# What's new in your cellar?



## Johnd

With such a diverse group of wine drinkers, spread out not just across North America, but all over the world, it would be nice to see what wines folks find and collect. I realize that we have a "what's in your glass tonite" thread, but waiting til someone cracks a bottle open sometimes means one may have difficulty locating a wine from earlier vintages. We could share amateur and professional tasting notes, photos of the bottle, best pricing, where to find it, that sort of stuff. There are thousands of wineries just in the US, many small and unheard of, but I'd bet we have members near lots of them. Could be little hidden gems in the rough, wines you collect from big wineries, whatever you like. 

Quite a few of our members regularly post this type of info in a thread, it gets some comments for a while, and then drifts into the electronic depths of WMT. This thread would, at least, give us the opportunity to keep that type of info together and a little easier to find. 

What's new in your cellar?


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## ibglowin

Several of us are on Cellar Tracker. Easiest way I know to keep track of your growing inventory (both commercial as well as home brew). Feel free to peruse anytime!


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## sour_grapes

ibglowin said:


> Several of us are on Cellar Tracker. Easiest way I know to keep track of your growing inventory (both commercial as well as home brew). Feel free to peruse anytime!



From your cellartracker page, when I tried to look at your cellar list:


> You do not have permissions to browse this cellar. This user has explicitly disallowed access to their cellar.



Ummm, seems that there is a "failure to communicate" here?


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## Boatboy24

sour_grapes said:


> From your cellartracker page, when I tried to look at your cellar list:
> 
> 
> Ummm, seems that there is a "failure to communicate" here?



Same here.


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## ibglowin

I think this might be a case of you show me yours, and I will show you mine.... LOL

I think you have to sign up on Cellar Tracker (it's free) and send me a friend request.



sour_grapes said:


> From your cellartracker page, when I tried to look at your cellar list:
> 
> 
> Ummm, seems that there is a "failure to communicate" here?


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## dcbrown73

Cellar Tracker is awesome, though I've stopped managing it. I used to only try new wines, but lately I really haven't had a lot of time to do investigating and the fact that Fedex became a jerk for a bit and stopped shipping to Connecticut. (though I hear that has now changed)

I need to find the time and go update my Cellar Tracker inventory list. While I still have well over 100 wines as Cellar Tracker says, a majority of them aren't commercial wines anymore. (I drank them!)

My Cellar Tracker link is in my sig. Mine is shared publicly.


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## ibglowin

Just looked at my settings. Its set to all registered users.


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## cgallamo

I just started using Cellar Tracker a couple of months ago. 

@ibglowin - I was able to see your cellar, and I don't think we are friends so perhaps you guys do not have a funded login? BTW what an amazing cellar! Looks like you lean toward the big bold wines of Napa and Washington State. I am still figuring out what I like best, and I love variety, but know for sure I like French Rhone Reds and Italian Piedmont Reds Here is mine:
https://www.cellartracker.com/list.asp?Table=List#selected%3DW2300546_1_Kd8c3395d76421121de909d839299da82

I like the way John started the thread - we all live close to wineries that may have wines we like and could share. For example here in Georgia we have extremely difficult growing conditions, but I have had a Tannat to rival Uruguay, and Norton/Cynthiana that was excellent for my taste. I have these in my cellar, but don't have them on Cellar Tracker because I haven't bothered to take photos of the bottles etc... Also I don't have any wines I have made, or any other homemade or kit wine on Cellar Tracker. That would be really interesting if we could compare notes on kits and must buckets etc. I think this could drive better quality from suppliers.


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## Johnd

It was just a thought, although it appears to not have much traction............. 

I'd personally rather do it here than have yet another web group to be a member of and manage, but that's just me.........


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## ibglowin

Yep, since your a registered user you could see my inventory!

One of the really nice features of CT is that 99.99% of the time, somebody has already created not only the wine you are adding to your cellar but also a photograph as well. I think I have only posted one or two pics over the course of 3 years now on CT.



cgallamo said:


> I just started using Cellar Tracker a couple of months ago.
> 
> @ibglowin - I was able to see your cellar, and I don't think we are friends so perhaps you guys do not have a funded login? BTW what an amazing cellar! Looks like you lean toward the big bold wines of Napa and Washington State. I am still figuring out what I like best, and I love variety, but know for sure I like French Rhone Reds and Italian Piedmont Reds Here is mine:
> https://www.cellartracker.com/list.asp?Table=List#selected%3DW2300546_1_Kd8c3395d76421121de909d839299da82
> 
> I like the way John started the thread - we all live close to wineries that may have wines we like and could share. For example here in Georgia we have extremely difficult growing conditions, but I have had a Tannat to rival Uruguay, and Norton/Cynthiana that was excellent for my taste. I have these in my cellar, but don't have them on Cellar Tracker because I haven't bothered to take photos of the bottles etc... Also I don't have any wines I have made, or any other homemade or kit wine on Cellar Tracker. That would be really interesting if we could compare notes on kits and must buckets etc. I think this could drive better quality from suppliers.


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## ibglowin

I love the fact that since its web based, my inventory is everywhere I go. If I am at Costco and see something, I can instantly find out if I already have that wine in the cellar. I can maintain my cellar from any computer. With over 500 bottles in my commercial side of the cellar and that much or more on the "home brew" side, I need all the help I can get!



Johnd said:


> It was just a thought, although it appears to not have much traction.............
> 
> I'd personally rather do it here than have yet another web group to be a member of and manage, but that's just me.........


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## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> I love the fact that since its web based, my inventory is everywhere I go. If I am at Costco and see something, I can instantly find out if I already have that wine in the cellar. I can maintain my cellar from any computer. With over 500 bottles in my commercial side of the cellar and that much or more on the "home brew" side, I need all the help I can get!



Sounds pretty cool, but I question the reality of me starting now to catalog and log 1500+ bottles of wine in, and track which ones I drink, probably pretty much slim to none......


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## ibglowin

So in case anyone didn't already know this, it IS the Spring shipping season! It's like Xmas only it comes twice a year (Fall as well!)  

I am a member of probably 20 different wine clubs. Some have required allocations, some not. I have a couple of local buds who are wine lovers/connoisseurs as well. We get together and order what we want and usually get between 10-20% off MSRP. Its nice as it helps cut down on the per bottle shipping price if you only have to pay ~50% of it. Last week I got wine shipments in from Saviah, Horsepower, Spring Valley, Avennia, Two Vintners, Secret Squirrel. This week its EFESTE, Quilceda Creek, Reynvann and The Underground Wine Project......


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## ibglowin

You would be surprised at how fast it goes. To add a wine in to your cellar just start typing in the "add wine" field and after about 5-10 keystrokes it has already guessed which wine your trying to add....

If your adding homebrew, its even quicker as you can add 30 bottles (or more) in one shot, no need to add each one individually.



Johnd said:


> Sounds pretty cool, but I question the reality of me starting now to catalog and log 1500+ bottles of wine in, and track which ones I drink, probably pretty much slim to none......


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## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> You would be surprised at how fast it goes. To add a wine in to your cellar just start typing in the "add wine" field and after about 5-10 keystrokes it has already guessed which wine your trying to add....
> 
> If your adding homebrew, its even quicker as you can add 30 bottles (or more) in one shot, no need to add each one individually.



Sounds like you're hitting me up with the hard sell now.......LOL


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## ibglowin

It only took me a couple hours IIRC and now I can quickly go in and see what wines I have, the vintage, drinking windows, other members scores and reviews....



Johnd said:


> Sounds like you're hitting me up with the hard sell now.......LOL


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## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> It only took me a couple hours IIRC and now I can quickly go in and see what wines I have, the vintage, drinking windows, other members scores and reviews....



..........and now for the close???????


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## ibglowin

It's FREE! LOL They would like a "donation" but they don't force you.




Johnd said:


> ..........and now for the close???????


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## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> It's FREE! LOL They would like a "donation" but they don't force you.



Well done my friend, well done!! 

Seriously though, it does seem like a pretty good resource, sounds like I need to look into it further, and I will do so


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## Sweetiepie

I will be honest, I was really hoping this thread would take off in the direction of the thread starter had mentioned since I am so new to even tasting wine. The cellar worksheet sounds great for those more experienced. I was really hoping to hear about the different tastes that was appreciated from different wines because honestly I read good reviews and try a wine and it is the most awful thing. Also people telling about wineries would be great. North Dakota has just a few and they are not very close to me. 

Just my 2 cents. Though I am guessing that this thread is about over.


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## ibglowin

The "what's in your glass" thread would probably be your best shot at learning about new wines that people are drinking right now. This will probably be a good thread for those of us who purchase wines to "lay down" for a decent period of time before they are drunk. I suspect there is not too many of us on this board that do this. I will be more than happy to start posting what's coming into my Cellar here. In fact here is a shot from last week of one of my latest "special deliveries". My 2014 allocation from Horsepower Vineyards.


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## Boatboy24

I should probably look into this. I recently discovered 2-3 wines, where I thought I had a few in the basement, but couldn't locate them.


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## ibglowin

The downside is while this will certainly tell you "whats in your cellar" unless you assign a wine a position in a bin or rack (which you actually can) It won't help you find that bottle! 



Boatboy24 said:


> I should probably look into this. I recently discovered 2-3 wines, where I thought I had a few in the basement, but couldn't locate them.


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## ibglowin

We went a little cray-cray first year on the Doubleback allocation list.........


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## Boatboy24

ibglowin said:


> The downside is while this will certainly tell you "whats in your cellar" unless you assign a wine a position in a bin or rack (which you actually can) It won't help you find that bottle!



I think my issue is that I didn't realize I was drinking the last bottle when did.


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## cgallamo

I just thought it would be cool to have a point system on kits/buckets vintage over vintage so you were buying with a little more confidence.


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## cgallamo

Sounds like John is already sold, but another thing that I like about this is you can put notes in when you drink a bottle just for yourself. It doesn't have to be tasting notes. I added quotes from people's first reaction to the bottle, or what foods I was eating or what the event was where we tasted it. For big data nerd's this is the ultimate. 

ibglowin - I didn't see homebrew in your cellar. I'll go look again.

Chris


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## Johnd

cgallamo said:


> Sounds like John is already sold, but another thing that I like about this is you can put notes in when you drink a bottle just for yourself. It doesn't have to be tasting notes. I added quotes from people's first reaction to the bottle, or what foods I was eating or what the event was where we tasted it. For big data nerd's this is the ultimate.
> 
> ibglowin - I didn't see homebrew in your cellar. I'll go look again.
> 
> Chris



I went and signed up on cellar tracker, put a few bottles in just to play with, found @ibglowin and @dcbrown73 on there. I may play over there some, but I still think there are lots of folks here who would like to see and hear about stuff being purchased by our fellow members here, on this site.

Mike posted a couple of wines above, there's no reason why anyone who wants to shouldn't do the same....... I'll put a few of my recently acquired Napa beauties up here a little later on today.........


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## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> We went a little cray-cray first year on the Doubleback allocation list.........



That looks like a really nice wine, and you're right in the heart of its maturity range, how's it drinking?


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## Boatboy24

cgallamo said:


> I just thought it would be cool to have a point system on kits/buckets vintage over vintage so you were buying with a little more confidence.



I've always wanted something like this set up in the Kit section. It would be great to be able to read reviews/scores on kits by users before buying one. I will say, responses are generally good around here when you ask, but having an archive of sorts could prove to be extremely useful.


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## Johnd

We had a few objectives when we went to Napa, first being to visit wineries that have been producing great wines and get to taste them, we did well. Second on the list, and maybe a bit vain, was to acquire a 100 point wine. We have none in the cellar, nor have we ever tasted one, and you generally don't get to do that in tastings. We came away from Hall Winery's Ultimate Cab experience a bit on the tipsy side, and three each of these lovely wines showed up a week later.

From the left is the 100 point 2013 Hall Rainin Vineyard, 95+ Hall "The Bishop", and 2013 Hall Sacrashe Vineyard. All laid down to rest for several years before any tastings.


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## ibglowin

That order got split up amongst three wino's. Its been a few months since I have opened one, but its right in the sweet spot. Drew puts on a pretty amazing spread each Summer for list members. At the winery in WW. It free to get in for members and they have several food trucks from some of the best places in WWV. The Doubleback flows pretty darn free. Drew is a very down to earth and approachable kind of guy. 

Good cellar conditions are a must for these wines to age well. No storage in the kitchen...... LOL



Johnd said:


> That looks like a really nice wine, and you're right in the heart of its maturity range, how's it drinking?


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## Boatboy24

cgallamo said:


> For big data nerd's this is the ultimate.



Not sure I'd classify myself quite as a big data nerd, but I can certainly appreciate it. I've built a mini-database in Excel with datapoints on all my wines. When I'm feeling crazy, I make up little charts and pivot tables to try and find trends in my winemaking/consumption. :>


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## ibglowin

It's under "San Acacia". I even uploaded my label. I decided not to keep track on my home brew and just use CT for commercial stuff . Just didn't really want to have to remember to remove a bottle of home brew every time I opened it. 

Commercial side on the other hand, very important to keep track of for several reasons, including what's getting possibly past its drinking window, a possible loss due to fire or even a home invasion (remote possibility where I live but you never know) 

I have beefed up security with cypher locks and video camera's in the house, in the cellar, outside the house..... ::



cgallamo said:


> ibglowin - I didn't see homebrew in your cellar. I'll go look again.


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## dcbrown73

Johnd said:


> I went and signed up on cellar tracker, put a few bottles in just to play with, found @ibglowin and @dcbrown73 on there. I may play over there some, *but I still think there are lots of folks here who would like to see and hear about stuff being purchased by our fellow members here, on this site.*
> 
> Mike posted a couple of wines above, there's no reason why anyone who wants to shouldn't do the same....... I'll put a few of my recently acquired Napa beauties up here a little later on today.........



In the $25 or less range.

* Elouan Pinot Noir
* Joel Gott Zinfandel and Cabernet are great wines for the price
* Schild Estate Shiraz is an incredible wine for sub $25.
* L'Ecole No. 41 Chenin Blanc
* Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 
* Orin Swift Department 66 Grenache
* Columbia Crest Unoaked Chardonnay Reserve Estate 
* McManis Viognier (for a $11 wine, this is quite good)
* Bodegas Breca Old Vine Garnacha
* Bodegas Juan Gil Monastrell
* Decoy Sauvignon Blanc 
* Misha Pinot Gris. (Not a huge Pinot Gris drinker, but this one is very good)
* Penfold's Bin 8 Shiraz, Cab blend
* Mer Soleil Chardonnay Reserve (actually, this one is closer to $28)
* Doran Vineyards Chenin Blanc (Love a great Chenin Blanc)
* Selbach-Oster Riesling Feinherb (Almost Sauvignon Blanc like with Riesling character)
* Ravines Dry Riesling
* 2006 Tandem Macula 
* A.J. Adam Riesling Spatlese (fantastic with Jambalaya)
* Fonseca Finest Reserve Bin #27 (fantastic Port wine for $15!)

Those are some of the wines I've really liked over about the last year. There are several others, but I think I've added enough for now.


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## Johnd

@dcbrown73 I recognize quite a few of those and have some as well. Wifey and I are quite fond of the Bodegas Brecca OVG, really nice wine. I'm a hawk for Parker wines in the 90's and under $20. If you get the inkling, try the 2014 Bodegas Volver Single Vineyard, WA 92, and you can still get it for under $13 per bottle, I've got a couple of cases to tap into as soon as we finish up the last '12 and a couple of '13's, its been a great every night wine for us.


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## dcbrown73

Johnd said:


> @dcbrown73 I recognize quite a few of those and have some as well. Wifey and I are quite fond of the Bodegas Brecca OVG, really nice wine. I'm a hawk for Parker wines in the 90's and under $20. If you get the inkling, try the 2014 Bodegas Volver Single Vineyard, WA 92, and you can still get it for under $13 per bottle, I've got a couple of cases to tap into as soon as we finish up the last '12 and a couple of '13's, its been a great every night wine for us.



Thanks, I will take a look and see where I can get some! Thanks for the heads up. I hope everyone shares some of their great finds. I always love finding new wines.


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## cgallamo

Ever had 2013 Levendi Cab Sweetwater Ranch? It is a fantastic pop and pour. Not under $25, more like 40 or 45 but it is just so smooth. Also in the $40 range if you want terroir I LOVE 2012 Domaine Bois de Boursan Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and that one should get better for a few more years.

For under $25 I like Alexander Valley cab 2014

Now a weird one -2011 Freelance Wines Coup de Grace - it is amazing for about the first 10 minutes then drops off a cliff


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## ibglowin

You wonder how can RP and WS be so far apart on a wine? 



Johnd said:


> From the left is the 100 point 2013 Hall Rainin Vineyard


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## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> You wonder how can RP and WS be so far apart on a wine?



Yup, saw that. They're normally a LOT closer. My taste has always tracked a lot closer to Parkers than anyone else. I'll let you know how it is in a few years.....

Edit: WA rated it at the end of 14 and 15, WS at the end of 16. Maybe it turned to crap, who knows. Bad bottle? No clue.


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## ibglowin

I don't always agree with the reviewers but its always nice to have some conformation on something you have not tasted. Most of my wines are purchased via list allocation so they have not been rated formally when I get them. A few do sometimes have barrel tastings from RP as a guide but they are done when a wine is usually only about 12-18 months old and still in its infancy so again, may or may not hold up. Can't always trust it.


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## Sweetiepie

ibglowin said:


> You wonder how can RP and WS be so far apart on a wine?



Does this wine really taste like dirt? I am honestly really wondering.


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## Johnd

Sweetiepie said:


> Does this wine really taste like dirt? I am honestly really wondering.



LOL! No, dusty and earthy doesn't mean that it tastes like dirt! Lots of wines have an earthy tone to them, sort of musty, but it's a pleasant quality, not like a childhood mudpie.


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## Boatboy24

About to be new in my cellar is some Columbia Crest Reserve Syrah and Malbec.


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## ibglowin

When they saw things like that or "forrest floor" its in the nose or bouquet. To get all of those "notes" you need the right glass, the right amount of wine in the glass and then the wine has to be decanted or "aired out" so that those notes start to come out into what is basically the "headspace" of the glass of wine. 

Sometimes you also need a good imagination.....


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## dcbrown73

Boatboy24 said:


> About to be new in my cellar is some Columbia Crest Reserve Syrah and Malbec.



Same here. I also got the Mystery Cases offer, but I don't toy with those. Mystery boxes are ways to dump garbage most of the time while salting a few select boxes with something decent while others end up with full boxes of stuff they can't sell. 

I like most Columbia Crest wines, but I've already had a few that I wouldn't buy again. I definitely don't want a full case of them.


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## Boatboy24

dcbrown73 said:


> Same here. I also got the Mystery Cases offer, but I don't toy with those. Mystery boxes are ways to dump garbage most of the time while salting a few select boxes with something decent while others end up with full boxes of stuff they can't sell.
> 
> I like most Columbia Crest wines, but I've already had a few that I wouldn't buy again. I definitely don't want a full case of them.



I thought (briefly) about the mystery case and figured with shipping, you're paying about $18/bottle. I also figured that you'd get 1 or two reserve wines, and a bunch of H3.  Not going there.


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## ibglowin

You guys will have to keep me posted on CC Reserve wines. I quit them when they changed up things too much and made their most famous wines (Walter Clore and the Reserve Cab) upgrades or add ons. They were very nice when I wrote to them to cancel and were willing to work with me but I have about 3 cases in the cellar so it really was time to switch out.

I signed on with Spring Valley Vineyards. Much smaller winery with a much more limited portfolio, consistent 90+ scores plus they give a whopping 20% discount on all wines purchased including club allocations AND they ship next day air for the same price as ground. They make two Bordeaux blends (Uriah and Frederick) that are always fantastic and have scored as high as 94pts WS (which is like 105 RP LOL)

When I got my first order I looked at the invoice and thought gee that looks familiar. Their invoice is the same as Columbia Crest........ Looked back an sure enough the Winery was bought out a few years ago by....... Ste. Michelle Wine Estates who owns Columbia Crest, Chateau St. Michelle and about a dozen other wineries in WA State. Resistance is futile I guess.





Boatboy24 said:


> About to be new in my cellar is some Columbia Crest Reserve Syrah and Malbec.


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## Sweetiepie

Johnd said:


> LOL! No, dusty and earthy doesn't mean that it tastes like dirt! Lots of wines have an earthy tone to them, sort of musty, but it's a pleasant quality, not like a childhood mudpie.



Ok, so more like a freshly plowed field in the spring time. That always has a good smell of new things to come. I was hoping it wasn't open your mouth on a windy day in ND kind of taste. LOL


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## ibglowin

The 2014's are in!


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## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> The 2014's are in!



Hope your 14's follow in the footsteps of the 13 vintage, those guys have been pumping out some studs! You in a club/allocation list to get them?


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## ibglowin

Yes, since the 09's came out!


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## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> Yes, since the 09's came out!



Nice Mike, I'm going to look into hooking up with them. That's a really impressive history of cabs going back a long time. 

Just got my Hall allocation, switched all of the offerings to get 6 bottles of the Jack's. I'm pretty sure that it has since sold out.


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## ibglowin

There is just so much good stuff being produced in WA these days at price points that CA can't even come close to or they don't care perhaps as they have no problem selling it at 2X the price.

When I got on the QC list the wait was not that long, a few months IIRC. Been on the Cayuse wait list since 2009. Get a love letter from them every year saying sorry, not this year but don't give up hope....... 

I did get on the Horsepower list because I was on the Cayuse wait list. (same vintner Christophe Baron). The wines coming out have already proven to be very close in quality to Cayuse and they are still young.




Johnd said:


> Nice Mike, I'm going to look into hooking up with them. That's a really impressive history of cabs going back a long time.
> 
> Just got my Hall allocation, switched all of the offerings to get 6 bottles of the Jack's. I'm pretty sure that it has since sold out.


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## ibglowin

EFESTE Spring allocation is in! 

3 killer Syrahs from three of the most famous vineyards/AVA's in WA State. One Boushey, one Red Willow, one Red Mountain. No funk here, just pure powerhouse syrah. 2 Bordeaux blends, Tough Guy and Final Final. One pure Cab, Big Papa. One (amazing) Rose' These guys are minimalist when it comes to winemaking. They use indigenous yeast, minimal racking and no filtering. Small (Italian) family run business. They treat you like family every time you visit. My kind of people, my kind of winery.


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## Johnd

Arkenstone is a great little winery up in the mountains southeast of Calistoga, organic farming, new winery with new caves, awesome new fermentation tanks, hydraulic punchdown plungers running on monorails over the vats, really squared away operation, and the wine is every bit as squared away. The Owner conducted out tour and tasting. This wine is so pure, clean and beautiful, I even bought A half case of the Sauvignon Blanc. The Obsidian is a cab blend, beautiful intensity with a loooong finish. The SB received a 93, the Obsidian a 98+ barrel tasting from WA. They only made like 5 or 6 hundred cases of each.


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## cgallamo

Johnd said:


> Nice Mike, I'm going to look into hooking up with them. That's a really impressive history of cabs going back a long time.
> 
> Just got my Hall allocation, switched all of the offerings to get 6 bottles of the Jack's. I'm pretty sure that it has since sold out.



Beautiful! Well done. It is sold out now, tried to get some after reading this. I had the 2012 and loved it, this is supposed to be way better!


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## Johnd

cgallamo said:


> Beautiful! Well done. It is sold out now, tried to get some after reading this. I had the 2012 and loved it, this is supposed to be way better!



Great price point for a 99, should've gotten more....... the 14 isn't as highly rated, but the 15 is sitting on a high barrel rating, we'll see how it holds.


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## CabSauv

I have a 2005 Altamura Cabernet that I'll be drinking with my dad this weekend for his 60th birthday. Pairing it with a block of Cabot's Extra Sharp Cheddar and then later a cigar yet to be determined. Should be a good weekend.


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## Johnd

CabSauv said:


> I have a 2005 Altamura Cabernet that I'll be drinking with my dad this weekend for his 60th birthday. Pairing it with a block of Cabot's Extra Sharp Cheddar and then later a cigar yet to be determined. Should be a good weekend.



Just checked it out, looks like a winner for sure!!! 100% cab aged 36 months in new French oak. I'd be very interested to hear what you think about it.......


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## CabSauv

Johnd said:


> Just checked it out, looks like a winner for sure!!! 100% cab aged 36 months in new French oak. I'd be very interested to hear what you think about it.......



I am quite excited myself, I will definitely let you know!


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## brewbush

Johnd said:


> Nice Mike, I'm going to look into hooking up with them. That's a really impressive history of cabs going back a long time.
> 
> Just got my Hall allocation, switched all of the offerings to get 6 bottles of the Jack's. I'm pretty sure that it has since sold out.



We also have been members (among a few other clubs) , this is our 3rd year. I stuck with the Ellies and Diamond Mnt. Too bad Jack's is indeed out of stock, my Halls have their own 2 shelves in the basement!


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## Johnd

brewbush said:


> We also have been members (among a few other clubs) , this is our 3rd year. I stuck with the Ellies and Diamond Mnt. Too bad Jack's is indeed out of stock, my Halls have their own 2 shelves in the basement!



Ahhh, two very solid choices as well, I particularly like the diamond mountain. I also have amassed a fair sized collection of Halls, guess we'd better get to work on it!


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## Johny99

ibglowin said:


> Ste. Michelle Wine Estates who owns Columbia Crest, Chateau St. Michelle and about a dozen other wineries in WA State. Resistance is futile I guess.



Just a note, big industry is what it is, but the folks at San Michelle have done great things for Washington wine and should be appreciated, IMHO, for that.

That said, the Quilceda Creek is a sweet addition to the cellar


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## ibglowin

I am against WA Wine being bought up by the "Budweiser" of the wine industry". No beer ever got better after being bought up by a large beer corporation and I believe the same thing holds true in the wine industry.

Then there is the fact that Ste. Michelle Wine Estates is owned by Altria Group, Inc. which is a rebranded name of Phillip Morris Inc. the tobacco and cigarette giant.

I am very happy that 95% of my wines come from small family owned businesses. 

"_*When you buy from a small business you are not helping a CEO buy a third vacation home. You are helping a little girl get dance lessons, a little boy get his team jersey, a mom or dad put food on the table, a family pay a mortgage, or a student pay for college*_"



Johny99 said:


> Just a note, big industry is what it is, but the folks at San Michelle have done great things for Washington wine and should be appreciated, IMHO, for that.
> 
> That said, the Quilceda Creek is a sweet addition to the cellar


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> I am against WA Wine being bought up by the "Budweiser" of the wine industry". No beer ever got better after being bought up by a large beer corporation and I believe the same thing holds true in the wine industry.
> 
> Then there is the fact that Ste. Michelle Wine Estates is owned by Altria Group, Inc. which is a rebranded name of Phillip Morris Inc. the tobacco and cigarette giant.
> 
> I am very happy that 95% of my wines come from small family owned businesses.
> 
> "_*When you buy from a small business you are not helping a CEO buy a third vacation home. You are helping a little girl get dance lessons, a little boy get his team jersey, a mom or dad put food on the table, a family pay a mortgage, or a student pay for college*_"



I agree with that sentiment as well. I still buy great wines from the "bigger" guys, but gravitate to the small production mom and pops. Same reason that I go to the local hardware and grocery stores as opposed to the giants...........

It's nice when you call up the winery that produces a few hundred cases of a few different wines (great wines, of course), they know you, remember when you visited with your wife, it just feels better to buy and drink their labors of love.


----------



## dcbrown73

I try all kinds of wines from a myriad of different winemakers. I used to hardly ever buy wines more than once unless it was a truly special wine.

Given my lack of time lately, I've found myself buying known wines more often. So when I do that. I buy what I know is good and that I really enjoy no matter who the maker is. 

Great wine at a really good value is always a buy for me.


----------



## ibglowin

I guess I like an individual wine not only from a taste perspective but I also want one that I can connect with on a personal level. That to me is what makes wine different from other beverages!


----------



## Johnd

Decided to stop by my local wine merchant on the way home, have become friends with the proprietor since it's "on my way home". He was rearranging and restocking, lots of new arrivals were showing up. He told me he'd found a few stray bottles that I might be interested in, at a discount. Don't drop the D word on me when wine is involved. Long story short, came home with two bottles of 2014 Caymus (his last), a 2008 and three 2009 Terlato Episode wines. Pretty good haul. Never had the Episode, anyone tried it?


----------



## ibglowin

Well since it is TBT why not show off a 50th (yes you read that right) Anniversary Edition wine from Chateau Ste. Michelle! Hard to believe they have been around since 1967. They were certainly a gateway wine for me back in the late 80's and early 90's. This label is an exact replica of their first wine produced 50 years ago and has the now famous map on the back label showing WA State at the same Latitude as Bordeaux, France. One to drink sometime soon and one to hold for posterity.


----------



## cgallamo

Johnd said:


> I agree with that sentiment as well. I still buy great wines from the "bigger" guys, but gravitate to the small production mom and pops. Same reason that I go to the local hardware and grocery stores as opposed to the giants...........
> 
> It's nice when you call up the winery that produces a few hundred cases of a few different wines (great wines, of course), they know you, remember when you visited with your wife, it just feels better to buy and drink their labors of love.



You all might love this one then. Family winery with only about 6 acres of vineyards. They produce 6000 bottles of Brunello, and they Helychrysum is maybe less than half of those. In the Cellar I have 2008, 2009, 2010. These still drink a little young with Tannins still mellowing.


----------



## jburtner

Just received two cases of various wines. Right now I am excited about the middle one which is four bottles of a 1995 Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva but I had one of the Chateau Cranne Bordeaux Rouge the other night and enjoyed it. 

Cheers!
-johann


----------



## Johnd

So here's where I really damaged the kitty, Castello Di Amorosa. Incredible place, an architectural beauty, unbelievable replica of an old castle. The wine was simply divine, and we tasted a lot of wines, so when offered case discounts, I obliged, and have a case of each laid down in the wine room. Can't wait to get into this stuff in a few years, although the Don Thomas is ready to go now. 2013 Sinalunga, 2014 Il Barone, 2010 Don Thomas, 2013 Morisoli-Borges, and 2013 Sangiovese. Thumbs up on all five!


----------



## jburtner

Johnd said:


> So here's where I really damaged the kitty, Castello Di Amorosa. Incredible place, an architectural beauty, unbelievable replica of an old castle. The wine was simply divine, and we tasted a lot of wines, so when offered case discounts, I obliged, and have a case of each laid down in the wine room. Can't wait to get into this stuff in a few years, although the Don Thomas is ready to go now. 2013 Sinalunga, 2014 Il Barone, 2010 Don Thomas, 2013 Morisoli-Borges, and 2013 Sangiovese. Thumbs up on all five!


Wow! That place looks dangerous!

My photo attached this time -


----------



## Boatboy24

Johnd said:


> So here's where I really damaged the kitty, Castello Di Amorosa. Incredible place, an architectural beauty, unbelievable replica of an old castle. The wine was simply divine, and we tasted a lot of wines, so when offered case discounts, I obliged, and have a case of each laid down in the wine room. Can't wait to get into this stuff in a few years, although the Don Thomas is ready to go now. 2013 Sinalunga, 2014 Il Barone, 2010 Don Thomas, 2013 Morisoli-Borges, and 2013 Sangiovese. Thumbs up on all five!



That turned out to be an expensive trip!


----------



## Johnd

Boatboy24 said:


> That turned out to be an expensive trip!



"It was an investment"


----------



## ibglowin

So I have no room for cases anymore like Johnd only one's and two's these days! My Betz 2017 Spring order. They do Bordeaux in the Spring and Rhone in the Fall. Betz has been around for ever as well. Bob Betz started it and was offered a big fat wad o cash by some wealthy Aussies a few years ago so he sold the winery but has stayed on as the winemaker. Very smart move as he holds a Master of Wine degree which is next to impossible to achieve. In fact there are only 353 of them in the entire world! I get one of their flagship Cab's one of the flagship Bordeaux blends as well as a couple of their 2nd tier wines which are made from declassified lots that didn't make it into the top tier wines. These are built to last just about as long as Quilceda Creek wines but at about half the price.


----------



## ibglowin

Made a Costco run today and stumbled on not one but two wines that were on this years Wine Spectator list of Top 100 Wines! Great QPR to boot!


----------



## brewbush

Got my most recent club shipment from Bravante winery. Fantastic smaller Howell mountain winery. Case of a mix of these beauties!!


----------



## Boatboy24

Quarterly shipment arrived today.


----------



## ibglowin

Wow talk about printing "fun facts" on a Wine label! LOL



Boatboy24 said:


> Quarterly shipment arrived today.


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> Wow talk about printing "fun facts" on a Wine label! LOL



I like when they put those "fun facts" on bottles, this was on a 2012 Bell Clone 6 Cab I drank recently:


----------



## Boatboy24

Johnd said:


> I like when they put those "fun facts" on bottles, this was on a 2012 Bell Clone 6 Cab I drank recently:



Love that - very few get to that level of detail, but I enjoy when they do. I'm often surprised at how high the pH is on some commercial wines.


----------



## ibglowin

At least the Belle Clone put something actually useful on the label from a winemakers perspective, that being pH, TA, Oak type, Brix.......

As amateur winemakers we get soooooooo wrapped up and fret over our pH's trying to get them dialed in as close as possible to the mythical 3.65........ 

Then you see wines being put out at (at least for me and I suspect all of us here at WMT) at pH's and TA's that look totally out of whack, but they just seem to let it roll, don't mess with Mother Nature no matter what. I don't get it but I see it (mostly because I am always looking at the numbers) all the time. 

How many of us here at WMT would have let it roll with these numbers?


----------



## Boatboy24

I've seen some at 3.8+, but never at 4!!  And a correspondingly low TA too! The Belle at least came in at 0.66 TA.


