Woot Cellars Blitzen, a good table wine and that's all I wanted out of it. Not blown away by the QPR but have had considerably worse table reds at this price point so I am happy.

Initial impression is a nose full of berries with a little granite (or is that pencil lead?) in the background.
Palate is fruit forward and the finish is short. It has good enough acid to go with a variety of foods but will leave you wanting a little more if you treat it as a sipper.

kylemittskus wrote:2009 Xavier Vignon Côtes du Rhône Xavier

Just finished this with lunch. My favorite CdR this year.

cortot20 wrote:Woot Cellars Blitzen, a good table wine and that's all I wanted out of it. Not blown away by the QPR but have had considerably worse table reds at this price point so I am happy.

Initial impression is a nose full of berries with a little granite (or is that pencil lead?) in the background.
Palate is fruit forward and the finish is short. It has good enough acid to go with a variety of foods but will leave you wanting a little more if you treat it as a sipper.

I popped my first one of that set a few weeks ago. I thought it needed more time, but generally agree with your notes.

Wellington the duchess.
2nd to Last bottle and will have to get my wife some more.

Stuart Cellars '04 Cabernet Franc. Purchased from wine.woot in October 2008. This wine has aged beautifully. Tannins are silky soft, fruit is still prominent. Absolutely delightful.

cortot20 wrote:Wellington the duchess.
2nd to Last bottle and will have to get my wife some more.

I'm in for some if you do. I liked that wine.

ddeuddeg wrote:Stuart Cellars '04 Cabernet Franc. Purchased from wine.woot in October 2008. This wine has aged beautifully. Tannins are silky soft, fruit is still prominent. Absolutely delightful.

I have an 05' cab and an 08' PS from them and really have know idea what to expect.

kylemittskus wrote:I'm in for some if you do. I liked that wine.

I'll let you know if I do.

2007 Lungarotti Torgiano Rubesco (Umbria) with Melanzane (Eggplant parmigiana). Buonisimma.

Iron Horse 2007 Estate Chardonnay with chicken piccata and linguine with butter, garlic, mushrooms. Wonderful pairing. The oak and non-ML character of the chard are great.

cortot20 wrote:I have an 05' cab and an 08' PS from them and really have no idea what to expect.

Their wines are all well-made, in my experience. The CF was 13.4% alcohol, almost old-world style. We drank the Tatria (Meritage) from this deal a year or so ago, and it was also a real winner. I think you'll be happy with those.

2011 piety flats riesling with landau express...yum and yum. Also 2009 bogle essential red...good pqr but nothing to take my breath away

klezman wrote:Iron Horse 2007 Estate Chardonnay with chicken piccata and linguine with butter, garlic, mushrooms. Wonderful pairing. The oak and non-ML character of the chard are great.

We also just decided to open a 2008 Harvest Moon Late Harvest Zinfandel. This is how it's supposed to be! Bright, acidic, slightly sweet, not terribly raisined, nice blackberry nose. 13% alcohol...I wonder how they stopped the fermentation. This would have also been nice if taken to full dryness.

2008 Broc Cellars Eaglepoint Ranch Mendocino Grenache

Really great bottle, actually like this better than the Bennett Valley.

North Coast Brewing Co. Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

kylemittskus wrote:North Coast Brewing Co. Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

Love that stuff...not a chivying beer by any standards

klezman wrote:Iron Horse 2007 Estate Chardonnay with chicken piccata and linguine with butter, garlic, mushrooms. Wonderful pairing. The oak and non-ML character of the chard are great.

I need to do that with my last bottle of IH chard....mmmmm tasty. Did you use capers?

cmaldoon wrote:I need to do that with my last bottle of IH chard....mmmmm tasty. Did you use capers?

Yes. But they are salt-packed, not brined. To me that makes all the difference. I thought I hated capers, but it turns out I just hate brined capers.

Opolo vineyards 08' rhapsody
Nicely balanced and more fruit forward than I was expecting. It seemed like a lighter wine than it should have been but it was very approachable in its youth and went well with a marinated tri-tip.

The wife opened a Wellington 10' roussanne
I did not taste, sorry Kyle.

