Armagnac Magnol (Cracked Seal) Armagnac Vieil Sempe YO Armagnac XO Lauboude NV Croix de Salle Armagnac Domaine du Peyrot
Friday, August 5, 2011
Competition Winners Announced
The winners of the 70th annual Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition were announced today and the list is an impressive one! A box wine, a Scotch whisky, repeat winners (Armida Winery and baseball legend Tommy Lasorda) and so much more! Take a look at the winners here then check out the buzz on [...]
Source: http://blogs.fairplex.com/blog/wine/?p=78
Duhart Milon Duhart Milon Rothschild Exception de Quinault Ferriere Feytit Clinet
Jefferson...Meet the Wine Bloggers, Wine Bloggers...Meet Jefferson
One is never too far from Thomas Jefferson when in Charlottesville, Virginia. His greats works surround the city in the from of Monticello and the University of Virginia. He is the city's apparent mascot and his name helps promote many...
Lafite Rothschild Lafleur Lafleur Gazin Pomerol Lafon Rochet Lagrange
How To Pronounce Willamette
One of the dangers of being a wine podcaster is you have to say wine terms and regions out loud. It’s hard enough to keep everything spelled correctly and often over the years I’ve made some embarrassing mistakes on the podcast. But the one that is probably most distressing for me was my butchering of [...]
How To Pronounce Willamette originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/_0EmuKW5OiA/
Plywood Report & Update: Currywurst, The Churchill, Milky's and Cafe Stella
Napa Valley ? What?s Happening in Downtown Napa, Visitor Center Battle Brews
We stroll the Town Center and have a look around. Boy, this place is void of people. We did find something the might become the ?Battle of Visitor Centers.? The Legendary Napa Valley folks pulled up shop at the Town Center last month and moved the Visitor Center to the posh and chic Riverfront Properties. Continue reading
Langoa Barton Larcis Ducasse Larmande Larrivet Haut Brion Lascombes
Some Recent Michigan Wines with the Friday Night Regulars
Last week, I decided that it was high time to try some Michigan wines with the Friday night tasting group at the retail outlet in which I am gainfully employed. The bulk of the selections were from the 2 Lads Winery on the Old Mission Peninsula. Cornel Olivier and Chris Baldyga have established an impressive [...]
Baronat Mouton Baron Philippe Batailley Beau Sejour Becot Beau Site Beaumont
This week in wine ? a quiz!
In honor or “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me” bringing their weekly news quiz to the NYT, we offer a news roundup this week in quiz format. 1) According to a new study released, the Napa Valley will be “unsuitable” for what by the year 2040? a) Luxury resorts b) Walnut trees c) Premium grape growing [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/g4BCwhZsGG0/
Lafite Rothschild Lafleur Lafleur Gazin Pomerol Lafon Rochet Lagrange
Experience Royalty at the Princess Suite in Terre Resort
Located in the exotic Palmeraie Desert setting of the gorgeous Marrakech city, Terre Resort & Spa offers an amazing fusion of old and new in everything starting from architecture to decoration and cuisine to reflect the tradition and culture of Morocco. The octagonal design of this fortress resembling resort houses 60 highly luxurious suites in [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/vagablond/ysSN/~3/LSC0Siv1f8s/
Carruades de Lafite Certan de May Charmail Chasse Spleen Chateau Hermitage St Emilion
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Great Wine Literature...Or Not
Somehow the conversation strayed into "wine and literature." A crew of us wine geeks were gathered for the purposes of enjoying our geekishness when one of our gathering was provoked to ask: "Can someone tell me why there is not...
American Sommelier Association ? 6 Day Training in Napa Valley
I received this information from the American Sommelier Association and thought I would pass this on to our readers. In these economic times there are many out of work or in transition wanting to shift careers. Perhaps this intensive course may pave the way for a future career in the wine business. It appears that there are some scholarship funds that can reduce the cost of the training course by 50%.
Continue reading
Continue reading
La Lagune La Mission Haut Brion La Reserve du Generale La Tour Figeac La Tour Haut Brion
Berlin Tasting in Copenhagen
Berlin Tasting in Copenhagen" might sound a little confusing? However the Berlin Tasting is a reference to a famous tasting held in Berlin the January 23. 2004. It was held by the Chilean wine producer Eduardo Chadwick from Errazuriz and he had invited 66 wine journalists from all over Europe to taste the best Chadwick wines from Chile against the supernames from Bordeaux and Tuscany. 16 wines were tasted from the vintages 2000 and 2001, among them 2000 Chateau Latour, 2000 Chateau Lafite and 2000 Chateau Margaux.
