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WTN: Home Alone in Day-twah

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WTN: Home Alone in Day-twah

by geo t. » Sun Jun 25, 2006 11:32 pm

June 25, 2006: I put The Kiminator on a plane to San Diego this morning; she’s out there for an eight-day working vacation, so Stripey, Little Gray and this taster are doing our best Macaulay Culkin here in Day-twah. While I’d always prefer to be WITH my better half rather than apart from her, in situations like these, one has to look for compensating factors, like playing Miles and Trane LOUD and smoking Cohibas in the house without hearing about it. And, while I’m so happy that my better half has this wonderful opportunity to spend time with our friends out left, I do miss her already, so it seemed only right that I assuage the emptiness with some good wine. No samples for this taster this week, unless they’re some serious stuff. No egregious pinot grigio, no slovenly sauvignon blanc, and certainly no fat ass low acid California chardonnay. I actually thought about getting started with some good German Riesling, but changed my mind because I needed something more appropriate to pair with a decent Chicken and Italian Sausage Penne alla Arabiatta. The following little number seemed to do the trick.

1999 Gaja Langhe Sitorey, $54, 14% alc.: Dark garnet in color, fading to pink at the rim, with some noticeable barnyard on the nose that blows off with some time in the glass, revealing earthy black currant, dried sour cherries and root beer/cola, all shaded with some subtle mahogany. These follow through and expand on the palate, and while there’re still tannins to resolve here, this is more than just approachable, it’s quite enjoyable. There’s an elegant character to the wine, with excellent acidity and very good length on the finish, and it opens nicely over the four hours that I sipped on it. There may be better Barberas out there, but if I’ve ever tasted one, I can’t remember it.

Imported by Paterno Imports, Lake Bluff, IL

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Re: TN: Home Alone in Day-twah

by Bob Parsons Alberta » Mon Jun 26, 2006 12:03 am

Geo. I noticed that you did not decant. Yup, I know it is a Barbera and one would normally pass but this one?
Do you need Chris Pronger down there? Has asked for a transfer, who do you have for us?!!!!

"Go Oilers Go".
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Re: TN: Home Alone in Day-twah

by James Roscoe » Mon Jun 26, 2006 1:09 pm

Bob,
Believe it or not the hockey season is over. Go watch the tapes of game seven and think about the fact that the Stanley Cup is in North Carolina! Did Micheal Jordan play? Please drink some more good red wine and get over your depression. I believe George might also be having the same issues. Don't worry, camps open in two months (sheeze).

George, I love Langhes, but I've never seen that one. Those northern Italians are some of the best! Great notes!
Cheers!
James

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Re: TN: Home Alone in Day-twah

by Bob Parsons Alberta » Mon Jun 26, 2006 8:40 pm

I always thought Geo lived in Detroit!! Yup, Carolina won the last game, congrats!!!
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Re: TN: Home Alone in Day-twah

by geo t. » Mon Jun 26, 2006 10:24 pm

Bob, I think Pronger would look good in a Winged Wheel jersey, but I'm not holding my breath. James, thanks for the kind words. I'm rather amused over the fact that the last three Stanley Cup winners are all owned by Detroit area millionaires, even if the last two aren't "my team." I'm actually quite happy for Ray Whitney, who I became acquainted with during his stay in Detroit. The man has a sizable wine cellar.

Cheers,

geo
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Re: WTN: Home Alone in Day-twah

by geo t. » Mon Jun 26, 2006 10:25 pm

June 26, 2006: An unremarkable day in almost every respect, featuring the usual Monday parade of vendors and a grilled knackwurst and an ear of corn at “Employee Appreciation Day.” (I hate those soggy white bread buns.) Little Gray seems to be reverting to her anti-social ways now that she finally has full run of the house, after showing such promising progress over the last month and a half. I feel that some kind of intervention is needed; perhaps she needs to spend Wednesday morning cooped up in the computer room with her adopted dad, which usually brings out her friendlier side. An unremarkable but satisfying dinner of grilled chicken sausages, sautéed pea pods and a hank of Zingerman’s bread with olive oil and crushed peppercorns paired nicely with the following wine.

