That's massively unhelpful. If I knew I wouldn't ask.

lol...sorry, if i knew I would've given you a list! But usually they are the more complicated, heavier reds, as opposed to something like a Beaujolais.

But for all I know, i'm sure there are some Beaujolais that needs aerating, as well.

personally, I decant or aerate almost all young wines, and yes whites included. Actually, I decant almost everything(or give air to all bottles) unless I'm already a bit drunk and just want to crack into something. Its kind of hard to give hard and fast terms for hohw long a wine should be decanted or given air as it will come down to personal tastes and experience.

A decanter will give more air to teh surface of the wine and it will be ready much faster via a decanter rather than just pure bottle air

As far as reccomendations, just look through my notes on Cellartracker. If you have a CT account, you can break it down further to grape varietal and vintage. I'm in the biz so I get to taste a lot of current releases. Its hard to give just blanket rec's w/o knowing much about what you like and don't like

Spending a fortnight in Sep picking grapes at a vineyard in Beaujolais... going to be hard-work but should be educational.

Enjoyed a really interesting bottle of wine last night:

Marco Maci "Bella Mojgan" 1999. A blend of malvasia negro and negroamaro from Puglia in Southern Italy.

Probably a little past it's prime, but still lots of chocolate covered cherries, tart/dusty plums, and more red fruit. The palate was a little thin with the age, but still had good feel, really mellow and soft that is always evident in these wines (and even more so with the age). The finish was short, but still a very interesting bottle.

any recommendations for a good (under 30, preferably under 20) malbec?

Just picked up a couple goodies for super cheap, interested to see if anybody else has had them before (as I haven't):

- Turley "The White Coat" 2005
- Yves Cuilleron Cote-Rotie "Bassenon" 2000
- Ogier "Belle Helene" 2003

the ogier will need a good amount of time. I've had their normal 01 cuvee twice, and its still very young, so I can easily imagine that their higher end cuvees will need more time, but I have zero doubt that it'll be lovely in about ten years, their wines age so gracefully

haven't had the cuilleron, but have had some 00 cote roties and they're drinking relatively right now, but if you only have 1 I'd say hold it for another two-5 years or so. Of course, if you can get more, please let me know, I always want more cote rotie

speaking of which, two weeks ago some friends and I had a dinner where we had northern rhones that were mature. It was a really good tasting, but there was a sense of dissapointment as the chave and jaboulet have been sea parting wines previously for me. Anyway, here are the notes:

NORTHERN RHONES 90 AND OLDER - Bistro Campagne, chicago IL (8/1/2009)

This was something that a few of us had been talking about doing for a while, so we finally went ahead to make it work. All our real focus was on, was having older northern rhones as there wasn't a real set flighting or theme outside of having older northern rhones. We took a look at the Bistro Campagne menu and it looked like it would work perfectly for this dinner

• 1985 E. Guigal Hermitage - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
  nose: real lovely nose initially with tones of bacon fat, black cherries, celery sticks, bits of black spices and some dark florals, but then seems to flatten out and the exression and layering disappears and becomes a bit more simple
  
  taste: a bit hollow on the mid palate with a really good medium feel that is rather suave with good tones of black cherries, bacon fat and tones of black spices. Refined tannins, but this doesn't really have the drive that a previous bottle had and fell off a bit
  
  overall: had a great fill level and seemed to be a great bottle at first, but fell off a bit soon after being open. Wasn't over the hill, just a bottle that was lacking and didn't hit that next level that had previously been done (89 pts.)
• 1990 Noël Verset Cornas - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
  nose: ridiculously deep nose filled with big and balanced tones of animal hides, scorched earth, pipe tobacco, loads of bacon fat, leather, black cherries, along with bits of mesquite tones and some various funky tones that are hard to place. Very well layered that is very intriguing and beguiling at the same time. A nose that can't come from anywhere else
  
  taste: great medium/full feel with good tannins still present that give really good grip still with well balanced and deep tones of pipe tobacco, scorched earth, loads of bacon fat, black cherries, and tones of mesquite
  
  overall: a wine like no other that provides much intrigue. An absolute beguiling nose that is very deep and rough with a real edge to it, but a sumptuous quality at the same time. Certainly seems like it has a ways to go, but is an absolute delight right (95 pts.)
• 1989 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
  nose: extremely funky that is loaded with tones of bacon fat, black cherries, dark floral tones, and some tones of manure. Wonderful depth and balance that can only come from the northern rhone
  
