Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

Blanquito

I've found modern Cos to be a pretty unattractive wine, for the same reasons you list for the 09 version. Even the 02 was a turn off, it as all licorice and spicy sweetness, not huge scaled but still a touch hot. I wonder, is the 2016 Cos a better wine, have they started to recalibrate towards some ...

Blanquito

Meanwhile, in better news, the very middle of the road and cautious Cook Political Report shows this on their Electoral College Ratings page: Democrats have 279 electoral votes in the Solid, Likely and Lean categories and would need 0 electoral votes from the Toss Up column. https://cookpolitical.co...

Blanquito

JimHow wrote:Have you guys seen Fareed Zakaria's thing on Trump's conspiracies.

Just read it. November and December are going to be hell.

Blanquito

100% agree David. The real partner in crime here of course is the whole Republican Party, who hasn't raised even a goddamn whimper about this Nazi shit. Where's all the nonsense about state's rights now from the GOP?!?! Oh well, I guess that was all just cover to allow racists southern states contin...

Blanquito

The 1989 Haut Batailley was also a winner and a great QPR, I recall.

Blanquito

There are some run down parts in Portland, but given all of the wonderful things it has going for it -- incredible food scene, quirky-artsy-creative populace, great live entertainment, beautiful vistas (at least in summer), some really cool architecture and parks, ready access to Oregon coasts-mount...

Blanquito

What’s going on in Portland is the scariest thing I’ve seen in American politics and governance in my lifetime. Coming to a city near you! Part of what scares me is that lack of shock and outage at this flagrant assault on our freedom and democracy. Maybe the 60’s were this close to unraveling, but ...

Blanquito

I opened a 1995 Grand Puy Lacoste last night, and it was fantastic. Beauty, savory, cool-fruited cabernet, but in no way austere. Tannins resolved, leafy aromatics, smooth and delicious. This has improved a lot since my last bottle ~4 years ago and today it is brilliant stuff, the quintessence of ol...

Blanquito

In my experience, there’s only one law of physics that applies specifically to wine cellars: there’s always more room than you thought.

Blanquito

How did I get there? Consider today's polling averages: -Florida -- Biden +7.5% -Wisconsin -- Biden +6.7% -Michigan -- Biden +7.0% -Pennsylvania -- Biden +6.7% -New Hampshire -- Biden +7.2% -Nevada -- Biden +6.3% These are leads that far exceed any sort of polling miss or error (i.e. the margin of e...

Blanquito

Here's the state of the race based on polls weighted by 538, where I've color coded all states as either no-doubters and toss-ups. If this is right, Biden is at 308 EC votes even if all toss-ups go to Trump:

: 270towin.png (243.02 KiB) Viewed 871 times

:

Blanquito

ABC wine and spirits (a local retailer) did a movie premier of bottle shock here as a cool outdoor wine event.... They were pouring 2005 Carbonnieux....this was a cracker in its youth....lazer like acid and punchy red and black fruits with a fast ball down the middle beam of minerality...I was smit...

Blanquito

We certainly agree that WI is Biden's tipping point state. If I were his campaign manager, I'd be giving WI (and MI and PA) the full court press from everyday from today until Nov. 3rd.

Blanquito

Jim, overall I agree with your take on the race... if we're talking about Biden's worst case scenario. To me, what you describe is as close as this race will get, where it comes down to WI and AZ. Pretty much the worst Biden will do is 268 Electoral College votes or he ekes out a win with 278 votes....

Blanquito

stefan wrote:The Nigerians have gotten more sophisticated at hacking, but how they use the hacks is lame. They should outsource that part to Russians.

Blanquito

Well we had it tough. Even though two of my form masters have done time at Her Majesty’s pleasure, sadistic, warped teachers were the least of our problems. We were so poor that our mum used to send my big brother out to market closing to forage for discarded cabbage leaves to boil up for soup and ...

Blanquito

Ardbeg? Caol Ila?

Blanquito

A few that can be disappointing to me are Pommery, Mumm and Veuve Cliquot. Although VC is part of LVMH, it is a lighter style. Yes, I hadn’t though about Mumm and Pommery in a while, both are indeed mediocre at best. Veuve Cliquot used to be my go domaine in the 90s, but quality sure did fall apart...

Blanquito

When I get too much Trump, I go to this page for my moment of Zen. Trump, following in the footsteps of J Carter and GHW Bush to glory! (In case it’s not entirely clear, Trump is always the maroon line in the graphic below)

: Screen Shot 2020-07-18 at 3.20.17 PM.png (235.39 KiB) Viewed 1225 times

Blanquito

Ended the fast early as a few tastings have been scheduled... Tonight, I am thoroughly enjoying the 2012 Louis Roederer Brut Champagne. Probably too rich for the ultra brut and nature crowd and the BdBs lovers might like brighter fizz, but I think this is fantastic. Nice fruit forward attack, but th...