Source: http://www.wine4freaks.com/37/berlin-tasting-in-copenhagen/
Haut Batailley Rare Signed Marie Jeanne Haut Brion Haut Marbuzet Haut Sarpe Hosanna
Alan Kerr?s Vintage?s June 11 Release ? Tasting Notes
Veneto wines are the feature of this release and, as Father?s Day is on the horizon, there are several highly touted wines suggested as treats for dad and for those kiddies with really deep pockets, well do read on… THE WINES OF VENETO 029850 TENUTA SANT?ANTONIO MONTI GARBI RIPASSO VALPOLICELLA SUPERIORE 2008 Veneto $17.95 Notes [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gangofpour/uncZ/~3/CjfTHEI96Mw/vintages-june-11-release
Cabernet Wine and Roses Napa Valley California Vinyard Wine Bottle
Beet salad: impossible food-wine pairing?!?
Beets are contentious. Not because one variety can be made into sugar cubes or ethanol. But because some people don’t like them! I was at lunch with a friend who has fine taste when a beet salad appeared. And a zinfandel. He didn’t touch the beets. I asked him if it was the unflattering pairing [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/qa-ngMoJwuY/
Competition Winners Announced
The winners of the 70th annual Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition were announced today and the list is an impressive one! A box wine, a Scotch whisky, repeat winners (Armida Winery and baseball legend Tommy Lasorda) and so much more! Take a look at the winners here then check out the buzz on [...]
Source: http://blogs.fairplex.com/blog/wine/?p=78
Dame de Montrose d\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Angludet d\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Armailhac De Chevalier De Fieuzal
Mas Des Dames, Rose, Coteaux Du Languedoc 2009
Outside here in Minnesota it’s in the mid 20′s Fahrenheit with a thick snowpack. It is far from springtime here but a bit of spring can be had here inside a bottle of dry ros�. Every spring and summer I resolve to drink more ros� but for one reason or another rarely do. So I [...]
Mas Des Dames, Rose, Coteaux Du Languedoc 2009 originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/Sofm980mQUI/
Clos du Marquis Clos Dubreuil Clos l\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Eglise Clos Puy Arnaud Corbin
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Alan Kerr?s Vintage?s May 14 Release ? Tasting Notes
2009 seems to have been very favourable in France as most regions are reporting stellar wines across the board. Once again it is Bordeaux?s best ever vintage, while wines in Burgundy are being heralded as excellent. The 2009 harvest in the Southern Rh�ne was early and offers much promise in the quality of the wines [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gangofpour/uncZ/~3/yh5X5NmctMQ/alan-kerr%e2%80%99s-vintages-may-14
2009 Carlisle Sonoma County Syrah: Best QPR Ever?
Carlisle produces Zinfandel and red Rhone varietal wines out of Sonoma. They've been cranking out high QPR wines for a while now so the name is familiar to wine deal hounds.
It's been a while since I fired up the wwpQPR calculator (what's that?) but I thought this might be the best QPR I've ever heard of. Using a baseline price of $30 (the point at which it is relatively easy to find 90 point domestic Syrah) the wwpQPR gives us a 6.05: Outstanding Value. I think that might indeed be the best value I've ever heard of.
Where to Buy
Well, that's the problem. With only 391 cases produced and mailing list that's been on to their reasonably priced high quality wines for a while this one is going to be tough. A quick wine-searcher.com search turns up a few retailers that claimed to have had it for $25 or under -- but when you click through it's all sold out.
Based on past experience with wines like these, we'll see the wine quickly evaporate at retail especially under $40. The wine will be available at high mark-up at some retailers and will be available on auction sites for $50 and up. At that point, it kind of wrecks the QPR. At $50 it's a 3.02 on the wwpQPR: Very Good. Still a nice value but not one to break your neck over.
What to Do Next
Jump on their mailing list. The pattern is clear with Carlisle - they're producing wines attaining incredibly high scores and they're holding the line on price. Sounds like the perfect mailing list to be a part of. Be prepared for a wait: I signed up a few years ago and haven't gotten an allocation.
Next, scour around wine-searcher looking for back vintages and other bottlings from Carlisle. This bodes well for their 2009 offerings and I hear their 2006s were also amazing.
