The Official Wine Thread - Page 2

Correction - "Pikkara"

I see you've edited your response, and added some further comments.

At the time, I just thought it was weird that you would tell someone not to drink the bottle yet, and when they asked for more info, you responded with nothing.

I just need to keep my mouth shut. All of us have different taste profiles, when we like to drink our wines, different expectations, etc.

A neighbor dropped by last night with this in her hand. Didn't get a chance to photograph the bottle so I took this pic from my journal.
It's the 2002 Gran Caus from Can Rafols dels Caus from the DO Penedes of Spain! It's a smokey, toasty tobacco and dark fruity blend of 50% Cab Franc, 25% Cab Sav and 25% Merlot. Each was French Oak aged seperately for 10 months before blending. A first taste I was really taken aback by this pour and I'll have to track a bottle down for myself so that I can decant it to really see what she's got!

I'm a big fan of the California Zins and Italian Primitivos.

For ~$10 a bottle Marietta Old Vine Red (a mainly Zin blend) is awesome. For Primitivos, I've only tried a few...Layer Cake is good, so is Amano, and I just picked up Mommy's Day Off and I'll try that on vacation next week.

I asked the vintage on the RTW out of the expectation that it would be young; most good reds are sold young. I would give it some time also, but this is an occasion, and sometimes that overrules. Decant though.

Both of those look just fabulous! I mean who can pass up jammy goodness

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who resorts to his vinturi in times of need

if still possible, I'd take "red" out of the title. I've been going on a Italian white extravaganza lately and these must be mentioned. Also, grower champagne, single-vineyard white burgundy, the best German Riesling, Sauternes - epic whites that anybody interested in wine would be doing themselves a disservice by missing.



On topic, this weekend I had a 2000 Grand-Puy-Lacoste, my second 2000 GPL in the past 2 months. It has that unmistakable aged Bordeaux hint coming in nicely, and is quite approachable now. Can't wait to try it in another 5, 15, 25 years.

And the store near my has a handful of bottles of 2000 Leroy AOC Burgundy (full grower, mind you) and I may jump on a bottle or two.

for Burgundy, this can be sort of tricky. The prices can inch very high for great wines, it is unfortunate. You could always checking out something like a Latour Chambole-Musigny, or I suggest looking for some wines from the village of Santennay. Ask the 'experts' at your store for some producer suggestions for Santennay, names are drawing a blank for me right now.

I might get this wrong (and I don't feel like googling anything right now), but Santennay is a village just south of the Cote de Bone (sp?) in Burgundy. They make some really solid wines that are much friendlier in price than its northern neighbor or the Cote de Nuits. The best from Santennay will never be confused with something like a Clos Veugot, but they make excellent value plays in the sub-$50 red Burgundy category.