----------



## ibglowin

That wine appears to not have been produced since 2010. The spec sheet on the 2010 has a more respectable pH of 3.59 and TA of 0.60 and it garnered a 91pt WS score. I got one of the 2014's recently in a club shipment plus I snagged a bottle of the 2010's since it got high marks. Time for a side by side taste comparison! (for research purposes of course)


----------



## stickman

Yes, I think 3.8 is my limit for a finished wine, I get nervous beyond that. I still start fermentation closer to 3.5.


----------



## Johny99

I like to test commercial wines I like. Often pH is well over 3.65. Only once do I remember one over 4. It was good, although I'll bet it wouldn't last forever, it was 4 when uncorked.


----------



## Johnd

Boatboy24 said:


> Love that - very few get to that level of detail, but I enjoy when they do. I'm often surprised at how high the pH is on some commercial wines.



Check the wines at Frank Family website, they give some pretty decent info there as well.


----------



## Sweetiepie

I am pretty new still to wine making so I got a kit a White Zinfandel and it doesn't say anything about checking ph but I did, so I would have an idea what it should be right. It was 4.4. I left it since it gave no instruction to change it. I am new to drinking wine too, but have found I can tolerate most White Zinfandel's so I just started a home made, clean out my pantry shelves mix and that ph was also 4.4. So I am asking should I do something with that? Completely off this topic thread, sorry.


----------



## jburtner

Hi, A kit should already be balanced as the kit manufacturer intends so you don't need to add any additives to balance.

That being said - 4.4 sounds way high especially for a white. I could be wrong about a White Zin but whites are typically more acidic in the pH3.2-pH3.6 range. One pH is a logarithmic or ten-fold change in acidity which means that pH4.4 is 10x less acidic than pH3.4.

More acidity makes wine taste crisper (more crisp) or more tart depending on your point of view and less acidity makes it taste what many describe as "flabby".

Cheers!
-jonathan


----------



## Johnd

jburtner said:


> Hi, A kit should already be balanced as the kit manufacturer intends so you don't need to add any additives to balance.
> 
> That being said - 4.4 sounds way high especially for a white. I could be wrong about a White Zin but whites are typically more acidic in the pH3.2-pH3.6 range. One pH is a logarithmic or ten-fold change in acidity which means that pH4.4 is 10x less acidic than pH3.4.
> 
> More acidity makes wine taste crisper (more crisp) or more tart depending on your point of view and less acidity makes it taste what many describe as "flabby".
> 
> Cheers!
> -jonathan



@jburtner is right, 4.4 would be way to basic, and you would have serious potential for microbial instability. My first suspicion would be about whether or not the pH is really 4.4. How are you testing for pH?


----------



## Sweetiepie

Johnd said:


> @jburtner is right, 4.4 would be way to basic, and you would have serious potential for microbial instability. My first suspicion would be about whether or not the pH is really 4.4. How are you testing for pH?



I have ph strips that you color match and most definitely way on that end of the color chart. The first wine I made read 3.6. 

Ok, I will adjust this bucket I am just brewing and leave the kit alone. 
Thank you and jburtner. Especially for the explanation of why we need more acid.


----------



## Johnd

Sweetiepie said:


> I have ph strips that you color match and most definitely way on that end of the color chart. The first wine I made read 3.6.
> 
> Ok, I will adjust this bucket I am just brewing and leave the kit alone.
> Thank you and jburtner. Especially for the explanation of why we need more acid.



I think I'd trust the kit manufacturer before I would trust the pH strips. I suppose that they are pretty easy to use on white wines, but I prefer a good quality digital meter that I know is giving me accurate results, then I have the confidence to know that a change needs to be made............


----------



## Johnd

Postman just dropped a tasty little morsel. Have to give kudos to the Mrs. for picking Spottswoode to visit. We really liked the SB, but the cab blew us away, 6 bottles of each, plus a 2014 cab magnum. Parkers last review of the 13 cab was 99+, drinking time from 2021-2071. I'll be dead before it hits its prime.


----------



## ibglowin

Certainly hope they didn't ship that via the USPS! 

Your not shipping by ground are you? 



Johnd said:


> Postman just dropped a tasty little morsel......


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> Certainly hope they didn't ship that via the USPS!
> 
> Your not shipping by ground are you?



Some stuff comes by ground, but only during cool months. This particular winery ships 2nd day air, landed in NO this morning, on the truck by 8, delivered at 10, UPS. Guess " postman " gave the wrong impression.


----------



## ibglowin

Problem with wine coming via ground headed east out of CA is it moves from Napa/San Fran on I5 South to Los Angeles. Then IH10 East right through Phoenix which even in the Winter months can be 80 degrees at times. You have it even worse than me, with a *long* slog through all of TX before you even hit LA!

The safe shipping window via ground is only ~3 months at best!


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> Problem with wine coming via ground headed east out of CA is it moves from Napa/San Fran on I5 South to Los Angeles. Then IH10 East right through Phoenix which even in the Winter months can be 80 degrees at times. You have it even worse than me, with a *long* slog through all of TX before you even hit LA!
> 
> The safe shipping window via ground is only ~3 months at best!



We keep a pretty good eye on the weather when the releases come out. A few of them actually ship out of Cali in refrigerated trucks to Dallas or San Antonio before dropping at UPS for the last leg, others have ice packs in them. I typically defer all of my shippings between the months of April and November, so I get spring and fall releases in November. April thru October is a no-no here too. 
This particular delivery showed up with the bottles pretty chilly, in the 60's, but 2nd day air is rare......


----------



## Sweetiepie

I never would of thought about shipping in the heat. Just got another 11 inches of snow in 2 hours here. For me I only worry about stuff freezing. I wonder what kind of window that leaves me.


----------



## Johnd

I've been on the Turley list for a few years, and have never received an allocation offer, til this year finally! My dad has let me order from his allocation in the past, but alas, got my own offer and took what they offered. These are all 2015 Zinfandels, 6 Juvenile, and two each of Dragon, Dusi, Duarte, Mead Ranch, Turley Estate, and Rattlesnake Ridge. There are lots more, had them on my wish list, but got none. I've really been pining for two of their Petite Syrah vineyard wines, maybe next year. These wines are very nicely priced, almost all under 50 bucks, and most will score mid 90's when rated later this spring, if past history is an indication. 
I love spring release season!!


----------



## stickman

John you're killing me, between you and Glowin, there is some serious wine, how do I get invited to a tasting......


----------



## sour_grapes

I saw that picture and immediately said "Those are Turleys!" I do not have a lot of experience with them, but the few I have had were knockouts.


----------



## Johnd

sour_grapes said:


> I saw that picture and immediately said "Those are Turleys!" I do not have a lot of experience with them, but the few I have had were knockouts.



They're really fabulous wines, I love them especially with spicy food, they really stand up well with them. A good Turley Zin with some duck and andouille gumbo is a match made in heaven.


----------



## ibglowin

Well all Bordeaux and Cabernet Sauvignons make for a boring cellar so time to mix it up a bit with some Oregon Pinot Noir from the fine folks at Figgins. Chris Figgins is the son of [URL="http://leonetticellar.com/our-history"]Gary Figgins[/URL] who is one of the pioneers in WA State wine industry. Chris grew up in and around the vineyard and winery's back in the late 70's early 80's so its in his blood for sure. Chris is now the head winemaker for Leonetti as well as his own Winery "Figgins". He was also the winemaker for Doubleback (Drew Bledsoe's winery) for a number of years. 

Toil was the first endeavor into Oregon Pinot Noir. I had the pleasure of tasting their first wines at the winery back in 2012. This was a private tasting we booked as a list member. Even Mrs IB was swooning over that wine (which she rarely does). Well that wine ended up not being released and they sold it off in bulk as Chris just thought he could do better. Pretty small production still but it is coming up as more and more acres are being planted. This is the first year for a Rose'. 100% Rose of Pinot Noir and only ~150 cases produced IIRC. 

Last years 2014 vintage earned a very nice 94pts WS


----------



## stickman

I assume the rose' is made from the juice they drained off of the Pinot to increase the skin to juice ratio.


----------



## ibglowin

Most of the time when they do a Rose like this they are actually picking the grapes (much) earlier than they would normally as they want lower brix levels (lower ABV) and higher acids (and thus lower pH's).

Grapes for regular Oregon PN hang till late October sometimes!



stickman said:


> I assume the rose' is made from the juice they drained off of the Pinot to increase the skin to juice ratio.


----------



## Johnd

This is the last of my booty from the Napa trip, from Macauley Vineyards, another of the small producers we visited, but making some great wines. Got 6 of the 2015 OVZ, 3 of 2013 Beckstoffer To Kalon cabs (plus a 1.5), 3 of 2014 Cab Reserve, and just so @ibglowin doesn't get too bored with my cellar, 3-375's of 2014 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc. They sort of botched my order processing, so upgraded my shipping, it left the winery yesterday at 4 PM and was in my office this morning at 10 AM, nice and chilly!!


----------



## cgallamo

ibglowin said:


> Chris Figgins is the son of [URL="http://leonetticellar.com/our-history"]Gary Figgins[/URL] who is one of the pioneers in WA State wine industry. Chris grew up in and around the vineyard and winery's back in the late 70's early 80's so its in his blood for sure. Chris is now the head winemaker for Leonetti as well as his own Winery "Figgins".



I love Leonetti! How long has Chris been head winemaker?


----------



## ibglowin

He took over in 2011.

Here is a pic of Chris and his father Gary back in 1977. Looks like he is showing him the ropes all ready!




cgallamo said:


> I love Leonetti! How long has Chris been head winemaker?


----------



## ibglowin

One of the best Rose' from last year. And Why Am I Mr. Pink? Love the name! 5 Star QPR at only $10 a pop. Rose' of Sangiovese. 12.7% ABV. What's not to like!


----------



## Boatboy24

If the wine is half as good as the name, you've got a winner there.


----------



## ibglowin

Boatboy24 said:


> If the wine is half as good as the name, you've got a winner there.



You have to know the winemakers in this instance! LOL

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4W5KhfJHF_4[/ame]


----------



## Boatboy24

Great line from a great movie.


----------



## ibglowin

Spring shipping season is closing fast due to heat. More than likely the last until Fall. Left to right. 2014 Doubleback, 2013 Figgins Bordeaux blend, 2013 Secret Squirrel Cab Sauv from Corliss Estates (2nd label wine with some seriously crazy QPR made with 100% Red Mountain fruit and impossible to find outside of WA State) 2014 Avennia Sestina and Gravura Bordeaux blends and lastly a Mag of the 2013 Gravura.


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> Spring shipping season is closing fast due to heat. More than likely the last until Fall. Left to right. 2014 Doubleback, 2013 Figgins Bordeaux blend, 2013 Secret Squirrel Cab Sauv from Corliss Estates (2nd label wine with some seriously crazy QPR made with 100% Red Mountain fruit and impossible to find outside of WA State) 2014 Avennia Sestina and Gravura Bordeaux blends and lastly a Mag of the 2013 Gravura.



Dang, you're going strong, my spring stuff is almost over, but can't keep up with you. Think I have a couple more on the way, but same as you, temps are about to put an end to it until after Thanksgiving.....


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> 2013 Secret Squirrel Cab Sauv from Corliss Estates (2nd label wine with some seriously crazy QPR made with 100% Red Mountain fruit and impossible to find outside of WA State)



The Squirrel's out of the cage!! Was in my local merchant shop a little while ago, this is the 2013 GSM, and the cab will be in shortly. I'm on the "call list", so I'll get to try a bottle when it comes in, with option for up to a case. They couldn't give me the price just yet..........


----------



## ibglowin

Awesome! Talk about an amazing wine shop. IIRC the Cab was $23 at my source. A buddy of mine that split some 13' SS with me popped one a few weeks ago and said he opened it way too soon but it was very good even now with some airtime. I have a few bottles of the 12' SS as well. Rumors have it that this may be the last year for this wine as I believe they were letting these vines mature for a couple more years before Corliss began using the grapes into their flagship wines. Corliss is list only and they don't release their wines until 3-4 years from harvest year.



Johnd said:


> The Squirrel's out of the cage!! Was in my local merchant shop a little while ago, this is the 2013 GSM, and the cab will be in shortly. I'm on the "call list", so I'll get to try a bottle when it comes in, with option for up to a case. They couldn't give me the price just yet..........


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> Awesome! Talk about an amazing wine shop. IIRC the Cab was $23 at my source. A buddy of mine that split some 13' SS with me popped one a few weeks ago and said he opened it way too soon but it was very good even now with some airtime. I have a few bottles of the 12' SS as well. Rumors have it that this may be the last year for this wine as I believe they were letting these vines mature for a couple more years before Corliss began using the grapes into their flagship wines. Corliss is list only and they don't release their wines until 3-4 years from harvest year.



It was actually pretty amazing, I clicked your link and read about the wine, clicked on where to buy, and was surprised to see a distributer 24 miles away. Called them and they told me where it was in stores, it turned out to be at my local wine store 1/2 mile from my office. Don't know the cab price, but the gsm was 21.


----------



## Boatboy24

Well, thought it might be worth a shot...


----------



## ibglowin

I snagged mine way back in December 16' but my source will only ship a full case so I was waiting to fill up a few more bottles of this and that. By the time I got my order and my friend tasted it a week or so ago I tried to reorder based on his recommendation....... All SOLD OUT!


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> I snagged mine way back in December 16' but my source will only ship a full case so I was waiting to fill up a few more bottles of this and that. By the time I got my order and my friend tasted it a week or so ago I tried to reorder based on his recommendation....... All SOLD OUT!



Guess I'd best get the case if I like it.........


----------



## ibglowin

My source in WA State got a huge allocation and sold it out in a matter of weeks.


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> My source in WA State got a huge allocation and sold it out in a matter of weeks.



If you're still pining for a few more bottles, these guys have it, the website says that it's the 2012, but it's the 2013, and they do ship.

http://wineshop.linerandelsen.com/c...nInputToUpdateATBuffer_CommonToolkitScripts=1


----------



## ibglowin

How in the world did you find that? They are not listed on the PDF nor do they come up on Wine Searcher!

I will probably make do with my 3 bottles especially since they are asking way over MSRP on that one! 



Johnd said:


> If you're still pining for a few more bottles, these guys have it, the website says that it's the 2012, but it's the 2013, and they do ship.
> 
> http://wineshop.linerandelsen.com/c...nInputToUpdateATBuffer_CommonToolkitScripts=1


----------



## ibglowin

Every once in a while I am able to pick the winning horse a year in advance! 

Reynvaan list member for ~4 years now. They are a futures list so you pick what you want up front, pay for it upfront and then wait a year to get your bottles. I got a 3 pack of this back in the Fall of '16. Today they just went up 2X in value!


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> How in the world did you find that? They are not listed on the PDF nor do they come up on Wine Searcher!
> 
> I will probably make do with my 3 bottles especially since they are asking way over MSRP on that one!



You know the old saying, "Where there's a will, there's a way"! My local guy discovered today that he can only get GSM, so I just did a little research, Google, and came across it, but for the 2012. Placed an online order and the guy called to apologize that his site wasn't up to date, he only had the '13, and could he substitute it. I obliged.


----------



## Boatboy24

Johnd said:


> Placed an online order and the guy called to apologize that his site wasn't up to date, he only had the '13, and could he substitute it. I obliged.



For a discount?


----------



## Johnd

Boatboy24 said:


> For a discount?



I wish, but it was the same price as th '12. But at that point, considering that it was pretty difficult to find, I didn't want to press my luck.......


----------



## cgallamo

ibglowin said:


> You wonder how can RP and WS be so far apart on a wine?



Ok - not really showing off the cellar, but got some ideas for wines to go in it, and some of the wineries you visited John!

Got lucky and got an invite from a friend to go to the spring fine wine and spirits show. Really helped me to refine what I like (still more old world). Got to try this one below from Hall. I guess I am way off from Parker or it lost its aromatics from when it left the barrel, I didn't notice much nose - nice finish though. Of course I tried probably 50-80 wines before I got to this one. 

My favorite Cab from the show was:

J Davies Cab 2013 - from Diamond Mtn district (like your Hall from the above post)
Close 2nd Spottswoode 2014

I also really liked the Duckhorn Canvasback Red Mountain Cab. Even with my crappy palette I think I could tell this was from Red Mountain, or at least Washington.

May get some J Davies for the cellar.


----------



## brewbush

Since Hall is one of my wine clubs I belong to, I have a collection of the Kathryn Halls in my basement. I have not had the gumption to actually open one yet. I find that the Hall Cabs are some of my favorite wines.


----------



## Johnd

brewbush said:


> Since Hall is one of my wine clubs I belong to, I have a collection of the Kathryn Halls in my basement. I have not had the gumption to actually open one yet. I find that the Hall Cabs are some of my favorite wines.



Same here, although I have opened some of the older vintages. I find that they really need a substantial amount of cellering before they open up.


----------



## Johnd

2014 Spring Release from Frank Family, 2014 Patriarch and Winston Hill Reserve Sangiovese.


----------



## Boatboy24

ibglowin said:


> Well all Bordeaux and Cabernet Sauvignons make for a boring cellar so time to mix it up a bit with some Oregon Pinot Noir from the fine folks at Figgins. Chris Figgins is the son of [URL="http://leonetticellar.com/our-history"]Gary Figgins[/URL] who is one of the pioneers in WA State wine industry. Chris grew up in and around the vineyard and winery's back in the late 70's early 80's so its in his blood for sure. Chris is now the head winemaker for Leonetti as well as his own Winery "Figgins". He was also the winemaker for Doubleback (Drew Bledsoe's winery) for a number of years.
> 
> Toil was the first endeavor into Oregon Pinot Noir. I had the pleasure of tasting their first wines at the winery back in 2012. This was a private tasting we booked as a list member. Even Mrs IB was swooning over that wine (which she rarely does). Well that wine ended up not being released and they sold it off in bulk as Chris just thought he could do better. Pretty small production still but it is coming up as more and more acres are being planted. This is the first year for a Rose'. 100% Rose of Pinot Noir and only ~150 cases produced IIRC.
> 
> Last years 2014 vintage earned a very nice 94pts WS



Looked into and am able to get some Rose from them. But with shipping, 3 bottles comes to $30 a pop! For a Rose! Is it really that good?


----------



## ibglowin

LOL First year for the Rose' so I probably would not if I was you. Lots of fantastic Rose' out there for $15 (or less) a bottle. I debated as the Rose' is optional purchase on the Toil Pinot Noir list. I flipped back and forth and decided why not I already had the Pinot Noir coming.



Boatboy24 said:


> Looked into and am able to get some Rose from them. But with shipping, 3 bottles comes to $30 a pop! For a Rose! Is it really that good?


----------



## Boatboy24

ibglowin said:


> LOL First year for the Rose' so I probably would not if I was you. Lots of fantastic Rose' out there for $15 (or less) a bottle. I debated as the Rose' is optional purchase on the Toil Pinot Noir list. I flipped back and forth and decided why not I already had the Pinot Noir coming.



I figured. Was looking at Mr. Pink, but it appears they can't/won't ship to VA.


----------



## ibglowin

I am trying to find some of the 2016 K Vintners VINO Rose' of Sangiovese. Same people as Charles & Charles who make a Rose' of Syrah that is pretty good but starting to think the Sangio makes a better Rose' than Syrah.


----------



## Johnd

Spring allocation from Aonair, we've been in Grant's wine club for quite a few years and really love his wine. Small winery with small production, just a few employees, very friendly and comfortable place to visit and hang out. The wine is big and bold, typically fruity as is the tendency in the valley, but the tannins, even when young, always seem very silky and fine, fairly high on my list.


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> I am trying to find some of the 2016 K Vintners VINO Rose' of Sangiovese. Same people as Charles & Charles who make a Rose' of Syrah that is pretty good but starting to think the Sangio makes a better Rose' than Syrah.



Looks like there's a bunch of places you can order it online, or are you trying to find it in a local merchant shop??


----------



## ibglowin

Seeing it at wine.com as well as the winery. Hoping I might find it local as I can source the Charles & Charles Rose' local. Getting too hot to ship an expensive wine for sure. Seeing promising reviews on this wine so may try and snag a few soon.



Johnd said:


> Looks like there's a bunch of places you can order it online, or are you trying to find it in a local merchant shop??


----------



## Floandgary

ibglowin said:


> One of the best Rose' from last year. And Why Am I Mr. Pink? Love the name! 5 Star QPR at only $10 a pop. Rose' of Sangiovese. 12.7% ABV. What's not to like!



To quote even farther back ,,, ",,,oh by the way, which one's Pink???"


----------



## Boatboy24

Get your wallet ready, @ibglowin  WTSO Rose Day tomorrow!


----------



## jburtner

Some Voyage 2 and Voyage 4 to go with the Voyage 3. 

Cheers!
-johann


----------



## Boatboy24

Just grabbed one of the Rose 4 packs from WTSO - $46.99, with free shipping.


----------



## ibglowin

Saw this sitting on the shelf at my local Smith's (Kroger) and snagged a couple bottles for research purposes of course! 85% Syrah 14% Grenache. $11.99. Spec sheet says pH is 3.11  

You do not see many clear bottles these days that are not screw capped. Winning!


----------



## stickman

The Bounty Hunter only has a few of the 2014 Screaming Eagle left, better jump on this one quick, it's a steal!


----------



## ibglowin

Cheaper here.......


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> Cheaper here.......



Cheap"er" maybe, but I don't think I could enjoy a bottle of wine adequately knowing I paid $2K for it. Now, if you paid $2K for it, I could definitely enjoy that!!! I know that wine appreciation and scoring varies with the critics, but you'd think that a wine of that price point would have 99's or 100's across the board........


----------



## ibglowin

LOL the feeling is mutual! A bargain I am sure at only $83 an ounce! 



Johnd said:


> Cheap"er" maybe, but I don't think I could enjoy a bottle of wine adequately knowing I paid $2K for it. Now, *if you* paid $2K for it, I could definitely enjoy that!!! I know that wine appreciation and scoring varies with the critics, but you'd think that a wine of that price point would have 99's or 100's across the board........


----------



## stickman

I'm sure you didn't think I was serious, it would be difficult to justify even for "educational" purposes, though I'm sure I would enjoy it if someone poured me a glass.


----------



## Johnd

stickman said:


> I'm sure you didn't think I was serious, it would be difficult to justify even for "educational" purposes, though I'm sure I would enjoy it if someone poured me a glass.



LOL!! I'm pretty sure everyone picked up on your sarcasm!!


----------



## Boatboy24

ibglowin said:


> Cheaper here.......



Don't forget Bounty Hunter's 20% case discount though.


----------



## jswordy

A little Rioja from Spain...





Plus some Gallo from Argentina...





Plus one year off from the '13 Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley cab I was looking for. The '14 and '15 are from warmer years, so it will be interesting to see how this '14 differs from the '13.


----------



## Johnd

The Squirrel has landed!! Headed home for lunch, it'll start the chill down in the cellar shortly.


----------



## ibglowin

Wow! I have to say I am shocked he was able to source that. Impressed. Did you get a case?



Johnd said:


> The Squirrel has landed!! Headed home for lunch, it'll start the chill down in the cellar shortly.


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> Wow! I have to say I am shocked he was able to source that. Impressed. Did you get a case?



Ahhh, but I'd never have heard about it if you hadn't posted it on here, so keep 'em coming, you're my new wine reviewer of wines from the northwest!!!! Soon I'll know if we have the same taste in bigger reds!

Yes, got a case. Looking at a pretty decent price point, plus the shipping charges, the cost per bottle goes down most for the full case. I'll let it settle down a bit from shipping and crack a bottle to try in a week or two...........


----------



## stickman

Yes, you have to wait for the travel induced bruises to heal.


----------



## Boatboy24

I'm still trying to find some of the Secret Squirrel, but it is very secretive.  You guys are bad for my fiscal responsibility!!


----------



## Boatboy24

jswordy said:


> A little Rioja from Spain...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Plus some Gallo from Argentina...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Plus one year off from the '13 Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley cab I was looking for. The '14 and '15 are from warmer years, so it will be interesting to see how this '14 differs from the '13.



Have had all three. Wasn't crazy about the Malbec, but the others I like!


----------



## ibglowin

What choo talking bout Willis! 



Boatboy24 said:


> You guys are bad for my fiscal responsibility!!


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> What choo talking bout Willis!



I'm really thinking hard about letting one of those squirrels out of the cage tonight......but I keep telling myself that I know better, but then again, I have plenty of bottles, but then why risk wasting one, but then they're not super expensive, but then they'll be better later.....you know the drill.


----------



## Johny99

"Are we special yet"?


----------



## ibglowin

Johnd said:


> I'm really thinking hard about letting one of those squirrels out of the cage tonight......but I keep telling myself that I know better, but then again, I have plenty of bottles, but then why risk wasting one, but then they're not super expensive, but then they'll be better later.....you know the drill.


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


>



Too late, the nest is down one squirrel, which was no worse for the travel. A very nice full bodied blend, tannic, fruity, nice mid palate, tad short on the finish, but for the price, it's definitely a winner!


----------



## JohnT

Good for you JohnD!

A wine is meant to be enjoyed! We could all die tomorrow, and wouldn't you feel bad that you left behind all of your best wine?

Savor, live for the moment, enjoy, and then remember!


----------



## ibglowin

I will have to do a vertical tasting someday with the '12 and '13! 



Johnd said:


> Too late, the nest is down one squirrel, which was no worse for the travel. A very nice full bodied blend, tannic, fruity, nice mid palate, tad short on the finish, but for the price, it's definitely a winner!


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> I will have to do a vertical tasting someday with the '12 and '13!



I'd be interested in your results, the guy at Liner and Elsen (where I ordered from) said that he thought the '13 was a tad better than the '12, but he had no more '12 for sale, so I didn't get the two to compare.


----------



## ibglowin

The community tasting notes on CT are about the same for both vintages with the average being ~90pts.



Johnd said:


> I'd be interested in your results, the guy at Liner and Elsen (where I ordered from) said that he thought the '13 was a tad better than the '12, but he had no more '12 for sale, so I didn't get the two to compare.


----------



## jswordy

Boatboy24 said:


> Have had all three. Wasn't crazy about the Malbec, but the others I like!



Thanks for the info, Jim. I'll hold off on the Gascon.

Due to arrive:

1.) Amalaya Melbec 2015
2.) BenMarco Malbec 2013
3.) Bodegas Volver Turima 2015
4.) Cantele Salice Salentino Riserva 2013
5.) Charles Smith Kung Fu Girl Riesling 2015
6.) Chateau Peymouton 2012
7.) Domaine Laf-age Cuvee Nicolas 2014
8.) Jim Barry The Lodge Hill Shiraz 2013
9.) Matetic EQ Coastal Sauvignon Blanc 2015


----------



## Boatboy24

All I can say is: 

Gonna be in the 80's the next several days and I think I'll be doing some sampling.


----------



## Johnd

Got a new pile of loot from Hall, couple new releases and some older vintages to complete some verticals I'm trying to build. Gonna have to do some rearranging to keep the Hall stuff together, not a bad problem to have though.


----------



## jswordy

Boatboy24 said:


> All I can say is:
> 
> Gonna be in the 80's the next several days and I think I'll be doing some sampling.



Ohhhh!!! Please indulge me with a review, especially of the Chateau Paradis.


----------



## Boatboy24

jswordy said:


> Ohhhh!!! Please indulge me with a review, especially of the Chateau Paradis.



Allright, James. Since you asked.

40% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 30% Cab Sauv. Nice pink color. Very dry and crisp with firm 'flinty-ness'. But there's enough fruit there to prevent you from thinking you're licking a cinder block.  There are nice floral aromatics on the nose, and the finish shows strawberry and a touch of peach. 

I give it an 89 and am not at all disappointed with the purchase.


----------



## ibglowin

Took advantage of a late Spring cool down (its currently snowing here) and scored a quick killer deal on a few bottles of the 2014 Sparkman "Holler" Cabernet Sauvignon! Last two years this wine has been an incredible QPR wine. The 13' snagged 94pts WS and the '14 just pulled in a cool 93pts WS. Top it off that I was able to purchase it for $26.95 a bottle (w/o shipping) and it looks like I stole something!  

Not on the Sparkman list (I probably should be) but I have been cherry picking their stuff for years which means you have to act fast or its gone!


----------



## ibglowin

Not looking like a good year for French wines!






French Winemakers Weathering Worst Frost in 25 Years


----------



## Boatboy24

Yikes!! They are pulling out all the stops.


----------



## Boatboy24

Here ya go, @jswordy:


----------



## Johnd

Colleen at Bell Wine Cellars knows how to beat the heat. Shipped out on Monday, via refrigerated carrier to a hub somewhere in west Texas, where it was unloaded, opened, cold pack inserted, resealed, and overnighted to me. Got here this morning, bottles probably 60 degrees or so, a nice effort for no extra charge. 

Two really nice wines, 4 of the 2014 Cab Sav Reserves, RP94, and two of the 2014 Cab Sav Longtable, RP93+. Visited Bell several years ago, super folks, love their wine.....


----------



## jswordy

Boatboy24 said:


> Here ya go, @jswordy:



On the way! Thanks.


----------



## jswordy

While I was traveling, my wife accepted delivery of these, which are now resting comfortably. Thanks, Jim!


----------



## Boatboy24

jswordy said:


> While I was traveling, my wife accepted delivery of these, which are now resting comfortably. Thanks, Jim!



Haven't tried mine yet (almost did over the weekend). Kinda hoping I don't love it, since the purchase window has come and gone.


----------



## Johny99

*A couple of Woodenville wineries and a Sierra foothills*

I heard about Gideon Beinstock and his terroir wines, so I finally decided to give them a try


----------



## ibglowin

Whats new in my Cellar? Certainly none of these....... 

Intersting to look up the reviews and scores (WS) over the last ~15 years. Be fun to try some on somebody else's $0.10. Need to make friends with a Wall Street banker I guess!


----------



## Boatboy24

It's back!!!


----------



## ibglowin

Boatboy24 said:


> It's back!!!



Here are pics from their recent open house.


----------



## jswordy

Boatboy24 said:


> It's back!!!



That went fast.


----------



## Johny99

jswordy said:


> That went fast.



Yup, I missed them


----------



## ibglowin

Well this _*was in my Cellar*_ until last night anyway! We popped the cork on a 2006 Le Clos du Callow Reserve Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This has been in the cellar for almost 8 years now I think and was one of the first wines ever purchased for long term cellaring. 95pts WS with a drinking window all the way out to 2030 no less. This was carefully poured and decanted for an hour before serving along with some fantastic 2004 and 2008 Burgundy which was brought for dinner. All the wines were spectacular but the CNdP stole the evening. Was not a fair fight LOL Unbelievable pairing(s) with the meal for sure.


----------



## Boatboy24

A boomerang box arrived today! Packed up a couple bottles for @heatherd not long ago. If I'm not mistaken, that same box arrived back at my doorstep today, filled with different wines. Thanks Heather!  Looking forward to enjoying these.


----------



## ibglowin

Well, well, look what I sneaked into the cellar today! Took advantage of one last cool snap this week and was able to get my mixed case out of WA State before it becomes too hot to ship. Snagged mostly hard to source Rose's from Kerloo Cellars, Renegade Wine Co, Tranche, The Underground Wine Co (Mr. Pink) and then one BIG GUN, a 2014 Passing Time H3 Cab Sauv. This wine is made by Chris Peterson of Avennia fame for Dan Marino's little side winemaking project and has always scored well so I usually snag one each year without being on the list as they have a 6 Pack minimum. All arrived nice and cool via ground. We had a low this AM of 42! OK Summer, bring it on!


----------



## Johnd

I too was able to take advantage of cool temps, a refrigerated truck and cold packs to be more precise. 2014 Hall Terra Secca is a cab from the eastern hills of Napa Valley, not a lot of history or reviews on it yet, 91 on CT. Figured I'd give it a shot at a lower price than the other Halls, hope it's a winner in a few years......


----------



## Boatboy24

Never heard of Godello, but the description sounds great. 4 of these on the way!


----------



## Johny99

Boatboy24 said:


> Never heard of Godello, but the description sounds great. 4 of these on the way!



Let us know your thoughts. I was sorely tempted but the thought of my wife slapping the back of my head......


----------



## Boatboy24

Johny99 said:


> Let us know your thoughts. I was sorely tempted but the thought of my wife slapping the back of my head......



I decided it would probably be worth it. ::


----------



## jswordy

Yaaay! They arrived, right on time!


----------



## ibglowin

Made a Costco run on Friday and look what jumped into my cart! 2012 Giovanni Sordo Barolo. 95pts WS and won't be drinking it for a few years it looks like. Not a bad wine for only $32.99! 

Also snagged a couple of the new Kirkland Rose' for a whopping $8.99 ea.


----------



## jswordy

I'd heard about this "all Italy" project, and though the blended vintages are uncertain (date on the bottle is the start of the project, not of the wine), I am a sucker for a big Italian red. So... on the way. One to decant and enjoy, three to stick back in the darkest regions awhile.


----------



## Johnd

Been on a bit of a Petite Syrah tear lately and ran into this wine from Como No wines https://www.comonowines.com/ and had to try it. They've been getting really great reviews, and while this is a "collector" type wine (look at the drink dates!!), the price isn't all that bad for a great wine. These guys hang on to their wines for a while before releasing, and have only just released their inaugural wines, 2011 & 2012 vintages, and only sell by the case (12 - 750's or 6 magnums). I ordered a case and joined their allocation list.

Pretty good read on the website about their history and what they are trying to do with their wine production. Small producer with limited production. Should be a big winner, the 2013 and 2014 vintages received 95+ from Parker, but won't be out for a while..............

2012 Como No • Petite Syrah 
Rating: 94+
Drink Date: 2025 - 2065
Reviewed by Robert M. Parker, Jr. 

The 2012 Petite Syrah spent two years in cask in French oak. It has an inky bluish/purple color, gorgeous richness, texture and a full-bodied mouthfeel. It is an infant and needs probably a decade of cellaring to reveal more nuance, but this is a 40- to 50-year wine.

