Chillin with mom tonight. I asked if she wanted to try an oaky chardonnay, and she not-unexpectedly rolled her eyes. Not much of a drinker, she. I mentioned that Mumm was on woot again this week, and she suggested trying the "red one" that's been in her fridge since the last Mumm offer. (She wanted it, I swear!) Now, I'm a big PN fan, so I instantly loved this bubbly! Each sip seemed better than the last. About the only thing she will even occasionally drink is asti spumante, so after two or three sips, she decided she didn't care for the Mumm. Oh, well... more for me!

I think I know the answer, but for her sake... does Mumm offer anything toward the wayyyyy-sweet side that might appeal to her?

UBlink wrote:Well, cowboy, I think you'd feel right at home in Texas. Have y'all got concealed carry too?

we really should take this to the pub, but yes, VA is shall-issue.

Loweeel wrote:OH MAN. I would SO be in...

thats what he said?

eric9tx wrote:Chillin with mom tonight. I asked if she wanted to try an oaky chardonnay, and she not-unexpectedly rolled her eyes. Not much of a drinker, she. I mentioned that Mumm was on woot again this week, and she suggested trying the "red one" that's been in her fridge since the last Mumm offer. (She wanted it, I swear!) Now, I'm a big PN fan, so I instantly loved this bubbly! Each sip seemed better than the last. About the only thing she will even occasionally drink is asti spumante, so after two or three sips, she decided she didn't care for the Mumm. Oh, well... more for me!

I think I know the answer, but for her sake... does Mumm offer anything toward the wayyyyy-sweet side that might appeal to her?

Mumm has a Demi-Sec that is supposed to be more of a dessert wine.

BubblykindaGal, any others????

If you live in Cali, each of these are individually cheaper at safeway or BevMo

mohit2000 wrote:If you live in Cali, each of these are individually cheaper at safeway or BevMo

Incorrect. Neither has the Grand Année, and BevMo doesn't have the Brut Rosé at all.

KryseeMac wrote:Better be careful....drinking buddy girlfriend....wino girlfriend.....

= empty cellar. I find that when I have a gf that isn't a wino I get to drink MUCH better juice....no more double bottles of carp!

jjhrad wrote:Labrat report:

Packed! And you as well, smartheart

jjhrad wrote:Labrat report:

This is my first labrat report so go easy ;)

I was excited to see a FedEx box arrive this morning. I immediately began to chill the box at work so that I would not have to wait for it to chill when I got home.

My wife and I opened the 2003 Blanc De Blancs and avoided the influence of outside flavors. I participated in the last Mumm woot purchase and visited Mumm back in the early 1990's--it has long been one of my favorites.

I do not "taste" sparkling wine very often, but usually go what what I know on those special occasions. This 2003 had a good color and a appreciable amount of effervescence. The initial taste was one of interest. Having such a large percentage of Chardonnay, the taste of fruit is predominant. The initial aftertaste was almost a bit bitter, but I expected this to smooth out a bit after it had been opened for a while. I revisited the taste after a little more than an hour and found it much more palatable than when the bottle was first opened.

I always like a good bottle of Mumm, this bottle included. It is a different taste than I am used to in a sparkling wine, but that is not always a bad thing. This was a bit sweeter, more fruit forward than the traditional Brut, but I have no doubt that it will still appeal to a great number of sparkling wine fans. I expect that I will like the other two a bit more, but we will see.

Thank you for the opportunity wine.woot.

Good report. thanks

Couple questions I was curious on being I have not ventured much into the world of Sparklers.

First- is it recommended to store these in a wine fridge or an actual regular fridge?
Didn't know if the cooler temp of a regular fridge would negatively affect anything.

Also- is it recommended to let a bottle of sparkling open up and breathe a bit like red wine or does this not make a difference?

thanks!

We are not big sparkling wine drinkers, and can see these sitting around for a few years if I purchase a couple each. Could anybody tell me if these will still be drinkable in 3 or 4 years?

kurtswa wrote:Good report. thanks

Couple questions I was curious on being I have not ventured much into the world of Sparklers.

First- is it recommended to store these in a wine fridge or an actual regular fridge?
Didn't know if the cooler temp of a regular fridge would negatively affect anything.

Also- is it recommended to let a bottle of sparkling open up and breathe a bit like red wine or does this not make a difference?

thanks!

Wine fridge is best, standing if possible. The regular fridge is not ideal unless you know you will be drinking it within a couple of days. The light, the opening and closing, etc are all good reasons for short term storage only. An ice bath of half ice half water for 20 minutes does the trick if you forgot to throw a bottle in the fridge. Freezer is really not the way to go, speaking from experience.

Absolutely bubbles change after a while in the glass. One of the big things not to do is drink it right out of the ice bucket or fridge, unless, of course, it is really hot out and you need a refreshing beverage. I let a bottle sit for a few minutes to give it a minute to start to warm up or I would cup the bowl with my hands to warm up for a second if someone was pouring for me. Personally, I find that when any wine is too cold you miss some of the aromas and flavors. However, I do not suggest opening a warm bottle unless you want to recreate that frenzied locker room moment of when the Red Wings win the Cup. Again.


