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What are you drinking right now?

PandArts

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Originally Posted by NakedYoga
PandArts, I dig that you're into Spanish and South American wines. In my limited experience, those are the ones that I seem to enjoy the most, although I also love chianti (sadly, it's the only Italian I find myself coming back to). Since, judging by your frequent posts on this thread, you drink a lot of wine (and I mean that in a good way), what Spanish and South American, specifically Chilean, wines would you recommend in the range of $15 or less? I don't really have a developed taste, although I lean towards stronger flavors as opposed to mild.

LOL, Yeah I love my Vinho!
snork[1].gif


Wow! Where to start...
For Chilean wines Chonos Carmenere (I guess these guys bottle upon request and have run out of bottles
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according to Candy, the wine buyer where I get my wine)is really nice bottle and the Apaltagua Cab Sav is really nice and both are under $15

For Argentina I love Luigi Bosca Reserva Malbec, in particular the 2005! If your really adventurous in your flavours try the Rodolfo Tannat! This is a very masculine wine with strong notes of roated red mean up front with dark fruits in the background. Let it sit over night and those roles reverse and it becomes a very bold and chewy wine!

And I have to rave about the P 15 Picada from Patagonia! The grapes in this wine had to stuggle through some really harsh climate conditions to produce about 10,000 kg/ha (which I was instructed by Candy as a pretty low yield) so they are bursting with string berry flavours, warm chewy tannins and lovely minerality. And this was under $15 as well!
 

Jbreen1

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Originally Posted by NakedYoga
PandArts, I dig that you're into Spanish and South American wines. In my limited experience, those are the ones that I seem to enjoy the most, although I also love chianti (sadly, it's the only Italian I find myself coming back to). Since, judging by your frequent posts on this thread, you drink a lot of wine (and I mean that in a good way), what Spanish and South American, specifically Chilean, wines would you recommend in the range of $15 or less? I don't really have a developed taste, although I lean towards stronger flavors as opposed to mild.

Sorry to butt in on your discussion but I have a pretty extensive knowledge of Spanish and South American wines. You should check out Bodegas Castano Monastrell. The 2007 got a 90 from Robert Parker and its 12-13 bucks.
 

PandArts

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Originally Posted by Jbreen1
Sorry to butt in on your discussion but I have a pretty extensive knowledge of Spanish and South American wines. You should check out Bodegas Castano Monastrell. The 2007 got a 90 from Robert Parker and its 12-13 bucks.


HAHA The more the merrier! Thanks for the tip...I will be sure to check that out as I love a good Monastrell!
 

Piobaire

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Sort of not a WAYDRN post, but question from the last several posts:

What's the single best South American wine you've ever had? Mine would be a recent bottle of the 2005 Don Melchor CS. Think it was cranking down 95+ from the writers.

Edit: Here's the CT link to it. Checking, I have 3 bottles laid down
smile.gif


http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=484854
 

gomestar

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since others have brought up the desire to travel to Tuscany, I'll share a few shots I took this past fall in the Chianti Classico region:







 

PandArts

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Had friends over for chicken fajitas last night and they brought this:

Very nice round cab with lots of bright red fruits with just a hint of oak and spice!
girls-in-the-vineyard.jpg


Gomestar great pics! *sigh* I want to go!

Pio So far this is my favourite S. American vino:

2005 Luigi Bosca Reserva Malbec. It recieved 91 from WS and WE

luigi-bosca_2004.jpg
 

gomestar

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PandArts - you should pick up some glasses that'll help out with the nose on wines. The one in that first picture will suck the life out of a bouquet, and the second one is suitable but I've always found those to be too shallow to really pick apart the nose. Look for something deeper and much narrower at the top.

Believe it or not, I've had really good luck with the standard glasses from Pier 1, $2.50 each. I'm loading up and buying 20 for the new apartment (they have ones for red and ones for white). You'd be amazed at how much a proper glass can really help out a wine.
 

PandArts

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Originally Posted by gomestar
PandArts - you should pick up some glasses that'll help out with the nose on wines. The one in that first picture will suck the life out of a bouquet, and the second one is suitable but I've always found those to be too shallow to really pick apart the nose. Look for something deeper and much narrower at the top.

Believe it or not, I've had really good luck with the standard glasses from Pier 1, $2.50 each. I'm loading up and buying 20 for the new apartment (they have ones for red and ones for white). You'd be amazed at how much a proper glass can really help out a wine.