  taste: wonderful and medium/full bodied with melded tones of bacon fat, black cherries, raspberries, and dark floral tones with a tinge of spice tones and bits of lavender. Very classy tones that are extremely balanced
  
  overall: drinking beautifully and is certainly not for fruit forward fans at all. This is pure aged northern rhone through and through in all its beauty. Was great on pop n pour, but certainly emerged more in the glass and added a satin quality to it (93 pts.)
• 1990 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
  nose: took a bit to get going, but when it did, lovely tones of dark florals, bacon fat, violets, dark cherries, dark berries, and a touch of black pepper all round out together in a relatively feminine style. Very classy and elegant that becomes more layered and deep as it gets air
  
  taste: A very pretty medium/full feel with still very good tannins gives this a elegant backdrop with plush and round tones of black pepper, dark florals, bacon fat, and dark cherries. Rather feminine on the palate too, this served as a real nice contrast to the verset and Jamet
  
  overall: Has a good life ahead of it. It took about 90 minutes of air to really get going, but when it did, it was a thing of beauty. Very well balanced that helped make this a very classy and elegant wine (93 pts.)
• 1976 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Côte-Rôtie Les Jumelles - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
  nose: dark and brooding, but doesn't scream as the previous bottles. Bolder tones of black cherries, herbs, loads of spice tones, lavender, along with white and black pepper. Excellent depth, but doesn't seem to have that next level that the previous two bottles possessed
  
  taste: a tamed bully with a real silky medium/full feel, this has presence on the palate with excellent tones of white and black pepper, black cherries, allspice, and a bit of lavender. While the tones are really well balanced, there isn't as much expression on the palate or depth as the previous two bottles
  
  overall: in a sense this was a slight disappointment as the last two bottles that I have had, have been monumental. This was still very much an outstanding bottle and had a real presence about it, but just didn't have that extra level that the past two bottles had (92 pts.)
• 1982 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
  nose: absolutely captivating nose filled with lovely tones of purple florals, dark red cherries, various spice tones, lavender, herbs, mineral rich earth, and loads of perfumes. Very burgundian on the nose that is extremely layered and pure. A very heady nose that has a lifting quality to it that almost becomes extra sensory
  
  taste: Excellent fine grained tannins along with a real polished and silky feel with really good depth and tones of lavender, loads of dark red cherries, perfumes, and mineral rich earth. Very pure and has a delicate side to it that makes it quite attractive. Seemed a bit clipped on the finish and mid palate though and didn't really seem to kick into third gear and was stuck in second gear.
  
  Overall: This was an almost there situation. It had seen some good air, which had been the benefit of it previously, but this bottle just couldn't get into that final gear and have it be as great as it was previously. A real delight though for the nose alone as everything was there with some real class and stature, it just didn't kick into that final gear that has made this a mind bending wine in the past (94 pts.)

A great night. Lots of laughs as usual with food that went perfectly. In a sense the wines were a slight let down, but that was due to the weight of expectation, which was quite high. The wines still showed very well, and the Verset was easily one of the most intriguing wines I've had this year and will certainly leave a real memory for me. A lot of fun was had and I look to do it again
Posted from CellarTracker

what state/country do you live in? THere's a ton of quality malbec that can be had for under 30, so from there it comes down to what kind of style you like

Hey guys. I love everything in edf but am in a bit of a rush so forgive me if this has been addressed and I've missed it somewhere. I've recently moved downtown and am basically a block away from all of the best places to eat in the city. My new place also has a wine fridge but I know absolutely nothing about wine.

Anyways I at the places I've been going to I've been asking for help selecting wines to go with the dinner. So far I've thoroughly enjoyed everything I've had but could really use some help in developing my own taste.

How would you guys recommend going about this? Should my gf and I be looking for classes somewhere, are they offered at higher end wine stores etc? Or does it just take some research, experience and experimentation? I'm guessing the answer will be a combination of the above but some pointers are always much appreciated.

Thanks guys

* just in case I get any specific wine suggestions out of this. My price range will probably be in the ~$30 a bottle range for store purchases and the ~$50-$80 range in restaurants. Although I really don't want to spend the extra money if I cant actually appreciate the product.

Austrian Pinot Noir anyone?

2003 Gesellmann Pinot Noir "Siglos"

Haven't tasted much from Austria, but this was a superb value. Right away it reminded me of either really good Bourgogne AC in a great vintage or Premier Cru.

Cola, spice, floral, and tobacco on the nose. Lots of fresh fruit on the palate with some spice and earthy tones that makes you think Burgundy. Light bodied, smooth, silky, and delicate.

