clayfu wrote:i'm not sure how I never got around to replying to the bottle shock theory, but I think bottle transport gets massively overplayed. You gotta shake that thing pretty massively for quite a while. (especially on wines that you're supposed to shake in bottle?) It's like people afraid of the vibrations in the fridge.

of course I do believe wines don't show that great right when bottled, but most of the time we never even get the opportunity.

IMO, most wines may not have a problem. But I believe that there are some that may be more susceptable to it. Pinot Noir for example. When the Amity wines were up, the one Reserve PN labrat had a problem with his. I got mine on that Wednesday or Thursday, so I popped one open right away. And it was bad. MIght have been a bad bottle or travel shock.

themostrighteous wrote:did do / responded. WE BE GOOD TO GO! for the rest of you:

I AM GOING TO BE A LABRAT!!!

WOOHOO!!! BUT, due to strange weather patterns off the coast of Madagascar having something to do with any one of the various tropical depressions & hurricanes currently plaguing or threatening to plague the 48 contiguous which have otherwise disrupted logistics as we know them (read: don't ask), i will NOT be receiving this lovely gift from WD & WF until Saturday. so that's when i'll be reporting back.

NOTE: oh, and tommy, as promised: I HEREBY DEDICATE MY UPCOMING LABRAT REPORT TO YOU!

checked w/ FedEx. bottle on the truck on its way to me. should get here by noon CDT. will likely sample it late afternoon. report back to y'all then.

psmurf wrote:I'd post this question on the Wellington Select 3 thread but it might not get read(or answered), and any answers could apply to this and other future offerings(red or white).
My order(3 each of the Wellington 2006 Noir de Noirs, Syrah, and Grenache) arrived yesterday. I checked temps of a few bottles- about 80F, and everything looked fine(no ketchup ice packets incl).
Took the box home, chilled a Grenache in the fridge to about 57F, and poured into a cheap decanter.
Poured about 5 oz (about 60F now)into a glass, swirled around, and smelled... a somewhat slight vinegar scent came first. I really didn't smell fruit(I tried), but I am a newbie.
Finally I took a sip, and again a very slight vinegar taste. Then tartness and unexplainable tastes/odors... but again I am a newbie not knowing what to expect.
After 3 more short glasses of this my SO(not a wine drinker) finally agreed to try it. Scenting, her first remark was vinegar(I did not tell her about my first scent- I wanted to hear hers without influence).
I asked her to sip now. She did and replied she wouldn't drink that ----, so I finished her glass off. Later that night I asked her to smell my glass, and if she noticed any blueberry or raspberry scents. She did say yes- blueberries(but vinegar).
Is a vinegar scent(not too strong) characteristic of this wine? I have researched this but not really coming up with anything concrete.
I'm not dishonest or want to request a replacement if the order(9 bottles @ $175) is alright, so any advice will be appreciated.
I don't mind keeping a wine(the others) that I didn't particularly enjoy(and might later), but curious if maybe I got a bad one... or maybe the entire order??
(I actually tasted/smelled last nights experience all morning today)
I'm about ready to decant a 2006 Noir de Noirs, and see what happens there.
Please advise because I'm trying to become a good fine wine drinker... gotta start somewhere.

We received our Grenache from that same offer on August 27, and opened a bottle last weekend. It didn't have more than a few days to recover from the trip to Buffalo, but we couldn't wait any longer. That was the one that sucked SWMBO in for 2, even though she knew I'd already bought 3. Here are the notes from the winery on this wine, and we found our bottle to be just as wonderful as we expected. Your description doesn't sound like a bottle that suffered from excessive heat during its trip. You must have gotten a "corked" bottle. It happens even to the best wineries occasionally. Let them know at woot, and they'll take care of it.

MarkDaSpark wrote:IMO, most wines may not have a problem. But I believe that there are some that may be more susceptable to it. Pinot Noir for example. When the Amity wines were up, the one Reserve PN labrat had a problem with his. I got mine on that Wednesday or Thursday, so I popped one open right away. And it was bad. MIght have been a bad bottle or travel shock.