This is the new Petite Syrah project of Carl Doumani, who was one of the pioneers of high-quality Petite Syrah from his vineyard in Stags Leap, which has been subsequently sold. Both of these wines are made with assistance from consultant Aaron Pott, and they are about as terrific as Petite Syrah can be.


----------



## ibglowin

Napa prices for sure!


----------



## geek

ibglowin said:


> Also snagged a couple of the new Kirkland Rose' for a whopping $8.99 ea.



That's the Rose I had mentioned a couple weeks ago from Costco...did you try yet?


----------



## ibglowin

Yea, I snagged two bottles on Friday and popped one of them when I smoked the ribs on Sunday. Was a little harsh at first but then seemed to get better as time went by. Might need a little more age on it but I suspect it will get better with time. Very good QPR wine though.



geek said:


> That's the Rose I had mentioned a couple weeks ago from Costco...did you try yet?


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> Napa prices for sure!



Don't be a hater!! I actually looked on WA for some 95 or higher wines in Washington / Oregon and didn't find any, only four rated over 90, two 90's and two 92's, between $35 and $55.


----------



## jswordy

ibglowin said:


> Whats new in my Cellar? Certainly none of these.......
> 
> Intersting to look up the reviews and scores (WS) over the last ~15 years. Be fun to try some on somebody else's $0.10. Need to make friends with a Wall Street banker I guess!



Mike, after reading "Wine Wars," by Mike Veseth, I have been totally ruined on the relationship between price and quality. Price and available stock have a relationship, but after that book, I am not sold on a causal relationship between price and quality.

One thing Veseth diplomatically points out in the book is that 90+ point wines are falling more and more regularly among lower and lower priced offerings. Could be "grade inflation," but he makes a good argument that the wine world is increasingly focusing on quality at all price ranges. Thus, the higher scores.

As far as who to make friends with, find anyone who loves wine and has direct access to a broad company entertainment account that allows for alcohol purchases. At one time in my life, I had access to such an account. Oh, such a delight to simply sign one's name!


----------



## ibglowin

Plenty of them on K&L for sale. Since I don't subscribe to WA I can't help but I can make recommendations for sure! If you haven't experienced a Cab Sauv from Red Mountain you owe it to yourself to "compare and contrast" with anything from Napa. I would recommend Gorman Winery, Mark Ryan, Col Solare, Sparkman just to name a few.



Johnd said:


> Don't be a hater!! I actually looked on WA for some 95 or higher wines in Washington / Oregon and didn't find any, only four rated over 90, two 90's and two 92's, between $35 and $55.


----------



## ibglowin

Loved that book! One thing is for certain, you can't turn crap fruit into the finest wine, and good fruit cost some serious $$! After that your paying for "terroir", a little romance, that fancy bottle and that fancy cork!



jswordy said:


> Mike, after reading "Wine Wars," by Mike Veseth, I have been totally ruined on the relationship between price and quality. Price and available stock have a relationship, but after that book, I am not sold on a causal relationship between price and quality.


----------



## Boatboy24

ibglowin said:


> Plenty of them on K&L for sale. Since I don't subscribe to WA I can't help but I can make recommendations for sure! If you haven't experienced a Cab Sauv from Red Mountain you owe it to yourself to "compare and contrast" with anything from Napa. I would recommend Gorman Winery, Mark Ryan, Col Solare, Sparkman just to name a few.



Just took delivery of some Red Mountain wine from Columbia Crest today.


----------



## sour_grapes

Johnd said:


> 2012 Como No • Petite Syrah
> Rating: 94+
> Drink Date: 2025 - 2065
> Reviewed by Robert M. Parker, Jr.
> 
> The 2012 Petite Syrah spent two years in cask in French oak....






Why the heck are they calling it "Petite Syrah" instead of "Petite Sirah"? We often see the former as an understandable mistake, but they should know better, right? The TTB only lists the latter as an acceptable variety!


----------



## ibglowin

Petite Sirah = $18/bottle

Petite Syrah = $60/bottle...... 




sour_grapes said:


> Why the heck are they calling it "Petite Syrah" instead of "Petite Sirah"? We often see the former as an understandable mistake, but they should know better, right? The TTB only lists the latter as an acceptable variety!


----------



## ibglowin

Pics or........ ::



Boatboy24 said:


> Just took delivery of some Red Mountain wine from Columbia Crest today.


----------



## Boatboy24

ibglowin said:


> Pics or........ ::



10 character minimum


----------



## Johnd

Nothing better than a little 6-pack delivery on a Friday afternoon!


----------



## Boatboy24

Costco run today (more to follow in the "What's for Dinner" thread), and I picked up a couple of these. At $8.99, even if they're only halfway decent, it's still a deal.


----------



## ibglowin

Decent for the $$. I wanted to be wowed but wasn't but...... It actually got better and better with some air time. Kinda weird for a Rose' Interested in your notes as well.



Boatboy24 said:


> Costco run today (more to follow in the "What's for Dinner" thread), and I picked up a couple of these. At $8.99, even if they're only halfway decent, it's still a deal.


----------



## ibglowin

The spoils of a Costco from from yesterday in SA, TX visiting my mom and oldest daughter for a few days. The real find (steal) is the 14' Gorman "Old Scratch" Cab Sauv from Red Mountain, WA. 93pts WS and all of $23.99. Amazing drinking window. They had a whole wooden bin full. I will be going back before I leave..... Bought 2 before the scores came out, after the scores came out they sold out in a matter of a few weeks. Then the 2015 Kirkland Signature CV Red Wine is the latest edition and the winemaker is non other than Gilles Nicault of Longshadows fame. A whopping $15.99 and it spent 15mo in once used French Oak. The Kungfu Girl Riesling is simply one of the best Rieslings you will ever put in your mouth and a whopping $8.50 a bottle. Rounded off with a hmmmmmm purchase of an Argentinian Finca Rose' of Malbec for only $8. The Rielsing will be going down tonight as it is being paired with a pan of Kirkland Chicken Alfredo that I will be kicking up a notch or two with the addition of some Hatch green chile.


----------



## Boatboy24

ibglowin said:


> Decent for the $$.



That was exactly my thought. It's a little flat, lacking some brightness and minerality (and maybe even fruit) I was hoping to find. But overall, pretty good for nine bucks.


----------



## Johnd

Was happy these guys made it in during a brief cool period. 

WA says" 94+, Lastly, the 100% Petite Sirah 2013 Landy Sweetwater Springs Vineyard is another 200-case cuvée from a steep hillside vineyard planted in loamy clay and alluvial soils. This wine spent 16 months in 100% new French oak prior to being bottled. It is a powerhouse at 15.5% natural alcohol. Absolutely sensational Petite Sirah, right up there with some of the greatest from California, this killer effort has an inky purple color and a beautiful nose of blueberries, black raspberries, blackberries and floral notes, but it is remarkably concentrated, full-bodied and multi-dimensional. The wine has incredibly sweet tannins and seems to have absorbed the 100% new French oak without a hiccup. This beauty is a full-bodied, bigger-than-life Petite Sirah that should drink well for 20+ years."


----------



## Boatboy24

Took a trip to the northwest today and re-stocked on the 'house red', picked up a couple of another low cost cab to try, as well as something that should be a little nicer.


----------



## Boatboy24

OK, back with an update. I opened one of the bottles of Radius Cab a short while ago. I had relatively low expectations, based on the $10.99 price, but I feel I overpaid. One sip and 'Blech!!'. This is Washington's answer to Apothic Red. Frankly, they've done a pretty good job of copying it. But when I'm in the mood for something like that, I'll save two bucks and get the Apothic. Thinking that maybe my expectation was for a much drier wine and that was throwing my perception off, I went down to the winery to take an SG measurement. Sure enough, 1.004. I poured my samples back into the bottle, sealed it up w/ the VacuVin, put it in the fridge, and will save it for a later date when I'm in the mood for a red like that, or sangria. In its place, I opened one of the CC bottles and that was pretty much where I wanted to be tonight. And at $8.47 a bottle, I'll happily stay there.


----------



## ibglowin

You realize this is a faux winery right? That label and the other wine you purchased aside from the CC was just bulk wine bought on the open market by Total Wine. They paid somebody to bottle it up and slap a label on it and they sell it to you and any other unsuspecting buyers looking for a good deal on a cheap bottle of wine. No middle man, huge profit for Total Wine. 

Just say no to faux wine! 



Boatboy24 said:


> I had relatively low expectations, based on the $10.99 price, but I feel I overpaid. One sip and 'Blech!!'. This is Washington's answer to Apothic Red.....


----------



## Boatboy24

ibglowin said:


> You realize this is a faux winery right? That label and the other wine you purchased aside from the CC was just bulk wine bought on the open market by Total Wine. They paid somebody to bottle it up and slap a label on it and they sell it to you and any other unsuspecting buyers looking for a good deal on a cheap bottle of wine. No middle man, huge profit for Total Wine.
> 
> Just say no to faux wine!



yes, I do. I'm trying to figure out how best to tell the 'real' wines from the fake ones.


----------



## ibglowin

Research, research, research! The Camaraderie Cellars has a website but still looks suspicious and fishy. Only one wine, that one you bought. A real winery is gonna have a website with at least 6-12 wines to purchase, a wine club usually.

If you go to a big chain wine or liquor store and a "salesman" comes up and ask if they can help and they point you towards some completely unknown wine, and you kinda know wine, they are pushing a wine that they make the most profit on guaranteed. The salesman can also earn commissions on what they sell on those wines. My older brother used to work in that industry until he retired last year.


----------



## ibglowin

Forgot to mention that Apothic is a Zinfandel dominant blend and WA State doesn't grow much Zin for some reason. If you have not tried any of the 14 Hands wines they are a good value that can be found for ~$10 in the stores. 

The "Hot to Trot" Blend is slightly off dry in the Apothic style. Very smooth, easy to drink ladies love it...... LOL




Boatboy24 said:


> This is Washington's answer to Apothic Red...


----------



## Boatboy24

ibglowin said:


> Forgot to mention that Apothic is a Zinfandel dominant blend and WA State doesn't grow much Zin for some reason. If you have not tried any of the 14 Hands wines they are a good value that can be found for ~$10 in the stores.
> 
> The "Hot to Trot" Blend is slightly off dry in the Apothic style. Very smooth, easy to drink ladies love it...... LOL



I have a bottle of 14 Hands Kentucky Derby wine (2014, I believe). A neighbor who is from Kentucky brought it over last summer. 

Realize the Apothic is not a Cab, but it and the Radius are both sweet, mega-purple fruity reds. (I assume they use Mega-Purple, at least)


----------



## ibglowin

14 Hands is owned by the same conglomerate that own Columbia Crest etc. They have a Reserve line as well as a Vintage line that looks quite good and I would love to source a few bottles of someday. Only available through the winery. Some of the Vintage wines have scored pretty well on WS.




Boatboy24 said:


> I have a bottle of 14 Hands Kentucky Derby wine (2014, I believe). A neighbor who is from Kentucky brought it over last summer.


----------



## jswordy

jswordy said:


> I'd heard about this "all Italy" project, and though the blended vintages are uncertain (date on the bottle is the start of the project, not of the wine), I am a sucker for a big Italian red. So... on the way. One to decant and enjoy, three to stick back in the darkest regions awhile.



OK, tried the first bottle of this and hmmm. It definitely needs to breathe first before being consumed, it does bloom. But I'm going to tell the truth, I would take a bottle of Chateau Ste. Michelle 2014 Cab over this, at about 25% less. I'll let the others continue to rest awhile and see if they grow. It's not bad, it has a nice nose and full rich color. It just does not develop in the mouth as much as I would like. Might be too young.

I am going to grab more Ste. Michelle cab off the store shelves while it is still around.


----------



## ibglowin

Jim,

Have you ever tried any Palazzo Della Torre? Might be what your looking for style wise at an even better price point than your "NV" bottle from WTSO.










jswordy said:


> OK, tried the first bottle of this and hmmm. It definitely needs to breathe first before being consumed, it does bloom. But I'm going to tell the truth, I would take a bottle of Chateau Ste. Michelle 2014 Cab over this, at about 25% less. I'll let the others continue to rest awhile and see if they grow. It's not bad, it has a nice nose and full rich color. It just does not develop in the mouth as much as I would like. Might be too young.
> 
> I am going to grab more Ste. Michelle cab off the store shelves while it is still around.


----------



## Boatboy24

The Allegrini is a very good wine at its price. About $15 here and I have zero complaints paying that. A baby Amarone, that talks sassy for it's 'age'.


----------



## jswordy

The remaining wine actually bloomed quite a bit in the bottle over a day in the fridge, so there's something there after the bottles rest a while, I think.


----------



## ibglowin

Took advantage of 50% off 2 day air shipping from Spring Valley Vineyards. I had gotten a bottle of each of the 14 Uriah and Fredrick back in the Winter. Since then the WS scores have come out and they garnered 94 and 93 points so wanted to snag another of each. Plus they just released a Rose' of Cab Franc. Hard to say no to the Rose' this time of year. 2 day shipping (for 6 bottles) was a whopping $11 somehow. Downside is I have a new UPS driver who has decided that I am the last or almost last drop on his route and some days he drops off around 5:30PM. 

You can move stuff nonstop and things stay cool/cold in an airplane cargo hold at 35,000 feet but when they go out for delivery and sit in the back of non air conditioned brown truck all day day and the expected high temp for that day is 92....... Luckily I was able to drive around our small subdivision and locate him and rescue my package. Checked the bottle temp via IR Gun and it was up to 80F by around 3:00 so not horrible but not all that great either. Tossed them in the Winery quickly directly in front of the AC unit and they were down to 64F in about 90 min.


----------



## Boatboy24

The 2015 Crowdsourced Cabernet was just released by CC. Ordered 3 for myself. With all the work I put into it, you'd think they'd give me at least one for free.


----------



## ibglowin

I saw that. I am still on the mailing list but no longer in "da club".......



Boatboy24 said:


> The 2015 Crowdsourced Cabernet was just released by CC. Ordered 3 for myself. With all the work I put into it, you'd think they'd give me at least one for free.


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> Took advantage of 50% off 2 day air shipping from Spring Valley Vineyards. I had gotten a bottle of each of the 14 Uriah and Fredrick back in the Winter. Since then the WS scores have come out and they garnered 94 and 93 points so wanted to snag another of each. Plus they just released a Rose' of Cab Franc. Hard to say no to the Rose' this time of year. 2 day shipping (for 6 bottles) was a whopping $11 somehow. Downside is I have a new UPS driver who has decided that I am the last or almost last drop on his route and some days he drops off around 5:30PM.
> 
> You can move stuff nonstop and things stay cool/cold in an airplane cargo hold at 35,000 feet but when they go out for delivery and sit in the back of non air conditioned brown truck all day day and the expected high temp for that day is 92....... Luckily I was able to drive around our small subdivision and locate him and rescue my package. Checked the bottle temp via IR Gun and it was up to 80F by around 3:00 so not horrible but not all that great either. Tossed them in the Winery quickly directly in front of the AC unit and they were down to 64F in about 90 min.



No harm done there, but that was pretty close. I've postponed all shipments until November, when it will likely be cooler here.


----------



## ibglowin

Its Raining Rose' hallelujah its raining Rose' 

Made the "mistake" of stopping at the Super Smith's (Kroger) up in town to look for some ribs before they get wiped out for the long holiday weekend and I stopped by the wine area which is like 5X bigger than the wine area at the Smith's in White Rock which is closest to me. They just got stocked up on new Rose' that they have not had so far. I was especially excited to see they had gotten some of the K Vintner's 2016 Vino Rose' (Sangiovese) $11 I almost ordered from the winery back in the Spring but never got around to it. Supposed to be very very good. Also picked up 2016 Charles & Charles Rose' (Syrah, Cinsault, Mouvedre) $10. Lastly the 2016 Acrobat Rose' of Pinot Noir $12 which I got last year but they didn't have it until today. This was fantastic last year, one of the best for sure and somehow it clocks in at 14% but served cold you don't taste the heat at all. Fantastic prices with the 20% off 6 bottles sale. If you see these in your area they come highly recommended!


----------



## Boatboy24

Thanks Mike. Am hoping to be at TW tomorrow for some Rose shopping and will look for these. I assume these are all dry?


----------



## ibglowin

Oh yea,

The Acrobat is from OR, and the other two are from WA State (surprise) LOL



Boatboy24 said:


> Thanks Mike. Am hoping to be at TW tomorrow for some Rose shopping and will look for these. I assume these are all dry?


----------



## Boatboy24

Washington? Shocking.


----------



## geek

Mike, I think I've seen that Charles and Charles Rose at my local Costco, I just don't remember its price.


----------



## Boatboy24

Well, no Acrobat Rose at TW, but I did pick up a bottle of their Pinot Noir. Also a few Roses. Grabbed some canned red as well. A co-worker was telling me about the Trader Joe's canned wine the other day and that she is not inclined to try it. $2 a pop, so I grabbed one to try and one to gift.


----------



## ibglowin

Did they give you an extra discount on all of last years Rose' ? 



Boatboy24 said:


> Well, no Acrobat Rose at TW, but I did pick up a bottle of their Pinot Noir. Also a few Roses.


----------



## Boatboy24

Got my shipping notice at 1pm today. Wine arrived at 3:20. Damn fast!!


----------



## ibglowin

One of these things is not like the other......... 

Guess time will tell.


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> One of these things is not like the other.........
> 
> Guess time will tell.



Yep, those reviews are worlds apart. Can't help but notice the very "Napalike" pricing on your little WallWalla gem............LOL!!

Parker's reviews of a whole pile of wines from the NW just came out in the last issue, there are some really solid powerhouses in there. I've been eying some of the Quilceda Creek big boys (and a bunch of others) and getting really tempted to try a few of the highly rated, but competitively priced, syrahs..........


----------



## ibglowin

LOL You know all to well if it were "Napalike" the price would be more like 2-3X for that wine. 

There are not many wines out of WA State with price tags North of $100.

You need to start looking North for some little "gems"!



Johnd said:


> Yep, those reviews are worlds apart. Can't help but notice the very "Napalike" pricing on your little Walla Walla gem............LOL!!


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> LOL You know all to well if it were "Napalike" the price would be more like 2-3X for that wine.
> 
> There are not many wines out of WA State with price tags North of $100.
> 
> You need to start looking North for some little "gems"!



When they get the ratings, the bucks will follow!!!!

All kidding aside, there are some pretty high priced wines coming out of Napa. I guess if money were not an issue, they'd be great to have. I buy some moderately priced, high rated wines, but not too much into the cult wine range. It's hard to buy a super expensive wine when you could spend the same money for a case or two of a wine that's in the low 90's. I suspect we'll see the NW wines creep up in price as they continue to test the market.


----------



## ibglowin

Went into town after work to get a haircut. Stopped by the Smith's Marketplace. Big mistake as usual. LOL 

They had quite a few new Rose' wines in stock. Two that stuck out right away were the Elouan Oregon Rose' that @Boatboy24 said was quite good as well as a Tenshen Rose' from the Golden State no less. The 2014 Tenshen White wine made #29 on the WS Top Wines of 2015. In the spirit of Détente here on WMT. 3 bottles of each are now resting quietly in the cellar tonight. Scores after the break as they say!


----------



## Boatboy24

I hope you like the Elouan. It had really good ratings on the TW site, which prompted me to try it. I try to take those with a little grain of salt, but I was pleasantly surprised by it based on my expectations.


----------



## ibglowin

I am sure I will. The thing about OR wines is the acid and crispness that comes out of their rose' and white wines. I love me some crisp wine this time of year especially.



Boatboy24 said:


> I hope you like the Elouan. It had really good ratings on the TW site, which prompted me to try it. I try to take those with a little grain of salt, but I was pleasantly surprised by it based on my expectations.


----------



## Johnd

WA just released a pile of reviews from WA State, I've already gotten into the game with a few of them, pre-release, and now it's going to get tougher to choose. @ibglowin , I don't know if you subscribe to WA, but it's a pretty dang good read!!


----------



## ibglowin

I have been with WS for 9 years IIRC. I trusted Harvey Steiman's Reviews without question over the years. WS promoted him to Editor at Large about a year ago and Tim Fish took over for WA and OR wines. I am sorry but Tim Fish has lived (and continues to live) in the Napa/Sonoma Valley area for 25 years and IMHO he is woefully biased against WA and OR wines. I am about ready to "cut bait and run" on WS as I don't feel like I can trust Tim Fish's reviews at all.


----------



## ibglowin

The 12th Annual Washington Wine Awards Winners Are In!

Seattle Magazine

Good read on some great vineyards and great wines out of WA State. Very happy for my buddy Chris Peterson at Avennia. He has been killing it for several years now. Well deserved "winemaker of the year" award!


----------



## Boatboy24

ibglowin said:


> The 12th Annual Washington Wine Awards Winners Are In!
> 
> Seattle Magazine
> 
> Good read on some great vineyards and great wines out of WA State. Very happy for my buddy Chris Peterson at Avennia. He has been killing it for several years now. Well deserved "winemaker of the year" award!



Very cool. Your buddy? 

Nice to see some names I recognize - some have been in my glass and some are still on the 'to-do' list. But good nonetheless. 

One of these days (probably several years from now, when the kids are in college or out of the house), I'll make my pilgrimage to WA.


----------



## ibglowin

Yea, we both have Microsoft Millionaires in the family. Who knew...... 

Met several years ago at the winery for a private tasting. 



Boatboy24 said:


> Very cool. Your buddy?
> 
> Nice to see some names I recognize - some have been in my glass and some are still on the 'to-do' list. But good nonetheless.
> 
> One of these days (probably several years from now, when the kids are in college or out of the house), I'll make my pilgrimage to WA.


----------



## jswordy

Before you laugh... $3 a bottle on clearance! I got the last three.


----------



## ibglowin

I have bought plenty of those when I started out making kit wines long ago. Good top up wine and at least back then it was a really nice bottle to recycle.

Oh and the wine was not bad at all for the money spent!



jswordy said:


> Before you laugh... $3 a bottle on clearance! I got the last three.


----------



## jswordy

ibglowin said:


> I have bought plenty of those when I started out making kit wines long ago. Good top up wine and at least back then it was a really nice bottle to recycle.
> 
> Oh and the wine was not bad at all for the money spent!



Beats $9.47 each, for sure.


----------



## Boatboy24

Anyone ever had "InZinerator"? Decent looking deal on WOOT. I've had Scott Harvey's Old Vine Amador Zin and like it. This InZinerator deal comes in at about $12.59/bottle.

https://wine.woot.com/offers/scott-harvey-inzinerator-5-22?ref=w_cnt_cdet_wine_dly_wobtn


----------



## ibglowin

WS actually reviewed a Costco Kirkland Signature wine! I have had a couple of these. Pretty good for $8.99 a bottle.


----------



## geek

I've tried that Rose, very good for the price, it has some minerals flavor that I like.


----------



## Boatboy24

With the day off, I had some time to swing by TW. Grabbed a few bottles of CC Grand Estates Cab (always gotta have some around), a little Provence Rose, and a couple bottles of Kung Fu Girl Riesling - one of which I'll crack tonight.


----------



## ibglowin

Went to Santa fe yesterday. Mrs IB had a mani-pedi so I had several hours to kill. Made the rounds picking up stuff on our list. Last stop was at Susan's Fine Wines. One of the better local wine stores. I was searching for a wine I somehow had not heard about (hard to believe I know) Gruet is one of the best wineries in the State of NM especially their sparkling wines. They starting making a couple new ones that even the folks in CA and WA who write words on paper about wines for a living stood up and noticed. Gruet has gotten so much buzz over the last few years that, you guessed it Precept Wines the giant conglomerate snapped them up last year like they do with any winery that is well on its way and growing year in and year out. Still run the by the same French family but now they have access to all the $$$ they need for growth. 

So the wine that is all the rage is called "Sauvage" which means "bone dry" or no extra sugar at the end to cut the acid. They produce a traditional White as well as a Rose' and sure enough Susan's had both in stock. MSRP is $20 a bottle. Snagged 2 of each. This is labeled as I suspected as an American Wine meaning the grapes were not grown here in NM, more than likely CA. Now I just need some raw oysters on the half shell or smoked salmon to pair with this! With the weather cooling down the last week or so its nice to have some bubbly around for who knows what.


----------



## ibglowin

The Best of Washington Wine 2017 Seattle Met Magazine

Nicely broken down in lots of ways.


----------



## Johnd

A few wines from a couple weeks ago, haven’t had a chance to label and cellar with all of the fall grape activity. From left to right:

Magnum of 2011 Kathryn Hall Cab (bday gift from Dad)
2015 Aonair Cab Reserve
2015 Aonair Mountains Proprietary Cab Reserve
2014 Chimney Rock Cab - Ganymede
2014 Magnums Volver Tempranillo Single Vineyard ($30, not bad for a WA 92)

We really like the Volver, hard to beat at $14 / 750 ml bottle


----------



## Johnd

Pretty good find from Last Bottle, 2014 Mount Peak Gravity, WA 95 delivered to my door with ice packs for under $45 / bottle. Planning to knock one of these out this weekend.


----------



## ibglowin

*It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!*

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Fall shipping season has officially resumed in these parts. Long live the shipping season! Lots of good juice arrived yesterday including my Saviah Cellars and J. Bookwalter allocations as well as a nice mixed case from Full Pull with selections from Gorman Winery, Secret Squirrel (Bordeaux blend), Ashan Cellars, Two Vintners and Arca Nova. More on the way in the next few weeks!


----------



## Johnd

I'm probably going to go to Bookwalter when i'm there in spring.........


----------



## ibglowin

Are you going to Seattle or headed East to the wine country?



Johnd said:


> I'm probably going to go to Bookwalter when i'm there in spring.........


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> Are you going to Seattle or headed East to the wine country?



We’ll be flying in to Walla Walla, which will be base camp, hitting wineries from there. Obviously still working out the details, but that’s the general plan for now.


----------



## sour_grapes

I love Bookwalter!


----------



## ibglowin

If you are going with another couple I can highly recommend staying here! Amazing 360 views. Close to WW. Bookwalter has a tasting room in Woodinville (Seattle) but the winery is in Richland (short drive from Red Mountain)which is about an hour away. The winery has a wonderful grounds and restaurant as well. If you are going to go for sure let me know and I will make a call and tell them to take good care of you.



Johnd said:


> We’ll be flying in to Walla Walla, which will be base camp, hitting wineries from there. Obviously still working out the details, but that’s the general plan for now.


----------



## ibglowin

Fall allocation from EFESTE! Little bit of everything and always a good/great QPR.


----------



## ibglowin

Well I guess you don't have to worry only about wildfire in the West destroying (almost all) of your entire years production........ This loss is easily in the millions of $$$ Not sure how this could have happened in 2017 and wondering if this will have an effect on future bottlings from Cayuse.

Devastating News from Cayuse


----------



## sour_grapes

ibglowin said:


> Well I guess you don't have to worry only about wildfire in the West destroying (almost all) of your entire years production........ This loss is easily in the millions of $$$ Not sure how this could have happened in 2017 and wondering if this will have an effect on future bottlings from Cayuse.
> 
> Devastating News from Cayuse



Jeez, a little wax in the wine? Send it to me, I don't have high standards!


----------



## Johnd

sour_grapes said:


> Jeez, a little wax in the wine? Send it to me, I don't have high standards!



I'd definitely take a few cases of waxy wine off of their hands.

Wouldn't want to be the cork supplier, or their insurance company, Cayuse gets back for their wines............


----------



## ibglowin

This was gonna be my year to finally make the allocation list........


----------



## Johnd

Blessed is the day that the Fall Turley allocation arrives!

Zinfandels : 12 OVZ, 3 Cedarman, 2 each of Dogtown, Fredericks, Hayne, Judge Bell, Pesenti, Salvador, and Ueberroth, 1 each of Hemingway, and Whitney Tennessee.

Petite Syrahs: 4 Hayne, 3 Library, 1 Pesenti.

Now is the hard part, making room...........

Had a nice pic, new system says it’s too big, never had that issue before.

Edit: Finally getting a handle on the pic posting thing. Emailed pics to myself off of the iPad, using the resizing function, and not choosing the thumbnail option when posting...........


----------



## stickman

I love the description for the 2014 Mount Peak Gravity, I'm sure it is wonderful, but creosote and pen ink..........?


----------



## sour_grapes

stickman said:


> I love the description for the 2014 Mount Peak Gravity, I'm sure it is wonderful, but creosote and pen ink..........?



What, you're not getting pen ink? I am definitely getting some pen ink on the nose here... and, I wouldn't call it creosote exactly, but maybe a hint of naptha and diesel....


----------



## Johnd

stickman said:


> I love the description for the 2014 Mount Peak Gravity, I'm sure it is wonderful, but creosote and pen ink..........?





sour_grapes said:


> What, you're not getting pen ink? I am definitely getting some pen ink on the nose here... and, I wouldn't call it creosote exactly, but maybe a hint of naptha and diesel....



It is very nice, though only one bottle has met it’s fate thus far. Can’t say that either pen ink or creosote jumped out and knocked me down, that’s good, wouldn’t want to have either in my wine. 

Hope our tweakers don’t run with this......new breed of wines, Mont Blanc Cabernet, Powerline Merlot comes to mind.....


----------



## AZMDTed

Having lived in Arizona for 25 years, and now Maryland for 5, I can say that I greatly enjoyed and really miss the smell of creosote after the first summer rains.


----------



## Johnd

Well, well, what do we have here @ibglowin ??!! Walla Walla wine, very cool box too, I’m impressed. Can’t wait to try one once they settle down a bit.


----------



## ibglowin

Sweet! Don't you be robbing the cradle now! LOL Make sure and add Long Shadows to your "must see" list of places to visit in WW. By appointment only for some reason LOL.........







And yes that is all Chihuly glass!


----------



## ibglowin

The Long Shadows Vintners Box set each year is pretty nice as well!


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> The Long Shadows Vintners Box set each year is pretty nice as well!



Yes, very nice! Still have a few more wines coming from them, due in next cool down, Pirouette and Feather. Don't worry, I won't be robbing the cradle, but I will drink one of the Chester Kidders at three years old, but the rest will be safe for a while after that............


----------



## sour_grapes

ibglowin said:


> And yes that is all Chihuly glass!



I was, in fact, wondering! Nice!


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> The Long Shadows Vintners Box set each year is pretty nice as well!



Was looking through the inclusions with the wine shipment, really nice recap of the wine, growing conditions, the winemaking process, the vineyards, and my favorite part, the final numbers. This one is 66% Cab, 28% Syrah, and 6% Petit Verdot. 15.9% ABV, pH 3.91, and TA .59g/100ml. They obviously got some pretty well ripened grapes, and just goes to prove that wines in the upper end of the pH. range are quite manageable and long lasting. This little gem, if it is in keeping with its predecessors, won't start drinking well for 3-4 more years, and continue to drink well for a good 10 years after that. Kudos to Long Shadows!!


----------



## sour_grapes

Quick, Mike ( @ibglowin ). WTSO has a deal on Gruet *Grand Blanc de Noirs 'Limited Release' 2014.*


----------



## ibglowin

sour_grapes said:


> Quick, Mike ( @ibglowin ). WTSO has a deal on Gruet *Grand Blanc de Noirs 'Limited Release' 2014.*



Looks like I missed it. I can usually purchase all things Gruet without too much difficulty. Their Sauvage Blanc de Noirs has been getting some pretty rave reviews as of late. They are one of the best wineries for sure in these parts!


----------



## ibglowin

Its the most wonderful time of the year!

Quilceda Creek Fall allocation including a 100 point RP wine!


----------



## ibglowin

So much winning! 

Another case from my friends at Full Pull. I am probably the most excited about the 2014 La Rata. This wine is made from the assistant winemaker at Cayuse from fruit from the same vineyards as Cayuse. Hard to come by. RP 95pts. The others are no slouches either including Betz Syrahs and Gorman Cabernet from Red Mountain.


----------



## Boatboy24

ibglowin said:


> So much winning!
> 
> Another case from my friends at Full Pull. I am probably the most excited about the 2014 La Rata. This wine is made from the assistant winemaker at Cayuse from fruit from the same vineyards as Cayuse. Hard to come by. RP 95pts. The others are no slouches either including Betz Syrahs and Gorman Cabernet from Red Mountain.



And of course, The Pundit.


----------



## ibglowin

That was the 12th bottle to fill up a case! LOL



Boatboy24 said:


> And of course, The Pundit.


----------



## Johnd

Latest arrivals, first from Long Shadows, 4 each of the 2014 Chester Kidder (NR yet), Feather(93+) and Pirouette(94+), all three are receiving excellent reviews and are offered at a very attractive price point, with drinking ranges in the 2020-2030 time frame.
Second is a couple of older bottles of Turley Petite Syrah - Library(96-98) from 2004 I ordered during the summer from The Old and Rare Wine Company.


----------



## ibglowin

Shhhhhhh......... Our little secret! LOL



Johnd said:


> All three are receiving excellent reviews and are offered at a very attractive price point, with drinking ranges in the 2020-2030 time frame.......


----------



## sour_grapes

Okay, this is modest compared to you big spenders, but happy nonetheless. As you all may know Rosso di Montalcino is the "little brother" to Brunello di Montalcino. Similar style wine for a lot nicer price. Snagged these 2015 cuties from WTSO:


----------



## Johnd

The haul for the week has been good, but I’ve been a little lax in putting stuff away....From left to right, 6 2015 Venge Bone Ash Vyd., 3 each 2014 Hall Jacks Masterpiece and 2013 Ellie’s, 3 - 2015 Outpost Grenache, 12 2015 Venge Silencieux, front - 6 each 2007 Agharta Black Label


----------



## Boatboy24

sour_grapes said:


> Okay, this is modest compared to you big spenders, but happy nonetheless. As you all may know Rosso di Montalcino is the "little brother" to Brunello di Montalcino. Similar style wine for a lot nicer price. Snagged these 2015 cuties from WTSO:
> View attachment 44727
> View attachment 44728



Wait, one is empty. Is that why the price was so good?


