The put your money where your mouth is Hannukah family dinner. Ex Voto, Colgin and Schrader.

We had our family Hannukah dinner tonight. Rebecca, Jacob, Gregory, Pin Hua and non-drinking two year old Grandson Christopher.




  • 2005 E. Guigal Ermitage Blanc Ex-Voto - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage (12/25/2016)
    Originally served right out of the refrigerator with no decant. Both mistakes. needed to warm up and needed about 30 minutes of air. This was an all around great white wine and an excellent pairing with fresh cream of mushroom soup and potato latkes. White fruit, oily, meaty, herbal spice, acidity without citrus. Real depth in the flavor profile that filled your mouth all the way down and through to your chest. (94 pts.)

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With slow roasted prime rib cooked four hours at 200 in the Big Green Egg with brussel sprouts sauteed in garlic and fresh made naan:

  • 2006 Colgin Cariad - USA, California, Napa Valley (12/25/2016)
    Outstanding wine, great balance. Red fruit. No intrusive oak, herb and spices, some light mushrooms, smooth but still five or ten years of tanins to resolve. Caresses the mouth and lasts for along time. This is a long lived wine that is delivering pleasure now and more later. A decade from now it will be outstanding. Powerful without being a caricature of a California Cabernet,not that I dislike the caricature style. (95 pts.)

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  • 2013 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon RBS Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (12/25/2016)
    One hour decant then followed for five hours. Full bore, top flight Thomas River Brown wine made out of really great Napa fruit. Obviously a baby with serious tanins, red fruit (cherry and plum) and oak notes yet to integrate with chocolate. Gets better and better with air and smoothes out. (97 pts.)

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When I asked my 2 year and change grandson if he wanted some wine yesterday, he said NO! pileon

I’ll save my 2 schraders listed above for another day, since this is the last vintage I own. < insert your emoticon here >.

Mine of the same age says No all day yesterday. We are working on him saying Yes but he does not know that word, so its all in the way you ask. “Do you want to not eat Pizza?” NO!" Do you hate chocolate cake? “No!”