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Re: So what are we thinking of drinking this w/end?

PostPosted: Sat Oct 21, 2006 6:58 pm
by Isaac
I'm thinking of drinking a 1991 Chateau Margaux.

Too bad I don't have one. :(

Instead, I'll probably open an Oregon pinot noir, probably 2003 Argyle Willamette Valley Reserve or 2004 Benton Lane.

Tomorrow? Who knows?

Re: So what are we thinking of drinking this w/end?

PostPosted: Sat Oct 21, 2006 10:13 pm
by Doug Surplus
2000 Heitz Napa Vallley Cabernet Sauvignon

Re: So what are we thinking of drinking this w/end?

PostPosted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 12:20 am
by Brian K Miller
See my posting on Verite.
I also vitied the quite lovely Mazzoco Winery in Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County. Awesome Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon that was more black fruit than Verite but lovely in its own way. Really the only Dry Creek Sauvignon I consistently enjoy.

Re: So what are we thinking of drinking this w/end?

PostPosted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 8:15 am
by Howie Hart
After a busy weekend of winemaking, including a trip to Niagara-On-The-Lake to get some juice (Chard & Riesling), crushing the Steuben, cleaning carboys and pails, and helping my brother-in-law with some moving, I finally settled down last night, watched Game 2 and opened a bottle of my Cab Franc, which I enjoyed with cheese curds and crackers. Too tired to cook. :wink:

Re: So what are we thinking of drinking this w/end?

PostPosted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 11:53 am
by Isaac
No Chateau Margaux magically appeared, so I had to make do with more mundane wines.

Saturday, we had chicken fajitas, and I opened a 2004 Solaz Shiraz/Tempranillo. It went well with the food, but I thought it a bit rough and tannic. OTOH, it has an artificial cork of black plastic, so I'd hesitate to cellar it too long. Another year might help, though.

Sunday my wife made me a mushroom soup I'd been craving. With that, we had an Erath 2005 Oregon Pinot Noir. Lighter than our usual pinots (Argyle and Benton Lane), it went well with the soup.

Re: So what are we thinking of drinking this w/end?

PostPosted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 12:54 pm
by JC (NC)
I'm answering for next weekend. Wasn't sure if you meant this past weekend (was drinking a 2001 Steele Carneros Pinot Noir).

My sister will be visiting from Iowa and I am hosting an open house Saturday afternoon in my new condo. I will probably have five wines open. I'm thinking a Baroja Rioja Selecccion, one California or Oregon Pinot Noir, Banfi Rosa Regale to go with chocolates, a German Auslese or actual dessert wine, and Wynn's Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon. If we finish off one or more of those, I may open a Ridge Lytton Springs or Eric Ross Occidental Vineyard Old Vine Zinfandel and maybe a second Pinot Noir or a white Burgundy from Benoit Ente.

Re: So what are we thinking of drinking this w/end?

PostPosted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 12:26 pm
by Glenn Mackles
Up above I hinted about drinking a Ygay Rioja. It didn't work out that way. A good friend stopped by unexpectedly. He's not a real wine geek but he likes a good red. He told me about a recent business dinner in NY where they started rolling out the $400 a pop bottles of Opus One. He did go on quite a bit about how wonderful that wine was and then he did it. He said that he thought that you had to pay that kind of price to get something that extraordinary these days. I felt a bit challenged.

Sooooo.... I surveyed what I had in the collection and decided on a bottle of Carruades de Lafite, 2000. And yes, I know it is probably too young but I had 3 bottles of that I bought a year or so ago and as I recall paid about $50-60 each. (Not cheap to be sure but a lot less than $400). My thought process was that it would probably still be loaded with fruit and the 2000 Bordeauxs are wonderful, even it they aren't as sublime yet as they will be later.

It met all expectations. The aroma screamed Bordeaux. It was loaded with fruit. It was very well balanced but the tannins and complexity still have a way to go. But the most remarkable thing was the finish. It still tasted strong a minute or more after swallowing. My friend was looking for the socks that had been knocked off. He could barely believe it. And indeed he looked at me like I was crazy when I said it almost certainly would be better if we waited a few years.

Wine folks..... that was fun.

Glenn

P.S. Seeing we started drinking pretty late there was a glass of two left over. I used one of those argon gas spray cans to try to preserve the leftover wine. I drank it the next day. It was still very good but not as stunning as it was the previous evening. This wine was better the first day.

Re: So what are we thinking of drinking this w/end?

PostPosted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 12:43 pm
by JC (NC)
I love that kind of story. In wine, quality may have some relation to price but it's not cut and dried. I've had the occasional village Burgundy that tastes like a premier cru, etc.