Hitting a rut: Weekend notes with spill over

WINE TALK
1

So, I hit a wine drinking rut that dates back to Turkey Day. It’s been almost a week, and only one outstanding, yet still quite youthful wine to speak of. Scores have been reserved for a large number of reasons, with some brief notes and thoughts.

Turkey Day
Chateau Ste. Michelle Cab 2006- This is what the in-laws had. Better than Woodbridge.
Alamos Cab 2008- Another in-laws wine. Yup
Boom Boom Syrah 2006- I brought this, b/c they drink Alamos and CSM. Not bad, but not as good as I remember it.

Friday
Grand Veneur Les Origines CDP 2007 (in store sampling) - Tight, REAL tight, with gobs of fruit, but very little alcohol. Showed much better 24 hours later, in decanter.

Saturday
Actually, I had some the day before but we open 3Ls of VCC 2000 and Beaucastel Hommage 2000. Both bottles showed MUCH better the second day.
VCC 2000- Classic Pomerol, with great red fruit and a really vibrant, tannic and earthy finish. Should be great in another 10 years.
Beaucastel Hommage 2000- I don’t get this cuvee. Has loads of Mourvedre, but little in the way of funk. More like animal blood, and GOBS of fruit. Not my idea of a good pairing. Also tastes roasted to me. Another characteristic I am not fond of.

That night
Bruno Colin Bourgogne Rouge 2007- Nice, well mannered, but not quite was I was looking for after a few days of iffy wine.
Bizot Vosne Romanee Jachees 1999- Total disappointment. Funky, but little else in character or body.
Jonata Petit Verdot 2005- BIG, Alcohol, tannic. Yup, 3 things I didn’t want in my wine. Improved the second day, but really fruity and with black tea notes. Not a good combo.
J. Lassalle Brut Rose- Very redeeming vis a vis the balance of the wines this evening. Always good to sabre something on the weekends. Really nice complexity and good contrast of red fruits with the yellow fruits. A little minerally, chalky finish worked with ripe cheeses.

Sunday- The balance of the Saturday Night wines, eh. Not much improved.
I Stefanini Recioto di Soave 2004- Really flat and not that sweet for a Recioto. Almost like Boytritised table wine.

Monday- Hoping for turn around, I opened a Rivers Marie SC PN 2006. Nope, didn’t happen. Simple, a little messy with the ripe fruit, and not much else.

Tuesday- Alesia Sonoma Pinot Noir 2007- Needed most of the night to come around, but really wasn’t knocking me out. Really over pronounced ripe raspberry character that went with my chicken dinner, but was really off putting the rest of the way.

I may need to blow the doors off tomorrow night just to right the ship.

2

Sorry to here all that Ian … an ironic twist of fate! Hope it turns around soon.

Perhaps you need to cleanse with a few good beers and prime single malt scotches before Bacchus will let you back into the party!

3

Sometimes beer or whiskey is the answer for a while. I’ve drunk a lot of Belgian, English and Scottish beers lately, and I’ve enjoyed the wines I’ve opened more for it, I think.

4

Tough week. Perhaps your taste buds are just a bit off this week as well. It happens. I only say that because you opened so many different styles of very good wine. Some older, some young, lots of varietals. Might I suggest a night of some really good dark beers to get your palate going again? I know this happens to me every once in a while and I need to recharge my palate.

5

Ian, 1 outstanding wine per week ain’t such a bad rut…ofcourse it makes a big difference if the others are atleast “enjoyable”. Agree with you on the 2000 VCC, young, lovely and lots of potential…$200+/per retail is a little “salty”. Buying? That Beaucastel Hommage has its fans (not me either) and I hope they love it for $250+. Sorry to hear the Bizot was disappointing, perhaps a Maillard would get things back on track.

RT

6

Love the beer answer. Good time for it.

I’m used to tasting wines that are all over the map, usually in one sitting.

I have bad runs some times, just been a while.

7

Let me know when your streak is over and we’ll go out. I don’t want you to jinx me before then.

8

2007 Boom Boom is tasty, FYI

+1 on young Hommage…I once had the 2000 blind, and I thought it was pretty bad for my palate.

9

Paul- You got it! Thankfully it’s the holidays and I’m up to my elbows in work.

Dan- I do like the Smith wines, just this bottle of Boom Boom was a little bitter. Not sure what went wrong. Glassware wasn’t great though.

I don’t get Hommage. Just doesn’t do it for me, ever. I saw your notes on the 89 and 90. We had the 89 at Ray’s in September against the regular, and I thought the regular was so much more interesting and evolved. There was a truckload of tannin in the Hommage.

10

Open up some young lumber to break the funk.

11

Ian - have you taken any allergy medication? I ask b/c that can cause palate problems where the fruit fades and the wines taste weirdly tannic/acidic or just devoid of fruit.

Otherwise, just could be a palate slump. Take a day off, enjoy a beer, get out and exercise and come back to a glass of wine!!

Still sucks to drink those wines and have them not live up to hype/reputation

12

Tony- I have been, but for quite some time now.

I chalk it up to bad luck, but beer it is, and possibly some young lumber :wink:

13

I asked about the allergies b/c I don’t take any but after a bout with poison ivy I took Benadryl and some other stuff to fight the reaction. While on it, I could taste no wine. It completely stripped my palate and it even took about 5 days after I stopped before wine started tasting normal again.

Also, once I couldn’t taste a thing a couple hours after knocking back some Sour Skittles…

14

Since I end up tasting quite a bit first thing in the morning, I’ve had a lot of coffee/toothpaste/banana flavored Cabernet… [thumbs-up.gif]

15

Funny, for me the worst was Petite Sirah blending trials at 10 am. Absolutely punishing…