WineLovers Discussion Group

It's hot and steamy. I popped a Trimbach Riesling in the fridge for serving with dinner.

2003 Trimbach Riesling (Alsace)
This bottle was a gift, and thank heavens for that. Ugh. This had several issues. Number one it was heavy and alcoholic. Number two, it was lifeless and flat on the palate. Number three, it was CORKED! I will not return it, for I fear the shop where it was purchased would only offer me another bottle of same (that's their normal policy). I'm just glad to be rid of it, and will be even more glad to see the back of the 2003 vintage.

2004 Michel Tete Domaine du Clos du Fief Beaujolais Julienas
Even more corked than the Trimbach. Oof. Nasty.

Shall I test my luck?

Oh why not.

2004 J.P. Brun Beaujolais Terres Dorees l'Ancien Vieilles Vignes
Finally a sound wine. Tart cherry, strawberry, earth and floral accents. A quite lovely bottle of this wine. Refreshing on a hot, humid evening, and a good match with my Indian spiced, grilled pork chop.

But for this night I am hitting .333. Not bad for a baseball player, but terrible for wine, and my HATRED OF CORK grows greater.

I uncorked a bottle of Castoro Cellars 2001 Zinfindel last weekend and it was marvelously good.

A Beaujolais needs to be drunk within the same year, as I am told.

A riesling?

Maybe you need to try California wines instead...you seem to be having bad luck with the rest. I rarely have.

But, hey, why should that stop you from putting corked wine down, eh?



It is what it is, my friend.

TimMc wrote:I uncorked a bottle of Castoro Cellars 2001 Zinfindel last weekend and it was marvelously good.

A Beaujolais needs to be drunk within the same year, as I am told.

A riesling?

Maybe you need to try California wines instead...you seem to be having bad luck with the rest. I rarely have.

But, hey, why should that stop you from putting corked wine down, eh?



It is what it is, my friend.

Beaujolais (unless it is Nouveau) can hold and do very well for several (3-5) years at least.

Riesling? Well it's only the most noble white grape in the world. Beats the pants off Chardonnay that needs 300% new toasty oak to taste like anything.

I don't like much California wine. There's a few, but the list is not growing.

David M. Bueker wrote:Beaujolais (unless it is Nouveau) can hold and do very well for several (3-5) years at least.

David - about a year and a half ago I had the pleasure of sharing in a bottle of 2 year old Beaulolais Nouveau that was surprisingly good!
Here's a link.
http://www.wineloverspage.com/user_subm ... 82482.html

I have to agree with both of you. My cellar has a few Morgon and Julienas resting peacefully! The writers approach to Riesling is a shameful one and he needs to get out to the good winestores more often!! Better still, fly up here and relieve me of a few. Good connections at Salt Lake City Tim.

David M. Bueker wrote:It's hot and steamy. I popped a Trimbach Riesling in the fridge for serving with dinner.

2003 Trimbach Riesling (Alsace)
This bottle was a gift, and thank heavens for that. Ugh. This had several issues. Number one it was heavy and alcoholic. Number two, it was lifeless and flat on the palate. Number three, it was CORKED! I will not return it, for I fear the shop where it was purchased would only offer me another bottle of same (that's their normal policy). I'm just glad to be rid of it, and will be even more glad to see the back of the 2003 vintage.

This wine suck ass. And that is a strong statement for someone who loves The Grape and Trimbach's austere and immensely mineral style. But I guess slight(?) changes are happening there also. Today we had the CFE 2000 which was pretty disappointing as well. And here I thought that Trimbach didn't get anything wrong. Other than using corks, of course....

The 2003 I really chalk up to the vintage. I can't speak to your 2000 CFE, as the one I had (small taste) was just as great as always. I don't think any changes are happening at Trimbach, but the 2003 vintage did defeat them.

David M. Bueker wrote:It's hot and steamy. I popped a Trimbach Riesling in the fridge for serving with dinner.

2003 Trimbach Riesling (Alsace)
This bottle was a gift, and thank heavens for that. Ugh. This had several issues. Number one it was heavy and alcoholic. Number two, it was lifeless and flat on the palate. Number three, it was CORKED! I will not return it, for I fear the shop where it was purchased would only offer me another bottle of same (that's their normal policy). I'm just glad to be rid of it, and will be even more glad to see the back of the 2003 vintage.

I thought Trimbach was using the fake corks? In any event the rest of the fault lies with the '03 vintage. I haven't had much good from Alsace with '03 on the label. We'll all be happy to put that year behind us!

David M. Bueker wrote:
I don't like much California wine. There's a few, but the list is not growing.

Then you've never had a Dominus Cabernet or a Far Niente Chardonnay.


I could go on...

TimMc wrote:

David M. Bueker wrote:
I don't like much California wine. There's a few, but the list is not growing.

Then you've never had a Dominus Cabernet or a Far Niente Chardonnay.


I could go on...

I've had both several times. Dominus is not bad at all, but for 1/2 the price I can buy outstanding Bordeaux. Far Niente Chardonnay is a bit of a joke to me. It's one of the poster children for overoaked, overpriced status wine. There's nothing there that can't be beaten to a pulp by a premier cru Chablis for 1/3 the price.