So I've read through the thread. I am starting to understand the reviews and stuff. Here is what I need.

A good Cabernet Sauvignon

I do not want to spend over $15 per bottle. I live in Grand Rapids, MI. I am pretty new to wine. But I have had a few Cabernet Sauvignon's and like it better than the other stuff I have had. I am looking to pick it up as my daily wine to have with dinner / before bed. I am still going to experiment with other wine's and such. Just need a base line wine to consume and build off of.

Thanks a lot,

Jordan

classes can be so variable IMO and are sometimes taught by complete hacks. THere's a lot of reading on the internet and books that can help you with some ideas as for pairing. One thing I would say is this, plan out a meal that you and your GF are gonna cook on a night, and give us a weeks planning time for some varietal recs, and then post the meal pics in the either the EDF cooking thread or teh OOT cooking thread

personally when I do pairing and cooking I either figure out what I want to eat or want to drink and then shape the pairing from there. Most of the time its, what do I want to drink, and then I go out and buy the food and spices that should work best.

When I go to resturants, I check to see if their menus are posted online since my groups normally do BYOs we plan around that. But, what you can do is see what the menu is and then post us a PDF link of the menu and wine list and what would pair best


thanks for the notes, do you know who the importer on this is? I so rarely see even german spatburgunders and then to see an austrian pinot, I'm intrigued.



I would personally say that you'd get a bit more for your money going with a california meritage in that price range rather then a cab. For whatever reason the blends are cheaper and you get some more value for your $. I'd also look at some chilean cabs in that price range as you'll also get good value. Don't overlook some spanish tempranillos in 12-17 range, especially from Ribera Del Duero or look to some unfashionable places like La Mancha. Tempranillo will give you some of the same structure of cabernet and there are some good values from spain out there, though I'm not necessarily someone who is completely wild over spanish wine

I live in Canada, so the importer isn't the same.

But, the website says the American importer is Winebow.

Keith, are you a certified sommelier?

sweet, winebow makes it easy for me


Jon, I'm not, but I'm sure that I could easily get certified if I felt like it, but right now somms are a dime a dozen and the restaurant biz has never held much attraction for me.

What I've been mroe interested in is getting my WSET certifications to hopefully at some point be a MW

Basically all of my wine knowledge has come from just tasting, experimenting, and consistently being open to trying new wines from new regions and experimenting with wine pairings. Its taken a few years and there is always readjustment.

I'm always willing to open up wines and cook up some food if you're ever down. Just let me know what you'd be interested in trying and what you've liked before

Been following this thread for a while. Figured Id post for once as I drink/taste quite a bit of whine

I live in Denmark and I make my living from playing poker. I spend all excess money on wine, mostly white burgundy and champagne. Due to a good month me and the girlfriend had a nice evening out with the following wines. (Pardon me for not being as precise as Kdawg)

Cross post from the SSSH LC/NC thread btw

- 2002 Comte de Lafon Gouttes D'or (did I spell it right? its from my drunken memory) - white burgundy btw, Chardonnay

As expected it was quite closed early on but as opposed to expected it didnt really open op in the glass. From my experience with Lafon wines from Mersault they can easily age 5 years during 20 minutes in the glass. Standard white burgundy notes of apple, pear, nuts and still a bit of wood/vanilla from the cask. Seemed quite young still and Id say it will age well for the next 5-15 years.


- 1979 Champagne Salon (blanc de blanc) 99 points imo, 93 points by wine spectator but thats was back in 1989. Classic old Champagne notes of hazelnut, butterscotch, bread, but also some very nice notes of dried lemon and pear, also vanilla and I do believe honey. Smooth and "long" 20 second finish, which is very remarkable for 30 year old champagne

The Salon 1979 took over my personal 1st place on the all time champagne list from 1990 Selosse and 1996 Taittinger Comtes Champagne. I literally had tears in my eyes as it fullfilled every crazy expecation I ever had, better than sex imo


- 1979 Champagne Krug Collection. 92 points and quite disapointing, 95 points by WS in june 2000 issue. Bouqet was quite closed and clearly lacked the "classic" krug notes of bread, honey and almond. The taste did open up and revealed subtle but distinct Krug like stuff such as honey and almond. Suffered greatly from being crushed by the Salon, and I do believe its too old considering its likely degorgement date of around 2000


Unfortunately they were fresh out of the 1979 Krug Clos de Mesnil which I had high hopes for. At least I saved a buck or two

thank you much for the notes Oink, and please please please contribute when you can. Do you taste with the CTC at all? I've read some sick notes from Bjorke Kierkgaard, and I know that they are more bordeaux focused then bubbles and burgs(which by all means, please keep contributing those notes, right up my alley)



