Viva la Wino!

Christmas Wines

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 22:13:00 +0000

I drank entirely too much over Christmas; these are only the bottles that I managed to get pictures of. Without a doubt, my favorite bottle was the Rioja, which was the recommendation of one of the clerk's at Pete's Wines in Bellevue. Spicy, with sour cherries and great balance. Only $17, which is a bargain. The Morgon was good as well--and number 21 on the Wine Spectator Top 100. Not that that really matters, but it is interesting from a QPR standpoint since it was only $12. Is it better than other Beaujolais from 2009? Well, I would say it isn't the best that I've had but at 12$, it's a great value. Abbot's Table wine from Owen Roe is always reliable, although I don't like it as much as I once did. The Tres Picos is a great value with lots of cloves, and vanilla...let me give you a hint what that means it tastes like: Coca-Cola. But it has enough balance and complexity that at ~15ish bucks most places it is a good value. The Saumur was only $40 on the list at Lark, which was delicious. My Dad was pretty surprised at how light bodied the wine was--I guess he isn't that used to wines from the Loire. What I thought was interesting is the entire rest of Christmas, he kept on requesting a wine like that again. Sometimes it pays to not shop at Costco...just saying. Anyways, there were a lot of other wines that were okay, but too many to count. And Lark was delicious. I will be back there. The pork belly was the shit. So were the duck rilletes.

Sandeman's 30 Year Tawny Port

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:54:00 +0000

I got this wine as a sample. It retails for around $75 or so and comes in a pretty nice wooden box. I can only assume that this is meant for gift giving...We opened this with our neighbors and a couple of friends, and I can report that it was delicious. Full of nutty, raisined flavors with a backbone of plums. Good balance and a persistent finish. The $75 actually isn't as much as it sounds like because if you're like me, a bottle of Port tends to stick around for a couple of weeks. You can only drink so much Port at a time.

Recent Wines

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:16:00 +0000

For 12$ in a magnum? Cheap. Not that bad. Perfect for lots of people.

Pineapples. 6$. Good value.

Not worth the $10, although I guess for mediocre 10$ California Pinot it over-delivers, which isn't saying much.

For 6$ at Costco, this is a better deal. Still this wine kinda sucks.

Definitely worth the 7$. Good value, nice and ripe with a little green streak.

Same deal as the Carmenere.

Eh. Kinda disappointing.

Osteria Mozza is the shit. The Frappato that we had was delicious, as was the food.

I've had about a dozen bottles of this wine, because at 3.99 it's really not that bad.

16$ or so. Had two bottles first was better than the second. Nice savory elements, fair amount of tannin, big and fruity. I don't know that I'd buy another bottle.

L'Oca Ciuca Brunello di Montalcino 2006

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:13:00 +0000

I received this wine as a sample from Wine Chateau. You can buy this wine there for $29.97 at the moment. I haven't had the chance to drink a whole lot of Brunello, probably for the dual reasons of high pricing and the need to let them sit in a cellar for several years. "L'oca ciuca" translates to "the goose's ass" in Italian. This wine was drinking fine, although it did take a while to come out of its shell. Licorice, plums, and some subtle spice notes in the background. There is good balance in this wine, and there are sneaky tannins on the back end. The question for me is whether this wine will get more interesting and complex as it ages, since we clearly drank it at a young age. Not as complex as I had expected, although it was an enjoyable bottle.

Some other Random Stuff I grabbed at Costco

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 18:43:00 +0000

Lemons and not too sweet. Not very yeasty. you'd be hard pressed to find another actual Champagne for $20 that drinks like this. A superb value that demonstrates what Costco does best: best value for money.

Initially, I really wasn't liking this wine too much. It was just too big and wooly. After an hour or two it had come together and was all about the blueberries, herbs and licorice. It's apparent that this is a bigger style of CdP. Came off as a bit hot for me. This isn't really the style of CdP that I really go gaga over--that tends to be the spicy, cherry raspberry style. For $25, I suppose this is okay. I think there are more interesting wines to be had at that price point. For what it's worth, Sarah liked this wine a lot.