We decided to open a 2006 Bogle PS Port. Initially it was all alcohol. Yuck. But letting it blow off for a few minutes did the trick, and it's a nice PS Port even if not terribly complex. For $12 I'm happy.

2005 Used Auto Parts.

Bodegas Paso Robles Albarino with grilled salmon, pasta aglio olio and broccoli. Perfect pairing. If it comes up again on Wine.Woot, get some.

2003 Twisted Oak *%#&@!

This is a beauty with Rib Roast!

2009 Arrowood Chardonnay RRV Alary Vineyards

Oak monster but pretty delicious.

Triacipidis 3. Nothing special but a good Monday night sipper with some Netflix

2006 Donati Tal Padre

A good post-work Monday night sipper. Probably at the end of its window, though.

2010 Quivira Zinfandel. Came with the latest club shipment. I'm so used to hanging onto Zins until they've aged more than some think prudent that I had forgotten how lovely a perfectly made Zin can be at release. 2 bottles left from the shipment. With a 30% discount available for the next couple of weeks, may need to order more. It's that good.

WD, just killed the last MomoKawa.
Need more SAKE! to consume with mu sashimi.

cmaldoon wrote:I need to do that with my last bottle of IH chard....mmmmm tasty. Did you use capers?

Don't I have some squirreled away for you? Can't drink 'em if you don't have 'em.

rjquillin wrote:Don't I have some squirreled away for you? Can't drink 'em if you don't have 'em.

Oh yeah... That will REALLY please BrightGreen (the +1). I like it, she LOVES it. We need to meet up at some point and do that swap. Will you be in SoCal over thanksgiving?

cmaldoon wrote:Oh yeah... That will REALLY please BrightGreen (the +1). I like it, she LOVES it. We need to meet up at some point and do that swap. Will you be in SoCal over thanksgiving?

Planning on it. And I think bkarlan may even be paying a visit to SD. Otherwise I could burro it to LA for klez's warming, or perhaps to D&D.

rjquillin wrote:Planning on it. And I think bkarlan may even be paying a visit to SD. Otherwise I could burro it to LA for klez's warming, or perhaps to D&D.

Oh yeah... You're in So-So-Cal ;-)

Well, we do have many common acquaintances in the LA area... I also do have a brother who is going to school in SD which either gives me a reason to be there or a convenient drop point. I'll at least bring the stuff down at thanksgiving.

ddeuddeg wrote:2010 Quivira Zinfandel. Came with the latest club shipment. I'm so used to hanging onto Zins until they've aged more than some think prudent that I had forgotten how lovely a perfectly made Zin can be at release. 2 bottles left from the shipment. With a 30% discount available for the next couple of weeks, may need to order more. It's that good.

Hmmm never tried a Quivira will seek some out, any particular vintages you would suggest?

And I have to agree with you a well made aged Zin is really something special!

rjquillin wrote:Planning on it. And I think bkarlan may even be paying a visit to SD. Otherwise I could burro it to LA for klez's warming, or perhaps to D&D.

Si, I will be in SD this Turkey Day. I can be a mule if you are along my path from Albuquerque to SD. Might be making a trip to Disneyland, but that has to be settled through the wife.

kylemittskus wrote:2009 Arrowood Chardonnay RRV Alary Vineyards

Oak monster but pretty delicious.

And I'm getting sick. Hot apple cider and Maker's Mark to numb my throat and help me sleep.

kylemittskus wrote:And I'm getting sick. Hot apple cider and Maker's Mark to numb my throat and help me sleep.

My office has a nice round of the plague going around. Thankfully I had a super mild version.

kylemittskus wrote:And I'm getting sick. Hot apple cider and Maker's Mark to numb my throat and help me sleep.

Was just there...cider and Maker's has to be better than Nyquil.

2008 Concannon Mother Vine Cabernet. Left a half bottle to try again tomorrow. Just okay. Moved on to Lagavulin scotch.

trifecta wrote:2008 Concannon Mother Vine Cabernet. Left a half bottle to try again tomorrow. Just okay. Moved on to Lagavulin scotch.

Another good call, right up there with the Oban, but smokey in a very good way.