TN: Four O'er The Weekend...(short/boring)

WINE TALK
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Susan & I tried these over the weekend:

  1. Herman J.Wiemer GWT Dry FingerLakes/NewYork (EB&G; 12.5%; http://www.Wiemer.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) 2009: Pale yellow color; very light pear/GWT slight lychee/floralslight mineral bit OscarMeyer weiner/smokey very low-key nose; off-dry (.5%-.6% RS?) light earthy/smokey slight floral/GWT rather soft somewhat dull flavor; very short light pear/GWT soft/underacid off-dry dull finish; a rather simple/dull GWT w/ slight varietal GWT character. $20.80
  1. Ch. de la Chauviniere Granit de Ch.Thebard (12%; Melon de Bourgogne; Muscadet Sevre et Maine/Loire; Ne colli/ni filtre; matured sur lie fine for 4 yrs in underground tanks; MeBalP) Y.etJ. Huchet/Vignerons 2005: Light gold color; rather chalky/minerally/earthy/leesy slight fruity/spicy nose; tart/lean/metallic very minerally/chalky/leesy/earthy/stoney little fruit flavor; med.long tart/lean rather chalky/leesy/minerally/stoney little fruit finish; pretty classic lean Muscadet but fairly rich in texture; cries out for a plate full of raw oysters. 1. $22.00
  1. Ridge Calif LyttonEstate Grenache (6% PS/6% Zin; DryCreekVlly; 14.6%; 46 brls; Bttld: May’07;
    From 2 parcels planted in 1902 & 1963; Drk: 3/07-3/12: EB) 2005    : Very dark color; rather strawberry/Grenache strong smokey/oak/DraperPerfume/RidgeRed some spicy/cinammon/dusty somewhat complex/interesting nose; tart rather tanic/hard/lean light strawberry/Grenache smokey/toasty/oak/pungent/RidgeRed some dusty/old vines flavor; med.long rather hard/tannic/angular somewhat lean/hard strong toasty/pungent/oak/RidgeRed light strawberry/Grenache finish; a pretty hard/angular/tannic rendition that speaks of Grenache but more of Ridge winemaking. Recent ATP release at $28.00
  1. Crasto DOC: Douro VinhoBranco (45% Rabigato/40% Gouveio/15% Roupeiro; http://www.QuintaDoCrasto.Pt;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; 13.5%) 2009: Pale yellow near colorless; strong citric/grapefruity/floral some stoney/minerally rather Vermintino-like pleasant nose; quite tart/lean/schreechy grapefruity/minerally/stoney/citric slight floral rather Albarino-like flavor; med.long citric/grapefruity/mineral/stoney very tart/schreechy finish; rather on the underripe/green side; interesting wine but not worth searching out; rather Albarino-like in character but more schreechy. $19.00

A wee BloodyPulpit:

  1. Thebard: This wine kinda picqued my interest because it had no AC on the front or shipper’s label. And the 4 yrs sur lie caught my eye as well. It’s one of the better examples of Muscadets I’ve had. Alas, it needed a big platter of oysters just several hrs from the sea to make it a pleasant experience. Notta gonna happen in the boondocks of Northern NewMexico.
  1. Grenache: I’ve long ago made my peace w/ the Ridge Rhone program. They are simply Ridge’s rendition of what those LyttonSprings grapes can give. They’re very atypical of Calif Rhones, particularly the Grenaches. I seldom find them very attractive at release/in their youth. But they have this knack of developing w/ btl age into a pretty interesting old Ridge Red. They’re not strong on varietal character and speak more of Ridge red winemaking. I can live with that one.
    That said, this didn’t strike me as one of Ridge’s stellar efforts w/ Grenache. There’s precious little old-vine Grenache in Calif and, maybe, this is the kind of wine old-vine Calif Grenache gives?? This particular Grenache seemed on the rather hard/tannic side. Given Eric’s short-range drinking window for this; I don’t see this wine evolving in another yr’s time into anything exceptional. But, then, I don’t know jack-$hit how wines evolve and leave those infallible predictions to Monktown attourneys.
    Tom
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Tom,

I thought of you the other night. I was watching this PBS show on Olympic fencing, I think it was in Athens, and it was about this USA female fencer named Sara, she was the favorite, and she had a sister who was also good, and they both got on the US Olympic Team, and there was this other chick who was good, and she missed the cut, but they put her in the team picture anyway, in case someone dropped out, as she was first alternate, and someone did drop out, and she got to Athens, and Sara and her sister got beat by some Chinese babe, who was really cute, and the alternate chick whipped Asian ass on the Chinese girl, and won the gold medal, and all the time watching this I was thinking “I bet Tom Hill knows all these hot fencing babes”, especially the chick who won the gold , she was very hot, with Angelina Jolie lips, but natural, no Botox. dc.

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Harumph…that would have been Sada & Emily Jacobson. Amazing athletes whom I’ve watched fence several times in real life.
That’s one of the reasons I’m heavy into fencing, Dave…it’s the hot chicks. However…Sada & Emily are…
gaack…saberists. No self-respecting epeeist would gave a saberist a 2’nd look…no matter how
hot a chick!!! You gotta draw the line somewhere. You gotta be able to look at yourself in the mirror the next morning!!
Actually, because of so many fencing coaches have departed EasternEurope w/ the fall of the IronCurtain. for the US,
both Men’s & Women sabre has taken a big jump up in results over the last ten yrs.
But the saying still goes…“If you want to fence sabre…you have to like bannanas, your knuckles have to drag the ground,
and you have to have an IQ below 20”!!!
I presume you were impressed w/ the athletic abilities of the fencers in the clip. They’re amazing. And…yup…some are hot chicks!!
Tom

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Tom,

Oh yeah, their athleticism was primary in my thoughts, no doubt, but like a wine has “secondary” and “tertiary” characteristics, well, my secondary thoughts were of how cute they were, Sada and her sister, the Chinese hottie, and the winner, can’t remember her name, definitely was an awesome fencer/saberist/epeeist/whatever, but yeah, great athletes all, no doubt, and did you notice my “homage” to Tom Hill, with my stream of consciousness post, because of my respect for you, major props amico. dc.

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Yup…did notice that, Dave. Just assumed you were mocking me!!! As we say in epee…“easy target”!!! [cheers.gif]
Tom

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And here I thought I stepped into an Annie Proulx novel… [oops.gif]