It's interesting to watch the CellarTracker reviews come in for a wine like this. Prior to the Spectator rating coming out yesterday, the ratings are about what you'd expect for a $25 wine from Carlisle: 90-93 points. A note published yesterday after the Spectator rating came out? 95 points.
I've discussed this pheonomenon with friends before -- how CellarTracker is an excellent resource to consult when deciding whether to take advantage of a wine deal. But there is often a high rating/price correlation on CellarTracker since most regular wine enthusiasts like us taste non-blind. Throw in a little 97-point Wine Spectator bias and it often pulls the CellarTracker ratings up a bit.
Definitely a topic for further discussion. I'd love it if you subscribed to the site so we can continue the conversation.
And consider subscribing to Wine Spectator. You can even use airline miles if you'd like.
Question of the Day: Have you seen this wine available at retail? Any tips for buying this wine or similar offerings from Carlisle in the open market?
Couvent des Jacobins Croix de Labrie Croizet Bages d\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Agassac d\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Aiguilhe
SWAT For Wine Disasters
Most of the time wine lovers take corkscrews for granted. We regularly take them out and open bottles without incident. But there are times when special weapons and tactics are needed to prevent wine disasters. Such an event occurred here this evening when I was opening a double magnum. Large format bottles are always a [...]
SWAT For Wine Disasters originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/5PgwBvFVmkw/
De Fieuzal De l\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Eglise De Pez De Sales d\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Issan
Another Wine.com Deal: $30 for $60
Zulily - who offers "Daily Deals for Moms, Babies, and Kids" is offering this deal:
$30 for $60 from Wine.com
Sale ends 6/20 at 6am pdt
Keep in mind - as with previous Wine.com vouchers offered by group buying/deal sites the voucher cannot be used towards shipping. The first bottle usually costs around $12 to ship which diminishes the 50% off nature of the offer. But it's still a good deal I think - even with Wine.com's often higher-than-average prices. Especially if you've signed up for their Steward Ship shipping program.
Happy Father's Day!
PS The $35 for $70 from Eversave is active through the end of the day on Father's Day. Check that one out too if you missed it the first time around.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/KP_Al1CT6lE/another-winecom-deal-30-for-60.html
Lanessan Langoa Barton Larcis Ducasse Larmande Larrivet Haut Brion
Value Alert: 2007 Ruffino Modus
Italian wine - Buy 6 or more bottles and get 50% off shipping with code "grape70"A couple weeks ago we were discussing a $25 wine Spectator rated 97 points - the 2009 Carlisle Sonoma County Syrah. After appearing in a Wine Spectator Insider email, the wine evaporated from the market as quickly as any I've ever seen. Sometimes it's like that - where a rating comes out of nowhere and the wine has been on the market for a while. Other times the rating has been around for a long time before the wine comes to market. That's been the case with the 2007 Ruffino Modus Toscana.
The wine ended up with a respectable showing finishing in the Top 25. When a wine has favorable QPR metrics but then ends up not making their Top 100 list it makes me think it didn't show very well when tasted across a wider audience. I liked the 2007 BV Tapestry (93WS/$50) and thought for sure it would make the Top 10. No such luck - it didn't make the Top 100.
The point chasing wine deal hound market hasn't received the 2007 Modus with the kind of enthusiasm the Carlisle garnered. I have a few theories why:
- The 96 point rating the Modus received kind of came out of nowhere. They've been making the wine since 1997 and the best Spectator rating a prior vintage received was 91. It makes one wonder whether the bottle Suckling tasted got lucky.
- Speaking of Suckling the rating come out right around the time he was leaving the publication to start his own thing. There was also some conjecture Spectator wouldn't feature the wine favorably to bring attention to a wine he rated.
- No other major publication rated the wine as highly as Spectator - if they rated it at all. This lack of a second rating reinforced the concerns Spectator's 96 was a fluke. By the way, if the idea of having 2 or more major publications favorably rate a wine appeals to you check out the Wine Blue Book.
- The wine wasn't on the market when the rating dropped. After a while I kind of forgot about it and I think other deal hounds did too.
- The Modus is a much higher production wine. Scarcity makes people go a little nutso sometimes and what's more readily available is less precious. Perhaps there's just as much demand for the Modus but there's less supply for the Carlisle so the Carlisle is the hotter wine.
