What bottle of wine did you open today?

[Ramon C]

A fun dinner-tasting with a bunch of La Mission Haut Brion.



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Dude. Really? I’m gonna pop up there and flog you if you do not post a separate thread on these glorious wines. With details!

The Strong Arm hath spoken.

Will sift through my almost-legible iPhon notes and post.

[Ramon C]

Taste-tested with local Northern Rhone geeks the not so controversial '15 Benetiere Syrah along with other fun ones.
Photo courtesy of Greg K.

[JonathanG]

2000 Chateau La Dominique. Picked up at auction for $60 each. 2nd bottle opened last night, 4 hr decant. Stunning wine.

[Andrew Demaree]

2010 Ramey ‘Pedregal Vineyard’ Cab

Excellent and distinctive.

[Lonnie F.]

2014 Lanessan. Just a nice wine. Bell pepper, plum, chalk, decent backbone.

[Robert.A.Jr.]

Taste-tested with local Northern Rhone geeks the not so controversial '15 Benetiere Syrah along with other fun ones.
Photo courtesy of Greg K.



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And again! You killing us, me amigo por favor!

[Andrew Ing]

2008 Nickel and Nickel Tench. Love that wine. I try to hoard all of it I can. The Tench juice has become quite pricey.

[JonathanG]

Haven't had any Nickel and Nickel yet, but tried a Far Niente once, it was awesome.

Tonight is a 2009 Malescot St Exupery. Really nice but still needs 3-5 years.

[RyanC]

2017 Kutch Sonoma Coast Chard - Phenomenal wine. Best bottle of the 3 I've opened. On the softer side of Kutch Chard, but this is still quite intense and focused, with lemon cream and faint exotic fruit. No one is making better new-world Chard than Jamie. Killer QPR.

2009 Jadot Moulin-a-Vent Chateau des Jacques 'Clos de Rochegres' - I bought 6 of these on release and I think this is the 4th I've opened. The first three were pretty good but eons away from great. This one was different: the wood has finally begun to integrate, the mid-palate has filled out, and the fruit has mellowed. This is aging more like a nice Cote Charlonnaise Burg than Bojo, but it has a lovely tart cranberry note that reminds you that it's Gamay you're drinking.

[Rudi Finkler]

1996 Sociando-Mallet, 12,5% alcohol, and 2004 Pape Clément, 13% alcohol, last night.
While the Pape Clément was horribly corked, the Sociando was a real joy. With excellent purity and precision, this classic Haut-Médoc has fine cherry, redcurrant and cassis fruit with a delicious undertow of mint, leather, tobacco, cedarwood, and minerality. This medium bodied wine is still not at its peak and shows some relatively firm tannin and distinct acidity, but excellent balance and length. However, for me, it lacks a little concentration and complexity to be a great wine.

[jon leifer]

2016 Gini Soave

[joeduncan]

2007 Turley Petite Syrah Rattlesnake Ridge. Too early, but improved in the glass and was still very enjoyable. A little concerned that with more age to resolve the tannin the fruit might tend toward plummy, but we'll see.

[Bud Carey]

On deck... 2013 Ancillary Sun Chase vineyard pinot noir.

[dsimmons]

2007 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (9/23/2019)
I drank my second of six bottles last evening with braised pork shoulder. This was a significant step up from a bottle I drank in 2015. Delicious concentrated fruit, earthiness, and nice acid balance. Very precise. delicious today but IMHO this wine is still improving and will get better. Drink or hold. (96 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

[jon leifer]

2016 Domaine Michel Barraud Macon Villages "Les Pierres Dorees"

[Jeremy C]

2014 Sandlands Chenin Blanc

Just a good, yummy wine. There's a waxy, lemony feel to the taste that has a nice complexity to it.

[G. Bienstock]

1995 Bussia Soprana Mosconi Barolo. A little better than the last bottle, a $10 score and I need to get more.

Another one tonight with NY strip and truffle topping. Really good!

[Robert.A.Jr.]

Second day on a 2016 Chateau Grand-Puy Ducasse, Pauilllac, a somewhat unheralded Classified Growth that really delivered in this vintage. Classic Pauillac nose, palate and structure. Love that pencil thing. A bit blocky, though, and built for the long haul. An excellent QPR at $46 or so. I’m grabbing more.

[Craig G]

2007 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (9/23/2019)
I drank my second of six bottles last evening with braised pork shoulder. This was a significant step up from a bottle I drank in 2015. Delicious concentrated fruit, earthiness, and nice acid balance. Very precise. delicious today but IMHO this wine is still improving and will get better. Drink or hold. (96 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

That’s encouraging. I have five bottles that I haven’t touched, though I tasted it once in the past and liked it a lot. I’m somewhat optimistic for a small set of 07 CdPs including this, Pegau, Pignan, and maybe Beaucastel (mixed results with the latter). I’ve had some others that matched the bad stereotype of the vintage - hot, overripe, stewed, yuck. Of all the good ones, Pignan was the best, crazy good.

[Jeff_M.]