I just sighed reading the Salon notes. I just love Salon and recently read some great notes by Ray Tuppatsch on Ebob from a Acker group tasting, and to see it be consistent like that, I may have to sacrifice some of my roll to get my hands on a bottle of good provenance

again, please post more notes, those were great and a real thrill to read. I fully know how a wine can bring tears to one's eyes and sometimes great wine does that. An 86 lalande did that to me as have an 82 chave, and a 96 Lafite. I'm hoping that an 85 Krug that I just got my hands on will do the same

Hey Kdawg

Nah I dont know those people. I am pretty much an amateur whine enthusiast and when I have great wine its with myself, my girlfriend and/or good friends. As it turns out I have plenty to spend from poker so I do get to taste a lot of posh stuff.

Salon is tricky imo. Within the last year I have tried the 96, 90, 88, 85 and 79. The 79 was by and far the best alto the 96 will be great as well. The 85 was ok but too much of the classic Salon oxidation if you ask me. 88 and 90 were both great but imo no where near as good as Krug vintage from the same years - not to mention Selosse 90 which is just amazing.


85 Krug sounds very very interesting. Feel free to bring it by if you stop by Copenhagen anytime soon . I wouldnt wait too long tho. I had the 82 a few weeks back and it died remarkably fast in the glass. I mean if you poored a big glass the last few zipps where pretty much tasteless. But tbh I dont know how 85 ranks compared to 82 vintage wise. The 88 and 90 should imo be cellared for at least an additional 5 years and the 96 looks to age very well as well. If 85 is anything like 89 I would drink it right now!! I mean now! go open it!!

Oh btw, if you ever stop by in Copenhagen dont hesitate to PM me. I have quite a few Salon and Krug lying around that we could taste

So not much going on in this thread. I thought Id add a few experiences from the last 10 days or so. So due to being drunk and not taking notes I can only give my first impressions as they are always the ones to last. I will also adhere from handing out points to the wines where I was obviously wasted


- Last thursday.

Set list:
1997 Renato Ratti, Barolo Rocche.
1997 Conterno-Fantino, Barolo Vigna del Gris.
1997 Fratello Revello, Barolo Conca.
1997 Luigi Pira, Barolo Rionda.
1997 G. Conterno, Barolo Monfortino.
2006 Domaine Comte George de Vogüé, Bourgogne (Musigny?) Grand cru Bonnes-Mare.
2006 Domaine Robert Arnoux, Bourgogne Vosne-Romanee Grand cru Romanee -St. Vivant


- Yesterday.

Set list:
2005 Fratelli Revello, Barolo Conca.
1996 Roberto Voerzio, Barolo, Cereqiuo.
1996 G. Conterno, Barolo Monfortino.
2006 Domaine Dujac, Bourgogne Gevrey-Chambertin 1er cru Aux Combottes.
2006 Domaine Dujac, Bourgogne Vosne-Romanee 1er cru Aux Malconsorts.
1999 Spinetta, Barbaresco Gallina


- Today

Set list:
2002 Perrier Jouét, Champagne Rosé Belle Epoque.
2002 Chateux Puligny-Montrachet, (white) Bourgogne Puligny-Montrachet Grand cru Chevalier-Montrachet.
2006 Domaine Robert Arnoux, Bourgogne Vosne-Romanee 1er cru Les Chaumes.
2005 Elio Altare, Langhe (Barbera d'Alba) Larigi



- Last thursday.

1997 Renato Ratti, Barolo Rocche: Was quite closed early on and surprisingly youthfull. Messy notes of dried cherry and blackberries in both bouquet and taste. Classic La Morra notes of violet and rose leaves - quite dried up but most fresh early on. The cask was still fighting back and leaving behind a generally unbalanced wine still with plenty of chocolate from the casc. Classic Piedmont notes of medicine (in danish we use the word camphor). Aged very well in the glass and def ended on a high note after aprox 3 hours in the glass. Will def drink better over the next 5 years. 90 points

1997 Conterno-Fantino, Barolo Vigna del Gris: Much more mature compared to the Ratti. More subtle notes of tobacco, leather and licorice - quite std for Monforte Barolos imo. Both in the bouquet and taste I experienced the same classic dried fruits dominated by cherries but here I am pretty sure I found some rasberries. Cask was very well integrated and generally a low level af acidity. Will not improve and should be opened now. 88 points

