i thought it was implied by my post but how can you possibly know what crushed stones tastes like? Someone tried to describe it earlier but it would be interesting to hear from someone who actually tastes that themself in a wine

http://www.smartmoney.com/spending/d...ry-overpaying/

http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=...3RUlkAqRodkRRw

two interesting articles, first on the price of wine impacting people's perception and the second a princeton professor on tasting notes

That second article is pretty lame.

But if you heard a piece of music described as silky, ultrasilky, or velvet, that would be fine right? Those things are not supposed to be precise, quantifiable descriptions of the music. They're supposed to be descriptions of how the critic felt when he was listening to the music. Even if you demonstrated that the tasting notes of two critics were not similar when tasting the same wines (which this professor has not done, he's just singled out some descriptors that he personally doesn't find helpful) you'd still be missing the point. You might as well argue that the words "exciting" and "boring" are meaningless with regard to movies, because two people went to see the same film and one called it exciting and the other boring.

When reading tasting notes by people I have no experience with, I routinely ignore the more esoteric descriptors and focus on the more general stuff. The esoteric ones are there for people who they mean something to; if they mean nothing to you, ignore them.

The 2007 Spottswoode is the real deal. Reminds me of the 94 Insignia upon release-- stunning fruit bomb with great balance and loooooong finish. Yum.

I spend more time lurking cellartracker and winesearcher than I do here, to the great detriment of my game, and never came across this thread. I've always enjoyed your CT notes Kdawg, the highlight being emboldened to take a punt on the 82 chave last year. My word that's a wine, cheers. I stupidly broached the 2001 last week and it's sulking, there's a lot there though, it already smells wonderful, there's lots of leather and blood and olive in the mouth, tannins are melting in and it's very elegant, just not luscious at all yet. Will be another 1995 in a few years.

Anyway I recently moved to London and would love to meet a fellow wino to split cases and bottles with and talk poker, I'm rebuilding the cellar but have quantities of Azelia bricco fiasco 2000 (which is incredible), Clos des papes 05 and 07, Rayas 05, Bois de Boursan felix 2001, Lejeune pommard 1er argillieres 05 and Colombier Hermitage 03 to share or trade if anyone's interested.

Also for any UK microstakes drinkers I picked this up as 'protection wine' when my girlfriend's friends were visiting, it's bloody fantastic from sainsbury's for a criminally insane 7 pounds. It's like a very good Vacqueyras, all herbs and spice and cherry and fun stuff. Don't buy anything else there though, it's all vinegar.

I was sorely disappointed by the 08 about 6 months back, as you say it oughtn't be designed to age but it was so disjointed young that I wondered what the point of it was. Perfectly good wine and all but ludicrously overpriced.

I've had it twice. Once in a dinner with the owners and again at home. It's incredible, and a total steal at $125. Maybe the best Napa cab I've ever had.

A public thanks to KDawg for recommendations for wine at my wedding reception. Monkey Bay Sauv Blanc and L'Ecole no. 41 Merlot were both very well received. FWIW, I got Spring Valley Vineyards "Uriah" merlot/franc/cab blend for a small group of tables and it was also well received.

Personally, my wife and I had 1982 Mouton and it blew me away. The best wine I have ever had without question.

Little late to the show, but 90 Vogue is one of the most seriously terrible wines they've ever put their name to. This isn't a troll--I've had it multiple times, from multiple sources, including absolutely impeccable cellars, and my friend's description of the wine as "a decent bottle of syrah" is spot on. I was thrilled to death to sell the last of mine last year.

At this year's Paulee I had it in both bottle and magnum, both pruny, overextracted and turning volatile. Yech.

OK, rant over.

Chave 95 is stunning for sure. Had the '99 a couple weeks ago and that's coming along nicely too.

Re the '82--one not-very-well-kept secret is that in those days Chave made a selection of the best lots for his favored distributors. I've had quite a bit of '82 and '83 from different tranches, and I have no doubts that it's true. Allegedly the magnums were a selection of the very best, and while I haven't had mags of '82, the '83 in magnum seems to justify that (even accounting for showing better because of the format).

