Yet Another Sign Of The Financial Times In The Wine World

WINE TALK
21

Roy, I know it’s probably a trade secret and protected via contract…but any guess on who gets the lesser fruit?

22

Ahh yes…love the Tench Vineyard Designate from Nickel and Nickel.

23

Hahaha! Hey, Tench just grows the fruit! [rofl.gif]

I honestly do not know who gets the fruit Screagle sells off. I know it is NOT Whispering Dove.

24

I thought that rumour was put to bed many moons ago…

25

me too. i think the only 04 Napa Cab i have opened so far was N&N Tench which i popped last summer for another Tench enthusiast.

26

Have no idea.

27

damn i was sitting on a case of 02 whispering dove. [gheyfight.gif]

28

Not meaning to hijack the thread, but starting in 05 and 06, Nickel & Nickel has really turned a corner. I don’t know if Far Niente has the same winemaker, but I had an 05 N&N “Branding Iron” that was fully ripe and very nice. Not the alcoholly-correct 14.2% kind of wine they were making the decade before that.

God knows that operation has one of the best vineyard spots in Napa, the Stelling Vineyard, which wraps directly below Harlan and next to Martha’s. It would be nice to see them making good wines again. I use to really like their early 1990’s wines at Far Niente.

29

Roy, I know it’s probably a trade secret and protected via contract…but any guess on who gets the lesser fruit?

I know a few former grape purchasers. The contracts were all allowed to lapse post-purchase, and I think most of those blocks were ripped anyways.

Not sure if they are still grape sellers or not?

30

I have a good friend who was the beverage room manager at N&N for a couple of years. I always enjoyed visiting him since it was a nice spot to relax during tastings. I found the wines undrinkable. Considering some of their terrific sites, that was not a compliment to their former winemaker. She was a pleasant and knowledgeable lady, but the cabernet wines were not good.

31

'01 forward was when I discovered them. Never really cared for the chards, merlot or syrah. Really liked some of their though.

32

I have to agree on the Realm. They are doing a killer job at Realm since the 2004 vintage and Mike Hirby is coming into his own with that fruit.

The Ovid being poured was the “Experiment 1.5.” The one under the table was the Ovid “main label”. First I have to say I’m biased because I like almost all of Andy’s wines. (Don’t get me started on the Viognier they broke out at the Favia tasting- Holy Crap it was good!) But that aside I thought the Ovid was really well made. IS it worth the price or the hype I guess that is up for each person to decide but nonetheless is was one of the better wines at the tasting.

Cheers Gang [cheers.gif]