themostrighteous wrote:beat me to it. clay can elaborate on why it seemed like a cooked wine to him, but cheron nailed it from my perspective. wine this young just does not seep through the cork unless it has been heated significantly above room temperature.

note also that cooked wine isn't like corked wine insofar as the latter is just foul & not drinkable (at least i wouldn't recommend it) but the former may still be acceptable & drinkable. a description of a cooked wine, however, will not faithfully convey to others what they might expect when opening an uncooked bottle of the same. that's all.

Thank you both for the explanation. Love this site. Love the wine.

themostrighteous wrote:beat me to it. clay can elaborate on why it seemed like a cooked wine to him, but cheron nailed it from my perspective. wine this young just does not seep through the cork unless it has been heated significantly above room temperature.

note also that cooked wine isn't like corked wine insofar as the latter is just foul & not drinkable (at least i wouldn't recommend it) but the former may still be acceptable & drinkable. a description of a cooked wine, however, will not faithfully convey to others what they might expect when opening an uncooked bottle of the same. that's all.

On the plus side, if people end up receiving a cooked bottle or two, it sounds like the wine is still just happy and fine and a replacement may not be necessary. Tho' I'd probably still get it replaced.

tomatillo wrote:DC Wine Store?
Anyone have a recommendation for a DC wine store with knowledgeable sales people? I'm short term visiting Washington DC (staying in Foggy Bottom) and need to come up with a few bottles of wine for a local friend's dinner.
Any quick recommendations appreciated.
Thanks.

Pepe at Calvert-Woodley is very helpful and experienced.

Ace is where the foodies shop for wine. It is on the other side of town from me, up near American University as I recall, so I have no personal experience with them.

Bell, at the center of downtown, is pretty good. And probably closest to you...it is near Connecticut and M, close to a subway stop.

Schneiders is my neighborhood liquor store and used to be a a great place to shop. I disagree with my esteemed colleagues here about the wisdom of patronizing them today. I find their prices high and their recommendations unreliable (i.e. motivated by profit margin or remaining shelf life of wine--and some staff have said as much).

Hope this is helpful.

Hooray! I'm a brat for the Zin! I came home yesterday from work to find a FedEx notice on my door, and I didn't think I had a Fex shipment, but I know two are coming from UPS on Friday. So my friendly Fex guy just showed up with the goodies.

I'll open the Zin tonight and post my impressions. Sorry for my tardiness, but woohoo ... I can't wait to pull that cork. And after I gave a passing thought during my workout this morning of cutting back on my wine consumption. Alas, duty calls.

JanFP wrote:Hooray! I'm a brat for the Zin! I came home yesterday from work to find a FedEx notice on my door, and I didn't think I had a Fex shipment, but I know two are coming from UPS on Friday. So my friendly Fex guy just showed up with the goodies.

I'll open the Zin tonight and post my impressions. Sorry for my tardiness, but woohoo ... I can't wait to pull that cork. And after I gave a passing thought during my workout this morning of cutting back on my wine consumption. Alas, duty calls.

Aha, I knew it! Eagerly awaiting the report

INTLGerard wrote:Nice CSI-Napa pics. First the Global knife left at the scene next to the victim followed by the mortally wounded Syrah leaking from its corked head. :-()

Unfortunately, I must agree that heat damage is apparent here. In addition to the physical evidence you provided your notes implicate a wine that has been oxidized which due to rapid heating which typically compromises the fruit flavors resulting in tart, biting and acidic astringent flavors. Syrah is a deeply opaque colored wine (especially one so young). Your glass shows some brick colored edges which are also typical of this flaw. Not having been there, yet with the evidence you’ve provided it seems you been cooked alright - IMO.

Since the KR was all the rage here, yours were mostly likely corked.
Quite a streak of bad luck you've been having...WD take care of this fairnymph!

Thanks for confirming that tart flavors are an indicator of cooked wines. I seem to recall this from the bottles I've had.

Being in AZ I've received my fair share of cooked wines. (Hence the hesitancy in ordering until October rolls around.) I've been told that it's best to consume a cooked wine as soon as possible as they will only get worse. Assuming it's drinkable, does this strike you as good advice?

As an aside, anyone know why there are so many Tar Heels on this site? I guess it's true that our fan base really is "wine and cheese." Go Heels!

INTLGerard wrote:Nice CSI-Napa pics. First the Global knife left at the scene next to the victim followed by the mortally wounded Syrah leaking from its corked head. :-()

Unfortunately, I must agree that heat damage is apparent here. In addition to the physical evidence you provided your notes implicate a wine that has been oxidized which due to rapid heating which typically compromises the fruit flavors resulting in tart, biting and acidic astringent flavors. Syrah is a deeply opaque colored wine (especially one so young). Your glass shows some brick colored edges which are also typical of this flaw. Not having been there, yet with the evidence you’ve provided it seems you been cooked alright - IMO.