----------



## sour_grapes

Boatboy24 said:


> Wait, one is empty. Is that why the price was so good?



No, it explains why my writing was so florid!


----------



## ibglowin

Why yes, yes indeed that IS the Number 2 wine on Wine Spectator's list of Top 100 wines for 2017 sitting on my table!


----------



## dcbrown73

I picked up a half a case of 2015 Domaine de Cristia Chateauneuf du Pape

I wish I had a better long term storage solution than a wooden wine rack in a walk-in closet....


----------



## dcbrown73

ibglowin said:


> Why yes, yes indeed that IS the Number 2 wine on Wine Spectator's list of Top 100 wines for 2017 sitting on my table!
> 
> 
> View attachment 44738



Nice!

I just looked at the list and noticed that I purchased four bottles of the #3 wine (Château Coutet) from WTSO back in May of this year. Though I picked up the 2007 vintage, the vintage on the list is 2014.

The one bottle that I opened was very beautiful, but much on the very sweet side.


----------



## ibglowin

dcbrown73 said:


> I wish I had a better long term storage solution than a wooden wine rack in a walk-in closet....


----------



## dcbrown73

I currently have a six bottle one in my kitchen to cool the wines I expect to drink soon. For long term storage, heh I was looking at that 400 bottle EuroCave. At $4k and over 500lbs makes it a harder choice to commit too while in between home ownership.

Currently I have an 80 bottle wine rack and about 12 cases of wine in boxes in my walk-in closet.


----------



## ibglowin

Hmmmmm Wonder if Miles is drinking some effing Merlot now! LOL


----------



## Boatboy24

ibglowin said:


> Hmmmmm Wonder if Miles is drinking some effing Merlot now! LOL
> 
> View attachment 44780



And more than double the cost of the #2 wine.


----------



## ibglowin

Well that goes without saying since it is from Napa....... LOL



Boatboy24 said:


> And more than double the cost of the #2 wine.


----------



## ibglowin

It was a good week for Fall wine shipments! Spring Valley Vineyards Nina Lee Syrah and Sharilee Petit Verdot. Gorman Devil You Don't Know as well as 14' Zachary's Ladder and 15' Zachary's Ladder (Red Mountain!). Somehow I missed the 14' Zac's Ladder and I was able to contact Chris and he "found" a couple bottles for me. It pays to know the winemaker! Lastly a nice 6 pack of Reynvann Syrah from the Rocks District. 3 each of the "In the Rocks" and "In the Hills". Life is good!


----------



## Boatboy24

You still make wine, Mike?


----------



## ibglowin

You know all you guys that keep saying your going to have to "cut back next year".........

I was two years ahead you! LOL



Boatboy24 said:


> You still make wine, Mike?


----------



## Boatboy24

@ceeaton @jgmann67 :

Here's a commercial Zin with a hint of Petite Sirah to compare to yours. Get it before its gone.


----------



## jgmann67

Boatboy24 said:


> @ceeaton @jgmann67 :
> 
> Here's a commercial Zin with a hint of Petite Sirah to compare to yours. Get it before its gone.
> 
> View attachment 44787



The problem is we've done more (much more) than a hint of PS in ours. It's a 50/50. 

We tested it and the pH is in the 3.7 range. When we test again, I might suggest testing the TA, too. If the TA is low, maybe @ceeaton and I add some tartaric acid to see if the fruit comes out a little more...


----------



## Boatboy24

jgmann67 said:


> The problem is we've done more (much more) than a hint of PS in ours. It's a 50/50.



Always good to compare though. You may find you like one significantly more than the other and that'll give you a basis when starting your next blend. I've had pretty good experience with the Mockingbird Hill wines. Actually ordered 4 of these myself.


----------



## ibglowin

Sweet! I have a couple more wines that made the Top 100 list for 2017. Good thing I got the 14' Zac's Ladder when I did last week because its all gone now for sure! 

http://top100.winespectator.com/lists/


----------



## Boatboy24

Boatboy24 said:


> @ceeaton @jgmann67 :
> 
> Here's a commercial Zin with a hint of Petite Sirah to compare to yours. Get it before its gone.
> 
> View attachment 44787




Ha! I ordered some of this and had shipment delayed. Arrived today. I'm loving our UPS driver. I got home and saw the little sticker on the door that said "I was here, but you weren't - signature required". I was just hoping the Mrs would be around tomorrow when he showed up again. About 90 minutes after I got home, the doorbell rang. It was the UPS driver with my wine. "I was back in the neighborhood and figured I'd give you another try". Two thumbs up.


----------



## sour_grapes

I do like that WTSO Mockingbird Hill, too. Wish it would show up on their site again soon!


----------



## Boatboy24

sour_grapes said:


> I do like that WTSO Mockingbird Hill, too. Wish it would show up on their site again soon!



I've had a few of their Cabs. This is my first Zin.


----------



## mainshipfred

Now that I have some of my own wine to drink I'll be able to cellar some of these recommendations.


----------



## dcbrown73

I was just gifted a 1996 Penfolds Kalimna bin 28 Shiraz. (and a bottle of Maker's 46!)

I think it might be time to drink it though rather than aging it longer.


----------



## Boatboy24

dcbrown73 said:


> I was just gifted a 1996 Penfolds Kalimna bin 28 Shiraz. (and a bottle of Maker's 46!)
> 
> I think it might be time to drink it though rather than aging it longer.



Go for it! 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=9811


----------



## Johny99

I brought home a couple of these from a visit to @balatonwine in Hungary. A nice easy drinking CF, only 12.5%. My chief taster, aka bride, says I should make a wine like that......perfect for a party.


----------



## sour_grapes

Johny99 said:


> View attachment 45445
> I brought home a couple of these from a visit to @balatonwine in Hungary. A nice easy drinking CF, only 12.5%. My chief taster, aka bride, says I should make a wine like that......perfect for a party.



You mean we had a WMT meet-up, in _HungaryI? _That is awesome!! Wish I had been there.


----------



## Johny99

And I so appreciate WMT for providing a forum for such things. I’d love to make the mid Atlantic meet, but that might be more difficult than Europe.


----------



## mainshipfred

Johny99 said:


> And I so appreciate WMT for providing a forum for such things. I’d love to make the mid Atlantic meet, but that might be more difficult than Europe.



We'd love to have you but you couldn't be further away. Keep it in mind though please. I hope we still have it, only 3 interested so far.


----------



## jswordy

New to the cellar since last I posted (and I do mean CELLAR, since my Vinotemp remains broken):

Bodegas Volver Tarima Hill Old Vines 2015
Chateau Mayne Vieil 2014
Alamos Malbec 2016
Ruca Malen Yauquen Bonarda 2013
Domaine Lafege Batide Miraflors Vieilles Vignes 2014
Tapiz Alta Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
Yalumba The Triangle Block Shiraz Viognier 2013
Kilikanoon Killerman's Run Shiraz 2013
Tilia Malbec 2016
Carletto Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2014

The last came in just in time and is most exciting to me, since it is produced in the region of Italy from which my adoptive grandparents emigrated. I can only hope the old winemaker is looking down and approves of my choice. I have never tasted Montepulciano grapes before. We will have the first bottle of this on Christmas Day, which used to always be a big family gathering at my grandparents' house.


----------



## sour_grapes

jswordy said:


> The last came in just in time and is most exciting to me, since it is produced in the region of Italy from which my adoptive grandparents emigrated. I can only hope the old winemaker is looking down and approves of my choice. I have never tasted Montepulciano grapes before. We will have the first bottle of this on Christmas Day, which used to always be a big family gathering at my grandparents' house.



This calls for a little Hemmingway: https://archive.org/stream/farewelltoarms01hemi/farewelltoarms01hemi_djvu.txt



> "It is never hopeless. But sometimes I cannot hope.
> I try always to hope but sometimes I cannot."
> 
> "Maybe the war will be over."
> 
> "I hope so."
> 
> "What will you do then?"
> 
> "If it is possible I will return to the *Abruzzi*."
> 
> His brown face was suddenly very happy.
> 
> "You love the *Abruzzi* !"
> 
> "Yes, I love it very much."
> 
> "You ought to go there then."


----------



## jswordy

As it turns out, the wine tastes young and raw - in need of cellaring. Two years may mature it well.


----------



## Johny99

Found this at Costco yesterday while buying tax software. $33, unfortunately I only found one bottle. 

Dark Northwest blueberries, cherries, and currants with new French oak and savory earthiness fill the glass of this ripe youthful wine. Aromas of coffee and crème brûlée complement the dominant ripe Merlot flavors. Supported by 5% Cabernet Franc for aromatic brightness, Cabernet Sauvignon’s tannic intensity vies with the voluptuous Merlot for attention in this dynamic wine.

*Silver Medal Winner at San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
Scored 93 points from Wine Spectator
Scored 92 points from Wine Enthusiast and The Wine Advocate*


----------



## ibglowin

I was in a San Antonio last week and Costco had a whole bin of them for $29. That’s less than my $35 Bookwalter wine club member price. I brought two more bottles home for the cellar and a couple more for Xmas gifts. 





Johny99 said:


> View attachment 45589
> Found this at Costco yesterday while buying tax software. $33, unfortunately I only found one bottle.
> 
> Dark Northwest blueberries, cherries, and currants with new French oak and savory earthiness fill the glass of this ripe youthful wine. Aromas of coffee and crème brûlée complement the dominant ripe Merlot flavors. Supported by 5% Cabernet Franc for aromatic brightness, Cabernet Sauvignon’s tannic intensity vies with the voluptuous Merlot for attention in this dynamic wine.
> 
> *Silver Medal Winner at San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
> Scored 93 points from Wine Spectator
> Scored 92 points from Wine Enthusiast and The Wine Advocate*


----------



## ibglowin

Costco blind buy yesterday. $7.99 Review on Costcowineblog is that it is good but not outstanding for the price paid. Into the cellar it will go to gather a little "dust on the bottle" as they say.


----------



## jswordy

So HAPPY to have found more bottles of the 2013 Jim Barry -The Lodge Hill Shiraz in New York! Shipped to my door, they were $2.75 less EACH than my local store wanted to order the (IMO lesser) 2014 vintage for me. Just arrived. One for now, the rest in the cellar!


----------



## Boatboy24

Got notification the other day from Sleight if Hand that the 2017 "And Why Am I Mr. Pink" Rose is available for pre-order at $120/case. I'm very tempted.


----------



## ibglowin

Have you had any of that? I got case last year and only have two bottles left. Definitely a case buy for $10 a bottle.



Boatboy24 said:


> Got notification the other day from Sleight if Hand that the 2017 "And Why Am I Mr. Pink" Rose is available for pre-order at $120/case. I'm very tempted.


----------



## Boatboy24

ibglowin said:


> Have you had any of that? I got case last year and only have two bottles left. Definitely a case buy for $10 a bottle.



I haven't had it. Figure shipping will probably add $2/bottle to that cost. Still, $12 isn't bad at all - especially if it is good.


----------



## ibglowin

Its seriously good stuff especially at that price point.

https://www.seattlemet.com/articles...-pink-rose-of-sangiovese-columbia-valley-2015




Boatboy24 said:


> I haven't had it. Figure shipping will probably add $2/bottle to that cost. Still, $12 isn't bad at all - especially if it is good.


----------



## ibglowin

Stocking up while I can! Was able to snag another bottle of the WS #2 wine of the year (which is really the #1 wine LOL) K Vintners Powerline Syrah. My secret source is now officially OOS!


----------



## geek

You guys have so much leverage


----------



## Johnd

Got an email last week from one of the online stores we buy wine from, highlighting their top 5 wines of 2017, based upon price and quality. Number 2 was Mount Peak Gravity, which we’d already found, but couldn’t resist #5 at under $30 per bottle, 2013 Bootleg Proprietary Red Blend. Hope to get it labeled and shelved this evening and give one a try in a week or two.


----------



## jswordy

Is it wrong to spend stock profits on wine? 

On the way:

At the enthusiastic recommendation of an oenophile friend in California:

Ancient Peaks Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Ancient Peaks Paso Robles Merlot 2015
Ancient Peaks Paso Robles Zinfandel 2015

I had a dickens of a time finding someplace that would ship it to me (the winery won't), then when I finally did, several of my most wanted selections were sold out. So we will try these.

And also coming:

St. Francis Old Vines Zinfandel 2014
Chateau St. Roche Chimeres Cotes Du Roussillon Villages 2015

Will try for pix on arrival.


----------



## jswordy

Well, now after accepting my order for Chateau St. Roche Chimeres Cotes Du Roussillon Villages 2015, supplier emails and says they found 0 bottles in stock but they are working to see if they can fill it - someday. 

It's end of vintage, so I am not hopeful.


----------



## ibglowin

geek said:


> You guys have so much leverage


----------



## sour_grapes

A WTSO purchase. Got 8 bottles, so hope it is as good as the last batch I got from these guys.


----------



## Boatboy24

sour_grapes said:


> A WTSO purchase. Got 8 bottles, so hope it is as good as the last batch I got from these guys.



The 4 bottles of Zin I recently got from Mockingbird Hill didn't last long...


----------



## geek

Last night I had the left over from the day before when I bottled and put the "wrong" label on "that" wine.
I really think it is the Carmenere and Cab blend.....it was smooth "operator"....lol


----------



## jswordy

As expected, I did not get any Chateau St. Roche Chimeres Cotes Du Roussillon Villages 2015, because they showed inventory they did not have. I can still get it elsewhere but at much higher prices. Oh well. However, the merchant will keep my free shipping valid and so I will wait for something else I like to come along. Still a bit disappointed. My disappointment was leavened by the arrival of this Saturday, though. I look forward to it and await the day when some of their top wines are back in stock at this distributor. It was super hard to find a place that would ship this to me in TN - including the winery!


----------



## Johnd

Some recent additions to the cellar, magnum 2015 Caymus-Suisun Grand Durif (Petite Sirah), six 2014 Cade Howell Mtn. Reserve Cabs, six 2015 Outpost Howell Mtn. Cabs, three 2015 Outpost Howell Mtn. True Vineyard Cabs, three 2015 Outpost Howell Mtn. True Vineyard Immigrant, three 2015 Hall North End Cabs, and three 2013 Hall Ellie’s Cabs. Brought the Cade and Caymus back with me from Napa, others are wine club shipments. Napa wines should start to ship and arrive next week, of course while we’re having a February heat wave.......


----------



## kyle5434

Nothing exotic or fancy, but I did add a couple of bottles from a nearby vineyard and winery. I haven't had the Norton, but I have had their Chambourcin before, and of the Chambourcins I've tasted to date, it's probably my favorite.













2018-02-16 18.18.30



__ kyle5434
__ Feb 16, 2018


----------



## cgallamo

kyle5434 said:


> Nothing exotic or fancy, but I did add a couple of bottles from a nearby vineyard and winery. I haven't had the Norton, but I have had their Chambourcin before, and of the Chambourcins I've tasted to date, it's probably my favorite.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 2018-02-16 18.18.30
> 
> 
> 
> __ kyle5434
> __ Feb 16, 2018


Where was nearby?


----------



## kyle5434

cgallamo said:


> Where was nearby?



Just south of the KC metro.


----------



## Johnd

The postman earned his keep today, delivering a few more gems from my Napa trip, sadly, he had to do it in a brutal thunderstorm........
2014 Old Rutherford and Owners Reserve Guest Cottage from Beau Vigne, a small family winery with a few acres atop Atlas Peak. They’ve been making some highly rated wines, but they’re tough to get with small productions, and were sold out. Our visit there got us on “the list” to access the next release, but that’s not til fall. The Old Rutherford and Guest Cottage wines were available and really super wines, both need to lay down for a while. 
Couple 3 liter Caymus Cabs, 2015 Napa and 2014 Special Selection. Love the large format bottles, hate to open them, so these guys will be around for a while.


----------



## Johny99

Just give a call John if you need help with those large bottles. I’d trade just about anything in my cellar except perhaps the Leonetti or Figgens.  Well, maybe......


----------



## jswordy

kyle5434 said:


> Nothing exotic or fancy, but I did add a couple of bottles from a nearby vineyard and winery. I haven't had the Norton, but I have had their Chambourcin before, and of the Chambourcins I've tasted to date, it's probably my favorite.



A good Norton is a great thing.


----------



## ibglowin

Reason #86 I love WA State wines and wineries. They want your business. Placed an order for a few bottles of the flagship Cabernet from one of the better known wineries in the Walla Walla area. I noticed the shipping was almost $22 for two bottles of wine so I just put a note in the comment section on the payment screen asking politely if that really was the ground shipping charge on two bottles of wine. I figured can't hurt to ask right? Well low and behold I got an email a couple hours later asking if $12 was OK. I replied back absolutely and thanked them. The wine went out the same day and will arrive by Friday. I think this is the fourth year I have purchased wines from these guys so I have some history with them but still outstanding customer support and customer satisfaction.


----------



## heatherd

ibglowin said:


> Sweet! I have a couple more wines that made the Top 100 list for 2017. Good thing I got the 14' Zac's Ladder when I did last week because its all gone now for sure!
> 
> http://top100.winespectator.com/lists/
> 
> View attachment 44853


Kendall Jackson Chardonnay makes the top 100??????


----------



## ibglowin

Yep. #28

*Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay California Vintner's Reserve -*
Plush, with loads of richness to the well-honed flavors of beeswax, baked pear and lemon tart. Minerally midpalate, with a fresh and zesty finish that finishes with pastry notes. Drink now through 2020. 100,000 cases made. —_KM_


----------



## ibglowin

Only 135 more working days until...... I will graduate from work! Its gonna be amazing. 2015 Horsepower (Cayuse) allocation Syrah and Grenache as well as 2015 L'Ecole Ferguson Bordeaux blend. This wine was named best Bordeaux blend in the world a few years back by none other than Steven Spurrier.


----------



## Johnd

Got a club shipment in yesterday. Macauley is a pretty small winery up on the side of Howell Mountain, between St. Helena and Calistoga. It’s a small operation, sourcing most of its fruit, with pretty low production, 25 cases of the 2015 Stagecoach, 200 of the Cab Reserve. Nice folks, very comfortable environment, super wines to boot!!


----------



## ibglowin

Love those incredibly detailed Napa wine specs! LOL


----------



## jswordy

ibglowin said:


> Only 135 more working days until...... I will graduate from work! Its gonna be amazing. 2015 Horsepower (Cayuse) allocation Syrah and Grenache as well as 2015 L'Ecole Ferguson Bordeaux blend. This wine was named best Bordeaux blend in the world a few years back by none other than Steven Spurrier.



Beautiful wines, and CONGRATULATIONS on the coming FREEDOM! I have exactly 241 weeks left. Not that I am counting or anything, but...


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> Love those incredibly detailed Napa wine specs! LOL
> 
> View attachment 47520



Yeah, those "specs" for the cab are a tad lean on info, this came straight off of their website for the two I just got..................Kirk Venge, who is quoted, is the winemaker for Mac Watson. It's always interesting to hear how the grapes are handled, fermented, aged, and the final numbers, but they don't all publish that info.......

*2015 Macauley Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach*








*Jeb Dunnuck*: “Blueberries, violets, cassis, blackberry jam and scorched earth like minerality all emerge from the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach. It's undeniably sexy and voluptuous on the palate. Possessing a huge core of sweet fruit, fine, polished tannin, remarkable detail and precision, and a big finish, it's going to be one of the more approachable wines in the lineup."

*Kirk Venge*: Hailing from the high plateaus of Atlas peak, the 2015 Stagecoach contains all of the integral components of a blockbuster wine. For a mountain vineyard, the tannins are refined and tightly integrated. Balance is the focal point of Macauley wines and this certainly shows it nicely. Cellared correctly, this wine will age well for 25 years or more.

75 Cases Produced




*2015 Macauley Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve*





*Jeb Dunnuck*: “Coming from multiple sites and aged 26 months in new French oak, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve tastes like the essence of Cabernet from Napa Valley. Cassis, blueberries, scorched earth, charcoal, violets and hints of tobacco all emerge from this sensational effort."

“There's a little Château Margaux-like floral quality here. Drop dead gorgeous.”

*Kirk Venge*: 100% Cabernet, it is sourced from specific vineyards in Rutherford and Oak Knoll appellations, it also contains a slice from one of the rarest, the mighty To Kalon Vineyard of Oakville.



200 Cases Produced


----------



## ibglowin

You need a top secret "Q" Clearance to see those specs plus a "need to know". Wait, I do have one of those....... Guess I have a "want to know" and not a "need to know" however. Compare and contrast!


----------



## ibglowin

Saviah Cellars Spring allocation. Consistently amazing wines year after year. 5 Star QPR!


----------



## heatherd

Got my quarterly shipment from Pippin Hill Farm and joined Winc (monthly shipment of 4 bottles) so these are new:


----------



## Boatboy24

@heatherd : that "Funk Zone" sounds like a good blend.


----------



## heatherd

@Boatboy24 I agree, that's why I posted the back: in case anyone was thinking of a white blend for their fall 2018 batches.... Also, I don't know that I'd come to those particular proportions in a blend on my own.


----------



## heatherd

If anyone wants to try Winc, which is a monthly subscription service, here's a referral link for you to get $20 free towards wine and I get some type of credits: https://www.winc.com/hi/hdalton4 I am enjoying it because they have a couple of labels that are single-varietal, obscure varietals, California bottles that aren't ungodly expensive, and things they source from overseas. It's a subscription of wines they source and bottle. I am using it for the more obscure stuff, to broaden my exposure to different wines - and to see if I want to make them myself later. When you order, you get free shipping and accrue free wine to send to friends as bait to get them to join the service; I have five of those free ones waiting to be distributed based on three monthly orders. They ship to Maryland and have distribution in PA and CA. I figure, if I'm going to be in some kind of pyramid scheme, it's gonna be wine!!!


----------



## jswordy

A few bottles of each of these came in today. The one on the left was recommended either in this topic or in What's In Your Glass. I have a bottle chilling now. Whew, they were warm. 80 degree day here. I have one more shipment tomorrow and then I think I have to be done until fall. I don't think the cellar is in any danger of running out. LOL.


----------



## jswordy

I'd say it must have been pretty good, lol. Not a real big bold wine and despite the label not a super dry wine, but very smooth and an easy drinker. The rest go in the cellar.


----------



## jswordy

Ah, my last has arrived, the final phase of its trip from France courtesy of an uncooperative UPS driver I had to track down for the privilege of delivery before the bottles were returned. With these bottles of old vine 2014 vintage, I hope I am well provisioned for the long and hot summer. And at half price, with free shipping to boot!


----------



## ibglowin

Have not posted any new spring allocations for awhile so.........


----------



## ibglowin

EFESTE Spring Allocation. 3 Syrah's from three different vineyards including one on Red Mountain. 3 Bordeaux blends.


----------



## ibglowin

Mark Ryan Spring Allocation. 3 from the CV and one from Red Mountain. The Dissident is always a perennial favorite and 5 Star QPR.


----------



## ibglowin

Mixed case from Full Pull including this years Mr Pink Rose', Avennia's 2nd tier label "Les Trouves" which is a GSM blend. Some juice from one of the nicest (and talented) winemakers you will ever meet, Kevin White who still has his day job at Microsoft (for now). Ross Andrew Syrah and a Patricia Green (Oregon) Pinot Noir.


----------



## ibglowin

2015 Doubleback allocation


----------



## ibglowin

Toil (Oregon) Spring allocation. 3 Pinot Noirs and 3 Rose' of Pinot Noir. Toil is a side project from Chris Figgins (Leonetti fame).


----------



## ibglowin

Saving the best for last....... These are all pre-arrivals from last year that finally showed up. All of these scored 95-97 points (RP) in preliminary tastings and may go higher eventually with time. These will lay down for around 10 years I suspect before touching them. 3 CdP and 1 Gigondas (Grenache-Syrah).


----------



## geek

wow, great scores for sure..


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> Have not posted any new spring allocations for awhile so.........


You're doing a better job keeping up with cellar additions than i am, I've had a hard time just getting things tagged and shelved....................


----------



## ibglowin

I am good at getting them entered into Cellar Tracker but I have to admit I don't keep track of the location. I usually end up searching until I find what I am looking for. I noticed you are using tags and hand writing scores etc. I did that at first as well but then switched over to using the plastic tags but then printing out the WS "shelf talker" as they say. I print that up and cut out and then tape it to the tag. I get a nice printed name (instead of my chicken scratch) as well as the score, tasting notes, drinking window. That way if anyone breaks into the cellar they can grab only the best easily LOL.


----------



## ibglowin

Almost forgot a couple of Costco finds from last week. I love a good Malbec but they seem hard to find outside of an Argentinian restaurant. These both came wrapped in paper from the winery (so they have to be good right)......

The Kaiken was #45 on this last years WS Top 100 wines for 2017 list. It got 90pts WS but reviews on CT are kinda mixed at the moment. $20 MSRP

The Jose Zuccardi however has gotten some rave reviews on CT. 92pts WS Price point is however about 2X what the Kaiken cost. It's almost like good grapes cost more money or something...........


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> I am good at getting them entered into Cellar Tracker but I have to admit I don't keep track of the location. I usually end up searching until I find what I am looking for. I noticed you are using tags and hand writing scores etc. I did that at first as well but then switched over to using the plastic tags but then printing out the WS "shelf talker" as they say. I print that up and cut out and then tape it to the tag. I get a nice printed name (instead of my chicken scratch) as well as the score, tasting notes, drinking window. That way if anyone breaks into the cellar they can grab only the best easily LOL.
> 
> 
> View attachment 48284



I looked at the printed tags, but my writing is BIGGER, and I need that!!


----------



## JohnT

Got a new barrel last week....






It is used, about 23 years old, but just look at those beautiful curves!


----------



## geek

I also need a barrel like that...


----------



## Johnd

Got these 6 a few weeks ago during the Last Bottle Marathon Madness, tried to get lots of others, but they went faster than I could order, had some great deals if you could outclick the others. Saved quite a few bucks on the wines, plus free shipping. 
2012 Brunello
2014 Caymus SS
2015 Caymus Suisun Grand Durif (Petite Sirah)
I’ve had the PS, it’s quite good.


----------



## ibglowin

Source?



Johnd said:


> had some great deals if you could outclick the others. Saved quite a few bucks on the wines, plus free shipping.


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> Source?



Last Bottle, https://www.lastbottlewines.com/


----------



## ibglowin

I thought you might be at the game tonight! Go Pelicans! LOL says the diehard Spurs fan! 

Send me an invite. You might as well get a free $30 credit out of it!


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> I thought you might be at the game tonight! Go Pelicans! LOL says the diehard Spurs fan!
> 
> Send me an invite. You might as well get a free $30 credit out of it!



Will do.


----------



## Boatboy24

@ibglowin : I think this one is for you.


----------



## ibglowin

That is on the shelf at Costco, Total Wine, even Smiths's (Kroger) here in Lost Almost! Good Rose' for sure.


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> That is on the shelf at Costco, Total Wine, even Smiths's (Kroger) here in Lost Almost! Good Rose' for sure.



Good Rose', from a winery owned by Wagner, a Napa winemaker?? Surely you jest..................LOL!!!


----------



## Boatboy24

ibglowin said:


> That is on the shelf at Costco, Total Wine, even Smiths's (Kroger) here in Lost Almost! Good Rose' for sure.



I have purchased it from TW. Don't recall what I paid, but I think this $11 deal is pretty good.


----------



## ibglowin

It all about the fruit John! LOL








Johnd said:


> Good Rose', from a winery owned by Wagner, a Napa winemaker?? Surely you jest..................LOL!!!


----------



## ibglowin

Great price but then you have to add shipping and sometimes tax depending on who you buy from.



Boatboy24 said:


> I have purchased it from TW. Don't recall what I paid, but I think this $11 deal is pretty good.


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> It all about the fruit John! LOL!!!



That's a classic!


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> Great price but then you have to add shipping and sometimes tax depending on who you buy from.


 
Don't forget, Last Bottle shipping is free when you order 6 + bottles. Some of their deals are free shipping regardless of the quantities. I always check the prices and have gotten some pretty killer deals, just gotta be willing to do a little investigation......


----------



## Boatboy24

Took my first delivery from Last Bottle yesterday. A little summer fun:


----------



## ibglowin

Where is their shipping warehouse for future reference?



Boatboy24 said:


> Took my first delivery from Last Bottle yesterday. A little summer fun:


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> Where is their shipping warehouse for future reference?



From their website:

"Last Bottle is a daily purveyor of fine wines. We are located in the verdant and wine-soaked Napa Valley and run by a group of devastatingly handsome locals that have been in the wine industry for far too long (say our doctors, the nits). Mostly what we are is pretty well connected to wineries, brokers, distributors all over the planet that we have spent decades building trust with. We're also damn fine tasters, if we do say so, having done it professionally most of our adult lives.

We're wine drinkers, collectors, and part of the global wine trade. We're really good at finding deals, which we pass on ASAP. We don't waste a cent on fancy offices in Manhattan or anything that will prevent us from saving you money. We treat people like we expect to be treated, and we're honest, fair and transparent. Mostly, we are totally stoked to bring you incredible juice at the best prices we can possibly obtain, every day. Give us a shot --- you'll see."

I've ordered from them several times, and so far, all of their deliveries have originated from California, but my orders have been for wines from there, France, and Italy.


----------



## ibglowin

Good to know as anything coming out of CA and shipped to me will come through either Phoenix or Las Vegas which means NO WINE FOR ME except during the Winter. All my juice from WA State comes from WA to ID to UT to CO and then to me avoiding high heat along the way for Fall, Winter and Spring wine shipments.

The only way I got my recent shipment of CdP and Gigondas was we were in SOCAL spending time with the kids and the new grand baby for a few days and K&L shipped it from San Fran to LA in one day and it was a cool week by chance. Otherwise they would have had it till next Winter!




Johnd said:


> From their website:
> 
> "Last Bottle is a daily purveyor of fine wines. We are located in the verdant and wine-soaked Napa Valley and run by a group of devastatingly handsome locals that have been in the wine industry for far too long (say our doctors, the nits). Mostly what we are is pretty well connected to wineries, brokers, distributors all over the planet that we have spent decades building trust with. We're also damn fine tasters, if we do say so, having done it professionally most of our adult lives.
> 
> We're wine drinkers, collectors, and part of the global wine trade. We're really good at finding deals, which we pass on ASAP. We don't waste a cent on fancy offices in Manhattan or anything that will prevent us from saving you money. We treat people like we expect to be treated, and we're honest, fair and transparent. Mostly, we are totally stoked to bring you incredible juice at the best prices we can possibly obtain, every day. Give us a shot --- you'll see."
> 
> I've ordered from them several times, and so far, all of their deliveries have originated from California, but my orders have been for wines from there, France, and Italy.


----------



## Boatboy24

ibglowin said:


> Where is their shipping warehouse for future reference?



I can't find it now, but I believe I read they have regional shipping centers. Wine is shipped to those places climate controlled, IIRC. Then it goes to you from the regional center with a 1-3 day delivery. You can choose to have an ice pack for that delivery (I think I paid $4 for this order). I ordered on the 14th. My wine was shipped on the 15th from Latham, NY and arrived on the 17th still cool. Granted, it hasn't been alarmingly hot this week.


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> Good to know as anything coming out of CA and shipped to me will come through either Phoenix or Las Vegas which means NO WINE FOR ME except during the Winter. All my juice from WA State comes from WA to ID to UT to CO and then to me avoiding high heat along the way for Fall, Winter and Spring wine shipments.
> 
> The only way I got my recent shipment of CdP and Gigondas was we were in SOCAL spending time with the kids and the new grand baby for a few days and K&L shipped it from San Fran to LA in one day and it was a cool week by chance. Otherwise they would have had it till next Winter!



Yup, I’m pretty much in the same boat here, regardless of the route. Until November, the wine Nazi says, “NO WINE FOR YOU!”


----------



## Boatboy24

Costco Score on the 2016 Intrinsic. Also grabbed some 2015 CSM Indian Wells Merlot for $9.88/bottle.


----------



## ibglowin

In San Antonio for a few days visiting my Mom and one of our daughters. Made a Costco run and always find some good stuff at the local warehouse closest to my folks house. I snagged a marinated Tri Tip for dinner! Only have propane grill unfortunately but it will have to do. I am really interested in the California red blend I found @Johnd called "The Sum" This was a whopping $16.99 but it was bottled in a bottle that you would normally see a $40-50 bottle of wine in so will have to see if it is worthy of any praise.

http://www.klwines.com/p/i?i=1323805&cid=TPV-Winesearcher

The Gorman "Old Scratch" is Red Mountain Cabernet (91pt WS) and always a killer wine that has a MSRP of $28 but Costco had for $23. The Santa Christina is an excellent (90pt WS) Chianti that Costco had for $11. Future Pizza night for sure!


----------



## Johnd

@ibglowin , here’s the RP on The Sum, a decent effort, hope you enjoy it!


----------



## ibglowin

Looks like it might be a "warm up" wine! LOL


----------



## Boatboy24

ibglowin said:


> Looks like it might be a "warm up" wine! LOL



I'm sure I could eventually warm up to it.


----------



## Johnd

These dudes came in last month and got stashed away, finally had a chance to open the cage. I picked this vertical of The Beast up on my trip to Napa, great wine (all 95-100)and a pretty cool presentation.

Also from last month, a 6 pack of ‘14 FF Winston Hill to add to the three already in the cellar, haven’t tried one just yet, but it’s been very well reviewed.


----------



## sour_grapes

Johnd said:


> These dudes came in last month and got stashed away, finally had a chance to open the cage. I picked this vertical of The Beast up on my trip to Napa, great wine (all 95-100)and a pretty cool presentation.



I find it a bit odd that they chose the Lion of St. Mark to be "The Beast"...


----------



## Johnd

OK, definitely the last arrival of “Spring”. This was shipped several weeks ago, but never made it here, somewhere in transport, the wooden box was crushed and most of the bottles were broken. Somebody had a mess on their hands. FF offered to re-send the box regular delivery last week, and the wine overnight with ice pack on their nickel, and I obliged. Both packages arrived this morning, the wine still nice and chilly. 2015 Patriarch and 2015 Winston Hill Rutherford Reserve Sangiovese safe and sound at 55F.


