Chateau d'Abalone Paso Robles Viognier 2-Pack
$49.99 (Normally $93.50) 47% off List Price
2012 Chateau d'Abalone Viognier, Paso Robles
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A bottle of this lovely Viognier magically appeared right next to my sushi dinner tonight. What a lovely pair. This wine can easily be over powered, just take a clump of wasabi in your mouth and you'll see what I mean. But it's compliments sushi, pieces, probably not most rolls, very well.

It's very light in color; tanish with a touch of yellow, leaves a thin coating around the glass. The aroma is pleasant; clean with some melon. I don't know the specs, but would guess this has low alcohol, high acidity and a little RS, maybe 1 or 2%. There's definitely a sweet flavor. It had a nice feel in the mouth and a short finish. Flavors included a touch of vanilla, citrus and the sushi enhanced the flavor with some pineapple and watermelon.

I've had a few Viogniers that have been all over the place. This one feels like it was very well crafted and is a pleasure to drink with or without food, but the food should be fish or chicken without many spices. I'm not good at pricing wine, but at $15 to $20/bottle, I'd say this is a very good buy. I just wish I had some room for it. I have a feeling this wine was truly made to drink now and may stand up for a couple of years, but I wouldn't cellar this for long.

Final comment: I really enjoyed this wine. You can tell because I had 3 glasses when usually one glass is my max.

(EDIT A computer crash slowed me down, but despite the slightly higher per bottle price than I mentioned, thus is tasty juice that I wanted to share with a couple of people, so I'm in for an order.

Yeah, here I am. This isn't cougar juice, it's Meth Leppard juice!

Disclosure: I like reds way more than whites, or rose for that matter. Well, there are some exceptions; my case of Jana Rosé is nearly depleted. The Wellington Duchess is hanging in there, but I had to get more of his Roussanne. And I'm still hoarding IH Unoaked Chard. This Stillman 2012 Chateau d'Abalone fits right in there and I'm going to find some space for these next to those 2011's.

So I made the opportunity to pour this into a number of test subjects, six actually, 2 female, 4 male, but most were willing and it wasn't all that difficult, considering I work in a research department at a university. Yeah, astrophysics, but we drink too… Even at work, during lunch, before meetings, didn't much matter to them at all. And as all the comments were positive, I'll just blend them together here.

All tasted blind, except me of course, but I've been accused of many things…

A bit difficult to comment on color when it's in a coffee cup, but we do what we have to do. At home, with an actual wine glass, but under less than optimal lighting I'd say a clear pale straw with only the slightest tinge of green, and that I could blame on the color rendition of these wonderful CFL's we are made to purchase; I digress however.

Nose was definitely aromatic, and noted as peach perfume, wonderfully fruity, citrus smell. For two it reminded them of Champagne. For me, citrus and tropical fruit; floral. At only a few weeks in bottle, I think youthful in development would be the correct call.

Clearly the group had different thresholds for sweetness, as comments varied from slightly sweet to very sweet. I'm all over the spectrum and for me I think a bit on the sweet side of off-dry fits, and given a bit more TA for me it would clearly be perceived as off-dry.

Nice viscosity, medium full body, a very nice "mouth feel".
Regarding perceived acidity, again there were varied comments ranging from "smooth, not much of a bite", "crisp" to "sharp taste, not acidic". Personally I prefer enamel etching crispness in my whites, but most Viognier I've had just doesn't do that, and this was no exception. I'd have liked it a bit crisper. Perhaps Stillman will do a special release.

Flavor wise this is a mouthful; comments of fruit, peaches, citrus and hints of mango, with one comment of a "a bit of wood?" This evolves as it warms. At "cellar" temperature, the 15.0% ABV is hardly noticeable, but as it warms the aroma, intensity of flavor and perception of ethanol all increase. Speaking of ethanol, the ethanol consuming grad student that got a taste mentioned heartburn; he's now 86'd from additional tasting, but what to expect from a bartender at House of Blues?

Nice medium to long finish that evolves.

Food? Gotta have food. Buy on bread, sell on cheese? This works with either. Food wise this paired with nearly everything I threw at it. SWMBO made yaki-soba that I spiced up a bit with Sriracha; great. Cilantro lime shrimp, check. Warm French bread and Cypress Grove Natural or Herbs de Humboldt, you bet. Even threw some figs, dates , dried apricots and nuts at it, yup. Candy Basket chocolate; ahhh, not so much, but I had to try. Cocktail; absolutely.

