2010 Saint Cosme CdP.

2016 Bedrock Griffin's Lair Syrah

2015 Soos Creek Ciel du Cheval

2009 Querce Bettina Brunello di Montalcino - drinking well with secondary and tertiary flavors becoming more prevalent

2018 Le Piane "Maggiorina" Rosso - great blend of nebbiolo, croatina, vespolina and 9 other grapes.

@spo posted:

2018 Le Piane "Maggiorina" Rosso - great blend of nebbiolo, croatina, vespolina and 9 other grapes.

Hmm, maybe there is a use for the Nebbiolo grape after all...

@billhike posted:

Hmm, maybe there is a use for the Nebbiolo grape after all...

😂😛👊🏻

2013 Stefania Cab - singing

2018 Cusamano Etna White Alta Mora

2013 Rochioli Chardonnay

2008 Favia Magdalena

2019 Ulacia Getariako Txakolina

2019 Muga Rioja Blanco

@azwiese posted:

2018 Cusamano Etna White Alta Mora

Hey azwiese, I like this winery but have not tried the whites, what did you think?

2017 Saint Cosme CdR Les Deux Albion

1997 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle.

2000 Clos de l'Oratoire Saint Emilion

Yum. Still tastes young. No hurry to drink.

J3

Opened a 2003 Jaboulet Domaine de Thalabert last night.... soooo good.  A bit softer than the newer releases, but beautiful stuff.

2015 Brovia Rocche di Castiglioni barolo( at peak-drink up. Lol. Great structure and balance, will be something special in the future).

2008 Chateau Porto Carras( great qpr)

NV Larmandier-Bernier Longitude

2017 Grosset Polish Hill Reisling

2018 Azelia Langhe Nebbiolo

2017 Raventos i Blanc de Nit

2000 Dehlinger Syrah Goldridge Vineyard

2019 Domaine Barou Cuvee des Vernes

2016 Suertes del Marques 7 Fuentes

@spo posted:

Hey azwiese, I like this winery but have not tried the whites, what did you think?

I liked it a lot.  Super interesting nose.  It was my first time with the winery/grape/region.  Really nice way to start a meal.  Had it at our old stomping ground...Solare.  

2017 Mendel Malbec

2009 Chiappini Guado de Gemoli

2015 Rocca di Frassinello

2013 Paternoster Aglianico del Vulture Don Anselmo

2015 Pearl Morisette Cuvee Blackball Riesling - decent, though nothing terribly special.  PM makes much better Cab Franc and Chardonnay IMO.

Recent wines:

2017 Stefania Viognier

2013 Felciaino Bolgheri

2014 Loring Mateo Santa Rita Hills Pinot

2016 Walla Walla Vintnters Cab Sagemoor Vineyard

2012 Chateau Coufran - too bad - waited too long on this or it was a bad bottle - last bottle 3.5 years ago was far better

2018 Seghesio Zinfandel Sonoma County

2018 Siduri Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

J3

1998 Chateau Les Cabannes, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru.  Nice little wine.  Drink up.

2014 Silex

1999 Siro Pacenti BdM

2016 Fattoria Ambra Montalbiolo Riserva

Two really nice wines:

• 2018 Pearl Morrisette Oxyde Riesling. The winery refers to this as a more approachable young Riesling compared to the Black Ball. Dry and delicious.
• 2005 Mitolo GAM Shiraz. Under screwcap. Big rich wine still.  On release, RP referred to this as “a tour de force in winemaking”. Like it a lot but will wait a while before opening another.

2005 Usseglio Cuvée de Mon Aieul with cassoulet tonight.  

2001 Alain Jaume & Fils Domaine Grand Veneur Les Origines Chateauneuf du Pape.  In a nice place now.  No hurry to drink up.

Putting around Yountville this afternoon and swung by the Heron House and tasted three really nice wines:

2018 Myriad Peterson Ranch Cabernet

2012 Lindstrom Cabernet

2015 Hobel The Grain

1997 Tignanello.

Outstanding. Best wine I’ve had in a while.

