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Brian Gilp

Mike Grammer wrote: ↑
May 21st, 2019, 9:47 am
The Redoma is a little more accessible but usually 7 years at least is always a good call with those.

The 2001 is still in good shape. The bottle I had a few months ago didn't show any signs of going over the hill any time soon. I'd guess it has at least 2 more years and probably 5.

Brian Gilp

Seems like the selection at Total Wine is getting worse, at least for their Italian selection. It was never great but I was usually able to put together a decent case or so of Italian wine and felt the were strongest in the south. Just jumped on-line to check the inventory of the closest store and m...

Brian Gilp

The test that I used back when working the tasting room was 1. Do you drink coffee or tea? If so do you add sugar, cream, honey or drink it black? 2. Do you drink hoppy beer. You already answered that as no. Generally, if the answer to both is no, then tannins are a real issue and no amount of tryin...

Brian Gilp

For those of you who didn't get to buy the futures, MacArthur's in Washington DC, https://www.bassins.com/, has had a California Cab futures offering for many years. They are currently selling the 2016 Monte Bello as a future for $160/750. While this isn't nearly as inexpensive as the price from Ri...

Brian Gilp

I have really liked some of the Wilde Farm Bedrock. Seems maybe a litttle more bottle variation or just changes with time but when they are on they can be really nice.

Brian Gilp

Its rare these days for a winery to sell a wine only through the tasting room. The last time I recall that was at Babcock when they had a batch of Chardonnay with some unexplainable suspensions in the wine. It tasted fine but he couldn’t sell it through normal channels. So he put it in the tasting r...

Brian Gilp

look to Aglianico from southern Italy.

Brian Gilp

I’m planning to do so with a handful of 2014s. Will be interesting to see if I lose my resolve

Brian Gilp

Good- CA, WA, OR Palatable- NY Bad- VA, PA Curious if any Berserkers belong to wine clubs in those states they consider “good wine” save for the three above. Not now but was in RdV and the Linden case club (not a club in the traditional sense) in the past. But to be fair I dropped all clubs except ...

Brian Gilp

Good: CA, OR, WA, NM, TX, MI, VA, MD, NY, NC
Palatable: RI, IN, NJ, WV, PA

Brian Gilp

Is the finished part to the left where there is a door and is that wall insulated? It should be but I hate assuming. Is the right wall the exterior wall? From the picture I’m not sure. But if you have one exterior wall and the floor as heat sinks you should be fine. I have a set up that is similar i...

Brian Gilp

Well if Cakebread chardonnay has worked in the past then Miner or Stonestreet should do at 2/3 the cost. I think you can do better but working off of the Cakebread comment and knowing a few friends who like Cakebread and they have all enjoyed Miner and Stonestreet as well.

Brian Gilp

Too many variables to really address this. As already noted, a mismatch of vine to vineyard won't ever produce great results. But that is generally discussed wrt the variety and not the rootstock, yet the rootstock is just as critical. I wouldn't be looking to plant riparia gloria rootstock in most ...

Brian Gilp

Interesting note. The prior wines that I have tried from LaRue where not heavy to my taste. But my data points are limited.

Brian Gilp

I have noticed that once I have one flawed bottle, I am more likely to find another flawed bottle at the same tasting. I am not sure exactly why this is but I assume that once I catch whiff of a flaw that I become more aware of it and then will notice it in other wines at lower concentration levels ...

Brian Gilp

Mumm is open on Saturday but I don’t recommend it.

Brian Gilp

If by reductive, you mean H2S then I don’t think so. I have plenty of experience with H2S and while I will never rule out any possibility, this was vastly different than any prior experience I’ve had. The aroma was different and I honestly don’t recall the bitterness on the finish of any of the H2S ...

Brian Gilp

I did a quick search here and elsewhere and think it’s a disulfide of some kind but not positive. Any confirmation or other ideas? Oregon Chardonnay (2014) has a rubber aroma when first opened and a slight bitterness on the finish. Decanted the wine and periodically retasted over an hour+. Both the ...

Brian Gilp

Thanks for the note. I’ve got a lot of respect for Babcock and liked many if the wines. Still have a few in the cellar that I wondered if should be consumed soon but no where near as old as this. Seems I shouldn’t be concerned which is kind of what I thought.

Brian Gilp

Go to the local UPS store. Buy one shipper. Fill with 12 bottles of wine. Take back as checked baggage.

Brian Gilp

Like Marcus said, it really depends on what one means by knowing a wine. I worked weekends at a tasting room for a small winery back in the 90s. It was standard practice to taste every bottle before serving to others. That meant every open bottle from the day before and any new bottle opened. Tastin...

Brian Gilp

I've tried a number of Broc wines but all were 2011s so not sure if they are representative of other vintages. I loved the whites but given my preference for acid driven whites that wasn't surprising. I didn't enjoy the reds. I found them all to have a sameness to them. I am sensitive to what I call...

Brian Gilp

Hobo generally has a few wines below 12% each year and many in the low 12%.

Brian Gilp

I don't find this wine to come off as too sweet. The ones that I have had all seemed to be rich and in great balance. I checked a couple of tech sheets and the listed RS was in the 5 to 7.5 g/l range.

Brian Gilp

Dave H. wrote: ↑
March 31st, 2019, 4:33 pm
Have any of you east coasters heard anything about shipping, yet? I’m in Virginia.

Mine arrived Monday in Maryland.

Brian Gilp

I wouldn’t spend money on anything that covers just the basics. The basics aren’t that hard and the real isssues come from what’s not discussed in basic books. One book that has the basics but covers more and I still do use as a reference is by Pambianchi. Not sure if the exact title but something l...