Kent Rasmussen Carneros Pinot Noir 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 23:14:00 +0000

This wine was delicious. About $20 at Costco. Elegant and not over the top (IE this didn't taste like Syrah), with fully resolved red fruits, little bits of spice, vanilla and orange rind. I am definitely getting another bottle of this while they have it.

This wine was not delicious. In fact, it sucked. $7 at Trader Joes. Don't buy it unless you're a masochist.

Pio Cesare Barolo 2004

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 21:22:00 +0000

Infanticide. Shouldn't have opened this when I did. Clearly could age for a lot longer; lots of tannin, great balance. Obviously a pretty great bottle of wine. Modern and leaning towards licorice, spices, and blackberries (as opposed to roses and cherries or something). I wish that I had a couple more bottles of this, but alas, I do not.

I received this as a sample. Should retail for $20. Cooked or heat damaged. Pretty porty, and it's clear that the wine had seeped through the capsule. Would love to try this in an undamaged form.

Domaine Vacheron Sancerre and Lucques

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 22:34:00 +0000

I've been terminally broke for the last year because I paid out of pocket for all my MBA tuition...and had a lot of other expenses too. Thankfully, that's all done with. Sarah and I got some engagement pictures yesterday, and since we were all dressed up, we went to dinner at Lucques, which is one of our favorite restaurants in LA. Obscenely delicious. Suckling pig and whole roasted fish are pretty killer, and of course, so is Suzanne Goin. We also had a delicious Sancerre from Domaine Vacheron that was minerally and citrus with tons of acid. I like this wine and would buy it again. I think that I am officially over New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

Carmenere Concha y Toro 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 22:23:00 +0000

Got this wine for free as a sample. Surprisingly good actually. Suggested retail $20. Seems a little steep I guess, but this is more interesting than your garden variety new world wine. Big and rich, with good balance and just a hint of the green streak Carmenere typically has. Worth a look if you see it and you're in the market for a modern leaning wine.

What I've Been Drinking

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 23:06:00 +0000

Sadly, not as interesting as I had hoped. "Lecinquevigne" means the five vines in Italian (yes, I just new that), which means that this wine was a blend. Kind of makes sense since 04 was legendary. This wine wasn't that great. 25$--cheap for Barolo. Other wines I've had from Damilano have been more pleasing.

The Gigondas was exotic and red curranty or something. The CdP was a CdP. Personally, I liked the 06 the best of the Clos St Michel's that I've recently. The 05 certainly had more grace and acidity than the 07. Drank these with Buddy, Bobby and Sarah with rack of lamb, a spinach salad, and risotto with bacon, butternut squash and sage.

Not as good as the 06, but better than the 07 I think.

Chilean Cabs are at least a good value. Currants.

From TJ's for 8$. Screw-cap. Amusing puns, right? Plus goats. A+ in my book. Actually pretty decent. Peppery and rich. Can you get better for 8$? Yeah, but that might be my rather anti-fruitbomb palate talking.

First wine ever from Canada (although had quite a few wines from Upstate New York). Reminded me of Alsace. Delicious; just a touch of sweetness. Tropical.

Should Pinot Noir Taste Like Coca-Cola?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 19:46:00 +0000