A couple weeks ago I tried the 2007 for the first time at the Wine Spectator Grand Tour stop in Boston. I thought it was quite nice but the context of 200 other wines it was hard to say for sure what it would really be like to drink a glass with a meal.
I got a chance to do just that La Famiglia Giorgio in the North End last week. We were in a bit of a hurry so table-top signage was effective in making our decision:
They poured each bottle through an aerating funnel into a decanter. Pretty nice treatment for what the waiter called one of the more expensive bottles. $46 at a restaurant is a very nice price point. And I thought the wine was great.
The wine is 50% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 25% Merlot. Ruffino positions Modus as "modern interpretations of historical territory". I'll go along with that. Tons of fruit. Not austere at all. Some acidity. Nicely balanced. Call it 90-93 points?
I spotted the 2007 Modus for the first time at Costco in Waltham, MA yesterday. $22.89 (and no tax in MA). There were only 6 bottles in the bin and the cashier said they didn't have any backup:
Update: As 10:00 am Saturday morning Waltham is out of Modus. I hear they have 100 bottles in Danvers.
If you're in the area and interested in buying some it might be worth giving them a call or stopping in. If not there are plenty of retailers in the country that have it for a little more.
Strictly from a numbers perspective - 96 points for a Tuscan red you can buy for $25 vs. 97 points for a California Syrah that's nearly impossible to find at this point makes this Modus a no brainer for the point chaser. And all kidding aside I think it's a really nice wine for around $25.
Related Links:
CellarTracker
Wine-Searcher
Question of the Day: Why do you think the market reacted so differently to the 2007 Modus compared to the 2009 Carlisle?
SWAT For Wine Disasters
Most of the time wine lovers take corkscrews for granted. We regularly take them out and open bottles without incident. But there are times when special weapons and tactics are needed to prevent wine disasters. Such an event occurred here this evening when I was opening a double magnum. Large format bottles are always a [...]
SWAT For Wine Disasters originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/5PgwBvFVmkw/
It?s Time For Radical Simplification of Old World Wine Labeling
I’m a traditionalist but also a realist. And I think now is the time to shake up the centuries old wine labeling and classification systems that have stood as a barrier to selling many Old World wines to American consumers. Case in point is Germany where a tradition of bad Middle Ages typography continues on [...]
It’s Time For Radical Simplification of Old World Wine Labeling originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/O3SxpboWGf4/
Beau Sejour Becot Beau Site Beaumont Beausejour Becot Beausejour Duffau Lagarrosse
A Wine for Tonight: 2010 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc
Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won?t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week?s selection, the 2010 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc from the famed Marlborough region of [...]
A Wine for Tonight: 2010 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WinePeeps/~3/YSpPtraGArY/
Les Tourelles de Longueville l\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Evangile l\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Interdit de Valandraud Lucia Lynch Bages
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
The Tu-Tones @ Landon Winery McKinney, Tx
Tonight Was a date night. A weekend night to close the week of our vacation. With a little take out dinner from Spoons Cafe & Bar in Downtown Mckinney we cross the street to Landon Winery with some great food and dessert to some great wine and music provided by The Tu-Tones with a nice […]
Source: http://thegrapesaroundtexas.com/2011/07/09/the-tu-tones-landon-winery-mckinney-tx/
Wine Spectator's Grand Tour Comes to Boston
These wineries pouring at the event caught my eye for one reason or another:
- Almaviva
- Caymus
- Ch�teau Cos-d'Estournel
- Domaine Serene
- Elk Cove
- Evening Land
- Felsina
- Bruno Giacosa
- Hall
- Kosta Browne
- Ch�teau Margaux
- Ch�teau Mouton Rothschild
- Joseph Phelps
- Ch�teau Pontet-Canet
- Sokol Blosser
Belair Belgrave Bellefont Belcier Bellevue Mondotte Berliquet
Silver Oak Winery in the Napa Valley ? For Cabernet Sauvignon Fans
I loved listening to the offbeat and jovial winemaker, Daniel Barons, who tells it like it is with a no-holds-barred approach to winemaking. He has been making wine for 41 years so he says he has seen it all. Continue reading
Magdelaine Magrez Fombrauge Malartic Lagraviere Malescot St. Exupery Margaux
Tasting Alert: Albino Rocca at Vintages Belmont, MA
Coming this Friday, June 10th to Vintages in Belmont, MA is a free tasting of wines from Albino Rocca. Angela Rocca himself along with his daughter Daniela will be on hand pouring and describing their wines. It's an event not to be missed. Click here for more information about the tasting.