1998 Domaine Gros Frère & Soeur Clos Vougeot “Musigni,” $45, 13% alc.: A slightly cloudy, slightly rusty ruby garnet in color, fading at the rim, with a gorgeous nose of mushroom, wet wintered over leaves, plum, black cherry and cola; the earthy medium to medium full bodied flavors echo with a lovely texture and a fine balance of tannins and acids. Not surprisingly, this gets better and better with air, turning earthier and plumier, seeming to put on a little more weight and generally showing more and more of everything as it opens. I love this for its funky qualities, but there’s a solid core of rich fruit underneath it all, and the finish is fairly long. I decanted a little over half of the bottle about half an hour before pouring a glass, and that was all it needed. When that was gone after about three hours, I couldn’t resist another short pour from the bottle, and was not disappointed in the least. This might not fly too well with fans of the current style of Pinot Noir that seems so prevalent in California these days, but Oregonians just might take to it with more passion and gusto; I’m thinking especially of Evesham Wood fans here. I wish I had a case of this, because it’s anything but unremarkable, and it should only improve over the next several years.

Imported by The Stacole Company Inc., Boca Raton, FL

As an afterthought, I’m starting to think that these Detroit Tigers are for real. I may just have to watch them a little more closely…

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Re: TN: Home Alone in Day-twah

by Mike Filigenzi » Tue Jun 27, 2006 12:40 am

James Roscoe wrote: Go watch the tapes of game seven and think about the fact that the Stanley Cup is in North Carolina!


The Onion did a hilarious piece on this. If you haven't seen it, it's at http://www.theonion.com/content/node/49761

Mike
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Re: TN: Home Alone in Day-twah

by James Roscoe » Tue Jun 27, 2006 9:12 am

Mike Filigenzi (Sacto) wrote:
James Roscoe wrote: Go watch the tapes of game seven and think about the fact that the Stanley Cup is in North Carolina!


The Onion did a hilarious piece on this. If you haven't seen it, it's at http://www.theonion.com/content/node/49761

Mike


That's funny! Thank you for a morning laugh. America will never need to invade Canada when thay are so good natured as to just give it away.
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Re: WTN: Home Alone in Day-twah

by Dan Donahue » Tue Jun 27, 2006 11:05 am

Those Musigni CVs are usually quite good, nice to see a '98 showing well.

My wife is also out of town for 8 days. She usually travels with a stash from our cellar and will call me for suggestions when dining out, so she does fine. I normally stick to water--helps with the waistline and I seem to enjoy the wines more when I take a short hiatus once in a while.
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Re: WTN: Home Alone in Day-twah

by geo t. » Tue Jun 27, 2006 7:28 pm

Dan Donahue wrote:Those Musigni CVs are usually quite good, nice to see a '98 showing well.


Even nicer to taste!

8)
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Re: WTN: Home Alone in Day-twah

by Dave Erickson » Tue Jun 27, 2006 8:48 pm

This is inspirational. Now I know when to open a Gaja and have it all to myself! When nobody else is around except the cats! Duh! Why didn't I think of this myself? :roll:
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Re: WTN: Home Alone in Day-twah

by geo t. » Tue Jun 27, 2006 9:48 pm

Dave Erickson wrote:This is inspirational. Now I know when to open a Gaja and have it all to myself! When nobody else is around except the cats! Duh! Why didn't I think of this myself? :roll:


Well, if you open the one I did, drink it all that night, because the last glass worth was falling apart on the second evening and found its way into Kim's vinegar crock.

