What kind of WINE did you drink last night? (2 Viewers)

[DA RAIDERS]

1999 Pio Cesare Barolo for our 5th wedding anny. Wow. I know a little bit about California wines, a tiny touch about Italian and Australian, and nothing about South American or French. With that in mind, this was an awesome bottle of wine that you could really tell will age well. Very good alone, it really popped with food - I had a steak and my wife had shrimp/penne vodka sauce, and it was excellent with both foods. Bought a couple of bottles of Titus Cabernet on a whim. Looking forward to trying it.Edit to add Etiquette Question - I had a glass of 1985 Dow's for desert. It was OK, but not as good as I was expecting and not worth the $15 I paid. Oh well, live and learn. However, when I got to the bottom 1/3 of my glass, it was full of sediment. I don't mean a few specks - I mean a good tablespoon of sediment. Experienced wine drinkers, what should I have done, if anything? I was a little tipsy and we had plans elsewhere, so I did nothing - but it still irks me.

Nothing.21 year old Port?Sediment is harmless. It doesn't look appealing but if I could show you some of the wine bottles I have hadthat had a lot of sediment.There are many who foolishly believe that the presence of sediment indicates that a wine is somehow flawed. This belief is so prevalent in this country, even among wine sellers and restaurants who should know better. Nowadays, winemaking techniques both here and abroad have been altered to reduce sediment from forming. Many wines are now subjected to such unneeded filtration techniques which, while they do the job of reducing sediment, they also strip the wine of its character.

as usual, good posting. it is a normal to have sediment in wines. as far as what you could have done differently, you could have asked for more if there really was a tablespoon of sediment in your glass. that would take up quite a bit of room in your wee port glass.

The presence of sediment didn't bother me at all - it was the amount of it. It did take up a lot of room in my glass, and the last 20% of my port wasn't drinkable because of the volume of sediment. The barolo was awesome, though.

you can always decant it if the sediment is too much. they were probably at the end of the bottle & wouldn't have batted an eye if you had asked for a touch more.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

i went to the wine warehouse(major distributor in CA) sping tasting on Wed.

there were over 600 wines to taste . there were also over 40 spirits & over 200 beers to try as well !

here are some highlights:

anderson's conn valley vineyard 03 estate reserve (napa)

dry creek 03 zin 'somer's ranch'(sonoma)

nickel & nickel 04 'darien' syrah(sonoma)

heitz 98 'trailside' cab--i preferred this to the 99 & 01 martha's vineyard and over the 01 bella oaks as well.(napa)

pio cesare 04 dolcetto, i liked this over their barbera, barbaresco & barolo(ITA)

martin ray 01 'diamond mtn' cab(santa rosa)

voss estate 03 pinot (NZ)

canonbah bridge 02 shriaz-grenache-mourvedre(aus)

niner 'bootjack ranch' 03 cab franc & their 03 'fogcatcher' cab(paso robles)

petroni vineyards 01 poggio alla pietra, brunello(sonoma)

talbott 'aubrey' chardonnay(carmel valley)

trefethen 99 reserve cab(napa)

some pricy, some not. enjoy!

genedoc,if you liked the barolo check out their dolcetto. lighter wine but still has great deep dark fruits & it's way cheaper than the barolo.

 

[Flying V]

1999 Pio Cesare Barolo for our 5th wedding anny. Wow. Edit to add Etiquette Question - I had a glass of 1985 Dow's for desert. It was OK, but not as good as I was expecting and not worth the $15 I paid. Oh well, live and learn. However, when I got to the bottom 1/3 of my glass, it was full of sediment. I don't mean a few specks - I mean a good tablespoon of sediment. Experienced wine drinkers, what should I have done, if anything? I was a little tipsy and we had plans elsewhere, so I did nothing - but it still irks me.

Nothing.21 year old Port?Sediment is harmless.

But not desireable to drink. What sommelier worth a darn is going to serve you that much sediment? I would definitely have said something.

