In a surprise to nobody on the Pub thread, I have an overnight package waiting for me in the mailroom...will report back shortly.

oppsie wrote:In a surprise to nobody on the Pub thread, I have an overnight package waiting for me in the mailroom...will report back shortly.

Hurrah! It is Syrah (rose)!

Must construct menu. I will embark on this after I eat my grilled cheese-and-bacon sandwich (forced into this choice by lack of tomatoes in building cafeteria, feh).

oppsie wrote:In a surprise to nobody on the Pub thread, I have an overnight package waiting for me in the mailroom...will report back shortly.

ZOMG, what could it BE?!

New RatPack section started.

joeliquor wrote:FYI...

As you can see I'm not a "poster". I tend to lurk b/c if I posted on this board and the other board I frequent I would never get any work done. But I enjoy stalking all of you on a regular basis. ;)

Brief background...live in Chicago...from WI...school at Madison...college jobs all involved beer distributors and wine shops. Now I have a "professional" job that isn't nearly as fun as those college jobs.

It's alright Joe, we still want to hear what you have to say. And I know you're a snob so if you like it, it must be good. ;)

joeliquor wrote:FYI...

As you can see I'm not a "poster". I tend to lurk b/c if I posted on this board and the other board I frequent I would never get any work done. But I enjoy stalking all of you on a regular basis. ;)

Brief background...live in Chicago...from WI...school at Madison...college jobs all involved beer distributors and wine shops. Now I have a "professional" job that isn't nearly as fun as those college jobs.

Chicago represent! I can't wait to hear your report.

LurkerDan wrote:It's alright Joe, we still want to hear what you have to say. And I know you're a snob so if you like it, it must be good. ;)

71 posts and everything you post elsewhere...you must work less than me!

I'm not a snob...just highly selective. ;)

Last nights selection was some Big Eddy Imperial Stout and Eysphre (sp?).

joeliquor wrote:FYI...

As you can see I'm not a "poster". I tend to lurk b/c if I posted on this board and the other board I frequent I would never get any work done. But I enjoy stalking all of you on a regular basis. ;)

Brief background...live in Chicago...from WI...school at Madison...college jobs all involved beer distributors and wine shops. Now I have a "professional" job that isn't nearly as fun as those college jobs.

Can you please give this review from the perspective of the Famous WWII Flying Ace? Or am I wrong that your name is a blatant ripoff of Joe Cool? I'm hoping that's the case.

bhodilee wrote:Can you please give this review from the perspective of the Famous WWII Flying Ace? Or am I wrong that your name is a blatant ripoff of Joe Cool? I'm hoping that's the case.

I have to be honest. I got a lot of Joe Cool bday cards, etc. from the family in my childhood years. The creation of the name was simply a combination of my first name and the fact I was working in the booze industry when I first had to sign up for an IM account or something.

myrlin wrote:Chicago represent! I can't wait to hear your report.

You can hear me? That must mean you live close to me. I was wondering who has been watching me with binoculars from across the way.

joeliquor wrote:I have to be honest. I got a lot of Joe Cool bday cards, etc. from the family in my childhood years. The creation of the name was simply a combination of my first name and the fact I was working in the booze industry when I first had to sign up for an IM account or something.

Damn, that would have been massively entertaining.

joeliquor wrote:71 posts and everything you post elsewhere...you must work less than me!

I'm not a snob...just highly selective. ;)

Last nights selection was some Big Eddy Imperial Stout and Eysphre (sp?).

come on, 71 posts in 2 years is just a drop in the bucket. But yeah, work isn't my strong suit.

So I've had a crappy week. Been gone for most of it, had to travel through O'Hare, massive delays, cancelled flight, forced bus ride, no sleep. Get home yesterday, 90 degrees, today too, last night the a/c decides to die. So, I decided to work from home today while they tried to fix the a/c. And wouldn't you know, a few minutes ago, 2 burly FedEx guys knock on the door.

And suddenly, the week is a bit brighter...me being blinded by the Golden Ticket and all!

So I run some measurements with 2 independent infrared thermometers. The outcome: 92 degrees. Pop it in the fridge. I'm thinking about putting it in the freezer for a bit. I figure it's been shocked so much in the last 24 hours, what's another slap to the head? Would that be a bad thing?

I'll be reporting back later on the 2007 Semillon...

joeliquor wrote:You can hear me? That must mean you live close to me. I was wondering who has been watching me with binoculars from across the way.

Actually im blind and i use txt to speech tools to read teh interwebs.

nah im just fooling you, I am that creepy guy across the street.

myrlin wrote:Actually im blind and i use txt to speech tools to read teh interwebs.

nah im just fooling you, I am that creepy guy across the street.

pwned.

themostrighteous wrote:thank you. that sounds beautiful & a must-try. so i will.