The best lots seem to be the non-export bottles, Robin Yapp, and Kermit Lynch. Other American-market ones I've had from that era were noticeably less intense. Worth asking for photos from a merchant to see exactly which ones they have if you're considering buying.

soon I'm gonna have up some FX Pichler notes from a tasting in DC that I was at last week, but I needed to give people a HU about this wine:

• 2007 Damilano Nebbiolo d'Alba - Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Nebbiolo d'Alba (7/3/2010)
  nose: nice straight forward nose of red cherries, bits of roasted herbs and a touch of tar. Very good tones and good depth for a nebbiolo of this caliber. Obviously not a barolo on the nose, but very good for the appellation
  
  taste: well balanced with tones of red cherries, some roasted herbs, tar and a good bit of mixed berries on the back end. Very good medium feel with nice tannins and good medium+ acidity
  
  overall: this was the rest of the bottle that I had from the night before and recorked for today. Very well balanced and with extremely good depth on both the nose and palate for this level of nebbiolo and at this price. Very impressive all around for the price and level of wine (87 pts.)
  

Posted from CellarTracker




it should be easy to get and it retails for under $15. So, if you have never had a nebbiolo and don't have the money to get a quality barbaresco or barolo, give this a go

The lack of traffic in this thread makes me a sad panda, however, in 'If you're not part of the solution' spirit:

2006 Domaine Paul Autard Chateauneuf Du Pape:


(Yes, I know vintage is off in the shot)

Blend: 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Counoise

Nose: Red fruit and spices leap from the glass. Red currant, wild berries, tobacco, cinnamon, clove, and black pepper. Classic for the appellation.

Palate: Reaffirms the underripe red berries on the nose,with further layers of spice and herbs. Medium acidity, with a smoke-laced tone and an elegant, medium+ finish. Showing great in it's youth, will only continue to improve with age.


Sort of disappointed I only have one more in the cellar.

how was the oak on the autard? When I've had them, its come off to me as pretty aggressive

It's present, you've got the baking spices all over the nose, but it's a bit less on the palate. Being the 'basic' CdP bottling, it doesn't have the oak of the current release La Ronde or Juline, where it's everywhere. Certainly approachable now.

cool, I may have to look more towards their base bottlings because my experience is with the Juline and the La Ronde and the oak has just been way too much for me. That and I would expect that they wouldn't be as aggressive with the 06 vintage as opposed to the 05s or 07s


Finished up my F.X. Pichler notes. A quick background on FX Pichler, they are a cult austrian gruner veltliner and riesling producer. Their wines aren't cheap and they don't make too much of their wines as well as being solely single vineyard for their wines. For this tasting, the wines were supplied by Peter Weygandt Wines (the importer) as they have a retail store in DC near where I was staying and we stumped up about $60 to taste through almost the entire 08 line up as well as some 07s

This was my first chance to really try this producer and I was looking forward to it. Many of these wines are young and are in need of some nap time before they really show themselves, but I'm also used to high acid wines, so the acidity wasn't too much of a problem for me as it was for some of the other people at the tasting:

07&08 F.X. PICHLERS - Tooch's apt, Washington DC (6/27/2010)

I was out visiting the east coast and tooch gathered up a bunch of people to put together this tasting. All of the wines were sourced from Weygandt wines and presented a great cross section of FX Pichlers and a great opportunity to get familiar with the house style
Opening bubbly

• 1999 Ployez-Jacquemart Champagne Brut - France, Champagne
  nose: nice crisp and balanced nose of bread, minerals, citrus tones, and bits of peach blossoms. Very well balanced with a real freshness to the nose as well as good depth
  
  taste: real tasty medium feel with medium+ acidity and refreshing tones of pears, lots of minerals, citrus tones, and bits of peach blossoms. The acidity is very noticeable, but it isn't too obtrusive at this time
  
  overall: A real fun bubbly. Well balanced with a real mineral streak on it and some very good and refreshing tones. On the young side, but like other 99s, it seems open for business and while it can age, its extremely good right now (91 pts.)