1997 Fratello Revello, Barolo Conca: Like the Ratti a La Morra wine. Very feminine and a fine balance. Quite youthfull compared to the first two. Fruit notes were def more fresh and young and not as dried. Plenty of cherries as usual and nice tones of flowers in the bouqet. Nice stringent wine true to its terroir. Plenty of acidity still and will age well over the next 5 to 15 years. 92 points

1997 Luigi Pira, Barolo Rionda: This was supposed to be the highlight of the evening and needless to say I had my hopes up. Maybe this was why I was disapointed but the somelier/friend of mine was the same. Very (too) mature at first. Classic Monforte stuff with plenty of power as well as licourice and tar. Notes of fruit was black and dried up cherries but it was all very messy at first. But this wine was a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Holy crap it went back a few years in the glas! Tightened up tremendously and after a few hours it was a completely different wine. Final notes was impressive acidity, sharp and defined notes of cherries/blackberries and of course licourice, leather and tar. Hard to say how this will age but I guess it will age well over the next 10-20 years and we prolly just caught a bottle in a closed period. Early on: 85 points. Last sip: 95 points

1997 G. Conterno, Barolo Monfortino: So we opened this because the Rionda was disapointing at first. This was my first ever Monfortino despite having bought 13 bottles of them. My expectations was sky high and could hardly be fulfilled. But guess what: They were. Quite clearly the best red wine I ever had!. Despite the vineyard being close to the Ginestra (the vina del gris is from here) and Rionda vineyards in Monforte the Serralunga powerhouse is much closer to the La Morra wines. Released an extremely precise sent of fresh cherries - just like hearing a good opera singer presenting the C-note. Good God it was precise. Just as the La Morra wines plenty of flowers, mostly violets and roses and they were still quite fresh. Finally the bouquet released a very suprising note of peach skin, almost orange'ish - a first for me when it comes to Nebbiolo. The taste was very much like the bouquet. Still a very young wine and in so many ways very non-nebbiolo. So fresh and so clean and ever so balanced. Compared to the Rionda this wine felt 20 years younger. Strict acidity with powerfull yet smooth tannins, but was clearly matched by the sheer concentration. Will drink well now but has to improve over the next 30! years. 98+

2006 Domaine Comte George de Vogüé, Bourgogne (Musigny?) Grand cru Bonnes-Mare.

2006 Domaine Robert Arnoux, Bourgogne Vosne-Romanee Grand cru Romanee - St. Vivant


At this point I was a drunk and spoiled sob. The Bonnes-Mare was quite clearly the more balanced, stringent and subtle one. Whereas the Romanee - St Vivant was just sheer and massive power/concentration of which the like I have never tried in a Pinot Noir - or any wine. The Bonnes-Mare would certainly benefit from 10 years in the cellar, not to suggest the Romanee - St Vivant would not. I am quite confident that if I try these wines in 10 years and in a sober state I will literally wet myself


- Yesterday.

2005 Fratelli Revello, Barolo Conca: I feel like I am on reapeat but: Fresh cherry, blackberry but also strawberry in the nose. Plenty of flowers as well. Very nice La Morra and its quite interesting to try this fresh of the bat when released. Generally the notes are much fresher but dear Lord you need to have a galvanised mouth, the tannins are literally ripping of your gums. This will quite likely become a very very nice whine in 5-10 years time.

1996 Roberto Voerzio, Barolo, Cereqiuo: Massive concentration in the bouquet with plenty of chocolate, ripe black cherries and the std violet/rose leaves for La Morra. Smooth smooth tannins and a very concentrated wine with the same notes of ripe fruit and leaves in the taste. Still quite youthfull with strict but smooth tannins and will evolve nicely over the next 5-10 years. 95-96

1996 G. Conterno, Barolo Monfortino.: And we are back at it again. Basically the same stuff as the 1997 but did not present it self as precise and balanced. Seemed to be in a more closed period of its life and quite clearly posessed more tannins / stricter acidity than the 1997. Eventually it did open up and while the notes are the same as the 1997 the concentration is more massive. This will def live longer than 1997 and will in all likelyhood drink well in 2066 should you choose to cellar it for that long. 97 points but has potential for a perfect score.

2006 Domaine Dujac, Bourgogne Gevrey-Chambertin 1er cru Aux Combottes. : I just spent 30 minutes trying to find the english word. No succes. In danish we say it has "korksickness" or is "korky". Basically its gone bad.

