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

Mike Kuller

Never heard of Scarecrow cabernet? Neither had I, though I’ve been a fan of its winemaker, Celia Welch, for the past 20 years. I liked this part. There's a part of my that finds that statement to be slightly dubious. I am huge Tom Brady fan but what is this team, the New England Patriots, you speak...

Mike Kuller

Mike Kuller wrote: ↑
March 31st, 2019, 1:04 pm

bradkaplan wrote: ↑
March 31st, 2019, 12:56 pm
Atlanta (Brookhaven) now with the 08 Dom at $138. Good deal.
Same in Danville, CA.

Sorry, I was mistaken. It's the 2009.

Mike Kuller

bradkaplan wrote: ↑
March 31st, 2019, 12:56 pm
Atlanta (Brookhaven) now with the 08 Dom at $138. Good deal.

Same in Danville, CA.

Mike Kuller

Glenn L e v i n e wrote: ↑
May 15th, 2016, 10:37 am
Yes, Vino Noceto.

Two of theirs came in at #1 and #2 at our last sangiovese tasting.

Amador County.

Mike Kuller

Sabering technique:

Mike Kuller

David Wright wrote: ↑
March 27th, 2019, 9:36 am
With the neck of the bottle facing away from you (and anyone else), grab the cork with a pair of pliers and gently twist the bottle to loosen the cork.

Mike Kuller

I'll be spending the last week of March up in Healdsburg and have only 1 tasting reservation at A. Rafanelli on Saturday. But I'd really like to visit a winery that has some solid white wines. Any suggestions for a winery either near Rafanelli, or near Healdsburg that has some solid whites? Thanks!...

Mike Kuller

It's getting out of hand how much it costs to taste high end wine in Napa. Something like this as an alternative is a great idea for people who enjoy wine and are on a middle to lower middle class budget. I don't go to Napa often, except with out-of- town friends. Downtown Napa isn't bad, but I sta...

Mike Kuller

Neal.Mollen wrote: ↑
March 18th, 2019, 1:56 pm
Polish. And linearity.

Sounds more like your new amplifier

Mike Kuller

Anton D wrote: ↑
March 18th, 2019, 12:37 pm
I think it would be awesome if Vallejo-based island tasting rooms took off and fewer people were congesting Napa Valley.

But Napa is like Disneyland.

How much traffic will a miniature Wally's World take away?

Mike Kuller

The fruit of course!

Currant, rasberry in an aged cabernet.

Blackberries in a good zinfandel.

Subtle strawberries in a nice pinot noir.

Peach, pear, apple butter in a cool chardonnay.

Mike Kuller

Do we really need more "island tasting rooms"? I don't think so :-) We already have Treasure Island with a half dozen wine tasting rooms and a couple of restaurants. And then there's the Alameda Island Air Naval Station "Spirits Alley" - https://www.alamedaca.gov/RESIDENTS/Visiting-Alameda/Attractio...

Mike Kuller

That's nothing. And this one is only 95 points. You can find 20% off coupons. https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/54525702_10217738419362877_187830516265779200_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&_nc_eui2=AeFUibfGEIV3CkJ-UJICBo3tRHy70hssygn3xE34BIU6yS87iZxAnqiNAxr9f746Mk6Q4-7GbEPayQxZe5zdh_TZqccS0aEVGBUeYoT...

Mike Kuller

I used to be an audiophile and spent a lot on audio equipment and music, less on wine.

I haven't bought new audio equipment in a while and there isn't much new music coming out that interests me so I've transferred my hobby to wine.

In comparison I'm spending probably the same annually

Mike Kuller

I recall in the early 1980s people were recommending Gallo Hearty Burgandy because it was a great year for cabernet and much of the excess would flow into the jug wines. It looks like 2018 may be a similar year. I've heard from a Napa grower that with near perfect growing conditions, the 2018 cabs s...

Mike Kuller

Just tried a bottle of the 2016 Kirkland Signature Oakville Cabernet ($19).

It was a little tight the first night, but opened up more on the second. Very pleasant and balanced - great for the money, but not as big and rich as the 2016 Kirkland Signature Stags Leap.