This one, for me, is a keeper and is fully SWMBO approved.

Thanks Stillman, but the bottle is already empty, and lacks a UPC.
Can you fix that?
[edit]
Yeah, I'm in...

Speed to First Woot:0m 14.334s
First Sucker:rjquillin
Last Wooter to Woot:MarkDaSpark
Last Purchase:a minute ago

rjquillin wrote:Disclosure: I like reds way more than whites, or rose for that matter. Well, there are some exceptions; my case of Jana Rosé is nearly depleted. The Wellington Duchess is hanging in there, but I had to get more of his Roussanne. And I'm still hoarding IH Unoaked Chard. This Stillman 2012 Chateau d'Abalone fits right in there and I'm going to find some space for these next to those 2011's.

So I made the opportunity to pour this into a number of test subjects, six actually, 2 female, 4 male, but most were willing and it wasn't all that difficult, considering I work in a research department at a university. Yeah, astrophysics, but we drink too… Even at work, during lunch, before meetings, didn't much matter to them at all. And as all the comments were positive, I'll just blend them together here.

All tasted blind, except me of course, but I've been accused of many things…

A bit difficult to comment on color when it's in a coffee cup, but we do what we have to do. At home, with an actual wine glass, but under less than optimal lighting I'd say a clear pale straw with only the slightest tinge of green, and that I could blame on the color rendition of these wonderful CFL's we are made to purchase; I digress however.

Nose was definitely aromatic, and noted as peach perfume, wonderfully fruity, citrus smell. For two it reminded them of Champagne. For me, citrus and tropical fruit; floral. At only a few weeks in bottle, I think youthful in development would be the correct call.

Clearly the group had different thresholds for sweetness, as comments varied from slightly sweet to very sweet. I'm all over the spectrum and for me I think a bit on the sweet side of off-dry fits, and given a bit more TA for me it would clearly be perceived as off-dry.

Nice viscosity, medium full body, a very nice "mouth feel".
Regarding perceived acidity, again there were varied comments ranging from "smooth, not much of a bite", "crisp" to "sharp taste, not acidic". Personally I prefer enamel etching crispness in my whites, but most Viognier I've had just doesn't do that, and this was no exception. I'd have liked it a bit crisper. Perhaps Stillman will do a special release.

Flavor wise this is a mouthful; comments of fruit, peaches, citrus and hints of mango, with one comment of a "a bit of wood?" This evolves as it warms. At "cellar" temperature, the 15.0% ABV is hardly noticeable, but as it warms the aroma, intensity of flavor and perception of ethanol all increase. Speaking of ethanol, the ethanol consuming grad student that got a taste mentioned heartburn; he's now 86'd from additional tasting, but what to expect from a bartender at House of Blues?

Nice medium to long finish that evolves.

Food? Gotta have food. Buy on bread, sell on cheese? This works with either. Food wise this paired with nearly everything I threw at it. SWMBO made yaki-soba that I spiced up a bit with Sriracha; great. Cilantro lime shrimp, check. Warm French bread and Cypress Grove Natural or Herbs de Humboldt, you bet. Even threw some figs, dates , dried apricots and nuts at it, yup. Candy Basket chocolate; ahhh, not so much, but I had to try. Cocktail; absolutely.

This one, for me, is a keeper and is fully SWMBO approved.

Thanks Stillman, but the bottle is already empty, and lacks a UPC.
Can you fix that?

[edit]
Yeah, I'm in...


Speed to First Woot:0m 14.334s
First Sucker:rjquillin
Last Wooter to Woot:MarkDaSpark
Last Purchase:a minute ago

Damn, how do I get invited to one of your tastings? ;)

rjquillin wrote:Disclosure: I like reds way more than whites, or rose for that matter. Well, there are some exceptions; my case of Jana Rosé is nearly depleted. The Wellington Duchess is hanging in there, but I had to get more of his Roussanne. And I'm still hoarding IH Unoaked Chard. This Stillman 2012 Chateau d'Abalone fits right in there and I'm going to find some space for these next to those 2011's.