 

[Jules Winnfield]

1999 Pio Cesare Barolo for our 5th wedding anny. Wow. Edit to add Etiquette Question - I had a glass of 1985 Dow's for desert. It was OK, but not as good as I was expecting and not worth the $15 I paid. Oh well, live and learn. However, when I got to the bottom 1/3 of my glass, it was full of sediment. I don't mean a few specks - I mean a good tablespoon of sediment. Experienced wine drinkers, what should I have done, if anything? I was a little tipsy and we had plans elsewhere, so I did nothing - but it still irks me.

Nothing.21 year old Port?Sediment is harmless.

But not desireable to drink. What sommelier worth a darn is going to serve you that much sediment? I would definitely have said something.

You think the sommelier served him the port? I'm thinking the port was served from the bar.Sure I would say something. I would point out that there is a lot of sediment in my glass. I'd be cool about it but I have never let things like this irk me. What would you have said?(Wait a second...you got tipsy on a bottle of wine that you and the Mrs. split and a glass of port?)

 

[DA RAIDERS]

1999 Pio Cesare Barolo for our 5th wedding anny. Wow. Edit to add Etiquette Question - I had a glass of 1985 Dow's for desert. It was OK, but not as good as I was expecting and not worth the $15 I paid. Oh well, live and learn. However, when I got to the bottom 1/3 of my glass, it was full of sediment. I don't mean a few specks - I mean a good tablespoon of sediment. Experienced wine drinkers, what should I have done, if anything? I was a little tipsy and we had plans elsewhere, so I did nothing - but it still irks me.

Nothing.21 year old Port?Sediment is harmless.

But not desireable to drink. What sommelier worth a darn is going to serve you that much sediment? I would definitely have said something.

You think the sommelier served him the port? I'm thinking the port was served from the bar.Sure I would say something. I would point out that there is a lot of sediment in my glass. I'd be cool about it but I have never let things like this irk me. What would you have said?(Wait a second...you got tipsy on a bottle of wine that you and the Mrs. split and a glass of port?)

i wouldn't think the sommelier was involved. simply point out the sediment & my bet would be that you would get an entire new glass without question & without sediment.had a little 04 saintsbury pinot tonight. nice firm pinot with some backbone. not watery fruit like so many cheaper/low medium pinots are.

 

[Genedoc]

1999 Pio Cesare Barolo for our 5th wedding anny. Wow. Edit to add Etiquette Question - I had a glass of 1985 Dow's for desert. It was OK, but not as good as I was expecting and not worth the $15 I paid. Oh well, live and learn. However, when I got to the bottom 1/3 of my glass, it was full of sediment. I don't mean a few specks - I mean a good tablespoon of sediment. Experienced wine drinkers, what should I have done, if anything? I was a little tipsy and we had plans elsewhere, so I did nothing - but it still irks me.

Nothing.21 year old Port?Sediment is harmless.

But not desireable to drink. What sommelier worth a darn is going to serve you that much sediment? I would definitely have said something.

You think the sommelier served him the port? I'm thinking the port was served from the bar.Sure I would say something. I would point out that there is a lot of sediment in my glass. I'd be cool about it but I have never let things like this irk me. What would you have said?(Wait a second...you got tipsy on a bottle of wine that you and the Mrs. split and a glass of port?)

Yeah. A) I'm a cheap date, b) I'd also had a rather strong pre dinner cocktail, and c) When we split a bottle of wine, it's not 50/50. 1 cocktail, 3 glasses of wine, and a glass of port = me with a good buzz.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

had a nice 00 joseph drouhin, pommard & an 01 ferrari carano tresor with my dinner at morton's. the pommard was brilliant.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

went to a nice nickel & nickel/ far niente tasting yesterday.

all of these are single desigate 03 cabs

carpenter

dragonfly

tench

branding iron

john c sullenger

martin stelling

rock cairn

vogt

the tench was the winner in my book. it had the best structure & complexity. it had a nice earthyness to it especially in the nose. it was interesting they had a pile of dirt from each growing site to check out/smell etc.

we also had from far niente:

05 chard--heavy ML. not my style but good

93, 98, 03 cabs. the 98 is underrated imho. the 93 was tasty.

