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Some of the Australian fortified wines from the Rutherglen region can have that 'cooked' character seen in Madeiras. Not to the same extent but they have spent many years sitting in hot tin sheds in a semi desert region so there is a little bit there. No idea who exports to the US though.
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Jun 9, 2014 23:29
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spinst posted:Any other recommendations for Mourvedres? Kermit Lynch imports Domaine de la Tour du Bon and it's fantastic, my wife and I tasted there a couple years ago at the recommendation of the tasting room woman at Domaine Tempier. The winemaker summed up good Mourvèdre perfectly, she said that it is like a Gothic cathedral, there is a lot of space but it's not empty. There should be fruit, earth, and venison blood. It's my favorite grape.
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Jun 10, 2014 04:45
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I had kind of a strange experience last night that I thought someone who knows better than I do might be able to explain. I opened a bottle of wine (2011 Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir) and took a quick taste immediately after opening it. It was wonderful, earthy, fruity, lots of flavor. I decided it was fine without a decant and poured a small glass for myself and a small glass for each of the people I was with, and it tasted the same. About 10 minutes later when we all went for another glass, the wine had lost almost all of its flavor and all we got were incredibly drying tannins that seemed to last a really long time and a watery washed out taste. The entire rest of the bottle was this way and I was pretty disappointed. Thoughts as to why it almost immediately went dull?
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Jun 12, 2014 15:37
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himajinga posted:I had kind of a strange experience last night that I thought someone who knows better than I do might be able to explain. I opened a bottle of wine (2011 Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir) and took a quick taste immediately after opening it. It was wonderful, earthy, fruity, lots of flavor. I decided it was fine without a decant and poured a small glass for myself and a small glass for each of the people I was with, and it tasted the same. About 10 minutes later when we all went for another glass, the wine had lost almost all of its flavor and all we got were incredibly drying tannins that seemed to last a really long time and a watery washed out taste. The entire rest of the bottle was this way and I was pretty disappointed. Thoughts as to why it almost immediately went dull? I'm not a huge fan of Drouhin, but I have to admit that a "right" bottle shouldn't have been that short. They are a quality wine producer. That being said 2011 WAS a difficult vintage. Nonetheless, 10 minutes should not have erased that wine. My guess is that the bottle was mishandled. Probably it was allowed to get just a little to hot. That's my guess because I find that's the major flaw I've noticed with a wine that has mild heat taint: seems fine for a minute but then very quickly falls apart. If this is the case it's almost impossible to pin down where the problem came. Could be anywhere from the winery to you! You can talk to your retailer and see if they've had anyone else complain about it.
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Jun 12, 2014 16:21
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Overwined posted:I'm not a huge fan of Drouhin, but I have to admit that a "right" bottle shouldn't have been that short. They are a quality wine producer. That being said 2011 WAS a difficult vintage. Nonetheless, 10 minutes should not have erased that wine. Huh, that would make sense as I thought it looked a little "bricky" in color for not being old. Maybe I'll ask Costco about it. Would light do it as well?
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Jun 12, 2014 16:29
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himajinga posted:Huh, that would make sense as I thought it looked a little "bricky" in color for not being old. Maybe I'll ask Costco about it. Would light do it as well? It can, yes, but given the glass is shaded and the wine not that old, I doubt it was light. Costco is pretty drat bright, but I feel like you'd have to have a bottle right underneath one of their lamps for a long time to get light damage. You almost never hear about it. The bricky color is a good indication of heat damage. Older wines will start to take on such colors, but I don't think of a 3 year old Pinot as being "old".
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Jun 12, 2014 16:33
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Overwined posted:It can, yes, but given the glass is shaded and the wine not that old, I doubt it was light. Costco is pretty drat bright, but I feel like you'd have to have a bottle right underneath one of their lamps for a long time to get light damage. You almost never hear about it. The bricky color is a good indication of heat damage. Older wines will start to take on such colors, but I don't think of a 3 year old Pinot as being "old". Thanks! They've got a great return policy so I'll just take it in.
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Jun 12, 2014 16:34
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himajinga posted:... I opened a bottle... About 10 minutes later...(it was bad) Thoughts as to why it almost immediately went dull? Probably a stupid question, but did you eat anything during those 10 minutes?
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Jun 13, 2014 23:42
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Stitecin posted:Probably a stupid question, but did you eat anything during those 10 minutes? Nope.
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Jun 16, 2014 17:59
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Was it a Stelvin Closure? Stelvins are largely reliable, but if they get mishandled in shipping, the seal will break. I've also seen more and more that have had their sleeves mis-formed, which I doubt makes a hermetic seal at all.