J3

2018 Josh cellars family reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

ok. 86 points maybe

nothing wrong with it, nothing exciting

2011 Olga Raffault Chinon Les Picasses

Finally have a chance to check out and post on the forums after a hectic couple of weeks. From memory

2018 Seghesio, Zinfandel, Sonoma Cty.

2016 Trimbach, Gewurztraminer

2018 Volpaia, Chianti Classico

2015 Avignonesi, Vino Nobile de Montepulciano

2018 Vietti, Langhe, Perbacco

2006 San Felice, IGT, Vigorello

2016 Element, Chardonnay

NV Chartogne-Taillet, Champagne, Cuvée Sainte Anne

2007 Luigi D'Alessandro, IGT, Il Bosco

2018 Colene Clemens, Pinot Noir, Dopp Creek

2009 Domaine Pavelot, Savigny-les-Beaune, Aux Gravains

With that bottle of Pavelot gone, I now have zero bottles of red Burg in the cellar.

2019 St. Cosme Côtes-du-Rhône (best vintage since 2016)

2019 Bodega Colomé Torrontés

2007 Bollinger La Grande Année

2017 Bedrock Gewürztraminer Alta Vista Vineyard

1998 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape

1999 Pegau Cuvée Réservée Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve

2004 Clark-Claudon Estate Cabernet

1998 Vieux Télégraphe La Crau Châteauneuf-du-Pape

2015 K Vintners Powerline Vineyard Walla Walla Valley Syrah

2017 Bedrock The Bedrock Heritage

2006 Fuligni Brunello di Montalcino

@steve8 posted:

2018 Colene Clemens, Pinot Noir, Dopp Creek

2009 Domaine Pavelot, Savigny-les-Beaune, Aux Gravains

With that bottle of Pavelot gone, I now have zero bottles of red Burg in the cellar.

Congratulations on the Burgundy purge! What did you think of the Colene Clemens? My wife and I both loved it and grabbed a case plus.

Friday we had a bottle of 2011 Paul Hobbs Richard Dinner Vineyard Chardonnay and it was excellent.  The fruit was present but not overbearing, a bit of butterscotch flavor but not too much, still nice acid.  Very well balanced, drink now I don't believe it will get better.

@steve8 posted:

Finally have a chance to check out and post on the forums after a hectic couple of weeks. From memorY:

2009 Domaine Pavelot, Savigny-les-Beaune, Aux Gravains

With that bottle of Pavelot gone, I now have zero bottles of red Burg in the cellar.

Funny - C and I are going the opposite direction. Slowly eliminating cabs and most Rhones and anything high-octane, dense, hedonistic, powerful or however else critics describe their 100 pointers.

We seem to be headed for a cellar that will be something like 80% Burgundy (mostly red but some white) and 20% other, like volcanic wines, dry riesling, high-altitude garnacha and the like. I think our holy grail is “weightless complexity”. Not sure exactly how else to define it but we love it when we find it.

2015 St. Cosme Cotes du Rhone

2016 Krupp Brothers Synchrony - had never had this wine - really good

2015 Carmes de Rieussec

2016 Clemens Busch Vom Grauen Schiefer Riesling

2018 Telmo Rodriguez Al-Muvedre

2017 Vinatgio Elaboraciones Ancestrales Tinto

2015 Pearl Morissette Twenty Mile Bench Chardonnay

2001 Ch. Ferriere

2001 Ch. Bel-Air

2013 Tselepos Kitma Driopi Reserve Nemea

2015 Volpaia CC Riserva

2017 Domaine Belle Crozes-Hermitage "Les Pierrelles" killer Syrah to drink now.

@vint posted:

Funny - C and I are going the opposite direction. Slowly eliminating cabs and most Rhones and anything high-octane, dense, hedonistic, powerful or however else critics describe their 100 pointers.

We seem to be headed for a cellar that will be something like 80% Burgundy (mostly red but some white) and 20% other, like volcanic wines, dry riesling, high-altitude garnacha and the like. I think our holy grail is “weightless complexity”. Not sure exactly how else to define it but we love it when we find it.

I like weightless complexity and I've had it in some red Burgs but the problem is the number of times I've been disappointed with them and at no small cost. $100 gets you a bottle of decent pinot but not worth the coin to me. Oregon provides better value imho but their prices are also creeping up, especially with the current exchange rate.

2017 Domaine Fouassier, Sancerre, Le Clos de Bannon

Excellent bottle of SB and went well with our crab, asparagus and corn chowder.

2018 Roco Pinot Noir Gravel Road

J3

@jcubed posted:

2018 Roco Pinot Noir Gravel Road

J3

Is it me or are you on a bit of an Oregon kick lately?