I think you are right about PN being susceptible to bottle shock. The only really bad wines I've gotten through ww were the Amity and Chateau Souverain 2005 Pinot Noir. We opened both the evening they arrived. They were very sour and unbalanced; the CS was nothing like the labrat report from Corrado or good PN I've had. I will be letting my PN rest a while before opening from now on.

jtan99 wrote:I've visited the castle/winery and had this Gewurzt there... I went on a tour of the winery as part of an Alumni event, and it includes lunch and everything. While I was eating and drinking this wine, I remember myself saying, I wished I had some spicy thai food with this wine. Although pricy, I think this wine can be compared to some of the good Gewurzt. from Alsace.

Thank you for visiting the Castello and thanks for the kind words about our Gewurz!!

ddeuddeg wrote:We received our Grenache from that same offer on August 27, and opened a bottle last weekend. It didn't have more than a few days to recover from the trip to Buffalo, but we couldn't wait any longer. That was the one that sucked SWMBO in for 2, even though she knew I'd already bought 3. Here are the notes from the winery on this wine, and we found our bottle to be just as wonderful as we expected. Your description doesn't sound like a bottle that suffered from excessive heat during its trip. You must have gotten a "corked" bottle. It happens even to the best wineries occasionally. Let them know at woot, and they'll take care of it.

Thanks to all(cheron98, clayfu, MarkDaSpark, ddeuddeg, rco) for the advice and/or experiences.
This wasn't intended to be a winery specific post as it could apply to wines from anywhere.
As mentioned earlier, the W Noir was really nice last night, and I'll finish it later this afternoon.
But I do now believe the Grenache wasn't quite right, or as intended. The slight vinegar taste, lack of any overwhelming fruits, and that aftertaste I experienced the following day(up until about lunch time) seems uncharacteristic of this wine.
"Corked" might be right as the order arrived in good condition, and 80F isn't too bad for any arrival temp.
I'm somewhat reluctant to try another G(remembering that after taste) but will later- maybe tonight or by next weekend, although I'm anxious for the Syrah.
I do read all the posts now... before/since my first wine purchase here(Wel Select 3), all the Labrat reviews(ddeuddeg- I've got 3 InZ's coming), and links/advice from the posters. This is a great community, along with the fine wine deals offered.
Themostrighteous should have received his gift by now(probably chillin'), so I look forward to his review of the current offering. ScottHarveyWines' review of it is impressive.
(I need much more experience before I even apply for a Labrat position.)
;)
~well, off to do chores now~

MarkDaSpark wrote:IMO, most wines may not have a problem. But I believe that there are some that may be more susceptable to it. Pinot Noir for example. When the Amity wines were up, the one Reserve PN labrat had a problem with his. I got mine on that Wednesday or Thursday, so I popped one open right away. And it was bad. MIght have been a bad bottle or travel shock.

hum i dunno. I've popped open many a pinot on the day i've gotten it.. bad pinot is just bad pinot. Too many places are making pinot when they shouldn't

psmurf wrote:Thanks to all(cheron98, clayfu, MarkDaSpark, ddeuddeg, rco) for the advice and/or experiences.
This wasn't intended to be a winery specific post as it could apply to wines from anywhere.
As mentioned earlier, the W Noir was really nice last night, and I'll finish it later this afternoon.
But I do now believe the Grenache wasn't quite right, or as intended. The slight vinegar taste, lack of any overwhelming fruits, and that aftertaste I experienced the following day(up until about lunch time) seems uncharacteristic of this wine.
"Corked" might be right as the order arrived in good condition, and 80F isn't too bad for any arrival temp.
I'm somewhat reluctant to try another G(remembering that after taste) but will later- maybe tonight or by next weekend, although I'm anxious for the Syrah.
I do read all the posts now... before/since my first wine purchase here(Wel Select 3), all the Labrat reviews(ddeuddeg- I've got 3 InZ's coming), and links/advice from the posters. This is a great community, along with the fine wine deals offered.
Themostrighteous should have received his gift by now(probably chillin'), so I look forward to his review of the current offering. ScottHarveyWines' review of it is impressive.
(I need much more experience before I even apply for a Labrat position.)
;)
~well, off to do chores now~