And yes, Demi Sec is our sweetest sparkling wine. The next level up is Doux, but we do not make that style. I am not sure of any domestic sparklers that do - no pun intended.

~Liz

bubblykindagal wrote:Wine fridge is best, standing if possible. The regular fridge is not ideal unless you know you will be drinking it within a couple of days. The light, the opening and closing, etc are all good reasons for short term storage only. An ice bath of half ice half water for 20 minutes does the trick if you forgot to throw a bottle in the fridge. Freezer is really not the way to go, speaking from experience.

Absolutely bubbles change after a while in the glass. One of the big things not to do is drink it right out of the ice bucket or fridge, unless, of course, it is really hot out and you need a refreshing beverage. I let a bottle sit for a few minutes to give it a minute to start to warm up or I would cup the bowl with my hands to warm up for a second if someone was pouring for me. Personally, I find that when any wine is too cold you miss some of the aromas and flavors. However, I do not suggest opening a warm bottle unless you want to recreate that frenzied locker room moment of when the Red Wings win the Cup. Again.


And yes, Demi Sec is our sweetest sparkling wine. The next level up is Doux, but we do not make that style. I am not sure of any domestic sparklers that do - no pun intended.

~Liz

Great info (witht he exception of reminding me of the Red Wings Cup victory- being a Blackhawks fan). llo..

thanks Liz

bubblykindagal wrote:However, I do not suggest opening a warm bottle unless you want to recreate that frenzied locker room moment of when the Red Wings win the Cup. Again.

and again, and again, and again...

Utah blows i tried to be in for 1 but...

Perfect b-day gift!

Thanks woot.

jbina wrote:We are not big sparkling wine drinkers, and can see these sitting around for a few years if I purchase a couple each. Could anybody tell me if these will still be drinkable in 3 or 4 years?

Sure, they will have changed, but not to vinegar in that time frame. The Brut Rosé will start to fade in color, almost golden pink and the strong strawberry/cherry will disapate a bit. It won't fall apart, but it will be different than what you taste today. This wine in 750ml bottles is designed to be consumed younger rather than older, it is fresh and very fruit driven.

The other two vintage dated wines should hold up really well. Last night I revisited the 2001 Blanc de Blancs and LOVED it. The 1999 Grande Annee, the first one we produced, has a slightly different blend and is doing great in the bottle.

~Liz

polarbear22 wrote:GDB2 - two down 23 to go. Enjoy the road back to black.

And wish I could be there for your tasting. Hope it goes well.

Wish you could join us as well.

As for the quest to black, it will be a lot longer than the other road to black box. I'm still an unemployed Grammie! But wine makes it far less onerous. ;)

Resisting was futile-nine on the way.
Sorry, but I hope tomorrow's offering is nasty.

McMalbec wrote:Resisting was futile-nine on the way.
Sorry, but I hope tomorrow's offering is nasty.

DITTO!!!!!!, but could only afford one set.

mohit2000 wrote:If you live in Cali, each of these are individually cheaper at safeway or BevMo

Neither the Grand Annee or the Brut Rose are available at BevMo.

Has WineDavid been giving us Thursday clues? I never get to check because I normally have class.

kylemittskus wrote:Neither the Grand Annee or the Brut Rose are available at BevMo.

Has WineDavid been giving us Thursday clues? I never get to check because I normally have class.

Normally we do. They should be coming out any minute now...

Oh hey has any one seen the Grande Annee rat?

My first thought--Yippee!!!! I'm a Labrat. The 2001 Mumm Napa Grande Année came in a small Fed-ex'd box by its lonesome, with a clever "golden ticket" stating I"m the "woot.wine Charlie Bucket."

The maybe bad--The wine was attempted delivery yesterday, but because of the holiday, the office was closed. The bottle, out of the box, was warm, and I don't know if that effected the test.

Because it is now Wednesday, and I don't know if there will be a new woot tonight, I placed the wine in the office refrig for 4 hours prior to tasting this afternoon--sorry, wife, no testing (but based on below I don't think you will be disappointed).

I should also say that I ordered last Thanksgiving's Mumm Woot and our Thanksgiving table really enjoyed the three varieties. I happily ordered a case for this Turkey Day in the first 5 min it was offered.

On to the test. The labrats ranged from casual drinkers (I'll have a glass of red), to people like me who can tell the difference between Trader Joe's $2 chuck and a more expensive wine, to those more sophisticated. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 best:

David gave it a 4 -- Too yeasty and went flat quickly.

Steve gave it a 3 -- No finish.

Pier gave it a 7 -- As someone who likes dry wine, I would drink it. I liked the front. The fondue/kirsch portion is a little odd, but I would drink it. It grows on you.

Norma gave it a 2 -- Bitter and sour.