Direct 07&08s head to head

• 2007 F.X. Pichler Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Loibner Klostersatz - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
  nose: a bit lean, but also a bit tight with tones of minerals, lemon peels, citrus tones, sea breeze and a touch of snow peas. Nice depth, but the peas are making it a bit too vegetal on the nose
  
  taste: Classy and lighter feel that is a bit on the lean side with medium/high acidity and bits of white fruits, mineral tones, citrus', snow peas and a touch of lemon peels. The snow peas aren't as pronounced on the palate, but there is an austerity though
  
  overall: This is much more of a food Gruner than anything else right now. Could use a bit of time to smooth out some of the rough edges, but this won't ever be a great wine, though it is an excellent one (89 pts.)
• 2008 F.X. Pichler Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Loibner Klostersatz - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
  nose: much more open on the nose than the 07 with real good depth and fresh tones of crushed rocks, pears, bits of peaches and a heavy dose of mineral tones as well. There is a precision to the tones as well
  
  taste: excellent medium feel with medium+ acidity as well as tones of pears, citrus', peaches and all sorts of minerals. Well balanced and very smooth on the palate defying its youth a bit with a freshness to the tones
  
  overall: Much more open than the 07 was. This was a really good gruner with nice balance and aromatics as well as having a good freshness to it as well. While this could age a bit, one wouldn't be faulted for opening it up now and enjoying what it bring (91 pts.)
• 2007 F.X. Pichler Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Dürnsteiner Kellerberg - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
  nose: tight nose, but with lots of depth and tones of pears, white fruits, various asian spices, snow peas, tart citrus tones and bits of acacia flowers. Classy, and though its tight, its showing a lot to like with real good balance as well
  
  taste: real nice and fat medium/full feel with medium/high acidity that is making itself known as well as great tones of pears, asian spices, white fruits, acacia flowers, and some bits of tart citrus'. The youth of the wine is showing on the palate, but the depth is winning through right now
  
  taste: A great young wine that is in need of several years to really show itself. The acidity is a bit overbearing, but there is a lot to like with this wine on both the nose and palate. Great set of tones as well that are interesting and refreshing at the same time (93 pts.)
• 2008 F.X. Pichler Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Dürnsteiner Kellerberg - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
  nose: very toasty nose that doesn't really blow off all that much along with tones of citrus', minerals, spices, fresh herbs and a touch of lemon zest. Good depth, but the toasty and smokey tones interfere with the finer fruit tones
  
  taste: balanced and fattish medium feel and medium+ acidity with tones of minerals, asian spices, fresh herbs, lemon zest and a good bit of toasty/smokey tones as well. Very drinkable right now as the acidity isn't as noticeable as the 07
  
  overall: This is pretty open to drink right now. Comes off like the other 08 Pichlers where they can age, but they are also enjoyable right now. There is a real good fatness to the wine that is enjoyable and good tones as well on both the nose and palate (91 pts.)
• 2007 F.X. Pichler Riesling Smaragd Dürnsteiner Hollerin - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
  nose: really great nose with a precision to it and tones of lemon peels, sweet citrus', bits of petrol, white fruits, peaches and a touch of apple cores. Very good depth and really expressive, but still a bit tight at first
  
  taste: medium/full feel with plump tones of lemon peels, sweet citrus, white fruits, peaches and some apple cores. Excellent medium+ acidity is showing the youth of the wine and the fatness on the palate is a bit rough edged
  
  overall: This is a beautiful riesling right now, but it can really develop. Extremely well balanced right now with great aromatics and flavors that just flow together beautifully. This got better with more air and added some more depth (93 pts.)
• 2008 F.X. Pichler Riesling Smaragd Dürnsteiner Hollerin - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
  nose: fresh and aromatic nose of pears, peaches, bits of fresh herbs, floral tones and a touch of snap peas. Very good depth and with a distinct herbal edge to the nose that is interesting
  
  taste: really great medium feel with medium+ acidity and plump tones of pears, citrus', peaches, fresh herbs and bits of florals. Very good depth and comes off as fairly open to drink right now on the palate as well
  
