Wine recs

[drizzt3117]

2001 or 2002 Neal Family Cabernet

Best value among Cali Cabs, this stuff is just great, fruity, tasty, powerful, with decent acidity, potent, complex, this is one of the best cali cabs out there. Both vintages are great, you can get these for under $50 at 2020wines.com.

2002 Pride Cabernet Sauvignon

What can you say about this one, as good as most bordeaux that I've tasted, potent, powerful, could sit for several years, but is nice to drink now. Lots of fruit, but smooth as silk. The Cabernet franc is great too, a bit less kick but fruitier and goes down like water, can't even taste the 15+% alcohol.

Couple other good ones:

2003 Schloss Schonborn Beernauslese
2002 Neal Family Zinfandel

 

[kabert]

The Pride is great stuff. Just cannot go wrong. If you like Pride, you might want to seek out Switchback Ridge wines as Bob Foley is the winemaker for both. SW's petite sirah is out of this world. Paloma is another "sure thing" winery on Spring Mountain. You might recall the 2002 (or 2001?) Paloma merlot was the Wine Spectator wine of the year a year or two ago.

 

[drizzt3117]

yeah, it's tough to get switchback right now, or paloma unfortunately. Have you tried the Neal?

Lately I've been really into dessert wines, Beernausleses, TBAs, Sauternes, and Tokaji, great stuff.

Another good one is Casa Lapostoele Clos Apalta (from Chile)

 

[kabert]

I haven't had the Neal but I'll keep an eye out for it. Switchback Ridge cab and PS are carried in tiny quantities by my local Dean & Deluca. I'm fortunate to be on the wine manager's list of people to call when it comes in so as to get a few bottles. Paloma is more readily available here in DC -- the merlot anyway. The Paloma cab and syrah seem to be mailing list only. Have you taken the mailing list "plunge" yet?

 

[drizzt3117]

I'm on the neal and pride mailing lists, and on the waiting list for Paloma, Switchback, and a few others...

I would recommend getting Neal from 2020wines.com if they ship to where you are...

 

[drizzt3117]

Wine Spectator gave 2001 and 2002 Neal a 91, people on the wine spectator forums are pissed, they think it should have gotten 94+

 

[drizzt3117]

2002 Neal Zinfandel:

Ok, well I decided to crack open one of these to drink with my steaks tonight, I barbecued 43 oz of filet mignon and loaded up on some Zin, to my surprise, it was strong enough to stand up to the filet with no problem. Nose was great, lots of fruit, tastes of blueberries, a bit of cherry, and loads of other fruits, a bit of pepper, and smooth as silk. Cab like, but much smoother. Highly recommend.

 

[johnapril]

Does anyone know the difference between a wine rated 32 and a wine rated 42?

 

[johnw86]

10 points?

 

[Fabienne]

Does anyone know the difference between a wine rated 32 and a wine rated 42?

Come on, you know full well everybody gets "A".

 

[kabert]

For anyone with more than a casual interest in wine, this forum board -- West Coat Wine Net -- is without parallel IMO. Â http://www.westcoastwine.net/forums/?f=13 The forum on erobertparker.com is excellent too, but requires a paid subscription. Â Wine Lovers Discussions Group forum board is pretty good too.

 

[drizzt3117]

You don't need a paid sub to post on the erobertparker board, I don't subscribe but am a regular poster there.

 

[johnapril]

10 points? Â

I'll give it a try myself: 32 = holy frucking batass, Batman, this stuff's good enough to wash a tailpipe with. 42 = hints of bottle, chicory, and whiteboard smudge

 

[Fabienne]

Quote:

(johnw86 @ Jan. 27 2005,06:04) 10 points? Â

I'll give it a try myself: 32 = holy frucking batass, Batman, this stuff's good enough to wash a tailpipe with. 42 = hints of bottle, chicory, and whiteboard smudge
What I want to know is: where did you find a bottle rated 32 points?

 

[drizzt3117]

32 pts is pretty low... just think about the furor when Laube rated Montelena estate 68 or whatever... 32 is probably like water out of the Charles river or Lake Erie or something.