15' Zudeima Grenache. Let this one sit in the glass for 2 hours and was drinking really well
15' Outpost Zinfandel, this is always a damn good wine
83' Warre's Vintage port

[Adam Frisch]

2015 Piedrasassi Syrah Bien Nacido. Very nice and on the lighter side with no rough edges. Smooth, but felt old school and not over-oaked. 13% ABV.

[Mike Ott]

2007 Castro Ventosa Valtuille la Cova de la Raposa....has aged gracefully, nice dark purple fruit integrated w/some mineral/slate earthiness.

[Dennis Atick]

Nice surprise last night: 2012 Pierre Morey (Morey Blanc) Saint-Romain. Fresh, good cut and slate-y. Not sure when I grabbed a couple bottles, but glad I did.

[jeffruggels]

Opening tonight 2012 Hamell True Believer and 2014 Kobayashi Cab Franc - will report on progress later

[Bud Carey]

On deck... 2012 WesMar Sonoma Coast pinot noir.

[Vikrant Rachakonda]

2000 Gruaud Larose
2014 Seghesio Home Ranch Zinfandel

[jon leifer]

Monday night, 2016 La Pepie Muscadet, tonight, 2016 Sigalas Santorini (Assyrtiko)..Our oldest daughter did a term abroad in Greece while in college and introduced me to the wines of Santorini when she returned home..Have been a fan ever since.

[Neal.Mollen]

2000 Gruaud Larose
2014 Seghesio Home Ranch Zinfandel

How was the Gruaud?

[jon leifer]

2006 Alpha Omega Cabernet Sauvignon..Lovely wine, the last of my AO's..Am in process of drinking down my cellar so unlikely to reload..I don't see this improving with further cellaring tho it does not appear to be in danger of going OTH,,Wd drink now rather than hold.

[Joe Chanley]

2017 burlotto barbera aves last night.

[Merrill Lindquist]

Hure Freres Champagne Rose. Crisp, direct, without any sweetish notes that sometimes come with rose. Nice, and also affordable.

[Vikrant Rachakonda]

2000 Gruaud Larose
2014 Seghesio Home Ranch Zinfandel

How was the Gruaud?

The 2000 GL was great. I was expecting a backward, closed wine, but this bottle was very open and approachable.

Decanted for 3 hours or so.

Was very fruit forward (dark cherry) on the nose and palate and I did not get the gamey/funk/savory notes people describe with GL.

I actually think the 2001 has more of that rusticity than the 2000.

This tannins were not overwhelming and were well integrated.

I really think this wine is in its drinking window.

[Neal.Mollen]

2000 Gruaud Larose
2014 Seghesio Home Ranch Zinfandel

How was the Gruaud?

The 2000 GL was great. I was expecting a backward, closed wine, but this bottle was very open and approachable.

Decanted for 3 hours or so.

Was very fruit forward (dark cherry) on the nose and palate and I did not get the gamey/funk/savory notes people describe with GL.

I actually think the 2001 has more of that rusticity than the 2000.

This tannins were not overwhelming and were well integrated.

I really think this wine is in its drinking window.

Good to know! Thanks for the response

[jon leifer]

2016 Novellum Chardonnay, Vin de France, from Eric Solomon

[joeduncan]

Over the past week:
2004 Clos Saron Heart of Stone Syrah
2006 Carlisle Two Acres
2005 Franz Künstler Hochheimer Kirchenstück Riesling Erstes Gewächs
2001 Torre Muga
2000 Luna Beberide Vino de la Tierra
2015 Bedrock Heritage Dolinsek Ranch
2004 Domaine Philippe Delesvaux Coteaux du Layon Vendange Tardive Selection de Grains Nobles

Highlights were the Heart of Stone, Torre Muga, and the Bedrock Dolinsek, all were fantastic (particularly Heart of Stone). A little disappointed in the Carlisle Two Acres, a little past peak and on the simpler sweeter side (it followed heart of stone, and that was a jarring transition). I was nervous about the Heart of Stone since the cork had a crack that had seepage all the way down one side, but it seemed unaffected so I'll just be thankful for that!

[Alex Frank]

This seems like a good thread for my first WB post: enjoyed a 2014 Reserve de la Comtesse on Friday night. Loved it – obviously young, flash decanted and it just got better after each glass. Dug it so much for the price ($39), I went back a couple days later to buy more but they were out. Ah well. Excited to be here with you all and hopefully have many more great wines to post about!

[Patrick Stella]

Over two nights this weekend

96 DP oeno solid as always
96 DP rose excellent. 2 btls very similar both very good.
90 turque not quite as fresh as other bottles I've had. Still v good but there is one more level for this wine
90 latour (375) this can be quite good out of halves. This was better than most I've opened. Beautiful.
82 conseillante (375) really good especially in the open but lost a step after being open a while.
00 Rousseau Chambertin. Great bottle. Love 00s.
02 Salon good bottle but salon bores me. Own too many of these and need to sell some. Salon not worth the price.

[Alex N]

2014 Mending Wall Petite Sirah. I love this wine and vintage. Each bottle should also come with a pack of crest teeth whitening strips. It'll make your entire mouth, tongue and teeth completely black.