:!: :?: :idea: :arrow: :wink:
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Re: WTN: Home Alone in Day-twah

by geo t. » Tue Jun 27, 2006 10:17 pm

June 27, 2006: Another day, another dollar; nothing much to report on the home front, other than a nice Mâcon and a BIG 4-0 Tigers win over the Rocket and the Astros. Kim’s NOT gonna like hearing that I’m watching baseball again after all these years…

2004 Domaine Guffens-Heynen Mâcon-Pierreclos, $29.99, 13% alc.: Medium straw in color, with a tinge of lemon; the lemon seems to carry over into the flavor profile, because there’s a definite citrus quality to this that dominates the green apple character underpinned with a stony minerality, and a subtle note of butterscotch that emerges with air. The wine is medium-to-medium full bodied, with excellent cut and good length on the finish. This is quite enjoyable now, and works well now with a nice rotisserie chicken, but I’d like to taste it in a couple of years to see how it develops. I have another bottle in the cellar, so maybe I’ll hold on to it for just that reason.

When we tasted this wine for the first time a few weeks ago with our friend Alan Kerr, it showed essentially the same, and it followed two of winemaker Jean-Marie Guffens 2004 Verget Pouilly-Fuissé models, and the Mâcon-Pierreclos was preferred all around. For comparisons sake, here are my notes on the two Vergets.

2004 Verget Pouilly-Fuissé “Terroir de Vergisson Clos du Martelet,” $33.99, 13% alc.: Medium straw color with a tinge of lemon; flavors and aromas show bright pear and subtle butterscotch, with some tangerine, lemon and just a hint of minerality in support. The oak is there, but in proportion to the other components, and while it has enough acidity to work, it’s not as crisp as I might have expected. The finish is decent, but a little something seems to be missing in the middle. More than I care to pay for what’s in the bottle; maybe it’ll fill out with some time in the bottle.

2004 Verget Pouilly Fuissé “Terroir de Fuissé Vers Asnieres,” $33.99, 13% alc.: Medium straw color with a tinge of lemon; bright flavors and aromas of apple, pear, tangerine and lemon, along with what Mr. Kerr described as “sweet citrus, guava” and a subtle musky mineral undertone. Good cut here, and more there in the middle than with the Clos du Martelet. The unanimous favorite of the two Vergets, but again, the Mâcon-Pierreclos took the honors on that occasion.

Verget and Domaine Guffens-Heynen Imported by The Stacole Company Inc., Boca Raton, FL

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Re: WTN: Home Alone in Day-twah

by Jenise » Thu Jun 29, 2006 7:44 pm

So, have you resorted to hot dog soup yet?
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Re: WTN: Home Alone in Day-twah

by geo t. » Thu Jun 29, 2006 8:20 pm

Jenise wrote:So, have you resorted to hot dog soup yet?


No, but I did do take out from a pretty good Thai place last night. Report to follow shortly...

:!: :?: :idea: :arrow: :twisted:
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Re: WTN: Home Alone in Day-twah

by geo t. » Thu Jun 29, 2006 9:33 pm

June 28, 2006: A nice day away from work; slept in late, ate ice cream for breakfast (it wasn’t Graeters, but it wasn’t bad) and spicy hot Phad Prik Khing with shrimp for dinner. Swam in the deep end of the community pool for an hour in the afternoon and watched a fireworks display with friends after the sun went down. All that was missing was She – who – must – be – obeyed. Enjoyed three German Rieslings with said friends:

2004 Karl Erbes Ürziger Würzgarten Mosel Saar Ruwer Riesling Kabinett, $14.99, 8% alc.: Pale straw in color, with a faint perfume of apple, white peach and a subtle herbaceous quality, all of which echoes and expands on the palate, being both moderately tart and moderately sweet at the same time. Medium bodied, with deceptively good cut and a reasonably long finish, this is a nice glass of Riesling that offers good value for the price tag. The real appeal for me is the herbaceous shade; it’s there just enough to enhance the overall personality of the wine without dominating. A nice foil for the Phad Prik Khing.

Imported by Chapin Cellars LLC, Springfield, VA

2004 Dr. F. Weins-Prüm Wehlener Sonneruhr Mosel Saar Ruwer Riesling Kabinett, $19.99, 8% alc.: Pale to medium straw in color, with apple and mineral aromatics and just the faintest hint of petrol; the moderately sweet flavors echo nicely enough, losing the little bit of petrol, but gaining some peach in return. Good cut and good length on the finish, and though it’s not terribly complex right now, 3-5 years in the bottle should help it out. Not quite as sweet as the Erbes, which I preferred slightly.