WD, if i may, allow me to plead my case to you for labrattery duties:

1. apart from being gaga about PS, White Bordeaux & straight Semillon are my favorite whites, bar none (which, again, is one of the reasons why i love Jeff's Moon Valley Wine Club).
2. i am MOST definitely available tomorrow to labrat this baby.
3. temps are expected to be beautiful (wine-wise) in Chicago tomorrow so there is little risk that this baby will be cooked on its way to me.

so, PLEASE, pretty please, consider my case for labrattery!!!

i can report to y'all that (yet again) begging doesn't work. no rodentry for me. but i did get to sample a Woot Cellars Red Wannabe last weekend! so i guess i shouldn't complain.

looking forward to those labrat reports.

MarkDaSpark wrote:Also found this list of 425+ Biodynamic Wine Producers. More than I thought.

billions of people around the world read the horoscope every day to peek into what the Fates have in store for them. the fact that billions do rather than 10 doesn't make astrology any less of a flight of fancy. basic as that.

this is one of the better articles that i have come across that subjects biodynamics to the rigors of the scientific method.

(btw, Sparky, i'm not suggesting that you believe in this stuff. i am rather presenting a counterpoint that the articles that you linked did not. simple as that.)

Maybe you should try ignoring WD for awhile. That always seemed to get the attention of the few high maintenance women I foolishly thought dating would be a good idea.

LabRat report: Saxon Brown 2007 Semillon (Cricket Creek Vineyards):

After being in the freezer for 30 minutes, and the fridge for a bit, it's 52 degrees in the glass. Even though it was 92 degrees upon arrival, there is no apparent oddity to foil/cork.

In the glass, fairly pale, similar to the color of the flesh of a green grape, with a touch of gold. Medium-long legs.

Some of the "typical" aroma of a white wine on the nose...wish I could identify what that is, but to me all the whites I've had (not all that many, compared to reds) have a distinctive quality in common...help me out here if you know what I mean. No sweetness, definite spiciness, with a touch of mint, earthiness, and a touch of grass. Maybe a slight hint of citrus (grapefruit, lime).

Taste: very nice rather full-bodied creamy (rather than velvety) mouth-feel. Spiciness, not really melon to me, but something "darker" (but not berries)...maybe that's fig?...crossed with some grapefruit. Some acidity, but definitely not overpowering like a lot of Sauv Blancs (of course, I tend to sip more than pair with food, so YMMV). Medium finish, and I actually get some green grape on the finish (imagine that!). A slight mineral touch. A bit of heat on the finish at first, but that seemed to fade quickly.

Paired with an aged Wisconsin cheddar, the creaminess matches that of the cheese well, the acidity mostly disappears, and the spiciness and earthiness dominate over the fruit. I think they work well together, but I'm not experienced at that sort of thing.

Later that night...just had a whole grain pita, ham, turkey, swiss, cheddar, leaf lettuce, and Frank's Red Hot...stood up well, brought out the spice, minerals, and particularly the acidity. Equally enjoyable at 52 or 65 degrees IMHO.

I like this wine. You know why I'm happy I have 6 more coming (not to mention 6 roses!)? To me (of limited experience and palate), this is a very well-balanced wine. I've seen that term used a lot, but never really got a handle on what that meant in my mouth. The Semillon exhibits many of the tastes/aromas I've encountered while drinking white wine, but this one seems to show more of them without any one of them dominating...to me that is well-balanced. I will enjoy this, even while not trying to be so analytical.

I need to make an early night of it, so I got an early start. :-) Thanks to WineDavid and Jeff for the opportunity! I've learned a lot by doing this, and I hope to pay more attention in the future (while still allowing myself to enjoy!). I really enjoyed the 2000 Zin also, and am disappointed I recently finished off the last bottle. Hope to see more Saxon Brown in the future.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy your evening!

=== Edited by rbwoot @ 13 Jun 2008 5:18 PM
Ok, I finally noticed the pear...but without the sugar/sweetness...interesting...

Thanks for the report, glad i jumped.

themostrighteous wrote:billions of people around the world read the horoscope every day to peek into what the Fates have in store for them. the fact that billions do rather than 10 doesn't make astrology any less of a flight of fancy. basic as that.

this is one of the better articles that i have come across that subjects biodynamics to the rigors of the scientific method.

(btw, Sparky, i'm not suggesting that you believe in this stuff. i am rather presenting a counterpoint that the articles that you linked did not. simple as that.)

I was going to try to fake that I was serious about it, but too much trouble. Just thought the info might be interesting to some. Now go do that voodoo that you do so well .....

rbwoot wrote:LabRat report: Saxon Brown 2007 Semillon (Cricket Creek Vineyards)

nice work. thanks!

This is a group report (consensus was reached early on in the nomination process), although all accolades for writeup can be sent to moi. Group consisted of me, cheron98, and the DH.