Since the KR was all the rage here, yours were mostly likely corked.
Quite a streak of bad luck you've been having...WD take care of this fairnymph!

just wanted to add in on what INT said.

I personally don't believe that one the cork is soaked that it's instant cooked wine. The chances are pretty high that it is.. but it's no guarantee, so give it a shot regardless.

But to put the flavoring of a cooked wine into one word... it's... Sherry. It takes just like Sherry, highly acidic, light fruit, no finish. Over time it will open up but it becomes denser with odd fruit undertones.

Completely drinkable. I brought a bottle of (unknown to me) cooked wine to my friend's BBQ and his mom drank it all.

Saxon Brown - Two Pack
Current numbers (updated each minute):
First sucker: mill
Speed to first woot: 0m 5.703s

Last wooter to woot: rlrct

In for 2.

If it'd been Zin + Petite Syrah - it would've been for 3 :-)

I'd like to weigh in on this, and impart a few things for those new to wine that I've learned too.

I am in no way a wine expert, but I'm a huge wine lover. The cork. You know why they show you the cork at a restaurant? why you smell it? see it's not to figure out anything about the wine, that's what the taste glass is for
(let me digress a second, more and more I've had bottles brought already opened to a table and poured without a taste...I hate that! I tip extra big for a server who takes the time for me to ok my wine selection)
Anyway, you look at the cork, see how high the purple goes...if there is stains on top of the cork, it may have oxidized, so you sniff the cork...you'll know if it has corked because the cork will smell like a fart in a duffle bag...sweat socks and your dukes of hazzard lunchbox, you lost for 3 months...really bad. If not, then you can move on to tasting. If something is corked, then it has been open to the air for a long time. Way too long to salvage. Most of the time, I think that a wine corks at bottling. So, if it's done, it's pretty much done.

Anyhoo, I love this place, thanks for letting me diatribe.

INTLGerard wrote:Nice CSI-Napa pics. First the Global knife left at the scene next to the victim followed by the mortally wounded Syrah leaking from its corked head. :-()

Global>*

5" vegetable knife, best purchase ever for the wee folk such as myself.

darisgin wrote:So: anyone else have this "problem"? Any tips for overcoming?

Don't have the problem - but that might be habit. We drink wine only with food. And there is a glass of water right beside the stemware. The "natural" pour line that seems to be consistent for me across our stemware is right at 6 oz. And that's it for the day!

Parties, guests and so forth do vary.

Walstib wrote:A mid-evening quickie before your meeting. Sweet! That's the way to live, man.

Seriously though, nice review. I'm almost in. Labrous going to be reporting on these maybe?

I generally am shy about reviewing wines made by people I know fairly well. Even though I do my best to describe wines objectively without quality judgements, it's tricky ground. I don't want to offend anyone I know, but I also don't want to be a shill for their wines.

fairnymph wrote:As for overcoming...well I only consume calories on alternate days, so that means that last night for example, I could ONLY taste, not drink. But presuming you don't want to go the crazy life extension route...how about decanting half, putting the decanter somewhere REALLY FAR AWAY and annoying to get to, so that in your laziness you might have another reason to delay?

I don't mean to go totally off course here, but I'm just curious as to how consuming calories on alternate days is a "life extension route." That's very interesting to me.

I think I would mess that up on the first no-calorie day.

fairnymph wrote:I make my own pesto from the basil I grow in my garden and freeze it to have year-round (or did when I had an extra freezer) - isn't it so wonderful to have homemade pesto?

I drink a TON of rosé, so and I find that the drier rosés go wonderfully with pesto. I also like Sauvignon Blanc (I like the Santa Rita $6 stuff from Trader Joe's, it's seriously good and I always have it on hand for cooking as well as drinking). Viogniers complement pesto superbly, too.

As for reds, I find those more difficult to pair with pesto (especially since I usually am serving chicken in some form with pesto, if I'm serving any meat), but my favourite Italian red - Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (Avignonesi is my favourite label) goes well, I think, as do some merlots and lighter reds. Recently I had a bottle of 2006 Gaia Estate Agiorgitiko Nótios - a dry greek red with fruit, smooth and pretty rich with low acid - with a pesto pizza and it was a tasty combination.

