harmonious1 wrote:Ahh, ok... who does that Spambake tune on one of your other blogs? Cuz I also liked that alot.

Thanks for your time and participation!

The Hungarian is perhaps spicier and less smoky than the French, but overall they didn't make a big impression - 40% new oak on a lighter PN might be overkill, but on this wine it's not big at all. To overoak this wine might have required two years of all new barrels. And then it would have resembled the wine of . . . oh, wait, I shouldn't say.

Spambake is also by Dread Zeppelin. It's one of my favorites, even though they never play it live.

Now that Robert Parker has failed to clone himself I can finally make a high extract, hi alcohol wine without being accused of sucking up to out of fashion. (Oh wait! I forgot the sugar and the brett.)
I've made reds ranging from just over 12% up to, well, this wine. Potential sugar and ripeness depend on so much, including of course the vineyard, location, and the vintage's weather. I just didn't see that adding a lot of water, much less using some of the more advanced de-alc techniques, made any sense. This is the wine the vineyard wanted to make, to be pseudo-cosmic about it.

Being a former Morro resident and now stuck in Texas, it is worth the price of admission just for another picture of the rock!

djdeelio wrote:Being a former Morro resident and now stuck in Texas, it is worth the price of admission just for another picture of the rock!

Doing a poster too, send me an email next week. Not sure how big it's going to be, maybe 3' wide but you might want one. I won't be mercenary since I can pay the artist in wine!

I'm going to have to come out of retirement to buy some Swil, this sounds way to good to pass up. This is what I get for ignoring Stillman's winery emails.

mxracer98 wrote:I'm going to have to come out of retirement to buy some Swil, this sounds way to good to pass up. This is what I get for ignoring Stillman's winery emails.

Hey Greg! This wine wasn't in any of those emails, just the stuff I'm out of. Thanks!

18% bought 3?
that's quite the stats...
hmm...

um 17% 28 brix...no thanks.

Eno-ideology!

The 2005 Black Zeppelin is absolutely my FAVORITE wine I have had off of Woot (or anywhere else for that matter). I bought 6 or 10 bottles of the 2009 and have opened 1. It was good but not as memorable so I am saving it. Stillman, will the 2009 BZ reach the same level of yumminess as the 2005 BZ? If I liked the 05 BZ will I like the Collossus? Sorry for the questions, but I like what I like but don't know why I like it.

Raid wrote:The 2005 Black Zeppelin is absolutely my FAVORITE wine I have had off of Woot (or anywhere else for that matter). I bought 6 or 10 bottles of the 2009 and have opened 1. It was good but not as memorable so I am saving it. Stillman, will the 2009 BZ reach the same level of yumminess as the 2005 BZ? If I liked the 05 BZ will I like the Collossus? Sorry for the questions, but I like what I like but don't know why I like it.

Thanks! The 09 BZ is still developing but it isn't as extracted as the 05 - different varietal and vineyard. (Black Zeppelin is a reserve-type designation, not a specific wine.) BTW the intervening years became Stillman wines with conservative labels so my father of the same name wouldn't have to explain the crazy labels to his friends at the yacht club.
The Colossus has less tannin than the 05 BZ, but it's much more like it than it is the 09 -both Colossus and 05 are largely very ripe clone 877 from west Paso vineyards I consulted/consult at, whereas the 09 is Petite Sirah from Monterey grown by a friend but not fully under my overcontrol.

Well, I'm persuaded! In for one, and really looking forward to it. This is my second woot (first was Emery Unbridled, which I really enjoyed). Thanks--we'll enjoy this over the holidays.

I suppose I could sell tannin by the gram to those who might wish a bigger-structured wine, though this is hardly a soft fruit bomb. But if you really have a problem with the 17% alcohol, use your own water! You could make a liter of 12.7% wine, and add pineapple juice to bump the tartaric up.

Yes, I'm kidding. Test the pH of your water first.

stillmanbrown wrote:Thanks! The 09 BZ is still developing but it isn't as extracted as the 05 - different varietal and vineyard. (Black Zeppelin is a reserve-type designation, not a specific wine.) BTW the intervening years became Stillman wines with conservative labels so my father of the same name wouldn't have to explain the crazy labels to his friends at the yacht club.
The Colossus has less tannin than the 05 BZ, but it's much more like it than it is the 09 -both Colossus and 05 are largely very ripe clone 877 from west Paso vineyards I consulted/consult at, whereas the 09 is Petite Sirah from Monterey grown by a friend but not fully under my overcontrol.

I was afraid you would say that! In for 1.

Raid wrote:I was afraid you would say that! In for 1.

Thanks! So . . . you want the gram of tannin?

I apologize for leaving a much quieter Vintners Voicemail than the previous ones . . . I just recorded at a home dinner party with special guests - no loud music in the background or special information. Though the girls made up the best lines!

Wish I could put a pic or two up here.

What would Elvis do?

eiderdug wrote:What would Elvis do?

