Followed in your footsteps Brian and popped a Hardy wine!
Wanted to do a Russian river wine for the Russian river cause, but Dry creek is not really that far is it 
5 Likes
Bump…
1 Like
2022 Tercero Trilogia - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (12/5/2024)
Consumed over ~1 hour, warming from fridge temp to cool room temp. White peach, green melon, pithy grapefruit, hints of white floral notes and lychee and green apple. Mid-weight, nice acidity, lovely all around.
Posted from CellarTracker
I don’t actually have anything shipped regularly, but I have a couple of local-ish wineries whose offers I buy from regularly and then pick up at the tasting room. Tercero is one of those - I’ve always liked Larry’s wines (red, white, and rosé), and I’ve always enjoyed talking with him when we come to Los Olivos to pick things up.
7 Likes
@Brian_Tuite what a great cause. I’m not in a great spot to get note off in the next week as I have a weird schedule and not even sure I’ve gotten any wine shipped lately anyways. But I’ll see what I can find and will try to get something posted Sunday.
I’ll also match the $15 on every note posted past the first one, that includes the photo with you and bottle (ie 2nd and greater). I’ll make that retroactive to @David_Bu3ker and @Terry_H_a_r_r_i_s. Trying to encourage more photos as it’s great being able to put faces with names for so the many wonderful people I’m fortunate to interact with on this board.
6 Likes
This wine has its own thread and IYKYK. 2012 Sky Vineyards Zin Old Vine St George. Great stuff - high acid, integrated tannins and bursting at the seams with raspberry aromas and flavors. On the lighter bodied end of the Zin spectrum, which is kinda amazing for Mt Veeder fruit. Drinking great now but clearly has years ahead and I’m glad to have a few more in the cellar.
I don’t have a huge Sky cellar holding, but along with the Bedrock iterations, these are annual buys for me. Utterly spectacular and unique wines and the Olds family are such great people, making these a no brainer to buy each year.
EDIT: Forgot that Cody at Desire Lines is also making wines from Sky fruit now too!
6 Likes
I took Charles WSET wizard for a spin with a 2010 Ladd Abigail Pinot Noir
APPEARANCE: Hazy (faulty?) and tawny in color, with pale intensity.
NOSE: Clean, with medium(-) intensity. Detected red fruit (redcurrant, cranberry), fruit development (dried cranberry) and bottle age (leather) aromas. This wine is fully developed.
PALATE: Dry, with medium(+) acidity and medium(-) tannin. Medium alcohol. Body is medium(-), with medium flavor intensity. Detected red fruit (redcurrant, cranberry, strawberry), dried/cooked fruit (kirsch) and bottle age (leather) flavors, with a medium finish.
CONCLUSIONS: This wine is of good quality. Drink now: it’s not suitable for ageing or further ageing.
(generated by tastingnotes.vin)
6 Likes
I feel like @brigcampbell is looking right at me. 
@Brian_Tuite here is another swing at helping you and the charity. I bought most of my Laherte Freres from Caveau this year, and this bottle came in my October shipment. My connection to the winery stems from really enjoying the wines (thanks to Envoyer and Lopa for the early intro to them), then a visit to the winery in 2022, and since then really just buying everything they make across their range. I know the wines, I have a good sense of what to expect, and they consistently ring my bell for quality and price, plus Aurelien farms his plots without the chemical bullshit that still lives in Champagne. I appreciate his commitment to do things this way. I trust that testimonial earns another $5 from Brian’s pocket to his charity.
- 2020 Laherte Frères Champagne Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Les Grandes Crayères - France, Champagne (12/6/2024)
November 2023 disgorgement. First go with the 2020 (been drinking and collecting this cuvee since it started in 2014). 100% Chard from around the village. Dosage on this seems on the lower side this vintage, I'd guess a few grams (although the back label continues to show the 0-5 range, as usual). On first taste, this seems a lot like the Nature de Craie bottling that the winery makes--that one is no dose, no sulfur, from Vertus and Voipreux fruit over in the very southern edge of the Cote de Blancs. That wine for me is usually racy and edgy, with some richness but the acid and energy are the driver of that wine. Why I make the comment is that this vintage of LGC drinks a bit like that wine--you could fool me as to which you poured me if they were blinded to me. The saline on this vintage is elevated, so is the flinty nature of it, with the fruit supporting the structure and the texture that these drive onto the palate. The fruit is lemon-centric, it's got a little lift of richness, along with some savory citrus peel. When I let some of the chill fade off, then the wine broadens out. As for the finish, same citric signature, moderate length, with a flinty savory, minty note.
