As far as real cork goes, does it allow a very slight amount of oxygen through and help in any way a good wine being able to age better, e.g. a high quality classified growth bordeaux?

I'm attending a tasting Tuesday night of 3 wines and will report back.

At this tasting Riedel is also presenting their new Veritas line of stemware and for the price of the tasting we get to keep the 3 varietal specific glasses we will be using. Here are the 3 wines, all from CA.

Lail Cabernet Sauvignon 'Blueprint' 2012
Lewis Alec's Blend 2011
Patz & Hall Pinot Noir 'Chenoweth' 2012

Does anyone own a Coravin? I'm seriously thinking about buying one. I figure one glass of a $40 bottle per day is better than drinking a whole $10 bottle per day.

And for $10 bottles, my current frontrunner is the '12 Columbia Crest H3 cab.

I've tasted Coravin'd wines and I haven't noticed any deterioration on them (granted, I haven't had anything that was past 3-4 months). I have a friend who constantly keeps anywhere from 5-14 bottles Coravin'd at any time so he can have a variety to drink from.

None of these wines were that remarkable especially considering what they cost. They actually did not serve the Cabernet listed because Lail vineyard just received a Robert Parker 100 point score on one of their other wines and they couldn't even source this particular one. Instead they served the Tor 2011 Cabernet by Tor Kenward. These winds all score well on cellar tracker but I think they just weren't quite my style. Of the three I preferred Lewis' Alec's Blend blend which was a blend of Syrah Cabernet and Merlot

Fortunately the $60 tasting fee allowed me to take home three varietal specific Riedel glasses that were specific for New world Pinot Noir, New World Syrah, and Cabernet

There was no doubt the varietal specific glass actually made a difference for each wine as far as nose and palate which kind of surprised me. That experience alone was worth attending this event. As a small bonus they gave us a Riedel designed Coca-Cola glass

Cool, thanks, I think I'll buy one.

I hadn't heard about Coravin at all (not sure how much coverage it's had here in the UK?) Either way, it looks pretty good.

After having tried a string of mediocre Malbecs, I stumbled across the '09 Tapiz and recommend it without reservation. Unusual and complex nose that I really enjoyed and it got richer with time. Color is a robust, deep purple. It's fruit-forward (tho a bit short-lived on that score) with balanced acid and tannins in the middle. The finish is long and the aging in new French oak (24 months) very much compliments this wine. I think the skin of the grape makes a cameo at the end, as well.

"Black Tears" is also a pretty great name for a wine.

Taste: 9.2/10

Value ($44):

WE (I enjoyed this the day after, too): + 1/2

Any good Zin wine recommendations? Last Zin I had was from Rosenblum Cellars. Great $10 wine. I'm looking to try others, no higher than $20 price range. Thx!

Already mentioned, but 7 deadly zins. I get it for $11. Very good for this price.

Or try pushing the $20 limit and try Ridge Three Valleys zinfandel

The one time I tried 7 Deadly Zins I felt it just wasn't for me

Would be interesting to blind taste test them against each other

oops thought this was the lc thread. ninja edit:

I am still a beginner in the wine world. But so far I've found that dollar for dollar, the Ravenswood Zin is the best deal in the wine world. Also, I like the gnarly head old vine zin from Lodi. Both are reasonable fruity, easy drinking wines with what I perceive as a bit of balance in them.

I think you're in the wrong thread.

don't know what you're talking about.

but now that I am here, I want to mention two wines I really enjoyed recently:

1. http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=594545

some friends got me this one for my birthday. wow. blackberry and lots of earthy notes plus coffee. Wonderful finish. i have great friends.

2. http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1822329

we finished this bottle in one sitting. slight spritz on opening. citrus and acidity, but slightly cloying honey note on the end. i really like german rieslings like this.

+1

Also had a bottle of Zin of Zins this weekend, and enjoyed it. IIRC, it was in the same price range and close on the shelf to the 7 deadly zins at our Costco.

If you know what you like, you're there. We enjoy this one, as well. No wimpy wines, indeed. Nullum vinum flaccidum

Your pseudo ninja edit secret is safe with me.

Next time we get together, I'll bring you a real Reisling.

Also, I'm going to post a couple of Penfold's Cab reviews in just a bit.

