The Official Wine Thread

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by gomestar

hai guiz, I just have to make my 4,000th poast here. Now off to the dolphin threak.
lol @ 4,000. Post moar noob. You have to catch up to me by Jan 1.

 

[Mark from Plano]

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

I was happy with the wine in a vacuum. Meaning, in a blind tasting, or not seeing/thinking about the price tag, it was a good wine. Great flavors, surprising but pleasant mouthfeel, and a long finish considering how light it felt in the mouth. I think 07 was a decent year for them. The only disappointment was the QPR, which in my current situation would keep me from buying it again. If I had had it at $35-45, I'd probably be telling everybody I ever met to go buy a case.

I don't disagree. Three of the four bottles I have left I only paid about $50 for. I like those bottles better.

 

[gomestar]

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

lol @ 4,000. Post moar noob. You have to catch up to me by Jan 1.

I do 80% of my poasting in this very thread, so drink moar wine and I will leave moar comments.

 

[Piobaire]

2007 d'Arenberg The Laughing Magpie Shiraz-Viognier

It's okay. Typical Oz extracted Shiraz with a little tannins.

 

[gomestar]

I'm lowering my wine consumption temporarily until the end of the month for London. Until then, guiz, recommend me a bottle from here: http://www.bbr.com/ No budget necessarily, but keep it sensible. What would you try?

 

[audiophilia]

Originally Posted by Mark from Plano

Sad you didn't like the Relentless. I think its a really yummy wine in certain contexts (perhaps that's part of your objection). I do agree that it's a pretty bad QPR at $70+ though. I've had my bottles for a few years so the price pain has subsided a bit I guess. I'm relishing opening one up again soon. I'd say that the two I've had in the last few months were among my top 10 wine experiences in that time.

NOTE: Checking my Cellartracker, the bottles I have are all 2005's so perhaps that's part of the difference.

EDIT: Quick review of the ratings...mostly about the same although Parker liked the '05 better (93 vs. 91) and Wine Spectator like it a lot better (87 vs. 92). IWC is the same (90) and CT ratings are the same (92). Take that for what it's worth.

I found the same thing. Mine was an '05 and loved it. Maybe it was the '04, specific taste, or just a duff bottle. Not corked, just meh! Whichever, for $70 bucks, it should be so enjoyable.

 

[audiophilia]

This was interesting. Lots of manure, smoke, leather, spice and tabacco on the nose, but very pleasurably so. Fruit was a little light on the midpalate and tannins suggested an early drinker. Not the best Vacqueyras I've had, but very interesting. $18 After ten different Vacqueyras', the appellation is still batting 100%. Seven Gigondas', too. Great consistency. You listening, Burg!? With Jamón Serrano in honour of the world champions, fig compote, brie and Oka cheese. A couple of French Martinis to start.

 

[LA Guy]

Drinking a glass of Anatomy No. 1 2007 by Hesperian right now. Napa Valley Cab. Medium body. Dark fruit and a bit of coffee. Smooth. Slight lingering. Okay. Goodnight all.

 

[Ricardo Malocchio]

I'm not familiar with the pricier end of the domestic Cabernet Sauv selections, but I notice that these guys tend to get drunk young. At least around here. Are the youthful qualities of these wines - the freshness of the fruit, the intensity of the tannic-y perfume, other aspects(?) - simply part of the appeal?

I would balk at paying such prices for any wines save Barolos, Barbarescos, Burgundies, some Brunellos, certain Riojas. Of those, most of these are of recent vintage - usually new releases - and I don't intend to touch them for years. Perhaps decades, though I haven't been collecting quite long enough to say. I like to buy 2-3 bttls at a time to taste along the way, but I understand going in that these wines will be overbearing, unbalanced, closed down in the nearterm. At the least, they're lacking in all those secondary and tertiary tastes and aromas that only come with age. In short, they really kinda suck in their youth.

I guess what I'm getting at is the question of whether bigtime Cali Cabs are better youthful drinkers, even preferable to some in their youth? Does this explain their popularity with some over the wines I tend to prefer which, admittedly, can be just awful young?

 

[tattersall]

Originally Posted by gomestar

I'm lowering my wine consumption temporarily until the end of the month for London. Until then, guiz, recommend me a bottle from here:
http://www.bbr.com/

No budget necessarily, but keep it sensible. What would you try?

For drinking there or bringing back? I'd probably drop it on a 2000 Leoville La Cases or a Cos d'Estournel from the same vintage. Infanticide to some, but with those choices I don't think I could resist...

 

[gomestar]

Originally Posted by tattersall

For drinking there or bringing back? I'd probably drop it on a 2000 Leoville La Cases or a Cos d'Estournel from the same vintage. Infanticide to some, but with those choices I don't think I could resist...

drinking there. And indeed I'd be (rightly) butchered for the too young Bordeaux wines, those are babies.

 

[james_timothy]

^I'm waiting for someone to go have a go a photo-shop and create a wine cradle-robbing gif. Presumably it would involve a bear.

This weekend I was drinking a Chateau Lanessan 2005; yesterday it was a Chappellet Mountain Cuvee 2007. The latter is a Napa Valley wine that is getting glowing reviews, the former is a Haut Medoc property just south of St Julien that barely gets reviews.

I'm shocked at how much better I like the Lanessan. In comparison it was light and flightly, the Chappellet furry and solid, almost plodding. The Lanessan aimed high and more or less hit the mark while the Chappellet aimed to be enjoyed sub-rosa with steak while on a date.

I was really rooting for the Chappellet- I thought I'd like them both, and as Bordeaux blends and both at south of $25, they seemed eminently comparable.

 

[Cary Grant]

Originally Posted by gomestar

I'm lowering my wine consumption temporarily until the end of the month for London. Until then, guiz, recommend me a bottle from here:
http://www.bbr.com/

No budget necessarily, but keep it sensible. What would you try?

I was gonna suggest that 95 Sperss Gaja... then saw it was a Jeroboam.

I'd give this a go.

There's an older Tignanello as well... never had but interested in the cab/sangio blend.

 

[Wallcloud]

Going to get a dryer gewurtztraminer to pair with some prok confit that is heavy on cinnamon, allspice and clove. Any recs?

 

[tattersall]

Originally Posted by Wallcloud

Going to get a dryer gewurtztraminer to pair with some prok confit that is heavy on cinnamon, allspice and clove. Any recs?

What price range?
From Alsace I like Zind-Humbrecht and Weinbach.
Bott Geyl, Hugel and Trimbach are all reliable as well and are pretty reasonably priced.