Mike Kuller

Who is Robert Yett? He's a wine buyer at a local restaurant who has been in the business for about 30 years. He reviews and sells wines at a discount. There’s plenty of winemakers not afraid to release their 2017s, he shouldn’t have any problem finding quality wine. I heard from a Napa winery owner...

Mike Kuller

This is from Robert Yett's latest 02/27 newsletter (sign up at vinedining1@gmail.com): "I attended PREMIER NAPA VALLEY this week... I tasted many 2016 CULT cabernets right next to barrel samples of 2017. All of the information I've read about 2016 being a superior vintage is correct. Some elite win...

Mike Kuller

This is from Robert Yett's latest 02/27 newsletter: "I attended PREMIER NAPA VALLEY this week... I tasted many 2016 CULT cabernets right next to barrel samples of 2017. All of the information I've read about 2016 being a superior vintage is correct. Some elite wineries are NOT even bottling a 2017 v...

Mike Kuller

David Glasser wrote: ↑
February 20th, 2019, 3:41 pm

And I thought I’d need a note for my hip and spine hardware. I guess surgical titanium doesn’t set off the magnetometers.

Actually it does set it off and they don't care about any notes.

I get wanded for my hip even when I go through the big scanner but much less than with the smaller ones.

Mike Kuller

TJ's Platinum Reserve Cab... Whats crap is you even rating this Cab, everyones palate and pocketbook is extremely different. That is the reason their are all different callibers of wine. Whats crap is why a 2016 was even opened in 2018 or 19. It should lay down for another 4-5 yrs befor even tastin...

Mike Kuller

TJ's Platinum Reserve Cab... Whats crap is you even rating this Cab, everyones palate and pocketbook is extremely different. That is the reason their are all different callibers of wine. Whats crap is why a 2016 was even opened in 2018 or 19. It should lay down for another 4-5 yrs befor even tastin...

Mike Kuller

Victor Hong wrote: ↑
February 18th, 2019, 1:34 pm
He has hired a criminal defense attorney and refused to talk with police detectives.

Filing a false police report is a crime

Mike Kuller

Mont Stern wrote: ↑
February 16th, 2019, 9:03 am
Friends that ave toured Oregon wineries tell me that this has happened in Portland.

Maybe now.

We toured the Willamette Valley in 2010 with another couple and each brought a separate suitcase to store a case of wine in cardboard wine boxes. All of it made it home with us.

Mike Kuller

Not bad.

Was just at the Concord, CA store this morning and didn't see any of that.

Mike Kuller

Speaking of Orin Swift, I recently had a 2017 Prisoner which is about $39 now.

Not nearly as good as the 2014 which was their peak, IMO, before they were purchased in 2016.

Mike Kuller

Be sure to share the results. Your wine and name the others.

Mike Kuller

2016 Bedrock Old Vines.

The Bedrock Heritage is higher rated and will age better, but fruit and drinkability usually win blind tastings.

Mike Kuller

My wife has been getting headaches now EVERY time she drinks - used to be just when she'd be at game night with her girlfriends drinking cheap wine, now it's the good stuff, too. That will suck for her if she can't shake it! Wine Wands www.amazon.com/PureWine-Removes-Histamines-Preservatives-Headac...

Mike Kuller

We don't drink at all during the week, and not a huge amount on weekends, and we will skip weeks sometimes just because of circumstances. Going "dry" would not be a challenge, but wouldn't lead to shedding 5 pounds either! I'm with you Neal. I don't drink usually between Sunday and Thursday. I call...

Mike Kuller

Our local wine shop (Jackson's in Lafayette) has the staff do a blind vintage and non-vintage champagne tastings in November/December before the holidays. In the vintage tasting, yours came in 4th out of 7. Guess you had a bad bottle. www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10217404192847423&set=gm.10773058...

Mike Kuller

Lee Braem wrote: ↑
January 27th, 2019, 10:29 am
Heidi Peterson Barrett is still making their wines.

This weekend I had a 2015 La Sirena grenache she made and it was pretty good, but nothing special.

I haven't heard of Lamborn zins in at least a decade.

