TGigante and Friends
Theme- Wine that has been gifted to you
Charity- St Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Usual Berserker Rules Apply:
$5 for posting a tasting note
+$5 for posting a photo of the wine and your mug
+$5 for an interesting story about how the person selected the wine and if you felt the wine was Thunder-Bucket worthy, hit in your wheelhouse or introduced you to something you now have as part of your regular rotation.
$400 max
We’ve had quite a few interesting discussions on gifted wine. So, we wanted to explore that rabbit hole a bit further. 
Remember it’s the thought that counts. Be Nice!
Happy drinking! Happy Holidays!
2 Likes
I list the Store in CellarTracker as Gift whenever I receive a gift. I can’t figure out how to search/sort what is currently in my cellar that has a store of “gift”.
click “my cellar” (top right)
switch the “show:” from wines to individual bottles
you’ll see a column for store - can click on it to sort
1 Like
Me too Steve
Here’s how I find them
Click on My Cellar in top right corner
Click on Reports on left side
Click on Purchases by Store
Click on Gift from your list of stores
It should show all the gift wines you received and logged as such.
When I initially log it in, I put a bottle note with a note “Gift from XXXX”. This note will show in the list along with the date you logged it in as received.
Kyle’s method sounds easier
1 Like
I knew there had to be a way and there are actually at least two. Thanks @Kyle_S_chaffer and @TGigante
Thanks for sharing, Jim. Didn’t know that label existed. It’s likely not related though as my paternal relatives emigrated from Abruzzo
1 Like
I’m finishing setting up the village underneath the Christmas tree, the final step.
This wine was a gift from a fellow berserker who purchased a case of mixed wine at a charity event. I was over this house for dinner and he said “will you please take this case of wine? I have no place to put it.”
There’s some fun stuff in this case. More to come.
3 Likes
Bump
We’re in Day 3 and only 1 post from Brig!!?
Did I pick a dud theme? Did you regift all your gift wines? Did Dry January come early?
Drink em if you got em folks.
Ugh. It is a bit of a tough one. I don’t get gifted many bottles and the ones I do usually get re-gifted or used as cooking wine. I always tell guest not to bring over wine as I already have plenty (and I am very particular in what i want to drink). I currently have two gifted bottles. One is really special and needs 10-15 more years in the cellar. The other is a 2016 Barbera Riserva that lists 15% ABV, meaning it is likely 16%. I’m scared to open it and every time I look at it, I feel the beginning of a hangover!
1 Like
I did find this one. Daou Cabernet Franc Adelaida District 2018.
Full disclosure, I attended a Daou tasting dinner once, and they’re pretty much my least favorite winery of all (more because of the people than the wine, though I don’t like the wine either, especially the oak monster chardonnay). I do get gifts of Daou more than rarely, because they are so popular among my demographic here, and I usually give them away.
But I’m always intrigued by a side hustle of cab franc from a domestic winery. I see now that this is a $100+ wine, maybe I should have sent it to auction, but too late, it’s open now.
The nose has some riper purple and black fruit, but there are indeed some hints of green tobacco and gravel. The palate too strikes a pretty healthy balance from the nature of the cab franc grape and the sunnier Paso terroir. And it has some reasonable complexity and geek interest to it, while avoiding overripeness or too much oak.
While it’s not a good value at $100+, I’ll admit, it’s a good wine. I think the best one I’ve tried from Daou. Maybe the last one, and if so, I’ll end on an up note.
1 Like
This was a gift from FMIII, I helped change out the bathroom faucets.
1 Like
I opened a Quinta do Infatado 10 year Tawny Porto that was gifted to me recently. By itself, it was a bit drier than I expected, but tasty with dried fruit, burnt sugar and some herbal/spicy tang. Might be a wine to linger over more slowly than we did. We paired it after our cheese plate with Panetone (pistachio creme and chocolate morsels) and Italian almond biscotti. The pairing with Panettone was very good and it went up a notch to great with the biscotti.
Cheers, Tony.
1 Like
Well I really leaned into this one. Truro Vineyards Diamond White NV.
Cool bottle. Nose of sugary fruity candy/ maybe skittles or starburst. Upon first sip my immediate thought was “hey not bad” but that changed almost instantly to Nope. Sweet grape juice. My wife described it perfectly as those cotton candy grapes that our kids eat but we find nasty.
1 Like
2021 Wolffer Estate Summer in a Bottle Rose. Long Island, NY
Initial sips had some sweetness. Then it balanced out with lots of strawberry, raspberry and florals. Good body with a light finish. Can go all seasons but best in summer.
Gifted to us on our anniversary as my wife’s consumption of wine consists of Rose 90% of the time. Of that 90%, 75% is Hampton Waters
1 Like
2014 Achaval Ferrer Finca Mirador
A gift from a friend who at that time worked for Stolichnaya, which owned A-F.
This wine, counter to what might be expected, is all about restraint. Pencil shavings, violets, restrained notes of purple berries, plum skin, and lots of watery mineral. Little evidence of oak, and the listed 14.5% seems much higher than what I perceive in the glass.
Some might appreciate the restraint, others might find it light in body and somewhat thin in the mid palate.
2 Likes
I actually thought of this as a possible theme for my week which is coming up. Not sure why the responses are so thin; maybe wine geeks just dispose of the gift bottles pretty quickly after they arrive.
1 Like
Ha! Count me in the group that enjoys these wines. Achaval Ferrar is my favorite South American producer (though my knowledge of the continent is pretty thin).
1 Like
Drowning a tough weekend for the Kings…and we should be able to support this week, as we definitely have many generous visitors coming by the winery.
The 2021 Kumeu River Chardonnay was a gift from Eddie Koo, the owner of Temperance Hill vineyard. He also came and put in a weeks woorth of work as an “intern” this fall. The quotes are because, while Eddie absolutely did everything an intern might do, I can’t really think of the owner of one of Oregon’s best vineyards as an intern. He was great, and on his last day gave Megan and I this bottle of Chardonnay.
It shows quite a bit of oak on PnP, but after an hour or so the wood really integrates in nicely and the wine was a real pleasure to drink. It’s not high acid, but it gas a lovely elegance to it. Medium in frame and texture, it shows a deft hand in the cellar. Floral in the nose there is lots of orchard blossom and sweet citrus aromatics. The wood is still there, but it’s not intrusive at all. The palate is fine boned and delicate. Lemon water(in a good way), slightly under ripe orchard fruits, clean lines and good balance from front to back.
2 Likes
Great theme, but sadly nobody brings me wine. I get other gifts, but cannot possibly drink them, so cannot post a tasting note.
However all is not lost. I did get a gift package from Vermont Company store, in a rather attractive box, and both cats went for the box immediately. However it was the blond surfer type Rhys, who started chewing on it, and here is his tasting note.
“A superior cardboard, thick and possessing of a good body. Pure, there is no element of corkiness. Slightly hollow in the middle, but a dense chewy finish. Flavors a little simple, but only to be expected from cardboard manufactured in Kentucky. I did appreciate the little cloth mouse which they threw in. It now rests in its new home under the sideboard where I can’t reach it.”
2 Likes