Thank you for the suggestions. SB is one that I think can work pretty well; I actually do that more often than anything else with pesto. I'll try the rose suggestion. I'm still looking for the wine that makes the pesto taste even better and vice versa.

SonomaBouliste wrote:Thank you for the suggestions. SB is one that I think can work pretty well; I actually do that more often than anything else with pesto. I'll try the rose suggestion. I'm still looking for the wine that makes the pesto taste even better and vice versa.

My buddy made a grenache Rose that was summertacular buddy. Gorgeous color, very crisp, balanced fruit...it was awesome stuff, went great with pesto, primavera, cold chicken salad. I wish he'd do one like that again.

Heelacious wrote:Thanks for confirming that tart flavors are an indicator of cooked wines. I seem to recall this from the bottles I've had.

Being in AZ I've received my fair share of cooked wines. (Hence the hesitancy in ordering until October rolls around.) I've been told that it's best to consume a cooked wine as soon as possible as they will only get worse. Assuming it's drinkable, does this strike you as good advice?

As an aside, anyone know why there are so many Tar Heels on this site? I guess it's true that our fan base really is "wine and cheese." Go Heels!

Because not all Tar Heels live within an easy drive to A Southern Season, and they have no way to get good wine anymore, but they remember it?

Also, we're definitely wine and cheese, although we beat the stuffing out of FSU the next time they headed the 'Dome. I know--I was there.

End of side-track.

SonomaBouliste wrote:I generally am shy about reviewing wines made by people I know fairly well. Even though I do my best to describe wines objectively without quality judgements, it's tricky ground. I don't want to offend anyone I know, but I also don't want to be a shill for their wines.

Thanks, but who cares what you think anyway? I wanted to know whether LabROUS would be reviewing these wines.

Anyway, I'll go in for one. Was hoping il rato gigante would convince me to do 2 or 3 sets. Guess it is prudent anyway, for there is more SB wine tomorrow.

I just received my Twisted Oak and it came with a bitchin' pin! Bring El Jefe back. I could use some whites!

Walstib wrote:Thanks, but who cares what you think anyway? I wanted to know whether LabROUS would be reviewing these wines.

I see no smileys...so I can't tell...seriously? No really, seriously?

javadrinker wrote:I see no smileys...so I can't tell...seriously? No really, seriously?

I hope he wasnt serious.

cheron98 wrote:The fact that it had seeped through the entire cork and the top of the cork was stained.

The entire cork was not stained. A small rivulet had seeped down ONE side producing the staining on the top, but the cork was by no means soaked or 'seeped throughout'.

Walstib wrote:Thanks, but who cares what you think anyway? I wanted to know whether LabROUS would be reviewing these wines.

Anyway, I'll go in for one. Was hoping il rato gigante would convince me to do 2 or 3 sets. Guess it is prudent anyway, for there is more SB wine tomorrow.

Sorry, I forgot to log on as my alter ego to respond to this. I forget at times that not everyone is aware SonomaBouliste = labROUS

Lo siento mucho que yo olvide para cambiar identidades antes que mi respuesta a su pregunta. Soy SonomaBouliste/el Rato Grandetoto. Es lo mismo

paryb wrote:My buddy made a grenache Rose that was summertacular buddy. Gorgeous color, very crisp, balanced fruit...it was awesome stuff, went great with pesto, primavera, cold chicken salad. I wish he'd do one like that again.

Grenache rosés are my favourites! Spanish ones, Marques de Carqueres (sp?) or some such, is very cheap and EXTREMELY delicous! Goes wonderfully with pesto and fresh summer food.

labROUS wrote:Lo siento mucho que yo olvide para cambiar identidades antes que mi respuesta a su pregunta. Soy SonomaBouliste/el Rato Grandetoto. Es lo mismo

It's so cute when gringos try to habla.

Not that my Spanish is any better any more. I'm starting to get funny looks from my mom.

clayfu wrote:just wanted to add in on what INT said.

I personally don't believe that one the cork is soaked that it's instant cooked wine. The chances are pretty high that it is.. but it's no guarantee, so give it a shot regardless.

But to put the flavoring of a cooked wine into one word... it's... Sherry. It takes just like Sherry, highly acidic, light fruit, no finish. Over time it will open up but it becomes denser with odd fruit undertones.

Completely drinkable. I brought a bottle of (unknown to me) cooked wine to my friend's BBQ and his mom drank it all.