Imported by Cellars International Inc., San Marcos, CA

2002 Gunderloch Nackenheim Rothenberg Rheinhessen Spätlese, $28.99, 9% alc.: Now we’re talking some serious Riesling here! Medium straw to pale gold in color, with a steely undercurrent, river stones and petrol over peach and apricot in both flavor and aroma; excellent cut, with a not – quite – unctuous density to it, and a long, long finish. Yes, it’s a Rheinhessen and not a Mosel, yes it’s a Spätlese and not a Kabinett, but even more than that, it’s a Gunderloch, and that makes all the difference. This is in another league than the two previous wines, and very reasonably priced for what’s in the bottle. Absolutely delicious, and it should only get better through 2012 and beyond.

Imported by Cellars International Inc., San Marcos, CA

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Re: WTN: Home Alone in Day-twah

by James Roscoe » Thu Jun 29, 2006 10:05 pm

The notes are great , but does anyone else think this is starting to sound a little pathetic? Would someone get this man's wife home. NOW!
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Re: WTN: Home Alone in Day-twah

by geo t. » Thu Jun 29, 2006 10:32 pm

James Roscoe wrote:The notes are great , but does anyone else think this is starting to sound a little pathetic? Would someone get this man's wife home. NOW!


Hey, it's just a schtick, OK? Enjoy the notes, if you do, but don't worry 'bout me, I'll get along....

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Re: WTN: Home Alone in Day-twah

by Dave Erickson » Fri Jun 30, 2006 8:58 am

James Roscoe wrote:The notes are great , but does anyone else think this is starting to sound a little pathetic? Would someone get this man's wife home. NOW!


Pathetic? This guy is living out my fantasy! :D

Thought I'd chime in with a second thumbs up for the Erbes Urz-Wurz...a lot of enjoyment for $15.
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Re: WTN: Home Alone in Day-twah

by James Roscoe » Fri Jun 30, 2006 10:57 am

Dave Erickson wrote:
James Roscoe wrote:The notes are great , but does anyone else think this is starting to sound a little pathetic? Would someone get this man's wife home. NOW!


Pathetic? This guy is living out my fantasy! :D

Thought I'd chime in with a second thumbs up for the Erbes Urz-Wurz...a lot of enjoyment for $15.


I was thinking it was more of a cautionary tale. Sitting around all day in your underwear alone drinking good wine and watching ESPN..... Wait a second it is my fantasy!
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Re: WTN: Home Alone in Day-twah

by Jenise » Fri Jun 30, 2006 11:41 am

Nice wines you're drinking, geo. Gunderloch Spatlese was the first reisling that really caught my attention, I ordered it at a pan-Asian restaurant in Seattle to go with a fresh crab in what they called a Burmese curry sauce. This was in the early 90's and we were there on a short holiday, the kind where you want to try as many restaurants as you can. But not us--we went back to the same place three days in a row to order the Gunderloch with the crab in Burmese curry sauce. I'll always have a soft spot for it--and a few bottles in the cellar.
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Re: WTN: Home Alone in Day-twah

by David M. Bueker » Fri Jun 30, 2006 11:48 am

I would expect the Gunderloch to be much too sweet for you Jenise.
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Re: WTN: Home Alone in Day-twah

by Jenise » Fri Jun 30, 2006 12:09 pm

I understand why you say that, David, but though yes I prefer dry wines, I've always been able to recognize the quality in Gunderloch's spatleses.
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
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Re: WTN: Home Alone in Day-twah

by David M. Bueker » Fri Jun 30, 2006 12:11 pm

Jenise wrote:I understand why you say that, David, but though yes I prefer dry wines, I've always been able to recognize the quality in Gunderloch's spatleses.


Someday we must try Donnhoff together.
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