----------



## Johnd

@Boatboy24 and @ibglowin this is worth checking out, just ordered 6


----------



## ibglowin

Dang you @Johnd LOL 2 day air shipping only $17 on 4 bottles. This is a good one for sure!


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> Dang you @Johnd LOL 2 day air shipping only $17 on 4 bottles. This is a good one for sure!
> 
> View attachment 49081


 
Very nice!! Every deal’s not perfect for everyone, but there’s plenty of good deals to be had that you can’t beat. I like their service. Just wait til they do one of their marathons.......


----------



## ibglowin

And every deal is not always a deal. This was a deal on a really great wine from an up and coming winery. When you get a minute can you tell me what RP gave this wine? WS gave it a 91. WE gave it a 93 and an "Editor's Choice" designation. Great reviews on CT.



Johnd said:


> Very nice!! Every deal’s not perfect for everyone, but there’s plenty of good deals to be had that you can’t beat. I like their service. Just wait til they do one of their marathons.......


----------



## Johnd

Yep, for sure it’s no always the best, gotta do your research. WA doesn’t appear to have rated the ‘14, but judging from previous efforts, it’s a solid wine in the 90-92 range for several years running. Good score for sure. 



ibglowin said:


> And every deal is not always a deal. This was a deal on a really great wine from an up and coming winery. When you get a minute can you tell me what RP gave this wine? WS gave it a 91. WE gave it a 93 and an "Editor's Choice" designation. Great reviews on CT.


----------



## ibglowin

My fortune cookie from lunch today said I would be "rewarded in most special of ways" today. Hmmmm. I just loaded up on Mrs IB's favorite Summertime porch pounder (Vinho Verde) at TW (now open in Santa Fe). LOL


----------



## heatherd

I have many good bottles....


----------



## stickman

ibglowin said:


> My fortune cookie from lunch today said I would be "rewarded in most special of ways" today. Hmmmm. I just loaded up on Mrs IB's favorite Summertime porch pounder (Vinho Verde) at TW (now open in Santa Fe). LOL



I like the idea of a summertime porch pounder!


----------



## ibglowin

The Rotie showed up yesterday at..... 6:00PM on a day when we hit 90F. Had a nice chat with Mr FedEx Express driver about wine being a perishable product and it does me and the wine no good to pay for express air shipment during warm weather if the wine is just going to sit all day in the back of his truck. He was nice and said he could get it to me by noon and would be on the lookout next time. Last Bottle did put in an ice pack and the bottles were still slightly cool to the touch even though the pack was exhausted. IR temp gun showed 78F which was not too bad all things considered. Morning low temp yesterday was 50F so that also helped. Too bad anything ordered via FedEx air on the West coast goes from the West coast to Memphis then Memphis all the way back to ABQ then trucked up to Santa fe early the next morning and then on the truck for delivery. They need a hub closer to me!


----------



## ibglowin

Forgot to mention these two Costco finds from when we were down in Las Cruces for the Memorial Day weekend. Always seem to find some wines that were on my list but had not had a chance to snag from the winery. This time it was two nice ones. 2015 Gorman "Old Scratch" GSM Blend. This got 93pts WS and was a whopping $19.99. Its mostly Syrah with much lessor amounts of the G and M grapes. The other was the 2016 "Old Scratch" Chardonnay for only $16.99. No review yet on it but the '15 was only 87pts WS so nothing off the charts probably but a solid wine still.


----------



## Johnd

I was perusing the vast selection of wines at my local wine merchant (tens of thousands of bottles), and was holding one of these when the owner walked up to chat. He travels abroad every year to taste and buy, has great prices, knows wine, and I buy a lot of good wine from him. His price on this wine was already below anything I found, and he told me he’d knock and extra $20 off of each bottle if I bought the last two. Sold.................


----------



## ibglowin

Dayumm........

I would have snagged both of those as well. #2 on WS Top 100 wines for 2013. Good score for sure!

You want to give me the name of that wine shop? LOL






Johnd said:


> I was perusing the vast selection of wines at my local wine merchant (tens of thousands of bottles), and was holding one of these when the owner walked up to chat. He travels abroad every year to taste and buy, has great prices, knows wine, and I buy a lot of good wine from him. His price on this wine was already below anything I found, and he told me he’d knock and extra $20 off of each bottle if I bought the last two. Sold.................


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> Dayumm........
> I would have snagged both of those as well. #2 on WS Top 100 wines for 2013. Good score for sure!
> You want to give me the name of that wine shop? LOL



Wow, higher rating than WA, go figure! I’d be happy to share, but they don’t ship...... Great place for sure though. When I get on the hunt for something and find the best price out there for it, they’re usually a few % below my best, no shipping costs and no waiting.


----------



## Johnd

Wifey turns 40 in August, this is her “Birthday Wine”, vintage 1978, the same year she was born. Shipped priority overnight from CA yesterday afternoon, in my hands in LA at 8:30 AM today, nice and cool, pretty amazing feat by Fedex. Hope it’s a great bottle.........


----------



## ibglowin

Nice! I want to turn 40 in August as well but I still want to retire in 2018..... 

You might be a cradle robber! LOL


----------



## Ajmassa

ibglowin said:


> Nice! I want to turn 40 in August as well but I still want to retire in 2018.....
> 
> You might be a cradle robber! LOL



Wahahahahaha. Aw man. Appreciate you saying what I was thinking! Not that it would be an insult- quite the opposite if you ask me. 
And Mr Glowin, aren’t you also a member of this club? I hope when I grow up they’re running that sale to trade in for a younger model.


----------



## stickman

The trade-in fee is very high.


----------



## Johnd

stickman said:


> The trade-in fee is very high.



Yes it is my friend, yes it is.................


----------



## ibglowin

Costco run yesterday. Stumbled on the WS #17 of Top 100 wines for 2017! 2015 Volver Alicante Tarima Hill Old Vines Monastrell (Mourvedre) from Spain. MSRP is only $17 but Costco price was $12.99. Scored 92pts. Snagged a couple bottles for the cellar at that price.


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> Costco run yesterday. Stumbled on the WS #17 of Top 100 wines for 2017! 2015 Volver Alicante Tarima Hill Old Vines Monastrell (Mourvedre) from Spain. MSRP is only $17 but Costco price was $12.99. Scored 92pts. Snagged a couple bottles for the cellar at that price.



That’s a good snag, Spain has some super deals when you can get the wines in the states. We’ve really enjoyed some of the Tempranillo wines we’ve gotten.


----------



## Johnd

Not wine, but a new addition to my cellar, for barrel tastings. Kinda hard to see the size, but it’s 2 feet long and hold 200 ml of wine. Ordered it from a company that primarily makes custom laboratory glassware and vessels.


----------



## Ajmassa

Johnd said:


> Not wine, but a new addition to my cellar, for barrel tastings. Kinda hard to see the size, but it’s 2 feet long and hold 200 ml of wine. Ordered it from a company that primarily makes custom laboratory glassware and vessels.
> View attachment 49745



Love this! I noticed this thief in a couple different wine documentaries I’ve seen. With workers dipping into the barrels using this exact thief. It’s pretty badass. Great purchase.


----------



## Johnd

Ajmassa5983 said:


> Love this! I noticed this thief in a couple different wine documentaries I’ve seen. With workers dipping into the barrels using this exact thief. It’s pretty badass. Great purchase.



Thanks, it is pretty cool, I too have seen them in lots of wineries but just couldn't seem to find where they were getting them from. Got serious about it one night and was browsing images of wine thieves inside of a google search and finally struck paydirt. It's a nice heavy glass thief, I hope I never drop it.............


----------



## Ajmassa

Johnd said:


> . Got serious about it one night and was browsing images of wine thieves inside of a google search and finally struck paydirt. It's a nice heavy glass thief, I hope I never drop it.............


Take good care of it. Definitely something that adds to the wine room’s vibe. 
By the way in my last post I had to rearrange the wording because writing “wine THIEVES” didn’t sound right. “Wine THIEFS” sounds better to me— but then I’d be typing ‘theifs’ instead of ‘thieves’ and couldn’t bring myself to do it.


----------



## Johnd

Ajmassa5983 said:


> Take good care of it. Definitely something that adds to the wine room’s vibe.
> By the way in my last post I had to rearrange the wording because writing “wine THIEVES” didn’t sound right. “Wine THIEFS” sounds better to me— but then I’d be typing ‘theifs’ instead of ‘thieves’ and couldn’t bring myself to do it.



Yeah, Google doesn't like wine thieves either, you get some stuff that has nothing to do with glass sampling vessels.........


----------



## sour_grapes

Ajmassa5983 said:


> Take good care of it. Definitely something that adds to the wine room’s vibe.
> By the way in my last post I had to rearrange the wording because writing “wine THIEVES” didn’t sound right. “Wine THIEFS” sounds better to me— but then I’d be typing ‘theifs’ instead of ‘thieves’ and couldn’t bring myself to do it.



Yup, I thoroughly understand!



sour_grapes said:


> Okay, what do you call this? I saw one Nissan Leaf, parked next to another Nissan Leaf. Would you say that "there were two Nissan Leaves_"_? Or would you say "there were two Nissan Leafs_"_? If, like me, the latter sounds more natural, ask yourself if you would ever say "I saw two leafs fall off that oak tree."
> 
> 
> View attachment 48970


----------



## Boatboy24

@ibglowin are you familiar w/ this wine?

https://www.lastbottlewines.com/offer/LB7072.html?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Darby The Flipside Columbia Valley 2013&utm_content=Darby The Flipside Columbia Valley 2013+CID_ee6238d069a6941f10d6463e8e4c5067&utm_source=Email marketing software&utm_term=Last Bottle


----------



## ibglowin

I saw that this afternoon and no never heard of them before today. They appear to be a winery struggling to keep the doors open. Last time WS reviewed one of their wines was 2011. Not bad reviews once upon a time. The wine may be worth what you are paying for it. It may not. I am not biting on this one.


----------



## ibglowin

Couple of nice Costco finds today! First was a very unexpected #40 of last years WS Top 100 wines. The 2016 Matua NZ Sauvignon Blanc. Set me back a whole $7.99 a bottle and again why in the world would I want to make another Eclipse NZ Sauv Blanc when you can buy something like this for almost the same price. Mine was good, this will be amazing so why, why, why.......


----------



## ibglowin

Second on the treasure hunt was a wine just landed in my email box today from the Costco Wine Blog. The 2016 Kirkland Signature Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. For $8.99 you can't go wrong. Hopefully it will have a little bit of tannin bite! https://costcowineblog.com/2016-kirkland-signature-columbia-valley-cabernet-sauvignon/


----------



## geek

ibglowin said:


> Couple of nice Costco finds today! First was a very unexpected #40 of last years WS Top 100 wines. The 2016 Matua NZ Sauvignon Blanc. Set me back a whole $7.99 a bottle and again why in the world would I want to make another Eclipse NZ Sauv Blanc when you can buy something like this for almost the same price. Mine was good, this will be amazing so why, why, why.......



Tasting notes?

I gotta go to Costco to see if they have it.


----------



## ibglowin

Will post some up when I open a bottle.



geek said:


> Tasting notes?
> 
> I gotta go to Costco to see if they have it.


----------



## ibglowin

Cheaper than a Tesla charge! And it taste good! LOL 



geek said:


> Tasting notes?
> 
> I gotta go to Costco to see if they have it.


----------



## CK55

Johnd said:


> Wifey turns 40 in August, this is her “Birthday Wine”, vintage 1978, the same year she was born. Shipped priority overnight from CA yesterday afternoon, in my hands in LA at 8:30 AM today, nice and cool, pretty amazing feat by Fedex. Hope it’s a great bottle.........
> View attachment 49344


If that ends up being good all the better. Cause i looked it up should be a good wine.

My family is mostly italian, so a lot of preference towards italian wines, but i didnt get any of the italian so yeah, might be why i prefer french wines and get dirty looks from the italian members of the family when i buy wines that arent italian.

lol


----------



## Johnd

Seems like it’s been eons since I ordered my 2015 Bordeaux futures, but they’re finally here. Did pretty good on most working off of young barrel tastings, so-so on a couple. Right to left, Lynch-Bages magnum, Baron de Pichon-Longueville magnum, d’Armailhac magnum, Tour Saint Christophe 3L, Giscours, Malescot St. Exupery, Brune-Cantenac, D’Issan, Bellevue, Du Tertre, and a case of Tour Saint Christophe. Pays to have a buddy who owns two big wine stores, Christmas in August!!!


----------



## ibglowin

Go big or go home!


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> Go big or go home!



Just tryin to be like Mike!!! LOL!!


----------



## ibglowin

I see your Bordeaux futures and raise you 3 cases of WA State futures! (too hot to ship)


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> I see your Bordeaux futures and raise you 3 cases of WA State futures! (too hot to ship)



OK, I’ll see your WA States, and raise you 4-1/2 cases of Turley (assuming I get my wishes on the Petite Syrah)!!


----------



## ibglowin

OK, here.

Hold my beer....... LOL




Johnd said:


> OK, I’ll see your WA States, and raise you 4-1/2 cases of Turley (assuming I get my wishes on the Petite Syrah)!!


----------



## ibglowin

Might have a few of these laying down already plus a few more just waiting for the weather to cool down a bit more in order to ship. 

*The 30 Most Exciting Wines in Washington*

*https://www.seattlemet.com/articles/2018/9/11/the-30-most-exciting-wines-in-washington*


----------



## ibglowin

Costco find! WS #18 Top 100 Wines for 2017. Costco had them for $19.99.


----------



## ibglowin

Fall allocation for J. Bookwalter and Saviah Cellars!


----------



## Johnd

It IS the most wonderful time, got my first shipment today, still in a box in the wine room, may post it up if I can finish pressing early on Sunday.


----------



## Boatboy24

Scored some cheap stuff at Wegman's today.


----------



## Johnd

My first arrival of the season, 2016 Venge Silencieux, sitting in the rack to be entered into CellarTracker, tagged, and shelved. No RP ratings yet, but it’s normally pretty good. 13 was 95, 14 was 94, 15 was a disappointing 91, hoping 16 turns out to be a good year.


----------



## ibglowin

You order through the winery or retailer (online or local)?


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> You order through the winery or retailer (online or local)?



Order through Venge. We've visited there twice, really nice folks, pretty laid back and beautiful setting. Their wine is always quite good, and on the lower end of Napa price points if you look for the right wines. They do sell some wallet busters as well, but I'm a pretty big fan of the Silencieux, which is decently priced.


----------



## Johnd

Just received the Aonair 2016’s. A small winery located in the southeastern foothills of Howell Mountain, the owner and winemaker is Grant Long, Jr., he and his wife operate the winery as well as a private cottage. Beautiful little place overlooking the valley vineyards below, pretty steep land with challenging growing conditions, the wines are really enjoyable. The Mountains Reserve is a 59 barrel production, the Cabernet Reserve is 49 barrels.


----------



## Johnd

Just got the fall delivery from Long Shadows, 2015 Chester Kidder and Pirouette. These wines have been consistently fabulous, and are pretty well priced for the quality.

For those of you who pay attention to numbers and blends:

2015 Pirouette
65% Cab, 21% Merlot, 11% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec
15.1% ABV
pH 3.83 TA .58

2015 Chester Kidder
60% Cab, 25% Syrah, 15% Petit Verdot
14.9% ABV
pH 3.77 TA .57


----------



## ibglowin

I have no idea how this keeps happening..........


----------



## geek

We all do know, it's called retirement..LOL


----------



## ibglowin

These have all been stacking up since the shipping window closed from last Spring. Full Pull Wines (in Seattle) is dangerous. They get lots of mailing list wines and allow you to order what you want. No minimum order of 3 packs or some are 6 packs. So you end up ordering one here one there every week or so and before you know it you have amassed a small fortune in both high end as well as high QPR wines mostly from WA State but also Europe as well. No CA wines however. LOL


geek said:


> We all do know, it's called retirement..LOL


----------



## Johnd

Not a new offering from Aonair, but my first time to get some, very small bottling that I’ve missed out on in the past. 2016 Aonair Conn Valley Estate Cabernet Franc, only 4 barrels produced. I really enjoy a good Cab Franc, and am expecting this to be really good when opened in a couple of years. For now, they’ll head to the cellar for a few years of napping.


----------



## CK55

Johnd said:


> Not a new offering from Aonair, but my first time to get some, very small bottling that I’ve missed out on in the past. 2016 Aonair Conn Valley Estate Cabernet Franc, only 4 barrels produced. I really enjoy a good Cab Franc, and am expecting this to be really good when opened in a couple of years. For now, they’ll head to the cellar for a few years of napping.
> View attachment 52093


I support this. Cab Franc is my favorite grape.


----------



## Johnd

Been waiting for a while to add this WA 100 point beauty to my Bordeaux collection. Doesn’t hit its drinking window til 2021, I’m sure I won’t be around to taste it on the downside........


----------



## ibglowin

Auction?



Johnd said:


> Been waiting for a while to add this WA 100 point beauty to my Bordeaux collection. Doesn’t hit its drinking window til 2021, I’m sure I won’t be around to taste it on the downside........


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> Auction?



No, I actually found them offered on a website from a company out of NY, a full 20% below what they were being sold for in the marketplace or at auction. Called the company up and he said they'd been listed at that price since they got their allocation a few years back, and they had since sold out. They got another small shipment in this spring and were able to get a few more cases, offered at the original price, so I went ahead and ordered 6 of them. Don't know if I'll actually drink any or not, I've already got pretty good profit potential on them if sold today, who knows what they're worth in 10 years..........


----------



## ibglowin

Good score! I would be honored to assist with relieving you of an extra bottle should you need my services at some time in the future.


----------



## Boatboy24

I need to find a few "50-75 year" wines so I can compare them to what I'm making now. 

Honestly, it would have been extremely interesting to taste this wine in 2013 as Parker did (at 2.5 years old) and understand what he tasted in the wine that made him think that.


----------



## Johnd

Hi, my name is John, and I have a problem. 

Delaying wine shipments for hot weather has its advantages and disadvantages. November is usually fun, but this year it’s clear that my methodology of a few bottles here, a few there, wine club purchases, “can’t pass up” deals from Last Bottle, have taken their toll. There’s not enough room in the cellar for all of this wine, so I’ll be stacking the floor with wine.......it’s all good stuff, Turley, Sebastiani, Outpost, Buoncristiani, Del Dotto, Arkenstone, Beau Vigne, Long Shadows, Castello di Amorosa, still a few more stragglers to come in, but I swear, no more wine buying for one year.


----------



## mainshipfred

Johnd said:


> Hi, my name is John, and I have a problem.
> 
> Could be
> 
> 
> but I swear, no more wine buying for one year.
> View attachment 52217



I highly doubt that


----------



## geek

Send them over this way up to New England, happy to stash them for ya.


----------



## ibglowin

Welcome John............ 



Johnd said:


> Hi, my name is John, and I have a problem.


----------



## sour_grapes

You know what this means....

EMERGENCY PARTY AT JOHN D'S HOUSE!!


----------



## ibglowin

I think it means attending weekly meetings.......


----------



## geek

Weekly alcoholic meetings you mean....lol


----------



## Johnd

sour_grapes said:


> You know what this means....
> 
> EMERGENCY PARTY AT JOHN D'S HOUSE!!



I think maybe that's a good solution.......


----------



## Johnd

geek said:


> Weekly alcoholic meetings you mean....lol



If I were drinking enough, I wouldn't be in the midst of this storage problem....LOL!! Glad I slowed down my winemakeing to once a year, even though it's a 60 gallon batch and mercifully won't be ready for two years.


----------



## ibglowin

WCA (Wine Collectors Anonymous) meets here every week.......... I am a Charter Member.


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> WCA (Wine Collectors Anonymous) meets here every week.......... I am a Charter Member.



Nice to know that I'm not alone in my plight............


----------



## stickman

One day at a time......


----------



## ibglowin

Johnd said:


> Nice to know that I'm not alone in my plight............



I wish I could say I had a one month chip but that would be a dream.........


----------



## ceeaton

Johnd said:


> ... There’s not enough room in the cellar for all of this wine, so I’ll be stacking the floor with wine.......


Here I thought it was normal to stack wine on the floor.


----------



## Boatboy24




----------



## Johnd

Boatboy24 said:


> I need to find a few "50-75 year" wines so I can compare them to what I'm making now.
> 
> Honestly, it would have been extremely interesting to taste this wine in 2013 as Parker did (at 2.5 years old) and understand what he tasted in the wine that made him think that.



I’d love to sit next to one of these tasters to see that myself. I wonder if they’re judging what they taste, what they think it will be, or a combination of both. I know it’s the latter, but I’d still like to pick through what they do.


----------



## geek

I think they just enjoy the buzz...lol


----------



## Dennis Griffith

We try to tour regional wineries/vineyards when we travel. Everything from NC scuppernong to Ohio island Catawba is fair game. Most recent (this month) was an Eastern Shore winery named Chateau Bu-De (not bidet). The wines where decent but a little pricey.

https://www.chateaubude.com/

Another vineyard/winery we visited (in July) was in Virginia named Hampton Roads Winery. I really enjoyed this visit as I spent some time amongst the vines with the owner/viticulturist discussing issues and, in particular, the scuppernong vines they had. They evidently had a killing freeze this spring and lost some vines.

http://www.hamptonroadswinery.com/

I can post more, if there is interest. Was this what you were referring to sweetiepie?


----------



## ibglowin

2016 Reynvaan allocation. Pure rocks funk. This is their 10th Anniversary and they tossed in a nice engraved two-step cork screw. Been on the list since 2010. Been on the Cayuse "wait list" for the same amount of time.....


----------



## ibglowin

2016 Gorman Winery allocation! Red Mountain and the CV. That wine opener salesman must have been making the rounds in WA state as I got another "free" engraved 2 step wine opener made from the same company. LOL


----------



## stickman

That salesman probably has a full shipping container to unload. I actually like those type of openers as long as it is of halfway decent quality.


----------



## ibglowin

They are easily my favorite opener for older wines especially where the cork may be brittle. Very gentle on the cork if opened properly.



stickman said:


> I actually like those type of openers as long as it is of halfway decent quality.


----------



## mainshipfred

Went to a Christmas party at a winery I belong to yesterday. They were debuting a 2016 Chambourone. It is a Chambourcin made Amarone style. Can't really give any tasting notes since you only got a tasting. It was very nice but different somehow. My initial reaction was it would make a good mulled wine but will do well on it's own. Ended up getting 2 bottles.


----------



## Boatboy24

Who's offering that, Fred? Sounds interesting.


----------



## mainshipfred

Boatboy24 said:


> Who's offering that, Fred? Sounds interesting.



Vint Hill. I actually bought one of them for you.


----------



## Johnd

This is the “to be cellared” stack I’m working on this week, entered into CT, tagged, and ready to be shelved. From left to right, all 2016 vintage: Standing bottles: Rivers-Marie Wines - Herb Lamb Vineyard, Calistoga, Lore Vineyard, Panek Vineyard, and Napa Cab. In the wooden rack, Beau Vigne Wines - Estate Cab, Cab Reserve, Romeo, Juliet, and Cult cab. 

Down to only 4 cases at the office, all Turley, maybe I’ll get to that before Christmas.......


----------



## Boatboy24

mainshipfred said:


> Vint Hill. I actually bought one of them for you.



Let's concoct a reason to get together and open it.


----------



## mainshipfred

Boatboy24 said:


> Let's concoct a reason to get together and open it.



Any time you like, I'm flexible


----------



## geek

Christmas present, anyone has tried this port?


----------



## Boatboy24

A bottle and two glasses for the same price as the bottle alone? Um, sure!


----------



## sour_grapes

Boatboy24 said:


> A bottle and two glasses for the same price as the bottle alone? Um, sure!



I dunno, I recently turned down a set of free glasses from a winetasting at a local winery. I am looking to GET RID of stuff, not accumulate it!


----------



## Johnd

sour_grapes said:


> I dunno, I recently turned down a set of free glasses from a winetasting at a local winery. I am looking to GET RID of stuff, not accumulate it!



Right there with you, I've gotten downright snooty about the glasses that my wine is consumed from, have a supply of them at home as well as up at the farm, and don't collect any others.


----------



## sour_grapes

Oh, in my case, it is not snootiness! Believe me, my glasses are not top-tier. It's more of a clutter issue for me.


----------



## mainshipfred

All mine are from wineries I visit. Probably bottom of the barrel for quality but free.


----------



## Johnd

Just delivered a few minutes ago. Before you jump all over me, this was ordered as futures back in early ‘18, way before I committed to stop ordering wine. The Beast is purportedly a blend of the best of the best barrels from all of the different Del Dotto vineyards each year. Though it’s pricey, I’ve indulged in a bottle each year and have one from 12, 13, 14, and 15, and intend to hang on to them. At least one of these three will remain cellared, looking forward to opening one of the others in a few years.


----------



## ibglowin

Local purchase or Club?



Boatboy24 said:


> A bottle and two glasses for the same price as the bottle alone? Um, sure!


----------



## ibglowin

Tasting room glasses are perfect for certain situations and what gets brought out for informal "happy hour" get together with friends or larger get togethers. If they get broken its no big deal. The Riedel glasses only get brought out for dinner parties. That way they have less chance of being broke accidentally.



sour_grapes said:


> I dunno, I recently turned down a set of free glasses from a winetasting at a local winery. I am looking to GET RID of stuff, not accumulate it!


----------



## Boatboy24

ibglowin said:


> Local purchase or Club?



Grocery store - Wegmans.


----------



## sour_grapes

ibglowin said:


> Tasting room glasses are perfect for certain situations and what gets brought out for informal "happy hour" get together with friends or larger get togethers. If they get broken its no big deal. The Riedel glasses only get brought out for dinner parties. That way they have less chance of being broke accidentally.



Not sure if you are attempting to correct me, but I have NO PROBLEM with the quality of the glasses Jim presented. It is just that I have no desire to own more things at this point in my life!

FWIW, my glass "strategy" is the following: I have about 15 or 20 semi-decent glasses from several partial sets purchased at a local consignment shop. When I or my friends break enough glasses to fall below about 15 glasses, I go to the consignment shop and buy a "set" of 5 or 6 or 7 semi-decent glasses for small money. Rinse, lather, and repeat. Breakage is not a concern for me.


----------



## ibglowin

Heavens no! LOL 

I learnt that was an exercise in futility years ago! 




sour_grapes said:


> Not sure if you are *attempting* to correct me......


----------



## ibglowin

Judge not and ye shall not be judged! LOL 



Johnd said:


> Just delivered a few minutes ago. Before you jump all over me......


----------



## sour_grapes

ibglowin said:


> Heavens no! LOL
> 
> I learnt that was an exercise in futility years ago!



Now _that_ is funny!


----------



## jswordy

Ah, the case arrives. Boy, I hope the 2015 is as good as the 2014 was! I hope to lay down at least half of it. Fingers crossed!


----------



## ibglowin

Costco run over the weekend and found some steals.




I am seeing more and more WS ratings stickers on the bottles in the warehouse. The 2016 H3 (90pts WS) and only $8.99 will make you think twice about this hobby. The Matua NZ Sauv Blanc (90pts WS) and only $7.99. The 2016 Seghesio Zin (93pts WS) and only $19.99 always a favorite. The steal/deal of the day seems to be the 2015 GORU Monastrell-Cab Sauv blend (91pts WS) and only $15.99. The WS review has a very different MSRP that what I paid for it!


----------



## mainshipfred

ibglowin said:


> Costco run over the weekend and found some steals.
> 
> View attachment 53257
> 
> 
> I am seeing more and more WS ratings stickers on the bottles in the warehouse. The 2016 H3 (90pts WS) and only $8.99 will make you think twice about this hobby. The Matua NZ Sauv Blanc (90pts WS) and only $7.99. The 2016 Seghesio Zin (93pts WS) and only $19.99 always a favorite. The steal/deal of the day seems to be the 2015 GORU Monastrell-Cab Sauv blend (91pts WS) and only $15.99. The WS review has a very different MSRP that what I paid for it!
> 
> View attachment 53258



I may be way out of line or premature when I say this but here goes. I'm just over 2 years into this with the first 10 months learning the ropes and making the rookie mistakes with kits as would be expected. The fall of 2017 I made my first batch from grapes as well as a few juice buckets. Spring and fall of 2018 with the exception of 3 juice buckets in the spring was grapes only with 12 total varietals. Of these 12 five or six were from premium fruit. Understanding the oldest 2018 is only 10 months old and the newest 3 months I have to say the grape wines are holding their own, especially the premiums. My barrels are all new so time in the barrels to date is limited and a few possibly over oaked. Now things may go south, I may continue to make mistakes or maybe my palate just doesn't know what it's talking about but as of now I can't see any of the premiums not holding up to $20 to $25 bottles of wine.


----------



## ibglowin

Not out of line in any way. I have never bought any premium fruit be in lugs or frozen pails. Even my worst wines made from fresh grapes turned out better than my best kit wines IMHO. I think my wines would sell for $15-25 depending on the wine. My cost was ~$5 but that was never adding in the cost of my expenses to go get the grapes and haul them back. For me that included a trip to Denver, a night in a hotel and a trip back home, 700 miles RT. Doesn't include your cost of equipment to process the grapes into wine. Doesn't include cost of chems. So that $5 cost of fruit in reality is more like $10 after you factor in your amortized expenses. Then you have to wait two years for the "fruits" of your labor to be realized. So some wines make you scratch your head as far as cost and time involved. It is a LOT of work to do this hobby by yourself from start to finish. I don't have a large family and or a lot of help with this hobby. It's mostly just me. So factor your time and effort into the equation and more head scratching. Labor of love gets kind of old after a while if you are the only laborer.....


----------



## mainshipfred

In keeping this fun and friendly, my amortized expenses: C/D and Press $650.00, lab equipment including SC 300, argon set up, DO tester, chemicals $850.00, Carboys and barrels $1,000.00 and $300.00 for misc for a total of $2,800.00. I have just over 110 gallons bulk aging right now with about 40 already bottled so call it 590 bottles divided by $2,800.00 gives you $4.75/bottle plus the fruit matches your $10.00 number. Now if I write all this off this year my cost next (this) year will be the fruit cost plus bottles, corks, MLB and misc additives. So just over $6.00. It appears I'm a lot luckier than you as far as travel for fruit, heck I bet my average distance is 30 miles each way. And if it's OK with you since I'm only 2 years into this and still having to much fun I can't put my time into it.


----------



## Johnd

Even when you get further away and costs go up a bit, it's immaterial if you're enjoying what you're doing. In the beginning with grapes for me, most everything I did surely cost well over $10 per bottle, some closer to $15, but it was no matter, even though I could buy a commercially made 92 for 12 bucks. Now that I've got a solid, well priced source, my own C/D, the numbers would probably look a lot better, so what did I do? Bought an expensive barrel to age in. Go figure, or do like me, don't figure out the cost, do it because you love it and don't have to justify it, because you can't put a price on the enjoyment and satisfaction.............


----------



## jswordy

Johnd said:


> Just delivered a few minutes ago. Before you jump all over me, this was ordered as futures back in early ‘18, way before I committed to stop ordering wine. The Beast is purportedly a blend of the best of the best barrels from all of the different Del Dotto vineyards each year. Though it’s pricey, I’ve indulged in a bottle each year and have one from 12, 13, 14, and 15, and intend to hang on to them. At least one of these three will remain cellared, looking forward to opening one of the others in a few years.
> View attachment 52752



I have had Del Dotto wine but not The Beast. Mmmm...


----------



## jswordy

Ah yessss... It has arrived! Mmm... From their 32 acres to my 25...


----------



## jswordy

The Le Doyenne is "flawed" by wine diamonds. But what can you expect, it has been cellared for 8 years!


----------



## Dennis Hugg

The Queen of the Prom (in 1962) wanted a cup of red for spaghetti sauce, so I opened a bottle of cab from a gifted kit from Christmas a year ago, It is so good that I'm drinking the rest of the bottle. I'm going to request homemade spaghetti at least every two weeks for the rest of the year, and buy and brew a new cab kit next month. She's no dummy by a long shot, so I don't know if i'll get by with it. But since amarone is molto italiana and she is everything Italian, I can switch to amarone from the two kits brewing now.


----------



## Johnd

Always ends up being one of my favorites, Del Dotto never fails to please. I’ll stash these away for a few years, maybe give one a try in 20.


----------



## Donz

Picked up some Napa wines while in Miami. Sequoia Grove Cab/ Orin Swift Abstract / Orin Swift Palermo / Joseph Phelps Cab.


----------



## ibglowin

Sing it with me............


----------



## ibglowin




----------



## Johnd

Still squeezing in a few more stragglers before the weather gets too hot to ship....


----------



## ibglowin

Nice to see you buying a few midweek drinkers for a change!


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> Nice to see you buying a few midweek drinkers for a change!



I don't really put any limits on drinking any wine, just whenever the mood strikes..............


----------



## stickman

I enjoy my wine, but compared to all of this stuff I've got garbage in my cellar, feel like I might as well kick the walls in.


----------



## ibglowin

Doing my share.


----------



## ibglowin

I always say you can't make a fine wine unless you know what a fine wine taste like!



stickman said:


> I enjoy my wine, but compared to all of this stuff I've got garbage in my cellar, feel like I might as well kick the walls in.


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> I always say you can't make a fine wine unless you know what a fine wine taste like!



That, and doing my part to avoid "cellar palate"......!!!!!!!!


----------



## Johnd

A really good buy on this WA 95 from Last Bottle!! Gotta look at a lot of wines, but there are some deals to be had.


----------



## Johnd

Awesome winery I’ve visited a time or two, and the wine is just fabulous!


