Best Quarantine Wines

MChang · April 18, 2020, 1:00am

Vince_T · April 18, 2020, 2:30am

2016 Climens
2013 Raymond-Lafon
2018 D&R shake ridge
2018 Wilde Farm Bedrock vineyard
2015 Prüm Graacher Himmelreich kabinett

JonathanG · April 18, 2020, 2:34am

Wow. Kind of hard to follow Eric. Perhaps its time to close the thread unless someone wants to throw down a super old DRC or something.

Greg_K · April 18, 2020, 9:59am

It’s not terrible taste if you like it!

Ethan_Abraham · April 18, 2020, 10:51am

2016 Boillot mouchere
2012 Carlisle two acres
A few 2018 rieslings - falkenstein kab feinherb and haart piesporter
05 chezeaux vaucrains.

All drinking well…have opened some bottles that will be better in 10 years but weren’t showing great now (looking at you 2013 benetiere and a bunch of 2014 burgs)

Jay_Miller · April 18, 2020, 2:17pm

First - I’m glad you enjoyed the '04 Comte! My favorite vintage so far from the naughts.

For wines consumed by myself during quarantine my favorites so far are

2007 Rhys Alpine Chardonnay
NV La Fortunata Prosecco

J_Rock · April 18, 2020, 3:06pm

I’m trying to pace myself, but my favorites so far have probably been:

2006 Saxum Broken Stones
2015 Almaviva
2015 Myriad Cab Napa Valley
2010 Torrin Banshee
2003 Schramsberg Brut – I wish I could find other older entry level Schramsbergs more easily. This was really great and an incredible value.

David_Glasser · April 18, 2020, 3:06pm

We’ve been enjoying a bunch of cellar goodies in lockdown.

Best I’ve popped so far is 1989 Lynch Bages.

Other standouts in no particular order:
1991 Ch. Montelena Montelena Estate Cab
1996 Philipponnat Clos des Goisses
2009 Clos Fourtet
2007 Vieux Télégraphe
2017 Bouchard Meursault Perrières
1996 Pride Reserve Cab

Peter_Petersen · April 18, 2020, 3:28pm

I thought I’d cracking some great bottles, but instead I’ve focused on daily drinkers.
Some very young and excellent wines:
'17 Linne Calodo, Cherry red.
'17 Alban, Patrina.
'18 Alban, Estate Viog.
'16 Pax, Hillside, Syrah.

Lots of Sangiovese from Tuscany, I especially recommend Innocenti as a traditional producer and great QPR.
I keep looking at my red Burgs and then leaving them alone, same with PN in general.
Maybe I’ll open a really good Cab tonight. Should also drink some Zin, but lost the urge to drink most of those close to a year ago.

Justin_Neufeld · April 23, 2020, 2:42pm

Thanks for the mention Alex! It was good to see you on last Saturday’s Zoom tasting. I appreciated the support. Cheers!

KenL · April 23, 2020, 3:50pm

The Becklyn NV cab. I’ve opened one each of the 14,15 and 16 in the last month. Both the 14 and are drinking great right now. The 16 could use a little more time in bottle to settle down, but no regrets opening one last night.

Alex_Frank · April 23, 2020, 4:35pm

Yeah man that was fun! Looking forward to the next one, appreciate you and Brooke putting it together.

Subu_Ramachandran · April 23, 2020, 4:55pm

2015 Cedric Bouchard cote de bachelin
2010 Hudelot Noellat clos vougeot
2000 JM Millot Clos Vougeot
1983 Chateau Cheval blanc

Greg_K · April 23, 2020, 5:14pm

You don’t say! Wonder who you opened that with.

Mark_Donnelly · April 23, 2020, 5:24pm

I’ve gone a little overboard during the last 7 weeks of stay at home, both with daily drinkers and some of the better bottles. Here are the standouts, in no particular order:

2010 Grange Des Peres Rouge
2008 Dageneau Pur Sang
1989 Chave Hermitage Rouge
2016 Wayfarer Chardonnay
2012 Morlet Pinot Noir Coteaux Nobles
2007 Saint Cosme Gigondas Hominis Fides

Yao_C · April 23, 2020, 5:30pm

Daring, to open a young-ish Levet, and Chavaroche no less. How was it?

