What were your big "ah ha" moments from 2009

WINE TALK
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http://www.ihatewineratings.com

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Sierra Carche.
Dinner at Berns paid for by importers.

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That I really really like champagne but don’t buy enough of them

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Serg, I thought you knew better…GULAG doesn’t have an article.

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Seeing California get reasonable again, and finding lots of great wines in the Central Coast area - thx T-Bone and othere members of board here.

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I like the juxtaposition of these two sentences. I especially agree with the first one.

My “ah ha” moments:

  1. Realizing that my favorite wine experiences, more and more, are derived from white wines.

  2. Realizing that the wines I used to buy and drink a lot – Alsatian wines – are still among my favorites (note to self: don’t forget to buy Alsatian wines).

  3. Realizing that I like Syrah and PN more than Cabernet Sauvignon, and not just because Cabs are expensive.

  4. Realizing that I like being a wine geek more when I don’t post on the bashing threads.

  5. Realizing that I can still buy and drink great wine without subscriptions to WA, WS, or any other wine publications. On this point, Berserkers is a big part of the reason. Thanks, Todd!

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Over the course of one hour I enjoyed an 03 Lafite, which I’ve had several times and continues to move me. After that my first Screagle (01), which developed into a beautiful wine. That was followed by a 1989 H. Brion - my first ever and I “got it” and thought it was the best wine I’d ever had. Until my glass was empty and refilled by a 1990 Cheval Blanc.

That last wine steps on the throat of the other three and makes them cry uncle.

Ah ha - I now ‘get’ aged bordeaux.

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I had a few:

  1. The Marche is making world class wine

  2. Spain is becoming the new Australia - stick to Lopez and hte traditionalists

  3. See point 2 but change out Spain for CnDP and Pegau for Lopez

  4. You can keep South American Malbec

  5. I could have a cellar of almost exclusively Southern French wines and have NO CndP: Beaume de Venise (Reds and whites), Vacqueras, Gigondas, Provence and Languedoc.

  6. Mendo / Anderson is where it’s at in Cali.

  7. Cellar Tracker is the new Robert Parker

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ha! :wink: In the case of 1953, historically speaking, it was quite a HAPPY ending! :slight_smile:

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haha, I think it didn’t really dawn on me til now so I’ll have to remember it for my 2010 ah has.

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For California:
1983 Mount Eden Chard
2007 Rhys Alpine Chard
2006 Rhys Alpine “Swan Terrace” PN
2007 Ceritas “Escarpa” PN
2007 Ceritas " Porter-Bass" Chard
2007 Fogarty “Rapley M Block” PN
2005 Sandler “Connell” Syrah

For France:
2005 Gevrey Chambertin “Fontenys” (Roty)
2000 Gevrey Chambertin “Cazetiers” (Le Moine)
2001 Clos des Lambrays

TTT

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A 1931 Massandra Muscat was also up there for me- Amazing stuff. I want to try more and more.

In general
Getting laid off and realizing I could make it the best day of my life.

Wine
The NPA Chardonnay- A total eye-opening experience as to what could be done (by not doing anything) with CA Chard.

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.

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“The Marche is making world class wine”

Loren (or anyone), do you remember the rank ridicule I got for even mentioning that on a FEW other boards say five years ago? There was a strong stink of “If I or my designated critic don’t know about it, it CAN’T be any good.”…

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Loren, WHERE did you find that old Marin Wine Co postcard in your avatar. I have scoured the net looking for the Lafite in a Can and the one where the wine geek’s date hangs herself while he drones on about how “As for the '61s, I’m not touching those for at least 10 years…”

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these 2 do it for me.
Cellartracker is the reference guide for wine drinkers.
The 2001 Clos du Lambrays is open for business and great.

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  1. Muscadet

  2. I can pass on a “must buy/best ever” wine and remain alive and reasonably happy.

  3. Miss one “must buy/best ever” wine and another one will quickly come along, better than the one I missed.

  4. I keep relearning 2 and 3 annually.

alan

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Amen!

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On the white wine side: Instant addiction to Lopez de Heredia.

On the red side: Utter joy in discovering that my favorite CdP is under $100 (Bois de Boursan Cuvee de Felix). I’ve spent the past 12 months stalking different vintages of this wine.

40

Me too :frowning:

My 2009 Ah Ha Moments (no particular order)

Burgundy (I know I said it again), I will add to this “COST” of Burgundy!!! headbang

86 Margaux ( OMFG wine…to me at least)

Mascadat (yeah me too)

Stopped points chasing

An $11 white burgundy that actually tastes very good.

WineWatch in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl.

Benchmark Wines

Chambers St. Wines

Discovered Wine Berserkers

First CT offline in S. Fl.

Met Serge (and drank a 1964 Barolo and 1996 Burgundy) [dance-clap.gif]

Found a Chinese restaurant in S. FL. that can actually stand up to the ones in NYC (took me 23 years though)

Per Se

Alto Restaurant

Morimoto’s

Visited Tuscany

97 Sasaccaia

The realization that I mispronounce just about every French wine I own… and needed a crash course in French from Serge’s sister (she is a French teacher) just so I can pronounce about 5% of the producers I own.