You are quite correct in stating that this could happen to wines from anywhere. My experience has been that when it does happen to a wine I've bought locally, the store takes care of it with no questions asked, and everyone who has posted such an experience on this page has been taken care of, as far as I know.
I hope you can get past this negative experience with one bottle of Grenache, because it is a very versatile varietal, one of the foundations of the Rhone wines which go with many types of food. IMHO, your best bet would be to get your hands on one ASAP, to help forget about this (hopefully rare) unfortunate experience. Like the cliché, getting back in the saddle right away after falling off the horse, or something like that.

themostrighteous wrote:checked w/ FedEx. bottle on the truck on its way to me. should get here by noon CDT. will likely sample it late afternoon. report back to y'all then.

not that anyone is keeping tabs, but change of plans: will taste & report back late this evening.

and, not that anyone should particularly care about this kind of detail, but the bottle is BEE'OOH-TEE-FULL.

Looking forward to your review, TMR.

With regards to corking, I've heard it said that about 5% of all wine is corked, but most consumers don't recognize it! I've personally experienced varying degrees. There are some bottles that are just plain smelly socks or stinky public pool, and there are many others which leave me wondering, "I bet a different bottle of this wine might taste better".

With regards to Grenache, I've been drinking wine for 20 years or so and it's not my favorite varietal. However, I've had some wonderful examples and most of those I've really liked have been 10-15 years old when consumed.

SmilingBoognish wrote:Looking forward to your review, TMR.

With regards to corking, I've heard it said that about 5% of all wine is corked, but most consumers don't recognize it! I've personally experienced varying degrees. There are some bottles that are just plain smelly socks or stinky public pool, and there are many others which leave me wondering, "I bet a different bottle of this wine might taste better".

With regards to Grenache, I've been drinking wine for 20 years or so and it's not my favorite varietal. However, I've had some wonderful examples and most of those I've really liked have been 10-15 years old when consumed.

One of our liquor store owners has said that one in twelve bottles is corked. However, YMMV.

themostrighteous wrote:not that anyone is keeping tabs, but change of plans: will taste & report back late this evening.

and, not that anyone should particularly care about this kind of detail, but the bottle is BEE'OOH-TEE-FULL.

'tis that time...

reporting for duty to labrat the 2006 Castello di Amorosa Gewurztraminer!

please note that, as is my practice, i am tasting this for the first time at room temperature. i intend to subsequently taste this at 50-55F, and i will post significant changes in the profile of this wine at that time, if any.

eyes - clear but pale golden straw color w/ medium legs.

nose - Gewürztraminer literally means literally means Spice Traminer or Perfumed Traminer. this is where the proverbial rubber hits the proverbial road w/ this varietal. so... to say that this wine is aromatically EXPRESSIVE is an understatement. the nose opens w/ a floral bouquet of rose petals & violets, yielding to broad-ranging citrus notes & closing w/ a distinct grapefruit overtone. there are certain wines that i could literally smell all day w/out taking a sip, and this is most definitely one of them - it has a GORGEOUS nose.

mouth - and yet my labrattery compels me to take that sip nevertheless. this wine is completely dry, ie its noticeable acidity (3.36 pH) effectively masks its potential sweetness (0.48% RS) (as Scott Harvey taught us here a couple of weeks ago). the level of acidity suggests that this would indeed be a most food-friendly wine - which makes the fact that its body is almost Sémillon-like fascinating to me, ie i just have not experienced that combination (high acidity, full body) in too many wines before. its flavor profile is very similar to its aromatic profile, but that floral bouquet is almost completely muted, those citrus notes make their presence felt upon entry, and that distinct grapefruit overtone becomes dominant in the palate.

closing details - moderate finish, impeccably well-balanced, engaging complexity.

i hope that helps. i don't really have the storage space for ANY additional wine at this point, but i can't let a little thing like that get in the way, so i intend to up my order by another set. i would appreciate if someone can remind me how i might go about doing that.