Dinner was scallops with a tomato balsamic vinegar reduction and avocado salsa as described here. Sides were fried softshell crabs, grilled zucchini and asparagus.

2006 Saxon Brown Syrah Rose. Sorry, no accent, I'm lazy.

Nose: Strawberries primarily, a little orange and a little apple

Taste: Alone, raspberries. Paired with dinner, increased tartness. Scallops and tomato reduction made the tartness even bigger. A very fizzy, extremely long finish. Some might even say akin to consuming a fizzy lifting drink, without the fuel require for descent. With the zucchini, the tartness was completely gone and the sweetness increased too much. With the asparagus, still tart and delicious. The jalapeño in the avocado salsa was accentuated, even exaggerated. In a good way!

Mouthfeel: Sticky. Cloying. But not in a bad way (a bad way would be a Sandra Bullock romantic comedy). Richer than it looks, sticky, spitball finish. But not in a bad way. It reminded us of spitting carrot juice.

Color: Um, rose. With a hint of pink. Uh, good legs. They were there. Yeah.

Finish: As stated before, really long and fizzy with the scallop/tomatoes. It went on for well over a minute, which doesn't sound like a long time but it is (just ask anybody that lives on Venus. Unless the calculations of cheron98 and DH are incorrect, which is possible, in which case s/Venus/Mercury or s/Venus/Mars). Alone, super sticky but not gross. Like you just swallowed peanut butter sticky. Mouth was totally coated.

Jeff, I'd be interested to know what the drinking window on this is. Are roses always meant to be consumed within a year of bottling, or does this have some length to it?

cheron98 and DH also consumed with homemade ice cream (vanilla) and hot fudge (Sanders bittersweet -- a Detroit specialty that everybody should try at least once*). Tartness was there again because of sweetness of ice cream.

DH's comments were as follows:

*munch munch chew*
*gobble spill gobble*
*guzzle*
"I taste a little apple"
*chew munch nom nom nom*
"Scallops are really good!"
*snarl munch gobble chew swallow*

So, no dusty dead old lady's dresser this evening. Instead, more like licking roof pitch. In a good way!

I'm somewhat regretting only going in for one, but the knowledge that I'm getting two bottles of this mitigates that feeling somewhat. And the knowledge of the state of my wallet mitigates the remainder.

We also tried some 03 Wellington Syrah Cuvee R to compare two wines coming from the same grape. The assessment was that the syrah still worked with the scallops, but in a different way. Different flavors, no fizziness or much sweetness, but good. Who says you can't have reds with seafood?

Bottom line: Buy this. It's good juice.

* -- FYI IMPORTANT!!! Fudge is unacceptable as carryon fodder at the airport. TSA will confiscate it. I learned this the hard way. Peanut butter is also unacceptable. When I asked if Reese's peanut butter cups or Snickers were acceptable, I was asked if I wanted to have a problem. I didn't want to have a problem, and promptly donated the three jars of Sanders Bittersweet Fudge Topping to our friends at TSA.

Alright here we go....

I'm going to do two versions of tasting notes for the 2006 Syrah Rose Flora Ranch.

Going back to my wine selling days I'll give you a quick and simple one for those that think Parker needs to a take a modern English class and a longer one for those who think verbose wine reviews are necessary.

Oopsie - pity about the fudge. The TSA can be a problem - my former boss tried to bring liquour-filled chocolates on board, and was told that the liquour exceeded the amount of liquid permitted. I'm glad we're safe from fudge and truffles - how about you?

Anyway, on to the question. Had any of you had the Epiphany Rose? How would they compare? I, like it seems many others, have little experience with rose wines, and that's one that some of us might use as a reference point.

Quick and simple...

Perfect wine for those warm summer days of doing nothing except sitting around, relaxing and working on your tan. A great "bridge" wine for your friends that think White Zinfandel is a wine. ;)

Rich mouthfeel with strawberry, some sweetness and balanced acidity to finish. If you are looking for a picnic wine...you can't go wrong with this one.

oppsie wrote:This is a group report (consensus was reached early on in the nomination process), although all accolades for writeup can be sent to moi. Group consisted of me, cheron98, and the DH.

< buckets of quality but hilarious rattery >

thanks, oppsie, DH & cheron! informative & comical to boot. loved the fact that you clarified your descriptions repeatedly w/ "not in a bad way" or "in a good way". thanks again!

Longer version...that still won't be Parkeresque b/c I can't stand his writing (he does know his stuff though)

Beautiful color of fresh watermelon in the glass with a nose of muted berries that opens up as the wine warms up from the initial lightly chilled beginning.

The initial taste carries muted strawberry flavors and a touch of sugar to a well balanced acidic finish that has a hint of orange. The acidity tends to dwindle away with food (crab cakes, assorted cheeses) and as the wine gets closer to cellar temperature the fruit jumps out more.

