Hi Frank,
We’re working on it but unfortunately the Norcal fires cut off our supply chain for shipping materials and we’ve been behind getting wines out. We’d hoped to get Socal out this week but it isn’t going to happen. With the short week next week it’s looking more like the week after.
Jeff, thanks. Happy holidays, as well.
Thanks, Kevin,
Will be poppin one before the main course, and, yes, David, Bearwallow!
Kevin, I’m curious. You seem to be distinguishing the Bearwallow bottling from the Horseshoe by calling the Horseshoe “tirage”, suggesting the Bearwallow somehow does not have tirage. But doesn’t any traditional method sparkling wine have some tirage added and spend some time aging en tirage? Perhaps I’m missing something obvious?
He just means that the Horseshoe is still on its lees.
The Bearwallow was obviously disgorged, as it has been released.
Chris,
A sparkling wine “en tirage” is aging in bottle with the lees (expired yeast cells) still in the bottle. When it is disgorged, the lees are expelled and the wine is finished. We have many bottlings of sparkling wine currently aging “en tirage” which could range from 2-10 years.
Exactly my point. Weren’t both the Bearwallow and the Horseshoe at one point en tirage? Your original post lead my to believe that the Bearwallow was somehow never aged en tirage.
Sorry Chris, now I understand. The Bearwallow BdB was aged about 3 years en tirage. The Horseshoe has aged en tirage longer.
Right. Got it. Thanks, Kevin.
I guess we Pobega-ed ours then…probably deserves to be revisited in that case. And to be fair, it was in tough against opened 08 Dom and 08 Cristal that day, but from last weekend at Berto’s
"2015 Rhys Blanc de Blancs
This has good bubbles and initial entry, but nothing stands out and sort of short finish. Glad to try, though, haven’t had one before."
Tran noted the finish as well, can’t remember if it was remarked on by Nick, Dave, Jay or Berto.
Surprisingly, we didn’t have any older Rhys Pinot or Syrah on that weekend, which we usually do partake of, thanks to Berto’s limitless generosity…
I think the fair comparison that Humberto and I discussed was this sparkling vs. an Ultramarine '15 that we had in September…
I believe our sentiments were that the front-end fruit for this rhys might be more becoming than that on the Ultramarine, but that the bubbles/texture/finish of the Ultramarine might have more verve and more sophistication.
Next up Rhys vs. DRC?
Hope shipments to DC soon.
Be nice ![[grin.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/5/53ba06e9b6e4b370ae7e3d7b3702ad1bda0a2d8e.gif "grin"){kind=small}
I do, honestly, do my best to take each wine on its own merits. Maybe this time that was harder to do. Ergo a willingness and desire to give it another try sometime.
Let’s also remember that the first couple of vintages of Ultramarine had their fans as well as detractors. Give Kevin and team a couple of vintages to refine their approach.
I think I got a sneak peek of this when Kevin was the guest of honor at a Rhys themed dinner back in September. It reminded me more of a Gose than a sparkler from a flavor profile. I like Gose in general. Maybe it was not a primo bottle.
Just got notice that the sparkling has been shipped!
I didn’t get that at all. It was a bit low key in an Anderson Valley sort of way, but then sort of crept up on you, revealing more and more. Subtle, but very compelling and lovely.
I have seen a couple of early tasting notes describe it as sweet. I realize that dosage isn’t the be-all, end-all of sweetness in sparklers, but do people have ideas as to why a fairly low-dosage sparkler would taste sweet?
Good question. I’m one of the ones who thought of it as sweet. Was expecting dry which it perhaps may be but the taste sensation I got threw me a curve as I was expecting something completely different based on word that it had minimal dosage.
Sweater Mike didn’t get what I got out of it. Depends on your palate I suppose.