Hmm. Reading all the comments about cooked wine, and the partial but not complete stainage, I'd guess it was very very mildly cooked. It tasted a TINY bit like sherry, but not GREATLY like sherry. It didn't have that much of a finish, but not abnormally so. And it became lighter, not denser, over time. Quite strange! I will be hitting the bottle again after my run in a bit!

labROUS wrote:Sorry, I forgot to log on as my alter ego to respond to this. I forget at times that not everyone is aware SonomaBouliste = labROUS

Lo siento mucho que yo olvide para cambiar identidades antes que mi respuesta a su pregunta. Soy SonomaBouliste/el Rato Grandetoto. Es lo mismo

Two points:

1. If I have to include a smiley or winky, then my joke wasn't funny. My bad.

2. Once more, in Italian please.

Walstib wrote:Two points:

1. If I have to include a smiley or winky, then my joke wasn't funny. My bad.

2. Once more, in Italian please.

Blame Sparky...thanks to him we pretty much need a smiley in each and every post. Two in those meant to be funny.

Oh, that reminds me...

INTLGerard wrote:Nice CSI-Napa pics. First the Global knife left at the scene next to the victim followed by the mortally wounded Syrah leaking from its corked head. :-()

Unfortunately, I must agree that heat damage is apparent here. In addition to the physical evidence you provided your notes implicate a wine that has been oxidized which due to rapid heating which typically compromises the fruit flavors resulting in tart, biting and acidic astringent flavors. Syrah is a deeply opaque colored wine (especially one so young). Your glass shows some brick colored edges which are also typical of this flaw. Not having been there, yet with the evidence you’ve provided it seems you been cooked alright - IMO.

Since the KR was all the rage here, yours were mostly likely corked.
Quite a streak of bad luck you've been having...WD take care of this fairnymph!

Ahahhaa, I was wondering if anyone would notice my Global Chef's knife (probably the first item I would grab to save if my apt were on fire, I cherish it).

To be fair, the colouring of the wine is slightly off in the photos due to the extremely poor lighting in my kitchen and a bit of photoshopping, so it is NOT brick coloured at all but definitely a dark plum throughout, and quite opaque.

But, I was very surprised by the acidity and bite (and the fact that it did NOT soften AT ALL after a couple hours, which I have never before encountered), and so yes, it does seem I had an at least partially cooked wine.

Question for you as a mod - in the case of the Kent Rasmussen wines - neither had any visible damage, but 2/3 bottles (all but the petite sirah I believe) were undrinkably bitter and foul - is that a situation in which I should contact KR or wine.woot to ask for replacement?

Thanks for feedback and input.

And just to bring this all back to Saxon Brown...in for 1. I'd love to be in for more but I've definitely been in for too much wine lately. The first Saxon Brown offering was my 6th wine.woot purchase ever...how could I not pitch in now?

Happened to find this Zin, (except 2003) vintage at my local shop today and picked up a bottle. Can't wait to give it a go. Wondering if Mr. Gaffner had some thoughts on this vintage he's willing to share.

Walstib wrote:Two points:

1. If I have to include a smiley or winky, then my joke wasn't funny. My bad.

2. Once more, in Italian please.

ya never know

Walstib wrote:Two points:

1. If I have to include a smiley or winky, then my joke wasn't funny. My bad.

2. Once more, in Italian please.

This is the internet. More than once I've found something hilarious, and realized later, much to my dismay, they actually meant it.

Any guesses on tonight? White?

fairnymph wrote:
Question for you as a mod - in the case of the Kent Rasmussen wines - neither had any visible damage, but 2/3 bottles (all but the petite sirah I believe) were undrinkably bitter and foul - is that a situation in which I should contact KR or wine.woot to ask for replacement?

I think that offering from KR just was some wine experimenting gone bad. Other than a few people, I think most felt the same as you. The PV was particularly foul.

mbecker wrote:I think that offering from KR just was some wine experimenting gone bad. Other than a few people, I think most felt the same as you. The PV was particularly foul.

That just vacuums...

So, drinking (like, full glass amounts) the Syrah again tonight, which I only tasted and vacuumed after yesterday - it is SO bitter, pretty much undrinkable. I guess it must have gotten pretty cooked.

mbecker wrote:I think that offering from KR just was some wine experimenting gone bad. Other than a few people, I think most felt the same as you. The PV was particularly foul.

Aww, damn. Yeah both the PV and Esoterica were dreadful. I was awfully disappointed with those.

So far, the only wines I've loved have been the PoiZin and the Nocetos. One of the Corisons was good but definitely not worth the price, the other was GREAT. I got one set of each of the Ty Caton offerings, which hopefully haven't spoiled from the heat. Haven't tried those yet.

I was unimpressed by the Pedroncelli, the L&Ls, the Fife trio, and the Mumm (though I have yet to try all the Mumms) - and obviously the KR.

Not having good luck, am I!