The answer is an emphatic "no!"Truth be told, this wine wasn't all that bad, especially for $9.99. However, it was tiring because it was so sweet, and it was also out of balance to my palate. I think it lacked enough acidity to really balance out all of the super sweet flavors. It had nice cherry, some "tea-ish" flavors, and an attractive licorice note on the back end, but I could not get over the fact that this wine is more or less Coke with alcohol in it. I think it's rather disappointing that this is what wine has come to. Is the average wine drinker really so enamored with that overly sweet sensation of lots of sugar and a child's palate that they have to consume wines like this? I guess it's just an extension of the reasons why American's are a bunch of fat gluttons. We (well, not me personally because I'm just holier than thou enough to not consume soft drinks, but collectively), seem to have a penchant for soft drinks. Isn't Pinot supposed to be about grace and elegance, along with more savory flavors? I guess not...Certainly, this wasn't bad for an everyday drinker, but I'd like to see some more variety Trader Joes. How about mixing it up with an interesting Loire wine? Yeah, I know they won't sell, but I think that there are lots of people just like me that are serious wine drinkers who sometimes purchase bottles from Trader Joes out of convenience but who wish that the wine selections were just a bit more grown up--and if you cater to us, we'll come, and we'll probably spend a whole lot more money on wine at your store. We are not all 16 year olds binging on stolen wine coolers and Schnapps hiding in the hinterlands of our parents liquor cabinets. On the rare occasion something is really good, I often will buy a dozen bottles of that particular wine Trader Joes. I know it's tough, but don't be so fucking lazy stocking wines like this. Regardless, I think the verdict is that even in the $10 and under Pinot Noir category, not all wines should taste like fucking Coca-Cola. Fuck you for being lazy Trader Joes. Grow a pair of balls and get some more interesting shit in there.

In other news, this Prosecco was solid for $12, and less sweet than the last Prosecco that I had. At Costco; worth a look for cheap sparkling wine.

This Chianti was rustic, but for $5 at Trader Joes, not only did it taste like rustic Chianti, but it was actually pretty decent. Would it compare to a more "serious" Chianti? Of course not, but that would be closer to $20, and this had enough acidity to cut through tomato sauce. If I got this in a carafe somewhere in Italy for 5 Euro, I wouldn't be disappointed, and that's good enough for me.

Lastly, this wine was kind of meh to me. At first, I though it might be Chardonnay because of the appley vaguely tropical fruit profile. Alas, it's actually Trebbiano and some other grapes. Whatever, just not particularly interesting and not that great. Didn't have the zing that I expect from Italian whites. I think this falls into the boat of relatively lazy wine-making. $12 at Costco.

"Clos du Chene Vert" Chinon Charles Joguet 2005

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 17:46:00 +0000

I would be remiss to not mention this wine. Interestingly, this wine is divergent from what I expect a Chinon to be--it is much more concentrated and bold than I expected--and yet at the same time, it's an archetypal example. Much more concentrated than the Cuvee Terroir (which is a blend of different vineyards), but still distinctively Chinon. If you hadn't figured it out yet, this is a single vineyard--Le Clos du Chene Vert. $30, and imported by Kermit Lynch (which really means that there was very little chance I wouldn't be into this wine). Initially, fairly funky, with tight, grippy tannins. After a couple of hours, this was all about tart pomegranate, mint, an epic finish tinged with stone and green pepper, and funk of a changing personality (think James Brown to Parliament to the Chili Peppers and then back again--quite the journey). Impeccable balance.Truly a magnificent wine. This is why I drink wine. It's been far too long since I had a bottle like this. I wish I had a couple more bottles. FWIW, The Cabfrancophile really liked this wine too, and found it similarly epic. One last thought: this is the Chinon that I would open for someone that says that they don't like Chinon because it's definitely way bigger than most Chinon. It reminded a lot of some of the Cab Francs that I've had from Washington. Regardless, I don't think you can understand Chinon as an appellation without trying this wine. If you can track this down on a wine list or in a store, it's well worth purchasing.

Chateau de Montfort Demi-Sec Vouvray 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 17:44:00 +0000

Apples and cheese (Or maybe that should be wax or something...whatever, it's attractive. Sarah wasn't really a fan...), $14, young, but delicious and poised. Enough acidity to mostly overcome the relatively sweet nature of this wine.

Vintage Cellars

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 19:38:00 +0000

This is a sponsored post from Vintage Cellars. As everyone knows, a good cellar is a good thing to have.