2006 Domaine Dujac, Bourgogne Vosne-Romanee 1er cru Aux Malconsorts.: Getting quite drunk again at this point. Not as massive a wine as I would have expected. Super nice Bourgogne with plenty of rasberries and chocolate. Will age well but is quite drinkable now. A weaker but similar version of the Bonne-Mare from last week

1999 Spinetta, Barbaresco Gallina: Too drunk. Very much like the Voerzio Cerequio. Massive and velvety tannins. Plenty of slightly dried fruit and loads of the secondary stuff which I was too drunk to remember exactly what was. Seemed very strict and massive and should age well over the next 8 - 12 years



- Today

2002 Perrier Jouét, Champagne Rosé Belle Epoque: Already quite a bit brioche in the nose. Strawberries and tobacco in the nose as well as the taste. Medium bodied and ok balance - does not fill up the palate and seems to miss some of the fresh fruits on the front part of the palate, which are usually a trademark for Belle Epoque. The great vintage does not fail tho, quite a stringent champagne which quite unlike Belle Epoque should be cellared a few years. Considering the price and comparing to a Billecart Salmon this is grossly overpriced. Otoh comparing to Cristal Rose its a very fine buy. (Tho I havent tried neither Cristal nor Billecart-Salmon in 2002): 90 points

2002 Chateux Puligny-Montrachet, (white) Bourgogne Puligny-Montrachet Grand cru Chevalier-Montrachet. Booooh! This was gone bad. arrghjhegfjshabfkjdhfgjndfkægn!!!


2006 Domaine Robert Arnoux, Bourgogne Vosne-Romanee 1er cru Les Chaumes. Classic powerfull Vosne stuff. Fresh rasberries and floral notes in the bouquet. For a pinot its quite a massive body, however, its not due to extensive cask treatment. Very impressive concentration and velvety notes of fresh fruit (rasberry and cherry) filling up the palate quite nicely. Loads of vanilla and chocolate which should be expected from a wine this young. 92 points

2005 Elio Altare, Langhe (Barbera d'Alba) Larigi: What a nice finish to the evening. Fresh and slightly ripe cherry and blackberry in the bouquet. Still plenty of vanilla and chocolate from the intense cask treatment. Taste is full bodied and when it comes to Barbera the concentration is only surpassed by Voerzio's Pozzo della Annunziata. Long taste with plenty of ripe fruits, loads of chocolate and some floral notes. Smooth but powerfull tannins and massive fruitacids. For a Barbera this is very well suited for cellaring and should develop nicely over the next 3-7 years. 92

kdawg, don't have time to read thru this whole thread right now so forgive me if this has already been answered but can you recommend any good books for learning about the complexities of wine and how recognize various smells/tastes in wine?

oink, again, thanks sooooooooooooooo much for the notes. Be still my heart, monfortinos on two nights in a row, you lucky bastard. Somehow you, canuck, clark, and I need to figure out a way to do a knockout weekend of wine. Either that, or I need to get my azz out to copenhagen and kick it with you


as to the 02 Chevy, that's bad news, and from my experience, the 02 vintage may be a bad vintage for prem-ox'd wines. A lot of white burgs I've had from 00 and 01 have been excellent and evolving well, but, I heard that in 02 a lot of producers didn't add SO2 as it was a "pure fruit" vintage, which means, start drinking the wines. I had a 02 Girardin Corton Charlie and was shocked at how soaked the cork was for a 6 1/2 year old white burg, even though the color and tones were on point, but the acidity didn't seem to have it for long haul cellaring like a Grand Cru White burg should be


right now, I'm watching UFC and having some bubbles. This is one of my go to champers at under $40 and it always delivers:

• N.V. Michel Arnould & Fils Champagne Grand Cru Brut Réserve - France, Champagne, Verzenay, Champagne (9/19/2009)
  nose: classy nose that shows its grand cru status with excellent tones of white florals, bits of peaches, lemon peels, a good helping of minerals, along with a bakers dozen of doughy tones. Great depth for a NV blend
  
  taste: excellent tones of dough, lemon peels, minerals, white florals, and a good bit of white fruits with tasty medium+ acidity that is very refreshing
  
  overall: fast becoming a go to everday Bubbly for me. Very good depth on its own, but seeing as this is a regular NV, its excellent. Good medium body to it that flows across the palate well with class. Easily the best under $40 champagne I've had, and it consistently delivers (91 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker




when I'm done watching UFC, and finally finish up my notes from thursday I'll post them. I also have some notes from Sunday's season opener for my beloved Chicago Bears(cutler's 4 ints notwithstanding)

don't know if this topic has actually been addressed, lol. What has worked best for me is just buying spices and smelling them. When you go to the grocery and buy fruits, vegetables, spices, etc and then use them, just take some time to smell them and get used to their flavors. A good benefit for me was that I worked at williams-sonoma in the stock room as the main runner for about a year(pay was crap, girls were cool, lots of good cooks and a great employee discount, so 12 hrs a week was fine while at school), so when there was down time I'd take the time to smell some of the soaps, spices, and every now and then drop a glass jar of something that I wanted to get to know.