I look forward to that eagerly Leo. You and this thread is what made me start taking wine seriously.

Also looking forward to the penfolds' review. Heard a lot about it.

confirm that i have no problems with wine and flaccidity.

Bit of backdrop:

Went to dinner a couple of weeks ago at a small, somewhat exclusive place about an hour outside of Nashville with three colleagues on a Tuesday night. (This dinner preceded a larger working meeting on Wednesday morning with about 20 folks involved.) Much to my surprise, my group had the place to ourselves and they had a bottle of the 2001 Penfold's Bin 707 Cab. I was thrilled!

The initial tasting pour was excellent; but, it was apparent that the wine needed about 30 minutes to evolve which we allowed 'cause the appetizers were outstanding and the company agreeable.

The wine was a deep purple with just a barely perceptible hint of brown at the fringe suggesting the wine likely won't continue to improve. The nose was a jammy, licorice, oak-infused pleasure that was discernible even after a bite of medium rare ribeye topped with bleu cheese and green onion.

I really enjoyed this wine on the palate. It was big and mature and had that lush finish that I really enjoy. The flavor transitions were seamless, if not sublime and silky.

Could I have distinguished this wine from a big, mature California Cab in a blind tasting? I think so, but it'd be close. It's likely this vintage won't be available to most of you, but these guys at Penfold's have carved a very respectable reputation for themselves and some of the more recent vintages of their Cab are worthy of your consideration. (It goes without saying that some of their Shiraz selections are truly elite- both in terms of quality and price.)

Disclaimer: the pic below is the 1999 Penfold Cab.





But leo, why are you posting a pic of the '99?

Well, because I forgot to take a pic of the 2001 bottle and I also forgot to take the bottle home with me. Trust me, tho, it's the same bottle with the 2001 date.

Next question: How did you get a pic of the 1999?

Glad you asked.

I was sufficiently impressed with the joint that I convinced the wife that we should stay in the associated BnB the following Saturday night. You know, like a date-night for old people. (Well, I'm old, not so much her.)

So I make a 7:30 reservation on a Saturday night and we get there about 7:25 and the door is locked! There's not a car in the parking lot and I'm starting to get that Twilight Zone feeling 'cause we're way out in the country and this is Tennessee and I'm pretty sure there's some guys that own banjos and ****. (Truth-to-tell, I wasn't too worried 'cause the wife has her carry permit and I was gonna snatch her purse if anything untoward happened.)

Anyway, about ten minutes later a car pulls into the lot and some lady exits, then gives us a wave to come inside. The wife thought it a bit creepy that we were the only guests on a Saturday night but I assured her we were safe since I'd didn't see our soon-to-be waitress toting anything that even remotely resembled a banjo case.

Unsurprisingly, we were seated at the best table which overlooked an 1800s vintage mill situated on a creek. The double-paned windows precluded us from hearing those quintessential "babbling brook" sounds, but were quite effective in barring entry to the massive swarms of bugs attracted to the faux candle on our table thru the glass.

Also unsurprisingly, I ordered another bottle of the Penfold's. This time, however, she brought the 1999 Cab- not the 2001- and proclaimed it was the last bottle of Penfold's in their cellar.

No problem, I thought. I'll just have my own little vertical tasting of a good Cab inside of a week. (And here's another admission: If she'd brought the 2001 and the 1999 and asked me to choose, I'd have picked the 1999 since I hadn't had it.)

Unfortunately, the '99 was exhausted. For those of you that have had over-the-hill wines with that musty, leathery nose and brown edges and flat, raisiny taste, well, you know what I'm talkin' about.

Here's what I thought about the 2001:

Taste: 9.4/10

Value ($127): +

WE:

The 1999:

Taste: 7.5/10

Value ($127):

WE:

Is that some kind of Southern slang?



Great story, and great review.

Google the movie, Deliverance.

I just picked up both tonight. Thanks for the suggestion.

Darn, saw this a little too late. Next time! I'm pretty sure I've seen it before.

I bet you can squeal like a pig. Weeeeeeee!

With this music in the background

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1tqxzWdKKu8

Nice report Leo. Did you try and exchange the 1999 bottle for something fresher? Would think they would gladly so that .
Do you think they had decent temperature controlled storage at that restaurant?