A Cab Franc varietal horizontal:

• 2007 Hahn from WW from Sept of '11
  
• 2009 Domaine Puydeval Vin de Pays d'Oc Rouge from Cindy about a year ago
  
• A TBA from WW today

losthighwayz wrote:2011 Orange Crusher and another bottle TBA soon....Orange wine more like a golden color...not very impressed by it. Good but maybe my expectations were heightened by the hype!

If you are drinking the OC at 'normal white' cellar temperature, let it warm up. Totally different creature.

2002 Hunt Cellars Cab-ovation. Still alot of life left in it and drinking beautifully.

2005 Oakville Ranch Vineyards CS.

Scott Harvey 2010 Amador old vine reserve Zin. Bright cherries!

Wife opened the trader joes petit reserve Viognier by Castoro cellars, it's one of her current favorites and at $7 a bottle it's one of my favorites as well.
I opened the 08' Jason Stephens estate zin with grilled rib eyes, baked potato with all the fixings.

Maker's Mark.

rjquillin wrote:If you are drinking the OC at 'normal white' cellar temperature, let it warm up. Totally different creature.

Thanks I did with the remaining "drops" from last night and I wish I had known this earlier. Definitely a more complex and enjoyable wine at close to room temperature. Looking forward to the remaining three bottles!

2009 pedroncelli cab sauv from two nights ago....much more balanced and fruit integrating self....I now see the benefit of a few more years in the bottle.

2009 Robledo Zinfandel, Lake County. In your face CA fruit bomb! Just what I needed.

cortot20 wrote:Wife opened the trader joes petit reserve Viognier by Castoro cellars, it's one of her current favorites and at $7 a bottle it's one of my favorites as well.
I opened the 08' Jason Stephens estate zin with grilled rib eyes, baked potato with all the fixings.

How's the StephensZin? Worth a trip tp BevMo?

Cheap Priorat from Last Bottle: 2006 Closa Batllet. Can't complain at all for $15.

losthighwayz wrote:How's the StephensZin? Worth a trip tp BevMo?

It's a solid zin. Definitely in the fruit bomb category but doesn't have the sweetness of some. I enjoyed it and didn't notice the high alcohol until it crept up on me.

2004 Ondarre Mayor Reserva going to be sad when these are gone.

Last night was the 2009 Braganini Chancellor before heading out to La Descarga.

Tonight was the remnants of the Braganini, followed by Summerland 2007 Sta Rita Pinot. Then we had St Bartholomey Pinot Noir Port with dessert and then went through half a bottle of Kent's 2008 Esoterica PS for good measure.

08 Michel Picard Vouvray

Campesino 2009 Sonoma Coast Syrah. This is one of my buys from BeserkerDay 2013.

Wow, is this good. It's rich and meaty with well balanced fruit and earthiness, but not a fruit bomb. Nice acid. I'm happy drinking it by itself, but pairing it with a steak would probably be amazing.

I think it was approx $33/bottle including the shipping. Definitely delivers value at this price.

2009 Kunde Reserved Cabernet Sauvignon picked up on the 2012 RPM tour. Delicious. Can't wait until the next tour (hint, hint).

End of an 08 Kent Rasmussen PS. Delicious.

Last bottle of the Wellington duke. I will have to find another solid sub $10 table red until the next duke gets released.

cortot20 wrote:Last bottle of the Wellington duke. I will have to find another solid sub $10 table red until the next duke gets released.

Which Duke? 9 or 10? Guess I need to drink faster.

Finishing off the 2010 Braganini Reserve CF; it keeps getting better.
Day-of delivery doesn't do these or WW justice.

neilfindswine wrote:'10 L'Aventure Stephan's Ridge. With a good decanting, this one still works for me, solid for the price.

Did you find anything off in any of your bottles Neil? That wine really hit me the wrong way, but I don't know if I just had an off bottle.

rjquillin wrote:Which Duke? 9 or 10? Guess I need to drink faster.

Finishing off the 2010 Braganini Reserve CF; it keeps getting better.
Day-of delivery doesn't do these or WW justice.

10. I usually buy a half case every year and crank through them. great table wine for the price. Food friendly and in no way overpowering.

rjquillin wrote:Which Duke? 9 or 10? Guess I need to drink faster.

Finishing off the 2010 Braganini Reserve CF; it keeps getting better.
Day-of delivery doesn't do these or WW justice.

Looks like we're both in for the Braganini when the woot-off comes around.

neilfindswine wrote:
EDIT: After reading your CT review, I'll call the soapiness my funk but it's subtle, and again, overpowered, for me, by the sweet fruit. Admittedly, I had my mouth washed out with soap quite a bit in my youth, so maybe I'm conditioned...