Jean Vesselle Brut Oeil de Perdrix For us tonight.

2013 Black Hills Estate Carmenere (Okanagan)

2015 Liquid Farm Chardonnay White Hill

@steve8 posted:

I like weightless complexity and I've had it in some red Burgs but the problem is the number of times I've been disappointed with them and at no small cost. $100 gets you a bottle of decent pinot but not worth the coin to me. Oregon provides better value imho but their prices are also creeping up, especially with the current exchange rate.

Answer: New Zealand Pinot

2008 Charmes-Chambertin (Gerard Raphet)- developing slowly. 92 now, should pick up another couple of points in a few years

@billhike posted:

Is it me or are you on a bit of an Oregon kick lately?

Jean Vesselle Brut Oeil de Perdrix For us tonight.

Somewhat. I like Oregon Pinot and chard. I have a bunch of recently acquired Domaine Serene and Domaine Drouhin wines in the cellar.

J3

@jcubed posted:

Somewhat. I like Oregon Pinot and chard. I have a bunch of recently acquired Domaine Serene and Domaine Drouhin wines in the cellar.

J3

I have some various 2012 Evening Land. Would be happy to do an Oregon-themed dinner when appropriate.

2019 Kirkland Signature Malbec. Actually pretty darn nice. Lively acidity makes it easy to drink and fresh-tasting. It is certainly varietally correct. Short-ish finish is the only gripe if you are looking for something to complain about.

@mimik posted:

Answer: New Zealand Pinot

Not sure whether you’re joking with that answer or not, Mim. But on the off-chance you’re being serious, I’ll play along. Any recommendations?  Bear in mind, the closer we get to $50, the more likely I am to head back to Burgundy.

2015 A. Rafanelli Zinfandel

Had a 2016 CVNE crianza for lunch with a Caesar salad and sardines.  Great match and terrific wine for $11.
parker and WS both give it 90 points and it is well deserved.  

@vint posted:

Not sure whether you’re joking with that answer or not, Mim. But on the off-chance you’re being serious, I’ll play along. Any recommendations?  Bear in mind, the closer we get to $50, the more likely I am to head back to Burgundy.

Check this one out. Try and tell me what you think. Blew me away for the quality at that price.

159137 Vintages product code.

Clos Henri bel écho 30$. Made by the Henri bourgeois family of Loire fame.

2016 Dominique Piron Morgon Cote du Py.

2015 Little Wings Syrah

Didn't really drink the above Champagne.  Poured it down the sink a few years ago. Clearly it was not drinkable. But, it's cool to have a 100 year old bottle, even if it is empty.

2017 Domaine Serene Chardonnay Evenstad Reserve

J3

2014 Carlisle Two Acres

2019 Escoda-Sanahuja Els Bassots

2016 Glinavos Vlahiko

2015 Dirty & Rowdy California Familiar

2016 Terre Nere Etna rosso

@mimik posted:

Check this one out. Try and tell me what you think. Blew me away for the quality at that price.

159137 Vintages product code.

Clos Henri bel écho 30$. Made by the Henri bourgeois family of Loire fame.

I wouldn't use the word complexity to describe the Bel Echo. It's a fairly simple, but tasty, pinot which for less than $30 is a good deal. The Bourgeois estate got its fame from sauvignon blanc, not pinot.

To be fair there are some very good pinots from NZ but they're not cheap either.

2004 Tenuta Carlina, BdM, La Togata

Not a lot of experience with this wine but this bottle was excellent. Traditional style.

2014 Stefania, Day Rogue

Last and best bottle of this. I seem to say that a lot about Stefania's wines.

2012 Hure Freres Instantanee Extra Brut

2015 Grosset Polish Hill Riesling

2001 Fontodi Flaccianello

Three beautiful wines.

