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Tom, thanks for the update. What an interesting story!

Nice batch of late summer cellar defenders from the close out bin at Krisp San Diego (@ $5.99 each) 2014 La Clarine Petit Manseng 2014 Scholium VLV Reserve Verhelho 2014 Tatomer Gruner Veltliner Paragon 2014 Birichino Malvasia Krisp SD.jpg Also: 2014 Radikon Oslavje (500 ml) 2018 Denavolo Catavela 2...

Just saw that Sean beat me to the link!

I have had the 1995 several times in the past two years and it has been beautiful. I know this link has been posted in one of the history threads, but there is an interview with Kathryn and Marty from 1994 that covers the origin and history of the winery up until that time. It is from Wines and Wine...

Just realized this was a two year old thread that was resurrected, but wanted to chime in that the two bottles of 2011 Forman Chardonnay that I have had in the past year have been outstanding! Similar experience to what Blake described in 2017.

Cheers!

Steve

Received the Heritage Auction Catalog for the September Fine and Rare Auction - did a double take when I saw the Cellar attribution at the bottom of the cover. Heritage Auction Catalog - Sep 2019.jpg https://wine.ha.com/c/auction-home.zx?saleNo=5437&ic=Items-OpenAuctions-Open-BrowseAuctionInfo-07171...

Flickenger's 3-day Progressive Sale: Day 1: 0 Day 2: (Went after a few low stock items that I figured wouldn't make it to Day 3) 1 x 2016 Domaine du Tunnel St Peray Roussanne $28.84 (put all 3 remaining in my cart, but lost 2 during checkout process) 2 x 2016 Envinate Taganan $22.69 3 x 2016 Paetra ...

I've been tracking these on Sommpicks for about 6 weeks, but hadn't pulled the trigger until tonight. Bought three, now only one left on the site. Edit: this morning the site is showing "24+ in stock" again, so looks like they reloaded. Had a great tasting with Franck in Cornas in May. Didn't know a...

My favorites from Lodi have been:
Bedrock Kirschenmann Zinfandel (although it looks like that may have ended in 2014)
Sandlands and Scholium Project Kirschenmann Chenin Blancs
Ferdinand Albarino
Scholium 1MN Bechtold Vineyard Cinsault
Bedrock Schmiedt Road Zinfandel

Cheers!

Steve

I have only broken one glass so far, also 1855, and it was the bowl while polishing the glass. Have also done the same with one GGG. I'm definitely not very handy or deft with my fingers so I do try to be extra careful, but the 1855 does seem to me especially delicate. ^ This Broke one 1855 bowl in...

I'd be happy if all wine bottles were the size of those used by Dirty and Rowdy. Easy to handle and they fit in any wine fridge slot. Although I've not declined to purchase any particular wine based on bottle size, I love the bottles that fit in the standard racks in my Vinotemp. Those that don't fi...

And really the reason I posted because I’ve never even heard of this wine. Has anybody had it or know the story? - Yo check out this Bordeaux offer I got the other day. It's for regular size bottles. Not 16 liters or anything like that. This region is so screwed up. $360k for a case of the 2015!! B...

Most important thing I learned at the LDM imports tasting last year is that the stress is on the second syllable. It's tear-AHL-deh-go. teh-rohl-deh-goh Tasted with Brian at the winery a few weeks ago and his pronunciation was similar to John's, with the emphasis on the second syllable. Haven't con...

It would be nice if their website provided information about the wines and Travis. Travis mentioned he was working on a web overhaul back in November, but he hasn't quit his day job yet, plus three kids at home, so I imagine it could be a while! Travis posts here, so perhaps he will paste his relea...

Scott - appreciate the feedback! I have heard of Analemma, but have not had the wines. I've had Nate Ready's Smockshop Band Atavus Gewurztraminer/Pinot blend from that vineyard, which we loved.

Cheers!

Steve

Todd (and all contributors) - what a great resource this is! The good/bad news for me is that my short list for a brief Oregon visit next month just went from about four to at least 16+. Will have to start mapping some of these out to see what may fit. While I am here, I will add that we really enjo...