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Jun 16, 2014 19:20
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It was a standard cork and foil, but now that I think about it, the foil didn't rotate on the bottle at all. I kind of have an absentminded habit of spinning the foil when I'm carrying a bottle somewhere and I noticed I couldn't get it to spin but didn't think anything of it at the time.
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Jun 17, 2014 16:50
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himajinga posted:It was a standard cork and foil, but now that I think about it, the foil didn't rotate on the bottle at all. I kind of have an absentminded habit of spinning the foil when I'm carrying a bottle somewhere and I noticed I couldn't get it to spin but didn't think anything of it at the time. I wouldn't think anything of it. This happens all the time for a variety of reasons, most of which have no effect on the wine.
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Jun 17, 2014 17:31
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While I'm in here, I thought I should get some advice. I live in Seattle and mostly drink PNW wines since they're tasty, affordable, and my and my girlfriend's parents are both club members at various wineries around the region so we're gifted WA/OR wine fairly frequently. I was in the bay area recently and ate at a fantastic Sardinian restaurant that recommended a Cannonau with our meal and I was blown away. It wasn't expensive, I think retail is like $18, but it just had this sort of dark, tar and funky anise quality that I found really appealing and that I hadn't really tasted before. I've had a couple different Cannonaus since and they all shared this same aspect to varying degrees and I tried a Vacqueyras a week or so ago that had a bit of this flavor profile as well. I seldom drink European wines since I don't really know where to start, but I'd love to start drinking more wine that has flavors like that. Any suggestions beyond Cannonau and Vacqueyras that won't destroy my wallet/have to sit in a cellar for 10 years before they're drinkable?
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Jun 18, 2014 16:17
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himajinga posted:While I'm in here, I thought I should get some advice. I live in Seattle and mostly drink PNW wines since they're tasty, affordable, and my and my girlfriend's parents are both club members at various wineries around the region so we're gifted WA/OR wine fairly frequently. I was in the bay area recently and ate at a fantastic Sardinian restaurant that recommended a Cannonau with our meal and I was blown away. It wasn't expensive, I think retail is like $18, but it just had this sort of dark, tar and funky anise quality that I found really appealing and that I hadn't really tasted before. I've had a couple different Cannonaus since and they all shared this same aspect to varying degrees and I tried a Vacqueyras a week or so ago that had a bit of this flavor profile as well. I seldom drink European wines since I don't really know where to start, but I'd love to start drinking more wine that has flavors like that. Any suggestions beyond Cannonau and Vacqueyras that won't destroy my wallet/have to sit in a cellar for 10 years before they're drinkable? Cannonau is called Grenache in France, so the shared aspect to Vacqueyras is totally logically since they might use Grenache in their blends. Grenache to me has a very wide spectrum regarding what it can be. Generally in French circles it's something that needs to be blended with other things to shore it up. Although there is one really notable exception in CDP with Rayas, but I digress. Rayas will destroy your wallet, but you'll love every minute of it. Exploring the lesser-known Rhone appellations, like Vacqueyras will reward you both in value and in style. Check out the other Southern Rhone "Crus" like Lirac, Rasteau, or Gigondas (more expensive these days). Also, plain old Cotes-du-Rhone from noted producers will be both a great value and generally a lot of Grenache in the blend. Make sure they are from Southern Rhone if you are specifically looking for Grenache as Northern Rhone will be Syrah and that's kind of a whole other ballgame. Though I do recommend you also try out the lesser Northern Rhone Crus for value like St. Joseph or Crozes-Hermitage. These aren't mindshattering wines, but at the prices they go for they can be excellent values.
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Jun 18, 2014 16:30
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If you like that Grenache taste you might also branch out to Australia, something like Clarendon Hills Grenache. Compared to Italy/France their stuff is more intense, heavier body, higher alcohol, but god drat if it isn't good, especially with a little age.
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Jun 18, 2014 20:27
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I love the idea of sherry. Nicely aged on oak, slight sweet (but not too sweet!), lightly oxidized (but not too oxidized!), nicely fortified. The basic nuttiness seems like it should be an easy sell. In fact, I love that nuttiness when I am cooking. Cooking with sherry is delightful. As is cooking with sherry vinegar. But sherry alone just doesn't sell me. When cooking, I mostly use Fino or Jerez Dulche. Great in food, bad in my glass. I've tried some Amontillado and Oloroso (by FAR my favorite variety to drink, but since I don't like sherries, that is king of the poo poo-pile) sherries and same deal. I'm guessing it is the oxidation since it is a cardboardy shitstorm at the end of my drink. An ex of mine loved cream sherry. I also hated it, which is surprising given how much I love Sauternes and Ports. Is it like Soju where you need to have food to counteract the awful aftertaste? Should I drink it with some olives nearby? What are some bottles you recommend? Since I don't like it, cheaper (~$30) or lower is better. I'm really sort of looking for a "bestest cheapest" option, you know?