  overall: This could use some time, but one wouldn't be faulted for opening it now. Well balanced with good depth on both the nose and palate, it seems to lack a bit of layering that the 07 has and doesn't kick it into that next gear the way that the 07 does. But, its still a damn good riesling with its own distinct style and take (91 pts.)
• 2007 F.X. Pichler Riesling Smaragd Loibner Steinertal - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
  nose: very deep nose with tones of pears, lemon peels, all sorts of mineral tones, and bits of tropical citrus'. Very fresh and open on the nose as well
  
  taste: excellent medium/full body with medium+ acidity that is showing along with tones of asian spices, pears, lemon peels, tropical citrus', and a good bit of minerals
  
  overall: this could use some time, but isn't that inaccessible right now. Great body and tones with really good balance right now and should add even more depth with some more time (93 pts.)
• 2008 F.X. Pichler Riesling Smaragd Loibner Steinertal - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
  nose: leaner and mineral driven nose with fresh tones of crushed rocks, citrus', fresh picked herbs, lavender and a touch of lemon zest. Very exotic nose with very interesting complexity, but needs more depth to really make it sing
  
  taste: very good medium feel, but has a lean quality to the feel as well as medium/high acidity and tones of minerals, crushed rocks, citrus tones, lavender and some tones of lemon zest. It could use some more fatness on the palate
  
  overall: An extremely good riesling, but is just lacking a bit on the nose and palate. The leanness of it is a bit bothersome, but it is very young as well. Extremely interesting and complex tones, but just lacking that extra bit of depth that would make this into something else (91 pts.)
• 2007 F.X. Pichler Riesling Smaragd Loibner Berg - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
  nose: there is a good bit of diesel immediately, but it tones back a bit and gives into great tones of peaches, figs, pears, green apples and a dash of fresh picked herbs. Very well balanced with great depth even though it does seem to be holding back a bit right now
  
  taste: great medium feel with high acidity that is a bit overpowering, but with great tones of figs, pears, sweet citrus, green apples, bits of fresh herbs and some diesel tones hiding a bit underneath. Extremely well balanced and definitely showing off it's youth
  
  overall: An extremely young, but extremely good riesling. Very well balanced with great aromatics already, this needs to catch up on the palate but everything is there including great depth (94 pts.)
• 2008 F.X. Pichler Riesling Smaragd Loibner Berg - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
  nose: fresh and tangy nose of pears, tropical citrus, lemon curds, spice tones, and some bits of apples. Nice depth and very open on the nose right now
  
  taste: very good medium body with medium+ acidity and round tones of pears, spice tones, tropical citrus', and a good bit of apples. The acidity is noticeable but isn't too much at this time
  
  overall: This doesn't seem to bring that next level that the 07 did, but is extremely good on its own. A very attractive freshness is on both the nose and palate that makes it attractive and enjoyable (91 pts.)

Mostly 08s

• 2008 F.X. Pichler Riesling Unendlich - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
  nose: nice and tart nose of sweet apricots, pears, green apples, minerals, white fruits, citrus tones and bits of florals. Very good depth, but the tones are holding back a bit and it took a bit of patience to really start to get much
  
  taste: excellent medium body with medium/high acidity and balanced tones of apricots, pears, crushed rocks, various mineral tones, white fruits, and some bits of citrus. Very good depth, but the acidity is showing itself a good amount right now
  
  overall: this was very young, but showed a lot of class. Very well balanced with great complexity on both the nose and palate. In need of time, but has the materials to develop into a real stunner (92 pts.)
• 2008 F.X. Pichler Riesling Federspiel Urgestein Terrassen - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
  nose: very mineral laced nose with excellent tones of lemon zest, pears, green apples, and some bits of florals. Very good depth and very fragrant with a hi-toned quality to it
  
  taste: great medium body with medium/high acidity and silky tones of lemon zest, pears, florals and a good amount of minerals. Its showing its youth on the palate with the acidity being a bit much
  
