February 2011: What are you drinking?

2008 Cave Spring Riesling Beamsville Bench.

2001 Pesquera-drinking well

2005 Bond Matriarch - still young, old world style. Opens up with time. Second night, still old world and even better. Since little Bordeaux experience, similar to a moderately young Heitz Martha's minus the eucalyptus and mint, or maybe a Diamond Creek. Probably needs 2-3 years or more.

2007 J. Wilkes Pinot Blanc Bien Nacido Vineyard

2004 Le Cadeau Cote Est

2006 Coudoulet de Beaucastel - little barnyard, opens up nicely in an hour, lovely

2007 Domaine Vincent Girardin Meursault 1er Cru Les Charmes
2005 Le Cadeau Pinot Noir Rocheux
1998 Alois Kracher Grande Cuvée TBA #10 Nouvelle Vague


A world-traveled, very entertaining, member of D's family is in from France and she does love, and know, her wine. I feel a cellar reduction taking place this week.

2009 Domaine D'Andezon Cote du Rhone - really nice wine, especially for $10! Just released. Great mouthfeel and balance on this pop and pour wine!

quote:

Originally posted by davec:
2005 Bond Matriarch - still young, old world style. Opens up with time.

Dave,

Thanks for taking one for the team. I've got 3 resting and was wondering when to pop the cork on one. I guess I'll wait a little longer based on your review.

quote:

Originally posted by Board-O:
2004 Le Cadeau Cote Est

what are your thoughts??

I'm a fan of Le Cadeau's wines, but this one, I'm guessing, was an off-bottle. Not corked, but kind of blah, a little rough and disjointed with muted fruit. I've had other 2004 Le Cadeaus and enjoyed them. My guess is that this was an exception.

2007 Modus

2008 Agiorghitiko from Gaia estate

1976 Warres colheita

quote:

Originally posted by xhoser:

quote:

Originally posted by davec:
2005 Bond Matriarch - still young, old world style. Opens up with time.

Thanks for taking one for the team. I've got 3 resting and was wondering when to pop the cork on one. I guess I'll wait a little longer based on your review.

This was our first Matriarch. Will probably finish the bottle tomorrow or the next day, and will report back. Probably needs 2-3 years. Wanted to verify before ordering the '07. We're in. Might get two 3 packs.

We started planning our 2011 purchases, which we hope to get down to less than we drink in a year, and as little as half. With offers starting, we have to compare to be more selective, and be prepared to put in our orders early. We don't want to miss out on offers like the 47 minute Schrader offer. Wish us luck.

We started drinking our expected favorites to see from whom we wish to purchase. So far, in the last week or so, in addition to the Matriarch, we have also tried and added the maker to our list:
Lamborn - '05 Howell Mountain Cab
Paratus - '06 Mount Veeder Cab
Myriad - '08 Beckstoffer Dr Crane Cab
All 3 much more Cali Cab style.

1999 La Poderina Brunello di Montalcino

Last night with dinner:

2004 Domain Drouhin Laurene.

This wine was really singing last night! It has reached a wonderful window. In general, I have found almost all my 04 Oregon pinots to be drinking very well right now. This wine is maturing into something far greater than it was in its youth!

quote:

Originally posted by xhoser:

quote:

Originally posted by davec:
2005 Bond Matriarch - still young, old world style. Opens up with time.

Dave,

Thanks for taking one for the team. I've got 3 resting and was wondering when to pop the cork on one. I guess I'll wait a little longer based on your review.

I opened one about 6 months ago, and I gotta say, Dave is spot on. the wine is truly fantastic, but I won't touch my other 2 bottles for at least another 3 years. And i prefer my CA cabs with a bit of age, so I'm probably looking more at 2016+.

quote:

Originally posted by xhoser:
2009 Domaine D'Andezon Cote du Rhone - really nice wine, especially for $10! Just released. Great mouthfeel and balance on this pop and pour wine!

I too enjoyed this last night. Improved a little during the evening. Enjoyed with mushroom & spinach pizza with salad. I paid a little more - $13 from my LWS.

Jack Nicklaus:
Cab Sau, Napa Valley
Private Reserve, Napa Valley

Arnold Palmer
Chard Central Coast
Cab Sau Central Coast
Cab Sau Reserve, NApa Valley

This is part of the PGA Wine Tour of wines presented by Golfers.

Last week we had 5 Callaway wines, and their rating was a bogie. PGA Wine Tour rates wines:

Hole-In-One
Eagle
Birdie
Par
and Bogie

Fun part of this is that Greg Norman, Ernie Els, Jack, Faldo and Donald are all local folks [i.e. they have a house here].

2001 Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial

98 dead arm
05 lascombes
00 croft

quote:

Originally posted by JCT1000:

quote:

Originally posted by xhoser:
2009 Domaine D'Andezon Cote du Rhone - really nice wine, especially for $10! Just released. Great mouthfeel and balance on this pop and pour wine!