I first discovered the wines of Albino Rocca at a blind tasting at Adam Japko's last fall arranged by Vintages owner Eric Broege. We tasted through the following 6 Barbareschi - the ones in bold stood out to me as particularly noteworthy:
- 2004 MARCARINI Barolo "Brunate" (La Morra)
- 2004 ALBINO ROCCA Barbaresco "Brich Ronchi" (Barbaresco)
- 2005 ALESSANDRIA Barolo "Monvigliero" (Verduno)
- 2005 CANTINA del PINO Barbaresco "Albesani" (Neive)
- 2006 SOTTIMANO Barbaresco "Pajore" (Treiso)
- 2006 Burlotto Barolo "Cannubi" (Barolo)
2003 Albino Rocca Brich Ronchi Barbaresco
$68 Release Price
1,500 cases produced
Purchased at Bin Ends Wine
A massive wine of surprising depth for the region. As soon as I opened it, the room was filled with aromas of rustic fruit. On the nose I get signature Nebbiolo minerality, deep rich red fruit and menthol. The mouth feel is rich and supple. The finish goes on for minutes. An outstanding wine from a fantastic Barbaresco producer.
85 Wine Spectator
94/100 WWP: Outstanding
The wines of Albino Rocca have consistently impressed me so I'm looking very forward to attending this tasting. Too often as I'm exploring a new wine category I make the mistake of "nibbling at the low end". What better way to see if you like the wines from a certain region than starting at the high end - for free! I hope to see you at the tasting Friday.
Subscribe to the Wellesley Wine Press and I'll let you know how it goes.
Question of the Day: Have you had Albino Rocca Barbaresco? What are some of your favorite producers in Barbaresco?
A Little Competition Never Hurts!
That’s right – it’s time. The Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition begins tomorrow. Nearly 100 international judges, more than 3,000 international wines. Who will take the gold? Keep coming back to find out more information about the 3-day event and watch for judges to be blogging and twittering in between judging!
Source: http://blogs.fairplex.com/blog/wine/?p=60
Le Petit Cheval Le Pin Le Tertre Roteboeuf l\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Eglise Clinet l\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Enclos
Alan Kerr?s Vintage?s June 25 Release ? Tasting Notes
When I realized the focus of June?s latest release is to be wines from Argentina, I was not overly thrilled, not that I don?t like the odd bottle of Argentinean wine now and then mind you, but drinking a flight had little appeal for me. However, much to my delight, I am able to report [...]
Cantemerle Cantenac Brown Carillon d\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Angelus Caronne Ste Gemme Carruades de Lafite
It?s Time For Radical Simplification of Old World Wine Labeling
I’m a traditionalist but also a realist. And I think now is the time to shake up the centuries old wine labeling and classification systems that have stood as a barrier to selling many Old World wines to American consumers. Case in point is Germany where a tradition of bad Middle Ages typography continues on [...]
It’s Time For Radical Simplification of Old World Wine Labeling originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/O3SxpboWGf4/
Monday, August 1, 2011
Event Report: 2011 Wine Spectator Grand Tour Boston
Prior to the event I wrote down a cheat sheet of wines I wanted to taste. I didn't think I'd actually get a chance to try all the wines especially after reading Wine Spectator Tim Fish's blog post from the Las Vegas event. At tastings like these lines usually get long and I end up going wherever the crowds aren't. However I was pleasantly surprised the lines for even the marquee wines weren't too long at all. I was able to try everything on my list and then some.
The event provided an excellent opportunity to taste some of the great wines of the world. I bumped into Phil Minervo from Lower Falls Wine Co who coached me to taste through wines in their peer group rather than jumping around.
Bordeaux
What better place to start with a fresh palate than Bordeaux?
With my souvenir Riedel tasting glass in hand I made my first stop at the 2004 Chateau Margaux table (93WS/$220 release price). I thought the wine had incredible texture, was made in a serious style, and had a long finish. Next up: 2004 Cos d'Estournel (94WS/$80). I've always eyed that wine as attainable top-quality Bordeaux. I thought it was very elegant in style:
Side note: The size of the pours, even for these expensive wines, provided an ample opportunity for assessment. In Massachusetts, a sample of wine poured at a tasting cannot legally exceed 1 ounce and most vendors were pouring right at that mark.
