Ok, here goes... Insert all the usual caveats here. First time labrat, novice wine drinker, etc. Apologies in advance if this is too short, of becomes too long. I'm not usually a cab drinker, but I think that's mostly because I haven't been exposed to many. And of course ScottHarveyWines got the same bottle, so there's NO pressure on me! Just finishing the bottle now, but I shared. More on that later...

2004 Stomp! Cabernet Sauvignon

I don't have a decanter (yet) so I poured the glasses and let them sit for about 15 min, with an occasional swirl. The fruit (cherry) aroma was VERY apparent, from maybe 3 feet away, but I "blame" that on the a/c breeze in the room. First sip was definitely a very fruity, cherry taste... almost sweet. Not Riesling sweet, but red sweet if that makes sense. Nice body, not thin or heavy. Very nice, smooth finish IMO. None of that "chalky" sensation sometimes associated with reds (I drink more merlots). Second glass, maybe 20 min later, was equally as pleasing. Not quite so heavy on the nose, but still cherry. The taste is definitely less sweet now, still very good. I don't have the palate for this, but maybe plum? By comparison, I'd say this beats the pants off the 2004 Rock Hollow CS (no offense RH, I thought your Chard was yummy.) Not sure what else to add, other than the fact that i'm going to gift myself a second order of this!

I shared this bottle with a friend who is NOT a wine drinker. Definitely more of a Bud Light type of guy. His comments included "fruity", "sweet", "very good", and "I don't know if I'd drink a bottle by myself, but I'd certainly enjoy it with a meal", so I'm going to conisder that high praise. You should all thank your deity of choice that the bf is out of town tonight. He still claims that "Arbor Mist is pretty good for the money." Ugh...

We both agreed that the cheese is just incredible! If you had asked me a few hours ago if I'd ever order cheese online I would have laughed, perhaps even scoffed. But I'm in as soon as it's available! I can't honestly say that paired with the wine it enhanced either one, but both were enjoyable together or seperate.

Thanks for this opportunity, WD. Hope I've helped, or at least not embarrassed myself.

EDIT: whoa... didn't mean for it to be so big. sorry

imawhyknow wrote:We ain't no stinkin' Huskys. We are Badgers all the way. Go Big Red! On Wisconsin!

Okay, I gotta call foul. The ONLY Big Red is the Huskers. And I'm not even really a fan

Winedavid39 wrote:so how are those Stephen Curry nightmares ..

Ouch! David how"s your brakcet doing?

Winedavid39 wrote:so how are those Stephen Curry nightmares ..

Recurrent.

-Yet Another Badger Fan, Licking His Wounds in Madison

bhodilee wrote:Okay, I gotta call foul. The ONLY Big Red is the Huskers. And I'm not even really a fan

Nope. Cornell and me. Age and Beauty.

imawhyknow wrote:Ouch! David how"s your brakcet doing?

Picked all four final four teams here!!

Also, had a chance to meet these fine winery owners on a wine vacation to Walla Walla,
WA

Loweeel wrote:Nope. Cornell and me. Age and Beauty.

You're not that old

looking forward to the wine and also now for the cheese;)

bhodilee wrote:You're not that old

Ithaca is gorges. I'm just gorgeous.

I received the Dusted Valley Syrah. At first, I was taken back by the screw top. Haven't had a screw top in many many years. But, I poured it immediately in a decanter and couldn't wait to drink it. I didn't smell but drank a sip at once. I was a little excited to say the least. The first sip was wonderful! Even after it went down I could still taste it. It lingered on and was very pleasant.

After that first sip I did a proper tasting. The color was a rich dark red and the legs were syrupy and strong. After swirling the glass I could smell cherry and a hint of pepper. Strange combination but very pleasant. I enjoyed the aroma and wouldn't mind continuing it but decided I couldn't wait again for that sip. It is definitely a full body red wine and it stayed on the palate well after I drank it.
I think it is the tannins that usual cause the bite but this wine did not have it and I was very happy about that. I don't like when it bites. I prefer a smooth taste that lasts well after you swallow it and this wine was definitely that. The good experience lasted quite awhile.

I ate it with the cheese that I received - Tulare Cannonball. It was a type of edam that was quite enjoyable but a little salty. It went well with the Syrah. I also had some dark chocolate and again the experience was wonderful. I wasn't planning on making dinner tonight so can't say what it would have been good with but with the cheese and chocolate that was enough to enjoy it.
I am so glad I ordered 2 three packs. If you haven't ordered you better hurry because it is well worth the price.
Thank you wine woot - I really enjoyed the experience and hope I get a chance again.

alright...it's too late at night to try to resist any longer. Between the labrats, the brat chatter, and the promise cheese-glorious-cheese, this is going to be a rough week for the ckeckbook. In for two.

First sucker: MaskedMarvel
Speed to first woot: 0m 7.233s

Last wooter to woot: skunk1969

wine.woot is becoming a big problem for me....a good problem, but a problem none-the-less. 12 buys in less than 4 months. In for one.

