What's in your glass tonight?

[ceeaton]

Craig:

Great notes and observations. Thanks so much for the input. I really appreciate it. It's not often that you can hand a bottle to someone and say "hey, does this taste like crap to you too?". I think your perceptions of the wine are similar to mine, though I don't recall noting much oak on this one. But as far as acid/bitter goes, we are in sync. It doesn't ruin the wine for me, but I just don't think that's what it was intended to be and it is less enjoyable than I think it should be. I'll be interested to see if you note similar properties on the Monastrell/Petit Verdot.

Very interesting about the crystals in the glass but not the bottle/decanter.

Edit: other than swapping yeast and barrel time, I didn't do much to this one. Started 1/18/14. I replaced kit yeast with D-254. It spent 12 weeks in a 1 year old barrel. Note on 10 July of that year: " Quite good already, even before barrel time. Wine is quite dry, but has nice fruit - shows both varietals well." Then on bottling day, Nov 3rd: "Wine tastes a little flat, with not much flavor.". Reading that reminds me of my other complaint with these wines: there's just not much there, aside from that bite.

Checked the decanter this morning, maybe two or three diamonds, nothing like my glass. Wonder if the short time I was in the 50*F garage with the glass (they follow me around the house) was enough to produce the diamonds. Maybe a glass and a half left in there, hummm, someone was thirsty last night. Surprised I'm not a bit hazy this morning.

Further on the oak. I think the barrel is able to impart more oak flavor in a pleasant way than you can with chips, cubes etc. It was good oak but not in your face oak. You are right on the flavor, it would be very one dimensional w/o the oak. But the base flavor is one I like very much. That sourness shows up in mine but because of their lack of age, maybe I'm used to it.

 

[ceeaton]

Finishing the rest of @Boatboy24 's Tempranillo Garnacha Showcase 2014 that I had in my decanter overnight. I am getting a lot more fruit in the nose and flavor, mostly sour cherries and plum. The oak is much less noticeable and the wine has an overall softer taste (I'm sure from having the crap oxidized out of it in my decanter). I really still like this wine, no matter how much you try to talk me out of it. I could really go for a big porterhouse steak about right now...

 

[sour_grapes]

First bottle of my CC Showcase Argentinian Malbec! It is still 3 weeks shy of my self-imposed 18 mo. initial aging, but, what the heck!? Life is about the journey.

Pretty happy with this one. It is spicy, good backbone, pleasant mouthfeel. The color is a bit light, like a Cali Pinot, but the nose is better than most kit wines. It has an appealing earthiness.

Almost forgot to mention any tweaks: I used ICV-D254 yeast, and I chaptalized. I overshot a bit, and goosed the ABV to north of 15%. I had forgotten about this before tasting and forming my impressions, and am pleased that the wine is taking this in stride.

 

[Boatboy24]

Finishing the rest of @Boatboy24 's Tempranillo Garnacha Showcase 2014 that I had in my decanter overnight. I am getting a lot more fruit in the nose and flavor, mostly sour cherries and plum. The oak is much less noticeable and the wine has an overall softer taste (I'm sure from having the crap oxidized out of it in my decanter). I really still like this wine, no matter how much you try to talk me out of it. I could really go for a big porterhouse steak about right now...

Well, now you've got me really confused.

 

[geek]

First bottle of my CC Showcase Argentinian Malbec! It is still 3 weeks shy of my self-imposed 18 mo. initial aging, but, what the heck!? Life is about the journey.

Pretty happy with this one. It is spicy, good backbone, pleasant mouthfeel. The color is a bit light, like a Cali Pinot, but the nose is better than most kit wines. It has an appealing earthiness.

Almost forgot to mention any tweaks: I used ICV-D254 yeast, and I chaptalized. I overshot a bit, and goosed the ABV to north of 15%. I had forgotten about this before tasting and forming my impressions, and am pleased that the wine is taking this in stride.