& we finished with some dulce of course.

good times

 

[tipsy mcstagger]

god i hate the beer thread.

Just sticking with my old standby....Saintsbury Carneros Pinot. Really good value, IMHO. Just started selling it as my pinot by the glass too because I was sick of selling swill to my customers.

 

[msommer]

Catena Malbec 2003

Trying to get my hands on big brother Alta, bit pricey in these parts

 

[phrozen]

tonight i am enjoying a 2001 Syrah from the Bon Family vineyards based in the sonoma valley.

It is really tasty stuff and packs a big punch

only issue with the bottle is I keep finding small pieces of something at the bottom of each glass. It looks like tiny pieces of wood so it could be from the barrell it was aged in. But at closer examination it looks like pieces of crystalized wine

has anyone else encountered this? I have consumed many bottles of wine and have never encountered this before.

 

[Jules Winnfield]

tonight i am enjoying a 2001 Syrah from the Bon Family vineyards based in the sonoma valley.It is really tasty stuff and packs a big punch only issue with the bottle is I keep finding small pieces of something at the bottom of each glass. It looks like tiny pieces of wood so it could be from the barrell it was aged in. But at closer examination it looks like pieces of crystalized wine has anyone else encountered this? I have consumed many bottles of wine and have never encountered this before.

A number of times.They're usually tartrate crystals, natural in wine and harmless. They are neither harmful nor a sign of poor quality."Weinstein" in German

 

[phrozen]

tonight i am enjoying a 2001 Syrah from the Bon Family vineyards based in the sonoma valley.It is really tasty stuff and packs a big punch only issue with the bottle is I keep finding small pieces of something at the bottom of each glass. It looks like tiny pieces of wood so it could be from the barrell it was aged in. But at closer examination it looks like pieces of crystalized wine has anyone else encountered this? I have consumed many bottles of wine and have never encountered this before.

A number of times.They're usually tartrate crystals, natural in wine and harmless. They are neither harmful nor a sign of poor quality."Weinstein" in German

thanks for the info Jules

 

[Jules Winnfield]

Enjoying some Hugo's Hill Cape Vintage tonight after work with an Ashton VSG cigar.

I must admit that I did not know that Port in South Africa is called Cape Vintage.

Quite yummy this stuff is. It will match up real well with the cigar.

 

[phrozen]

Enjoying some Hugo's Hill Cape Vintage tonight after work with an Ashton VSG cigar.I must admit that I did not know that Port in South Africa is called Cape Vintage.Quite yummy this stuff is. It will match up real well with the cigar.

nothing like a fine cigar and a glass of wine. I have a few cubans I have saved that a friend of mine brought back during his last international trip. I might have to fire one up and have a cigar with you Jules.

 

[phrozen]

Tonight I am enjoying a fine bottle of 2002 Renwood Old Vine Zinfandel. I have been a fan of this zin for about a year now ever since I picked up my first bottle. The Zin a spicy taste to it which is out of this world. This is one of my favorite reds out there.

cheers

 

[bentley]

god i hate the beer thread.

Just sticking with my old standby....Saintsbury Carneros Pinot. Really good value, IMHO. Just started selling it as my pinot by the glass too because I was sick of selling swill to my customers.

What's that supposed to mean?Bella Vista Ranch Blackberry Wine. Drink locally.

 

[phrozen]

It has been a crazy week at work and I was promoted this week and given a big raise. So tonight to unwind I purchased a bottle of 2003 Dry Stone Pinot Noir. It is from New Zealand and it is fantastic. It is a little more than $35 a bottle but is well worth it. A fine Noir

 

[DA RAIDERS]

had a nice little taste of a 94 caymus special select.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Some chick I work with just informed me the Sam's Club across town had half a dozen bottles of Insignia last night when she was there - for $88/bottle.