This was my first wine.woot purchase. I didn't expect to see these for at least a week so imagine my surprise when the UPS man came a knocken an hour ago. Now I'm off to try the Boomtown.

javadrinker wrote:A couple of hours later and the Stomp! is still drinking well. Hasn't really evolved much although I think I'm getting a bit more of the alcohol. There are no tannins to speak of. This is a definite "drink me now" wine and I'm really enjoying it.

And I finally got to the cheese. It was a little softer than I liked when it arrived which is why I popped it in the fridge. Now it's just nice and firm (no jokes from the peanut gallery) the way I like it (I heard that). The Tulare Cannonball is a several month aged Edam. It's tasty!!! A little salty and nutty and chock full of cheesy goodness.

As Scott said earlier, this wine with this cheese is a winning combination.

It's good to be the king.

NO FAIR! We were looking forward to making those cracks! It's no fun when you are your own straight man .....

sanity wrote:I'm not even jealous, though I've yet to be selected labrat...how cool for you, and us, that you were chosen! Thanks for a great review. A side question: my husband smokes cigars, but he can't imagine enjoying one with wine. I don't smoke at all, but can think of several cigars/wines that would complement each other. What would you personally suggest?

I'm a big full body cigar smoker. I enjoy the full bodied cabs and syrahs with a cigar. But mostly enjoy scotch or bourbon with them.

jonrothberg wrote:wine.woot is becoming a big problem for me....a good problem, but a problem none-the-less. 12 buys in less than 4 months. In for one.

I wish I had that level of restraint

Well, my nephew made it back. I poured him, my wife Jana and I all another glass as we cooked dinner, grilled asparagus and halibut. Not what I would have suggested with this wine, but the wine held up well. The hint of parsley went well with the asparagus and the juicyness of the wine matched with the grilled onions on the halibet. I held enough back for the after dinner cigars and finished the meal off with the Michigan Riesling bottling sample I needed to give a final approval on. Life's tough when your a wine maker. After dinner, my nephew and I retired to the deck with our Stomp and a couple of 858 Fuente's. The mellow chocolate tones show through with the cigar. I pick up a bit of cedar, probably from the cigar, then some nice orange rind/marmalade tones in the finish of the wine. Again the cold climate tones in the wine, that slight parsley character, went really well with the cigar. The wine's juiciness coats the back and sides of the tongue making it quite enjoyable.

yellowroe wrote:I received the Dusted Valley Syrah. At first, I was taken back by the screw top. Haven't had a screw top in many many years. But, I poured it immediately in a decanter and couldn't wait to drink it. I didn't smell but drank a sip at once. I was a little excited to say the least. The first sip was wonderful! Even after it went down I could still taste it. It lingered on and was very pleasant.

After that first sip I did a proper tasting. The color was a rich dark red and the legs were syrupy and strong. After swirling the glass I could smell cherry and a hint of pepper. Strange combination but very pleasant. I enjoyed the aroma and wouldn't mind continuing it but decided I couldn't wait again for that sip. It is definitely a full body red wine and it stayed on the palate well after I drank it.
I think it is the tannins that usual cause the bite but this wine did not have it and I was very happy about that. I don't like when it bites. I prefer a smooth taste that lasts well after you swallow it and this wine was definitely that. The good experience lasted quite awhile.

I ate it with the cheese that I received - Tulare Cannonball. It was a type of edam that was quite enjoyable but a little salty. It went well with the Syrah. I also had some dark chocolate and again the experience was wonderful. I wasn't planning on making dinner tonight so can't say what it would have been good with but with the cheese and chocolate that was enough to enjoy it.
I am so glad I ordered 2 three packs. If you haven't ordered you better hurry because it is well worth the price.
Thank you wine woot - I really enjoyed the experience and hope I get a chance again.

Hey Y'all! I've been watching the good fun all day. It's great to see everyone enjoying the commentary out here. As you can tell we are a bunch of proud Cheeseheads. We're also pretty darned stoked about sharing our wine with so many new folks this week! I appreciate all the great comments about the wines today as well. You guys really nailed everyone of them. Scott, I would expect it from you my friend! Thanks for letting us be a part of your fun this week and I'll catch up with you tommorow! Now, as we say at Dusted Valley, "Go crack that bottle and raise your glass; the first is for your health the second, third and fourth for mine!" ;) Cheers!

12 wine woots in 3 months, so guess I'm officially hooked. Always think I can hold out and then the winemakers and labrats push me over the edge. First time I'm in for 2!

Dusted Valley Three-Label Three-Pack
Current numbers (updated each minute):
First sucker: MaskedMarvel
Speed to first woot: 0m 7.233s

Last wooter to woot: cham21

cbraunel wrote:Spring Release Weekend in Walla Walla Valley is the biggest wine weekend of the year. Yes, we will be open and ready to roll! It will be a great weekend as it usually is! We are open from 10 - 5 Friday, Saturday and Sunday that week!

ach, it sounds so awesome. I went to the trade tasting "Taste of Walla Walla" over here in NYC about 2 months ago and I was hooked. I found flights for that weekend but it seems the hardest thing to do is find lodging!

any tips/hints?