Finally...!!!

I have to also try mine soon, haven't tasted it in a while...

 

[ColemanM]

Top off wine from my 2014? Sangiovese. Love it!!!!! Frozen vino superior must.

 

[dcbrown73]

Last night was a 2013 Kenneth Volk Pinot Noir.

Ruby redish with violet hues showing a bit of youth. Minerals, spices and a splash of red fruit on the nose. Plum rind, florals, and allspice fill out the juicy flavors with a medium finish. Strong acidity that requires decanting to soften.

With some age, I believe this could can be much better. Decanting is an absolute must. You will be punch-drunk by the acidity if you do not. (it's undrinkable straight from the bottle) Within 30 minutes, the wine opens and burns off the extreme levels acidity, though it's still pretty strong.

 

[vernsgal]

Tonight it's the rest of the amarone I started yesterday

 

[ibglowin]

2008 CC Reserve Walter Clore. Nice right bank Bordeaux blend. Went very nice with a certain "salad".....

 

[sour_grapes]

You're killin' me here, Mike. Yum. I have a crappy French Merlot that a friend inflicted on us.

 

[Hokapsig]

a bottle of Doug's Destiny. It goes great with a Pepperoni and Sausage pizza....

 

[ibglowin]

Somebody once said "life is too short to drink bad wine".

I am sticking with that!

You're killin' me here, Mike. Yum. I have a crappy French Merlot that a friend inflicted on us.

 

[ColemanM]

Not really a steak wine but very good none the less.

 

[Boatboy24]

Eclipse Stags Leap Merlot.

 

[vernsgal]

Kids are doing a stop over on their move from Calgary to Abbotsford. They should be here around 1a.m.Can't have more than 1 or 2 glasses tonight or I won't be awake for them lol

 

[ibglowin]

Had our one of our BFF's down for an impromptu start of Summer on the patio so I brought out the defacto "Summer in a Bottle" wines from WA state of course. 3 nice Rose's that paired well with some nice Spanish tapas. Oh and in case you can't figure out what the papers are this is what dinner is like with a "Laboratory Fellow" as well as a laboratory director who is a physicist by trade. Somehow, somewhere the dinner conversation is going to take a turn towards physics. Its only a matter of time....

The wine helps @sour_grapes

 

[sour_grapes]

Had our one of our BFF's down for an impromptu start of Summer on the patio so I brought out the defacto "Summer in a Bottle" wines from WA state of course. 3 nice Rose's that paired well with some nice Spanish tapas. Oh and in case you can't figure out what the papers are this is what dinner is like with a "Laboratory Fellow" as well as a laboratory director who is a physicist by trade. Somehow, somewhere the dinner conversation is going to take a turn towards physics. Its only a matter of time....

The wine helps @sour_grapes

That is c̶u̶t̶e̶ cool! I am thinking that he or she tried to explain explain Special Relativity (upper right), General Relativity (upper left), and gravitational lensing (bottom) to your dinner party! Nice!

(Edited to more unambiguously reflect my intended meaning.)

 

[sour_grapes]

I am having a bottle of ~2.5-yr-old CC Showcase Amarone. This is one of my first wines. It has really shaped up nicely with time (or else it takes about 2 years to develop cellar palate!). Rich, dark fruits, stewed cherries, full mouthfeel, bold flavor. Now we are talking!

 

[ibglowin]

Good guesses! Yea, lots of table discussions about relativity. Mrs IB wanted to know how photographic images were made/captured on film (then) vs now digital. Just your usual light dinner conversation in LA I guess.

He is just recently retired from LANL and was the Director for the CNLS for many years. Sharp guy to say the least. LOL

That is cute! I am thinking that he or she tried to explain explain Special Relativity (upper right), General Relativity (upper left), and gravitational lensing (bottom) to your dinner party! Nice!

 

[geek]

CC Showcase Argentina Malbec, getting better!!