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.
@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.
@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.
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.
@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