As time passes the strawberry is more prevalent and a bit of green citrus from a Sav Blanc comes through. The wine stays velvety in the mouth throughout with a bit of candy sugar.

Not a lot of complexity, but when slightly chilled it is a well balanced and versatile wine for the warmer months. As the wine reached room temp the sugar stood out more (which for me was not preferable), but may be able to sway some "sweet" wine drinkers a bit closer to the drier spectrum.

As for food pairings, I would suggest lighter seafood fare, but I'd probably lean towards using this wine as an aperitif more than anything. I had a Spanish style cheese (from WI) that was creamy and bit nutty. It brought out the sweetness a bit more, but stole the acidity that enjoyed so much in the finish.

joeliquor wrote:Longer version...that still won't be Parkeresque b/c I can't stand his writing (he does know his stuff though)

nice double (short / long) rat notes.

Thanks WD and Jeff for the opportunity! I'm looking forward to the reds, the Semillon and having some more Rose on hand for those humid Chicago days.

rbwoot wrote:LabRat report: Saxon Brown 2007 Semillon (Cricket Creek Vineyards):

...this is a very well-balanced wine.

Job well done, rats! Thanks for the reports. And since rbwoot said the secret word...

Saxon Brown - Four Pack
Current numbers (updated each minute):
First sucker: mill
Speed to first woot: 0m 7.703s

Last wooter to woot: kkv123

coynedj wrote:Oopsie - pity about the fudge. The TSA can be a problem - my former boss tried to bring liquour-filled chocolates on board, and was told that the liquour exceeded the amount of liquid permitted. I'm glad we're safe from fudge and truffles - how about you?

Anyway, on to the question. Had any of you had the Epiphany Rose? How would they compare? I, like it seems many others, have little experience with rose wines, and that's one that some of us might use as a reference point.

I actually put a 2004 Epiphany grenache rose in the fridge for comparison purposes, but the alcohol proved to much for us and we were unable to contemplate cracking it. We saved a little less than half of the Saxon Brown to try again tomorrow, at which point I will probably do a head-to-head with the Epiphany. Note that this is not the vintage sold on w.w, but one that I found in the disco buggy of joy clearance cart at my local market.

Also forgot to mention that after the first glass we put the bottle back in the fridge; the wine was much colder for the second taste, and that of course increased the crispness. It was fine at cool temp, but a little too sweet. Mo chilled was mo better.

Also ALSO forgot to mention: Thanks WD, this was awesome. I look forward to doing it again once you've ratted everybody else on the list who hasn't yet enjoyed rodentousness.

oppsie wrote:I actually put a 2004 Epiphany grenache rose in the fridge for comparison purposes, but the alcohol proved to much for us and we were unable to contemplate cracking it. We saved a little less than half of the Saxon Brown to try again tomorrow, at which point I will probably do a head-to-head with the Epiphany. Note that this is not the vintage sold on w.w, but one that I found in the disco buggy of joy clearance cart at my local market.

...

I'd love to hear a comparison to the Epiphany grenache rose. That was the first rose of any type I've had and I reallly enjoyed it. I'm already in for two this week but would love to get a sense of how this compares to the Epiphany so I know how to serve it.

Thanks for the extra work!

oppsie wrote:It reminded us of spitting carrot juice.

Well, it reminded oppsie of it at least. When she introduced me to this spitting carrot juice thing, I wasn't quite sure where the wine played into it. Except that maybe you should have a few glasses before playing

Personal note: This was absolutely fantastic and if you haven't bought it already, do so. Immediately. Because this is really good juice.

oppsie, joeliquor, and rbwoot: you've been packed

I would venture to say there's still a Semillon labrat out there somewhere who hasn't discovered their golden ticket. Quick, everyone go check your package delivery places!

Received two orders today and all was well with the wine. What were the tiny little plastic things that were filled with liquid that were in the box this time around? Were they frozen to keep the wine cooler?

yellowroe wrote:Received two orders today and all was well with the wine. What were the tiny little plastic things that were filled with liquid that were in the box this time around? Were they frozen to keep the wine cooler?

Ayup.

joeliquor wrote:Thanks WD and Jeff for the opportunity! I'm looking forward to the reds, the Semillon and having some more Rose on hand for those humid Chicago days.

joe liquor with the detailed and abridged versions. nice work !

I am getting a little concerned about shipping temp's. It be summer out there and ups and fedex
trucks are not climate controlled.

rbwoot wrote:LabRat report: Saxon Brown 2007 Semillon (Cricket Creek Vineyards)

oppsie wrote:This is a group report

joeliquor wrote:Alright here we go....

Awesome reports people! In vermin verite... is that how it goes? I never took a day of Latin!

Your informative and enjoyable words make me glad I jumped on this one!