----------



## ibglowin

Gearing up for Spring and Spring/Summer wines. Picked up a seis pack of Mrs IB's new favorite porch pounder from Spain. Txakolina. Super light (11%ABV), super crisp, slightly effervescent. Found out they also produce a Rose' wine also from the same varietal so 3 & 3 are ready and waiting. Then found a sweet price on some L'Ecole Grenache Rose' from WA State to boot. Things are looking pretty in pink!


----------



## ibglowin

Mixed case of juice from Full Pull. The Bookwalter Readers Cab was WS #69 of Top 100 wines for 2018. Figgins (94pt WS) Some crazy 5 Star QPR wines in Kevin White and SoDo Deadbird Cab Sauv. A little barrel fermented Chardonnay from Chris Gorman.


----------



## ibglowin

Saviah Spring Club Allocation. They are saying 2016 is stacking up to be an amazing year in WA State. 2015 Big Sky Cuvee (Right bank Bordeaux blend) 2016 WWV Cab Sauv, 2016 GSM (Yakima) and a bottle of 2018 Rose' (Sangiovese) to fill out a Seis Pack!


----------



## Boatboy24

Mike,

Same Figgins as Toil, right?


----------



## ibglowin

Yes! Toil is Figgins Oregon Pinot Noir label.  

All made by Chris Figgins the son


----------



## ibglowin

And speaking of........


----------



## ibglowin

Late but welcome additions for 2016!


----------



## ibglowin

Saturday delivery for FedEx ground. Nice!


----------



## jswordy

ibglowin said:


> Saturday delivery for FedEx ground. Nice!
> 
> View attachment 54169



I liked mine! Mmmm...


----------



## ibglowin

Popped one a few weeks ago. Was good but pretty tight still even with about 40 mins of air. Hoping it will end up close to being as amazing as the 15' is in about a year. Still have two of those laying down in the cellar.



jswordy said:


> I liked mine! Mmmm...


----------



## ibglowin

Couple of shots of recent additions. Mixed case from Full Pull in Seattle from several weeks ago. Couple of heavy hitters that will lay down for quite a few years. 




Got a "seis pack" for Mrs. IB today from Last Bottle. Some nice porch pounding Txakoli from Spain (11% ABV). Still waiting for Summer to arrive in these parts. Was 36 on Monday morning, 40 on Tuesday and 46 this morning. Supposed to warm up closer to seasonal averages by the weekend. Believe it when I see it!


----------



## geek

@ibglowin no need to make home-made wine any more....


----------



## ibglowin

I am sure I will but we lost the source for California grapes with the club I was working with up in Denver back in 2016. The small vineyard was sold with no warning really and now the club is buying grapes from all over Colorado. This means that grapes come into the club a delivery here and a delivery there as the grapes ripen over as long as a month depending on where they where being grown and the variety. 

That doesn't make it easy since the drive is 350 miles one way plus it's Colorado grapes. I may look into seeing if I could piggyback on an order coming this way from F. Colavita like @Johnd is doing but I don't feel much like chasing the truck all over the Southwest really but if it was making a stop anywhere convenient (even Denver) as long as it was a one stop pickup of all varieties I would jump on it at at some point. I still have ~60 gallons in bulk (stoppered) carboys. So no real rush to crush even more grapes before I work through some of my bulk stash still.

You can't make a great wine unless you know what a great wine taste like!



geek said:


> @ibglowin no need to make home-made wine any more....


----------



## Boatboy24

Been in the upper 80's and low 90's here and my CC reserve shipment is due to arrive tomorrow. I didn't know it had shipped until today.


----------



## ibglowin

Thats one of the reasons I cancelled them. They sent out the Reserve Cabernet and the Walter Clore back in mid May (2000) during the big Cerro Grande fire. We were all evacuated and the wine sat in Santa fe in the truck in 90+ degree weather for like 5 days. I refused it when they attempted delivery and made them hold another shipment until the Fall. A few years back they made the Reserve Cab and the Walter Clore optional purchases so basically you were forced to buy extra wine to get those (arguably their best) wines. That was kinda the last straw for me.

If it shows up warm refuse it or send it back.



Boatboy24 said:


> Been in the upper 80's and low 90's here and my CC reserve shipment is due to arrive tomorrow. I didn't know it had shipped until today.


----------



## Boatboy24

ibglowin said:


> Thats one of the reasons I cancelled them. They sent out the Reserve Cabernet and the Walter Clore back in mid May (2000) during the big Cerro Grande fire. We were all evacuated and the wine sat in Santa fe in the truck in 90+ degree weather for like 5 days. I refused it when they attempted delivery and made them hold another shipment until the Fall. A few years back they made the Reserve Cab and the Walter Clore optional purchases so basically you were forced to buy extra wine to get those (arguably their best) wines. That was kinda the last straw for me.
> 
> If it shows up warm refuse it or send it back.



Thanks Mike. That's what I was thinking. Do you just refuse w/ the UPS driver, then contact the winery?


----------



## ibglowin

Yes. Tell them it was blind shipped and the temps along the shipping route were in the upper 80's, low 90's. Really should not be over 75 without an ice pack of sorts.



Boatboy24 said:


> Thanks Mike. That's what I was thinking. Do you just refuse w/ the UPS driver, then contact the winery?


----------



## Boatboy24

So, turns out it went two day air and arrived in Kentucky today. Hitting home here in N. VA tomorrow.


----------



## ibglowin




----------



## ibglowin

Well it only took 10 years. Been on the Cayuse wait list for 10 years. Made the list finally this year. Now we wait another year for actual wine to be delivered.


----------



## geek

Wow, that's a really rocky soil.


----------



## sour_grapes

geek said:


> Wow, that's a really rocky soil.



Your loess is Mike's gain!


----------



## ibglowin

Well they don't call it "The Rocks District" for nothing! Cayuse was the first to plant in the area years and years ago. Now everybody is scrambling to lease or purchase land in the AVA. The last 5 years has seen an explosion of vines coming online and more and more wineries making wines in the rocks.

https://rocksdistrict.com


----------



## ibglowin




----------



## Boatboy24

My latest pick up from Last Bottle.


----------



## ibglowin

I don't know how this happened again...... Saviah and Bookwalter Fall allocation.


----------



## geek

are you guys still making wine? lol


----------



## ibglowin

There are two types of winemakers Varis. Those who have too much home made wine. And those who someday will! 



geek said:


> are you guys still making wine? lol


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> I don't know how this happened again...... Saviah and Bookwalter Fall allocation.
> 
> View attachment 57184



getting to be that time of the year......my stuff is on hold til November, then the flood gates open.


----------



## ibglowin

Johnd said:


> getting to be that time of the year......my stuff is on hold til November, then the flood gates open.



Or part the Red Sea. Either way its Xmas in November!


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> Or part the Red Sea. Either way its Xmas in November!


Amen!!


----------



## ibglowin

A little Rocks Funk (Syrah) from Reynvann.


----------



## Johnd

Couple good deals from Wine Slash arrived today.


----------



## Johnd

Had a visit today from the Long Shadows delivery man! A little vino from WA state so @ibglowin doesnt think I’m too one dimensional....


----------



## ibglowin

Probably a good choice to expand your sights to the North. Seems like Mother nature is intent on burning Napa Valley to the ground one way or another.


----------



## cmason1957

Head to Mendocino county wines, they aren't burning, at least not this year.


----------



## ibglowin

Happy Friday folks! 

Stocking up on more Central CA Coast goodness while I still can.


----------



## ibglowin

As well as a late Spring and Fall allocation from Spring Valley Vineyards in the WWV. Sharilee is a 100% pure PV.


----------



## Johnd

Some new arrivals today from earlier this year. Odette Cab is one of my favorite all time wines, this winery continues to churn out this impressive wine year after year. It’s so flavorful and full with silky smooth tannins, it’s mouthwatering just looking at it. Haven’t been fortunate enough to try the Reserve yet.....


----------



## Donz

Johnd said:


> Some new arrivals today from earlier this year. Odette Cab is one of my favorite all time wines, this winery continues to churn out this impressive wine year after year. It’s so flavorful and full with silky smooth tannins, it’s mouthwatering just looking at it. Haven’t been fortunate enough to try the Reserve yet.....
> View attachment 57448



What did the Odette Cab set you back per bottle? Had it once and it was superb.


----------



## Johnd

Donz said:


> What did the Odette Cab set you back per bottle? Had it once and it was superb.



I think it retails for 130/140, I get it from a wholesaler for just over 100.


----------



## Mcjeff

My wife called me and said she was getting my birthday present early. Aldi wine advent calendar. She bought 2 plus a beer one!


----------



## ibglowin

So cool. I didn't realize you were a wine retailer these days, thats awesome!



Johnd said:


> I think it retails for 130/140, I get it from a wholesaler for just over 100.


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> So cool. I didn't realize you were a wine retailer these days, thats awesome!



Hmmmmm, that really is how that reads.....well, you get the picture. I can tell you, I’m not making any money at this game, all expenditures, no revenues, and other than the occasional hangover, really nothing to show for it!


----------



## ibglowin

LOL I want to know how a large building contractor became a wine retailer as well!


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> LOL I want to know how a large building contractor became a wine retailer as well!



LOL, definitely wouldn't want to be in that business!!


----------



## JCBurg

ibglowin said:


> View attachment 56924


Are those your bottles? How did you get gold foil for the labels??? I ask because labeling and label design are some of my favorite activities for making my wines, and my tribute Cab Sav in memorium for my dad really could benefit!


----------



## ibglowin

No, those are commercial as this thread is for commercial wines really. 



JCBurg said:


> Are those your bottles? How did you get gold foil for the labels??? I ask because labeling and label design are some of my favorite activities for making my wines, and my tribute Cab Sav in memorium for my dad really could benefit!


----------



## ibglowin

Could not find any in the 505 but the 210 has plenty in stock. Bringing a few back home!


----------



## geek

Costco run today?


----------



## JCBurg

ibglowin said:


> No, those are commercial as this thread is for commercial wines really.


Oh my mistake!


----------



## ibglowin

You bet! 



geek said:


> Costco run today?


----------



## jgmann67

ibglowin said:


> LOL I want to know how a large building contractor became a wine retailer as well!



True, except in Pennsylvania... there the state is the wholesaler and the dominant retailer for wine, and the only retailer for spirits, in the state.


----------



## stickman

@ibglowin I opened one of the Kirkland Cotes Du Rone two days ago, very nice, initially has a slight reductive lees character which then opens up after several minutes to reveal a nice balance of fruit and tannin, put the cork back in, came back on the second day to even more silkier fruit. Very good now, but seems like this one could handle the cellar without any trouble.


----------



## ibglowin

Excellent! The mark of any good wine IMHO is how it holds up on day two. For $6.99 this is a crazy good deal. Case buy if you have the space. LOL I may snag a couple more if my local Costco ever gets any in stock!



stickman said:


> @ibglowin I opened one of the Kirkland Cotes Du Rhone two days ago, very nice, initially has a slight reductive lees character which then opens up after several minutes to reveal a nice balance of fruit and tannin, put the cork back in, came back on the second day to even more silkier fruit. Very good now, but seems like this one could handle the cellar without any trouble.


----------



## Steve Wargo

stickman said:


> @ibglowin I opened one of the Kirkland Cotes Du Rone two days ago, very nice, initially has a slight reductive lees character which then opens up after several minutes to reveal a nice balance of fruit and tannin, put the cork back in, came back on the second day to even more silkier fruit. Very good now, but seems like this one could handle the cellar without any trouble.
> 
> View attachment 57630


I picked up 3 bottles of the exact wine from COSTCO in October-2019. I'm glad to hear that it's worth drinking now and possibly cellaring a bottle for a later year. Thanks


----------



## ibglowin

Yea, this wine sounds about right for me.


----------



## Boatboy24

Wine fairy stopped by here today as well.


----------



## mainshipfred

I recently gave @Johnd 3 bottles of 2018 wine in which one of them I found to be developing VA. This is what I received in return. Pretty sure I was not on the short end of the stick.

Thank you very much John and great labels.


----------



## Boatboy24

Nice labels, @Johnd !


----------



## Johnd

Boatboy24 said:


> Nice labels, @Johnd !



Thank you Jim! I’d be remiss if I didn’t say that Mrs. Johnd is largely responsible for the label creation, and she does a wonderful job with them. I just stick em on and shrink the capsules....


----------



## CDrew

There was a lot of wine making going on in 2016 down there in Louisiana. Nice trade.


----------



## Johnd

mainshipfred said:


> I recently gave @Johnd 3 bottles of 2018 wine in which one of them I found to be developing VA. This is what I received in return. Pretty sure I was not on the short end of the stick.
> 
> Thank you very much John and great labels.



Hope you enjoy them, the labels pretty much describe the grape source and some basic winemaking for each, except for the first and fourth wines. The Chilean Cab origin is obvious, this one was also barrel aged 6 months, and refused to go through MLF, it was my second attempt with grapes. The Zinfandel was my first grape wine, frozen must from Brehm, and also didn’t complete MLF. These two wines pushed me into my research on co-inoculation, and every subsequent wine has been successfully co-inoculated. 

The Montsant wines are from GrapeMasters frozen must. The other two were fresh grapes from Lanza, they crushed, destemmed and froze them for me (no SO2 added) and then shipped the buckets. 

Hope you enjoy them, and give me some feedback, I’d like to see how your evaluation compares to mine.


----------



## sour_grapes

"Hi, uhhh, John, I think I have a small problem with one of my wines, and I would love to get your opinion on this. It tastes a lot like, uhh, Yellowtail Merlot, and I didn't expect that. Oddly enough, I happened to bottle the Yellowtail, I mean, I bottled MY wine in a bottle from Yellowtail, and I didn't bother to remove the label. Also, I had a batch of cheap fruit wine that tastes funny. My wife thinks it tastes a bit like Mad Dog. (Embarrassingly, I happened to bottle this in an old bottle of Mogen David that I happened to have lying around.)

I was wondering if I could send you these two fine, but subtly flawed, wines to you for your opinion? I certainly wouldn't expect anything in return, but, if I may perhaps be of service to you in the future in evaluating any of your wines, please let me know.

Yours, etc.
Sour_Grapes"


HaHaHaHa!


----------



## Johnd

sour_grapes said:


> "Hi, uhhh, John, I think I have a small problem with one of my wines, and I would love to get your opinion on this. It tastes a lot like, uhh, Yellowtail Merlot, and I didn't expect that. Oddly enough, I happened to bottle the Yellowtail, I mean, I bottled MY wine in a bottle from Yellowtail, and I didn't bother to remove the label. Also, I had a batch of cheap fruit wine that tastes funny. My wife thinks it tastes a bit like Mad Dog. (Embarrassingly, I happened to bottle this in an old bottle of Mogen David that I happened to have lying around.)
> 
> I was wondering if I could send you these two fine, but subtly flawed, wines to you for your opinion? I certainly wouldn't expect anything in return, but, if I may perhaps be of service to you in the future in evaluating any of your wines, please let me know.
> 
> Yours, etc.
> Sour_Grapes"
> 
> 
> HaHaHaHa!



LOL!! You’re a mess!


----------



## buzi

@mainshipfred , that is an impressive scientific experiment that you started! Especially in reference to that cab blend with the clone169! 

Nice job @Johnd ! I have been interested in the playing with the cab clones. Do you think it is worth it?!?


----------



## Johnd

buzi said:


> @mainshipfred , that is an impressive scientific experiment that you started! Especially in reference to that cab blend with the clone169!
> 
> Nice job @Johnd ! I have been interested in the playing with the cab clones. Do you think it is worth it?!?



I'm very pleased with both the Koch Cab and the Clone 169 Cab. I have 100% pure varietals of each that were barrel aged, the 50/50 blend that was aged in glass with oak staves (the one pictured), and a blend with some leftover Malbec from Chile'. Though I did some trials, the blends were more a matter of convenience than they were intentional / scientific, but they've all turned out pretty nicely.


----------



## montanarick

mainshipfred said:


> I recently gave @Johnd 3 bottles of 2018 wine in which one of them I found to be developing VA. This is what I received in return. Pretty sure I was not on the short end of the stick.
> 
> Thank you very much John and great labels.
> 
> View attachment 57785


Excellent labels!!!


----------



## jpwatkins9

Wondering what software folks use to make labels like those that Mrs. Johnd made? Those are incredible. My labels are just silver or gold hand written using a glass pen. Works fine, and the wine dosen’t know. Would love to make up some artwork and actually make a proper label.


----------



## montanarick

yeah, i'd like to know too and especially what/where the ideas and patterns come from


----------



## Johnd

Wifey uses Avery #22827 labels, they are waterproof, easily removed, vinyl like labels, and print with a laser jet printer, four to a sheet. The Avery website offers free formatting, which we use. The images come from www.dreamstime.com , you do pay for the images selected, but the charge is usually nominal.


----------



## wpt-me

I have used the Avery #22827 also . Then used some of my own photos .
Have them printed a Office Depot a decent price.


----------



## montanarick

Thanks for the response. I'll be sure to check out "dreamstime".

You may want to check out www.sheetlabels.com for their removable polyester weatherproof labels. I've been using their RXW - SL571 (4 per sheet at 4.75x3.75) and have them printed at Staples on their laser printer. I believe they are mush less expensive than the Avery labels.

As a matter of fact I've just come back from Staples with the latest label -see below


----------



## ZebraB

There ia an app called Painnt that enables you to modify your pictures to a more art version form. There are many different styles to apply. Some are free (and the free ones change over time). The ones that are not free are nominal.


----------



## jswordy

I bought a couple of the Troublemaker just for fun, but the Jacobs Creek bottles are for the long run.


----------



## Boatboy24

jswordy said:


> I bought a couple of the Troublemaker just for fun, but the Jacobs Creek bottles are for the long run.
> 
> View attachment 57998



Didn't realize there was a Troublemaker white wine.


----------



## ibglowin

They made a Troublemaker Sauv Blanc for a couple years.


----------



## geek

Cannot make up my mind on what occasion I should pop the cork on this one.

Never tried a port this old if indeed is 30 year old?!


----------



## Boatboy24

geek said:


> Cannot make up my mind on what occasion I should pop the cork on this one.
> 
> Never tried a port this old if indeed is 30 year old?!
> 
> View attachment 58010



New Years is coming...


----------



## jswordy

ibglowin said:


> They made a Troublemaker Sauv Blanc for a couple years.



That's the stuff.


----------



## geek

Boatboy24 said:


> New Years is coming...



I thought about it but I think we're staying put by ourselves at home, me/wife/kids


----------



## jswordy

geek said:


> I thought about it but I think we're staying put by ourselves at home, me/wife/kids



As Clarence Clemons used to say, life is short so "Get the good wine." Happy New Year!


----------



## geek

jswordy said:


> As Clarence Clemons used to say, life is short so "Get the good wine." Happy New Year!



You’re absolutely right!!


----------



## ibglowin

We shall see.


----------



## Boatboy24

ibglowin said:


> We shall see.
> 
> View attachment 58077
> 
> 
> View attachment 58078



Wait for it...


----------



## Boatboy24

@mainshipfred: I found another Touriga Nacional based blend at Wegman's tonight. No idea if it's any good, but I'll report back later.


----------



## Boatboy24

Definitely worth a try. I'll need to get another bottle and try that one with some "fat meats".


----------



## mainshipfred

Boatboy24 said:


> @mainshipfred: I found another Touriga Nacional based blend at Wegman's tonight. No idea if it's any good, but I'll report back later.
> 
> View attachment 58141
> View attachment 58142



Haven't been to Wegman's lately. Might make a trip today.


----------



## ibglowin

No duds in this bunch. The Mayacamas was #2 on the WS Top Wines of 2019 (96pts). Black Slate was #24 (93pts). The Vieux Telegraphe CdP (95pts).


----------



## Johnd

I’m a bit of a PS fanatic, ran across these wines at an excellent price. WA scores of 96, 96, 95, and 95+ left to right. The 01 and 02 will be consumed quickly, both near the end of the window, 04’s pretty close as well. The 08’s are mature but have 10 years left. Can’t wait to get started!


----------



## sour_grapes

This was a WTSO purchase. It seems to me that there was feedback on "Judge and Jury" on WMT, but I was unable to find it quickly, so took a flyer on a Sonoma red wine blend. 2017 vintage, unusual blend of Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Petite Sirah, and Carignan(e).


----------



## Boatboy24

sour_grapes said:


> This was a WTSO purchase. It seems to me that there was feedback on "Judge and Jury" on WMT, but I was unable to find it quickly, so took a flyer on a Sonoma red wine blend. 2017 vintage, unusual blend of Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Petite Sirah, and Carignan(e).
> 
> View attachment 58413



I think I grabbed some of that several years back (not the 2017, of course), and as I recall, it was a pretty good value. Around $12?


----------



## stickman

Johnd said:


> I’m a bit of a PS fanatic, ran across these wines at an excellent price. WA scores of 96, 96, 95, and 95+ left to right. The 01 and 02 will be consumed quickly, both near the end of the window, 04’s pretty close as well. The 08’s are mature but have 10 years left. Can’t wait to get started!



That 2008 is 17.2 ABV....holy sh**, it must drink like a meal!


----------



## stickman

ibglowin said:


> No duds in this bunch. The Mayacamas was #2 on the WS Top Wines of 2019 (96pts). Black Slate was #24 (93pts). The Vieux Telegraphe CdP (95pts).



That 2015 Mayacamas cab was aged a total of 32 months in neutral wood, approximately 20 months in large wooden tanks followed by 12 months in barrel. Should be interesting!


----------



## Johnd

stickman said:


> That 2008 is 17.2 ABV....holy sh**, it must drink like a meal!



Should be a beast!


----------



## sour_grapes

Boatboy24 said:


> I think I grabbed some of that several years back (not the 2017, of course), and as I recall, it was a pretty good value. Around $12?



It is now $15. Inflation, dontcha know?


----------



## mainshipfred

I belong to 5 Virginia wine clubs and get 72 bottles a year plus what I buy when I do my pick ups. Even though the wines are made by 4 different winemakers I'm thinking I have developed a cellar palate. I should really start taking some advice from this thread and expand my horizon.


----------



## Johnd

mainshipfred said:


> I belong to 5 Virginia wine clubs and get 72 bottles a year plus what I buy when I do my pick ups. Even though the wines are made by 4 different winemakers I'm thinking I have developed a cellar palate. I should really start taking some advice from this thread and expand my horizon.



Try somma dem coon ass wines ya got.......Geaux Tigers!!


----------



## mainshipfred

Johnd said:


> Try somma dem coon ass wines ya got.......Geaux Tigers!!



I had the Chilean Cab a while ago and it was very nice. Definately full bodied with lots of fruit but I can't tell you what, I'm just not very good at that. With all that fruit I'm guessing you didn't use a lot of oak.


----------



## Johnd

mainshipfred said:


> I had the Chilean Cab a while ago and it was very nice. Definately full bodied with lots of fruit but I can't tell you what, I'm just not very good at that. With all that fruit I'm guessing you didn't use a lot of oak.



No barrel aging, I was still a carboy + adjuncts winemaker at that time, so you hit that one on the head. Think it was just a bunch of French Stavin cubes. Also, an incomplete MLF, but it’s mellowed a lot since bottling,


----------



## sour_grapes

Another WTSO grab. This was a 2015 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Once again, I have no real insight to the quality of this wine, but it didn't set me back much. Vino Nobilo di Montepulciano is very similar to Brunello, albeit with one fewer year of required aging; the 2015 Brunellos are not out yet, but all indications are that 2015 was a wonderful vintage. So I decided to take a chance to try the 2015 vintage of the neighboring wine. Haven't opened yet to see if I made some "tragic" mistake!


----------



## ibglowin

No reviews in CT but here is one from WE.







sour_grapes said:


> Another WTSO grab. This was a 2015 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.


----------



## sour_grapes

ibglowin said:


> No reviews in CT but here is one from WE.



Thanks for that. A little disappointed in that "all-important number" , but that is okay. Thank you for the info -- I think I will treat it like a Chianti, and drink it sooner rather than later.


----------



## ibglowin

At least you have enough to try one now and decide if its good and gets better with some airtime or not. Then it becomes cooking wine or Sangria!


----------



## Johnd

sour_grapes said:


> Thanks for that. A little disappointed in that "all-important number" , but that is okay. Thank you for the info -- I think I will treat it like a Chianti, and drink it sooner rather than later.



looked it up on Parker as well, no dice. Few bottles owned by folks on CT, but no reviews. There were a few WA reviews of the wine from a few years back, upper 80’s to 90 range. Probably a good solid wine that you’ll enjoy.


----------



## Darrell Hawley

What's new in you cellar ?
Nothing, because I haven't built it yet and that's why I'm here. Building a house in a few months and looking on how I should set up an area for wine making. What do you wish you would have done if you could start over. Looking for helpful hits and setting it up. Instead of a big tub up higher, thought of putting the drain on the floor with water faucets a little higher than the carboys.(more like a school custodian has). Thanks for the help.


----------



## Johnd

Theses 3 dudes came in these week, they’re part of our “kids” collection, wine made the year they were born, we drink it with them on their 21st birthdays, though this part of the collection is a little different. 

In her previous marriage, in 2003, the lovely Mrs. Johnd gave birth to a daughter that lived only until the next day, October 31 and November 1 are indeed somber days in our home. We’ll celebrate her birth and death with the Montelena and Montrose, the “Croft” port bears the same last name her daughter was buried with.


----------



## sour_grapes

Johnd said:


> Theses 3 dudes came in these week, they’re part of our “kids” collection, wine made the year they were born, we drink it with them on their 21st birthdays, though this part of the collection is a little different.
> 
> In her previous marriage, in 2003, the lovely Mrs. Johnd gave birth to a daughter that lived only until the next day, October 31 and November 1 are indeed somber days in our home. We’ll celebrate her birth and death with the Montelena and Montrose, the “Croft” port bears the same last name her daughter was buried with.



Touching. Thanks for sharing the sad times to remind us of the beauty of happier times.


----------



## Johnd

Putting away the 2017 Turley Petite Syrah wines, 7 Library Vineyard, 14 Pesenti Vineyard, 15 Hayne Vineyard. These wines hold their value well and have 20+ year drinking windows. Turley PS is one of the top PS wines out there, in my opinion, and nicely priced.


----------



## Aeludor

Just bottled my first wine this morning. Crab apples from my tree. That means I get to start my cellar!


----------



## sour_grapes

sour_grapes said:


> Another WTSO grab. This was a 2015 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Once again, I have no real insight to the quality of this wine, but it didn't set me back much. Vino Nobilo di Montepulciano is very similar to Brunello, albeit with one fewer year of required aging; the 2015 Brunellos are not out yet, but all indications are that 2015 was a wonderful vintage. So I decided to take a chance to try the 2015 vintage of the neighboring wine. Haven't opened yet to see if I made some "tragic" mistake!
> 
> View attachment 58759





ibglowin said:


> No reviews in CT but here is one from WE.





Johnd said:


> looked it up on Parker as well, no dice. Few bottles owned by folks on CT, but no reviews. There were a few WA reviews of the wine from a few years back, upper 80’s to 90 range. Probably a good solid wine that you’ll enjoy.



We opened one to check out and to go with the beef tenderloin. Yeah, it is a decent Chianti, no more, no less. Decent pucker factor and flavor, a bit thin and not terribly complex. On par for the cost, so I am good with it.


----------



## ibglowin

Dang. You better start drinking more and start on that cellar expansion ASAP! 




Johnd said:


> Putting away the 2017 Turley Petite Syrah wines, 7 Library Vineyard, 14 Pesenti Vineyard, 15 Hayne Vineyard. These wines hold their value well and have 20+ year drinking windows. Turley PS is one of the top PS wines out there, in my opinion, and nicely priced.


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> Dang. You better start drinking more and start on that cellar expansion ASAP! View attachment 58834



Since I had room for it, that should give some indication of my consumption trends.......


----------



## Ignoble Grape

So officially kicking off my WSET 3 study. Visited a Total Wine for the first time. I love field trips! That was an experience, but found what I was looking for. Definitely going to need a drinking partner.


----------



## Boatboy24

Be careful at Total Wine. There's a lot of junk - noted as "winery direct".


----------



## ibglowin

Lots of Faux Winery Direct bottles for sure at TW. Probably even more coming with the glut of grapes the past few years in Cali.


----------



## Ignoble Grape

ibglowin said:


> Lots of Faux Winery Direct bottles for sure at TW. Probably even more coming with the glut of grapes the past few years in Cali.


Yeah, I wasn't impressed overall, and didn't join their club. It's a trip for me and I happened to be in the neighborhood. No customer service and the help staff was less than knowledgeable. I was looking for a Hunter Valley Semillon and was told to go look for one on the "other reds" wall. At that point, I just decided to wander up and down the aisles. Remarkably, I found one, tho not with the other reds. Surprise.


----------



## sour_grapes

Ignoble Grape said:


> So officially kicking off my WSET 3 study. Visited a Total Wine for the first time. I love field trips! That was an experience, but found what I was looking for. Definitely going to need a drinking partner.
> 
> View attachment 58957



Nice! Maybe I missed it, but what is "WSET 3"?


----------



## Ignoble Grape

sour_grapes said:


> Nice! Maybe I missed it, but what is "WSET 3"?


Wine and Spirits Educators Trust, level 3. It's like the Court of Soms, but the curriculum is focused on viticulture/wine knowledge, not service.


----------



## ibglowin

Cool!



Ignoble Grape said:


> Wine and Spirits Educators Trust, level 3. It's like the Court of Soms, but the curriculum is focused on viticulture/wine knowledge, not service.


----------



## Chuck E

@Ignoble Grape You might think about drinking the Beaujolait Villages sooner rather than later. I never had any luck trying to keep it cellared.


----------



## Ignoble Grape

Chuck E said:


> @Ignoble Grape You might think about drinking the Beaujolait Villages sooner rather than later. I never had any luck trying to keep it cellared.


If I didn't have sufficient excuse to drink it before, I do now. Curious to try a villages. Ty for the advice! Cheers!


----------



## ibglowin

Odd's and ends from K&L. I actually ordered 2 of the Susana Balbo Malbec's and they sent two of the white blends by accident. Called them up and they apologized and said to keep it and they are sending out the correct wines today. This is a nice blend of Sauv Blanc, Semillon and Torrontes.


----------



## ibglowin

Perhaps they are trying to tell me something? Should probably put this in with the Trust papers just in cases.....


----------



## ibglowin

Finally cobbled together enough to get a case shipment from Full Pull. Who wants to pop a cork on some "Involuntary Commitment"? Couple of Squirrels and Rat's in this shipment as well as other things that will lay down quite nicely for a few years. Alright, alright, alright!


----------



## stickman

I like The Boy label.


----------



## ibglowin

Hopefully the wine will live up to it's full potential in a few years. The 2014 Syrah from this vineyard made it #2 spot on the WS list of Top 100 Wines for 2017. They crop down to only about ~2.4 T per acre.

_*The Powerline Vineyard is a 30-acre estate vineyard, located over 1200 feet elevation. Powerline Vineyard was planted in 2012 in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, just south of Walla Walla in the Walla Walla Valley AVA. The soils are well drained with cobblestone river rocks and underlying layers of sand and gravel deposits, allowing vines to develop very deep and strong roots.The cobblestone rock was brought down river from the Blue Mountains and deposited on top of the ancient river bed. The deep sand and silt below the stones bring a great purity to the grapes, while high elevations keep acids high, producing very well-balanced wines with remarkable complex characters.*_






stickman said:


> I like The Boy label.


----------



## ibglowin

A few Big Guns ready to head into the Cellar for a long Winter's nap.


----------



## Johnd

Went to a wine tasting dinner a few weeks ago with winemaker Michael Kennan as the host, and featuring his wines. A very enjoyable evening of food, wine and camaraderie. Bonus, my Cab Franc wine came in today, cheers!!


----------



## stickman

@ibglowin @Johnd Once again you guys are killing me, if I had all of that high end wine on the shelf, I'd probably just start kicking my homemade stuff around on the floor.


----------



## Johnd

stickman said:


> @ibglowin @Johnd Once again you guys are killing me, if I had all of that high end wine on the shelf, I'd probably just start kicking my homemade stuff around on the floor.



LOL!! It's not all that high priced, I try hard to get good QPR wines, and always look to see what the stuff sells for on the market and auctions. If I can buy below those numbers, ie: the value is higher than the price and I like the wine, and it's not a crazy cult priced wine, I try to get a few bottles. You'll see none of the crazy stuff in my cellar like Screaming Eagle, Petrus, Scarecrow, etc, don't have any first growth French wines either, just can't justify the prices, and frankly, don't think that in good conscience I could enjoy a bottle of wine that costs that much. I have lucked out on a few wines that I purchased futures on, which sell relatively inexpensively, and if they rate highly, sell for way more that you pay. I also can go the other way.

None of that stops me from enjoying my own wine, it's what I drink most of the time anyway, and it's nice to have something of quality to compare it to, however humbling that may be..............


----------



## ibglowin

Like I have said all along. You can't make great wine unless......


----------



## stickman

Yea, I agree, it's important to know what quality wine tastes like. I do occasionally get to taste some fairly good wine throughout the year, mostly from my neighbor who calls me over when he opens something special, but for the most part I'm sure I have "cellar palate". Sitting out on the patio when the weather is nice, opening a bottle of "our" wine.......smiling shaking our heads saying "you can't buy this anywhere".


----------



## ibglowin

Couldn't agree more. An even better feeling is when your wine outshines the commercial bottle at the dinner table!


----------



## Chuck E

New wines from Mayo Family Vineyards. 2 Zins and a Cab.


----------



## boppy1

Blueberry wine.


----------



## Johnd

Bought this case as futures a couple years ago, just came in this week. They offer the futures at a discounted rate a decent bit below the release price. If it is rated where it is most of the time, around 92/93, I’ll have made a pretty good deal. If it’s lower, not so much. The 2016 was 96+, if the 2017 is that good, it’ll be a great deal, and worth a lot more in 10 years. It hasn’t been rated by anyone yet, just stashed it away to sleep and await the tasting scores. Two more futures Castello cabs from different vineyards this week.