When describing things, it all comes from one's own experiences, so, while we are smelling the same things, we may not necessarily say them as the same, ya know. Don't mean to be vague about it, but I do find that wine is very personal, so its hard to say to do x and y to best get to know scents and flavors.

I'd be very willing to bet that you're better then you already think, just take the time to do some good smelling and then just take a bit of time to think about what you taste. It takes a bit to really get into the scents and flavors, it took me a while tbh. What I would do is buy a wine as I was getting into it, and my friend and I would really try to smell and then taste while getting piss drunk. Hell, it took me a while to fully get the oak and butter smells and tastes from Kendall Jackson when I was first getting into wine. So, like in poker, just take it slow and do your best to get to a variety of tastings in your area.

Local stores should have tastings, and just have a small notebook and a pen or pencil, and quickly jot down what you may get from the wine if you notice something in particular. I certainly found that when I did that, it honed in things much more and improved my senses and notes. If you look at some of my notes from 2007 on Cellar Tracker, they are far from where they are now, and that was a good two years after really getting into wine and a good 9 months after starting to really pay attention to what is going on with wine(my Cellar Tracker handle is the same as here(and I normally abbreviate as CT))

hope that helps a bit, and please, it doesn't matter wtf your drinking, if you have a bottle of wine and the time to jot down a note, please post it in here. I want this thread to be for everyone and have zero qualms about people posting about wines that aren't as high end as some of the stuff that Canuck, Oink, or I may drink(haven't seen clark post much in here yet). I look at this thread as a thread for everyone, and all I really ask is that there be zero pretention, because then it defeats the purpose of what I want this thread to be

here are my notes from sunday's Bears season opener. A few notes on the wines, I brought both of the white burgs. All of the wines I brought(the 86 meursault, 97 meursault, 06 Jemrose, and 07 St Cosme) were under 40 as my friend shane and I were aiming more for a relaxed atmosphere. The 86 was bought on a lark on winebid earlier this year as the picture of the bottle showed good ullage(for those not familiar, as wine ages, it evaporates and older wines will not be as filled as young wines, this is a natural occurance) and was $25 or 30, so I took a gamble and said, well, if its oxidized, then all I spent was 30, if its not, then I will get something fun.

The syrahs were blind, and what my friend Shane and I did was bag the bottles(after decanting properly) and then grab at random and then put a number on the bag.

Shane and I were the only real "wine people" if you will, as his wife was there and he invited two friends of his to come over.

So, as my novellas end, here are my notes from last sunday:

SEASON OPENER WINES - shane's (9/13/2009)

A new quarterback is in town and the beloved opened up against the pack, so what does that mean, some wines, food, and the promise of a lot of fun
starter whites

• 2006 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  nose: extremely layered with great depth that leads into beautiful tones of honeysuckle, all sorts of white florals, tree fruits, lemon peels, and bits of hi-toned spices with some bits of spiced pears. A nose that one can really dig into to try to get into the crevices that exists currently. Youthful as the tones are exuberant at the same time, but deftly balanced
  
  taste: incredebly balanced and well layered medium/light feel with crisp medium+ acidity that gives a real nice spine. Delicious tones of honeysuckle, pears, various nut based spices, and a whole lot of white florals that evoke a spring field on the palate
  
  overall: a baby, but ever delicious at this precocious stage. Comes off with a real youthful exuberance to it, but there is a real good balance to it that holds it all together that makes it very enjoyable. This is a beautiful CdP blanc that will be very interesting to drink when its fully mature (93 pts.)
• 1986 Domaine Michelot-Buisson Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
  nose: my first thought on smelling this is great, its not oxidized, then the real fun begins as its really changes a lot on the nose with varying tones of blood oranges, smoked nuts, hot oils, and a whole lot of meyer lemons with some other various citrus tones along with a slight bit of oxidative tones of bleu cheeses that would be expected for a white this old
  
  taste: a real beautiful full feel strikes you right off the bat with nice medium acidity that is rather sneaky in its approach. Well balanced and mature tones of smoked nuts, all sorts of hazelnuts, a bit of hot butter, hot oils, meyer lemons, and a slight touch of blood oranges all round out together
  
