Yes, though our long range goal is to get the bubbles to where a year or five is plenty!
3 Likes
[quote=“David_Bu3ker, post:2384, topic:129216, full:true”]
FIFY
Drank our last bottle of 2015 Richard’s Chardonnay today. My wife got most of it, (mother’s day and all), but damn the one glass I had was wonderful.
6 Likes
Hi Mikko,
While I am not going to claim the bubbles on these wines are a ringer for champagne, I am going to ask how much of your champagne you drink 5 weeks after disgorgement? It really does change over time.
And if you are not a funk guy, then be sure to leave the Whistling Ridge for day 2 or day 3. It’s reductive, with seawater or puer tea notes often sitting on top of the wine at this point in it’s evolution.
Or just don’t open it and save your $48 dollars until the wine achieves some semblance of what it will really be. They are 100% narrower versions of themselves right now, that’s the essence of bottleshock.
Quite literally most champagnes will sit in a container for at least 5 weeks on the way over the Atlantic, and it’s doubtful they shipped within a week of disgorging. We did ship them within a week or two of disgorging, because otherwise it was hold until fall(which we’re happy to do). I won’t make that mistake again.
I really have no idea what your trying to prove? Other than that offering these on BD was a stupid idea…
1 Like
That’s a little aggressive, don’t you think?
This is why I said earlier that I think my notes come out more negative than I intended.
The reason I am opening these IS to experience the bottle shock. I want to experience the evolution of them, as it is almost unheard of for us pedestrians to experience sparkling wine at this point of evolution anywhere else. My plan was to open the other bottle a year from now, and compare them. I did not intend to judge these wines for what they are right now, I thought I put out enough disclaimers about that.
I think you are reading too much into the bubbles comment. It’s not a comparison, just an observation. The Durant has a very different “bubble structure” than the WV had. And they both are very different from any Champagne I’ve ever had. But just like you said, I haven’t had any Champagne 5 weeks after disgorgement. The bubbles are no indication of quality.
I am not trying to prove anything. These are the notes I took, and I hope everyone here understands that I am opening these wines way before they should be opened, and way before you said anyone should try them. Hopefully others will keep them in their cellars until they are ready.
Just to be clear, when you say that the sparkling wines taste better after being opened a few days, you mean opened for a taste and then stopped back up so all the fizz doesn’t escape, right?
No, he’s reading just fine. It’s not even a good idea to drink a sparkling wine that soon after disgorgement and expect something representative, Champagne, Oregon, or Tasmania.
One bottle would have been understandable. To then double down with another one seems more than a little silly.
1 Like
You didnt notice they were different bottles?
Im going to try the third tonight. Sorry.
I did notice. I still think it’s a terrible idea, and even worse to keep at it as if it’s a useful learning experience.
1 Like
Actually, we wouldn’t and you don’t have to either. Please don’t.
2 Likes
I’m going to think outside of the box here instead, and do something crazy… Perhaps listen to what the winemaker is telling everybody.
4 Likes
Arguing whether to drink wine and when isnt worth anyones time. Lets move on.
1 Like
I think we were all pleased that Marcus and Megan decided to kick off their sparkling program here in the Berserker community. Marcus advised of the caveats of the bottles based on the tirage dates and upcoming disgorgement.
Many of us know to cellar wines appropriately. We do like to follow a wine in its evolution, so thanks to all who take one for the team and post early notes. We know for these particular wines, they are not yet representative.
Look forward to more mature notes and to round 2 of the release.
Very excited to get in from the jump and watch this program take off. It’s a largely unfulfilled space in Oregon and is in the hands of people that know how to craft from their terrior.
9 Likes
This entire episode reminds me of that saying: You can lead a horse to water and tell them not to drink it, but don’t be surprised when they do.
If your doing this to get an understanding of bottle shock, I won’t argue that. Learning something about what that does to wines is a good idea.
It would be helpful if you titled the posts that way, not necessarily in a new thread but just at the top of your posts. That wasn’t clear to me at all, and a lot of people don’t read every post in a thread so while they may sort out your intention, I would appreciate if that intention was there for anyone reading to see. Especially if it’s possible that your posts may come across more negatively than you intended.
Regarding the bubbles, you’ve mentioned them in each note and negatively each time, including referencing an -overpoured can of coke-and compared the wines in each occurrence to the quality of bubbles in champagne. I think I’ve made it clear that that’s not an apples to apples comparison, so I won’t beat a dead horse but it definitely added to my frustration.
I don’t see the mousse in the WV as an achievement of our goals in the sparkling wines, but it is a first effort (where we have the least resources available) and at a terrible point. If you’re assessing them for research and comparison, I can appreciate that noting they are broad and voluminous at first but I don’t see the point in a reference to other regions at this time.
That said, I asked what you were trying to prove, and you clarified it for me. If you’re set on learning about bottle shock with these wines, fair enough. No matter what, you own them and can do what you want, but I appreciate understanding why.
1 Like
Personally, I’m way, way over the moon that so many still winemakers in Oregon are stepping way out of their comfort zones to make their own sparkling wines. Obviously, sparkling production is a complicated process with a lot of deltas that are fraught with a terrifying number of potholes to step in - and I’m clearly stepping in all of them to maximize my self-inflicted torture. Yet I am wholly convinced - after a dozen bottlings or so - that doing the work and capturing the lessons is the most fascinating, important, authentic and completely addictive part of it all. Of course Oregon sparkling will never be Champagne - and we have a long way to go to learn our own semblance of the craft as a region - but we’re quick studies over here, so don’t you kids worry. So many thanks to those who support us as we figure out where this train is going. It is a truly great adventure to be on…and with that, @Marcus_Goodfellow - I just wanted to congratulate you guys in sending your first bubbles into the world!
9 Likes
In ten years, once Oregon sparkling wine is better established, I think people will look back and view Andrew Davis founding Radiant as a real milestone in the development of the WV wine industry. That operation seems to have made sparkling a real option for a lot of wineries that could not otherwise afford a sparkling operation.
2 Likes
Definitely for the masses. But…
Argyle to the white courtesy phone, please.
They were so far in front of this it’s ridiculous.
8 Likes
That’s my point. It takes more than one or even a few producers for a region to become known for sparkling wines, and Radiant has opened the doors to a lot of producers. Maybe enough for “Willamette Valley sparkling wine” to become a recognized thing that’s sought out in the wider market.
1 Like
Two recent tasting notes, both spurred be some really gratifying professional milestones. Drank a durant bdb and while timid aromatically, was a really great wine structurally. I dont drink much champagne, but this felt like a great young chardonnay with a nice lift of fine carbonation.
More good news, and more nice wine, this time a 21 Yamhill-Carlton chard, rich, yeasty, oak presence, incredible value under $30. I know oak is contoversial, but this had none of the tropical, diacetyl notes. Compares well to the 22 cameron dundee and vincent tardive as far as non-reductive styles that drink well young, but was better than both. Stupid value in wv wine from craft producers.
Cheers to marcus and megan, thanks for pursuing your passion, making wonderful wine, pushing the envelope, and having the confidence to share your vision with us. My partner and i are so grateful.
1 Like