Brian Gilp

I respectfully disagree with the Calluna choice. Those are really tight, lean wines. With age and aeration, probably good to many here on WB, but definitely not what I'd serve to a big group of civilians. This is not my experience. Granted my dataset consists of one group of 5 civilians that I intr...

Brian Gilp

The color may not be all that much darker than normal, just looks that way due to the size of the bottle. This is something I have noticed with wines in 5 gallon carboys. The wine always looks darker in carboy than once its bottled or in the glass.

Brian Gilp

The wine that I had never recovered at least not before we consumed the case which was over many years. As best that I can recall it didn’t change much at all from the first bottle to the last. I am not suggesting that this is what explains the bottle you had. Just addressing that there are other wa...

Brian Gilp

I had to wonder if it was watered back a lot. I can't imagine how you'd get that alcohol level with that faint color and lack of concentration. I once tasted a wonderful Pinot from barrel and ordered a case to be shipped after it was bottled. What showed up was lighter and had less concentration to...

Brian Gilp

I had a '98 a few weeks ago that was all alcohol and caramel. The caramel was like an old Rioja -- essence of American oak. The '98 also burned with alcohol, though, unfortunately (marked at 16%). The few other old Jackass zins have been similar, out of whack with alcohol. The same person who provi...

Brian Gilp

I haven't had the 2014 vintage but prior vintages of the Trump weren't even the best sparkler out of Charlottsville. Granted its not the worst either. But that's the problem with these wine competitions. They can only judge based on who enters and there is little upside for really good wineries to e...

Brian Gilp

I have a Hamilton-Beach in the office that was probably the cheapest I coudl find at Target 5+ years ago. It heats water and that is about all I can say about it. The French Press that I make in the office is inferior to what I make at home using the stove top kettle solely because the water temp. I...

Brian Gilp

I think it's important to discuss here what a 'flaw' is in a wine? I know that sounds simple to explain, but is it? We all have different thresholds for picking up most things, including TCA, brett, VA, and a few other 'questionable' things. TCA is relatively straightforward, and a restaurant shoul...

Brian Gilp

Are you extremely sensitive to TCA? I am admitted relatively insensitive to TCA but rarely have a single bottle that’s corked at a restaurant much less 3 of the same wine. Like Steve noted, if I’m not sure I ask to let it sit a few minutes to get a better idea as to if it’s flawed or not. How that ...

Brian Gilp

Like Steve noted, if I’m not sure I ask to let it sit a few minutes to get a better idea as to if it’s flawed or not. How that works seems to depend on if there is a Somm or not. In places with a Somm, if they didn’t serve the wine, the request for time usually results in a very quick visit from the...

Brian Gilp

My introduction was via my girlfriend’s parents when I was about 18. My parents didn’t drink so wine wasnt something I had any experience with, just cheap beer. My girlfriend’s parents took us out to dinner a few times and always ordered a bottle of wine and I was smitten. It was all I could do to n...

Brian Gilp

I find it hard to make sweeping statements about price and quality. Quality is often as much about individual preferences as it is anything else, assuming sound farming and winemaking. So what I feel is quality you may not. I have found that if I taste through all of the wines that a winery produces...

Brian Gilp

Moderately priced at $150? What? :D In my books anything with a three-figure price is expensive (apart from some styles, most wines above $75 are already quite expensive) and above $250 are premium wines. When you get basically 99% of the world's wines at less than $75 per bottle, I think calling $...

Brian Gilp

At lower price points there is a connection between cost and price. What point this is will depend on a number of factors so the range is somewhat broad and the cost for a primitive from puglia or a Malbec from Chile is going to be lower cost to produce than a Cabernet from Oakville. But it’s a safe...

Brian Gilp

Quality is relative and based on individuals own experience. If all one has tasted is Andre then Korbel probably tastes great.

Brian Gilp

I’ve like Tour st. Bonnet in 2005 and 2010 but haven’t had any more recent vintages.

Brian Gilp

I’m still looking. Tired most of the same ones you have and feel the same way.

Brian Gilp

I have come to accept that while my California Cabs (not restricted to Napa alone) preference is "old school", I don't really love Bdx. I have had the occasional bottle that impresses me but more often than not I find myself underwhelmed. Producers mentioned in this thread that I had on mulitple occ...

Brian Gilp

Opened both the 2008 and 2009 Linden Hardscrabble Chardonnay last night and was really impressed. I don’t have much experience with Chardonnay with much age so not sure how these would stack up against other examples of similar age. The wines were more similar than different showing the same flavor ...

Brian Gilp

Wasn’t the last vintage of the VV 2010 or 2011? They have a select Ech now but I don’t think it’s the same as the VV.

Brian Gilp

I haven’t had this wine but have had many others from the vintage. If me, I’d decant and serve immediately. It may take a few minutes to come around but I haven’t had any that needed hours and most were fine as PnP. I don’t know how much sediment to expect from this wine so stand up prior if possibl...

Brian Gilp

I’m assuming bottle variation but the 1996 PC that I had within the last few months wasn’t as good as the prior bottles and was unfortunately my last.

Brian Gilp

Gary, Yes that’s a little uneven but in my experience lighter roasts on Ethiopian beans are going to be uneven. Dry processed seem to be more uneven that wet processed. But if you want to keep city roast you are going to have to accept a little unevenness. That’s said, I find most other beans to be ...

Brian Gilp

Ethopia Agaro Quota Co Op = preheat to 290F Similar to last roast, but at 5:00= 300F, at 6:00 = 320F, switched to P3, but at 7:15 just as First Crack was Starting, ERR2. it seemed to go thru most of 1C, but probably a Throwaway batch. Roast looks uneven, some medium, some light.. I don't understand...

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