Shoot out the TV set, or in this case, the computer screen?

I bought one because Elvis told me that it would be the right thing to do, or I just may be thirsty.

Stillmn Brown-

If bottle isn't open, how long will last before going bad?

cortot20 wrote:He knows Stillman is a great winemaker. And is probably on his autobuy list.

I personally have to think this over after not really liking his 09' Black zep. but loving the four other wines of his that I have tried.

The 09 Black zep probably just needs time. The 2005 was fantastic in 2010 - try the 2009 in 2014 if you still have some left.

gbergkamp wrote:Stillmn Brown-

If bottle isn't open, how long will last before going bad?

Before going bad? A decade-plus if stored under 65 is an easy safe answer. As to when it will peak, that's tough; there are some fine tannins to resolve but I don't know how the fruit might change in 3-5 years. Going back to storage temperature . . . the cooler the longer. The cork is a DIAM so it won't leak, dry out, or contaminate the wine. As I said last night, if I only had two bottles I would drink one this winter and one late next year, but that's because I have a winemaker's palate (used to/prefer young wine) and there's always another vintage. I wish I was better at cellaring than celebrating - my library of my own wines isn't much to brag about!

stillmanbrown wrote:Before going bad? A decade-plus if stored under 65 is an easy safe answer. As to when it will peak, that's tough; there are some fine tannins to resolve but I don't know how the fruit might change in 3-5 years. Going back to storage temperature . . . the cooler the longer. The cork is a DIAM so it won't leak, dry out, or contaminate the wine. As I said last night, if I only had two bottles I would drink one this winter and one late next year, but that's because I have a winemaker's palate (used to/prefer young wine) and there's always another vintage. I wish I was better at cellaring than celebrating - my library of my own wines isn't much to brag about!

Just out curiosity, how will this hold up once opened? Given the level of alcohol I would suspect it would hold up at least an extra day or two depending on the level of oxygen it takes on. Though I don't think it would stay very even keeled for say two weeks like a Port of the same alcohol level would because its not fortified with anything like a port.

North316 wrote:Just out curiosity, how will this hold up once opened? Given the level of alcohol I would suspect it would hold up at least an extra day or two depending on the level of oxygen it takes on. Though I don't think it would stay very even keeled for say two weeks like a Port of the same alcohol level would because its not fortified with anything like a port.

A few days, I'm sure, but not longer; the origin of the alcohol doesn't really matter (fermented or distilled/fortified). Sweetness and extra tannins help to keep Ports drinkable. I'll have to experiment with the Colossus; that said if the bottle can't be finished it's best to immediately recork it after pouring the amount you want, and even refrigerate it; the small but significant amount of CO2 will also help it.

This is a question for anyone, since we are on the topic of high alcohol content. I just ran across this statement on a website (trying to educate on wine) and had never seen this before.

"According to U.S. wine law, the percentage of alcohol in table wine must fall between a minimum of 7% and a maximum of 14%, dessert wines can be higher. The alcohol percentage must be printed on the label."

Is this still a true statement? If so, where does this wine fall? I'm guessing this is either a quote from some outdated law, or the reference to "table wine" affects the application of the law. What is considered table wine?

North316 wrote:This is a question for anyone, since we are on the topic of high alcohol content. I just ran across this statement on a website (trying to educate on wine) and had never seen this before.

"According to U.S. wine law, the percentage of alcohol in table wine must fall between a minimum of 7% and a maximum of 14%, dessert wines can be higher. The alcohol percentage must be printed on the label."

Is this still a true statement? If so, where does this wine fall? I'm guessing this is either a quote from some outdated law, or the reference to "table wine" affects the application of the law. What is considered table wine?

Hmm most of the wine I pour never makes it to a table, so I guess I can have wines with higher percentages. All you folks who drink wines at a table will have to settle for 14% or less.

And even more importantly, who is this Stillman Brown guy and why won't he ship to NH?????!!!!?????

outdoorslife wrote:Hmm most of the wine I pour never makes it to a table, so I guess I can have wines with higher percentages. All you folks who drink wines at a table will have to settle for 14% or less.

Table wine is 11-14% and can be labeled 12.5%, the margin of error is 1.5%. Above 14% there is an additional tax and the alcohol statement must be within 1%.

Do you leave the bottle on the floor or hold it? I've got some rug stains that argue for the second option!

outdoorslife wrote:And even more importantly, who is this Stillman Brown guy and why won't he ship to NH?????!!!!?????

Me! Because NH wants me to pay their sales tax, and file monthly statements even if I don't ship any wine into the state. They also force the shipping companies to give them a list of all entities that ship alcohol into the state. So it's smuggling, shipping to a cross-border friend, and Woot can only do the latter. Sorry, but that's too much time and money for a 1.1 man operation.

stillmanbrown wrote:Table wine is 11-14% and can be labeled 12.5%, the margin of error is 1.5%. Above 14% there is an additional tax and the alcohol statement must be within 1%.