I definitely need to come through, WA is hitting it's stride and I love what I've had from there so far.

CellarTracker! community sez drinking window is 2011-2014 for stained tooth syrah. what the...?
yeah, i know CT isn't always that accurate, but i have to really call bull on this one. i mean, you never know, but the chances of me waiting around for a syrah til i'm 30 are very low.

Sonofabilgepump! I was totally planning on sitting out this week... Dang labrats... Why did I even read through the forum?? Now I gotta figure out who to have my order shipped to since we're leaving San Diego for sunny CT for the next week. And just when I got my checking account back into the positive again...

Winedavid39 wrote:i heard you can get the best Brat's in the world at a Brewer's game. They don't have Brat's in California.

Actually IMHO the best bratwurst I have ever had comes from the stand in front of the Lorenz Kirche (St. Lawrence church) in downtown Nuernberg. Of course there are also TWO restaraunts in Nuernberg that each claim to be the worlds oldest bratwurst restaurants. They both have been around for about 600 years or so.

I am curious about the stoppers. You guys are obviously proponents of the screw caps. What are your thoughts on how they compare to synthetic corks? How do you decide which wine to pair with which stopper?

[Disclaimer—the following is a total aside:]

A couple of weeks ago I had the distinct honor and privilege of winning the Golden Ticket and being a labrat. The other day on the radio, I heard that people in Oregon who aren’t poor enough for Medicaid entitlement but who cannot afford health care participate in a lottery for health coverage. The winners of this “Golden Ticket” (their phrase, not mine) receive health coverage. Using the phrase Golden Ticket to describe entitlement to an extra bottle of wine for promotional purposes is both cute and clever. Using the phrase Golden Ticket to describe whether you can afford to treat your diabetes or your brain tumor is the product of a dysfunctional society that has its priorities seriously wrong. (Don’t think the reference to diabetes or brain tumor is hyperbole. The diabetic woman was interviewed on the broadcast, and the guy with the brain tumor refused to get it treated without medical coverage because he did not want to saddle his prospective widow with hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt.)

eric9tx wrote:

EDIT: whoa... didn't mean for it to be so big. sorry

How do I get one of those cool stickers? I could have sworn I did whatever it was I needed to a while back, but haven't gotten one yet...

esperanto wrote:CellarTracker! community sez drinking window is 2011-2014 for stained tooth syrah. what the...?
yeah, i know CT isn't always that accurate, but i have to really call bull on this one. i mean, you never know, but the chances of me waiting around for a syrah til i'm 30 are very low.

cbraunel wrote:Sure. Let's start out by saying that all of these wines are drinking very well right now. With that said I would say that the Merlot is drink now - 2009 the Cab is now - 2009. The Stained Tooth Syrah is now - 2014. The STS is under screw-cap and along with the great complexity of the blend will enjoy a long bottle aging.

As per the winemaker...

didn't I hear that we were getting another wine woot this week?

wmaincmt wrote:didn't I hear that we were getting another wine woot this week?

From the front page:

Get a move on, wine fiend - this'll only be up until Wednesday night. Look for an all-new, all-awesome deal come Thursday morning.

First sucker: MaskedMarvel

Last wooter to woot: tripgrad

In for 3
Now waiting for tomorrow's cheesy offering...
and then, Saturday nigt's wine tasting in Alexandria, VA

wiscowino wrote:Picked all four final four teams here!!

Not trying to be mean, but correctly picking the Final Four this year isn't all that special.

LRWRower wrote:How do I get one of those cool stickers? I could have sworn I did whatever it was I needed to a while back, but haven't gotten one yet...

check out the "want one?" link on Winedavid39's signature. Corrado also has a link on his.

Thanks,

winefarm wrote:check out the "want one?" link on Winedavid39's signature. Corrado also has a link on his.

Thanks,

Winedavid39 wrote:you mean the link below?

Talking to yourself again?

uglybastard wrote:I'm a big full body cigar smoker. I enjoy the full bodied cabs and syrahs with a cigar. But mostly enjoy scotch or bourbon with them.

Full bodied Reds or a nice jammy port. Prager Winery and Port Works out of Napa has some nice offerings. (hint hint David)

Which cigars top your list Ugli?

[Edit: I just checked Prager's web site and they describe their Tawny as "...a great cigar port!" L O L]

Scott, thanks for the notes. I feel like every time we snare another winemaker it's a victory for us all (and wd specifically).

schuey wrote:Not trying to be mean, but correctly picking the Final Four this year isn't all that special.

First time that all four first seeds have gone to the finals.

canonizer wrote:Scott, thanks for the notes. I feel like every time we snare another winemaker it's a victory for us all (and wd specifically).

I get my Harvey's and my Ephiphany's today, I cannot wait. I can't take them home until tomorrow though, I am reduced to literally sneaking them in. Also, UPS cracks me up. I work directly between Omaha and Lincoln, NE. My wine always comes into Omaha goes to Lincoln then comes here. Plus the sort center is about 4 miles from my house in Omaha. Silly UPS.