Adam - welcome to the board! Appreciate the update on what appears to be an even more burgeoning LA wine scene than we have been aware of.

Cheers!

Steve

Angeleno Winery has been around for a few years, but looks like they just got licensed to pour at their facility. CT shows vintages from 2016-2018, along with a few NV. Most wines from Alonso Family Vineyard in Agua Dulce, but CT also lists 2018 Verdejo/Zin bottlings from vineyards noted as Clay Sta...

Was at a restaurant recently that focuses on “natural” wines and discussing why and what they look for and why. Boiled down to balance, interesting complexity, freshness, pairing well with food, etc. My comment was that they were really looking for good wine, not necessarily natural wine. +1 Good w...

Mike P - not quite local in northern San Diego County, but only about 45 min away from Dana Point so easy for me to make the trip up there. That's a long way out on the calendar, but looks good at the moment!

Cheers,

Steve

Nick, Thank you for posting. For many, I suppose it is like being asked "Where is your favorite fishing hole and what have you been catching lately?" I still regularly browse multiple auctions, but my purchases have dropped dramatically for a variety of reasons (funds, maxed out storage, etc). That ...

A few years back, Abe indicated he would continue to produce wines in LA from his current sources (Sonoma, Napa, Contra Costa, Lodi, etc), but would be exploring new potential sources from Ojai to San Diego County, possibly even Baja. That said, since announcing the collaboration with Raj, their IG ...

Congrats to Abe and Raj! Abe has been mulling a potential move to LA since at least 2005 and in earnest the past five years, looking at a number of properties. The location selected was originally a vineyard and just a block from Majordomo. Looking forward to visiting as well as the future SoCal col...

Dan, Can't answer all your questions, but the Sept 2018 release letter from Lioco indicated the Demuth Chardonnay vines were ripped out in 2017 and replaced by Pinot. Here is a link to the newsletter from the Lioco archive page and a brief excerpt: " Alas, the Demuth swan song was finally sung in 20...

Brian, Good point. Not sure we will see negotiatated pricing, but I think this is why we occasionally see multiple bottles of recent releases at auctions such as Wine Bid, Spectrum or Heritage. Wineries are trying to liquidate excess inventories at the best price they can get. Cheers, [cheers.gif] S...

Cool! Didn't know they already had a Clairette Blanche for several vintages. Looking forward to giving that a try!

Cheers,

Steve

Can Cisa - Bar Brutal is also in the Gothic Quarter. Mostly Natural/Biodynamic wines, but an inch thick list full of gems. Lots of Jura/Ganevat, Northern Rhone, Austria and of course Spain. Food was good as well.

Cheers!

Steve

Any list without Peay is incomplete Incomplete*, but: Paul Lato Bevan Cayuse Bedrock Tie for 5th; [cheers.gif] Grand Reve/Force Majeur Lillian Tor Betz *I did enjoy the one bottle of 2007 Peay Les Titans I consumed, but not enough experience with Peay Syrah to break the Top 5 (I do love their Pinot...

Northern Rhone (May 8 & 9) I recommend checking the bank holidays when planning a trip to France. The May 8th Victory Day holiday and persistent cold rain meant there wasn’t much going in Lyon outside of shopping and eating. We had the eating covered with dinner at Michelin-starred Restaurant Le Ne...

Thanks for the note Tom - have one of those '05s so appreciate the update. Color still seems fairly light on mine. Also have a '96 that I just checked based on this thread - it is looking reddish/dark, so I should probably open sooner rather than later. The only one I have opened to date is the '02,...

My wife and I attended as well and thought it was a great event and well worth the drive up from San Diego. As noted upthread, I had always wanted to make it to one of the Healdsburg events, but could never make it work. I am not a notetaker and my original plan was to seek out the producers I had n...

Was never able to attend the Healdsburg event, so glad to see this coming to LA. Looking forward to it!

Cheers,

Steve

We had dinner here and it was fantastic! It was recommended by a chef. http://www.legoutdujour84.com/ Also Au Gusto La Table D'emmanuel is a great experience. If you can get reservations, go early enough so you can tour the grounds. They have a great sculpture walk and some beautiful areas to sit o...