So I made the opportunity to pour this into a number of test subjects, six actually, 2 female, 4 male, but most were willing and it wasn't all that difficult, considering I work in a research department at a university. Yeah, astrophysics, but we drink too… Even at work, during lunch, before meetings, didn't much matter to them at all. And as all the comments were positive, I'll just blend them together here.

All tasted blind, except me of course, but I've been accused of many things…

A bit difficult to comment on color when it's in a coffee cup, but we do what we have to do. At home, with an actual wine glass, but under less than optimal lighting I'd say a clear pale straw with only the slightest tinge of green, and that I could blame on the color rendition of these wonderful CFL's we are made to purchase; I digress however.

Nose was definitely aromatic, and noted as peach perfume, wonderfully fruity, citrus smell. For two it reminded them of Champagne. For me, citrus and tropical fruit; floral. At only a few weeks in bottle, I think youthful in development would be the correct call.

Clearly the group had different thresholds for sweetness, as comments varied from slightly sweet to very sweet. I'm all over the spectrum and for me I think a bit on the sweet side of off-dry fits, and given a bit more TA for me it would clearly be perceived as off-dry.

Nice viscosity, medium full body, a very nice "mouth feel".
Regarding perceived acidity, again there were varied comments ranging from "smooth, not much of a bite", "crisp" to "sharp taste, not acidic". Personally I prefer enamel etching crispness in my whites, but most Viognier I've had just doesn't do that, and this was no exception. I'd have liked it a bit crisper. Perhaps Stillman will do a special release.

Flavor wise this is a mouthful; comments of fruit, peaches, citrus and hints of mango, with one comment of a "a bit of wood?" This evolves as it warms. At "cellar" temperature, the 15.0% ABV is hardly noticeable, but as it warms the aroma, intensity of flavor and perception of ethanol all increase. Speaking of ethanol, the ethanol consuming grad student that got a taste mentioned heartburn; he's now 86'd from additional tasting, but what to expect from a bartender at House of Blues?

Nice medium to long finish that evolves.

Food? Gotta have food. Buy on bread, sell on cheese? This works with either. Food wise this paired with nearly everything I threw at it. SWMBO made yaki-soba that I spiced up a bit with Sriracha; great. Cilantro lime shrimp, check. Warm French bread and Cypress Grove Natural or Herbs de Humboldt, you bet. Even threw some figs, dates , dried apricots and nuts at it, yup. Candy Basket chocolate; ahhh, not so much, but I had to try. Cocktail; absolutely.

This one, for me, is a keeper and is fully SWMBO approved.

Thanks Stillman, but the bottle is already empty, and lacks a UPC.
Can you fix that?

Holy biodynamic vineyard compost. I don't know where to start answering! Thanks for the notes, and you can always add half a gram to a gram of citric acid per bottle. I do have UPC codes but I also a favorite customer who won't buy a wine with one, and turned Jerry Garcia down for a date in the mid sixties.

stillmanbrown wrote:I do have UPC codes but I also a favorite customer who won't buy a wine with one, and turned Jerry Garcia down for a date in the mid sixties.

No, no, no. The empty bottle, I don't give a &%$'s @$$ about the UPC.

rjquillin wrote:Disclosure: I like reds way more than whites, or rose for that matter. Well, there are some exceptions; my case of Jana Rosé is nearly depleted. The Wellington Duchess is hanging in there, but I had to get more of his Roussanne. And I'm still hoarding IH Unoaked Chard. This Stillman 2012 Chateau d'Abalone fits right in there and I'm going to find some space for these next to those 2011's.

So I made the opportunity to pour this into a number of test subjects, six actually, 2 female, 4 male, but most were willing and it wasn't all that difficult, considering I work in a research department at a university. Yeah, astrophysics, but we drink too… Even at work, during lunch, before meetings, didn't much matter to them at all. And as all the comments were positive, I'll just blend them together here.

All tasted blind, except me of course, but I've been accused of many things…

A bit difficult to comment on color when it's in a coffee cup, but we do what we have to do. At home, with an actual wine glass, but under less than optimal lighting I'd say a clear pale straw with only the slightest tinge of green, and that I could blame on the color rendition of these wonderful CFL's we are made to purchase; I digress however.