If you own a luxury car, like a Jaguar or Porsche, chances are you keep it locked and protected when not in use. Most often, especially if you live in a place where the elements can wreak havoc on your vehicles, you keep your precious ride safe and secure inside a sturdy garage. Not only does a garage offer shelter from storms, hail, and bird droppings, it also protects your car from the occasional ding caused by careless drivers using your driveway as a turnaround spot.

Just like your luxury vehicle, your wine collection needs protection, too! Bottles stacked helter-skelter upon bottles throughout an unorganized, less-than-adequate storage basement--lacking proper wine storage racks--is an invitation to disaster. (When glass meets glass, it easily breaks!) What is more, a cellar that is not properly climate-controlled is similar to leaving your car outside in adverse conditions; if your cellar air is too dry, corks will crack, and there go your expensive investments! If a cellar fluctuates between hot and cold erratically, this, too, can damage a wine’s cork, leading to ruined wine.

Thankfully, for collectors as serious about the preservation of their wine as luxury car drivers are about their rides, Vintage Cellars offers custom wine cellar design. Even if you think your basement has a less-than-ideal shape, the craftsmen at Vintage Cellars are adept at making effective cellars in spaces of any shape and size. They’ve even built a custom wine cellar on a yacht! During the course of approximately two months, Vintage Cellars work with you to design a cellar that fits your specifications, and will even suggest appropriate temperature control devices and cooling units, such as Breezaire split systems, Wine Guardian ducted cooling systems, etc. When the plans are finished, a professional contractor will install the racks, and ensure everything is up to code and ready to handle the volume and needs of your personal wine collection.

vintagecellarsonline@gmail.com

Vintage Cellars

904 Rancheros Dr. Suite G.

San Marcos, CA 92069

Doon Buggy Napa Valley Red Blend 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 17:05:00 +0000

My friend suggested that I try this wine from Fresh and Easy. $8 with a screw cap. It's called a red blend, but it's really 92% Syrah and 8% Petit Verdot. Apparently, he can't "sell a Syrah to save [his] life." I was pleasantly surprised with this wine; it's got tons of poise and is delicious in that fruit-forward California way. That probably has a lot to do with his palate. Spices and juicy black fruits along with an almost gamy, bacony note at the end. Good tannic structure and nice balance. I would open this a few minutes before drinking to allow it to open up a bit. Definitely a great deal in an $8 wine--I think this puts a lot of Trader Joe's offerings in the same price point to shame. Although I would note that they blatantly mis-spelled doon. Shouldn't it be dune? Maybe it's a British thing...

Also had this Riesling for $6. Not bad, but by the same token not interesting either. Just kind of meh. Not really enough acidity.

Lastly, we had this Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs from Andre Jacquart. $25 at Costco. Very bready, I guess a touch too sweet for my liking, although still pretty good. I would probably pick something else if I had the choice, although this is well made.

July Wines

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 18:03:00 +0000

My neighbor gave Sarah and I this for Christmas last year. He brought it back directly from the chateau and stored it in his cellar for over 10 years before he gifted it to us. It was pretty awesome, although Sarah didn't like it because it was too sweet for her. 100% Chenin Blanc--and it must have been a pretty big wine, because it had a lot of residual sugar even though the alcohol was 13.5%. Just killer and delicious with great balance, honey, more honey, and then some tangerine thrown in for good measure. Delicious with curried chicken and mango's over rice and some kale that I sauteed with sriracha (which was a killer pairing because of the sugar content). I brought this over for our neighbor to taste--he was pretty into it too--and he gave me a taste of 2001 Gran Reserva Marques du Murrietta Rioja (delicious and spicy), as well as Corrido Extra Anejo Tequila. Awesome tequila, with tons of cream and orange essence. In the morning, I kind of wished that I hadn't had the tequila...

