mostly wine stuff

[JCF]

If it was in a box and was as good it wouldn’t bother me a bit.

 

[Swede]

Even more rare than a good vin de table discovery is an unheralded wine that you take a chance on, at a good price, that turns out to be just at its perfect moment of ripeness. Like two ships passing in the night, I was reluctant to buy this at $38, but 2012 was a good year for Rioja and sometimes you roll the dice..... Amazingly balanced with the depth and character that a good wine has when all its elements hit their peak. I went back and bought all that was left on the shelf.
View attachment 198480

Spanish wines a great buy atm. Under appreciated outside Spain.

 

[Swede]

If it was in a box and was as good it wouldn’t bother me a bit.

Absolutely. BTW, is that a short wheelbase I see in your avatar?

 

[Mendieta]

Burgundy bottle around a Rioja wine.

Is that even legal?

 

[cantunamunch]

Is that even legal?

I'm just thankful they're not doing whack-dimension 'art' or 'heritage' bottles like the Slovenians, Portuguese and Italians.

Oh and wine in square olive oil bottles? Please just NO.

 

[JCF]

Absolutely. BTW, is that a short wheelbase I see in your avatar?

Yes it is. '67 911

 

[Swede]

Have had newer ones, a 1984 3.2 Carrera and a 1990 Carrera 2. My neighbor when I lived in the US had a short wheel base. Can’t recall what year but a similar color to yours IIRC. They’re like kids. You can’t really understand until you’ve had one of your own.

 

[JCF]

Have had newer ones, a 1984 3.2 Carrera and a 1990 Carrera 2. My neighbor when I lived in the US had a short wheel base. Can’t recall what year but a similar color to yours IIRC. They’re like kids. You can’t really understand until you’ve had one of your own.

And like kids, every one is different, and special (just don't brake hard mid turn unless you mean it)

 

[Mendieta]

This is avery unique wine: from the Republic of Georgia, gifted by a friend who was born there. Solid guy.

The wine is now 8 years old, and boy, is it sweet for a "semi-sweet". It is drinking more interesting today, 2 days after opening, and having spent one night uncorked on the counter . The ret corked in the fridge with inert gas. Anyways, super interesting. Thank you, Irakli!

 

[Tony S]

On a rainy Monday afternoon @Wending and I spent a luxurious 90 minutes at St. Innocent in the Willamette Valley. We were the only visitors and got several extra pours and generally just the right amount of attention. This visit only confirmed my attraction to these gorgeous, balanced, nuanced wines. Strangely, their flagship Pinot, the Shea, was showing the least well. But all four of the 2018s we tasted were very very good. The Freedom Hill was classic, structured, very Côte de Nuits. The Temperance and Momtazi were my favorites. The Temperance was just scrumptious and perfectly proportioned. The Momtazi was a fascinating shape shifter.

The bubblies were nice. I actually liked their Cremant best, based on Pinot Blanc. It's the least expensive at $45. But all three were overpriced for what they are, imo. I would buy the Cremant in a heartbeat at $25.

By contrast the Pinot Noirs were solid values, even at $50, which is more than double what I pay for a weekend bottle. I had probably half a dozen glasses of various (other) Oregon pinots over the week, in restaurants. They were all shiny vanilla schlock by comparison. Admittedly I did not wade into Domaine Serene's pretentious tasting room-cum-restaurant-cum-"education center" in Bend. The wines might have been great - they ought to be at those prices - but yuck.

Both chards we had were excellent. The 2019 Freedom Hill was laser focused, long, creamy like a lemon custard, and a ringer for a top St. Aubin or Beaune Blanc. The younger village blend was lush, ripe, floral, and peachy, but not the slightest bit over-oaked. A crowd pleaser, if not as classy as the other.

The only disappointment was that they had to stop making their really good Pinot Gris because something happened to their arrangement with the landowner.

@jmeb Interested in your take on the winery.

 

[jmeb]

I'll be honest -- I don't buy (and therefore drink) a whole lot of US wines simply because the QPR isn't typically as favorable as most old world wines (excluding obvious exceptions like BDX/Burg/etc). That said, there are so so many lovely wines coming out of this area. Fantastic terroir, great winemaking, and deep pockets.

I've put this on the "watch for sales" list .

We drank these for my birthday/Easter on Sunday with friends. A bit of a reunion from a trip a few of us took to the Loire a few years back, where we toured at all of these wineries. (Will never forget riding off a nasty hangover over 50km of spring sun to be greeted by Matthieu Baudry pouring 1990 Chinon upon our 10am arrival!) All showing very very well. All are at least partial saigné method as is common in the Loire. The Baudry and Raffault are both cab france, while the Cazin is a blend with cot (e.g. malbec.) For those who like rounder wines, the Baudry is the winner (it goes through partial malo unlike the others.) I'm partial the the austerity and depth of Cazin.

Pro tip: lots of wine shops put Loire rose's on sale at the same time as their Provence roses when the new vintage comes in. While a lot of Provence roses really are best the first year of release, the additional structure of these makes them better in years 2-3 for me. Which means spring is a great time to buy discount, prior-vintage Loire roses near their peak IMO. For example: the Raffult and Baudry were both $19 retail near me, the Cazin a steal at $15.

 

[jmeb]

If it was in a box and was as good it wouldn’t bother me a bit.

I enjoy a box of good Spanish wine on a sunny day. It's like a portable porron you can take on a bike ride.
View attachment IMG_6216.mov

 

[skibob]

This is avery unique wine: from the Republic of Georgia, gifted by a friend who was born there. Solid guy.

The wine is now 8 years old, and boy, is it sweet for a "semi-sweet". It is drinking more interesting today, 2 days after opening, and having spent one night uncorked on the counter . The ret corked in the fridge with inert gas. Anyways, super interesting. Thank you, Irakli!

View attachment 200217 View attachment 200218

You mean "Thank you qveri much"

 

[cantunamunch]

I enjoy a box of good Spanish wine on a sunny day. It's like a portable porron you can take on a bike ride.

Where was that ride where the rangers recommended 10l of fluids, again?

 

[Mendieta]

You mean "Thank you qveri much"

That was Qvevri witty!

 

[Tony S]

Some serious hanger steak. The wine was from another day. Very good, but not the best match. Doesn't matter. All way above average for a Tuesday.

 

[cantunamunch]

<- always has to keep reminding himself that there is a Nicosia in Sicily AND a Ragusa in Sicily

 

[Paul Lutes]

You had me at Hanger ......

 

[cantunamunch]

You had me at Hanger ......

You should have said something sooner.

 

[cantunamunch]

Yes, that does say Pinot Nero. Yes, the wine is that colour.

Strawberries and citrusy acid, some must on the end. Drink immediately upon opening - the little bits of bubble make it better.
Not recommended except as a party trick (to show off cut crystal glassware?) or unless trying to pretend to some class while drinking wine spritzers.

Any proper cheese is wasted on this. There are Frascatis with more fulfilling taste profiles.