Nose was definitely aromatic, and noted as peach perfume, wonderfully fruity, citrus smell. For two it reminded them of Champagne. For me, citrus and tropical fruit; floral. At only a few weeks in bottle, I think youthful in development would be the correct call.

Clearly the group had different thresholds for sweetness, as comments varied from slightly sweet to very sweet. I'm all over the spectrum and for me I think a bit on the sweet side of off-dry fits, and given a bit more TA for me it would clearly be perceived as off-dry.

Nice viscosity, medium full body, a very nice "mouth feel".
Regarding perceived acidity, again there were varied comments ranging from "smooth, not much of a bite", "crisp" to "sharp taste, not acidic". Personally I prefer enamel etching crispness in my whites, but most Viognier I've had just doesn't do that, and this was no exception. I'd have liked it a bit crisper. Perhaps Stillman will do a special release.

Flavor wise this is a mouthful; comments of fruit, peaches, citrus and hints of mango, with one comment of a "a bit of wood?" This evolves as it warms. At "cellar" temperature, the 15.0% ABV is hardly noticeable, but as it warms the aroma, intensity of flavor and perception of ethanol all increase. Speaking of ethanol, the ethanol consuming grad student that got a taste mentioned heartburn; he's now 86'd from additional tasting, but what to expect from a bartender at House of Blues?

Nice medium to long finish that evolves.

Food? Gotta have food. Buy on bread, sell on cheese? This works with either. Food wise this paired with nearly everything I threw at it. SWMBO made yaki-soba that I spiced up a bit with Sriracha; great. Cilantro lime shrimp, check. Warm French bread and Cypress Grove Natural or Herbs de Humboldt, you bet. Even threw some figs, dates , dried apricots and nuts at it, yup. Candy Basket chocolate; ahhh, not so much, but I had to try. Cocktail; absolutely.

This one, for me, is a keeper and is fully SWMBO approved.

Thanks Stillman, but the bottle is already empty, and lacks a UPC.
Can you fix that?

[edit]
Yeah, I'm in...


Speed to First Woot: 0m 14.334s
First Sucker: rjquillin
Last Wooter to Woot: MarkDaSpark
Last Purchase: a minute ago

Dang You!! Posting and beat me to First Sucker!!! Grrr!

The magic Wine Fairy dropped off a bottle yesterday of this magic elixir. It tasted very nice yesterday and even better tonight.

Hard to elaborate on the spectacular job RJ did on it. Other than Two Thumbs Up, as evidenced by just missing FS.

I was also thinking slightly off-dry with a hint of sweetness (but not too much). Tried it with my sister, and she thought a little more sweetness than I did. Mom of course didn't mind it, but still prefers her *shudder* White Zin.

The wine's just under 1% RS, and the vineyard delivered just over one ton an acre. I did NOT sweeten the wine, or stop the fermentation - it simply stuck, and rather than heat the wine up and try a different yeast, or blend it out, I bottled it as is. I am not normally aka almost never a fan of 'off dry' whites (excepting Riesling and a very few other aromatic varietals with high acid) so perhaps the fact that I liked and like it a lot, as do some other pseudo-purists (professional and amateur) might temper the usual howls of "Cougar juice, ewwww, not for me!" (Oh, and it's unoaked.)

So it turns out that I had a bottle of this on my desk at work today. Seemed like a good evening to bring it home and give take it through its paces with molarchae.

TLDR: Tropical fruits, nice acidity, barely off-dry, wonderful to go with lighter foods despite having a heavier mouthfeel. Chameleon wine.

2012 Chateau d'Abalone Viognier, Paso Robles. 15% abv.

My expectations given the high alcohol and recently-finished fermentation were such that this wine would be intense and powerful. Big and bold aromas and flavours, and since it's likely from the ripest of the ripe grapes without being late-harvest level I'd expect the flavour profile to trend toward the tropical.

Pop and pour after my 12 minute bike ride home from the office: aromas are intense and tropical in nature. Colour is a pale yellow-gold. I initially thought peach, but after about 2 minutes of air I was thinking more toward the mango and guava end of things. My initial couple sips out of the 2 oz-ish pour were to me heavily skewed toward a medium-weight, glycerine mouthfeel with just enough acid and flavours of pineapple and mango with a splash of grass at the finish. Doesn't have any zippy minerality that I can detect at this point. As the initial pour warms up, it's started to take on an almost Riesling-like quality with hints of flowers (although that's also typical of Viognier) and maybe just a hint of that petrol quality. There's also a touch of honey on the finish, and I'm left wondering whether there's a touch of RS in the barely perceptible 0.3-0.5% range or if it's simply the high alcohol that's lending a touch of sweetness.