Shan_A · April 23, 2020, 5:33pm

Hits:
2006 Mascarello Monprivato
2011 Jamet Cote Rotie
2009 Greer Cabernet (not as good as the Jamet)
1998 Arnoux Suchots (glad to have paid a very big discount to auction)

QPR fails:
2007 Mascarello Monprivato
2007 Jouan Clos St Denis

New interests:
Grasso, Whitcraft, Goodfellow

PCLIN · April 23, 2020, 5:59pm

Had an excellent ‘02 Hubert Lignier MSD 1er Cru VV today.

Greg_K · April 23, 2020, 6:14pm

13 years in and a relatively light vintage, not all that risky. Was definitely better on day 2, but not all that crazy to open. I wouldn’t open 05s though

Tomas_Costa · April 23, 2020, 9:08pm

Aw man, i’ve had tons… most of which will probably not ring a bell.

Fonte do Ouro Nobre 2018 (always a great reference for Encruzado)
Aphros Aether 2013 (Vasco Croft’s take on an aged wine from Vinhos Verdes, a rarity)
Zulmira 2018 (typical Vinho Verde - highly acidic and effervescent, balancing out the residual sugar)
Pedra Cancela Amplitude 2015 (example of a top level Dão red from a budget friendly brand. Appropriately tannic yet elegant, well balanced to the point where I found it annoyingly consensual)
M.O.B. Vinha Senna 2017 (a Dão red produced by three of the Douro boys - Jorge Moreira, Xito Olazabal and Jorge Serôdio Borges. Had it the night after the Pedra Cancela, found it much fresher and quirkier though with comparable refinement, complexity and cellar potential)
Quinta do Perdigão 2013 (another Dão, 100% Alfrocheiro, with the variety’s typical dark hue. Aromatic, round, fresh and delicious).
António 2018, by Casal Figueira (100% Vital from the Lisbon region, in A-dos-Cunhados near Vimeiro. Like alcohol lemonade, pure edgy citrus and salinity. Harmonized in contrast with a fatty squid stew)
La Fontaine Aux Enfants 2017 (Alsatian Pinot Blanc from biodynamic producer Marc Kreydenweiss. Similar to a Vinho Verde Alvarinho + Trajadura blend in its pétillant and striking acidity)
Soalheiro Bruto Barrica 2014 (delicious, Alvarinho slightly woody sparkling wine by Luís Cerdeira, perfect match for pork loin medallions with goat cheese and bacon)
Fitapreta Ancestral 2019 (part of the Maçanita siblings’ efforts in reviving old Alentejo grapes, a blend of Tamarez, Alicante Branco, Rabo de Ovelha and a few other varieties, with a minerality distinct from the fatty, tropical profile of other Alentejo whites)
Taboadella 2018 (a yet unreleased Dão red wine essay by Luísa Amorim, owner of Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo in the Douro region. This particular pilot project was 100% Tinta Roriz, northern Portugal’s name for Tempranillo. No wood here - fruity yet pure, striking yet elegant, this will be phenomenal when they release it later this year)
A Laranja Mecânica 2018 (Maçanita’s take on the orange wine, with a 7 day maceration period inbetween the two pressings - an old school blend of Arinto, Roupeiro, Verdelho, Antão Vaz, Boal de Alincante, Trincadeira-das-Prata and Fernão Pires. Honey, quince and orange peel, provocative yet still balanced)
Quinta da Muradella Alanda 2013 (Pure, Galician red from Verín, by microproducer Jose-Luis Mateo. Bastardo, Mencia and Tita Fina blend. Herbal and tea notes, translucid ruby color, perfect match for white meat)
Milagres Alvarinho 2014 (Delicious Alvarinho from Idealdrinks, with more structure and volume than is typical in the Vinhos Verdes, yet with all that makes the region great. This still had more cellar time ahead if we had let it. Possibly my favorite white in my quarantine so far)

Last but not least, Cortes de Cima Reserva 2014, our Easter lunch red. Blend of Aragonez, Syrah, Alicante Bouschet, Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca. All of the seductive creaminess of Alentejo with spice, acidity, dry fruit, licorice. One of the very finest Alentejo reds, memorable. To me it’s A
a far cry above Cortes de Cima’s more famous Incógnito, a 100% Syrah which to me proves that the Portuguese penchant for the endless blend is alive and well.

I’ve had a few more since, but I’ll leave them for another post…