----------



## Johnd

My Dad / Stepmom have been keeping themselves happy with old wine. Dad bought futures on French wines in the 80’s and has a pretty impressive collection of them. I’ve been bringing them eggs from my chickens and fresh produce from a nearby farmer that‘s selling to the public while restaurants are closed. Yesterday he “reimbursed” me with a bottle of wine, knowing I’d never take his money, but wouldn’t turn down a bottle of wine.
It‘s been standing in our cellar overnight to settle the sediment, today is our anniversary, so we’ll enjoy it tonight.


----------



## Boatboy24

Johnd said:


> My Dad / Stepmom have been keeping themselves happy with old wine. Dad bought futures on French wines in the 80’s and has a pretty impressive collection of them. I’ve been bringing them eggs from my chickens and fresh produce from a nearby farmer that‘s selling to the public while restaurants are closed. Yesterday he “reimbursed” me with a bottle of wine, knowing I’d never take his money, but wouldn’t turn down a bottle of wine.
> It‘s been standing in our cellar overnight to settle the sediment, today is our anniversary, so we’ll enjoy it tonight.
> View attachment 60431
> View attachment 60432



Nice! Happy anniversary! Cooking up anything good to go with that?


----------



## Johnd

Boatboy24 said:


> Nice! Happy anniversary! Cooking up anything good to go with that?



Thank you Jim! Yes, gonna do some 8 oz. SRF gold filets in the sous vide for a few hours with a quick hot sear in a cast iron pan, served with some sautéed squash. Salad will be a burrata / tomato/ fresh basil with glazed fig balsamic vinegar drizzle.


----------



## stickman

@Johnd all I can say is wow! I'm pretty sure I wrote about my experience with Gruaud Larose in a previous post, but it's worth mentioning again. In the early 90's my wife received a 1985 vintage bottle as a gift from a client at work. I put it down in the cellar and just forgot about it, other than it was French wine, I really had no idea what it was. In the late 90's a friend was over at the house and I decided to open the bottle, neither of us knew what we were about to experience, he drank wine but had no idea about anything other than typical grocery store bottles. After the first sip went down we just looked at each other in amazement, the flavors of the fruit and tannin that started in the mouth and sensations went all the way down the throat. I'm not implying that it's the best wine in the world, my commercial wine tasting is somewhat limited, but to this day, I've never experienced anything like that at any price point.


----------



## Johnd

stickman said:


> @Johnd all I can say is wow! I'm pretty sure I wrote about my experience with Gruaud Larose in a previous post, but it's worth mentioning again. In the early 90's my wife received a 1985 vintage bottle as a gift from a client at work. I put it down in the cellar and just forgot about it, other than it was French wine, I really had no idea what it was. In the late 90's a friend was over at the house and I decided to open the bottle, neither of us knew what we were about to experience, he drank wine but had no idea about anything other than typical grocery store bottles. After the first sip went down we just looked at each other in amazement, the flavors of the fruit and tannin that started in the mouth and sensations went all the way down the throat. I'm not implying that it's the best wine in the world, my commercial wine tasting is somewhat limited, but to this day, I've never experienced anything like that at any price point.



The 1986 was no slouch either!!


----------



## Donz

Must have been pretty epic!?


----------



## Boatboy24

UPSanta just arrived!


----------



## Johnd

It’s about that time of year, when it cools down and all that ordered wine starts drifting in!! For me, it doesn't start til November..........


----------



## Boatboy24

Johnd said:


> It’s about that time of year, when it cools down and all that ordered wine starts drifting in!! For me, it doesn't start til November..........



Good. This thread's been quiet for a while.


----------



## Johnd

Here’s a little kickstart from one of my favorite small, young wineries, Aonair, run by Grant and Megan Long. They don’t produce a lot of Cab Franc, so I can only get a few bottles a year, it’s a beautiful wine, as smooth and robust a CF as I’ve ever had. Love it!!


----------



## Boatboy24

I can't speak for this particular wine, but great price and Vermentino makes a nice white wine.


----------



## GR!

The first case of our budding wine collection. The plan is to have a bottle on our wedding day (Saturday) and then have the rest on random anniversaries over the next 20 years or so!


----------



## Johnd

GR! said:


> The first case of our budding wine collection. The plan is to have a bottle on our wedding day (Saturday) and then have the rest on random anniversaries over the next 20 years or so!
> 
> View attachment 66769


One of my favorites!!!


----------



## mainshipfred

GR! said:


> The first case of our budding wine collection. The plan is to have a bottle on our wedding day (Saturday) and then have the rest on random anniversaries over the next 20 years or so!
> 
> View attachment 66769



Best wishes on your wedding day.


----------



## GR!

Johnd said:


> One of my favorites!!!


 
Your post about it in “what’s in your glass tonight” Is what put me on to it. All I can say is thank you because it is an amazing wine!



mainshipfred said:


> Best wishes on your wedding day.



Thank you for your kind wishes!


----------



## Johnd

GR! said:


> Your post about it in “what’s in your glass tonight” Is what put me on to it. All I can say is thank you because it is an amazing wine!



Happy to be of service! Its not the cheapest wine on the block, thats for sure. Now that you’re hooked, start trying to find some Odette Reserve........


----------



## Darrell Hawley

No wine JUST YET,(taken this morning) although I will be making the wine on the left of the picture in the future.
]\


----------



## mainshipfred

Darrell Hawley said:


> No wine JUST YET,(taken this morning) although I will be making the wine on the left of the picture in the future.
> ]\View attachment 66795


 I'm no expert but I don't think that ladder is going to support that beam


----------



## Johnd

mainshipfred said:


> I'm no expert but I don't think that ladder is going to support that beam


Actually Fred, you kind of are an expert...........LOL


----------



## ibglowin




----------



## ibglowin

Kicking off the Fall Allocation with a BANG!

Spent 3 days in SLO and Paso Robles last week. Went to visit our daughter, SIL and grand daughter in Burbank as well. All tasting are now by reservation only and are outdoors. If you are planning a visit make your reservations well in advance as they fill up days/weeks in advance. Did not get to stop in at many places on the list as they were all full. Guess we will have to come back! 

We did get in to visit Austin Hope this go round. Had a wonderful visit and the wines were all good/excellent. Joined the club with our BFF's that also made the trip out separately. Nice as we can split the allocation with another couple. The Austin Hope Cab Sauv made WS Top 100 wines (top 10) last year. I have a couple of the 2017 in the cellar. We tasted the new 2018 this time. All I can say is wow. If you like Caymus, you will love this wine at 50% of the cost. Came home with a bottle of Grenache, Mouvedre, Syrah, Cab Sauv, Rose, and Chardonnay.


----------



## ibglowin

Had a wonderful late afternoon tasting at Tolosa (Edna Valley). We joined the wine club last Fall and picked up our Fall wines this trip. We sat out on the back patio and watched as they were pressing the last of the grapes on the crush pad. Big operation for sure. They really specialize in Big Cali Pinot Noirs and the occasional Syrah and Chardonnay and of course a Rose. We had a very relaxed 90 minute tasting and shared a charcuterie board with our wines. We left with a few extras needless to say.


----------



## ibglowin

Last but not least by any means we were able to score an early tasting (10AM) at Adelaida. They were out of reservation openings but I emailed the club manager and he made an extra spot for us on our last day. The view from the upper deck of the patio is amazing. The temps were perfect. Not a dud in the bunch (as usual) and we left with a few extra bottles after tasting through them all. Another relaxed 90min tasting. Much more enjoyable than "bellying up to the bar" like you did in the "olden days" pre-COVID. Went home with one of just about everything. Including a 2013 "Port" that was incredible.


----------



## Johnd

My new babies will start arriving in early November!!!!!!!! Can't wait to see what I ordered........................


----------



## sour_grapes

Just got in another rando WTSO purchase: A Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (Fattoria Svetoni Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG 2016). It was supposed to be a good vintage in that part of the world, so I have my fingers crossed. Otherwise, it is just a decent chianti at a reasonable price!


----------



## Boatboy24

sour_grapes said:


> Just got in another rando WTSO purchase: A Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (Fattoria Svetoni Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG 2016). It was supposed to be a good vintage in that part of the world, so I have my fingers crossed. Otherwise, it is just a decent chianti at a reasonable price!
> 
> View attachment 67457



I saw that the other day and thought about it, but never pulled the trigger. Hope it's a winner!


----------



## Johnd

sour_grapes said:


> Just got in another rando WTSO purchase: A Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (Fattoria Svetoni Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG 2016). It was supposed to be a good vintage in that part of the world, so I have my fingers crossed. Otherwise, it is just a decent chianti at a reasonable price!



Doesn’t have a review from Parker, but I found this one on CT, 92 is pretty good for CT, which I find stingy with ratings in many cases.


----------



## sour_grapes

Thank you, @Johnd !


----------



## Juniper Hill

Tried a new variety, Nerello Mascalese - from Sicily. Supposed to be somewhere between Pinot Noir and Sangiovese. Was light bodied and extremely fruit driven - a bit like Soda pop without the sugar. It's apparently the variety that all the rage with the Sommeliers - I'll have to see if I can get a better version of this one.


----------



## ibglowin

*J. Bookwalter* Fall allocation is in the house!


----------



## ibglowin

*Saviah Cellars* safely tucked away as well.


----------



## CDrew

ibglowin said:


> *Saviah Cellars* safely tucked away as well.



I had a really nice trip to Walla Walla in June and missed Saviah. Went to a bunch of other great wineries but missed this one. Just based on this, when I go back we're going there. It's a superb wine growing area and I'll bet those will be a treat.


----------



## ibglowin

Please do! There are so many excellent wineries in WW that its easy to miss some really fantastic places if you don't know. Rich Funk the owner is about the nicest winemaker you will ever meet. Last time out he loaded all four of us and took us 10 miles out to his new vineyard in the Rocks District. He was quite proud of the wines that were just beginning to come out. Those wines are now his top scoring wines and they are reasonably priced in comparison to the competition. 








__





Who says nice guys finish last? A look at Walla Walla’s Saviah Cellars


Richard Funk and Anita Funk moved to Walla Walla from Montana in 1991. Upon arriving, Richard Funk took up work as an Environmental Health S...




www.wawinereport.com


----------



## Boatboy24

Get to Costco! Stat!!!


----------



## Boatboy24

Forgot to share the additional deets on that 4-pack I grabbed Friday:


----------



## Chuck E

@Boatboy24 
Jim, I picked up one the Costco boxes. Should we drink now or lay 'em down?


----------



## Rocky

Boatboy24 said:


> Forgot to share the additional deets on that 4-pack I grabbed Friday:
> 
> View attachment 67690
> 
> 
> View attachment 67691


Jim, I saw this wine deal at Costco and wondered if it was any good. I would be very interested in your personal assessment of these wines. Thank you.


----------



## ibglowin

Found some reviews on CT for them. These are not tannin monsters (all Merlot blends) so doubtful they will get much better with age plus they are already now 4 years old.


----------



## Boatboy24

Rocky said:


> Jim, I saw this wine deal at Costco and wondered if it was any good. I would be very interested in your personal assessment of these wines. Thank you.



At a little more than 8 bucks a bottle, my expectations are in check. I'll keep everyone posted though.


----------



## CDrew

At $34 for 4 bottles of wine, I'm willing to take a chance. Though I'm guessing all the 90 point stuff is overhyped. I got one of these yesterday and will drink over the next month or so. I'm almost tempted to just taste then all and if good, just go and buy several more of these 4 packs. They would make a nice Christmas gift for co-workers or what ever.


----------



## ibglowin

Good temps in the winery/cellar these days compliments of Mother Nature!


----------



## Boatboy24

Rocky said:


> Jim, I saw this wine deal at Costco and wondered if it was any good. I would be very interested in your personal assessment of these wines. Thank you.



Opened the Cantaloup about 30 minutes ago. It is clearly not a high end French wine, but certainly worth the price I paid. Will see how it does as it gets a little air. Bear in mind that aside from some Provence Rose and Chataneuf du Pape, there aren't a lot of French wines I've had that I've really felt were worth the money.


----------



## ibglowin

I got a couple of midweek drinkers today!


----------



## Boatboy24

Boatboy24 said:


> Opened the Cantaloup about 30 minutes ago. It is clearly not a high end French wine, but certainly worth the price I paid. Will see how it does as it gets a little air. Bear in mind that aside from some Provence Rose and Chataneuf du Pape, there aren't a lot of French wines I've had that I've really felt were worth the money.



This wine definitely opened and mellowed with some air time. Again, not a top tier wine, but certainly with the price of admission. Very, very dry - not much fruit but enjoyed by both me and the Mrs.


----------



## hounddawg

sour_grapes said:


> From your cellartracker page, when I tried to look at your cellar list:
> 
> 
> Ummm, seems that there is a "failure to communicate" here?


sounds to me he's very smart,, lol
Dawg


----------



## ibglowin




----------



## Johnd

Very nice! Think I’ll have a bunch of deliveries waiting when I get home from Colorado (mule deer hunt). Found some reviews:


----------



## ibglowin

Stay warm! You don't have to leave your house to hunt here in LA! 



https://share.ring.com/54578d09-ab60-41fd-b49a-8731ab0baf37.mp4





Johnd said:


> Very nice! Think I’ll have a bunch of deliveries waiting when I get home from Colorado (mule deer hunt).


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> Stay warm! You don't have to leave your house to hunt here in LA!
> 
> 
> 
> https://share.ring.com/54578d09-ab60-41fd-b49a-8731ab0baf37.mp4


I’m fairly certain that a gunshot and killing an animal in the middle of the night would pose so many problems. Snowed here most of the last two days, it’s beautiful, cold, and very hard to hunt in since you can’t see. Pic of my truck from my second floor balcony, this is my buddy’s place just outside of Guffey, CO.


----------



## ibglowin

Looks like your getting the full Colorado hunting experience then. I was only joking about hunting from your front yard. But I am pretty sure thats what compound bows are made for......

Between the elk and the deer in these parts grazing each Summer and early Fall through a whole lot of folks veggie gardens and fruit trees I am sure there are a lot of people that would like to take one or two out someway, somehow....



Johnd said:


> Snowed here most of the last two days, it’s beautiful, cold, and very hard to hunt in since you can’t see. Pic of my truck from my second floor balcony, this is my buddy’s place just outside of Guffey, CO.
> View attachment 68076


----------



## ibglowin

So I had too much time on my hands I guess this Summer being stuck at home and lots of good/excellent wines to be had by K&L as well as Full Pull Wines in Seattle.

Extra points if you can spot the "one of these things is not like others" wine out of them all!













Drink Up Me Hearties! (Yo Ho)


----------



## CDrew

Looks like the party's at @ibglowin 's house!

I was going to say the Ridge is the different one, but I saw some other California central coast selections. And then I saw the Frenchie there off to the side. So that's my guess.

Ridge always a favorite.


----------



## ibglowin

Ding Ding Ding...... Good eye!

My first bottles of Ridge in the Cellar as well as Turley.  



CDrew said:


> And then I saw the Frenchie there off to the side. So that's my guess.


----------



## sour_grapes

CDrew said:


> Looks like the party's at @ibglowin 's house!
> 
> I was going to say the Ridge is the different one, but I saw some other California central coast selections. And then I saw the Frenchie there off to the side. So that's my guess.
> 
> Ridge always a favorite.



That is funny -- I also used the Frenchie to eliminate my earlier suspicion that Sonoma was the outlier. Never stopped to think that the Frenchie was itself the outlier!


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> Looks like your getting the full Colorado hunting experience then. I was only joking about hunting from your front yard. But I am pretty sure thats what compound bows are made for......
> 
> Between the elk and the deer in these parts grazing each Summer and early Fall through a whole lot of folks veggie gardens and fruit trees I am sure there are a lot of people that would like to take one or two out someway, somehow....


Things turned out pretty awesome, I was fortunate enough to match wits with this dude, a marvelous animal and my first Muley.


----------



## ibglowin

Nice!

Little bigger than those White Tail in TX and LA!



Johnd said:


> Things turned out pretty awesome, I was fortunate enough to match wits with this dude, a marvelous animal and my first Muley.
> View attachment 68198


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> Nice!
> 
> Little bigger than those White Tail in TX and LA!


Very nice deer for sure, weighed in at 250#. We had a little fried tenderloin that night, it was outstanding. Left Colorado yesterday at 6AM, drove to my property in MS and got in at midnight, long drive. Lows in the 40’s and highs in the 70’s, and air that I can breathe is a welcome change. No rest for the weary, the boys will be up shortly for the last weekend of youth rifle season.

Back on topic, brought these cats up to the camp wine fridge:


----------



## crushday

Four new beauties...

The second wine from left is apparently the wine of the decade in the whole world. Almaviva 2017: Wine of the decade | Almaviva

I won't know for 3-5 years...


----------



## Johnd

Lots of stuff waiting for me upon my return from Colorado, here’s the first load:

Top Photo: three bottle allocation of 2018 Del Dotto “The Beast”
Bottom photo: 2018 Turley Petite Syrahs from the Hayne, Library, and Pesenti Vineyards


----------



## crushday

Johnd said:


> Lots of stuff waiting for me upon my return from Colorado, here’s the first load:
> 
> Top Photo: three bottle allocation of 2018 Del Dotto “The Beast”
> Bottom photo: 2018 Turley Petite Syrahs from the Hayne, Library, and Pesenti Vineyards



Nice additions. I cringe seeing that $80 bottle hanging off the table...lol


----------



## Johnd

crushday said:


> Nice additions. I cringe seeing that $80 bottle hanging off the table...lol


LOL!! I was wondering who would be first to comment on that, I did it just for the pic, wasn't there long. I've become quite fond of the Turley Petite Syrahs, though they're not rated as highly as previous years, WA has a new "taster" that did the Turleys this year in August. We'll see shortly!!


----------



## CDrew

@Johnd - What year will you drink those Del Dotto's? That looks like one to drink in 10 years!

Actually surprised to see them let "the beast" out so early.


----------



## Boatboy24

crushday said:


> Nice additions. I cringe seeing that $80 bottle hanging off the table...lol



Glad I wasn't the only one thinking that!


----------



## sour_grapes

crushday said:


> Nice additions. I cringe seeing that $80 bottle hanging off the table...lol



Didn't someone post this not so long ago?


----------



## Johnd

CDrew said:


> @Johnd - What year will you drink those Del Dotto's? That looks like one to drink in 10 years!
> 
> Actually surprised to see them let "the beast" out so early.


 
Generally start the window 3 - 4 years after bottling, extending 10 or more years.


----------



## Johnd

Newly arrived 2017 Del Dotto Battle With The Corona Dragon NV Cab and 2018 Del Dotto NV Sangiovese. Haven’t had this cab before, but the Sangiovese is a big hit every year.


----------



## Vince1964

Johnd said:


> Very nice deer for sure, weighed in at 250#. We had a little fried tenderloin that night, it was outstanding. Left Colorado yesterday at 6AM, drove to my property in MS and got in at midnight, long drive. Lows in the 40’s and highs in the 70’s, and air that I can breathe is a welcome change. No rest for the weary, the boys will be up shortly for the last weekend of youth rifle season.
> 
> Back on topic, brought these cats up to the camp wine fridge:
> View attachment 68228


----------



## Vince1964

Nice buck, really like the Pesenti, great vineyard one of there best.


----------



## crushday

Christmas wine, delivered!


----------



## CDrew

Nice Kitchen Aide @crushday. What year? We have one of a similar vintage (1984) we still use every day or two. I recently had to take ours apart and it's logical and easy to clean out and fix. Lube it up, new drive gear, and good to go for another 30 years. Such good machines. Built to last 3 lifetimes. Ours was one of the last built by Hobart and it's still a beast after 35 years. But for us it's kneaded bread dough every couple of days for decades. We've made sausage and pasta hundreds of times. Thousands of cookies. Can't say enough good things about a mechanical consumer product.

And the wine looks nice too!


----------



## crushday

CDrew said:


> Nice Kitchen Aide. What year?



Drew, that KA was a wedding gift when Selena and I married in 1991. It's a tank. Like you, we use it all the time. Never had a problem and haven't had to do anything to it.

We're going to have our kids and their families for Christmas. CoVid kept us apart for Thanksgiving but I can't do this for another holiday...


----------



## bstnh1

CDrew said:


> Nice Kitchen Aide @crushday. What year? We have one of a similar vintage (1984) we still use every day or two. I recently had to take ours apart and it's logical and easy to clean out and fix. Lube it up, new drive gear, and good to go for another 30 years. Such good machines. Built to last 3 lifetimes. Ours was one of the last built by Hobart and it's still a beast after 35 years. But for us it's kneaded bread dough every couple of days for decades. We've made sausage and pasta hundreds of times. Thousands of cookies. Can't say enough good things about a mechanical consumer product.
> 
> And the wine looks nice too!



The original prototype!


----------



## ibglowin

Wine Spectator put out their list of Top 100 Wines for 2020 this week. If your looking for a 5 Star QPR wine this holiday season the 2019 Joel Gott Sauv Blanc made the list this year punching way above its $12 price point with a #21 spot. I was able to find this wine at my local Smiths (Kroger) for $11 then got 20% off for 6 bottle purchase then another $2 off each bottle with a digital coupon making the final price a whopping $7 for a 92pt WS wine. Hard to beat!









Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines—All Lists


Each year, Wine Spectator editors select the most exciting wines they've reviewed for the Top 100. Here’s every list from 2022 back to the 1988 debut, with rank, scores and prices.




top100.winespectator.com


----------



## Boatboy24

ibglowin said:


> Wine Spectator put out their list of Top 100 Wines for 2020 this week. If your looking for a 5 Star QPR wine this holiday season the 2019 Joel Gott Sauv Blanc made the list this year punching way above its $12 price point with a #21 spot. I was able to find this wine at my local Smiths (Kroger) for $11 then got 20% off for 6 bottle purchase then another $2 off each bottle with a digital coupon making the final price a whopping $7 for a 92pt WS wine. Hard to beat!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines—All Lists
> 
> 
> Each year, Wine Spectator editors select the most exciting wines they've reviewed for the Top 100. Here’s every list from 2022 back to the 1988 debut, with rank, scores and prices.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> top100.winespectator.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 69438
> 
> 
> View attachment 69437
> 
> 
> View attachment 69436



I'll have to do some research: the 2018 is at my Wegman's for $9.99.


----------



## Darrell Hawley

Walls and floor painted for the new wine room, while the lonely tub waits for the plumber to come back next week to get installed. Meanwhile, there are 6 wine kits aging in their boxs instead of aging in the carboys.


----------



## cmason1957

Darrell Hawley said:


> Walls and floor painted for the new wine room, while the lonely tub waits for the plumber to come back next week to get installed. Meanwhile, there are 6 wine kits aging in their boxs instead of aging in the carboys.



Still in the boxes, that isn't called aging, that's called waiting.


----------



## Johnd

I’ve been a member of Beau Vigne’s winery club for some time, they’ve produced some fantastic wines over the years. The vineyards were sold to a new group called Seven Apart, and I opted to purchase a 3 bottle allocation over a year ago, with little info about the new group. Turns out that the winemaker is Andy Erickson from Screaming Eagle. The first release has been well received by critics thus far, I got my bottles way below release price. Hope I can afford them in the future.......


----------



## Boatboy24

Costco run today. One of these things is not like the others...


----------



## geek

That EVOO is the organic one in glass bottle?


----------



## Boatboy24

geek said:


> That EVOO is the organic one in glass bottle?



Don't believe it's the organic, but it is a glass bottle.


----------



## ibglowin

Not Organic but I bought that one over a year ago which was also the last time I was actually in a Costco warehouse! It was indeed very good EVOO.



Boatboy24 said:


> Don't believe it's the organic, but it is a glass bottle.


----------



## geek

Costco has one in a very similar bottle and it is organic and EVOO certified, if I remember.
Will post pic later...stay tuned.... lol


----------



## geek

There ya go..


----------



## Jal5

I wish our Costco sold wine! My son in CT picked up a case of cotes du Rhone Kirkland but by the time he visited us there were only three. Glad to get that many. Next time I told him to buy two cases.


----------



## ibglowin

Another round of "one of these things is not like the other" Took wine dot com up on their 33% off coupon. All will lay down for a long (multi) Winters nap now.......


----------



## ibglowin

Costco steals and deals.......


----------



## CDrew

That K Vine Rose has been impossible to find here. It's a Rose of Syrah and for $10 I want to give it a try. Charles Smith has made quite the name for himself. And if you go back to Costco, another of his wines is great-the Kung Fu Girl Riesling.

And since I'm off today, going to make a costco exploration run!


----------



## ibglowin

They had cases and cases of the new K Vine Rose and Chardonnay last week. They reviewed it recently on the CWB:









Special Report on the New Kirkland K Vine Rosé and Chardonnay


This was exciting to find on my latest trip to Costco - the debut of the Kirkland Signature K Vine wines. These wines were first mentioned in an article that appeared in the Costco Connection




costcowineblog.com





Have had many a bottle of Kung Fu Girl Riesling. Its good but a little too off dry for my taste unless I am eating something spicy to offset the sugar. Very good QPR as well.

I have about a half case of K Vintners Powerline Syrah (various vintages) and "The Boy" (Grenache) in the cellar. Laying down for a few years still on the Syrah but the Grenache may be getting close to popping a cork soon. Good pro reviews but rather hit and miss on CT for some folks. 



CDrew said:


> That K Vine Rose has been impossible to find here. It's a Rose of Syrah and for $10 I want to give it a try. Charles Smith has made quite the name for himself. And if you go back to Costco, another of his wines is great-the Kung Fu Girl Riesling.
> 
> And since I'm off today, going to make a costco exploration run!


----------



## geek

I saw that K wine a couple days ago at my local Costco. Maybe I should give it a try.


----------



## CDrew

Dang, no K vines Rose at my Costco. I did get a couple more Kung Fu Girl Rieslings. Found an interesting Australian GSM blend (will try tonight) and a nice deal on some Napa Cellars Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, which, for under $9 is quite nice.

They had a nice display of foothill wines from Amador Valley to emphasize the local nature of their offerings, and a great deal-$6 on Italian Prosecco that my wife likes. In fairness, I like it too.

But no K vines. That's just wrong. I may hit another Costco tomorrow.


----------



## SLM

ibglowin said:


> Another round of "one of these things is not like the other" Took wine dot com up on their 33% off coupon. All will lay down for a long (multi) Winters nap now.......
> 
> View attachment 71500



Good find! A couple of those wineries are in my back yard but they don't give deals like that. If I walk into Mark Ryan I will pay $40 for the Dissident (non-club price). Wine.com is advertising it for $37. And you got 33% off? You paid $25? Club members don't even get that discount. How do you get that coupon?

I understand economics. I lived in Alaska where oil is drilled, refined and exported. But we paid more for a gallon of fuel than most in the lower 48. Like I said, good find.


----------



## ibglowin

Yea I thought so as well. I order from them every now and then. Had not ordered in awhile and they sent me a coupon for $100 off a $300 order to be exact. I have verticals going on all those wines and that price was cheaper than my usual source (Full Pull). They had the latest vintage of the Dissident (which is one of my favs) for $37 before discount.



SLM said:


> Good find! A couple of those wineries are in my back yard but they don't give deals like that. If I walk into Mark Ryan I will pay $40 for the Dissident (non-club price). Wine.com is advertising it for $37. And you got 33% off? You paid $25? Club members don't even get that discount. How do you get that coupon?
> 
> I understand economics. I lived in Alaska where oil is drilled, refined and exported. But we paid more for a gallon of fuel than most in the lower 48. Like I said, good find.


----------



## Boatboy24

ibglowin said:


> Costco steals and deals.......
> 
> View attachment 72566



Anxious to hear your thoughts on the Malbec. I thought is was a PDG PQR.


----------



## ibglowin




----------



## ibglowin

Took my bottle to San Antonio last week and had it one night with some burgers from the grill. Good QPR. Finish was a little short but for $7 who cares. It's one of those wines that will have you scratching your head about making a high end kit vs something like this right off the shelf. I think the Costco Wine Blog review was pretty spot on.



Boatboy24 said:


> Anxious to hear your thoughts on the Malbec. I thought is was a PDG PQR.


----------



## ibglowin




----------



## geek

ibglowin said:


> View attachment 72935



Do you ever make any wine any more? lol


----------



## ibglowin

I lost my source for CA fresh grapes back in 2016. 



geek said:


> Do you ever make any wine any more? lol


----------



## ibglowin

Quilceda Creek Spring allocation. Now with anti-counterfeiting measures at no extra charge! LOL


----------



## Boatboy24

ibglowin said:


> Now with anti-counterfeiting measures at no extra charge! LOL



Did you try scanning that with your phone? Maybe it's a contest. You may have already won!


----------



## jswordy

The first of 3 cases due for the cellar has arrived – Chateau Francs Magnus Bordeaux Superieur 2018 (Appellation: Bordeaux), Tempus Two Copper Shiraz 2013 (South Australia) and Chateau Saint Sulpice Rouge 2018 (Appellation: Bordeaux). I would like to think I can keep my hands off the Magnus for a few years.

I also learned that, "in order to protect consumers," the Tennessee Legislature in its infinite wisdom has made it so that I can only purchase one case per calendar month from any one online supplier, and a maximum of three cases per year from any one supplier. It's more about their alcohol excise tax revenue than protecting me from myself, I am sure. No worries: I have expanded my supplier list.


----------



## jswordy

Boatboy24 said:


> Did you try scanning that with your phone? Maybe it's a contest. You may have already won!



He has the 98-100 wine! WINNER!


----------



## Boatboy24

jswordy said:


> I also learned that, "in order to protect consumers," the Tennessee Legislature in its infinite wisdom has made it so that I can only purchase one case per calendar month from any one online supplier, and a maximum of three cases per year from any one supplier. It's more about their alcohol excise tax revenue than protecting me from myself, I am sure. No worries: I have expanded my supplier list.



Wouldn't they potentially collect more tax if they allowed you to buy more from your favorite supplier?


----------



## jswordy

Boatboy24 said:


> Wouldn't they potentially collect more tax if they allowed you to buy more from your favorite supplier?



No, because online they only collect the sales tax, NOT the hidden $1.20 per-liter state excise tax they also collect when a bottle is sold in-state. So, to recap, if I buy a liter in-state for $30, $1.20 excise tax has already been added to that price. Then I turn around and pay sales tax (highest in the nation at 9.55%) on that $30. A buck twenty per liter is a LOT of cash for the state, plus the sales tax being paid on the excise tax charged to the winery.

You know, Tennessee is totally run by the "no big government, get the government off our backs" types, buuuutttt ... when the rubber actually meets the road ....


----------



## jswordy

Mmmm... This just in to lay down... Fronsac is a lesser-known appellation, but IMO, as a French-born professor friend agrees, it has some of the best Bordeaux.


----------



## sour_grapes

Check out these beauties below. 

Pardon the long story: Just about a year ago, our own @crushday and I had a friendly exchange wherein I expressed admiration (read: jealousy!  ) for his quaff of Caymus-Suisun Grand Durif. IIRC, I begged him (in jest) to "cut me a slice" of that wine! I will elide the details, but George was so kind as to offer, nay, to _insist_, on acceding to my joking request. He very generously arranged for me to get a few of those bottles courtesy of him. Unfortunately, (I don't know if any of you have noticed), but there has been a bit of pandemic bouncing around since then.  Until recently, I wasn't able to consummate the deal. Now that I am vaxxed and Covid cases here are way down, I was able to acquire these bold beauties: (Thank you so much, @crushday . You are too kind!)


----------



## crushday

Just bottled 2019 Malbec - 75 bottles. These grapes were from Rattlesnake Hills in Washington.


----------



## Tipsy

We had a busy weekend as well. Just bottled a batch of RJS Premieur Zinfandel, 2 batches RJS Premieur Amarone, and a RJS Premieur Red Trio. I think they will all be good. First tastes.


----------



## jswordy

crushday said:


> Just bottled 2019 Malbec - 75 bottles. These grapes were from Rattlesnake Hills in Washington.
> 
> View attachment 74150
> 
> 
> View attachment 74151



Absolutely beautiful presentation!


----------



## Bossbaby

Not brand new to the cellar but just dusted off a few bottles I almost forgot about, my wife made a trip to Normandy France several years ago, I gave her 250 dollars to bring back some red wine. I still cant find the occasion to open one.


----------



## Johnd

Probably the last wine club delivery til the weather cools down in November. Always look forward to the Long Shadows releases, 2018 Feather Cabernet and 2018 Pirouette (“Bordeaux style”) Blend. 
LS always includes some numbers on the wines, and I like seeing them. Feather weighs in at 14.9% ABV, pH 3.93, TA .51, Pirouette 14.9% ABV, pH 3.85, TA .34. The blend is 68% Cab, 22% Merlot, 10% PV. Both wines normally rate in the mid 90’s, haven’t seen any reviews yet, and I t’ll be a couple years before starting to taste them.


----------



## sour_grapes

Johnd said:


> Probably the last wine club delivery til the weather cools down in November. Always look forward to the Long Shadows releases, 2018 Feather Cabernet and 2018 Pirouette (“Bordeaux style”) Blend.
> LS always includes some numbers on the wines, and I like seeing them. Feather weighs in at 14.9% ABV, pH 3.93, TA .51, Pirouette 14.9% ABV, pH 3.85, TA .34. The blend is 68% Cab, 22% Merlot, 10% PV. Both wines normally rate in the mid 90’s, haven’t seen any reviews yet, and I t’ll be a couple years before starting to taste them.
> 
> View attachment 74186



Admiring the wines, but also geeking out on the art behind them!


----------



## Johnd

sour_grapes said:


> Admiring the wines, but also geeking out on the art behind them!


LOL, math art needs some geeking!


----------



## jswordy

Bossbaby said:


> View attachment 74176
> Not brand new to the cellar but just dusted off a few bottles I almost forgot about, my wife made a trip to Normandy France several years ago, I gave her 250 dollars to bring back some red wine. I still cant find the occasion to open one.



