they are almost as good imho.
Man I loved that 07 and drank through a couple of cases! Wish I had more
Found this in the cellar and tried it with some smoked ribs, woof hard dry and tannic! And very little fruit. Will leave the rest in the decanter and try tomorrow but don’t have much hope.
@ScottW58
CT says 22 to 28 fwiw, making a note to try my 1 bottle in a few years. Maybe time will be my friend.
Not what I want to hear
@rc70
Well after 24 hours in the decanter fruit is starting to show through but the tannins are still rough. So i’m guessing wait a few or 5 years.
Finished off Ion rose, finished off 2019 Natura Chardonnay from Chile from
Emiliana
Opened this and right into the decanter. Initial impressions are positive.
2017 Shiba Wichern Pinot Noir Lewman
@klezman would love to hear any additional thoughts. Just got my shipment on Monday.
@hscottk It’s good stuff. Definitely benefited from air. Opened it and poured right into a decanter and gave it a big slosh around. Red fruit, fairly earthy but not funky, and tastes like they got some stems in there in a good way. I only opened one this young because I bought four of them. They’re good now with air (somewhat closed without) but it’s nowhere near sappy or too young-tasting otherwise. Should age for quite a long time.
@klezman Great to hear, thanks. I also have the WV cuvee and nuestro sueño. Will probably hold the lewman for a while.
/giphy 2010 Wellington Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Handal-Denier
@catcoland The weeks, days just endlessly fly by and I seem unable to know when/where I am.
An already opened bottle of
2013 Wellington Vineyards Marsanne
With roasted chicken and polenta. Damn I love these, and for miles who asked what they are like this bottle is red fruit mostly, graphite, tannin, acid structure for days. A Corison made by a man
@ScottW58 You make me want to order more of these even before trying one!
@hscottk @ScottW58
Order more, you will not regret. Saunter is excellent juice and at the sale price it is great QPR
@rc70 @ScottW58 I’m going to Coravin (almost wrote Corison Lol) a 14 ESV tonight and then pull the trigger. Any thoughts on Redhead Vineyard? Or should I go all 14 ESV?
@hscottk @rc70
I have a few but have not tried them yet? Probably can’t go wrong either way?
@hscottk @rc70 @ScottW58 So who’s going to pop the single clone Redhead Vineyard and report back? You’re not helping me here with the Corison comparisons!
@hscottk @klezman @rc70
Trying one of my Redhead’s is a great idea but finding one is a whole different problem ugh. I think I know which cooler they are in but they are buried deep and it would require a lot of digging
@hscottk @klezman @rc70 @ScottW58
Sorry of my life, excepting
@klezman @rc70 @rjquillin @ScottW58 Drank a glass of 14 ESV. Very nice wine. More oak and less floral than Corison, but well integrated. Popped a 2018 deNegoce #44 Rutherford cab for comparison. Definitely outperformed the 44. Went with additional 14 ESVs and a couple of ‘16 redheads.
@hscottk @klezman @rc70 @rjquillin
very common it some great Bordeaux wines. Just took delivery of 4 more and a couple of red heads today.
To me I got graphite not oak but because graphite really has no smell it’s another way of saying wood
@hscottk @rc70 @rjquillin @ScottW58 Anybody try their Sauv Blanc?
The shipping is killer for < 6 bottles, too, so if anybody wants to help out, let me know.
@hscottk @klezman @rc70 @rjquillin
Have not tried those
@hscottk @rc70 @rjquillin @ScottW58 Got a 6-pack of ESV and Sauv Blanc. Hope I like them!
This is in a great place, wonderful bottle.
After 2.5 years since the prior bottle: 2012 Wellington Vineyards Grenache Estate
2010 WineSmith Cabernet Franc
@Mark_L how was?
@bunnymasseuse Quite good (and still plenty of time left). I specifically got it out because I thought half the bottle would be left and I wouldn’t be returning to it for 4-5 days – in such a case Clark’s wines are the obvious choice! But at the last minute we ended up inviting a friend over for dinner and the bottle got finished (so it never really got as much air as I would have wanted).
The last straggler of my BD purchases, I had to have it held a bit. Well worth the wait. My photo doesn’t show that it’s the 2015 vintage. A real BD find.
2017 Larkmead Firebelle
(70/30 Merlot/Cab Sauv)
with my date…
and dinner…
@karenhynes miss you on the Clark wine zoom!!
and dessert…
@bunnymasseuse
I was absent last week, too! Had dinner with some friends in from Sonoma last week and a a local place across the street tonight…trying to be a bit more social. Don’t tell the authorities!!!
@karenhynes
Thats a hell of a night! Good for you!
@bunnymasseuse @karenhynes
Friday night is date night but one of these weeks I will make it…
@karenhynes It’s about time…
2018 Duckhorn Vineyards Decoy Red w/filet mignon w/bernaise sauce, field greens salad, sauerkraut balls and chocolate covered angel food cake a la mode.
2015 Qupe Syrah linguist
Gave one of these a try with pork chops and green stuff.
@ScottW58 What’d you think?
@klezman
It seems well made and restrained good fruit but for whatever reasons I just have not been enjoying any zins for awhile now?
@ScottW58 And you’re the one who put me on to Bedrock and Once+Future!
