2010 Red Car. The Aphorist. Drinking quite beautifully.
2004 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau
Doluca Karma 2011
Merlot Boğazkere
(Turkish wine–picked up in Istanbul airport on the way to Abu Dhabi, where to greet us it is raining for the first time in four years.)
Very interesting wine! Deep, dark, smooth and long. Boğazkere is a Turkish grape.
There was a period when I used to go to Istanbul a couple times a year and I always enjoyed their wine. Not all bottles were that great, but I was usually surprised.
k.
Last night, a lovely 2007 Tercero Syrah Larner Vineyard. There’s a certain brightness to this wine that I really like a lot. Nothing brooding or unresolved in this bottle.
2006 Ca’ del Baio Barbaresco Marcarini
2011 Sojourn Pinot Sonoma. Great QPR.
"If someone told me I would walk into a local wine shop/restaurant that had on the shelves Rhys, Arnot Roberts, Huet, Cotat, Fourrier, Allemand, Donnhoff Hermannshohle, etc. I would have claimed that was fictional as well. "
Craig - sounds like you visited Soif in Santa Cruz? Amazing local treasure and great selection both on the shelf and by the glass! I have been really enjoying the Birichino Grenache. Not sure if you knew this but one of the winemakers (John) works there. If you have not done so yet you should check out their website and the pictures of the old vines.
Soif is more focused on AFWE (I really don’t like this description) but a Cal lover such as myself can still enjoy it while having my horizons expanded.
(No financial interest other than as a regular customer).
2009 Williams-Selyem Sonoma Coast Pinot: Actually a bit closed. Wasn’t giving me much at all mid-palate, but opened up somewhat after a 2 hour decant. Should’ve drank it earlier I think, it might not make it out the other end.
2007 Monti Nebbiolo D’alba … I bought it from lastbottleswines.com and i’m glad I still have two more bottles! extremely smooth with a finish that just hints at some fruit. Salute!
11 ceritas porter bass
2008 gilbert picq chablis
Another Turk:
Prestige Narince 2012 (white)
Kvaklıdere (a large Turkish wine company)
Nevşehir Vineyard (Cappodocia)
Narince is an indiginous grape IIRC
Very strong flavor, needed maybe 30 min air, but then I liked it. Medium to heavy weight. Slight bitter note at end that diminishes with air. Very robust but agreeable flavor.
2002 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Clos Windsbuhl VT.
Very good! ![[wow.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/7/7d450e9830889c8943b674446a21b7254cad657e.gif "wow"){kind=small}
I think we are getting more Alsatians than we were…
Launois Cuvee Reserve Brut Blanc de Blancs
Just poured an '06 Lillian (regular label) into the decanter.
2008 Clos Habert - sweetness stood out tonight. Just not a good match to the meal, but it was a last minute fill in for a defective Rhys Chardonnay.
Yes!
2009 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
2009 Saxum Paderewski