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Jun 19, 2014 00:13
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You definitely want to stick to Finos (kept under the Flor) as the Flor blocks a lot of the oxidation and you get less of the nutty flavors. Recently, the company I work for has started to represent this little gem: http://www.wine.com/v6/Orleans-Borbon-Manzanilla-Fina-375ML-half-bottle/wine/126268/Detail.aspx?state=CA It has a briney minerality to is, but it's bright tart tree fruit notes are preserved by nice acidity. Overall I'd say it's bright and lively rather than musty. And it's cheap as poo poo. This is going to be one of my new Summer mainstays. In general I can drink Sherry by itself, though I have been acquiring the taste. Food of course helps, but you know that. I feel like Sherry is something that requires an epiphany. Keep trying it and keep trying different ones and I guarantee that one day the light will come on.
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Jun 19, 2014 00:31
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Shbobdb posted:I love the idea of sherry. Nicely aged on oak, slight sweet (but not too sweet!), lightly oxidized (but not too oxidized!), nicely fortified. The basic nuttiness seems like it should be an easy sell. In fact, I love that nuttiness when I am cooking. Cooking with sherry is delightful. As is cooking with sherry vinegar. If I had to guess, it's simply the terroir of Sherry that you dislike, particularly the yeast that grow there. Even the oxidative styles show some of this intensely funky, savoury aroma. You say you don't like too much oxidation, but Oloroso is the most oxidative style of dry sherry (and shows the least amount of autolysis, the yeasty character I suspect you dislike). You may also be particularly sensitive to volatile acidity, which can be floral and aromatic at its best, but nail polishy and acetic at its worst. Do try it with food, particularly intense, salty foods such as nuts, olives, and mackerel, but don't try to force yourself to like it. Sherry isn't for everyone. Just give it the occasional try every good chance you get with an open mind.
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Jun 19, 2014 02:11
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himajinga posted:While I'm in here, I thought I should get some advice. I live in Seattle and mostly drink PNW wines since they're tasty, affordable, and my and my girlfriend's parents are both club members at various wineries around the region so we're gifted WA/OR wine fairly frequently. I was in the bay area recently and ate at a fantastic Sardinian restaurant that recommended a Cannonau with our meal and I was blown away. It wasn't expensive, I think retail is like $18, but it just had this sort of dark, tar and funky anise quality that I found really appealing and that I hadn't really tasted before. I've had a couple different Cannonaus since and they all shared this same aspect to varying degrees and I tried a Vacqueyras a week or so ago that had a bit of this flavor profile as well. I seldom drink European wines since I don't really know where to start, but I'd love to start drinking more wine that has flavors like that. Any suggestions beyond Cannonau and Vacqueyras that won't destroy my wallet/have to sit in a cellar for 10 years before they're drinkable? First off, congrats on finding lesser-known European wines that fit your palate and wallet. With the right knowledge you can be a very happy wine drinker for decades to come. On the white side of things, French wines from Gascony (Gascogne) are crisp, rich, and delicious and much like Bordeaux Blanc but at a fraction of the price. Also check out Alsace, Cru Beaujolais, and the Loire for other French delights that you might not have heard of before. Try a Sancerre with some oysters and discover the most perfect combination on God's green earth. Have fun, and report back with your results!
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Jun 19, 2014 02:31
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Radical, thanks for all the suggestions everyone, it's nice to have some direction now that I feel like I'm figuring out what my preferences are. Will definitely report back.
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Jun 20, 2014 15:56
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Well, I guess I can no longer say I've never enjoyed a Malbec.  (picture not mine) Was blinded on this with my tasting group. Almost everyone, including an MS, was arguing between modern Hermitage or excellent Washington syrah (if that isn't an oxymoron, hyuck hyuck). Not bad for a fairly inexpensive wine. It hit a perfect balance between savoury and fruit that I up until now I have literally never seen from Malbec - Cahors is fruitless and miserable, and other Argentinians have always been too jammy, alcoholic, and clumsy for my taste. Here, the oak was restrained, acid was present, fruit retained freshness, and alcohol was a reasonable 14%. I'm not about to go out and buy this instead of syrah, but if there are any other Malbec-haters out there I'd suggest giving this a chance.