 

[MelvinTScupper]

Some chick I work with just informed me the Sam's Club across town had half a dozen bottles of Insignia last night when she was there - for $88/bottle.

Which vintage?BTW, the 2003 vintage (or whichever release is coming out right now) is very average for $165/bottle.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Some chick I work with just informed me the Sam's Club across town had half a dozen bottles of Insignia last night when she was there - for $88/bottle.

Which vintage?BTW, the 2003 vintage (or whichever release is coming out right now) is very average for $165/bottle.

She had no clue. I assume it isn't the '03 yet, so I'd guess it's leftover '02.

 

[bentley]

St. Genevive Texas Red. Still only $7 a bottle.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Some chick I work with just informed me the Sam's Club across town had half a dozen bottles of Insignia last night when she was there - for $88/bottle.

Which vintage?BTW, the 2003 vintage (or whichever release is coming out right now) is very average for $165/bottle.

She had no clue. I assume it isn't the '03 yet, so I'd guess it's leftover '02.

no ####### way it's 02. if it is, buy all of them & i'll pay you $125 for each. the 02 was the wine of the year. i managed to find 2 in a maui sav-on for $135. speaking of which, buy the caymus special select now, it's winning/won the same accolade this year.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

drank the foley pommard clone tonight. it was quite tasty, nice fruit with decent structure. very good for a CA pinot, very pricy though. i still prefer the original & it's on par or cheaper if you know your burgundy's

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Some chick I work with just informed me the Sam's Club across town had half a dozen bottles of Insignia last night when she was there - for $88/bottle.

Which vintage?BTW, the 2003 vintage (or whichever release is coming out right now) is very average for $165/bottle.

She had no clue. I assume it isn't the '03 yet, so I'd guess it's leftover '02.

no ####### way it's 02. if it is, buy all of them & i'll pay you $125 for each. the 02 was the wine of the year. i managed to find 2 in a maui sav-on for $135. speaking of which, buy the caymus special select now, it's winning/won the same accolade this year.

I would have thought the same thing, except that I sincerely doubt they have the '03 yet, if they do I doubt they would only have half a dozen bottles, and I can't imagine it's an earlier vintage. Maybe I'll make the trek over this weekend and take a look. Seriously? IF it's the '02 (And only if it's the 02?), do you want them all? I'll pick 'em up for you if they still have any - just say the word.

 

[MelvinTScupper]

Some chick I work with just informed me the Sam's Club across town had half a dozen bottles of Insignia last night when she was there - for $88/bottle.

Which vintage?BTW, the 2003 vintage (or whichever release is coming out right now) is very average for $165/bottle.

She had no clue. I assume it isn't the '03 yet, so I'd guess it's leftover '02.

no ####### way it's 02. if it is, buy all of them & i'll pay you $125 for each. the 02 was the wine of the year. i managed to find 2 in a maui sav-on for $135. speaking of which, buy the caymus special select now, it's winning/won the same accolade this year.

Yeah, if it's an '02, I'll buy them as well.It's probably the '01 -- I've found them as low as $108 a bottle, and purchased several.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Some chick I work with just informed me the Sam's Club across town had half a dozen bottles of Insignia last night when she was there - for $88/bottle.

Which vintage?BTW, the 2003 vintage (or whichever release is coming out right now) is very average for $165/bottle.

She had no clue. I assume it isn't the '03 yet, so I'd guess it's leftover '02.

no ####### way it's 02. if it is, buy all of them & i'll pay you $125 for each. the 02 was the wine of the year. i managed to find 2 in a maui sav-on for $135. speaking of which, buy the caymus special select now, it's winning/won the same accolade this year.

Yeah, if it's an '02, I'll buy them as well.It's probably the '01 -- I've found them as low as $108 a bottle, and purchased several.

Worth it?

 

[MelvinTScupper]

Some chick I work with just informed me the Sam's Club across town had half a dozen bottles of Insignia last night when she was there - for $88/bottle.

