donnysebas wrote:Also... totally unrelated... The Crusher 2012 Big Orange is ageing nicely and will be coming to a woot near you soon!

Yes! Orange!!!!! I really hope I don't miss out on the max of it this time around...One is simply not enough.

cmaldoon wrote:Hmmm... So, when is the next WCC wine tasting and basketball tournament?

WD may indeed have the skills. Good wine, good skills, totally unfair! And on top of it all he has the lovely WineFarm!

Back to the wine, I saw that the B-side cab got some excellent press for WIne Enthusiast a couple months back did it not? (For those who like ratings). From my tasting of it it was pretty decent and had some structure. Do you recommend a pop and pour or a longer decant? I think the bottle we had was open for 3 hours beforehand.

Yes we have had nice reviews on B Side. Two past vintages have earned 90+. Honestly not sure about this vintage off hand.

My rule of thumb or decanting Napa cabs... ALWAYS, always, always decant. The longer the better. They need to breathe!

Oops. Almost forgot to post the How Good is this Deal? link.

Spreadsheet shows 51% (With Retail Shipping but without Sales Tax) for 1 set, 41% for 2 sets, & 42% for 3 sets.


Notes:

Shipping costs based on "Best Method" from winery to NY (per Don & Sons website) -- shipping may still be seasonal on winery website. Free shipping on 12+ bottle orders.

Winery website charges tax, even for orders outside of CA. Tax not reflected in prices above.

Aquinas Philosopher's Blend not on website, but all Aquinas wines were $22. Don & Sons PN was sold out on their website, but all PN's were on sale for November (this one when available, was $14.25 on sale price, normally it was $19). Sale price was used for this one, since it was good for all of November.

donnysebas wrote:I am not a fortified dessert wine specialist, but at least several months. One of the byproducts of ageing after opening is evaporation of water which will actually make the wine denser and flavors more acute and intense.

The three Napa reds are indeed the most ageworthy table wines of this group. Each is different and will evolve differently. The B Sides are structurally BIGGER wines, but will show finesse with age. And no I am not talking about WineDavid39's basketball skills, but that does also apply. The Aquinas is more finesse-ish now, but that does not mean less ageworthy. I actually find the more fruit-forward and big the wines, sometimes they will actually age less well. They dont have the acid "backbone" to survive...

Thanks for the reply, you've sold me!

No shipping to CT or MA?

Received mine today. As usual, no tracking info. It just "showed up" at my door today.

This is almost comical. I received the wine on the 28th and shipping notification on the 30th. What the ???