Kathy gave it a 2 -- It had a harsh taste. Acerbic, almost vinegary. Too dry. Almost tasted better after bubbles deflated. In its defense, I do not usually like dry wines.

Me- a 2 at best. -- -- Extremely dry. Extra extremely bitter-30 minutes later I can still taste it,and it's not pleasant.

I am looking forward to tasting the other bottles when they arrive. Maybe the Grande Année was an anomie.

GE

gre211 wrote:
Me- a 2 at best. -- -- Extremely dry. Extra extremely bitter-30 minutes later I can still taste it,and it's not pleasant.

GE

Yikes. Already in for one and know I love Mumm, hope my impression is more favorable than that one

Hey y'all, I got home a few minutes ago to find a bottle of Grand Annee waiting for me! (I live in a high-rise and the slightly unorganized lady that handles the packages took a day to get the slip into my mailbox, so I apologize for the lateness!)

Anyway, the bottle is chilling and I will report back in just a little while!

Edit: Interesting... two Grand Annees went out for Labrattage?

saxwizerd45 wrote:Hey y'all, I got home a few minutes ago to find a bottle of Grand Annee waiting for me! (I live in a high-rise and the slightly unorganized lady that handles the packages took a day to get the slip into my mailbox, so I apologize for the lateness!)

Anyway, the bottle is chilling and I will report back in just a little while!

Edit: Interesting... two Grand Annees went out for Labrattage?

Probably because you can't find it ANYWHERE... WD has also mentioned that when there's more to prove about something, he'll send out more bottles. So there might just be more to prove about that one.

I ordered this trio last year when it came up. I though they were delightful, and I hope this next batch is as good.

Upon further review, I note that these are not the same three wines from last year.

cheron98 wrote:Probably because you can't find it ANYWHERE... WD has also mentioned that when there's more to prove about something, he'll send out more bottles. So there might just be more to prove about that one.

Cool. Well, I will taste with all my might!

saxwizerd45 wrote:Cool. Well, I will taste with all my might!

I truly hope your taste is different than mine.

Anyone know what 24 hrs in a FED-EX truck will do to a bottle of Grande Année?

Lab rat report gave it a 2 for extremely dry? Isn't that a good thing? Is the word brut confusing? I'm hoping it is dry.

saxwizerd45 wrote:Cool. Well, I will taste with all my might!

Here's hoping your report is as candid as gre211's.
Why his/her report was so "negative"... ? And I do admire the honesty there, regardless of it being a freebie.
Maybe yours will be better??

psmurf wrote:Here's hoping your report is as candid as gre211's.
Why his/her report was so "negative"... ? And I do admire the honesty there, regardless of it being a freebie.
Maybe yours will be better??

I really wanted to like the wine. I called friends friends over to help taste, and share in the $30 bottle of good wine. Most of us were, however, disappointed. Like I said before, I hope there was a problem with the delivery, not the wine. I hope saxwizerd45 has a better experience.

**Labrat Report**

First, a caveat. I would say my "palate age" is 6-8 months old, so, discern from that what you will!

Color: Pale golden
Nose: Pretty floral. Actually, all I get is flowers... and maybe the slightest hint of apricot.
Down the hatch: Even a small sip coats my palate. It gets really "big" and creamy in my mouth. I get fruit on the attack, apricot and... underripe raspberries? Whatever it is , it has some tartness to it, which I like... (is that my untrained palate trying to interpret "acidity?") The flowers are back in the middle. On the end, it's like someone stuck a piece of Wonderbread in my mouth! It's a pretty cool sensation. I get both the Wonderbread taste and feeling of letting it sit on your tongue. I took the last sip about 5 minutes ago, and it's still there a tiny bit.

Like the previous La Brat, I find this bottle to be pretty dry, but I really really like it. To my palate, this baby gets a 90. The best sparkler (i've only ever had a few) I've ever had.

saxwizerd45 wrote:**Labrat Report**

And this is clearly one of those examples of finding what pleases your own particular palate Gonna be one of those love-hate wines! Thanks for the report!

So... who's up for some clues?!

gre211 wrote:I truly hope your taste is different than mine.

Anyone know what 24 hrs in a FED-EX truck will do to a bottle of Grande Année?

Get it to my front door?

Sounds like GE got a bad bottle.

I've had the 2001 Grande Annee a couple times and enjoyed it very much.

smartheart wrote:Sounds like GE got a bad bottle.

I've had the 2001 Grande Annee a couple times and enjoyed it very much.

Agreed. I had it at the winery this summer, and loved it.

Well, I hate to say it, but the "spoon in the bottle" preservation method vacuums.

The N.V. Mumm Napa Pinot Noir Cuvée M Red opened last night is pretty darn flat

eric9tx wrote:Well, I hate to say it, but the "spoon in the bottle" preservation method vacuums.

The N.V. Mumm Napa Pinot Noir Cuvée M Red opened last night is pretty darn flat

Metrokane Velvet. Best $7.50 you will spend.