Mike Kuller

to Mark Morrissette, My experience is somewhat limited, but I think Ridge Zinfandels are much better candidates for mid to long term ageing than Turley. I've enjoyed a number of Turley Zinfandels, but they have been more in the opulent, very ripe 'fruit-bomb' style, while Ridge wines tend to have b...

Mike Kuller

I drink a lot of zins and aging them depends on the style. Of course, the Ridges, Carlisles, Turleys and Bedrocks can probably stand 10 years or more. The more fruit forward ones not so much. I usually let my decent ones sit for at least 3 to 5 years. At the Turley pick-up party last October in Amad...

Mike Kuller

Speaking of vintages, I have heard others say the 2017s are not as good as the 2016s in CA.

Steve Reynolds of Reynolds Family Winery in Napa says 2018 may be their best vintage in decades.

The growing conditions were optimal.

Mike Kuller

Good advice from Anton. I always drink a minimum of a glass of water for each glass of wine. An average male can metabolize a glass of wine per hour, up to a limit. My limit is 4 to 5 glasses a night, depending on when I start. With 4 (one bottle) I usually feel good in the morning and sometimes wit...

Mike Kuller

larry schaffer wrote: ↑
January 19th, 2019, 8:07 am
QPR is a funny thing to discuss on a board where folks clamor over $200 syrahs and $100 mourvedres . . .

That's why listing prices on TN is important for most of us.

Mike Kuller

I’ve been BURNED one TOO MANY times on Wilfred Wong wine suggestions. I’m not sure if he still ‘works’ for BevMo...but his opinion...in MY opinion...SUCKS HARD! LOL! Wilfred Wong of BevMo. I read an article about his wine ratings sometime back and he said he rates them according to what an average ...

Mike Kuller

Thanks for the interesting notes.

I guess if I have to ask about why you didn't post the prices, I can't afford them

Mike Kuller

You don't have to taste the difference to know that the economics just don't add up. If literal liters of an alcoholic beverage are being sold that cheap then something is also cheap with the quality of the product. Just to be clear, the regular price for the 5L box is $13.99. This was a closeout, ...

Mike Kuller

90 - 95% of my Cellartracker wines are over 90, but then today I took a flyer on a Four Vines Truant. Should of looked it up before buying. It comes in at an 80. New all time low. champagne.gif That's a wine that is as drinkable now as it is likely to be so you could have bought one to try it first...

Mike Kuller

I've been looking at this a bit, living in the south Bay. I can't say I've noticed any big changes since moving here almost 35 years ago. So I plotted average max and min temps for the Napa weather station (airport), from data on Weather Underground. Bunch of years are missing in the middle, but it...

Mike Kuller

LOL! It should have been "152 California Wineries to Visit in 2019" and included Oregon border to the Mexican border.

Looks like an interesting list to me.

Mike Kuller

The prediction is that Lake County will become the new Napa.

You heard it here first.

Mike Kuller

When I was in college in the early 1970s, that's the wine I'd buy for a hot date to impress her.

Not that it ever worked but it made me think I was pretty cool.

At our wine tasting group's XMas Party with our wives a couple of weeks ago, someone brought a bottle.

Lot of laughs

Mike Kuller

I had a CH 666 cab ($29) a couple of weeks ago and it was pretty nicely balanced, with fruit, oak and some depth.

I wanted to order some but they were sold out.

Mike Kuller

Funny drinking a $12 glass of good wine with your $8 burger, but that's something Gott's (St. Helena, SF, Walnut Creek) has (besides dipped soft-serve cones) that In-N-Out lacks.

They also sell it by the glass at another local WC restaurant - Yacht Club.

Nice wine for the price. - $22 bottle.

Mike Kuller

I would recommend going through the retailer - certainly not Facebook.

The retailer can get credit from the distributor - the distributor can get it from the winery.

Everybody's happy

Mike Kuller

I was at the Concord, CA store last Friday and they still had a bunch of intersting magnums and etched bottles.

Mike Kuller

I enjoy this wine for what it is. It’s a nice drink if that doesn’t require a lot of thought. Not sure why people are giving it serious evaluation though. It’s like writing a review on Heineken or rolling rock. If Rolling Rock were $60 a 6-pack people would be writing negative things about it, too....

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