What's in your glass tonight?

[ibglowin]

New day new Rose'!

EFESTE Oldfield Rose'! WWV. Grenache and Mouvedre grown just for Rose'. Paired PDW with some leftover Baby Backs from Tuesday. Those Ribs were competition worthy!

 

[sour_grapes]

Grenache and Mouvedre grown just for Rose'.

Honest question: Do they do something different during the growing if they know they will use them in a rose?

 

[ibglowin]

Yes,

They pick earlier than they would if they were to make a full bodied red wine. Acids are higher, pH's lower and brix is lower so ABV is lower as well more inline with a white wine and not the 14.5% it might have been if picked a month later.

Honest question: Do they do something different during the growing if they know they will use them in a rose?

 

[sour_grapes]

Yes,

They pick earlier than they would if they were to make a full bodied red wine. Acids are higher, pH's lower and brix is lower so ABV is lower as well more inline with a white wine and not the 14.5% it might have been if picked a month later.

I see. That makes sense -- thanks. (Almost seems obvious now )

 

[ceeaton]

I see. That makes sense -- thanks. (Almost seems obvious now )

Don't beat yourself up too much, I was about to ask the same question but you beat me to it!

 

[sour_grapes]

We had about ~1/3 of a bottle left from that commercial GSM blend I opened yesterday. That died before dinner. While making dinner, I also started a dessert for the morrow, namely, a granita made with ~2/3 of a bottle of my CC Showcase Yakima Cab/Shiraz. (Something like this recipe, but I doubled the amount of wine and reduced water by the commensurate amount.) So anyway, that left me ~1/3 of a bottle of Cab/Shiraz, and that did not survive dinner. So, finally, I opened the first bottle of a 2-yr-old batch of WE Eclipse Lodi Old Vines Zinfandel. It is certainly better than a sharp stick in the eye, but I am thinking "meh." It has a bitter note, and it is a bit astringent and sour. (Perhaps a mild case of the same sourness that Jim ( @boatboy24 ) complains of? Let's see if it improves with decanting, shall we?

 

[Boatboy24]

2014 Acrobat Pinot Noir. Overoaked is the only description I can come up with.

 

[Matty_Kay]

We had a bottle of my 2016 Traminette from Lakes Erie region. Very nice with a mix of fruit and a bit of acid for a slight bite. Paired with steak, asparagus and steak fries for dinner. Will definately do Traminette again this fall.

 

[ibglowin]

2010 "K" The Creator Old Stones Walla Walla Valley!

92pts WS. 70% Cab Sauv 30% Syrah from the Rocks district (Milton Freewater AVA) Earthy, savory with loads of mineral and grilled meat layers over plum fruit. Perfect oak, tannins are well integrated and smooth as silk. Nice acid. No complaints. Well done Charles Smith!

 

[Johnd]

2010 "K" The Creator Old Stones Walla Walla Valley!

92pts WS so like 100pts WA

It actually scored a 94 at barrel tasting from WA. Don't be a hater.

 

[ibglowin]

How could I be a hater. They gave the DB a 97 while WS scored it 89..... LOL

Don't be a hater.

 

[Johnd]

How could I be a hater. They gave the DB a 97 while WS scored it 89..... LOL

I don't know what the DB is, so I have no opinion about which rating is more appropriate, but I've yet to taste a 90+ WA wine that I don't like, that's not so with WS. My taste buds, my opinion.

 

[ibglowin]

That was the Doubleback wine that WA loved but WS pretty much panned.

I don't know what the DB is.

 

[Johnd]

That was the Doubleback wine that WA loved but WS pretty much panned.

Whew, hoped you weren't talking about Dragons Blood, I'd have had to throw the flag on that one!!!!

I'm sure all of the tasters do their best to be impartial, but we're still talking about humans and taste preference.

 

[ibglowin]

Are WA reviews tasted blind?

I often have this suspicion that there just might be a little bit of "pay to play" going on in that industry in some fashion.

I'm sure all of the tasters do their best to be impartial, but we're still talking about humans and taste preference.

 

[Johnd]

Are WA reviews tasted blind?

I often have this suspicion that there just might be a little bit of "pay to play" going on in that industry in some fashion.

Not quite sure if it's totally blind. For instance, if the WA or WS taster is at a certain winery, he / she certainly knows where they are.

Even so, they eventually have to know what wines they tasted to write the review, and enough time goes by between the tasting and publishing of results to monkey with nearly anything.

I tend to look at all of the available reviews, WA, WS, Suckling, Vinous, etc., and for the most part, they're pretty consistent in terms of what wines are average, good, and great, regardless of the magnitude of the score within a couple of points.

 

[Johnd]

Are WA reviews tasted blind?

I often have this suspicion that there just might be a little bit of "pay to play" going on in that industry in some fashion.

Had a few minutes and looked up the tasting methodology:

When possible, tastings are done in peer-group, single-blind conditions (meaning that the same types of wines are tasted against each other and the producers’ names are not known).

There are exceptions to this policy with respect to (1) all barrel tastings, (2) all specific appellation tastings where at least 25 of the best estates will not submit samples for group tastings and (3) for all wines under $25.

The ratings reflect an independent, critical look at the wines. Neither price nor the reputation of the producer/grower affect the rating in any manner.

 

[ibglowin]

WS doesn't do barrel or winery tastings. They claim all tastings are blind, and conducted in their offices, but not all tastings are "double blind" There seems to be varying degrees of blind.

http://images.winespectator.com/wso/pdf/WShowwetasteLTR.pdf

Not quite sure if it's totally blind. For instance, if the WA or WS taster is at a certain winery, he / she certainly knows where they are.

Even so, they eventually have to know what wines they tasted to write the review, and enough time goes by between the tasting and publishing of results to monkey with nearly anything.

I tend to look at all of the available reviews, WA, WS, Suckling, Vinous, etc., and for the most part, they're pretty consistent in terms of what wines are average, good, and great, regardless of the magnitude of the score within a couple of points.

 

[Boatboy24]

2015 Elouan Rose from Willamette, OR. This is a beauty! Ripe raspberry and strawberry, with maybe just a hint of peach and lemon. Firm acidity and minerality. This is the real deal.

 

[geek]

2015 Elouan Rose from Willamette, OR. This is a beauty! Ripe raspberry and strawberry, with maybe just a hint of peach and lemon. Firm acidity and minerality. This is the real deal.

Sounds like a full Rose trend