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Jun 30, 2014 07:40
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I live in Pennsylvania and that malbec is shockingly available. Thanks for the rec. There's something I feel like I've taken in pretty haphazardly in my wine adventures -- wine and cheese. Post your personal favorite pairings if you've got em!
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Jul 2, 2014 03:42
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Botrytised dessert wine with a blue cheese is always my favourite.
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Jul 2, 2014 03:48
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Achaval Ferrer makes the best Malbec. Their single vineyard stuff is fantastic, and is even more restrained, balanced and elegant compared to their regular Malbec. The high altitude Finca Altamira is especially tasty.
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Jul 2, 2014 09:44
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Crimson posted:Achaval Ferrer makes the best Malbec. Their single vineyard stuff is fantastic, and is even more restrained, balanced and elegant compared to their regular Malbec. The high altitude Finca Altamira is especially tasty. Nope, just the most expensive malbec. Any of you remember how much I got trolled in the other thread for saying DP is a great champagne? http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/02/dining/tasting-dom-perignon-from-various-decades.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0
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Jul 2, 2014 22:05
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An Alright Guy posted:Nope, just the most expensive malbec. Overpriced or not, I personally think it's the best out there. A more interesting post on your end might have included some other, cheaper options. quote:Any of you remember how much I got trolled in the other thread for saying DP is a great champagne? Not sure if this was related to your malbec comment, or even how a nytimes article proves you right. That being said, DP is a great Champagne, anyone who says otherwise is probably too busy getting hyped up on grower Champagne or just being snobby at its wide distribution. Anyone is free to dislike it, but you can't say it's not great quality or that it doesn't age superbly.
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Jul 3, 2014 06:41
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Its distribution isn't what worries me. Its production does. I personally think all Champagnes are good wines. I seriously have never had a bad one. For my personal dollar there are a shitload if better ones out there, including some NVs. That being said 1996 was an amazing DP, though it's the last great one I've had. 2002 was pretty good too. Your point about grower snobiness holds though. I love grower Champagnes, but not to the total exclusion of CMs and NMs. As with DP I think a broader view informs us. Champagne has many different expressions, purposes, and prices. When you factor all this in, sometimes an NM or a CM is the best choice, no question.
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Jul 3, 2014 15:28
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Crimson posted:Overpriced or not, I personally think it's the best out there. A more interesting post on your end might have included some other, cheaper options. Yeah that was the gist of it, that too much was made for it to be a great champagne. I suppose you are right about my post on the malbec but I just find Ferrer's to be over-extracted juice and expensive for what you get. I'm not a huge fan of malbec to begin with but Aruma is really well made for the price. The NY Times doesn't prove me "right" but the article does put forth a very basic truth: DP is a very good, and sometimes even sublime, champagne. An Alright Guy fucked around with this message at 21:21 on Jul 6, 2014 |
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Jul 6, 2014 21:17
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Been tasting through Crémant d'Alsace this weekend... Awesome bargain bubbles for the summer. Great acidity, nice and dry, and in the $10-20 range throughout the US.
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Jul 6, 2014 21:21
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Cremants in general (Jura, Loire, Burgogne) can be really awesome, as can pet nats. I blasted through two cases of La Bulle Gamay from PUR a year or two ago and wish I had bought two more. 8% and a great balance of acid and sweetness. It's right on the line between "beverage" and "wine", but who gives a poo poo? It was delicious, plus there's a lady taking a pink bubble bath on the label. Drink up!
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Jul 18, 2014 18:56
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So, anybody tried any exciting wines lately? Here are a few completely surprising ones I've had lately (photos not mine): Deep gold colour, totally oxidative, and the most acid I've ever had in an Alsatian wine. Extremely mineral, with some wacky balance between fruit that's both tart and candied, savoury sherry tones, and Alsatian richness. Kinda like the delicious love-child of Savennieres and Australian Riesling.  (2002 Ducru Beaucaillou) I really, really hate red Bordeaux. Tasted this one blind, and had no idea what I was drinking. Definitely French, but too light, too much red fruit, and too much charm and delicacy to be Bordeaux. Was very pleasantly surprised to see the label. I find it hilarious that I really enjoyed this wine because 2002 is widely considered mediocre at best, and I was also blinded on the 2003 (which Robert Parker describes as the greatest vintage in history, though many would strongly disagree) Ducru which I hated. Still, an eye-opening experience, showing that there are producers out there capable of producing great Bordeaux if they don't harvest overripe and intervene as little as necessary.  Put simply, this was like drinking world-class Cote-Rotie. On the natural, traditional side. Certainly not what I was expecting from Barossa Shiraz.
