Wine Berserkers - international wine social media, online community, and discussion

Agree on the book. An excellent resource, I have read it twice.

Thanks BB. I've yet to taste the 2012 Cristal but I'm going to fix that soon, I promise you. Thanks for the note and your impressions, buddy.

There isn't much traffic yet on the 2017 Kutch McDougall so I figured I'd tack it onto the recent visit we did this past summer, as that's the previous time I tasted the 2017s, including the McDougall. Jamie continues to crank out CA Pinot Noir that is balanced, without the intrusion of oak or booze...

Yes Mike, thank you again for another year of supporting us via your lodging leadership. Appreciate it, as do so many others. More broadly to everyone, I have updated the event file, which you can find by clicking the link below which will take you to Dropbox. We continue to track very well with com...

Good to hear. Dumb luck, as I bought a little 167 over the holidays and was shipped a 168 by mistake (or they ran out of 167 and gave me 168...not sure). Might be time to source a little more 168, as it seems you dig it.

Over 12000 views for the RM release? That is mind blowing. Awesome. As for the previous poster, what are you asking? This winery..... https://occidentalwines.com? I can't help with the Occidental winery offering, assuming I captured it correctly. Never heard of them, actually. If the costs to you ar...

Lots of long time customers here--I enjoy seeing the length of time many people have been buying. And if you look at the pricing, the SC I still barely above the $25 it had been at for a long time, and the SV stuff is fairly priced (IMO) around $60 across the range.

I hesitate to post this but I opened a Rhys 2010 Alpine pinot back at Thanksgiving and found it overly sweet. I have had several other Rhys that I enjoyed but this one was not to my liking. The fruit was there but it was tough to finish the bottle. Did you guys find this one sweet in your tasting c...

Order in. This is my 12th year buying from RM, love these wines. Will, you never even took me out on our 10th anniversary.

Larry, not gonna happen, as the wine is sold out. I got a 750 in the cellar so if you want to try it on Falltac day, and if you're staying for the afterparty, dude, I'll open it.

Bill, this was a kind thing to do but not necessary. Folks, we live in a society (at least here in the US) that continues to become more fractured and divided. The way you fix that divide is by looking out for each other, showing respect and doing something for someone else. Fight against people and...

Brad, thanks for the feedback. Last night, I went out to the web and grabbed some more of the 2012 Terre de Vertus (and also Longitude, as that wine is damn good, too), picking it up from Sec Wines in Portland. The pricing was strong so it made the reload easier too! To your point, I've had my fair ...

Brian, thanks for the notes and POV. Doing these sit downs is really helpful to me, too. The process of doing some thoughtful analysis, and also real-time getting perspectives from others about what they taste, does help me fill the picture of what's at play in the craft. I did find the 2015 Horsesh...

The Longitude a few weeks ago was fantastic. Then tonight the Terre de Vertus. Larmandier-Bernier is making some delicious wines. I ended up reloading more of both tonight as these are BdBs that just drink to my palate. 2012 Larmandier-Bernier Champagne Terre de Vertus Premier Cru - France, Champagn...

Mich@el Ch@ng wrote: ↑
January 18th, 2020, 4:08 am
Bottle barn in CA has it for $155/btl, free shipping on 6+

It was in stock recently and I thought about it but decided to save the $$$. In looking at the site y/day, it said Sold Out.

Demian, the best deal I found on wine were in Champagne at our various appointments--I didn't buy anything in Paris, as lot of what I saw was available back home. When we came home, I remember packing 9 bottles from Champagne into one of the suitcases, which all made it back to the US just fine. As ...

NV Christophe Mignon Champagne Brut Nature - France, Champagne (1/18/2020) Disgorged 07/2018. No dosage, 100% Pinot Meunier. This showed very well, reminding me of the 2014 Marie-Courtin Resonance of last week. Both wines showed plenty of fruit expression, clean/crisp texture, lime, salinity and a ...

I reloaded my 09 Cristal via these guys last month. Everything went smoothly.

Yes, Counselor. We used one last year and will do it again next month, as it helps the folks in the back of the yard hear it, too.

Hello to the Falltacular family. Want to share some cool event news with you about next month. Every year, and for many years passed, we have asked a survivor of domestic violence to share their personal story during Falltaular Saturday. For many of you, this has been a moving moment, calling on you...

Phillip, it needs air, as I found that to aid in letting the wine unwrap. I don't own a Coravin and I don't know how to think about aerating a wine in the context of using the device. My advice (assuming you have more than one bottle of the 2017) is to get the cork out and enjoy over a couple nights...

The 2017 Platt Pinot Noir was my red wine of the year for 2019. I didn't bite on it when it was offered last January, but with some good fortune, someone else I know did buy it and brought it to a small dinner we had last May. Without a doubt, it was a wine that made me pause, as great wines do. My ...

Lafarge was the burg producer who woke me up to the wines of the area. I remember vividly bringing the 2007 Lafarge village burg to a small party and I was the only guy enjoying it, while everyone else doped up on Belle Glos. That Volnay tasted of dried red fruits, soil, acidity and structure. I don...

The 2008s were revealing for the power and aging finesse they are showing--these are botched wines. Vintage does matter. This is pretty clearly autocorrect being “helpful”, but I’m curious to know what it was changed from? My guess is bitchen. That is a excellent guess, and I will fix that boo-boo....

Here is a summation of the event we did yesterday. I was able to retaste about 1/2 the wines again today, as some of the bottles didn't go home with the Berserkers when they said goodbye last night. So, some of the TNs below will have more depth, as I was able to get after the wines again this after...