  overall: This does need some time, but it shouldn't need too long. The nose is wide open right now and really lovely and balanced, but the acidity shows too much and is a bit overbearing. A real lovely riesling (92 pts.)
• 2008 F.X. Pichler Riesling Smaragd Loibner Oberhauser - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
  nose: extremely mineral based nose with tones of fresh herbs, sea shells, citrus tones, and bits of white peaches. Very well balanced with nice depth
  
  taste: excellent medium feel with medium+ acidity and polished tones of sea shells, lots of minerals, citrus tones, and some white peaches. Fairly open on the palate as the acidity is noticeable, but not too much
  
  overall: a really nice riesling. Well balanced with a big mineral streak to it. Much lighter and aromatic in style then many of the other FX Pichlers there, it didn't have the amount of citrus on it as the other did. A very interesting and outstanding riesling (91 pts.)
• 2007 F.X. Pichler Sauvignon Blanc Smaragd - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
  nose: lighter and fragrant nose of lemon zest, minerals, citrus tones, and some bits of wet rocks. Good balance, but lacking a bit of depth and definition
  
  taste: delicate and light feel with medium+ acidity and fresh tones of minerals, wet rocks, lemon zest and some bits of tart citrus'
  
  overall: This was an extremely good sauvignon blanc, but it didn't really get to that next level that dageneau or some bordeaux blancs can hit. It has good balance, but is lacking some depth and real verve to put it into the level of the rieslings and gruners (90 pts.)
• 2008 F.X. Pichler Grüner Veltliner Smaragd 'M' - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
  nose: extremely interesting and deep nose of cinnamon spices, all sorts of floral tones, peaches, white fruits, and a touch of fresh picked citrus'. Very deep and a bit tightly wound right now, but showing off a very pretty and expressive side to it
  
  taste: great medium/full feel and medium/high acidity with great and balanced tones of cinnamon spices, white florals, bits of peaches, and a good bit of mineral tones as well showing through
  
  overall: Very young and an interesting contrast to the 07 "M". Both show off a level of gruner that I haven't really had and there is a lot of class to this. The aromatics are very complex as are the tones on the palate and both have great depth. This would be a great wine to revisit down the line (93 pts.)
• 2008 F.X. Pichler Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Loibner Frauenweingarten - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
  nose: nice and fragrant nose of sea shells, minerals, citrus tones and some bits of herbs. Nice, but lacking some depth on the nose
  
  taste: very good medium body with refreshing medium+ acidity and tones of sea shells, various spice tones, minerals, lemon zest and some bits of citrus'
  
  overall: an excellent gruner, but not in the same league as many of the previous ones. It probably would've been better served earlier in the tasting. Has nice depth and fresh tones on both the nose and palate, but doesn't kick it into that next gear (89 pts.)
• 2008 F.X. Pichler Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Urgestein Terrassen - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
  nose: nice and fresh nose of lemon peels, asian spice tones, white fruits, minerals and some bits of fresh picked citrus. Good depth and has a juicy quality to the tones
  
  taste: well balanced medium feel with medium+ acidity and tones of lemon peels, asian spices, white fruits and a good bit of mineral tones. Fairly young, but the acidity isn't too much and there is a nice freshness to the tones
  
  overall: The nose on this is what really makes this wine. Well balanced with great aromatics but the palate doesn't bring as much depth as the nose. Could probably use a couple of years to round into form (90 pts.)
• 2008 F.X. Pichler Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Loibner Berg - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
  nose: bright and fresh nose of grapefruits, minerals, lemon peels, and a good bit of white florals, and tropical citurs'. Good depth, but would a bit tight on the nose right now
  
  taste: very young on the palate with a real good medium feel and medium/high acidity with fresh tones of grapefruits, lemon peels, white florals, and a good bit of mineral tones. There is a bit of rough edges on the tones and the acidity is a bit much
  
  overall: This needs some time to smooth out and really show off what it can do. Excellent depth right now with great aromatics and great tones, but the acidity is a bit overbearing (91 pts.)

