May, 2022: What Are You Drinking?

2019 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc

This is objectively not as good a wine as the upper tier Dragonettes, especially the Vogelzang. But… damn. I don’t know how many of these I’ve consumed over the years; it’s gotta be my most consumed wine. It is just so drinkable. Tangerine and citrus leaves. A hint of guava. Just a touch of oak. A *slight* hint of RS. Simple. Delicious.

2017 Martinelli Blie Slide Ridge

2015 Domaine de la Vougeraie Clos Vougeot

2015 Carmes de Rieussec

2015 Bedrock Cuvee Karatas last night with some shrimp risotto.  One of the few Bedrocks I buy every year.

With pretty good take-out burgers, 2012 K Vintners Syrah Walla Walla The Beautiful, packed with plum, currant, raw beef, black olive, black pepper, similar to a very ripe Northern Rhône, plush in texture, long on finish.  Appropriately named.

2011 Lisini Brunello di Montalcino Riserva

2009 Sine Qua Non Syrah This is Not An Exit Eleven Confessions Vineyard

In anticipation of Italy trip, 2014 Livio Sasseti Pertimali Brunello

2016 Artadi Navarra Pasos de San Martín

2019 Dragonette Sauvignon Blanc Grimm’s Bluff Vineyard

Similar quality to the Grassini, below the Vogelzang. Rich and complex with peach notes and just a hint of oak influence. Not “delicious” like ME. May not age as well as the Grassini or Vogelzang. Still, at the $50 mark, about as good as can reasonably be expected.

2016 Domaine La Millière Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes

NV Laherte Freres Rosé de Meunier Extra Brut

Still the best Champagne I know of under $50. Just delicious.

At our fish place last night, 2009 Domaine Baumard Savennières Clos de Saint Yves, super-minerally, melon with hint of peach, excellent acidity, long clean finish. Went great with all the fish dishes (and French fries), but spectacular with fresh PEI oysters. Yum!

@seaquam posted:

At our fish place last night, 2009 Domaine Baumard Savennières Clos de Saint Yves, super-minerally, melon with hint of peach, excellent acidity, long clean finish. Went great with all the fish dishes (and French fries), but spectacular with fresh PEI oysters. Yum!

Great wine. I used to buy them very often. Glad to see it showed well with such age on the bottle.

2019 Charvin Cdr Le Poutet

1983 Margaux.

What a brilliant wine showing of lovely dried tobacco leaves, notes of lavender and rose water on the nose.  You can just sit here and smell this wine.  The taste followed through with a hint of iron minerality, dusty currants that linger on the palette for minutes.

Last night, in completely unwarranted anticipation of making a tidy profit on Kentucky Derby bets (which I certainly didn’t) we had a bottle of NV Pol Roger Champagne Réserve, a really solid and tasty wine. This and Charles Heidsieck Réserve are my easy go-to bubblies; don’t recall ever having a disappointing bottle of either.

Tonight, with roast chicken and braised lentils and vegetables, a 2007 Mathilde and Yves Gangloff Côte-Rôtie La Barbarine, which released lovely aromatics right away, plum, berries, sandalwood, raw beef; quite plush in the mouth and seems to still be evolving in the decanter. Yum!!

2017 E. Pira & Figli (Chiara Boschis) Mosconi

Delicious. Now that Burlotto Monvigliero has skyrocketed in price, this producer has become my Barolo go-to, and this bottle did not disappoint. All the classic Barolo flavors. Rose petals, sandalwood, cherry, a hint of herb. Delicious now with a decant, will be even better in 6 years.

2015 Liquid Farm Chardonnay Golden Slope

With home-made chicken soup and noodles, 2013 Chateau de Fieuzal Pessac-Léognan Blanc, clear med. gold, yellow plum, green apple, chamomile, hint of lime, excellent acidity, medium-long finish. Delicious!

NV Mascota Vineyards Unánime Brut

Friends are taking us to dinner at an old-school Italian restaurant tonight. I’m bringing a 2006 Masi Amarone Classico Campolongo di Torbe.  I last had one in 2016, when it showed ripe and rich but still had a fair amount of tannin. If it’s shed some of that tannin in the last few years, this should be spectacular. Here’s hoping!🤞

Mondavi 2018 To Kalon Fume blanc.

great juiciness, tropical fruits and with a lovely pineapplish nose.