James Roscoe wrote:

David M. Bueker wrote:It's hot and steamy. I popped a Trimbach Riesling in the fridge for serving with dinner.

2003 Trimbach Riesling (Alsace)
This bottle was a gift, and thank heavens for that. Ugh. This had several issues. Number one it was heavy and alcoholic. Number two, it was lifeless and flat on the palate. Number three, it was CORKED! I will not return it, for I fear the shop where it was purchased would only offer me another bottle of same (that's their normal policy). I'm just glad to be rid of it, and will be even more glad to see the back of the 2003 vintage.

I thought Trimbach was using the fake corks? In any event the rest of the fault lies with the '03 vintage. I haven't had much good from Alsace with '03 on the label. We'll all be happy to put that year behind us!

The cork was quite real.

David M. Bueker wrote:

TimMc wrote:

David M. Bueker wrote:
I don't like much California wine. There's a few, but the list is not growing.

Then you've never had a Dominus Cabernet or a Far Niente Chardonnay.


I could go on...

I've had both several times. Dominus is not bad at all, but for 1/2 the price I can buy outstanding Bordeaux. Far Niente Chardonnay is a bit of a joke to me. It's one of the poster children for overoaked, overpriced status wine. There's nothing there that can't be beaten to a pulp by a premier cru Chablis for 1/3 the price.

To each his own, David.

But making a statement like that about all California wines is, well, more than a little, shall we say, provocative. There are hundreds of wineries in this state and being second only to the French in wine production.... it is more than a bit of a stretch to say there are few California wines you like.

Besides, I'm not talking price at this point...I'm talking taste.

Perhaps the ones you had were not to your liking, but the odds are on my side there are many you would like. Who knows? Or maybe you just don't like us Californians.

but the odds are on my side

I guess it depends on whose statistics you use.

Bill Buitenhuys wrote:

but the odds are on my side

I guess it depends on whose statistics you use.

LOL

Good point.

Tim:

You're relatively new here, so it's likely you are not real familiar with a lot of the "oldtimers". Had you been so, you would realize that Bill B. does not make his declaration about his preferences (and about California wine) out of ignorance or unfamiliarity. Au contraire, he's more than familiar with California wines; he simply prefers other areas as a rule.

Bill is open-minded about all wines, and is more eager than most to experience variety. He didn't come to his preferences quickly, and you'll find that Bill generally knows exactly what he's talking about.

I'm also curious about one thing, Tim: in a few of your other posts you come across as being rather evangelical and crusading against the "wine industry" for charging high prices and generally dissing the 'average wine-loving consumer' (by which you would mean you, I presume). Yet when you rise to your spirited defense of California wines, you pick two of the most egregious examples of over-reaching arrogance, both in style and pricing, that I can think of. If Dominus and Far Niente (especially Far Niente) are your poster children for all that is sublime in California wine, I don't think you're going to be winning too many people over to your side of the aisle...not around this board anyway.

Replace "Bill" with "David" in the above.

Bill knows far less than David (regarding wine) and Bill can be a Cali wine slut at times.

Bill Buitenhuys wrote:Replace "Bill" with "David" in the above.

Bill knows far less than David (regarding wine) and Bill can be a Cali wine slut at times.

Jeez, I can never tell you guys apart.

Remind me again....which one is the handsome one?

Doesn't matter: sentiments still apply, whether David or Bill (though I do pay more attention to David on Riesling Raves, I'll confess).

David M. Bueker wrote:2003 Trimbach Riesling (Alsace)
This bottle was a gift, and thank heavens for that. Ugh. This had several issues. Number one it was heavy and alcoholic. Number two, it was lifeless and flat on the palate. Number three, it was CORKED! I will not return it, for I fear the shop where it was purchased would only offer me another bottle of same (that's their normal policy). I'm just glad to be rid of it, and will be even more glad to see the back of the 2003 vintage.

David,

Do you normally judge corked bottles of wine?

Tim,

Just so you know, my father and mother are huge fans of California wine, so I get lots and lots of data points. Here's a short list of California wines I do like:

Phelps Insignia
Edmunds St. John (all of it)
Ramey Chardonnay (some of it)
Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Estate
Melville Chardonnay Inox
Loring Pinot Noirs (my guilty pleasure wines)
Navarro Rieslings (late harvest)
Ridge Zins and Cabernet
Harlan

I did not say I disliked all California wines. I said I did not like much and the list was not growing any longer.

Oliver McCrum wrote:

David M. Bueker wrote:2003 Trimbach Riesling (Alsace)
This bottle was a gift, and thank heavens for that. Ugh. This had several issues. Number one it was heavy and alcoholic. Number two, it was lifeless and flat on the palate. Number three, it was CORKED! I will not return it, for I fear the shop where it was purchased would only offer me another bottle of same (that's their normal policy). I'm just glad to be rid of it, and will be even more glad to see the back of the 2003 vintage.

David,

Do you normally judge corked bottles of wine?

No, but in the case of this one, the fat impression was very clear. I did not pick up the TCA until I tasted it. It took about 30 minutes to show up in the aromatics.