Which vintage?BTW, the 2003 vintage (or whichever release is coming out right now) is very average for $165/bottle.

She had no clue. I assume it isn't the '03 yet, so I'd guess it's leftover '02.

no ####### way it's 02. if it is, buy all of them & i'll pay you $125 for each. the 02 was the wine of the year. i managed to find 2 in a maui sav-on for $135. speaking of which, buy the caymus special select now, it's winning/won the same accolade this year.

Yeah, if it's an '02, I'll buy them as well.It's probably the '01 -- I've found them as low as $108 a bottle, and purchased several.

Worth it?

Probably not. Yes, it's a very good wine, but with a little looking, a much better wine can be had. I could rattle off 5-6 for half the $$ that I rank as highly.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Some chick I work with just informed me the Sam's Club across town had half a dozen bottles of Insignia last night when she was there - for $88/bottle.

Which vintage?BTW, the 2003 vintage (or whichever release is coming out right now) is very average for $165/bottle.

She had no clue. I assume it isn't the '03 yet, so I'd guess it's leftover '02.

no ####### way it's 02. if it is, buy all of them & i'll pay you $125 for each. the 02 was the wine of the year. i managed to find 2 in a maui sav-on for $135. speaking of which, buy the caymus special select now, it's winning/won the same accolade this year.

I would have thought the same thing, except that I sincerely doubt they have the '03 yet, if they do I doubt they would only have half a dozen bottles, and I can't imagine it's an earlier vintage. Maybe I'll make the trek over this weekend and take a look. Seriously? IF it's the '02 (And only if it's the 02?), do you want them all? I'll pick 'em up for you if they still have any - just say the word.

we have the 03 at the restaurant, so it could be 03....that'd be my bet.

 

[Genedoc]

Two bottles of Shafer's "Last Chance" Firebreak Sangiovese for my birthday. I an just a little drunk.

 

[Jules Winnfield]

Some chick I work with just informed me the Sam's Club across town had half a dozen bottles of Insignia last night when she was there - for $88/bottle.

Which vintage?BTW, the 2003 vintage (or whichever release is coming out right now) is very average for $165/bottle.

She had no clue. I assume it isn't the '03 yet, so I'd guess it's leftover '02.

no ####### way it's 02. if it is, buy all of them & i'll pay you $125 for each. the 02 was the wine of the year. i managed to find 2 in a maui sav-on for $135. speaking of which, buy the caymus special select now, it's winning/won the same accolade this year.

Yeah, if it's an '02, I'll buy them as well.It's probably the '01 -- I've found them as low as $108 a bottle, and purchased several.

Worth it?

Probably not. Yes, it's a very good wine, but with a little looking, a much better wine can be had. I could rattle off 5-6 for half the $$ that I rank as highly.

You're saying better then the '02 or '01?

 

[Bob Sacamano]

It was a 1998.

And it was $89.90/bottle.

 

[MelvinTScupper]

Some chick I work with just informed me the Sam's Club across town had half a dozen bottles of Insignia last night when she was there - for $88/bottle.

Which vintage?BTW, the 2003 vintage (or whichever release is coming out right now) is very average for $165/bottle.

She had no clue. I assume it isn't the '03 yet, so I'd guess it's leftover '02.

no ####### way it's 02. if it is, buy all of them & i'll pay you $125 for each. the 02 was the wine of the year. i managed to find 2 in a maui sav-on for $135. speaking of which, buy the caymus special select now, it's winning/won the same accolade this year.

Yeah, if it's an '02, I'll buy them as well.It's probably the '01 -- I've found them as low as $108 a bottle, and purchased several.

Worth it?

Probably not. Yes, it's a very good wine, but with a little looking, a much better wine can be had. I could rattle off 5-6 for half the $$ that I rank as highly.

You're saying better then the '02 or '01?