@klezman
a palate is a fickle thing.
Well in bedrocks defense most of the one’s I have the heritage wines are about 50% field blends, but yeah
2004 Gazzi Pinot Noir Estate (1L)
2011 Château Suduiraut Lions de Suduiraut (375)
2013 Scherrer Pinot Noir, enjoyed with sockeye salmon, sweet potato and asparagus.
Last night Scott Harvey mountain Barbera… tonight Gruet brut
2017 Empire Estate Dry Riesling
NV Egrot et Filles Champagne
With medallions of pork (my Flannery order arrived!) in cream sauce, mashed potatoes, and roasted asparagus
@davirom It all looks/sounds good.
How was it?
@rjquillin The pork medallions were excellent, it is a Julia Child recipe, very easy to make by her standards. The wine was also excellent, good minerality, a hint of vanilla, and my wife got peach, though I didn’t. After the Judgement at Paris, I thought of Chateau Montelena chard as a reference point and this was my first experience with it.
Heater Allen beers were at the pizza place, so I got a mixed four pack.
Heater Allen Pils was the first go.
2013 Noceto zin, OGP vineyard
2014 Denier-Handel family blend with burgers
2012 Two Jakes of Diamonds Cabernet Sauvignon – visiting my daughter and son-in-law and thought I’d give it a try with the beef tenderloin he is cooking.
@CorTot what might this be?
@CorTot @msten Is that the rosè? Looks very white to me. I have a case en route. How is it?
@CorTot @msten Do they make a Grenache blanc?
@hscottk @msten Isa is their rose.
@klezman @msten agreed. My case of Isa should arrive this week. maybe it’s the light but it looked more white than pink. @cortot does it look like a rosé?
@hscottk @klezman @msten yes its a light pink/copper, think less extracted more acid driven. It was delicious, probably better than the last couple of releases which I also really liked.
@CorTot @klezman @msten thanks for the note. Excited to try it.
1995 York Creek Vineyards Meritage
with Morgan Ranch Wagyu from BD
2011 Pedroncelli Zinfandel Bushnell Vineyard Dry Creek Valley
With some chicken sausages. The wine is excellent - dark fruited goodness with plenty of complexity. This is why I love wines at around 10 years old.
2017 Fine Disregard Wine Co Sémillon Napa Valley
@msten
How is this?
@ScottW58 Nice. Lemon nose, palate and finish. Some floral aromas. Pleasant acidity with some creamy mouthfeel. Paired nicely with brats and a mustard glaze. Second Fine Disregard from BD shopping spree.
@msten
Thanks! Heard good things about these.
@msten rechecked bottle, it was 2016 Oak Knoll Milhouse / Napa.
@rc70
I think I have had one vintage of that and it was fantastic, also dig the bird motif in the background
@ScottW58
My two main hobbies, wine drinking & wildlife photography. The wine was damn good!
2011 The Crusher Pinot Noir Rosé Merwin Vineyard
@rjquillin ok then… did it hold up?
@Winedavid49 Unfortunately, this wasn’t the
2011 The Crusher Big Orange Wilson Vineyard
offered in '13 (I do still have one), but something from World Market I had hoped would be interesting. Drinkable, but well past prime.
Old WL buy and really good with Flannery burgers.
2017 e11even Wines Pinot Noir Rio Vista Vineyard
1999 York Creek Meritage
@radiolysis that one didn’t show up down here.
How was it?
@rjquillin really great. It absolutely didn’t taste 21 years old. No bricking, no nuttiness, just clean and fruity. More amazing since it was a 375mL from a discount grocer.
It’s Wellington Wednesday!
I’m on antibiotics though (due to wisdom tooth removal) so no wine for me unfortunately.
Rosé weather has hit the northeast! 2019 Pedroncelli.
Last night first time in a restaurant in over a year yay! A big boy and a big boy Rhys
With crab cakes Arcadian 2006 Pinot, life could be a lot worse!
@rc70
I have a few of the Den Hoed from a garagiste mystery, have not tried one yet how is that one?
@ScottW58
Garagiste mystery purchase, good QPR . Went well with Flannery hangers with a spicy dry rub. I’d say it’s in a very good place now and for the next 2 maybe 3 years before fading.
2007 Haywood Cabernet franc, Los Chamizal vineyard. Old site purchase ages ago.
With Flannery hanger steaks
Not a great steak wine, unfortunately
@klezman
At least the steak was great.
@kawichris650 wine is delicious too, just not a great pairing.
Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
2017 (I think it’s 2016 1/2)
I’ve heard it called a Baby Grange because they age it in old Grange Barrels.
Very good. Lot’s of crud in the bottom.
This was night 2, both nights were equally good.
2013 Wellington zin estate. My last Welly zin. Nicely done, PW.
WineSmith Norton…can’t recall the vintage. Will look next time I re-fill.
@karenhynes
2017
This came from underground cellars, never knew I wanted this yet here it is!
@CorTot
Damn all I got was a lame sticker that said I voted
@CorTot
I spent more than I wanted to in an effort to score some of those. I did eventually end up with 3.
How is the wine?
@chipgreen better than I thought it would be. A bit on the generic side though. Nothing real exciting but still a solid bottle.