I opened a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon I made last year from a California juice bucket. Very nice smooth tannins and just enough acid. I’m very happy with juice buckets so far.
What's in your glass tonight?
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Licorice, currents and cherry on the nose. Vanilla, cherries and Saskatoon berries? on the pallate. Weird but nice. Cheap in your country I'll bet. 14.5%
Moraine 2023
This is a 50/50 blend in a glass of organic homegrown Regent and Marechal Foch fermented hand destemmed and uncrushed with RC212/71B yeast combo post MLF from my cooler. I live near the top of a south slope glacial moraine i.e. well drained powdered rock, sand, slight clay with about 6 inches of humus on top. The grapes were bone dry i.e. no water from rain and unirrigated when they were picked in perfect condition. Here are my comments on this wine in a glass:
Appearance - inky purple
Smell - good nose
Tannin - fine
Acid - slightly high but okay, should drop as it ages
Flavour - interesting, decent red wine. It should be even better when the acid drops. The Marechal Foch improves the Regent IMHO and I'll make a small carboy of this ~i.e. 15 bottles and let it age to drop more tartrates in my cooler before I bottle it. 71B yeast improved it i.e. use 71B on hybrids, especially high acid hybrids having gone through MLF. I also tried 2/3 Foch 1/3 Regent which is illustrated below. Here are my comments on this blend:
Appearance - inky purple
Smell - good nose
Tannin - good
Acid - good maybe a tiny bit high but should be fine as it ages
Flavour -this is good, not outstanding but much better than anything I've made from this combo in the past. I'll make 15 of this blend, 15 pure Marechal Foch and 15 pure Regent and put them back into the cooler after adjusting sulphite to 70 ppm total ~24 free and let all 3 wines age until Easter or even better, the end of the summer.
Sorry but the photo didn't load i.e. it is clear inky purple.
This is a 50/50 blend in a glass of organic homegrown Regent and Marechal Foch fermented hand destemmed and uncrushed with RC212/71B yeast combo post MLF from my cooler. I live near the top of a south slope glacial moraine i.e. well drained powdered rock, sand, slight clay with about 6 inches of humus on top. The grapes were bone dry i.e. no water from rain and unirrigated when they were picked in perfect condition. Here are my comments on this wine in a glass:
Appearance - inky purple
Smell - good nose
Tannin - fine
Acid - slightly high but okay, should drop as it ages
Flavour - interesting, decent red wine. It should be even better when the acid drops. The Marechal Foch improves the Regent IMHO and I'll make a small carboy of this ~i.e. 15 bottles and let it age to drop more tartrates in my cooler before I bottle it. 71B yeast improved it i.e. use 71B on hybrids, especially high acid hybrids having gone through MLF. I also tried 2/3 Foch 1/3 Regent which is illustrated below. Here are my comments on this blend:
Appearance - inky purple
Smell - good nose
Tannin - good
Acid - good maybe a tiny bit high but should be fine as it ages
Flavour -this is good, not outstanding but much better than anything I've made from this combo in the past. I'll make 15 of this blend, 15 pure Marechal Foch and 15 pure Regent and put them back into the cooler after adjusting sulphite to 70 ppm total ~24 free and let all 3 wines age until Easter or even better, the end of the summer.
Sorry but the photo didn't load i.e. it is clear inky purple.
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jswordy
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Tonight I'm trying some Texas Lager from Community Beer Co. of Dallas. A light amber lager at a measly 4% ABV. It's OK, not much on flavor. The aftertaste is more interesting. A three or so out of five. Worth $11 a six? Nah.
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Currants cherries and plums on the nose, currents, black cherries and vanilla on the pallate. 13.5% (last night)
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Good article -- I have some commercial wines that I have held for years, but that is a distinct minority. When I purchase a red, I rarely hold onto it for more than a year, two at the most.
Whites I typically drink within 6 months of purchase. I learned my lesson the hard way on that topic.
I was just texting with a buddy about wine. He is a winemaker as well.
Anyway, I recommended a bottle of amarone that I purchased last year from Trader Joes and recently purchased again this year. It's Ca' Storica Amarone Della Valpolicella. It was reasonably priced and very good. I haven't tried this years offering but my buddy did. He sent me a message today telling me his wife went to buy 6 more. They were obviously impressed.
On to another wine...