Good morning to the Falltac family. Wanted to let everyone know I am posting the file update in a few mins to Dropbox, to get you caught up on things. The winery commitments are now being added to the file, and the silent auction items are growing quickly. A big thanks to Leah Smith of Myriad Cellar...

Jay, I don't take selfies but for you and to raise money, I offer the photo below and the TN. This wine was made by Thomas Brown, so you need to count it! As for the wine, damn, this has to be the best vintage of Riverain Syrah. Superb. 2012 Riverain Syrah Cardiac Hill Bennett Valley - USA, Californ...

Thank you Brig for helping to pull all the loose ends together this year once again, as well as the other folks who helped, whether as donors or week organizers to raise money. This is the side of Wine Berserkers that I appreciate and enjoy.

We got a bunch of bottles opened yesterday. I was able to scrawl some notes out, mainly on the Champagnes, but also for a few other favorites of mine via Kutch and Rivers-Marie. And, the good fortune it seems is that while most don't go for the Champagne (they head for the still wines), this leaves ...

I got curious yesterday about how I spent my wine budget in 2019. Using Cellartracker, the power is a few clicks to get the answer. The most notable thing I found was my significant shift between Champagne and Still wine. 2019 was the first year that Champagne purchases for my cellar outpaced Still ...

Thank guys. I opened the 2015 last night, and scrawled out some notes on it. I sent the remainder of the bottle home with someone but I will throw some notes up later if it helps.

While an unabashed Comtes fan I almost always prefer the BdeB to the Rose and since the latter is more expensive I don't buy it. The one exception was the 2004 which I liked even more than the already spectacular BdeB. Me too although I bought 3 bottles of the 07` Rose for some reason and haven't h...

2008 Cristal at 235 less 2% with member rebate so call it 230. 2009 and 2008 Dom, both 155 so round # of 150. Lot of bubbly at my Costco in the OC.

Rat, my thoughts are with you and Dava. Losing a dog hurts like hell, as I know that feeling well. I know too how much you both make your dogs part of your family. Hang in there pal. I excluded the Krug and Comtes below, leaving just the hipster grower stuff. Thank you for taking week 5. 2008 Vilmar...

Jayson, regarding the 2008 Vilmart GcDO, I just poured off another glass from last night's bottle. it's retained the CO2 pretty well, too. Fantastic drinking right now, but I have to keep telling people that read my TNs that I like structure and tension, and I also don't like older wines. That said,...

Warren, I pulled a 2008 Vilmart GCdO and that bottle was excellent. I still have a few ounces left to taste tonight with dinner.

If I was on the receiving end of the comments, and putting aside the issue at play here, as the reader and evaluator of the comments, I would want to see people provide a novel take, not something canned. Sure, it takes a few minutes of time and effort to do the canned commentary but if I wanted to ...

I will tee up a 750 of this next weekend and see what's in the bottle. My only experience to date with the wine was tasting from a hand disgorged dosage test bottle at the winery this past summer. So, I'm interested to see what the finished product now tastes like. I'm with David, in that I really a...

We hosted our annual NYE get together. 3 couples, sharing a meal, dessert, movie. We typically have a lot of great bottles on this particular night, to wish off the old year and in with the new. We had some still wines open, and I recall the 2016 Cirq Treehouse I think, but didn't take any notes. We...

Emily, I would estimate that a # of passionate people around here (me included) have submitted written comments to the USTR website. Not everyone though is this passionate, although I agree with you in that this is the time where folks should raise a voice forward and all rally together.

brigcampbell wrote: ↑
December 31st, 2019, 5:03 pm

Scott Watkins wrote: ↑
December 31st, 2019, 4:30 pm
2016 Rhys Alesia Pinot for $26.99 wtf
Anderson Valley, correct? Very nice wine and great price. I think it's all Bearwallow fruit.

Not the Santa Cruz at that price...

Yes Brigger, the declassed Bearwallow PN.

To drink this, and 2009 Cristal tonight.....blessed. Two terrific wines. I didn't see any previous dedicated posts to this wine so let me offer one. Beautiful example of RM PN. I've come to the point where I am done buying the Sonoma Coast bottling, as I believe the Ox vineyard, as well as Summa, i...

Gotta pull some stuff shortly. Thinking 167eme, 08 Vilmart GCdO and maybe some Mousse, too.

R M Kriete wrote: ↑
December 30th, 2019, 2:26 pm
Patricia Green
Kutch
2016 Barbaresco

Forgot about my still wine. Only on a few lists anymore...Kutch, is one of them, will buy Jamie's wines for sure as he perennially now makes wines that hit my annual WOTY list.

I bought some more Marie-Courtin Resonance, which arrives tomorrow. That's probably it until Rivers-Marie allocations are released in a few weeks. And if the tariffs hit, oh lord.

Nate Simon wrote: ↑
December 28th, 2019, 6:09 pm
15+% Cali fruit bombs.
Or pretty much any high-octane juice.

Anything with a lot of ABV is going to be off my list in 2020 and go-forward.

The 2009 Cristal is my WOTY. Brilliant stuff. I drank everything I had so I backfilled a little of it in November so I didn't kick myself later on.

Champagne, although that seems like a plan that may be a "tremendous" and "perfect" fail. Pun intended.

Happy holidays to the Falltacular family. Hope you all are having an excellent season, and looking forward to a safe and happy New Year. After the New Year, I am going to rapidly get going on the remaining pieces of the event, in part the Silent Auction commitments. I have updated our Event File wit...

NV Mouzon-Leroux & Fils Champagne Grand Cru l’Ascendant Extra Brut Réserve - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (12/25/2019) This bottle has a later disgorge date than the one I wrote about this past summer. This one is March 2018, zero dosage, and a mostly even split of PN and Chard, in part f...

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