Next comes dinner-making. To go with a more substantial white wine like this we decided to go with a shrimp pasta: spaghettini, shrimp, garlic, kale, broccoli, tomatoes, white wine (not this one) and freshly grated Reggiano. I found that the food helped bring out more perception of acidity in the wine, and I thought it went well with the dish. No real change in my perception of the flavours or aromas.

An hour and a half after opening, the wine hasn't changed that much. The aromas are still mostly tropical with a hint of lemon coming out in it. It's also gotten a bit more floral. I am starting to think the perception of sweetness was more due to alcohol than RS since it seems lesser now than before. The weight and glycerine texture is still there. As I'm having my last couple sips, I'm noticing more minerality coming out (fresh from the fridge - very cold) and a bit more citrus. I'm enjoying this even more now, and it's making me wonder if this will evolve into a more brightly flavoured wine with a little time in the bottle.

All in all, I'm enjoying this wine. I think it's a great wine to just drink on its own and has a nice refreshing quality to it. With its relatively lower acidity, I'd pair it with lighter fare that doesn't need the laser-like quality of a high acid white to cut through the fat. This is not your wine to go along with cream sauce. I picture this wine going well with a hot afternoon on the porch - it's yummy and easy drinking with enough interesting flavours and aromas to keep you going until the bottle is empty. Which ours is. No effort required.

MarkDaSpark wrote:Dang You!! Posting and beat me to First Sucker!!! Grrr!

Heh heh. Do I still get that ride to D&D?

rjquillin wrote:No, no, no. The empty bottle, I don't give a &%$'s @$$ about the UPC.

What about an almost full bottle, 666 ml? The Number of the Yeast?

Hey all- perhaps mine was cooked, but the bottles from the last offering were not my cup of tea. Too sweet for me. Most concerning was all the sediment and cloudiness in each of the bottles. Sorry to rain, just not my fav.

Thanks to Klezman, I got in on a bottle of this with dinner tonight. Refer to his post for a full run-down, but here are my takes:

My main impression is that I'd call this the acid-forward love-child of riesling and tropical fruit.

On the nose I get pineapple and guava with an acidic, citrusy punch and some of that diesel quality of riesling. I'd be happy to swirl and smell it all night, except of course then it'd get warm. In the mouth I think it has good but not astounding acid, a bit of pear, a bit grassy, and registers off-dry.

With some air, it emphasizes that riesling-like quality and some of the more grassy notes.

We paired it with garlic pasta and shrimp with parmesan, which brought out the acidic qualities of the wine. I liked it better on its own while Klezman seemed to prefer it paired with the food.

Honestly, I don't know much about viognier to compare it with, but as a huge fan of riesling, I'd definitely be happy having this in my cellar.

rjquillin wrote:Heh heh. Do I still get that ride to D&D?

Apparently I'm to be snuck into D&D through the cellar, with a pink lab coat and Ehrlenmeyer flask, posing as a Rosenblum consultant. Look for me.

Seriously, that's the plan.

molarchae wrote:Thanks to Klezman, I got in on a bottle of this with dinner tonight. Refer to his post for a full run-down, but here are my takes:

My main impression is that I'd call this the acid-forward love-child of riesling and tropical fruit.

On the nose I get pineapple and guava with an acidic, citrusy punch and some of that diesel quality of riesling. I'd be happy to swirl and smell it all night, except of course then it'd get warm. In the mouth I think it has good but not astounding acid, a bit of pear, a bit grassy, and registers off-dry.

With some air, it emphasizes that riesling-like quality and some of the more grassy notes.

We paired it with garlic pasta and shrimp with parmesan, which brought out the acidic qualities of the wine. I liked it better on its own while Klezman seemed to prefer it paired with the food.

Honestly, I don't know much about viongier to compare it with, but as a huge fan of riesling, I'd definitely be happy having this in my cellar.