Blanquito

JimHow wrote:Mail in ballots are going to kill the Dems.
Did you know that the June 23rd New York results were just released today?

Apparently some of the local elections still haven’t been counted yet?

Chaos is the strongest prediction for Nov 4 and beyond.

Blanquito

“Under a law dating back to 1845, the US presidential election is slated for the Tuesday after the first Monday of November every four years - 3 November in 2020. It would take an act of Congress - approved by majorities in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives and the Republican-contro...

Blanquito

AKR wrote:Maybe the pandemic is spreading so fast we will have to postpone the election until the emergency is over. These super spreader events just kill too many people.

Yes, another variable to muddy the waters. We’ve never postponed an election before though, right? Even during WWI and the Spanish flu?

Blanquito

Is 2016 a strong vintage for red burgundy?

Blanquito

I'm worried about that too, David. BUT as of today... " Biden continues to lead the polling averages of states worth 368 electoral votes, while Trump leads in states with only 170 electoral votes ." Look at these polling averages for swing states! FiveThirtyEight polling averages as of Jul...

Blanquito

I don’t think things have really changed much in the race over the last ~2 months, except perhaps Biden widening his lead. But here’s my take as of mid July — if there election were tomorrow, Biden would win in a landslide and the Dems would retake the Senate : https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/y...

Blanquito

LOL Krug NV is like 4 times the price of the ones I bought, which were all $40-50 / bottle. That is why I'm excited, if I really love one of them I could potentially have it on a semi-regular basis. I love Stu’s work around for this — if the price is a concern, just enjoy your favorite champagne by...

Blanquito

DavidG wrote:Stefan, 33 years ago Veuve was also better than it is now.

Big time.

Blanquito

David and Arv, P. Usseglio was across the board my least favorite 07 CdP producer. Even the base cuvee was hotter than a swig of Everclear. And they went from bad to worse with time in the cellar. Lucky you only had one, David! The beaucastel doesn't sound much better, as I really dislike a pruney n...

Blanquito

jal wrote:2 bottles of 2019 Tempier Bandol Rosé and holy shit has the price gone up! $56 per bottle in Florida with a minuscule allocation. I normally would have bought six but two will be enough for now. Most I've ever paid for a rosé. Fucking tariffs.

Make non-American wine expensive again!!

Blanquito

JimHow wrote:...on the back deck on a splendid July night. Thank you for the recommendation, Patrick, it is a beauty, nice acidity, light golden color, fresh, nicely not overwhelming or big.

Glad it’s still showing well for you, Jim.

I need to have another of these, once my fast is over.

Blanquito

Great posts Marcus and Patrick. I’ll also second everything Dan says above. Of course many of the 14/15/16/18/19 Bordeaux will become great wines. But for whom, and according to what criteria? Probably not the same criteria that we’ve internalized based on our love of those 80s gems. Styles change....

Blanquito

I agree with everything Marcus says here. The goal posts have been moved. Even Sociando Mallet has changed. For me it’s simple: if what you want is 80s-styled Bordeaux, good luck finding that elsewhere. I hoped for a while that 95-02 might emulate or even surpass what bordeaux achieved in the 80s, b...

Blanquito

I’m starting my annual alcohol fast today, I’m thinking 2 weeks this time.

Keep the notes coming so I can at least get some vicarious wine experiences.

Blanquito

I’m glad your so confident, Nic. I hope your right. I really do. But I don’t think there’s any reason to presume modern wine making is inherently superior to the old school, especially of course given how personal wine tastes are. I just have have never had a post-1996 bordeaux that has (yet) come e...

Blanquito

With that said, I’ve done a number of Bdx vertical dinners with the likes of Gruaud Larose, Leoville Poyferre, Pape Clement, Montrose and Sociando and when you taste the wines from the 80’s you shake your head in agreement, then you start to see a style shift mid to late 90’s where oak starts to ma...

Blanquito

My favorite SHL is the 1995. Excellent, mature graves before they started over-oaking.

Never had the 00, I sold off my 05 which left me cold.

Blanquito

2009 Pipeau St Emilion... sexy, flashy levels of brambly, spicy fruit underpinned by enough brightness, structure and minty freshness to be fun to drink, instead of a chore. Certainly a fruit bomb, but one with enough balance and restraint, and it’s saving grace is there’s little to no oak signature...

Blanquito

That 12 Momtazi I had from 375 recently was a real head-turner. Riper than I expect SI to be, but none the worse for its overt hedonism.

Can’t wait for fall shipping weather so I can take delivery of my 5 bottles of the 99 Shea.

Blanquito

I can’t wait for the day when we can begin our collective 1995 horizontals.

Search found 5923 matches