EDIT: it's a tad too late for me, so i will taste this at 50-55F tomorrow & post my notes then. cool?

themostrighteous wrote:'tis that time...

reporting for duty to labrat the 2006 Castello di Amorosa Gewurztraminer!

please note that, as is my practice, i am tasting this for the first time at room temperature. i intend to subsequently taste this at 50-55F, and i will post significant changes in the profile of this wine at that time, if any.

eyes - clear but pale golden straw color w/ medium legs.

nose - Gewürztraminer literally means literally means Spice Traminer or Perfumed Traminer. this is where the proverbial rubber hits the proverbial road w/ this varietal. so... to say that this wine is aromatically EXPRESSIVE is an understatement. the nose opens w/ a floral bouquet of rose petals & violets, yielding to broad-ranging citrus notes & closing w/ a distinct grapefruit overtone. there are certain wines that i could literally smell all day w/out taking a sip, and this is most definitely one of them - it has a GORGEOUS nose.

mouth - and yet my labrattery compels me to take that sip nevertheless. this wine is completely dry, ie its noticeable acidity (3.36 pH) effectively masks its potential sweetness (0.48% RS) (as Scott Harvey taught us here a couple of weeks ago). the level of acidity suggests that this would indeed be a most food-friendly wine - which makes the fact that its body is almost Sémillon-like fascinating to me, ie i just have not experienced that combination (high acidity, full body) in too many wines before. its flavor profile is very similar to its aromatic profile, but that floral bouquet is almost completely muted, those citrus notes make their presence felt upon entry, and that distinct grapefruit overtone becomes dominant in the palate.

closing details - moderate finish, impeccably well-balanced, engaging complexity.

i hope that helps. i don't really have the storage space for ANY additional wine at this point, but i can't let a little thing like that get in the way, so i intend to up my order by another set. i would appreciate if someone can remind me how i might go about doing that.

EDIT: it's a tad too late for me, so i will taste this at 50-55F tomorrow & post my notes then. cool?

email service@woot.com to up your order.

MarkDaSpark wrote:email service@woot.com to up your order.

And if they tell you it's too late, it's already been processed for shipment, send a gift order to someone you trust, e.g., someone who lives with you, but has a "slightly different" address, like Apt.2.

ddeuddeg wrote:And if they tell you it's too late, it's already been processed for shipment, send a gift order to someone you trust, e.g., someone who lives with you, but has a "slightly different" address, like Apt.2.

oh, i've got THAT one covered: that's what VV is for. but i'm such a sucker for a good deal, that i'd rather up my order (ie just one shipping charge). but thanks to you & sParkS for the advice.

Gotta love the three packs!

Funny.. I'm a novice wine drinker and had never heard of Gewürztraminer until this offering.. I kinda started off knowing just Chardonnay, Merlot, etc., and picking up previously unheard-of varietal names as the offerings come along. I figured I'd probably never know how to pronounce 'Gewürztraminer', either, until coincidentally during the episode of USA's detective show "Psych" (where the main character is sort of known for making obscure references to anything generally retro or unpopular) on Friday, the main character 'Shawn' invited character 'Jules' over for a crabcake dinner and a bottle of "Ge-verts-tra-mean-er". Any one else catch that, or am I the only geek on this board who watches Psych? Was it an accurate pronunciation?

KurtBiz wrote: Was it an accurate pronunciation?

That's a pretty good phonetic spelling, actually.

ddeuddeg wrote:That's a pretty good phonetic spelling, actually.

Speaking of phonetic spellings, how about a kloo, Wine David ?

themostrighteous wrote:EDIT: it's a tad too late for me, so i will taste this at 50-55F tomorrow & post my notes then. cool?

first off, good review. Second off, excellent pun. Third off, would this be a mistake of Cuvee R'ian proportions to skip this offering?

bhodilee wrote:first off, good review. Second off, excellent pun. Third off, would this be a mistake of Cuvee R'ian proportions to skip this offering?

sorry. can't help you there. two completely different wines. read the winemaker's comments as well as Scott's review alongside mine one more time. then decide for yourself.

as for the pun, that WAS sweet, though completely unintended.

Winedavid39 wrote:Kloo?

Goin' green.

Green apple Kool-Aid?

Winedavid39 wrote:Kloo?

Goin' green.

Could be a fine wine from green bay . . .

Winedavid39 wrote:Kloo?

Goin' green.

Oohh! Something biodynamic? Frog's Leap would fit both (green as in the color and eco-friendly).