"The acid-forward love-child of riesling and tropical fruit."
Wow. I don't have to write about my wines anymore, just make them. And I don't have to buy a full page color ad in Wine Specthusiast.

rjquillin wrote:Heh heh. Do I still get that ride to D&D?

Only if you bring a bottle of this along for the ride!

stillmanbrown wrote:The wine's just under 1% RS, and the vineyard delivered just over one ton an acre. I did NOT sweeten the wine, or stop the fermentation - it simply stuck, and rather than heat the wine up and try a different yeast, or blend it out, I bottled it as is. I am not normally aka almost never a fan of 'off dry' whites (excepting Riesling and a very few other aromatic varietals with high acid) so perhaps the fact that I liked and like it a lot, as do some other pseudo-purists (professional and amateur) might temper the usual howls of "Cougar juice, ewwww, not for me!" (Oh, and it's unoaked.)

Having tasted blind, with only what's printed on the label, this makes complete sense. Highly aromatic - check. Barely off-dry - check. I'm actually shocked the RS is as high as 1%. I may need to recalibrate!

I'm also wishing I didn't get home from work so damn late tonight. My notes are more matter-of-fact than I like them to be. But it turns out we were just pouring the last couple drops when the clock struck 10.

justinacton wrote:Hey all- perhaps mine was cooked, but the bottles from the last offering were not my cup of tea. Too sweet for me. Most concerning was all the sediment and cloudiness in each of the bottles. Sorry to rain, just not my fav.

Do you mean the Chateau d'Abalone Verdejo? Different wine! If so, there's no sweetness at all (sugar under .1%). The precipitate (technically different from sediment) is potassium bitartrate, which falls out if the wine is exposed to cold, not heat, and it's totally harmless. (It's also known as cream of tartar.) It's most often seen in very small production whites where it's impractical to cold stabilize the wine before bottling (long story). Just being technical here, probably should have anticipated and explained when the wine was up a couple of months ago . . .

I second and third what everyone else has already said. It definitely has acid and tropical fruit. Really good. Sorry that I'm not as good at describing the wine as everyone else. I just know what I like and what I don't. This one definitely falls into the like/love column. Even my non-wine drinking hubby liked it. Now to decide it I have space for this. The nose one this is amazing by the way. Oh and I noticed that it tasted better closer to room temperature than refrigerated. Hope this all made sense. I'm computer-less so I'm typing this all on my phone.

CAGrl wrote:I second and third what everyone else has already said. It definitely has acid and tropical fruit. Really good. Sorry that I'm not as good at describing the wine as everyone else. I just know what I like and what I don't. This one definitely falls into the like/love column. Even my non-wine drinking hubby liked it. Now to decide it I have space for this. The nose one this is amazing by the way. Oh and I noticed that it tasted better closer to room temperature than refrigerated. Hope this all made sense. I'm computer-less so I'm typing this all on my phone.

Thanks!
I hope you're driving too, though your husband should probably take over after the third glass.

stillmanbrown wrote:"The acid-forward love-child of riesling and tropical fruit."
Wow. I don't have to write about my wines anymore, just make them. And I don't have to buy a full page color ad in Wine Specthusiast.

And the most telling thing about molarchae's review is that she drank half a bottle. Without even thinking about it. That means it was yummy

stillmanbrown wrote:Holy biodynamic vineyard compost. I don't know where to start answering! Thanks for the notes, and you can always add half a gram to a gram of citric acid per bottle. I do have UPC codes but I also a favorite customer who won't buy a wine with one, and turned Jerry Garcia down for a date in the mid sixties.

I wish I'd thought of this. That would have put it fully in my wheelhouse. I even have a bottle of citric acid in my cupboard. I tell people it's for making cheese.

stillmanbrown wrote:Apparently I'm to be snuck into D&D through the cellar, with a pink lab coat and Ehrlenmeyer flask, posing as a Rosenblum consultant. Look for me.

Seriously, that's the plan.

Erlenmeyer at DnD... Hmm... kinda stealing Larry's thing, but I guess since he won't be there it's ok.

stillmanbrown wrote:Thanks!
I hope you're driving too, though your husband should probably take over after the third glass.

You kidding? Hubby only had a couple of sips and I had 3 glasses. And driving? Hmm. Guess I should pull over before being on the phone and drinking wine at the same time.

