What's in your glass tonight?

[Boatboy24]

Definitely a bulk buy. A good wine to have on hand for parties, unexpected guest, expected guest or when your team lets ODB slip away for a 60 yard TD in the 4QTR.........

Or when your team is the one for whom ODB (wait, I thought it was OBJ ) slips away for a 60 yarder...



Two losses, both to the G-men. If we meet in the playoffs, I'm going to be nervous because those cowboys will be pissed.

 

[Boatboy24]

I also snagged a couple of bottles of this, and one will not live to see the dawn. My price was $7.63. (Funny price, I know.) A few cups went into the stew, and a few cups went into the cook.

That's a Wal-Mart price.

 

[sour_grapes]

That's a Wal-Mart price.

Is it? I have no idea -- have not been in a Mall-Wart more than once in the last 5 years. It was at Otto's. I just checked their ad, and discovered that it was really $7.69. Mea culpa.

 

[Johnd]

Is it? I have no idea -- have not been in a Mall-Wart more than once in the last 5 years. It was at Otto's. I just checked their ad, and discovered that it was really $7.69. Mea culpa.

I avoid Wally World like the plague

I have two cases on order from the local wine merchant for $8. Could've bought for $7 per bottle, plus shipping off the net, but shipping boffed the deal. Looking forward to a test drive.....

 

[Boatboy24]

Is it? I have no idea -- have not been in a Mall-Wart more than once in the last 5 years. It was at Otto's. I just checked their ad, and discovered that it was really $7.69. Mea culpa.

Neither have I. But it is one of those odd ending number prices they seem to show in their commercials.

 

[geek]

I need to check my closest Costco and see what price they have, but man, for $6.99......then you wonder why we bother making our own wine if you can buy such a good wine for so cheap....

 

[Boatboy24]

I need to check my closest Costco and see what price they have, but man, for $6.99......then you wonder why we bother making our own wine if you can buy such a good wine for so cheap....

I was saying the same thing to myself last night. Being able to say I'm a winemaker gets me a lot of girls though. Oh, wait...

 

[ibglowin]

This wine is definitely an anomaly. The 2014 H3 Cab Sauv only garnered 89 pts WS and it sells for basically 2X the price.

And yes my cost for a bottle of wine made from fresh grapes is like $4 and that is not including any labor so this wine at ~$7 a bottle borders on the "WTF why am I even trying here" except for you can say "I made that" to friends and family.........

 

[Johnd]

This wine is definitely an anomaly. The 2014 H3 Cab Sauv only garnered 89 pts WS and it sells for basically 2X the price.

And yes my cost for a bottle of wine made from fresh grapes is like $4 and that is not including any labor so this wine at ~$7 a bottle borders on the "WTF why am I even trying here" except for you can say "I made that" to friends and family.........

I have the same thoughts when I find a good wine on the inexpensive side. For me, it's the Volver 2014 Tempranillo, which at $13 / bottle scored 92 with Robert Parker. Makes me wonder why I do it until I realize that I just love it.

I've taken some giant deer in Texas, scoring over 200 inches, but I continue to hunt my property, knowing the odds of ever surpassing the 200" mark is slim, but you never know if that freak 200+ inch deer, or 92+ wine is going to appear out of nowhere.

If neither ever happens, I'm ok with that, it's being a student of the game, and the pursuit of the quarry that stokes my fire, in both cases.

 

[Elmer]

sour & then stout

 

[JohnT]

......then you wonder why we bother making our own wine if you can buy such a good wine for so cheap....

Sometimes the journey is as important as the destination.

(need to put that on a T-shirt)

 

[ibglowin]

Last nights muse. 2011 Sleight of Hand "Levitation". 92pts WS. Been snagging a couple bottles every year from these guys for a few years now. Definitely a winery with a Rock N Roll edge. The wines are pretty darn good as well! Inky dark in the glass with loads of plum and currant with a little pepper on the tail end. Oak is light but there, not heavy and the finish is long and lingering. Fantastic bottle from a tough harvest year.

 

[bkisel]

Just finished bottling a WE Rosso Furtissimo. Have a short glass of overage that I'll drink tonight. Really don't expect much what with its being so young and having zero bottle aging.