Last night he came over and gave me a taste of the 2008 Evening Land Oregon Pinot Noir that is a joint venture of Dominique Lafon of Burgundy fame. Around 20$ or so and elegant with Pinot funk, great balance, and cinnamon.

We've also had some other wines recently:

You can grab this at Costco right now for $12. It's delicious and juicy with lots of watermelon. Good enough that I purchased a second bottle.

This is 10$ at Costco. A little flabby, but overall, a good value with lots of citrus pith notes.

The ecovino is $9.99 at TJ's for the equivalent of 2 bottles. Sadly, it sucks balls. At least the packaging is cool. I'd stay far away from this.

This is 7$ at TJ's, and I also don't think that it's very good. Perhaps it's because I'm not a fan of overly ripe whites and like more acidic wines? Whatever, if this is your thing, I didn't think it was that bad. Just not that compelling. You can get better whites at TJ for 7$ than this. Tropical with some floral elements and alcohol heat, but nothing to write home about. Just boring. I wouldn't purchase it again.

Graffigna Reserve Malbec 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 16:25:00 +0000

I received this wine as a sample, and then I saw it at Costco in SoCal piled up on a pallet for $9. I think there is a theme--I tend to get cheap wines that are sold at Costco for samples. I guess maybe because people don't talk about buying wine at Costco much, but I do because I'm kind of lazy? This is about what I expect from a sub-$10 Malbec frankly. Deeply fruity, with some barrel notes. Altogether, a good value for fans of the fruit forward style. You might as well purchase this as opposed to something like a crappy California wine at the same price point. It's a solid and reliable value for the price, just nothing too exciting.

I also picked up a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc because, well it's summer. Screw-capped, $10, and "Sauvignon Blancy." That's another way of saying tropical fruit and cat piss, backed up by sharp acids. Good value. I particularly like Villa Maria as a producer. However, I am finding that more and more I am not enamored with the Kiwi Sauvignon Blancs. I prefer the more subtle and less aggressive wines like Sancerre these days.

Lastly, I had to have one non-lazy wine, which happened to be another bottle of Coenobium Rusticum. This is an orange wine, and worth seeking out for its slightly oxidized, salty, tannic expression of humble white grapes from the Lazio region. Made by Cistercean nuns with the input of Paolo Bea. Absurdly good, different, and balanced. Probably not for everyone, but this is one of my favorite geek wines.

"Bricco Ambrogio" Barolo Paolo Scavino 2005

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 18:59:00 +0000

I received this bottle as a sample from Wine Chateau. It was retailing for $37.97, although it's sold out now. It doesn't look like this wine is available anywhere else at the moment, as far as I can tell. This is a more modern style of Barolo, with more upfront fruit, but still definitely Barolo. Plums/berries, licorice, and mineral accents support a nuanced, balanced wine. I drank this with my neighbors; everyone was digging this wine because it was excellent.

We also drank two Burgundies from North Berkeley Imports. Two totally different styles. The more modern wine, Frederic Magnien "La Perriere" Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru 2005, was more modern, with lots of pinot funk and strawberry notes. Really delicious. The other wine that we drank was a Domaine Anne Gros "Les Barreaux" Vosner-Romanee 1999. This wine was almost piney at first, but over the course of the night, developed into a truffly, berry, spicy wine. Also absurdly delicious. We drank all these wines with salmon, some cheese, and some pasta.

I'm pretty lucky to a. get free Barolo, and even luckier to have neighbors willing to share such great wines. I have a sneaking suspicion that both of the Burgundies that we drank are far outside my normal price range. It's not everyday that I get to drink 12 year old Burgundy, right?

Wines from the last week.

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 21:04:00 +0000

Late last week, I roasted a pastured chicken and rubbed it with tons of jerk seasoning (you can see it in the foreground). It was a little spicy, so I opened up this Robert Eymael Riesling that I picked up for $16. Awesome and deliciously poised. Impeccable.

I received this Pinot Grigio as a sample. It was pretty good too. Juicy, with citrus, stone fruit, and mineral overtones.