CAGrl wrote:You kidding? Hubby only had a couple of sips and I had 3 glasses. And driving? Hmm. Guess I should pull over before being on the phone and drinking wine at the same time.

Nahh... unless you're also driving a stickshift

chipgreen wrote:Nahh... unless you're also driving a stickshift

I finally took the video of me swirling a glass (of a friend's Grenache, at that) while driving a stickshift off my YouTube channel. Seriously, a rare instance of sanity/cowardice.

trifecta wrote:Erlenmeyer at DnD... Hmm... kinda stealing Larry's thing, but I guess since he won't be there it's ok.

Which Larry?

stillmanbrown wrote:I finally took the video of me swirling a glass (of a friend's Grenache, at that) while driving a stickshift off my YouTube channel. Seriously, a rare instance of sanity/cowardice.

Reminds me of high school daze in an orange VW Bug with a bottle of beer and the steering wheel in one hand, a cigarette and the stickshift in the other but if we wanted to text we had to read a book.

EDIT:
Last Wooter to Woot: chipgreen
I now have the complete Chateau d'Abalone Trilogy!

stillmanbrown wrote:Which Larry?

Schafer of Tercero. He's done the flask setup at least the last couple years. No pink though, so at least you have that. Drop in to the DnD thread and let us know where to find you, despite the flashing suit!

trifecta wrote:Schafer of Tercero. He's done the flask setup at least the last couple years. No pink though, so at least you have that. Drop in to the DnD thread and let us know where to find you, despite the flashing suit!

The flask was just my idea of covering that I snuck in via the venue owners - as if it won't be obvious. I'm not going to wear my vintage pink suit to a Petite Sirah event! We'll figure something out, though . . .

Auto-buy, of course. Clicked on wine woot, saw a Stillman wine being offered, clicked buy.
Done and done.

michaelvella wrote:Auto-buy, of course. Clicked on wine woot, saw a Stillman wine being offered, clicked buy.
Done and done.

thankyouverymuch.

@stillmanbrown

Thanks for the food reco. The food and sushi arrived within 5 minutes of each other ...

My apologies for misspelling the variety, twice... It's really your fault. Wine was so good I had 3 glasses, making thinking/typing more difficult than usual. And thanks to Cesare for pointing them out.

mschauber wrote:@stillmanbrown

Thanks for the food reco. The food and sushi arrived within 5 minutes of each other ...

My apologies for misspelling the variety, twice... It's really your fault. Wine was so good I had 3 glasses, making thinking/typing more difficult than usual. And thanks to Cesare for pointing them out.

If I can pry the 2013 Vermentino out of the warm live hands of my client, the Great Off-White Hunter, it's going to get even more confusing.

stillmanbrown wrote:If I can pry the 2013 Vermentino out of the warm live hands of my client, the Great Off-White Hunter, it's going to get even more confusing.

Bring it on

I like me some Viognier. I'm counting on you Stillman!!!

TASTING NOTE

I happened to get my hands on a bottle of Stillman Brown’s latest creation – a Viognier from Paso Robles. While I was waiting for the right opportunity to try this wine, I heard it was coming up on woot soon, so we decided we should try and see if we wanted to buy more.

The wine was put into the fridge to chill. But, of course, that means it was too cold when I got home. I immediately pulled it out. And 10 minutes later poured a couple of glasses so it would warm to proper temperature sooner. I couldn’t resist.

Even too cold, the aromas of the Viognier were wonderful, but muted. Floral and tropical fruits. And I had to taste it. Bright flavors, some acidity and sweetness on first impression. Nice long finish. Holding in my mouth, there is some viscosity which leads to the finish. I can taste some peach and tropical fruit.

At more normal temps, the viscosity is reduced and the acidity comes through more. The sweetness has also faded. The peach and tropical fruit remain. Still has a nice long finish.

We had the wine paired with flounder with citrus fruit and a citrus, sour cream sauce. Very nice.

My wife felt that this would be a good wine with turkey or chicken. It is also very nice to sip on its own.

This is a nice full bodied white wine. No wonder it is called the white for red wine drinkers. This will be a good buy for many different tastes. We liked it colder with more of the sweetness. As it comes to room temp and the acidity increases, it is more of a food wine. Nice multiple personalities to this wine.

Good job Stillman Brown.