[Demian Saenz]

2013 Campo Viejo Reserva

[Andrew Demaree]

This seems like a good thread for my first WB post: enjoyed a 2014 Reserve de la Comtesse on Friday night. Loved it – obviously young, flash decanted and it just got better after each glass. Dug it so much for the price ($39), I went back a couple days later to buy more but they were out. Ah well. Excited to be here with you all and hopefully have many more great wines to post about!

Welcome!

[Edward H. Earles]

Berserker-Day purchase, showing well. Generous black cherry, with hints of cocoa, leather, and cigar ash. Acids and tannins are in perfect balance....well made. Drink now.

[Edward H. Earles]

2014 Mending Wall Petite Sirah. I love this wine and vintage. Each bottle should also come with a pack of crest teeth whitening strips. It'll make your entire mouth, tongue and teeth completely black.

I tasted that vintage at the Mending Wall winery, and regret not loading up on it at the time (I was quite ill, and hardly able to drink any....but I remember thinking that it was the best PS I'd ever tasted....)

[Alex N]

2014 Mending Wall Petite Sirah. I love this wine and vintage. Each bottle should also come with a pack of crest teeth whitening strips. It'll make your entire mouth, tongue and teeth completely black.

I tasted that vintage at the Mending Wall winery, and regret not loading up on it at the time (I was quite ill, and hardly able to drink any....but I remember thinking that it was the best PS I'd ever tasted....)

I nearly converted a beer geek friend to wine with that '14 PS I don't see the '14 available on their website, but it might be worth a call to the winery if you're looking to grab some. I tasted '14, '15, '16, and possibly the 2017 (those extra "ok, I'll give it a try" pours) at the winery this weekend. I thought the 16 was just as good and loaded up on that and some '14. Funny, I signed up at that winery for the cab and now I'm all in on their PS.

[Neal.Mollen]

This seems like a good thread for my first WB post: enjoyed a 2014 Reserve de la Comtesse on Friday night. Loved it – obviously young, flash decanted and it just got better after each glass. Dug it so much for the price ($39), I went back a couple days later to buy more but they were out. Ah well. Excited to be here with you all and hopefully have many more great wines to post about!

Great note! Thanks for posting and welcome aboard!

[Alex Frank]

This seems like a good thread for my first WB post: enjoyed a 2014 Reserve de la Comtesse on Friday night. Loved it – obviously young, flash decanted and it just got better after each glass. Dug it so much for the price ($39), I went back a couple days later to buy more but they were out. Ah well. Excited to be here with you all and hopefully have many more great wines to post about!

Welcome!

Appreciate it! So much good info on this board, wish I'd started reading it 10 years ago.

[Alex Frank]

This seems like a good thread for my first WB post: enjoyed a 2014 Reserve de la Comtesse on Friday night. Loved it – obviously young, flash decanted and it just got better after each glass. Dug it so much for the price ($39), I went back a couple days later to buy more but they were out. Ah well. Excited to be here with you all and hopefully have many more great wines to post about!

Great note! Thanks for posting and welcome aboard!

Thank you! Appreciate the warm welcome.

[joeduncan]

Coravin'd a 2017 Goodfellow Whistling Ridge Chardonnay.

Couldn't resist. Was a little tight initially but opened up in the glass over an hour or so. Pretty lemon and mineral / saline notes, matched with good acidity.

As an aside, does anyone know which DIAM cork is used here? I was surprised how difficult it was to push the coravin needle through, hardest I've had.

[Sean_S]

Coravin'd a 2017 Goodfellow Whistling Ridge Chardonnay.

Couldn't resist. Was a little tight initially but opened up in the glass over an hour or so. Pretty lemon and mineral / saline notes, matched with good acidity.

As an aside, does anyone know which DIAM cork is used here? I was surprised how difficult it was to push the coravin needle through, hardest I've had.

I believe its a DIAM 10. In my experience, you will break and damage Coravin needles on any DIAM closure. Tyey are very dense in general. The other issue is I have found that the DIAM corks will leak afterward. So IMO don't use Coravin on DIAM which excludes all Goodfellow wines...

Sean

[joeduncan]

Coravin'd a 2017 Goodfellow Whistling Ridge Chardonnay.

Couldn't resist. Was a little tight initially but opened up in the glass over an hour or so. Pretty lemon and mineral / saline notes, matched with good acidity.

As an aside, does anyone know which DIAM cork is used here? I was surprised how difficult it was to push the coravin needle through, hardest I've had.

I believe its a DIAM 10. In my experience, you will break and damage Coravin needles on any DIAM closure. Tyey are very dense in general. The other issue is I have found that the DIAM corks will leak afterward. So IMO don't use Coravin on DIAM which excludes all Goodfellow wines...

Sean

Thanks for the advice! I'll see if this one leaks... I gave it a good while standing up first so fingers crossed but I'll check it out tonight. Bit of a bummer and downside of DIAM.

[Brian Pinci]

1999 Dom. de la Mordoree CdP Reine Bois. A bit past prime but a nice mouthful. I have another bottle in cellar and I’ll make a note to consume soon. Had it with flank steak and went quite well with it. Keeps reinforcing that I need to drink CdP sooner.