We visited last week and can highly recommend this as well. Awesome experience. Can be a bit disorienting to start depending on the lighting (near total darkness when we first entered) and the uneven quarry floors as you walk around, but we got used to it quickly and became totally immersed in the l...

The issue may not be whether you can bring the sparkler on the plane, but how soon you can open it up after you arrive. Bought an interesting Pet Nat during a winery visit in France last week. A few days later, opened it up about three hours after completing a 6 hour drive. Should have known better,...

2017 Gonon (3).jpg Those were 2016 I assume because I think 2017 was just bottled and shipped. I bought my 2017 for 61€ so there has been some major increase on pricing since 2011! I even got 2010 vintage for 20€ and now they are closer to 100€ on secondary market. Mikko - the Gonon bottles I purch...

Lyle sells them direct if your looking to purchase them in the states. Robert - Lyle had the 2017 Crozes Hermitage Gervans about a month ago. I was on his email list but hadn't submitted cc info to purchase. By the time I got registered it was apparently sold out - reached out to Lyle for a 4-pack,...

Steve, you and I may have been in on the same day, I was in on Thursday and had a very similar experience. I visited Marc Sorrel and tasted with Guillaume, but they didn't have any wine to sell, so I stopped in to Compagnie de l'hermitage hoping to find some there. Georges had the same two Cote Rot...

I was in the shop last week and had a fun chat with Georges. He had two of his 2016 Cote Roties open on the table and offered us a taste. Didn't take any notes and not sure how long they had been open, but we really enjoyed both of them. Unfortunately neither of them were available for purchase (nor...

The number is the Release, so "Little Wine #8" is the 8th release of the non-vintage wine. Just received the 2017 HD and LW#8 in San Diego, but will be a few months before I try one. Opened 2 of the 2016 HD and one LW#7 in the past year and really enjoyed all three, although probably still too youn...

I had one last night with dinner. No idea which one as I can't read the label properly. A bit green when young, so give them a bit of air. They have a lovely silkiness about them and rich fruit. IMG_2961.JPG Dave - that's the NV Little Wine #7 from last year's release. Here is the label decoder lin...

Will be there soon!

Never heard of these. What does the numbers after "little Wing" signify? The number is the Release, so "Little Wine #8" is the 8th release of the non-vintage wine. Just received the 2017 HD and LW#8 in San Diego, but will be a few months before I try one. Opened 2 of the 2016 HD and one LW#7 in the...

Oh my. I recall seeing Hardy's brief note in the Spring 2018 release email, but the article brings out the scope and stunning timeline of the of the events that few of us were aware of. We saw Hardy at the Raw Wine Los Angeles event in early November 2017 and had no clue what he and the family were ...

There is very little data on Ardea although it was talked about on this board awhile ago.. Here is the previous Ardea Seal thread: https://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=151028 It references a few other producers using the closure, and as noted there, saw Matthieu Barret of Domaine du...

my 6 x Grassl 1855 arrived today. Thanks Chris!

Another big thanks to Frank and Jill for opening their home once again for a great event in support of an even greater cause. I'll admit that when I first attended 10 years ago I didn't even realize it was a charity event until I got there, and had never heard of Laura's House. I had just heard abou...

An interesting article by Esther Mobley about issues in Lake County and the Rogue River area. Some of this has already been discussed, but the inability to confirm taint damage with certainty is hammered home here . . . https://www.sfchronicle.com/wine/article/Wineries-vineyards-clash-over-how-to-h...

Greetings all. My wife and I will be staying just outside of Healdsburg next month for a few days of vacation. Wondering if folks can point us to some good tasting rooms in the Plaza area. (We'll have three days of tasting available and won't be driving so don't be shy). We like a bit of everything...

Joe, I have a bottle from the initial release (2010) but have not opened it so can't comment. I enjoy the Sanguis Syrahs, but they usually require a good bit of age for me. I'm enjoying 2004-2006 these days. Larry - release notes for 2010-2015 1/1 are on the website. Here is a snippet from 2015 (les...

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