  overall: I bought this on a lark on winebid and what resulted was something beautiful. About 1.5cm ullage with a nice rich golden color. The nose kept on changing, but was never in any real danger of dying out, instead it provided a moving target that was fun to track and discuss about, and really just presented a thrill in of itself as I expected it to be shot, or at least on the full end of its downslope, and it was far from that. If one has a bottle of this can they age it further, sure, but this was a perfect fully mature meursault that certainly made for a lot more fun then watching Cutler throw 4 ints (92 pts.)
• 1997 Bouchard Père et Fils Meursault 1er Cru Gouttes d'Or - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru
  nose: presented a nice contrast to the 86 as this one has a much more nuttier nose with well defined tones of smoke, bits of oysters, lemon custard and tones of meringue. Well balanced with good depth, but not as expressive as the 86
  
  taste: excellent depth with a nice and rich medium/full feel and tones of meringue, lemon custard, all sorts of nutty tones and bits of green apples. Excellent medium+ acidity gives this a really good spine and comes across as younger then the previous two bottles from last year
  
  overall: this really grew in the glass along with added depth. An excellent mature meursault with a lighter golden color to it that came across as a white burg that could easily go for more years, but there is little regret in opening this up as its in a good place right now (90 pts.)

Blind Syrahs

• 2007 Saint-Cosme St. Joseph - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph
  nose: cool and laid back nose filled with tones of charcoal, black pepper, black cherries, smoke, crushed floral tones and bits of crushed rocks along with some mineral rich earth tones. Very pungent with great balance to it, but seems to be holding back a bit right now
  
  taste: excellent full body feel with a great silky feel and rich tannins with tones of charcoal, black pepper, black cherries, crushed rocks and a good bit of mineral rich earth tones. Toned back a bit right now, but is certainly an old world wine
  
  overall: came off as young which is to be expected. Gave some conflicted ideas at first as it was done blind. Certainly holds itself as a northern rhone and as the signatures are there. Needs time obviously, and should be a beautiful st joseph in a few years as the parts fully come together (91 pts.)
• 1992 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
  nose: gorgeously balanced nose filled with dark red cherries, all sorts of dark floral tones, cardamon spices, other various spice tones, black fruits, and bits of funky tones that give a real nice backdrop. A load of class right here that was in stark contrast to the younger wines, this has a sense of itself and what it wants to do
  
  taste: very polished with a great silky and medium/full feel and well balanced tones of smoked game, black pepper, black fruits, dark red cherries, cardamon, and other various spice tones. Excellent depth with all sorts of polish that comes from aging
  
  overall: a great ruby rim with little bricking or browning. It was fairly obvious that this was the aged wine in the bunch. A whole lot of polish and class to the wine, this is was just textbook northern rhone (93 pts.)
• 2006 Jemrose Syrah Cardiac Hill Bennett Valley - USA, California, Sonoma County, Bennett Valley
  nose: much more ripe nose in contrast to the st joseph and le pavillion, which is interesting as this normally comes off as almost northern rhone. Great and well balanced tones of crushed black fruits, black cherries, charcoal, and a good helping of black pepper all balance well together. Shows off its california base in the more explosive nature and somewhat riper nature it posseses
  
  taste: young and rich with good full body and firm tannins with great and balanced tones of bacon fat, crushed black fruits, black cherries, and a good helping of black pepper. There is a explosiveness on the palate that stands in contrast to the northern rhones that were previously had blind that makes it stand out a bit
  
  overall: a wonderful syrah. This needs a bit of time to fully come around, but is soooo enjoyable right now with a good decant. Has great syrah flavors and does a great job of being a california/northern rhone hybrid (91 pts.)

a CdP to make us feel better

• 2004 Clos Saint Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  nose: good funky nose with nice tones of black cherry liqueur, dark spices, a good amount of garrigue, and a good helping of meaty tones with some bits of dark berries. Good balance and nice depth, but nothing really exciting
  
  taste: excellent medium feel with good tannins and a nice smooth feel along with tones of melted black licorice, garrigue, black cherries, and black cherry liqueur tones. Nice tannins with good depth
  
  overall: a quality CdP, does it needs to do and is fairly standard. Enjoyable and fairly straightforward (90 pts.)

well, Cutler threw four interceptions and we lost to the packers. At least the wines were great, the food was great and the conversation even better which more then made up for the sub-standard result
Posted from CellarTracker

Sick, sick line up.