Do you leave the bottle on the floor or hold it? I've got some rug stains that argue for the second option!

Its important to hold the bottle, otherwise it might spill if it's on the floor, or worse you might have to share some good wine with a troglodyte!!

I was going to complain about paperwork, but never mind . . .

stillmanbrown wrote:Table wine is 11-14% and can be labeled 12.5%, the margin of error is 1.5%. Above 14% there is an additional tax and the alcohol statement must be within 1%.

Do you leave the bottle on the floor or hold it? I've got some rug stains that argue for the second option!

Sorry for taking your time, but I am a sucker for knowledge.

So is anything in the 11-14% range considered table wine, regardless of any other factors? Is this label used mainly by the higher volume producers so that they can stay within the variance while producing their general swill?

I seem to see most wines on here somewhere in the 14's, which would infer "non-table" wine. I hear the word table-wine and just think of lack of quality, though I am sure there are plenty of times where that is far from the case. Just wondering if most of the producers are consciously keeping their wines in that range to have the larger allowed variance? I would think that anyone with reasonable control over their process would be able to keep the level where they want it without too much fuss.

North316 wrote:Sorry for taking your time, but I am a sucker for knowledge.

So is anything in the 11-14% range considered table wine, regardless of any other factors? Is this label used mainly by the higher volume producers so that they can stay within the variance while producing their general swill?

I seem to see most wines on here somewhere in the 14's, which would infer "non-table" wine. I hear the word table-wine and just think of lack of quality, though I am sure there are plenty of times where that is far from the case. Just wondering if most of the producers are consciously keeping their wines in that range to have the larger allowed variance? I would think that anyone with reasonable control over their process would be able to keep the level where they want it without too much fuss.

Table wine just means under 14% alcohol, and not in the dessert, sparkling, or fortified categories. The big producers keep the wines under 14% to avoid the extra $1.20/gallon in taxes. Pink wine (dry or sweet) and aromatic whites are almost always under 14%, as are almost all jug, box, and other packaged plonk. Then there are other state laws; for example, in Alabama anything over 15% alcohol is considered fortified wine, and wine wholesalers aren't allowed to buy and sell it without a firewater (liquor) license. I've never made an effort to lower a wine's alcohol for tax purposes, though I have been gratified to see a 1,200 case lot of Chardonnay retested at 13.98 rather than 14.06, while I smiled at the lab tech . . .

stillmanbrown wrote:Me! Because NH wants me to pay their sales tax, and file monthly statements even if I don't ship any wine into the state. They also force the shipping companies to give them a list of all entities that ship alcohol into the state. So it's smuggling, shipping to a cross-border friend, and Woot can only do the latter. Sorry, but that's too much time and money for a 1.1 man operation.

Ah! Didn't know the pain factor re: monthly statements and the arm twisting on the shipping companies. [sarcasm] nice. [/sarcasm] Think I will have to round up a posse and get live free or die re-instated!

In for 3 to my b-in-law. Should be an interesting experiment. Seems like Mess. Brown is rather renowned as a "colorful" winemaker. Looking forward to this wine.

Stillman, thanks for all the info - I'm in!

Last wooter to woot: harmonious1

outdoorslife wrote:Ah! Didn't know the pain factor re: monthly statements and the arm twisting on the shipping companies. [sarcasm] nice. [/sarcasm] Think I will have to round up a posse and get live free or die re-instated!

In for 3 to my b-in-law. Should be an interesting experiment. Seems like Mess. Brown is rather renowned as a "colorful" winemaker. Looking forward to this wine.

Purple and red, and black and blue after my birthday double-somersault in the dive bar parking lot. Thanks!

Junior's got an orthodontic appt, followed by a math test, so I will be in n out for a few hours here. Loose the Trolls!

('Junior' is the only son without a Stillman in his name, and his math teacher is the lead singer of Meth Leppard, a great local band I'm a bad influence on. I bring wine to the studio, and mess up their rehearsals.)

Live in NY and would like it by Christmas... scares me that it's being shipped from the WC. Also, would this be ok to drink right at Christmas or should I store it?

Shouldn't ... but gotta.

In for 3.

stillmanbrown wrote:Purple and red, and black and blue after my birthday double-somersault in the dive bar parking lot. Thanks!

What, no bits of green and brown? If you don't catch some broken bottles while somersaulting in a "dive" bar parking lot, it's not a real dive bar!

To the person who asked about drinking it this year- I wouldn't. I love Stillman's wines, but his (non) aging suggestions do not do his wines justice for those of us without a winemaker's palette. When I opened the first Black Zeppelin, I was horrified, because I had a ton of them. After half of the bottle had been Vinturi'd into the decanter, left for an hour, then vigorously shaken in the decanter, then heavily swirled in the glass, it was as phenomenal as the 05.

I'm on the fence for this, only one because of the impending Amex bill, rather than the wine.