Yes, definitely could be something organic/biodynamic/ecologically-related....probably likely that given the "goin' "....or if not, perhaps something from a winemaker of Irish lineage (or from a west coast winery or wine with an Irish name)....perhaps from one of the Wine Geese descendants or somehow otherwise reflecting Irish heritage....

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11838031/

Winedavid39 wrote:Kloo?

Goin' green.

Could it be Quivira in Healdsburg? They are biodynamic. We visited them post rpm tour and were really impressed with their wines and their growing practices.

The Sonoma County Business Environmental Alliance recently announced Quivira as the winner of the 2008 Best Practices Award for their organic farming practices, commitment to solar power and restoration of Wine Creek as a fish-friendly habitat.

Quivera looks interesting. Among other offerings a syrah, 3 zins and a largely zin blend (Steelhead). If not this week, perhaps it will show up another week if it is up to WD's standards.

Winedavid39 wrote:Kloo?

Goin' green.

Nope - I think WD39 has found the secret stash of Annie Greensprings and has finally convinced the winemaker? to join the Woot family.

bahwm wrote:Could it be Quivira in Healdsburg? They are biodynamic. We visited them post rpm tour and were really impressed with their wines and their growing practices.

The Sonoma County Business Environmental Alliance recently announced Quivira as the winner of the 2008 Best Practices Award for their organic farming practices, commitment to solar power and restoration of Wine Creek as a fish-friendly habitat.

Of course, we're both overlooking the misspelling of "clue". How does Kloo fit into this?

In case it helps, slightly math-based projections of next varietals indicate we should be looking for: Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Sake, Mead, Meritage (in that order). Neither of our guesses look right for that, either.

jwhite6114 wrote:Of course, we're both overlooking the misspelling of "clue". How does Kloo fit into this?

In case it helps, slightly math-based projections of next varietals indicate we should be looking for: Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Sake, Mead, Meritage (in that order). Neither of our guesses look right for that, either.

I could be wrong (just ask SWMBO), but I think that was just WD working off Sparky's phonetic reference. I wouldn't count on that playing into the guesswork.

EDIT: My bad. I meant smartheart, not Sparky. Sorry, guys.

smartheart wrote:... if it is up to WD's standards.

As well as their own business requirements.

smartheart wrote:Quivera looks interesting. Among other offerings a syrah, 3 zins and a largely zin blend (Steelhead). If not this week, perhaps it will show up another week if it is up to WD's standards.

I can't imagine another Zin offering...

kylemittskus wrote:I can't imagine another Zin offering...

We're actually a bit underreprested in Zin, still (not as much as some other varietals, though)*. cab Suav, too.

I would love to see a Frog's Leap Petite Syrah offer, just to see if Loweeel and TMR go into a catatonic failure loop.

*when comparing the last 50 offers to all offers (7% of the last 50 offers have included Zin, whereas 8% of all offers have included Zin)

Kloo is a radio station in Oregon, so maybe a green Oregon winery? There are a few.

kttest wrote:Kloo is a radio station in Oregan, so maybe a green Oregan winery? There are a few.

And Oregon is a good place for Pinot Noir ...

jwhite6114 wrote:And Oregon is a good place for Pinot Noir ...

There is also Patricia Green Cellars if we take the green literally. Specializing in Pinot Noir.

kttest wrote:Kloo is a radio station in Oregan, so maybe a green Oregan winery? There are a few.

Look back at the original post asking for a "kloo" -- it wasn't WD who spell clue this way. So it is not part of the clue unless Sparky has inside info. He was talking about phonetic spelling and said how about a "kloo."

hld1970 wrote:Look back at the original post asking for a "kloo" -- it wasn't WD who spell clue this way. So it is not part of the clue unless smartheart has inside info. He was talking about phonetic spelling and said how about a "kloo."

Yes, so I see.

jwhite6114 wrote:Yes, so I see. Trust Sparky to muddle things up

(happily ignoring the fact that Sparky really had nothing to do with my misinterpretation of WD's spelling to be part of the clue)

Wait a second. Is smartheart another name for Sparky these days? Have I missed something? Because it was smartheart who first posted asking for a "kloo". (insert scratching head icon here)