Posted from CellarTracker
7 Likes
I believe this fits the theme “Choose a producer who shipped you wine this year and surprise us with a selection of a current or past vintage.” I got shipments from Laherte Frères this Fall, and this is a grower I have purchased for a number of years because the Ultradition Extra-Brut is an excellent value and Les 7 is a fun blend.
Onto the tasting note:
- 2013 Laherte Frères Champagne Premier Cru Extra Brut Les Longues Voyes - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru (12/4/2024)
100% PN purchased from Emilien Feneuil. Dosage 4g/L, Disg. 1/2017. Oak ageing, blocked malo, 18 months extended lees ageing before 2ndary fermentation.
There's something oddly tropical on the nose, kind of like a tropical fruit punch that is just starting to turn. Taste-wise, I got tropical fruit punch notes, especially on the 2nd night when I had a fresh palate. Some citrus zest on the mid palate and the finish shows the oak influence with some caramel-ish notes. I prefer other LF bottlings, but it's possible that this one was a little long on the tooth.
5 Likes
Bravo!
1 Like
Things are picking up on this Friday evening. Step-Daughter and Grand-Daughter went to Vancouver to see Taylor Swift, Son-in-Law went to a Christmas party so we’re babysitting 2 Grand-Sons tonight. Working in a few minutes to reply to the events.
Welcome to the barrage @bretrooks, Larrys wines are always enjoyable. @Jason_T, DUDE! Thank you for your generosity, this means a lot to the Center and the kids. @Greg_Gardner that ‘12 Sky rocks, great pull. Nice idea using the note generator @brigcampbell, it kinda loses the personal touch in translation though. @Frank_Murray_III comes in strong again, I’m still waiting for mine, the one you popped sounds awesome. I’m gonna have to ping @anthonyshideler and see where they are. Last but not least @AstridKG with yet another LF Sparkler, I could have sworn I had some of those in my cellar but I’m not showing any in CT. Sorry this one was a a disappointment. There’s always tomorrow!
I popped a wine from another producer I have been getting allocations from for a long time. @Morgan_Twain-Peterson is tops in my inventory. I really need to open more of these. This is the first bottle of this that I’ve opened so far. It, like the D&R last night, is refusing to grow up.
- 2014 Bedrock Wine Co. Syrah North Coast - USA, California, North Coast (12/6/2024)
Black core with magenta rim, roasted meat, bacon, blackberry, blueberry and a bit of funk. The blueberry is big on the palate, there’s an iodine streak and more roasted meat. This is a chewy wine still showing a lot of oak and a lot of youth. No rush for sure.
Posted from CellarTracker
6 Likes
Brian, you’re awesome
1 Like
And mine too! Wonderful for you to do this for Brian and his charity. Props and happy holidays. 
3 Likes
Discovered this producer on a Berserker Day of yore and has consistently been among my favorite Chards and Roses. This was a BD 15 purchase but have some chards stockpiled in the cellar as well.
Crisp apple and pear. Acid brings the fruit to a higher level and brings a clean brisk finish. A vibrant offering that does not veer into citrus or red fruit. Very crushable! (92 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
5 Likes
@Brian_Tuite hey well done on the caption there. Brilliant!
1 Like
LF has this on sale right now. How much longer do you think it can it go?
Patrick,
Can easily go into summer and beyond. These drink well a couple of years past release. I can say the same for Tercero rose. Both of them can be held a couple of years.
@TGigante! I was going to comment on your manicure and ask for a $5 photo of you but one magically appeared. Thanks for contributing!
I found a work-around. If you go to the bottom of the thread when you are done viewing it and click on the dropdown you can re-pin it.
Brian, naturally shiny nails I guess. Don’t have a manicurist.
I posted the tasting note from my PC but it’s easier to post the photo from my phone so that’s why it popped up later in my edit
1 Like