A great tasting. All of the wines were popped and poured, so we weren't able to get the full effect from some of them. That said, it was a great way of spending a brutally hot sunday afternoon and get a chance to meet a lot of great people
Posted from CellarTracker

I wish I lived in a country that didn't impose 50% taxes on imported wine.

the best thing is, in this country you get a fair amount of people who are insanely gung ho about cali and washington wines that they leave a lot of fun stuff to people who want to drink wine from all over the world


also, here are some notes from when I was in jersey visiting friends. All of the wines were under 50 and the average came out to like 35 or so and they were all purchased at the store (except for the Cote Rotie which was online so I could get a big discount). So, they are within an affordable range. I made sure to make it pretty diverse as my friends don't normally drink wine that costs more than $15 because of having to pay for grad school, so I wanted them to get a good look at wines in a slightly higher bracket but that aren't wallet busters either:

WINES WITH OLD FRIENDS - Hamilton, NJ (6/24/2010)

It had been about 3 years since I last had a chance to hang out with a bunch of my college friends, so I picked up and headed to NY and then to NJ to meet up with some of them. We opened up a variety of bottles since they don't normally get a chance to drink wines over $15 and this would be a good chance to try some wines at a bit higher of a price point

• 2009 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
  nose: precise and aromatic nose of white fruits, pears, bits of apples, loads of minerals, and some bits of white florals
  
  taste: good depth with a excellent lighter feel and medium+ acidity with tones of white fruits, apples, all sorts of minerals, wet stones, and some bits of pears
  
  overall: a excellent kabinett. Well balanced on both the nose and palate with good depth as well. On the young side, but accessible as the acidity isn't too much right now, but more refreshing (90 pts.)
  
• 2000 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Tondonia - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
  nose: nice and fragrant nose of vanilla, leather, dark red cherries, bits of tobacco leaf, and some black and red currants as well. Has a real elegance to it on the nose with nice depth
  
  taste: pretty medium body with good tannins and medium+ acidity as well as elegant tones of florals, tobacco leafs, dark red cherries, vanilla and a touch of leather as well. Very well balanced with good depth
  
  overall: this did come off as a bit young. My first experience with a Lopez Heredia red and it was a real nice and elegant wine that still has some stuffing to it. A elegant and classic rioja that is real enjoyable and could've benefited from a bit of a decant (91 pts.)
  
• 2007 Soter Pinot Noir North Valley - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
  nose: very pretty and aromatic nose of dark red cherries, red florals, mushrooms, spice tones along with bits of red fruits and earth tones. Nice depth and on the more subtle side of things right now
  
  taste: elegant and pretty medium feel with medium/high acidity and tones of dark red cherries, red florals, wild spices, as well as bits of earth tones. Nicely balanced with the acidity really showing through right now
  
  overall: this has come together a bit more since the last time I had this. Another year or two and this could be a real nice and understated pinot (89 pts.)
  
• 2005 Silvio Grasso Barolo Pì Vigne - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
  nose: lovely and perfumed nose of roasted herbs, red cherries, spice tones, some bits of mixed berries, wild strawberries and a touch of red florals. Very pretty with good depth on the nose that has a real expressive quality to it
  
  taste: demure and pretty medium feel with chewy tannins and medium/high acidity with feminine tones of roasted herbs, red cherries, spice tones, wild strawberries, and bits of florals. Excellent depth, but shows off the youth of the wine a lot with the tannins and the big acidity
  
  overall: In need of some time, this got about 5 hours of bottle air before drinking. Very aromatic and took some swirling in the glass to get going. Well balanced, and though it shows its youth, it isn't too inaccessible at this time if given a good decant (92 pts.)
  
• 2001 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
  nose: dark and rich nose of bacon fat, black cherries, smoke, lavender and bits of olives. Real good depth with a real savory and meaty quality to it on the nose that is classic cote rotie
  
  taste: great and young medium/full feel with good supporting tannins as well as medium+ acidity with meaty tones of bacon fat, black cherries, bits of spice and lavender with a touch of olives as well
  
  overall: a bit rough around the edges on the both the nose and palate right now. Could certainly use a bit more age, but is approachable with a decent decant. This had a real savory quality to it on both the nose and palate right now (91 pts.)
  