Yeah I know! I've been on the hunt for some nice tasting glasses and it's funny that you mentioned Pier 1 as I was just in there the other day. I know someone who works a Crate & Barrel who can get my a nice 40% discount so I'm heading there in the next week or two!
 

gomestar

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Originally Posted by PandArts
Yeah I know! I've been on the hunt for some nice tasting glasses and it's funny that you mentioned Pier 1 as I was just in there the other day. I know someone who works a Crate & Barrel who can get my a nice 40% discount so I'm heading there in the next week or two!

rock that discount for sure! Also, buy a decanter. It doesn't have to be a "legit" $50-60 affair, I just use a big glass water pitcher that was $12 (also Pier 1). I've gotten in the habit of decanting pretty much every red I drink for at least and hour or two. For nicer wines, I usually let them sit out overnight or the full day while I'm at work. I don't know why so many people don't bother with decanding, it can add so much life to a bottle of wine.
 

PandArts

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Originally Posted by gomestar
rock that discount for sure! Also, buy a decanter. It doesn't have to be a "legit" $50-60 affair, I just use a big glass water pitcher that was $12 (also Pier 1). I've gotten in the habit of decanting pretty much every red I drink for at least and hour or two. For nicer wines, I usually let them sit out overnight or the full day while I'm at work. I don't know why so many people don't bother with decanding, it can add so much life to a bottle of wine.

Yeah learning the art of decating is my next step.
teacha.gif
 

gomestar

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Originally Posted by PandArts
Yeah learning the art of decating is my next step.
teacha.gif


I'll teach you. Step 1: pour. Step 2: drink. If somebody is making it out to be more complicated than that, its BS. I decant the reds just to get a little oxygen in them as well all tend to drink wines too young anyways and the oxygen can really open a wine up.

I don't think there should be a guideline to follow for decanting, its not like "this wine will be best with 7-9 hours of decanting, but this needs 12 hours, etc." Like I mentioned, if I have a really big and tannic wine, I'll just leave it over night or all day, but for most basic reds an hour or two will be enough. You aren't going to harm a wine by decanting it "too much", unless you leave it in the sun or something. Lord knows I've poured a basic Dolcetto and by drinking time I've been in a beer mood - so I've just let it sit there for a day or two, haha.
 

PandArts

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Originally Posted by gomestar
I'll teach you. Step 1: pour. Step 2: drink. If somebody is making it out to be more complicated than that, its BS. I decant the reds just to get a little oxygen in them as well all tend to drink wines too young anyways and the oxygen can really open a wine up.

I don't think there should be a guideline to follow for decanting, its not like "this wine will be best with 7-9 hours of decanting, but this needs 12 hours, etc." Like I mentioned, if I have a really big and tannic wine, I'll just leave it over night or all day, but for most basic reds an hour or two will be enough. You aren't going to harm a wine by decanting it "too much", unless you leave it in the sun or something. Lord knows I've poured a basic Dolcetto and by drinking time I've been in a beer mood - so I've just let it sit there for a day or two, haha.


Yeah I guess I always thought there was more to it then that! I was given a Vinturi aerator, which I use to pour my first glass to create surface area to allow the wine to breathe in bottle while I enjoy it right away
tounge.gif
It's a niffty little gadget, not one I would have bought on my own but perfect as a gift and it seems to do the trick...not a replacement for proper aeration but good enough to make the first glass just a bit better than if it came straight from the bottle.

I've always been afraid to leave a wine overnight...fearing that it will "cook" or oxydize and taste like s**t. But that fear has waned a bit after leaving the Rodolfo Tannat, which huge tannic wine and almost needs and overnight decanting to make it approachable.

Cheers for the guidence and tips...man I love this journey!
 

gomestar

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nah, go ahead and leave it overnight. You'll be fine with 99% of reds. It'll cook if you leave it on top of your fridge or something and oxydizing happens in the bottle, not in the glass. Or, what I have done, decant it overnight and then return it to the bottle and let it return to cellar temperature.

For the light and fruity reds, there is really no need to decant for 12-24 hours, but you wont be ruining it. Try it out for a few bottles, taste upon opening, leave it for 12 hours and taste it again.
 

Piobaire

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Decanting is just one of "those" issues. There has been prior talk of it here, and I remember I posted some links to technical papers on the issue.

As has been said, I will decant if I think the wine is a bit young, a bit not yet integrated, or has heavy tannins. I'll also decant just for sediment, as in an aged port, or young reds that were unfined and unfiltered.

Decanting a young, fruity red for hours, like say a Zin, is really wrong, IMO. Just my opinion on that, but as one that's quaffed many a Turley, it does come with some prior experience.
smile.gif


For overnighting stuff, spend $20 on one of those things that pumps air out of the bottle, with the re-usable, valved cork. They were just fine for an overnight sit.
 

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