Better than the '01. I've not had the GREATEST WINE IN THE WORLD FROM '02!!! It's probably not 2X better than alot of wines either, but I'm only guessing.

 

[MelvinTScupper]

It was a 1998. And it was $89.90/bottle.

Given that they say 98 was one of the worst couple vintages in the last 8 or 10, I'd probably pass.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

enjoyed some nice wines this week.

94 clos de veugot burgundy--deliciously complex, on the lighter side, with a looooooooooong finish. great seductive 12 year old burgundy.

94 bv tapestry--i love good CA reds that have some age on them. this had developed some nice layers to it & had some complexity, caramel notes & dark cherries throughout.

03 amuse bouche--big & bold for a merlot, tons of dark fruit & the cab franc really gives it a richness & a backbone. really pricey & made by the screaming eagle winemaker as an attempt to imitate the style of a right bank pomerol. pretty bad ### for a CA merlot

01 trefethen halo--i've mentioned this one before. one of my favorite napa cabs. big bad mofo, smooth delicious, perfect balance.

 

[Viva Tequila]

Quaffing down some Yellowtail Zinfin

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Quaffing down some Yellowtail Zinfin

 

[DA RAIDERS]

had a wee taste of abacus #8 tonight. very interesting cabernet from ZD. it is done in a solera style which is a tiered blend of different vintages. very interesting wine. i would have liked to have more of it & would have liked to have some after it had had a chance to breath a little more. extremely pricey bastasrd! it was huge up front but was a bit lacking in the finish, i think it would benefit from a bit of aging.

solera definition

abacus

 

[MelvinTScupper]

had a wee taste of abacus #8 tonight. very interesting cabernet from ZD. it is done in a solera style which is a tiered blend of different vintages. very interesting wine. i would have liked to have more of it & would have liked to have some after it had had a chance to breath a little more. extremely pricey bastasrd! it was huge up front but was a bit lacking in the finish, i think it would benefit from a bit of aging.

solera definition

abacus

ZD should stick to Chards and other whites, where they DOMINATE.

 

[tipsy mcstagger]

Quaffing down some Yellowtail Zinfin

How was its finish? Did it need some more time in the bottle? Did your palate ever come back?

 

[DA RAIDERS]

had a wee taste of abacus #8 tonight. very interesting cabernet from ZD. it is done in a solera style which is a tiered blend of different vintages. very interesting wine. i would have liked to have more of it & would have liked to have some after it had had a chance to breath a little more. extremely pricey bastasrd! it was huge up front but was a bit lacking in the finish, i think it would benefit from a bit of aging.

solera definition

abacus

ZD should stick to Chards and other whites, where they DOMINATE.

they make some great cabs. & i appreciate the winemakers attempt to make a wine in napa vally using the solera technique. big balls. it's a HIGHLY touted wine. do yourself a favor & go drop $30-$40 or so bones on a ZD cab. you won't regret it.

 

[MelvinTScupper]

had a wee taste of abacus #8 tonight. very interesting cabernet from ZD. it is done in a solera style which is a tiered blend of different vintages. very interesting wine. i would have liked to have more of it & would have liked to have some after it had had a chance to breath a little more. extremely pricey bastasrd! it was huge up front but was a bit lacking in the finish, i think it would benefit from a bit of aging.

solera definition

abacus

ZD should stick to Chards and other whites, where they DOMINATE.

they make some great cabs. & i appreciate the winemakers attempt to make a wine in napa vally using the solera technique. big balls. it's a HIGHLY touted wine. do yourself a favor & go drop $30-$40 or so bones on a ZD cab. you won't regret it.

I tried them all when we were there about 3 weeks ago. There are many cabs I prefer in that price range.