Ah, that is so beautiful.... ♥


----------



## jswordy

Finally, a long-awaited shipment arrived to brighten my cloudy/drizzly day. It has been awhile since the cellar had any California wine in it.


----------



## jswordy

What I did with 33% off...




UNDER EDIT: From left – Pedestal 2017 Merlot, JS 95, RP 94; Abadia Retuerta 2016 Selecion Especiale (75% Tempranillo, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Syrah, 3% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot), JS 95, RP 93; and K Vintner 2017 The Hidden Syrah, JS 98, JD 97. All now in the cellar. And I found new coupons in the box.


----------



## crushday

Adding these to my collection today...

2012 Hamel Family Hamel Family Ranch Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1500ML (autographed)
2006 Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Pauillac Red Bordeaux 1500ML
2016 Bryant Family Vineyard Bettina Bordeaux Blend 750ML


----------



## jswordy

Last night's sips. In my book, for $16-$19 a bottle, you just can't beat Chateau Clos du Roy from Fronsac. Philippe makes a rich, dense, supple wine, with a merlot base, MLF, and solid mostly old oak aging that beckons rather than commands. This is the 2016 (90 points) but the 2018 now on offer got 93 and 91 and 90. You can lay a case of this down for 5-10 years and it will just get better and better. Until recently, I had some that was seven years old in the cellar. What a delight. This fall, I plan to stock some 2018 alongside the 2016 if it is still available.


----------



## ibglowin

@crushday got me thinking about old bottles in my Cellar that should be drunk soon. 

These are my oldest. All stored properly since they came into my possession. I think the Columbia Crest has the better chance of being in excellent condition since it was actually a club selection one time from Columbia Crest when I was a member years ago. The Montelena was sitting in a local wine store in Santa fe and they had dropped the price down from like $90 to $70. According to CT I picked it up back in July 2009 so it was out on the shelf for quite some time before it came into my possession. Latest reviews from other owners are promising that it is still good.

Anyone else got some well aged beauties that have a little "dust on the bottle"? Post em up!


----------



## sour_grapes

Should we retitle thread to "What's _old_ in your cellar?"


----------



## ibglowin

What's old is new sometimes!



sour_grapes said:


> Should we retitle thread to "What's _old_ in your cellar?"


----------



## cmason1957

sour_grapes said:


> Should we retitle thread to "What's _old_ in your cellar?"



We should not. Far too many of us might have to answer ourselves is the oldest thing in our cellars.


----------



## winemaker81

Thursday I toured 7 wineries in the NY Finger Lakes with family. I wanted to visit Wagner (right) as we had a great visit there 2 years ago, and Bagley's Poplar Ridge (left) as I knew the owner (sadly, he's passed away).

We were disappointed with most of the reds we tasted -- light in color, body, and flavor. This is quite a change from our last visit. However, Chateau Lafayette Reneau's reds were consistently very good.

Poplar Ridge's Seyval-Chardonnay was the best one of that blend we tasted -- several wineries are doing it, and while all do it well, this was a standout. It's 60/40 Seyval/Chardonnay, which is roughly what they other wineries used as a ratio.

Ditto for Wagner's Gewurztraminer -- many Finger Lakes wineries do good Gewurz, but Wagner's dry has an intense aroma followed by lots of flavor. In contrast, their semi-dry was dull. [My wife, who doesn't drink much, is going to ask me why I didn't buy more when she tastes this one.]


----------



## jswordy

Prolly not gonna be too much new in my cellar right now, with temps at 102 yesterday. I like my meat cooked, not my wine.


----------



## Boatboy24

I know a few folks here are fans of the Caymus Grand Durif from Suisun Valley. I just got an email from Bounty Hunter with a 50% off code. It's for the 2018 vintage, which they say is normally $60 and now $29.95. Use code CAYMUSFLASH. Not sure if this is a great deal or not, but thought I'd pass it along (looks like it's $49.99 at Total Wine).


----------



## jswordy

Scanning the Publix weekly ad today, and BOOM! – a BLOWOUT deal on Jacob's Creek Double Barrel Shiraz and Cab – 35% off! So I picked up a baker's dozen on the way home.


----------



## ibglowin

@Boatboy24 

Get it while you can!









Last Bottle Wines - View Today's Offer


Wines you actually want to drink at the lowest prices you'll ever see!




www.lastbottlewines.com


----------



## Boatboy24

ibglowin said:


> @Boatboy24
> 
> Get it while you can!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Last Bottle Wines - View Today's Offer
> 
> 
> Wines you actually want to drink at the lowest prices you'll ever see!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.lastbottlewines.com



Ha! You beat me to it! 6 pack coming my way.


----------



## geek

ibglowin said:


> @Boatboy24
> 
> Get it while you can!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Last Bottle Wines - View Today's Offer
> 
> 
> Wines you actually want to drink at the lowest prices you'll ever see!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.lastbottlewines.com



Wonder if they have it at Costco, checking later.


----------



## Boatboy24

geek said:


> Wonder if they have it at Costco, checking later.



I've never seen it there - and honestly, at $10 from Last Bottle, it's a steal (free shipping with a purchase of 6 or more).


----------



## ibglowin

I have seen it at Costco in WA State but that's about it. Yea the $10 and free shipping to to boot is a steal. I did snag a seis pack at that price.


----------



## geek

Boatboy24 said:


> I've never seen it there - and honestly, at $10 from Last Bottle, it's a steal (free shipping with a purchase of 6 or more).



I just went to Costco land and nope, they don’t have it.


----------



## geek

Anyone else Thinking about the holiday wine box at Costco?

24 smaller .375ml tor $100


----------



## Boatboy24

ibglowin said:


> @Boatboy24
> 
> Get it while you can!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Last Bottle Wines - View Today's Offer
> 
> 
> Wines you actually want to drink at the lowest prices you'll ever see!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.lastbottlewines.com



And they're gone. For now.


----------



## cmason1957

geek said:


> Anyone else Thinking about the holiday wine box at Costco?
> 
> 24 smaller .375ml tor $100



My wife and I did the one from last year. All of the wines were at least decent, some very good and I wanted more than just 375 ml.


----------



## jswordy

*MERRY CHRISTMAS to ME!* $20 off a $50 or more purchase made these three additional Chateau Clos du Roy bottles for the cellar just $11.37 each (regular retail $17.99-27.18). Happy to add them to their colleagues.


----------



## Dennis Griffith

Indeed! Merry Christmas to all!


----------



## ibglowin

Been a fan of Avennia wines (WA) for a long time. A couple years ago they went all in for some of the blocks from the new WeatherEye Vineyard site on the top and backside of Red Mountain AVA. What's interesting aside from the potential for some amazing wines is that when they approved the Red Mountain AVA years ago they never thought about anyone wanting to plant grapes on the backside (North facing) of the hill. The AVA stops along the ridgeline on the south side basically. Well now that Red Mountain on the southside is all spoken for the Northside is being looked at in a "why not" fashion. Mostly Rhone varietals are being planted with a block or two of cab suav. The northside of Red Mountain is technically the Columbia Valley AVA which is huge and the largest AVA in WA State.

Liminal is the name of the new winery with all fruit made from WeatherEye Vineyard. Wines are made by the same winemaker at Avennia (Chris Peterson). I jumped into the allocation list (surprise LOL) and have purchased the GSM blend for both 2018 and 2019. Won't pop a cork for at least 3 years or more. It's interesting to look at the site and the potential for what it may bring in 10 years. It helps to be a Microsoft Millionaire it looks like as that is where the deep pockets came from for both Avennia and WeatherEye!




Cool drone shots of the WeatherEye vineyard.......









LIMINAL | The Vineyard


The Vineyard




liminalwine.com








WeatherEye is the triangle (top center).


----------



## jswordy

JOY! I finally scrounged enough to find some of this at a hole-in-the-wall Missouri liquor store that will ship a case of Chateau Mayne-Vieil Fronsac to me. On the way. Just blew up the last of the spring wine budget on this one. Worth it. Punches above the price, for sure.


----------



## jswordy

My wife just IMed me with my favorite message: "Your wine is here." Not the Chateau Mayne Vieil yet, I dunno what is holding that up – they said on the phone they have it in stock – but another order. Yay! Pix later.


----------



## jswordy

From left, Ancient Peaks Paso Robles Merlot 2019 (Tasting Panel, 93); Stags' Leap Winery Petit Syrah 2018 (James Suckling 97) and Yalumba Samuels Collection Barossa Shiraz 2018 (Decanter 93, James Suckling 91, Wilfred Wong, 90)




Not pictured above because it was in the bottom of the box and I didn't see it until I was storing it in the cellar, Chateau La Bastienne Montagne St.-Emillion Bordeaux 2018 (James Suckling 93, Wilfred Wong 92, Robert Palmer's successors 90).




The box arrived like this, so I was a little concerned at first...


----------



## winemaker81

The answer is -- I don't know yet.




A company I do business with gave me a free virtual tasting with Masters of the World. This is a blind tasting, so other than knowing I have 2 whites and 4 reds, I have no idea what's in the bottles. While I can pull the cover labels off, that negates the "blind" part of the tasting.

I checked the site -- a kit is $100 USD, which reduces to $80 with a subscription. A set with a live virtual tasting is $100. I have no idea why anyone would buy the kit and not get the virtual tasting, as they are the same price.

My son is sharing the tasting with me, and my wife wants to try the whites (she's not a red drinker).


----------



## Dennis Griffith

jswordy said:


> From left, Ancient Peaks Paso Robles Merlot 2019 (Tasting Panel, 93); Stags' Leap Winery Petit Syrah 2018 (James Suckling 97) and Yalumba Samuels Collection Barossa Shiraz 2018 (Decanter 93, James Suckling 91, Wilfred Wong, 90)
> 
> View attachment 84752
> 
> 
> Not pictured above because it was in the bottom of the box and I didn't see it until I was storing it in the cellar, Chateau La Bastienne Montagne St.-Emillion Bordeaux 2018 (James Suckling 93, Wilfred Wong 92, Robert Palmer's successors 90).
> 
> View attachment 84753
> 
> 
> The box arrived like this, so I was a little concerned at first...
> 
> View attachment 84754



I think an important fellow like you needs a personal taster. You never know when a bottle could be tainted!


----------



## jswordy

Dennis Griffith said:


> I think an important fellow like you needs a personal taster. You never know when a bottle could be tainted!



Dennis, are you applying?


----------



## Dennis Griffith

Your welfare is important to us here, so I'd be willing to take one for the team.


----------



## jswordy

Dennis Griffith said:


> Your welfare is important to us here, so I'd be willing to take one for the team.



Ah man, that's some funny stuff right there.


----------



## Dennis Griffith

Sorry, must be getting cabin fever. Weather has been crappy, and I need to get out and start pruning the vineyard.


----------



## David Violante

winemaker81 said:


> The answer is -- I don't know yet.
> 
> View attachment 84771
> 
> 
> A company I do business with gave me a free virtual tasting with Masters of the World. This is a blind tasting, so other than knowing I have 2 whites and 4 reds, I have no idea what's in the bottles. While I can pull the cover labels off, that negates the "blind" part of the tasting.
> 
> I checked the site -- a kit is $100 USD, which reduces to $80 with a subscription. A set with a live virtual tasting is $100. I have no idea why anyone would buy the kit and not get the virtual tasting, as they are the same price.
> 
> My son is sharing the tasting with me, and my wife wants to try the whites (she's not a red drinker).


I received one of those for Christmas and really enjoyed the process! My daughter and her boyfriend went to school at the culinary and know and like the sommelier. They have tasting boxes with wines from different areas of the world. Mine was from North America Vineyards / Wineries. Enjoy!


----------



## winemaker81

David Violante said:


> I received one of those for Christmas and really enjoyed the process! My daughter and her boyfriend went to school at the culinary and know and like the sommelier. They have tasting boxes with wines from different areas of the world. Mine was from North America Vineyards / Wineries. Enjoy!


This is great to know! I figured it would be a good experience. I've been through wine tastings before, but my son has not, so it should be an excellent experience for him as well.


----------



## winemaker81

winemaker81 said:


> View attachment 84771


Well, these are no longer in my cellar -- the virtual tasting was last night.

My elder son sat through the tasting with me, and my wife sat in for the first two, which are whites. The sommelier, Madeline Triffon, not only knew her stuff, she presented it well. My son and I really enjoyed the presentation. The wines were as large a cross-section as could be made in 6 wines:

Drew Family Wines, California
2019 Valenti Ranch _Viognier_
13.5% ABV

Domaine Des Baumard, France
2018 Savennieres (_Chenin Blanc_)
13.0% ABV

Domaine des Marrans, France
2019 Les Marrans Fleurie (_Gamay_)
13.0% ABV

Echolands, Walla Walla Valley, Washington
2018 Les Collines Vinyard _Syrah_
13.5% ABV

Faustino, Spain
2010 Gran Reserva Rioja (86% _Tempranillo_, 9% _Graciano_, 5% _Mazuelo_)
13.5% ABV

Obsidian Ridge, California
2019 Estate Grown _Cabernet Sauvignon_, Red Hills
14.8% ABV


----------



## Mekpdue

winemaker81 said:


> Faustino, Spain
> 2010 Gran Reserva Rioja (86% _Tempranillo_, 9% _Graciano_, 5% _Mazuelo_)
> 13.5% ABV



That is a neat little find (MTW Wines) and while they all sound good, that Rioja (to me) sounds fantastic! Hope it was scored high.

Let's see....6 bottles at @ 6oz pours sounds like a good night! You were kind, you shared!  But seriously, that is a great family night idea (for grown kids).


----------



## winemaker81

Mekpdue said:


> That is a neat little find (MTW Wines) and while they all sound good, that Rioja (to me) sounds fantastic! Hope it was scored high.
> 
> Let's see....6 bottles at @ 6oz pours sounds like a good night! You were kind, you shared!  But seriously, that is a great family night idea (for grown kids).


The least of the wines was very good. It was a great tasting and the wines were well chosen. Based upon this, I recommend it

The setup is good for 2 people, maybe 3. Six 3 oz pours we plenty, and even 2 oz would have been sufficient. Virtual tastings are ok, but it's a lot more fun to have someone to share with. The presentation was live, but one-way. After the presentation, the moderator opened up lines when people had questions.

Their subscription is $80 USD/month, and the wines apparently vary a lot. A link is provided to the live tasting -- live tastings like the one I had are $100 USD each. I assume they do the live tasting, then make the video available for the subscription members.


----------



## sour_grapes

I had a very nice surprise visit tonight! @Rice_Guy stopped by on his way to a Wisconsin Vintner's Association meeting, and surprised me with this generous offering. It is something of a secret: A big red wine that was made without the benefit of anything from the _Vitis_ genus! I look forward to trying it. Thanks David!


----------



## ibglowin

It's the most wonderful time of the year (once again)!


----------



## ibglowin




----------



## ibglowin




----------



## ibglowin




----------



## ibglowin




----------



## ceeaton

ibglowin said:


> It's the most wonderful time of the year (once again)!



Aren't you retired? I think you need to share that pension of yours, lol.


----------



## ibglowin

Not having to spend $$$ on gas has its advantages these days! LOL



ceeaton said:


> Aren't you retired? I think you need to share that pension of yours, lol.


----------



## ChuckD

ceeaton said:


> Aren't you retired? I think you need to share that pension of yours, lol.


Wait… your pension pays you in wine!


----------



## Dennis Griffith

ChuckD said:


> Wait… your pension pays you in wine!


Only if you retired to a vineyard, like I did....


----------



## geek

ibglowin said:


> Not having to spend $$$ on gas has its advantages these days! LOL


He said it…..!! Driving an EV


----------



## geek

ibglowin said:


> View attachment 86061




You’re on a a roll!!


----------



## ibglowin

Being retired means no daily commute. Having your local Smith's (Kroger) only 0.5mi away means I can ride a bike for groceries if I need to! LOL



geek said:


> He said it…..!! Driving an EV


----------



## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> It's the most wonderful time of the year (once again)!



Nice haul!! It’s not so wonderful this year, for me. Went to Napa in early March, first time since 2018, awesome trip. Not so awesome is the “too much wine” that’s showing up. I just finished putting away the yearly (twice) Turley’s, and now I’m back in the game. Guess I’ll post some photos when I get around to it, first batch is labeled and ready to be tucked away.


----------



## ibglowin

Good to hear your still in the game @Johnd ! LOL

We are headed back out to Paso Robles in early May for Spring allocation there. I have pickups for Saxum, Turtle Rock, Epoch, Adelaida, Tolosa and a few others so the back of the SUV will be full. Looking forward to seeing the grandkids in Burbank. Not looking forward to $6/gal gas out that way!



Johnd said:


> Nice haul!! It’s not so wonderful this year, for me. Went to Napa in early March, first time since 2018, awesome trip. Not so awesome is the “too much wine” that’s showing up. I just finished putting away the yearly (twice) Turley’s, and now I’m back in the game. Guess I’ll post some photos when I get around to it, first batch is labeled and ready to be tucked away.


----------



## jswordy

This just arrived at my doorstep for $11 a bottle. As a table and general drinking wine, it is heads and tails above most of what is on a supermarket's or discount retailer's shelves, at a higher price (hear that, Constellation?). Mmmmm.... So happy. ♥




UNDER EDIT: And it gets better with age!


----------



## jswordy

All right, babies, smile for the camera before Daddy lays you down to rest...













In no order:
Bodega Lanzaga Corriente Rioja Telmo Rodriguez 2018 (2)
Chateau Mayne Vieil Cuvee Alienor Fronsac 2016 (6)
Perrin-Dobbs Pitch Black Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 2018 (2)
Penfold's Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2018 (2)
Domaine Serguier AOP Lirac 2019 (2)
Penfold's Coonawarra Shiraz Bin 128 2018 (2)
Lubanzi Proprietary Red South Africa 2019 (2)
K Vintners Roma Proprietary Red River Rock Vineyard 2016 (2)


----------



## Boatboy24

BTW, @jswordy : this was new in my cellar last week, based on your post. Hope it's good!


----------



## Dennis Griffith

Big fan of Penfolds.


----------



## jswordy

Boatboy24 said:


> BTW, @jswordy : this was new in my cellar last week, based on your post. Hope it's good!
> 
> View attachment 87089



It will be good and it gets better. The '90-something Koonunga Hill vintages fetch as high as $125 now, so storage won't hurt it one bit! Give that two-three years lying down and OMG. But it will be fine now, it will just have a slight edge that rounds off with more time. I am drinking a $20 bottle of Bordeaux right now that absolutely pales in comparison. But be careful Jim - it may make you long for the pricier Penfolds! Once you try Bin 389, you could be hooked.


----------



## jswordy

I'm very interested in the Corriente that I bought (James Suckling, 94), as Telmo Rodriguez is in some circles a wine god, much like Charles Smith of K Vintners. There were only 7200 cases of the 2016 K Vintners Roma Proprietary Red River Rock Vineyard (Wine Spectator, 92) produced. That's 86,400 bottles in the whole world and I got two!


----------



## jswordy

Randy, our UPS guy, just showed up with 6 bottles of this (James Suckling 91). My last non-Styrofoam-shipped buy of the year. I said to him, "Man, Mrs. Jswordy is on her last nerve about waiting all day for these, and there are no kids here. Can't you just sign for me and leave them here, like the FedEx guy does?" So, we worked it out and I thanked him for saving my marriage. Yes sir, she really WAS about on her last nerve!


----------



## jswordy

This case of Brickmason! We had fun getting it. See Post a Photo for the trip pix.


----------



## Boatboy24

I got suckered into this from Last Bottle. Absolutely horrific. I just hope I can salvage a decent sangria out of it.


----------



## ibglowin

Got home last night from our Spring "Tour de Paso". Good trip, had a ball with the grandkids. Weather was perfect out their. Not too hot, not too cool. Just right. Here is the wine haul.......

Tolosa


----------



## ibglowin

Adelaida


----------



## ibglowin

Turtle Rock


----------



## ibglowin

Denner


----------



## ibglowin

Last but not least I have been purchasing bottles of Saxum on the secondary market since the waitlist is 8 years currently. Trying to build a nice vertical so I don't have to wait 5 years to start drinking them....


----------



## geek

ibglowin said:


> Last but not least I have been purchasing bottles of Saxum on the secondary market since the waitlist is 8 years currently. Trying to build a nice vertical so I don't have to wait 5 years to start drinking them....
> 
> View attachment 88122
> 
> 
> View attachment 88123



Mike, in the DR there’s a saying that I’d try to translate as best as I can:
“If you complain it is because of a toothache…”


----------



## ibglowin

No complaints here Varis other than my entire State is effing burning down once again for the 5th time now in the last 22 years.



geek said:


> Mike, in the DR there’s a saying that I’d try to translate as best as I can:
> “If you complain it is because of a toothache…”


----------



## ibglowin

At least you got "free" shipping! 



Boatboy24 said:


> I got suckered into this from Last Bottle. Absolutely horrific. I just hope I can salvage a decent sangria out of it.


----------



## winemanden

Sweetiepie said:


> I was really hoping to hear about the different tastes that was appreciated from different wines because honestly I read good reviews and try a wine and it is the most awful thing.


You must remember, "Tasting a wine", and your own personal tastes are two separate things. Just because an "expert?" gives a wine 96/100 score, means the wine is top class, but not necessarily to your taste. Taste is personal, remember what you like and avoid those most awful things.
You may never become an "expert?" taster, but enjoy the journey and develop your own tastes!


----------



## jswordy

Boatboy24 said:


> I got suckered into this from Last Bottle. Absolutely horrific. I just hope I can salvage a decent sangria out of it.
> 
> View attachment 88113



Thank you for posting a review that was less than enthused, showing that in real life not every bottle purchased works out. Yep, ya get a clinker every now and then. LB's prose is so relentlessly effusive that if I don't know the wine, I always Google the hell out of it first, lol. That doesn't stop the occasional clinker, though, like the Corriente. Still, the deals are great on the brands I know when they do roll around – if I see them in time. Which is another issue, lol.


----------



## winemaker81

winemanden said:


> Just because an "expert?" gives a wine 96/100 score, means the wine is top class, but not necessarily to your taste.


Excellent point!


----------



## sour_grapes

winemanden said:


> You must remember, "Tasting a wine", and your own personal tastes are two separate things. Just because an "expert?" gives a wine 96/100 score, means the wine is top class, but not necessarily to your taste. Taste is personal, remember what you like and avoid those most awful things.
> You may never become an "expert?" taster, but enjoy the journey and develop your own tastes!



And I am sure that @Sweetiepie, who hasn't been here since 2018, will appreciate the advice next time she visits.


----------



## jswordy

sour_grapes said:


> And I am sure that @Sweetiepie, who hasn't been here since 2018, will appreciate the advice next time she visits.



.... any day now! ...


----------



## Dennis Griffith

Boatboy24 said:


> I got suckered into this from Last Bottle. Absolutely horrific. I just hope I can salvage a decent sangria out of it.
> 
> View attachment 88113


There is a noticeable amount of wine around that is 'less desirable' to drink. My hope is that I don't contribute to this situation. Blending may be the only salvation.


----------



## jswordy

These...


----------



## winemaker81

I like Muscat Ottonel, but have never had it as a sparkler -- this should be interesting. The Vignoles I've mentioned in other threads -- it's a sweet wine but the acid is balanced so that it tastes off-dry.


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## jswordy

Well, after the diamonds fell the V2 Bored-D'oh merlot-cabernet blend changed flavor and turned out on the sweet side of what I was aiming at. I probably should have kept the V1 in a carboy instead of bottling it, and then blended it again with the V2. But the V2 is bottled up now and 25 will soon fill up the rest of the space in the cellar. It has a very pleasant vanilla and oak flavor backdrop. An interesting learning experience and I of course I will drink both up. Neither are bad wines – they are on the dart board, just not bulls-eyes.


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## jswordy

Here's V2 labeled and ready to go into the cellar... Which will fill it up, even after I give a few away!


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## ibglowin

Took advantage of the quick trip out to SoCal and 2 free bags checked on SWA and brought home some heavy hitters! Saxum (X4) Epoch, Ledge


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## jswordy

jswordy said:


> Here's V2 labeled and ready to go into the cellar... Which will fill it up, even after I give a few away!
> 
> View attachment 89201



I opened a bottle of this for fun. All I am tasting now is strong vanilla from the medium oak. It tastes like it could have promise but it doesn't now. Let it sit.

Meanwhile, wine shipping season is arriving for us finally. I have more 2019 Chateau Mayne Vieil Gran Vin de Bordeaux arriving today just a bit early for the best weather. Fingers crossed. That should up my allotment of the 2019 to 30 bottles. Later, there will be arriving a 95-point Xavier Vins Ardane L'Etoile Beaumes de Venise. So, even as my state has become more and more draconian about shipping wine in, I have managed to find places that still will. Ay-ya-ay, where to put it?


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## jswordy

Ah yes, the Xavier Vins Arcane L'Etoile Beaumes de Venise has arrived. Sometime soon I will get to see what all the 95-point (Jeb Dunnuck) hubbub is about! From the Vin de France appellation of the Rhone region of France. After it rests a while, we shall see!




​


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## Dennis Griffith

jswordy said:


> Ah yes, the Xavier Vins Arcane L'Etoile Beaumes de Venise has arrived. Sometime soon I will get to see what all the 95-point (Jeb Dunnuck) hubbub is about! From the Vin de France appellation of the Rhone region of France. After it rests a while, we shall see!
> 
> View attachment 94277
> 
> 
> ​


What was your address again?


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## ibglowin

Foul! They bottled a GSM blend in a Bordeaux bottle!

c'est contraire aux règles en France! LOL



jswordy said:


> Ah yes, the Xavier Vins Arcane L'Etoile Beaumes de Venise has arrived. Sometime soon I will get to see what all the 95-point (Jeb Dunnuck) hubbub is about! From the Vin de France appellation of the Rhone region of France. After it rests a while, we shall see!
> 
> View attachment 94277
> 
> 
> ​


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## sour_grapes

ibglowin said:


> Foul! They bottled a GSM blend in a Bordeaux bottle!
> 
> c'est contraire aux règles en France! LOL



That also caught me off guard... A little cognitive dissonance in the morning.


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## ibglowin

They don't even do that in Paso Robles aka "The Rhone Rangers"..........


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## ibglowin

Its the most wonderful time of the year.........................


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## Johnd

ibglowin said:


> Its the most wonderful time of the year.........................
> 
> View attachment 94336


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## ibglowin

My oldest wine club membership (2009). Saviah Cellars was named one of Wine & Spirits Magazine Top 100 Wineries this year.


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## GSMChris

Just stumbled into this thread... boy could it get me into real trouble!!!


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## ibglowin

GSMChris said:


> Just stumbled into this thread... boy could it get me into real trouble!!!



We are equal opportunity enablers here!


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## Hazelemere

2 bottles of Central Otago New Zealand Pinot Noir 2020 from two Fenton Road Winery vineyards plus 1 bottle Akarua 2021 Central Otago Pinot Noir


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## Dennis Griffith

A short story. I bottled about 4 bottles of my 2020 port (like) wine so that we could try it out. I gave a few friends that like port a bottle to try explaining that it was still young, but there would be more down the road as it ages. Well, I gave one to my brother so that he could try it and share with his daughter (she's 32 and likes wine, generally). So I ask a few times over a period of 3 weeks what he thought of the port. Each time he said he hadn't opened it yet. So the last time I ask via text, he replies "yep, the bottle is empty". I ask him if his daughter liked it. He replies that she didn't taste it. I guess he liked it a lot and didn't share. I need to bottle another gallon so I can give her some. Fortunately I had an extra gallon that wouldn't fit, so I guess I will bottle it as well.


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## GSMChris

Today is one of my favorite days of the year - the day my Pisoni shipment arrives. Pisoni is a winery in the Santa Lucia mountains near Monterey California. They grow a variety of wines but most notably they grow Pinot Noir with suitcase clones which rumor has the original vineyard being romanee conti. I’ve been a member since 2006 - it was the first club I ever joined. 

The 2020 growing season unfortunately resulted in smoke tainted Pinot which they have chosen not to release. Instead, they have released a vertical selection from their library - which arrived today!!


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## jswordy

GSMChris said:


> Today is one of my favorite days of the year - the day my Pisoni shipment arrives. Pisoni is a winery in the Santa Lucia mountains near Monterey California. They grow a variety of wines but most notably they grow Pinot Noir with suitcase clones which rumor has the original vineyard being romanee conti. I’ve been a member since 2006 - it was the first club I ever joined.
> 
> The 2020 growing season unfortunately resulted in smoke tainted Pinot which they have chosen not to release. Instead, they have released a vertical selection from their library - which arrived today!!
> 
> View attachment 94514



My bet is that they'll release it, all right – out the back door in bulk to a lesser winery that will blend it. Nice crate load!


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## ibglowin

Back from our Fall "Tour de Paso Robles" and got things sorted out and entered into Cellar Tracker. Good trip. Cooler (and wetter) than usual for this time of year.


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## Hazelemere

2019 Akarua Pinot Noir | Vivino


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## Boatboy24

Suisun Zin/Petite Sirah? Yes, please!!!


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## GSMChris

ibglowin said:


> Back from our Fall "Tour de Paso Robles" and got things sorted out and entered into Cellar Tracker. Good trip. Cooler (and wetter) than usual for this time of year.View attachment 95181
> View attachment 95182
> View attachment 95184
> View attachment 95183
> View attachment 95179
> View attachment 95180


A whole bunch of fabulous wine in this selection. Enjoy the Denner - they were purchased by Gallo - announced this morning (rumor has been going around for a while).


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## ibglowin

The rumor started flying last month that Denner was up for sale. Followed of course by immediate denials from inside sources. As a Denner club member I received an email yesterday from Ron Denner about the sale. Sounds like he had no heirs to pass the winery on to sadly and he is getting up in age. At least Gallo is a private company compared to say Constellation which is gobbling up wineries left and right these days. Since they have a couple years worth of wine in the pipeline we will more than likely stay members for another year but after that who knows. The pressure to increase production is already happening from the top which means quality will more than likely suffer and we are not interested in being members of any winery that is OAO by any large corporation public or private.

Luckily there are plenty of other perfectly sized privately owned family OAO wineries in Paso to chose from in the future. 



GSMChris said:


> A whole bunch of fabulous wine in this selection. Enjoy the Denner - they were purchased by Gallo - announced this morning (rumor has been going around for a while).


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## ibglowin

2019 Cayuse is in the house!


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## GSMChris

ibglowin said:


> The rumor started flying last month that Denner was up for sale. Followed of course by immediate denials from inside sources. As a Denner club member I received an email yesterday from Ron Denner about the sale. Sounds like he had no heirs to pass the winery on to sadly and he is getting up in age. At least Gallo is a private company compared to say Constellation which is gobbling up wineries left and right these days. Since they have a couple years worth of wine in the pipeline we will more than likely stay members for another year but after that who knows. The pressure to increase production is already happening from the top which means quality will more than likely suffer and we are not interested in being members of any winery that is OAO by any large corporation public or private.
> 
> Luckily there are plenty of other perfectly sized privately owned family OAO wineries in Paso to chose from in the future.


Like everything in the wine industry in Paso Robles, rumors spread quickly and widely - I first heard it in late August or early September when I was out shopping for grapes for my wine making group. 

Too bad about the heirs not wanting to step in - I know he has a son with a winery in Southern Oregon - but perhaps he prefers staying put and building that brand. As you say, lots of other small and wonderful family owned wineries to chose from - probably 300+ - and the search process is a lot of fun as well!!!

Let me know next time you come to Paso - love to meet up for a glass at one of our local establishments.


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## ibglowin

Scored a couple bottles of the #16 wine on WS Top 100 wines for 2022 this week. From Paso Robles no less and a nice small family owned winery. Will plan on visiting them in the Spring of 2023.


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## jswordy

Guatemalan rum! A gift from my traveling friend. This is one of those times I wish I didn't have to work on Monday morning.  Soon!


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## jswordy

Ohhhhh YESSS....


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## vinny

jswordy said:


> Ohhhhh YESSS....
> 
> View attachment 96431


6 weeks before the part time gig... Probably should have gotten more.


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## jswordy

What an awesome first day of retirement! I have been trying to get some of Jeff Irons' product for over *2 years*! It sells out so quickly when he announces a batch, and I was always a little too late. But today was the day! I was #482, #483 and #484 out of 600, and he just posted it for an hour this morning. *SOLD OUT!* And when you can get a selfie with a small-batch distilling legend, why, you'd better *DO IT! 





*


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## jswordy

vinny said:


> 6 weeks before the part time gig... Probably should have gotten more.



This is bourbon. Rumor has it he will release a straight whiskey batch either just before Christmas or just after. *IF* I can order in time...


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## ibglowin

Looks like your first day of retirement DNS!  



jswordy said:


> What an awesome first day of retirement! I have been trying to get some of Jeff Irons' product for over *2 years*! It sells out so quickly when he announces a batch, and I was always a little too late. But today was the day! I was #482, #483 and #484 out of 600, and he just posted it for an hour this morning. *SOLD OUT!* And when you can get a selfie with a small-batch distilling legend, why, you'd better *DO IT!
> 
> View attachment 96437
> 
> 
> View attachment 96438
> *


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## jswordy

Yay! Southern Belle is in the building. It beat the deep freeze by hours! Now to give it a rest before cracking one open sometime a day or a few days from now. 4 are going to an oenophile friend and 1 stays in the house for future consumption, so 7 lay down in the cellar. Gonna do that now, as it is an outside entry and it ain't gonna get no warmer for a few days!


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## jswordy

More is on the way, more is on the way....


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## GSMChris

jswordy said:


> More is on the way, more is on the way....
> 
> View attachment 97034


oh YUM!!!


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## jswordy

GSMChris said:


> oh YUM!!!



Yep.... Bought just one. That was all it took. Apparently, you know. This thing flies way higher than its price point.


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## P Waddah by Jimbo

Margarita Wine


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