Lastly, I went up to Seattle for the 4th of July. I bought a bottle of this Owen Roe just because it was the only Owen Roe wine that QFC had. Well made. As amusing as this sounds, instead of drinking the whole bottle of this, my friends and I went and bought some Rainier in cans. I guess we were feeling nostalgic and wanted to be 16 all over again.

Lastly, I drank this wine with my parents after cooking them dinner (roasted cauliflower, pan-roasted chicken thighs, and fingerling potatoes roasted in chicken fat). Felt a little hollow and had a decent amount of tannins. Berries and pepper. Over time, it opened up and became more interesting, but still was a bit of a let down.

More Random Wines

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 17:45:00 +0000

I seem to be getting a lot of samples lately, which is amusing to me, since I more or less have gotten lazy about this site. Oh well...

Both wines are from the importer--Wine Brindis. Not really too sure about the price points on these two wines. I wasn't able to find any benchmark for sale anywhere online either. The Malbec, from Torones del Sur, was well-balanced with cherries and oak tones. The Torrontes was a bit off-putting the first evening, with over the top floral and herbal aromas backed by citrus and pineapple. The second night, the wine had mellowed, with subtle herbal and citrus notes. Juicy, and also well-balanced. Both of these wines were good, but not that exciting. Knowing the price would be good. If these wines were $20, I wouldn't ever buy them. If they were $7 or $8, I think you could consider them a good deal.

I bought this strange Couly-Dutheil wine at Costco for $19. I like the winery a lot, and I found it interesting that they also make a sparkling wine. There are better, more interesting sparkling wines available for around the same price as this wine. Honestly, it was about what I expected. Lemony, with bubbles. Not bad, but not terribly interesting either. I don't think I'll be purchasing another bottle when there are a ton of Cremant de Loire's that drink better for about $5 less.

More Random Wines

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 18:00:00 +0000

Haven't been drinking much lately...but that doesn't mean that I've forgotten about wine. I've been sitting on this CdP for two or three years. Originally, I was planning on having the 05, 06, and 07 all at the same time. Of course, I got derailed when I realized that for that to be a sane plan, I'd need to cook for six people minimum. So anyways, we had bison rib-eyes last night that I rubbed with garam masala; and I thought this would be a good fit. Turned out pretty good. This wine was figgy and delicious.

I had to look up Vire-Clesse to figure out where and what it was. It's in the Macon, so this is value Burgundy. For $10 at Trader Joes, I think you could do worse, although I think other places you could do better. On day two, this was a lot better and more poised. I guess if you're looking for a cheap-ish Chardonnay this would be good bet.

Very floral, with lots of honey and apricoty citrus. Not my favorite overall, but I can see where the appeal lies.

The Wingman Shiraz and Block Chardonnay

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 17:34:00 +0000

This is a public service announcement: Both of these wines suck. Trader Joes has a way with taking really shitty wine and making it look like it might be cool. If anything, it's a fascinating experiment in marketing to the most evolved of chimps...or maybe the least. I suppose it depends on your perspective on the matter. Regardless, you'd do well to stay way the fuck away from these shitty wines, and buy something else instead. Might I recommend the 09 Valreas that TJ's is carrying for $6.99? It's pretty solid for $7.

Chinon...at Costco?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 18:55:00 +0000

In one of my more WTF moments of the last several weeks, I saw, of all things, a Chinon at Costco. Costco has had several wines from Couly-Dutheil in the past, so I guess this is no surprise. At 14$, it's a steal. I guess grab it while you can...or maybe wait until they discount it because it's Chinon, at Costco and not a California Cab? Couly Dutheil's "Baronnie Madeleine" Chinon 2008 is made from the most feminine barrels of wine and only in good years. This wine was pretty feminine and graceful, with a lot of berries. I guess my impression was that it was a touch modern, but it's pretty good and well worth a look. Costco's price is at least 3$ cheaper than K&L or anywhere else.