Italy
Next up was Italy to taste some Barolo and Tuscan reds. The 2006 Roberto Voerzio Barolo Rocche dell'Annunziata Torriglione (92WS/$265) was beautiful - and stunningly aromatic:
Pinot Noir
Even though I was spitting as much as I possibly could, I was parched after tasting so many Bordeaux and Italian wines.
I took a break then made a bee line for the Kosta Browne table where Managing Director of Marketing & Sales Sam Lando was pouring. Perhaps more than any domestic winery I was pleased to see them there. They seem to have little trouble selling through their wines and it was a pleasure to taste the 2009 Kosta Browne Russian River Valley Pinot Noir (NYR). Beautiful stuff - my wine of the night. At 14.5% alcohol they seem to have found ways to bring the alcohol levels down slightly while maintaining their rich mouth feel and delicious flavor profile.
Nearby, Adam Lee was pouring his 2009 Siduri Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir (92WS/$29). I liked this wine quite a bit more than his 2009 Russian River Valley bottling I tried earlier this year and will seek out the SLH for future purchase. It's a winner.
Oregon was also well represented. Sokol Blosser was pouring their 2008 Sokol Blosser Dundee Hills (90 WS/$38). I love how distinctly vibrant their wines are across every recent vintage and bottling - fabulous. The 2008 Bergstrom Pinot Noir (93WS/$78) showed how you're rewarded for spending more in Oregon Pinot Noir.
Napa Cabernet
Looking back I can't believe some of the Napa Cabs I passed up. The 2007 Robert Mondavi Reserve was there and I didn't make it a priority to taste it. What was I thinking? I very much enjoyed the 2008 Caymus Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon (94WS/$130). It was only outdone by the 2006 Joseph Phelps Insignia (94WS/$200). Love everything about that Insignia with its rich mouth feel and generous fruit-driven flavor profile. For my palate, it's absolutely delicious without going over the top. Cliff Lede was pouring their 2007 Poetry (91WS/$150). Beautiful bottle. Nice wine.
Wandering Around
The wineries were generous with their selections. Michael Twelftree from Two Hands was pouring their 2007 "Zippy's Block" Single Vineyard Shiraz (91WS/$110). Catena Zapata brought their 2007 Nicasia Vineyard Malbec (96WS/$120). For wineries like these (which I've heard of tasted their wines before) it was nice to be able to try some of their lower production bottlings.
What was advertised as a light buffet turned out to be quite substantial. Buffet stations and seating areas outside the ballroom provided a break from the action. Plenty of bottles of Acqua Panna and Pelligrino aided in hydration.
Several people I ran into at the event called it "the best wine tasting I've ever been to." I agree with them. The combination of high quality wines, manageable crowds, and the overall experience made it an event I'd look forward to attending again. It was the kind of thing I'd really enjoy going with some friends, attending the event, going to dinner afterwards, and spending the night at the hotel.
More than anything the tasting provided a way to taste some of the great wines of the world and get a feel for their flavor profiles. I can read tasting notes all day but until I get a chance to experience wines myself it's hard to know what I'll like. Because of this I find tastings like this really valuable. I learn a lot and can focus my wine exploration in new directions.
Disclosure: I attended on a free blogger pass.
Further Reading: A review of the event from The Passionate Foodie
Further Reading: A review of the event from The Passionate Foodie
Question of the Day: Have you been to a Wine Spectator tasting in the past? What are some of the best wine tastings you've ever been to? What made them so enjoyable?
Clos Cantenac Clos de l\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Oratoire Clos de Sarpe Clos des Jacobins Clos du Marquis
Wine Word of the Week: Macroclimate
This week?s Wine Word of the Week is macroclimate. Official definition from Jancis Robinson?s The Oxford Companion to Wine: Macroclimate, also called regional climate, means a climate broadly representing an area or region on a scale of tens to hundreds of kilometers. Unlike the more precise terms microclimate and mesoclimate, macroclimate approximates to what is [...]
Wine Word of the Week: Macroclimate was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WinePeeps/~3/6GEW8mrCL4c/
La Tour Martillac Labegorce Zede Lafite Rothschild Lafleur Lafleur Gazin Pomerol
A Spitacular Competition!