• 2005 Copain Syrah McDowell Valley - USA, California, North Coast, McDowell Valley
  nose: stark contrast to the Guigal with rich and forward tones of blackberries, black cherries, anise, and a good bit of warm blueberry pie. Good depth with real lush fruit on the nose
  
  taste: full bodied with good tannins and plush tones of black berries, spice tones, anise and blueberry pie. Very rich fruit on the palate as well, but very much a syrah at the same time with the tannins providing some good grip right now
  
  overall: could probably use another year or two, but its really tasty right now. Well balanced with real nice and sexy plush fruit that shows itself well. It was definitely a 180 from the Brune et Blonde compared to it, but both were very good as this showed itself off as a cali syrah very well (91 pts.)
  

It was a great time and all of the wines went over well. I figured a good variety would be the best way to go and it was appreciated. All of these were drank over a very long, but fun night
Posted from CellarTracker



IMO the real winner was the cristoffel. It was $20 and brought a ton of complexity, especially for a kabinett. So, for those that want to get more into riesling, start off with the kabinetts as they are generally drier than the spatleses and ausleses and go great with food

I'm currently drinking a Vinacientocinco Cigales 2007 that I rolled the dice on at my local bottle shop. I think it's 100% Tempranillo but I'm not sure. 13.5% alcohol

After a couple hours decanted, it smells faintly of a black cherry that someone's kid dropped down the sofa and you discovered a few weeks later. On the palate the dominant impression is of tap water. Also present are notes of black shoe polish and banana skin.

Overall: A disgraceful bottle of wine. If there were any justice in the world the winemaker would be strapped down and force-fed a barrel of it. 60 points. I could be wrong but I don't think the wine is faulty. It's just ****.

50% is nothing. Try 130% (British Columbia, Canada).

Showed up to work today to discover my boss (an M.S. candidate) had assembled some of the of the greatest wine minds in the city for a dry riesling tasting. I (being the baller that I am) managed to get out of working to attend (+EV). I ran out to my car to change shirts, and here are the notes.

All wines tasted blind (we were told prior that all wines were classic/classic, and Riesling, beyond that, all bets were off. Results at the end

Wine #1: The fist thing we noticed was on overbearing sulphur aroma on the nose. This was continued with hints of dill and a harsh, harsh spice. Immediately we concluded that this was possibly subject to oak maturation, and that the winemaker should be shot. We did eventually pull from tree fruits form the wine, but the more it sat, the harsher the oak characteristics got.

Group consensus: California

Wine #2: Was rather fascinating. Extraordinarily harsh on the open with aromas of bell pepper and minerals. The pungent spice receeded after awhile, but an extraordinary minerality remained. Asian spices and wet rocks dominated the nose and palate, good Riesling, however nothing to write home about.

Group consensus: Alsace, France

Wine #3: Was like the wine of gods squeezed directly from Heaven's private vineyard. Opulent aromas of juicy fruit gum and tropical fruits, this carried through on the palate. Had we not known the varietal prior, it would've been a 100% swing to Albarino, it was THAT expressive. Absolutely blew every other wine out of the water at the tasting. Not a single dissident among the 8 of us.

Group consensus: Rheingau, Germany

Wine #4: This one took a bit of adjusting to. It started off with some spice, which quickly proceeded to turn into straight reeky B.O. High school gym after a workout kind of funk. This later gave way to some exotic fruit and a nice spiciness as the wretchedness evaporated. Overall the definite sleeper of the night.

Group consensus: Mosel, Germany

Wine #5: "I'm embarassed to say that while this wine is awful, I still enjoy it". Classic riesling, with some residual sugar to boot, only it smelled like cigarettes. Seriously, just ground up Virginia tobacco with mint. Refreshing in a sense, abhorrent in another.. The palate was your classic lemon peel and lime-style riesling, and the finish dropped faster than a freshman girl at prom. The running joke for the night was that the Pellegrino we were drinking had a longer finish (and arguably it did). Certainly a 'we're already wasted' sort of bottling. 1/3rd a bottle remained when we left.