I too enjoyed this last night. Improved a little during the evening. Enjoyed with mushroom & spinach pizza with salad. I paid a little more - $13 from my LWS.

JCT,

I agree that this bottle was much better after 30+ minutes open. I did the "Mollydooker Shake" on the bottle after pouring one glass I put the cork back in and agitate the bottle a few times until the gas blows off. I use this technique on my inexpensive bottles in an attempt to aerate or open them up. I wouldn't recommend this for an 82 Lafite.

2007 Ramey Claret.

2009 Three Stones Sauvignon Blanc

quote:

Originally posted by shavez:
2001 Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial

I did not see this wine in your cellar.

2009 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc
2001 d'Arenberg Cabernet Sauvignon The Coppermine Road

2007 Perrin & Fils Cotes du Rhone Villages. I've enjoyed several bottles but this one is off.

quote:

Originally posted by Shaferguy91:
1999 La Poderina Brunello di Montalcino

How was this drinking? I had it last year and I thought it was pretty approachable. Your thoughts?

NV Nicholas Feuillate Brut
2006 Radio Coteau Savoy
2005 Outpost Zin

2001 Palomero

quote:

Originally posted by wine+art:

quote:

Originally posted by shavez:
2001 Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial

I did not see this wine in your cellar.

You just didn't look close enough!

I wasn't a big fan of it anyway. I'll just stick to Lopez de Heredia for traditional Rioja for now..

2005 Arcadian Pinot Noir Sleepy Hollow Vineyard

2001 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Quarry Vineyard

1990 iron cake pu'er tea

1999 Domaine du Joncier, Lirac.

A little past peak, not worth a note, but a decent drinker.

Shared with Ampuis and his lovely lady recently:

- 2003 Zind Humbrecht Riesling Hunawihr Clos Windsbuhl -- rich and silky, lots of citrus and mineral, long finish

- 1994 King Estate Pinot Noir -- shockingly good, like a Village or maybe Premier Burgundy that's 10-15 years old, great balance of fruit and acidity; a real revelation for me in just how well an Oregon Pinot can age and improve, (Ampuis also brought a 1998 Erath single vineyard Pinot, but unfortunately it was corked)

- 1999 Delas Cote-Rotie Segneur de Maugiron -- deep dark fruit flavours, mouth-coating, plush, drinking very well right now, outstanding and finished by us very quickly

- 1997 Grahams Port -- inky, intense, powerful, young, and great (375 ml)


Shared with Dunder and VanCityWino, and their much better halves, recently:

- NV Diebolt-Valois Champagne A Cramant -- really delicious fruit

- 1995 Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne Le Mesnil -- stunning nose, beautiful colour, and no disappointment in the mouth either, great bottle of wine

- 2002 Pegasus Bay Sauvignon/Semillon -- big citrus, peach, and lychee flavours

- 1993 Paulo Scavino Barolo Bric Del Fiasc -- drinks like a much younger wine, floral nose, lots of fruit, great acidity, will still go on for a long time

- 2004 Mauro Veglio Barolo Vignetto Arborina -- amazing how much this was like the previous wine, hard to believe they weren't close to the same age

- 2004 Antonelli Sagrantino di Montefalco -- balanced and tasty, seems still young

- 2004 Robert Foley Claret -- big and balanced, delicious

- 2002 Shafer Relentless -- powerhouse, intense fruit

- 1998 d'Arenberg Shiraz The Dead Arm -- interesting to have this right after Relentless, it's bigger yet more balanced, I think this may still be evolving and improving (based on having had 1 in each of the last 4 years)

- 1989 Shloss Schonborn Riesling Auslese Erbacher Marcobrunn -- shitty cork, amber colour, but somehow still has pretty intense and fairly sweet fruit, good not great



I've been drinking down my 1999 Gigondas for a few weeks (mostly through January)

- Santa Duc Prestige Haut Garrigues -- very good, quite silky, still lots of fruit, still some tannin at end

- St Cosme -- used to be pretty tannic but it's smooth now, plum and tobacco flavours, med. finish

- Montirius -- last bottle, and I'm sorry I drank my others a few years ago, this is the best of the 7 or 8 different Gigondas that I bought this vintage, and it's still showing strong, can go a few more years I think; a great value when I bought it

- Brusset Les Hauts Montmirail -- always solid, seems a bit faded now

- Tardieu-Laurent Vielles Vignes -- I had high hopes for this and am disappointed, it's drinkable but tired, lot of drying tannins on the finish, and I still have 2 bottles

2008 Starmont SB
2004 Larkmead Cab

2000 Rust en Vrede Stellenbosch Estate - still youthful, vibrant with excellent depth of flavour