Over Thanksgiving my overly prissy brother-in-law brought some "higher end" bottles to dinner. I was able to indulge in a bottle of Silver Ghost Cab. Wow! Very big, bold and tannic but very smooth. I was highly impressed. I believe it was a 2019 vintage but I don't recall for certain.
Either way, both highly recommended if you're looking for something good for this holiday season.
Cheers and Merry Christmas!
Anyway, I recommended a bottle of amarone that I purchased last year from Trader Joes and recently purchased again this year. It's Ca' Storica Amarone Della Valpolicella. It was reasonably priced and very good. I haven't tried this years offering but my buddy did. He sent me a message today telling me his wife went to buy 6 more. They were obviously impressed.
On to another wine...
Over Thanksgiving my overly prissy brother-in-law brought some "higher end" bottles to dinner. I was able to indulge in a bottle of Silver Ghost Cab. Wow! Very big, bold and tannic but very smooth. I was highly impressed. I believe it was a 2019 vintage but I don't recall for certain.
Either way, both highly recommended if you're looking for something good for this holiday season.
Cheers and Merry Christmas!
Ess-Sea vineyard
Member
Just bottled a pineapple wine and a valiant grape wine yesterday! Finished off what did not fit in the bottles, which was more than I probably needed. My wife and I each had a glass of each. The pineapple turned out great and is high alcohol from a second sugar feeding. The valiant grape turned out well and will benefit from some aging. This is my second attempt at the valiant in which I just used the pressed juice vs putting skins and seeds in the primary fermentation. Ended up much less tart with a better flavor. Also added more oak and a couple cans of frozen grape juice to give it a little blend. Very satisfied with the outcome. I had the labels made before the wine was done…pineapple is around 17%
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Under $9, bought at Walmart ... just like regular folks do. Cheers!
Boatboy24
No longer a newbie, but still clueless.
Boatboy24
No longer a newbie, but still clueless.
There's a theme of late. Merry Christmas!
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Hester Creek used to make a members only limited edition wine each year. During the pandemic, wine club membership exploded to the point they couldn't make enough for members only. This is one of the last ones in my cellar.
Black currants, cherries, vanilla on the nose, black cherries, licorice and leather on the pallate. Very well extracted. Enjoying it with prime rib and Yorkshire pudding for Christmas dinner.
Black currants, cherries, vanilla on the nose, black cherries, licorice and leather on the pallate. Very well extracted. Enjoying it with prime rib and Yorkshire pudding for Christmas dinner.
Ohio Bob
Senior Member
Store bought egg nog, but with a little kick.
For Christmas Eve dinner, our elder son hosted. To match a baked salmon, he served a NY Merlot.
For my wife (not a red drinker) we brought 2 bottles from the Costco Advent Calendar, and sadly neither was a hit. The rose was mediocre, lacking in flavor, and the Spanish white was simply odd, probably grapes obscure in the USA.
Today's dinner was ham, which went well with a Fronsac.
For pecan pie, we served a late harvest Vignoles
For my wife (not a red drinker) we brought 2 bottles from the Costco Advent Calendar, and sadly neither was a hit. The rose was mediocre, lacking in flavor, and the Spanish white was simply odd, probably grapes obscure in the USA.
Today's dinner was ham, which went well with a Fronsac.
For pecan pie, we served a late harvest Vignoles
Boatboy24
No longer a newbie, but still clueless.
We killed two of these magnum soldiers last night. A moment of silence for an Amarone and a Cab-Franc-dominant Bordeaux. (The Bordeaux was great, but the Amarone was just okay.)
Well this was what was in last nights glass. 2010 Doubleback Cab Sauv! Magnum no less and signed by both Drew Bledsoe (yep that Drew Bledsoe) as well as the winemaker back then Chris Figgins. DNS and worth the price of admission. Paired really well with red wine braised beef short ribs. Stored in the cellar since receiving from the winery back in 2013 IIRC. Also that cork looked brand new still when extracted. Very impressed with every aspect of this wine including how well it was drinking.
jswordy
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Been pulling up fence for a week, so I was extra excited to find these Leinie Reds in a store cooler this morning. VERY rare in my area. Usually, the Shandy is all they offer. I got the last 12-pack of these seasonals. Mmmm... Just got in from fence work and it sure does taste good. I prefer Original, but that is simply unavailable here at all.
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