For three days, our judges swirled, sniffed and spit their way through more than 3,500 wines from around the globe. Today they wrapped up by choosing the best of the best in each category. Results will be available next month, so stay tuned. In the meantime, enjoy this compilation of expert spitters:
Social Media Quick Tip: Introduce Your Twitter Team
As you know, social media engagement is all about personal touches.� Remember this when thinking through your social media presence, including Twitter.� As much as possible, introduce and humanize your Twitter team.� Here are a couple of great examples of� brands who have added special touches to their Twitter strategies, going beyond a standard Twitter [...]
Source: http://familylovewine.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/social-media-quick-tip-introduce-your-twitter-team/
Magdelaine Magrez Fombrauge Malartic Lagraviere Malescot St. Exupery Margaux
2009 Carlisle Sonoma County Syrah: Best QPR Ever?
Carlisle produces Zinfandel and red Rhone varietal wines out of Sonoma. They've been cranking out high QPR wines for a while now so the name is familiar to wine deal hounds.
It's been a while since I fired up the wwpQPR calculator (what's that?) but I thought this might be the best QPR I've ever heard of. Using a baseline price of $30 (the point at which it is relatively easy to find 90 point domestic Syrah) the wwpQPR gives us a 6.05: Outstanding Value. I think that might indeed be the best value I've ever heard of.
Where to Buy
Well, that's the problem. With only 391 cases produced and mailing list that's been on to their reasonably priced high quality wines for a while this one is going to be tough. A quick wine-searcher.com search turns up a few retailers that claimed to have had it for $25 or under -- but when you click through it's all sold out.
Based on past experience with wines like these, we'll see the wine quickly evaporate at retail especially under $40. The wine will be available at high mark-up at some retailers and will be available on auction sites for $50 and up. At that point, it kind of wrecks the QPR. At $50 it's a 3.02 on the wwpQPR: Very Good. Still a nice value but not one to break your neck over.
What to Do Next
Jump on their mailing list. The pattern is clear with Carlisle - they're producing wines attaining incredibly high scores and they're holding the line on price. Sounds like the perfect mailing list to be a part of. Be prepared for a wait: I signed up a few years ago and haven't gotten an allocation.
Next, scour around wine-searcher looking for back vintages and other bottlings from Carlisle. This bodes well for their 2009 offerings and I hear their 2006s were also amazing.
It's interesting to watch the CellarTracker reviews come in for a wine like this. Prior to the Spectator rating coming out yesterday, the ratings are about what you'd expect for a $25 wine from Carlisle: 90-93 points. A note published yesterday after the Spectator rating came out? 95 points.
I've discussed this pheonomenon with friends before -- how CellarTracker is an excellent resource to consult when deciding whether to take advantage of a wine deal. But there is often a high rating/price correlation on CellarTracker since most regular wine enthusiasts like us taste non-blind. Throw in a little 97-point Wine Spectator bias and it often pulls the CellarTracker ratings up a bit.
Definitely a topic for further discussion. I'd love it if you subscribed to the site so we can continue the conversation.
And consider subscribing to Wine Spectator. You can even use airline miles if you'd like.
Question of the Day: Have you seen this wine available at retail? Any tips for buying this wine or similar offerings from Carlisle in the open market?
Larrivet Haut Brion Lascombes Latour Latour a Pomerol Laville Haut Brion
Berlin Tasting in Copenhagen
Berlin Tasting in Copenhagen" might sound a little confusing? However the Berlin Tasting is a reference to a famous tasting held in Berlin the January 23. 2004. It was held by the Chilean wine producer Eduardo Chadwick from Errazuriz and he had invited 66 wine journalists from all over Europe to taste the best Chadwick wines from Chile against the supernames from Bordeaux and Tuscany. 16 wines were tasted from the vintages 2000 and 2001, among them 2000 Chateau Latour, 2000 Chateau Lafite and 2000 Chateau Margaux.
Source: http://www.wine4freaks.com/37/berlin-tasting-in-copenhagen/
Les Tourelles de Longueville l\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Evangile l\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Interdit de Valandraud Lucia Lynch Bages
Rockin? at Wine & Cars
Everyone had a great time at Wine & Cars Under the Stars last weekend. Don’t believe me? Check out the video: The evening was a great success, netting nearly $50,000 for the foundations at Fairplex and their programs. If you missed Wine & Cars, you can taste the award-winning wines of the Los Angeles International [...]
Source: http://blogs.fairplex.com/blog/wine/?p=100
De Fieuzal De l\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Eglise De Pez De Sales d\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'Issan
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)