 

[Jules Winnfield]

had a wee taste of abacus #8 tonight. very interesting cabernet from ZD. it is done in a solera style which is a tiered blend of different vintages. very interesting wine. i would have liked to have more of it & would have liked to have some after it had had a chance to breath a little more. extremely pricey bastasrd! it was huge up front but was a bit lacking in the finish, i think it would benefit from a bit of aging.

solera definition

abacus

ZD should stick to Chards and other whites, where they DOMINATE.

they make some great cabs. & i appreciate the winemakers attempt to make a wine in napa vally using the solera technique. big balls. it's a HIGHLY touted wine. do yourself a favor & go drop $30-$40 or so bones on a ZD cab. you won't regret it.

I tried them all when we were there about 3 weeks ago. There are many cabs I prefer in that price range.

I like the Amphora "Jacobs Ridge" Cabernet which is 95% Cab Sauv and 5% Cab FrancA very dense and plum colored Cab Sauv with really nice black fruits (black cherry, blackberry) and vanilla in the nose. When you taste it there is big black cherry, black pepper, and a hint of cassis that really shine throughout.

I have been drinking some Cliff Leade Cabernets lately. I enjoy the wee bit of smokiness that I find on the palate. This baby runs about $45-50 a bottle but I think it is well worth it!

 

[MelvinTScupper]

had a wee taste of abacus #8 tonight. very interesting cabernet from ZD. it is done in a solera style which is a tiered blend of different vintages. very interesting wine. i would have liked to have more of it & would have liked to have some after it had had a chance to breath a little more. extremely pricey bastasrd! it was huge up front but was a bit lacking in the finish, i think it would benefit from a bit of aging.

solera definition

abacus

ZD should stick to Chards and other whites, where they DOMINATE.

they make some great cabs. & i appreciate the winemakers attempt to make a wine in napa vally using the solera technique. big balls. it's a HIGHLY touted wine. do yourself a favor & go drop $30-$40 or so bones on a ZD cab. you won't regret it.

I tried them all when we were there about 3 weeks ago. There are many cabs I prefer in that price range.

I like the Amphora "Jacobs Ridge" Cabernet which is 95% Cab Sauv and 5% Cab FrancA very dense and plum colored Cab Sauv with really nice black fruits (black cherry, blackberry) and vanilla in the nose. When you taste it there is big black cherry, black pepper, and a hint of cassis that really shine throughout.

I have been drinking some Cliff Leade Cabernets lately. I enjoy the wee bit of smokiness that I find on the palate. This baby runs about $45-50 a bottle but I think it is well worth it!

Loved Cliff Lede (pronounced like "lady") when we were in Napa. Unfortunately, it was the first winery we tasted. So I thought I'd wait. Wish I'd bought a case. Great sparkling wines there as well.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Spain

Marqués de Cáceres Rioja 2002....I don't like this nearly as much as the 2000 or even the 01, but it will still sell itself for me.

Having the 2000 Reserva right now. Good stuff at $20/bottle.

 

[Notorious T.R.E.]

Not much of a wine guy myself, but I read through this entire thread for some low priced wines (under $20) that you guys recommended. I'm giving a few bottles as a gift to a lady friend's parents. They drink quite a bit of wine, but I don't think they're exactly connoisseurs.

BTW, your passion and descriptions really make me want to get into it. I'm 29, so there's hope for me yet.

Thanks in advance for all the info! Keep the good work.

BTW - here's the list that I cut and pasted into notepad in case you're wondering what suggestions I pulled:

Alexander Valley Vineyard

Arrigoni Chianti $10 (I met this gentleman and his family recently in Italy.)

blackstone merlot, the GREY label(not the orange) is $9.50 @ costco right now

Cavas de Chacras Malbec is OUTSTANDING! Run you about 10 a bottle

Chariot Sangiovese $10

Clos La Chance 2002 Zinfandel

Col D'Orcia

El Felino Malbec

Joel Gott Napa Sauvignon Blanc $9 (This is a steal at this price!)

Los Planos Syrah

Los Planos Syrah $7-9 (I don't see anything California produces that is as good as this Syrah and at this value!)

oxford landing viogner 05 , southern australian.  $6

Quilceda Creek Cab is the best one, to me, that this country produces. The '02 cab I have is my ultimate baby.