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Aug 19, 2014 23:10
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Some guy dropped thousands of dollars on wine at a restaurant I work at last night and then left most of the bottles half full on the table and I got to taste most of it. Had a glass of this: http://www.wiredforwine.com/featured-wine/bodegas-toro-albala-don-px-convento-seleccion-sherry-1946-100pts Absolutely the best liquid I've put into my mouth in my life.
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Aug 20, 2014 00:15
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Kasumeat posted:So, anybody tried any exciting wines lately? Here are a few completely surprising ones I've had lately (photos not mine): This is kind of the slow season for the wine blogger, since a lot of publicists don't like to ship in the heat of summer and there are no big wine holidays nearby. October to January 1 will be insane, and then it will level off for a few weeks before the Valentine's Day push. If anyone has any questions about being a wine blogger and freelance writer for various publications, let me know! Right now I've got a bottle of Tannat from Virginia that would probably fall in the "surprising" category, but I'm just not in the mood today. However, these three lovely ladies are chilled and ready to go. This is the perfect weather for dry rosé from the south of France.  I've got the following things waiting downstairs to be tasted: a bunch of Alsace, a Riesling, some more Virginia wines, a few random unremarkable California bottles, that Banyuls I mentioned a while back, probably something from Chile, some anisette and amaro from Italy...
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Aug 20, 2014 00:41
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benito posted:This is kind of the slow season for the wine blogger, since a lot of publicists don't like to ship in the heat of summer and there are no big wine holidays nearby. October to January 1 will be insane, and then it will level off for a few weeks before the Valentine's Day push. If anyone has any questions about being a wine blogger and freelance writer for various publications, let me know! Sure, I'll bite. Is wine writing your sole career? How did you get into it? How do you differentiate yourself from the thousands of other wine bloggers? Kasumeat fucked around with this message at 04:33 on Aug 20, 2014 |
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Aug 20, 2014 04:30
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Kasumeat posted:Sure, I'll bite. Is wine writing your sole career? How did you get into it? How do you differentiate yourself from the thousands of other wine bloggers? Tried doing it as a solo career for a while and that wasn't enough to pay the rent. Oddly I'm at a point now where I could probably do it as a full time job, but not from blogging. The actual paychecks come from various other publications that I write for, which each have their own style guides and viewpoints and editorial directions. But the day job still keeps a roof over my head and feeds the dog. Since I write about cigars and cocktails and food and other things, I've found great opportunities in those areas. I sort of positioned myself as a guy in flyover country (Memphis) writing about wine from what is essentially an outsider perspective. So if anyone wants an article about wine & BBQ, I'm your guy. But I've been trying to move away from that, not out of shame, but because there are only so many articles you can write about that topic and I'm surprised I've sold so many. The travel is awesome, and I hate it when I have to turn down trips to Chile or Italy because I'm short on vacation at the day job. Getting to tour a domestic wine region and get wined and dined by the industry is a real treat. I'm always honest about my impressions of wineries and regions, but spending a week getting driven around to taste wine and eat at great restaurants is a nice break from the daily routine (otherwise known as the day job).
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Aug 20, 2014 04:54
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There's really nothing like visiting a winery run by passionate people. I have had some of the best experiences of my life in some not-very-aesthetically pleasing barns. My opinion of a wine or winery has never gone down after visiting it.
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Aug 20, 2014 17:48
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Overwined posted:There's really nothing like visiting a winery run by passionate people. I have had some of the best experiences of my life in some not-very-aesthetically pleasing barns. My opinion of a wine or winery has never gone down after visiting it. Have you been to wine country lately? I've been trying to get up there more since I moved to SF. I was just at Elizabeth Spencer, loving great wines. They make a Chenin Blanc that's just slightly oxidized in the same way as great Vouvray/Savennieres. Good Pinot Blanc too.
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Aug 21, 2014 09:47
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So a friend of mine has a hook up on a bunch of bottles from France (I'm in Japan) and I went in for 6. I know a lot of them are a little short on details (price for one), but I'm trying to get together an initial list to send him. So far I'm thinking 1, 3, 7, 12, 14, 16 but I'd really appreciate any advice/recommendations any of you might have.
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Sep 18, 2014 02:49
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Stringent posted:So a friend of mine has a hook up on a bunch of bottles from France (I'm in Japan) and I went in for 6. I know a lot of them are a little short on details (price for one), but I'm trying to get together an initial list to send him. You have no producer names on that list. Going to be hard to recommend anything without that bit of info. 19 would be a very good bet, though.
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Sep 18, 2014 04:15
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17 and 18 are Bernard Baudry. Solid choice, if you like that sort of thing. ETA and the 10 looks much in the same vein, though there's many producers.
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Sep 18, 2014 06:13
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