Group consensus: Columbia Valley, Washington


Wine #6: Has an odd opening, with an incense-like aroma. It was like someone took a small bit of everything riesling and compressed it into a bottling. There was some tree fruit, some citrus, and some minerals, but nothing really stood out about this wine. Fruit was ripe, and classic citrus-peel variety,

Group consensus: We believe this is Alsace, but we're gonna puss out at the last second and say Claire Valley, Australia






Results:

Wine #1: Pendolds Thomas Hyland Dry Rielsing, Adelaide Hills (2008)
Wine #2: Gobelsburger Rielsing, Austria (2006)
Wine #3: Weingut Johannischof, Charta Rielsing, Rheingau, Germany (2008)
Wine #4: Ravines Vineyard Rielsing, Finger Lakes, USA (2007)
Wine #5: Amity Vineyards Riesling, Willamette Valley, Oregon (2007)
Wine #6: Helfrich Riesling, Alsace, France (2008)

Really was great to have the oppurtunity to taste some fantastic (and not so fantastic) Rieslings side by side and compare to scope of the style when made in a dry style. Fantastic tasting!

We then proceeded to enjoy dinner, which began with then 2009 Pewsey Vale Dry Riesling, Eden Valley. Was fantastic to see this side by side with the Hyland (which was stilll lurking in my glass, it's oak still being dominant. So much cleaner, and such a better crafted wine. Citrus fruits and a light minerality really complimented my lobster and shrimp bisque. Followed that with the 2007 Hirsch Gaisberg, Kamptal, Austria and my word was a fantastic Rielsing. It had all the spicy characteristics you would expect from an Austrian Riesling, but with a beautiful and clean finish of ripe stone fruits. Tasted blind, we'd all have written gruner based on the herbs and gingner, but by this point, it was irrelevant. An absolute treat.

Main course was bacon-wrapped scallops with caramlized onion in tomato basil butter with the 2006 Panther Creek Shea Wineyard in magnum. Super-expressive underripe red fruit with licorice and minerals. Fantastic with the dish, and for $190 in magnum, certainly not a complaint to be heard. Rich and gamy Oregon pinot noir, with fruit just screaming out of the glass. Black cherry, raspberry, and licorice for as long as you could want. My night was being made, but the best was yet to come.

Dessert: Traditional vanilla bean creme brulee with 2001 Egon Muller Scharzhofberger Spätlese. I have no notes, only bliss.


Special Bonus Round!

Went to local cocktail lounge with the attendees (-2) to enjoy some Frenet Branca. Met up with a local industry worker and the following ensued:



Left to Right:

2004 Boutari Vin Santo (with accompanying geniuse Mascarpone wheels)
Grand Marnier 'Cordon Jaune'
Chartreuse 'Elixir Vegetal'
Final Pressing 'Loaquat Liqueur' before apparently the tree became extinct here
Trul Absinthium 1792
Lesvos Ouzo


Overall... one of the best nights I've ever managed to have showing up for work.

grunch:

i am having a chick over on thursday and she is an avid wine drinker. i can spend anywhere from 40-100. any recommendations appreciated.

Define 'avid wine drinker'. There's a HUGE, HUGE differential there. Also, red/white or do you know?

I would be incredibly surprised if the Thomas Hyland had seen any oak. I've never heard of ANY Australian Riesling seeing any oak, let alone one like this that is made to a price point for the mass market. It does get three months lees contact with tank stirring though, so you were probably mistaking leesy characters for oak.

I mean, I'm in the same boat, with not seeing any that I can recall, but 45 minutes in glass and it just smelled like California chardonnay. I would be extraordinarily surprised if it hadn't seen at least SOME American Oak aging (as Penfolds tends towards with reds)

EDIT: Tech sheet says three months on lees in stainless steel. I'm still skeptical that three months will produce THAT resounding of a difference.

she said she is "THE wine drinker." also i am thinking red, not white. sorry about that; imma wine noob

sounds great lol