GD,

Costco on Windward Parkway had 'em for $36-37 last weekend. I picked up a case on my way home Friday.

WT,
Thanks - I’ll have to check out Costco. I’ve all but given up on them locally.

$32.99 at Costco here.

I tried this wine Friday. Second time. I am not that big a fan of this wine, but thought I should try it.

Just not my cup of tea.

$49.99 at Red Wagon here in Rochester Hills, MI. They have about 5-6 six-packs on the floor. At <$40 I would have been a buyer. Gotta cut off somewhere.

Costco in Jax 37.99 At least a couple of cases.

Ok, fyi, the 9/30 advance is now available on the site. Apparently the problem was that it was posted up on the Sept. 30 issue cycle, when it should have been put up on a 9/15 issue cycle, since the issue is actually a double issue. The hard copy to retailers went out on the correct schedule, hence the disconnect...

quote:

Originally posted by Wine Thief:
GD,

Costco on Windward Parkway had 'em for $36-37 last weekend. I picked up a case on my way home Friday.

You probably got the last one. I was there Saturday afternoon and there was none to be had...

Went next door to the wine store and grabbed a decent PN. It was a wash.

Well, I finally joined Costco today and picked up a bakers dozen. The selection locally pales in comparison to what folks in CA and other places talk about here in the forum.

quote:

Originally posted by Wine Thief:
GD,

Costco on Windward Parkway had 'em for $36-37 last weekend. I picked up a case on my way home Friday.

Wine Thief, do you happen to know the Costco Item number? Thanks.
oritz

[QUOTE]Originally posted by James Molesworth:
It's a lag. Retailers get the advance via hard copy in the mail, and then it should go up on our website basically right thereafter. The theory is that consumers who subscribe to the website get the bonus of knowing what the highlighted wines in the Buying Guide are, while retailers can get the wines in stock and 'be ready', so to speak, for their customers...
QUOTE]

Ive never understood this explanation. In todays day and age, has letting the retailer in early on hype type news ever done anything but raise prices for their customers...or enabled gouging?

"be ready" with their higher prices apparently.

oritz,

Sorry did not take down the item number.

I enjoyed this wine but I also found it little exotic. The aroma was very unusal like white grape juice. Maybe it needs quite time to settle down. But I prefer 03' Almaviva and it is more classical.

It would be interesting to open those two side by each. I've been a big fan of Almaviva since I tried their '98.

Binny's in Naperville got in 6 cases @ $40/bottle.

I have tasted the 03 twice over the last few days and cellared a few bottles at $34 a bottle. I found it to have a tremendous nose that hit me immediately with big cab like currant and berry aromas. Upon tasting, the currant and black berry aromas became flavors that were joined by a complex of other flavors, including coffee and perhaps dark chocolate. The wine also had nice life giving acidity and tannic backbone that ended in a wave of big but fine tannins. A criticism I have, however, is that on both occasions that I tasted this wine, I found that after a few sips the acid and particularly the tannins began to dominate, and after about 4-5 sips washed out the finish and even the up-front flavor. I tasted from a bottle(s) in a nitrogen system, so this might have affected things some. Also, I suspect the temperature of the wine was a few degrees too cold. A little food and perhaps water in between tastes might have help. Still, until the acid and tannic washout, the wine was great, and I gladly bought some at $34 a bottle. I would score it around 92-93 and not up where WS has it, but again my tasting conditions weren't optimal.

Opened this wine last night. It spent 4 hours in a wide bottomed decanter before first taste. Initially, giving almost nothing on the nose or palate and remained reluctant for several more hours. Around hour 7 the wine began showing signs of life. Very dense, dark and rich. Dark fruit. Earthy with a little bitter cocoa. No notice of the typical Don Melchor mint, but this wine is FAR from being ready to drink. I'll wait 18-24 months before I open another.

Just retasted some that was left from yesterday. Still massive and backward. I think this wine will be a real winner, but not now. Hold.

PH

quote:

Originally posted by GreenDrazi:
2003 Concha y Toro Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon - Puente Alto, Chile
Good nose of dark currants with some cherry at the core and hints of tar that follow through nicely on the palate with additional notes of leather and mocha along with a persistent mineral quality and a mint flavor component.

YES! Mocha!

quote:

Originally posted by spacewrangler:

quote:

Originally posted by GreenDrazi:
2003 Concha y Toro Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon - Puente Alto, Chile
Good nose of dark currants with some cherry at the core and hints of tar that follow through nicely on the palate with additional notes of leather and mocha along with a persistent mineral quality and a mint flavor component.

YES! Mocha!

Yes, mocha. You never strike out blindly; you fail in the light.

There are 47 pages of tasting notes here that use that descriptor.

And 67 Cellartracker pages of tasting notes that use the descriptor.

how much are the don melchors going for these days?

Jfont,
I just sold two at auction for $105 each, but that seems to be on the high side. Recent single bottle lots have gone for around $70.

quote:

Originally posted by Jfont:
how much are the don melchors going for these days?

You can find 04 for $35 and same for 03. WS seems to champion the wines fwiw. Clearly, theyre a good value for $35, but 96 pts? Not to my tastes...

quote:

Originally posted by chuq_2001:
Jfont,
I just sold two at auction for $105 each,

That's just ridiculous. I'm happy for you Jfont, but it's still ridiculous.

PH

quote:

Originally posted by spacewrangler:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Jfont:
how much are the don melchors going for these days?

You can find 04 for $35 and same for 03.

Space,

Any suggestions on where to find the '03 at a good price (besides wine-searcher, where it starts around $70)?

Popped the cork on one of these last night and decanted.

I was surprised at how well it was drinking, expecting it to need hours of air before being too enjoyable.

This has so much fresh fruit. Very nice. Very well spent $35. No tasting notes, but I thought I'd comment on the drinking window. DRINKING VERY NICELY! Open now or later.

quote:

Originally posted by Lentini:
Popped the cork on one of these last night and decanted.

I was surprised at how well it was drinking, expecting it to need hours of air before being too enjoyable.

This has so much fresh fruit. Very nice. Very well spent $35. No tasting notes, but I thought I'd comment on the drinking window. DRINKING VERY NICELY! Open now or later.

I wish the 2005 was only $35 so I could buy more of it.