February wines so far:

2015 Joan d’Anguera Montsant la Planella

2009 Telmo Rodríguez Pegaso Barrancos de Pizarra Sierra de Gredos

2014 Becklyn Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon

2008 Pertimali (Livio Sassetti) Brunello di Montalcino

1997 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Cicala (Blind Zoom tasting)

NV Pierre Moncuit Champagne Cuvée Hugues de Coulmet Blanc de Blancs Brut

2018 Azienda Agricola F. Tornatore Sicilia Etna Bianco Pietrarizzo

2012 M. Chapoutier Côtes du Roussillon Villages Latour Domaine de Bila-Haut Occultum Lapidem

2017 Suertes del Marqués Valle de la Orotava La Solana

2006 Paul Bara Champagne Grand Cru Comtesse Marie de France Bouzy

2018 Quentin Jeannot Santenay Vieilles Vignes

2009 Castello dei Rampolla Sammarco Toscana IGT (Blind Zoom tasting)

2016 Jean Foillard Morgon Cuvée Corcelette

1997 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Cicala

1999 Isole e Olena Cepparello Toscana IGT (Blind Zoom tasting)

2009 Michel Prunier et Fille Chorey-les-Beaune Les Beaumonts

2017 Cattleya Pratt Vineyard Chard (Call to the Wild).  Really, really nice.  New producer for me, and I'd like to try more.

2000 Clos du Marquis

2016 Pontet Canet

Fun night, though not nearly enough time for the Pontet Canet to open up (thank you captain obvious).  Still enjoyable though.  

@vint posted:

Slowly eliminating cabs and most Rhones and anything high-octane, dense, hedonistic, powerful or however else critics describe their 100 pointers.

We seem to be headed for a cellar that will be something like 80% Burgundy (mostly red but some white) and 20% other, like volcanic wines, dry riesling, high-altitude garnacha and the like. I think our holy grail is “weightless complexity”. Not sure exactly how else to define it but we love it when we find it.

Sounds all very hipster like.

@mimik posted:

Sounds all very hipster like.

And what's wrong with that?

Lol@ vinole.

Although that photo does resemble Steve8 when younger,  here is a more recent photo of him during lockdown.

might start a gofundme to get VinT a red velvet blazer and tiny wine glasses to go with his new hipster haircut!!!

Don't forget to budget for the cravat!

@vinoevelo posted:

might start a gofundme to get VinT a red velvet blazer and tiny wine glasses to go with his new hipster haircut!!!

😂

Recent wines

2014 Agharta Red Label Cab

2017 Sandler Cortada Alta Pinot

2015 Phelps Creek Pinot

2014 Covalli Barolo

2012 Hunnicutt Cab

2018 Bunchen Riesling Kabinett

2013 Clos Saint-Michel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée

2018 Feudo Montoni Lagnusa Nero D'Avola

Wrapping up feb

Ramey 2018 Sonoma Chard.

I absolutely love Ramey chards.  They drink like full on buttery popcorn to start but once you give it some air time and age, it tightens up with some bright acidity and minerally notes like a fine mersault

2017 Bedrock Coast to Foothills Syrah

2013 Thomas Pinot Noir Dundee Hills

2010 Chateau Montlabert.

2019 Ca Rozeria Campania White

2013 Fall Line Willow Creek

2017 Pali White Cap- enjoying a beautiful evening on my back deck

2014 Domaine des Malandes Chablis 1er Cru Vau de Vey

2001 Noon Eclipse. A wine from the past that drank well and was balanced

2006 Smith Wooten Gallagher's Vineyard Napa Cab Franc. Drinking Beautifully.

1995 Josmeyer cuvée du Centenaire Tokay Pinot Gris vieilles vignes

2018 Castellare di Castelina chianti Classico (good but not up to par with the 2017)

@mimik posted:

2018 Castellare di Castelina chianti Classico (good but not up to par with the 2017)

Good to know.  Thanks.

1998 Massolino Barolo Vigna Rionda

We had an '89 Opus One Friday night that was excellent.  Took about 90 minutes of air to open up (we did not decant) and when it did it still had plenty of fruit, velvety tannins, and nice lasting finish.  Drink now.

@mimik posted:

2018 Castellare di Castelina chianti Classico (good but not up to par with the 2017)

Interesting since the quality of the '18 vintage is supposedly superior to that of 2017. I wonder what that says about the quality of their I Sodi S.Niccolo in those two vintages? Not that I'm buying either at this point.

NV Larmandrier Bernier Longitude

2013 Leon Barral Jadis - Love this producer.  Another great bottle.

2005 Grgich Hills Estate - Held up well for a bottle bought at a Meijer's in Novi, MI  a long time ago.  Decent Napa Cab.

2005 Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta - Really suprised by how well this showed.  Still in that generic polished Bdx blend from who knows where but there was a reat mint note, balance and complexity to it without the weight that plaugues this style.