Now I remember I ended up dumping a bottle of this wine since it left me with such a negative reaction. Maybe I should've given it another shot since L'adventure puts out great stuff, but I guess my mom never washed my mouth out with soap, so I wasn't conditioned for it.

Neil, you should see if you can get the Campesino Syrah up on WW. They've been on a deal site, Lot something or another , previously, so maybe they'd do a black tie buy here. Very good stuff.

Finishing off 2009 Pedroncelli Cab Morris Fay Vyd....DAY 5 and getting better! Delicious and awesome QPR at $8 per bottle from case on WW.

2008 Copolla Alicante Bouschet...different. Not sure I like it.

In celebration of SWMBO getting a job offer today, we opened a half bottle of:

Beringer 2001 cab sauv

She made better notes so ill put hers first.

Her notes:
Smells/Tastes like wild California in a glass:
Sea air & a bit seaweed (like the ocean, but without the salt component); mushroom and fresh air/fog (not earthy forest floor) like a redwood forest; a bit of high-sierras fresh snow feel; high desert in winter dryness in the tannins. A fun tour!
Undercurrent of cherry, blackberry, maybe a hint of fig. Rich and full flavors from the start, with intriguing potential for development with air. Caramel popcorn on the nose tops off the dark and rich fruit flavors. An interesting and concentrated wine that keeps you coming back for the next chapter of the story. Almost Anything you could ever want in a wine shows up in this subtly layered palate...the question is finding it/being able to pick out the flavor you like best.

His notes.
The nose is driven from the bottom up with buttery caramel drizzled over cherry compote spiced with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon and topped with a bay leaf.

The palate .... Wow. Where to begin? Medium acidity blackberries on the entrance. Herbs ( bay, sage, and perhaps a hint of lavender) and crushed stone (both flavor and feel) follow and then it progresses onto a juicy cherry-watermelon feel. The finish has a touch of vanilla, a hint of olive and some light caramel. The finish is long but not forever.

Damn good wine. Certainly in my top 5.

2011 Lurton Torrontes

2009 Tasi Merlot. Perfect with garlic chicken in red sauce and wheat pasta. Awesome QPR. Acidity cuts right throguh. Wife loves it so a no brainer.

2009 Tasi Merlot. Perfect with garlic chicken in red sauce and wheat pasta. Awesome QPR. Acidity cuts right throguh. Wife loves it so a no brainer.

2008 Clayhouse Sauvignon Blanc
2004 Astrale e Terra Estate Syrah

Last night was Meeker 2007 Forklift Grenache.
Tonight we're sipping on 2005 Used Automobile Parts Port.

2003 Viña Maquis Lien

Syrah blend. Chile, Rapel Valley, Colchagua Valley.

klezman wrote:Last night was Meeker 2007 Forklift Grenache.
Tonight we're sipping on 2005 Used Automobile Parts Port.

How was the meeker? I've had my eye on mine for a while.

kylemittskus wrote:How was the meeker? I've had my eye on mine for a while.

Excellent. Bright fruit, a bit of earth, and the acid has calmed down a bit from the bottle I had a year ago. It's right in my wheelhouse as much as this wine will get without a lot of age.

klezman wrote:Excellent. Bright fruit, a bit of earth, and the acid has calmed down a bit from the bottle I had a year ago. It's right in my wheelhouse as much as this wine will get without a lot of age.

That is good to hear. I didn't love my first bottle I had in Oct of 2011. Been letting the other two sit for a while. I have added it to my list to try again. Thanks!

BTW... did you want me to pass off the Hawley Merlot to Sparky at DnD?

Anyone have any special bottles their opening for valentines day tonight?

My choice
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1521340&searchId=DAB22492%23selected%3DW1521340_27_Kc1219da9746e683aa47a5e42b8c23c09

On the block tonight:

2007 Andrea Oberto Barolo

cortot20 wrote:Anyone have any special bottles their opening for valentines day tonight?

My choice
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1521340&searchId=DAB22492%23selected%3DW1521340_27_Kc1219da9746e683aa47a5e42b8c23c09

That should be a fun one! I picked a NV Taittinger Champagne Brut Prestige Rosé and a 1998 Tardieu-Laurent Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes.

The wife and I decided to celebrate on Saturday the 16th instead of tonight - her suggestion. She wants to cook dinner, which I am loving because normally, I am the one in the kitchen I guess I'll lend a helping hand (see having a glass of Pink Zep...).

trifecta wrote:That is good to hear. I didn't love my first bottle I had in Oct of 2011. Been letting the other two sit for a while. I have added it to my list to try again. Thanks!

BTW... did you want me to pass off the Hawley Merlot to Sparky at DnD?

Whatever works best for you. I'm hoping to see some of you NorCal folks on the 23rd...I think I'm also headed up to Sonoma for Barrel Tasting weekend so maybe there will be some rendezvous opps?