2017 Paul Hobbs Chardonnay RRV with some grilled chicken last night.

2004 Casa Marin Pinot Noir Litoral

My daughter will be here in a couple of hours with lots of sushi, so we’ll have 2008 Diebolt-Vallois Champagne Cramant Blanc de Blancs. I love the textures of the different fish with the Champagne.

Laherte Freres “Les Beaudiers” Rosé de Saignée Extra Brut (2015 Base; 04-2019 Disgorgement)

I’m going to be so pissed off when the rest of the world figures out that this winery is truly world-class. Nothing like the Rosé de Meunier, although also 100% Pinot Meunier. Raspberry, peach, and bread dough. A little limestone and a long finish. Tasted warmer than ideal (closer to cellar temperature than fully chilled, maybe about 48-60F over the course of drinking) but absolutely doesn’t matter. This rocks. At ~ $65 this is better than NV Billecart; though, despite being more fruity,  it is a bit more serious, too.

@winetarelli posted:

Laherte Freres “Les Beaudiers” Rosé de Saignée Extra Brut (2015 Base; 04-2019 Disgorgement)

I’m going to be so pissed off when the rest of the world figures out that this winery is truly world-class. Nothing like the Rosé de Meunier, although also 100% Pinot Meunier. Raspberry, peach, and bread dough. A little limestone and a long finish. Tasted warmer than ideal (closer to cellar temperature than fully chilled, maybe about 48-60F over the course of drinking) but absolutely doesn’t matter. This rocks. At ~ $65 this is better than NV Billecart; though, despite being more fruity,  it is a bit more serious, too.

JJB had a close out of this last year for only 25$/btl!!!  I got the case and you are correct, it is absolutely delicious with loads of fresh crushed red berry notes!

2010 Bodegas Poesia Poesia

GLast night with pizza, opened 2013 Orin Swift Abstract, but very badly corked. Had a tiny taste, and behind the wall of wet cardboard there seems to be some nice berry fruit. It’s been years since I’ve had a bottle corked this intensely. Too bad.

Tonight, dinner at the local fish place. Taking 2002 Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Rare, one of my half-dozen all-time favourite bubblies. Also, to have with dessert (don’t usually bother with this, but they’ve been featuring fruit-based desserts which have all sounded very appealing) 2005 Kracher No. 10 Chardonnay Trockenbeerenauslese, a very special stickie that has turned quite amber in the last couple of years; might be approaching the end of its shelf life.

@winetarelli posted:

NV Laherte Freres Rosé de Meunier Extra Brut

Still the best Champagne I know of under $50. Just delicious.

A wonderful Champagne, and definite value indeed!

Tonight with spicy chicken legs In the air fryer, and spicy green beans, I’m having beer, but my lovely wife and daughter aren’t keen on that so they get 2015 Selbach Oster Riesling Kabinett Halbtrocken Zeltinger Himmelreich. That really lengthy name says it all.😊

Over the weekend we had a 2018 Ridge Adelaida Vineyard and a 2015 Tablas Creek Esprit Blanc de Tablas. 

2017 Ridge Montebello (a not unexpected way too young)

2010 Conn Valley Eloge, drinking very well with notes of sweet vanilla, blackberry notes and a smooth dusty chocolate aftertaste

1970 Fonseca  X mas spice and all things nice.  A wonderful specimen of port.  Notes of brown sugar, fine spirits, caramel, allspice and azest of cinnamon giving one a long minute + finish that just lingers to the next sip.

2017 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills

Alvaro Palacios Finca Dofi 2009.  Popped and poured.  Delicious.

Tonight with vegetable and lentil soup and a nice green olive bread, 2016 Brewer Clifton Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills; lovely berry and cherry nose, same on the palate with some black tea, very silky, medium-long finish with some cherry pit emerging late in the game, perfect counterpoint to the ripe fruit. Very nice, really easy to drink quickly.

2018 Fattoria Petrolo Torrione

Tonight, 2017 Sette Ponti Crognolo, dark, young, and even after ~3 hours in decanter still pretty tight. Probably needs around 5 more years to open up, but the long finish suggests it has the stuffing to coast in the cellar for years.

@seaquam posted:

Tonight with spicy chicken legs In the air fryer, and spicy green beans, I’m having beer, but my lovely wife and daughter aren’t keen on that so they get 2015 Selbach Oster Riesling Kabinett Halbtrocken Zeltinger Himmelreich. That really lengthy name says it all.😊

Good choice in beer!  (And wine.)  The original Pilsner and still easily the best (mass produced) there is.