Boatboy24
No longer a newbie, but still clueless.
I enjoyed the sweetened version of this wine from @mainshipfred tonight. Super balanced sugar and acidity. Really enjoyable. I have a bottle of the dry version that I'm looking forward to.
What's in your glass tonight?
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I enjoyed the sweetened version of this wine from @mainshipfred tonight. Super balanced sugar and acidity. Really enjoyable. I have a bottle of the dry version that I'm looking forward to.
Boatboy24
No longer a newbie, but still clueless.
This is a fat, juicy GSM. And it's got the tannin and structure to support that. One of the best wines I've had in quite some time.
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Tonights pandemic pairing. Not a monster Merlot but very nice with just a bit of air time. I have to remember these are better within 2-4 years release date and not 5-10 years. Very solid wine.
Boatboy24
No longer a newbie, but still clueless.
As I thought, looks like I was on the early end of the drinking window. Still enjoying a last sip or two, but I can see this not having trouble going beyond that 2025 suggestion. As you know, Mike, a lot of these CC reserve wines could probably go 10 years or more. I don't have any that old, but am trying to stay away from them so I do.
The CC Reserve definitely can hold up for 10 years. I still have 17 bottles in the cellar with the youngest being 2013 and the oldest being 2001 (Walter Clore). I also have a 2005 CC Reserve Cab Sauv that was WS #1 Wine for 2008. I am definitely jumping around more these days with an eye on long cellar life more than most anything else.
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We opened the LAST of our cheap aging experiments tonight. A 2010 Columbia Crest Horse Heaven Hills (H3) Merlot. This was the last of my attempt to age $9 bottles of wine into $10 bottles of wine. 
It was really yummy. Dense fruit, very balanced, a suggestion of booziness, stewed fruit, a languid finish, some tannins in the aftertaste. I detected on the previous one from this batch that this wine was past its prime, and tonight's effort confirmed that. Starting to slide down hill, and it looks a little oxidized around the edges. (Note I said "stewed fruit.") But it was very lovely, and I am sorry to see that batch go. It was the oldest thing in my cellar! (I have a few 2012 and 2013's Amarones and Vino Nobile di Montepulcianos, but nothing else in that range.)
I also am showing a picture of the cork for a few reasons. I am always impressed by the corks on this sub-$10 bottle of wine. I don't know what you call this -- it seems to be a second-grade natural cork that has been gussied up. Is this what they call "colmated"? Looks to be in fine fettle. Also, you can see that the wine has not penetrated this cork very far at all. (Previous ones from this batch were even less so -- they looked like someone just painted the bottom of the cork purple.) And, finally, I think you can see on the cork that this wine is starting to oxidize.
It was really yummy. Dense fruit, very balanced, a suggestion of booziness, stewed fruit, a languid finish, some tannins in the aftertaste. I detected on the previous one from this batch that this wine was past its prime, and tonight's effort confirmed that. Starting to slide down hill, and it looks a little oxidized around the edges. (Note I said "stewed fruit.") But it was very lovely, and I am sorry to see that batch go. It was the oldest thing in my cellar! (I have a few 2012 and 2013's Amarones and Vino Nobile di Montepulcianos, but nothing else in that range.)
I also am showing a picture of the cork for a few reasons. I am always impressed by the corks on this sub-$10 bottle of wine. I don't know what you call this -- it seems to be a second-grade natural cork that has been gussied up. Is this what they call "colmated"? Looks to be in fine fettle. Also, you can see that the wine has not penetrated this cork very far at all. (Previous ones from this batch were even less so -- they looked like someone just painted the bottom of the cork purple.) And, finally, I think you can see on the cork that this wine is starting to oxidize.
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Having maybe the very first Eclipse kit I made, it had a year of 2015 on the bottle. Eclipse Cabernet Sauvignon. Probably a little bit past it's peak, which makes me a little sad. This may have been the last bottle of that.
A minor celebration in the Grapes household today, so I am reaching a little higher on the shelf than my usual cheapskate self.
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Celebrations are always a good thing.
Not sure what I would like better, the bottle of wine or the granite it's sitting on. Very nice.A minor celebration in the Grapes household today, so I am reaching a little higher on the shelf than my usual cheapskate self.
View attachment 64744
Thanks!
Our dining room table is a big slab of marble, sitting on a box made of the same marble. Got it at a second-hand (consignment) shop for $1200 about 20 years ago. The only bad thing is that it has a thick varnish on top which is starting to peel/flake at the edges.
Boatboy24
No longer a newbie, but still clueless.
Boatboy24
No longer a newbie, but still clueless.
Si! Very good.
Boatboy24
No longer a newbie, but still clueless.
Boatboy24
No longer a newbie, but still clueless.
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