2005 Tignanello - A close second to the Clos Apalta on steak night.

2010 Bodegas El Nido Clio - Hot mess.  Cough Syrup. It says 15.5% on the bottle and i'd be surpirsed if it was under 17%.

2013 Carlisle Compagni Portis - love the Carlisle whites and this is no exception. Textural, tropical white.

2017 Mosse Nostromo - Ok.  A little wild/rustic, fruits a bit sweet while fighting the acidity.  Comes off disjointed.

???? Koppitsch Perspektive Rot - Missed the vintage, think it was an '18.  Easy drinking red with enough going on to keep your interest. 

2015 Brigitte & Gerhard Pittnauer Pittnauski - Similar to the Koppitsch in style, but a step behind in my books.

2011 Quinta do Vale Meao, Douro

2018 Il Poggione, RdM (delicious pizza wine)

2018 Famille Perrin, CdR, Coudoulet de Beaucastel (always good, but this one could use a couple of years in bottle)

@vinoevelo posted:

NV Larmandrier Bernier Longitude

2010 Bodegas El Nido Clio - Hot mess.  Cough Syrup. It says 15.5% on the bottle and i'd be surpirsed if it was under 17%.

You inspired me and I opened a Longitude last night. My last bottle.

And you've frightened me with the note on the El Nido. I have a few 2012 El Nido "El Nido" (not the Clio) and the TNs on CT have me concerned. "Palate coating... powerful... deeply concentrated..." I'm thinking I should bury them for another 10 years.

i'm not sure age is helping them unfortunately.

@steve8 posted:

2018 Famille Perrin, CdR, Coudoulet de Beaucastel (always good, but this one could use a couple of years in bottle)

funny I preferred the 2017 to the 2018. I felt the 2018 was a lighter lighter in body and thin compared to the 2017. Did you try the 2017?

btw the Godelo mencia is being released this week. Sold out last time and it’s solid. I think ws 93. I’d rebuy it. (Don’t tell the ontarian’s about it or there won’t be any left for us- thanks)

@vinoevelo posted:

2010 Bodegas El Nido Clio - Hot mess.  Cough Syrup. It says 15.5% on the bottle and i'd be surpirsed if it was under 17.

You forgot blueberry juice, according to Steve8.

a local mtl forumite loves the stuff but will remain anonymous so as not to affect his reputation as a wine lover on these boards.

@steve8 posted:

Interesting since the quality of the '18 vintage is supposedly superior to that of 2017. I wonder what that says about the quality of their I Sodi S.Niccolo in those two vintages? Not that I'm buying either at this point.

Except that you are buying according to your what are you buying thread

The 2018 seems cleaner in the sense that there is more fruit and a more classical Chianti profile. Took more time to open up. The 2017 was oakier and more flashy. I think given time, the 2018 will be more balanced  

@mimik posted:

Except that you are buying according to your what are you buying thread

I was referring to the Sodi S. Niccolo which needs more time than I'm willing to give.

@sunnylea57 posted:

And you've frightened me with the note on the El Nido. I have a few 2012 El Nido "El Nido" (not the Clio) and the TNs on CT have me concerned. "Palate coating... powerful... deeply concentrated..." I'm thinking I should bury them for another 10 years.

I'm surprised you bought that wine Sunny. Definitely does not strike me as your style.

I've never had the big brother but Mimik is correct that I refer to the Clio as blueberry pancake syrup.

2012 Fontodi Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo.

Not remotely close to ready.  Even with a 5+ hour slow ox, bordered on unpleasantly tannic throughout the entirety of the bottle. 

They age at a glacial pace CSM. I hope i finally have one that’s ready.  

I expected young.  This was infanticide.

@steve8 posted:

I'm surprised you bought that wine Sunny. Definitely does not strike me as your style.

I've never had the big brother but Mimik is correct that I refer to the Clio as blueberry pancake syrup.

Yeah, I bought 2 bottles at auction a number of years ago, not really knowing what I was getting into. 😂

Last Saturday:
2006 Dominus Estate

Last night with the blind Zoom group:
2002 Dominus Estate

Both showed very well, with the 2002 exhibiting some bell pepper from the 8% Cab Franc. Both were still youthful with plenty of tannin, but also had a lovely, plush mouth feel. Many years of enjoyment ahead for both vintages.