Qupe Syrah ($15)

Root:1 Cabernet

St Francis makes some very nice Cabs and Merlots.

Sterling Vineyards Shiraz 2004

Summers Charbono 2002

Tierra del Fuego Pinot Noir $10 (A great Chilean Pinot from the '02 vintage but sadly the latest vintage is not good. Very thin and weak)

Viejo Carreton Cabernet $12 (Argentine Cab that is unfiltered)

South African wines I like:

Overgaaw: Cabernet and Shiraz/Cab blend

Mountain River: Pinotage/Shiraz blend $11

Maankloof: Entire line but I really like the Cabernet $7

Oubenheim: Pinotage $13

Zevenwatcht: Merlot

La Cave: Pinotage

Tin Mine: The Red is Shiraz/Merlot/Cab Sauv (51/26/23) $9

Faivalley Chenin Blanc is about $7.

 

[jamny]

I've been drinking wines for years, just never payed much attention. Typical Mondavi, Santa Margherita, etc. Recently I've been getting into it a little more, doing some research, trying to remember the ones I order. Looking forward to going through this thread and getting ideas.

The other night had a nice Grgich Hills Cab, but what really blew me away was a Pinot Grigio from the Friuli region. Sadly I don't remember the name, (I thought Friuli was the name) but remember the label and have been searching online to find it.

I did pick up a differrent Friuli for this weekend (Borgo Magredo 2005)

some questions:

what is the basic idea about what to look for in the Year?

what is the DOC? Is it an Italian regulatory group?

what's the general opinion of Long Island wines?

thx

 

[matuski]

I've been drinking wines for years, just never payed much attention. Typical Mondavi, Santa Margherita, etc. Recently I've been getting into it a little more, doing some research, trying to remember the ones I order. Looking forward to going through this thread and getting ideas.The other night had a nice Grgich Hills Cab, but what really blew me away was a Pinot Grigio from the Friuli region. Sadly I don't remember the name, (I thought Friuli was the name) but remember the label and have been searching online to find it.I did pick up a differrent Friuli for this weekend (Borgo Magredo 2005)some questions:what is the basic idea about what to look for in the Year?what is the DOC? Is it an Italian regulatory group?what's the general opinion of Long Island wines?thx

What to look for? I'd suggest branching out and trying new things. You are missing a lot in the PG world with SMarg... has brand loyalty and sells well, but long ago lost the quality that it built itself on. MANY PGs for less that offer better quality IMO. My favorite area atm is southern Italy... look for Aglianico/Taurasi in reds, Falanghina (OMG the nose rocks) or Greco di Tufo in whites - Feudi is a badass winery in Campagnia.DOC/G = simply put, rules by which a wine is made (where the grapes come from, the percentge of certain varietals, how it is aged, yada yada). If a wine follows the rules for a given DOC, it can put said DOC on the bottle. In theory a DOCG>DOC>others, but not in practice. Do not get too caught up in this, some of the best wine in Italy is made by producers who purposely do not follow "the rules," Anselmi for one. The popular "Super Tuscans" are another example of good wines ignoring the rules for the area.Long Island wines - as with any wine there are winners and losers. What makes a region good is the ratio of the two. Unfortunately as it stands I would say the ratio of good/bad wines in LI would be 20/80. If you are in the area ask around, a couple wineries should be known for their quality.... but just grabbing one off the the shelf the odds are against you IMO.PS - FOR THE LOVE OF GOD STAY AWAY FROM SANTA MARGHARITA.... unless you like to overpay by $8-10 per bottle. Pet peeve here sorry.

 

[jamny]

Thanks a lot, matuski!



Part of the reason why I started to pay attention a little more is to find better PG's than what I figured was the overpriced Santa Margherita. It was the first one I think that caught my attention in a restaraunt in Little Italy.

My first question had to do more with what to look for in the vintage. My amatuer status showed when I wrote "Year".

edit: what do you think of the Friuli region's PG's?