 

[Boatboy24]

A Tale of Two Wine Kits:

I decided to open two bottles tonight. When I met up with @jgmann67 and @ceeaton at Harford Vineyard back in October, we exchanged quite a few bottles. Jim gave me one of his Eclipse SLD Merlots, which I've also made. So I opened up one of mine and one of his to compare.

Color: Both were virtually identical, which surprised me a little bit. Mine had 3 months of barrel time and I thought that might serve to darken it up a bit. Apparently not.

On the nose: Jim's had notes of blueberry, raspberry, cocoa and if I really took a deep whiff, a hint of anise. Mine was a little flat, showing some raspberry and blueberry, but also a very slight metallic note.

Taste: Jim's was consistent with the nose and has a good amount of oak that comes through. Mine is very similar, though the oak is way in the background - you have to be looking for it. I recall when making this that there was a lot of oak flavor early on and I even held back on some of it. My early notes refer to a very oaky wine for a Merlot, but that is gone. Both of these are pretty enjoyable, but different in the oak department. Goes to show that even with a kit, you can produce unique results.

Okay, its been 20 minutes or so since I poured these glasses. There are caramel and vanilla notes really coming out on both of these now. With the fruit, its quite good. In some ways, making me think of dessert, though they are definitely dry wines. Jim's is showing just a little more fruit, while mine is showing more tannin/bite. Still both quite enjoyable, though a little different. I think that may be the age talking - mine was started in Aug, 2014, while I think Jim's was sometime in 2015. Again, both quite enjoyable, but it is fun noting the differences.

 

[bkisel]

Just finished bottling a WE Rosso Furtissimo. Have a short glass of overage that I'll drink tonight. Really don't expect much what with its being so young and having zero bottle aging.

Not bad, not bad at all. I'll wait 3 months and pop the cork on a bottle.

 

[jgmann67]

Started the night with a half bottle of my Forza (just keeps getting better). Now, we're drinking the Eclipse OVZ.

 

[ceeaton]

Raspberry batch from a Vintners Reserve concentrate plus lot's of other additives (red wine concentrate, frozen berries etc). Made 2-6-16 using EC-1118 (which is usually harsh when young) and it is very drinkable for a off-dry Raspberry. Back sweetened to 1.002, but my wife admitted that the sweetness is already coming through (verses 2 or 3 months ago when she wrote off this batch). Though I enjoy it now I expect it to get better over the next six months minimum. My wife will enjoy it more as I complete her training and she comes totally to the "dry side" of wine.

 

[ibglowin]

2013 "The Pundit" Syrah. The gateway wine (drug) to WA State Syrah! $22 at Total Wine. 92pts WS "Ripe, dark flavors and a crisp, lively structure, featuring a sleek core of plum and smoky tea flavors that carry easily into the long and deftly balanced finish." Needed about 30 mins to open up and then wow, amazing and good to the last drop. If you have never had a Syrah from WA State, this is a 5 Star QPR wine that will not disappoint.

 

[Boatboy24]

Raspberry batch from a Vintners Reserve concentrate plus lot's of other additives (red wine concentrate, frozen berries etc). Made 2-6-16 using EC-1118 (which is usually harsh when young) and it is very drinkable for a off-dry Raspberry. Back sweetened to 1.002, but my wife admitted that the sweetness is already coming through (verses 2 or 3 months ago when she wrote off this batch). Though I enjoy it now I expect it to get better over the next six months minimum. My wife will enjoy it more as I complete her training and she comes totally to the "dry side" of wine.

I think I have a bottle of that. And, as instructed, I'm letting it sit.

 

[ceeaton]

I think I have a bottle of that. And, as instructed, I'm letting it sit.

I'd give it a few more months minimum. But I opened one tonight because a friend who moved away might be in town on Monday, so I wanted to see where it was as far as aging. He and his wife can deal with a sweeter fruit wine, so I'll give it to him, and if they deem it too dry they can sweeten it in the glass like others do here.

Same person gave me 18+ lbs of his raspberries when he moved in April, and I made a straight wine from them. Still in the carboy and will remain there for at least another 6 months, the force (raspberry) is really strong in that one.