Also at Costco worth a look is this Barbera from Dezzani. Also a touch modern, but with lots of acidic cherry based fruit. At $9.99, I've already had two bottles in the last week. A pretty damn good deal especially since it manages to avoid the chocolate milk shake aspects of the other Barbera that I've seen at Costco frequently, which is the Briccotondo.

And although the Justin Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 is sold out now, if you see it for $17 or $18 anywhere, it's well worth getting a bottle of. Just when I thought that it wasn't possible to like California wines, I've discovered Justin, which seems to do no wrong in my book.

My last alcoholic epiphany of the last few weeks is that the cider style known as scrumpy? It's pretty fucking good. Awesome, in fact. And from Michigan of all places. Kind of expensive, at 7$ for 750mL, but worth a look at Whole Foods, just for something different. Like apple juice...but with alcohol in it.

More random wines aka I am lazy.

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Mon, 23 May 2011 00:05:00 +0000

Hmm growing tired of tasting notes. But it's still interesting to have a flash of recognition when you have a photo of a wine on hand. In that spirit, here are a couple of wines that I've had recently:

The Dunham Cellars above was pretty rad... I also realized that there are a lot of other wines that I have no pics of...so there goes my fun. Also had a 2004 Mauro Veglio Barolo (drinking really well and getting more complex than the last bottle, La Spinetta Langhe Nebbiolo 2007 (lacking the complexity of Barolo, but drinking pretty well, if a bit modern and undefined in terms of structure), a Gruner from Costco that was a great deal for 13$, a middling Morgon from Trader Joes (in hindsight, maybe it wasn't all bad for only 6$), and my last bottle of 2007 Saint Cosme Sainte-Joseph which was really superb.

"Kobler Family Wineyards" Syrah Pax 2006

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff) — Mon, 16 May 2011 18:54:00 +0000

I've was a fan of Pax for quite a while, despite its price, and had a few bottles of this and that squirreled away. Pax closed down, with Pax the winemaker starting Wind Gap Cellars, and Joe Donelan, the other party, starting Donelan Family Cellars. I have yet to try wines from either of these new ventures; perhaps this is a reflection of a change in my tastes, and perhaps this is also a reflection of a change in my knowledge about wine. I no longer feel like I need to spend a lot of money for a good bottle of wine. That's not to say that I can't and sometimes don't if I want to try something, but by and large, I have a self-imposed $30-ish cap, and I frequently don't even exceed that anymore. Not the case when I purchased this bottle.

This was the last bottle of Pax in my possession. Quite expensive if I remember correctly; somewhere in the $50 range or something like that. No particular reason that I opened this; I kind of had one of those why not moments. I almost opened up a CdP, but decided that this might be a little bit more interesting. Although not as interesting as the Griffin's Lair Syrah that was the last bottle of Pax that I had, this bottle definitely delivered as well. Immediately, this is obvious Syrah. Pepper, bacon, plum and/or blackberry, with a lifted floral background. Good structure, with tannins still obvious and present, but well integrated into the nice structure. Out of curiosity, I looked up tasting notes, because there was something I just couldn't quite place in this wine. Peach. Frankly, ginger peach tea--which makes a lot of sense because of the Viognier in the wine. I'm going to have to check out Wind Gap, because I really like the style and substance of these wines. A little pricey, but this bottle of wine left me a pretty happy dude. If I have one complaint, it's that the bottles are large, heavy, and a waste of resources. I don't think there's much need to have a huge heavy bottle with a really big punt in it. Is there? Does that have any effect on who purchases the wine? I personally don't give a shit, and can't imagine that anyone sane would either. It's another one of those intangibles that just plain don't matter, like color. This wins is awesomely delicious, but it's a B mainly because of the price...I start doing the math on these wines, and it goes something like this: I could have 3 bottles of this cheaper $15 wine, which would make me just as satisfied for the price of this bottle, and that's a better deal.