What are you drinking for Thanksgiving?

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Tue Nov 23, 2010 3:49 pm

We'll be in the Berkshires visiting cousins out there.

Right now I'm thinking of some young wines like 2002 Dom Perignon, 1995 Ramonets, 1996 Leoville Poferre (3L), 1998 La Mission Haut Brion (en magnum), a Lafaurie Peyraguey from 2003 or 2007, plus some more red Burgs and red Bordeauxs....

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Tue Nov 23, 2010 4:16 pm

On Day 1,2,3,4, or 5?

Here is what we are taking to stefanJr's:

98 Henriot Brut
02 Henriot Rose
95 Michelot NSG Vaucrains
99 Girardin Corton Bressandes
05 Bouchard Meursault Genevrieres
99 Laville Haut-Brion
07 Morey Chassagne-Montrachet

I also had 22 bottles shipped there from WineBid (which no longer ships to Texas). stefanJr has lined up many Oregon PN, including a range from 2008. I think we are pretty well set except for Champagne, which we'll buy in Eugene.

JonB · Post by **JonB** » Tue Nov 23, 2010 4:59 pm

Champagne, riesling and Oregon Pinot. I'm not sure which ones yet......

Stephan - looking forward to your notes. Are you going to taste St. Innocent's new releases (08 Momtazi and Freedom Hill) as well as the 09 special selections?

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Tue Nov 23, 2010 5:11 pm

We probably won't go to SI this weekend. stefanJr has both the '08 Momtazi and FH; we'll try them before deciding whether to order. I already have 56 bottles of SI '08 PNs, so I am not sure that I need more, especially when stefanJr says that I must buy '09s.

Houndsong · Post by **Houndsong** » Tue Nov 23, 2010 5:33 pm

A $12 demi-sec Vouvray.

JCNorthway · Post by **JCNorthway** » Tue Nov 23, 2010 6:31 pm

Have not selected specific bottles yet, but categories under consideration are:

Champagne NV
Alsatian - Gewurtz or Pinot Gris
German Riesling
California Sauvignon Blanc
Morgon Beaujolais
Oregon Pinot
Red Burgundy

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Tue Nov 23, 2010 7:01 pm

Does Pinot really go that well with turkey? I can't recall, as we usually drink whites on T-day.

finner · Post by **finner** » Tue Nov 23, 2010 8:39 pm

I usually go with either Chateauneuf or Zinfandel. I'm leaning towards an 04 vs. 05 Ridge Pagani comparison.

jal · Post by **jal** » Tue Nov 23, 2010 8:51 pm

I'm doing an Italian themed Thanksgiving this year, pumpkin ravioli, chestnut porcini mushrooms soup, dry porcini rubbed turkey, roast vegetables with rosemary, pumpkin panna cotta. So I guess we'll go with some Italian wines, something Tuscan, Brunello, or Chianti.

Winona Chief · Post by **Winona Chief** » Wed Nov 24, 2010 1:36 am

At an early Thanksgiving with family in Minnesota a little over a week ago, we enjoyed Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais - 2009 Régnié Domaine des Buyats and Donnhoff 2005 Oberhauser Brucke Spatlese. Both were very good.

For Thanksgiving Day, I will probably go with Vilmart Cuvee Rubis (Rose) NV Champagne, Ferragu' 2006 Valpolicella Superiore and 2000 Pegau.

Chris Bublitz

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Wed Nov 24, 2010 1:38 am

Give my regards to your better half, Chris, I hope we see you in SF....

Claret · Post by **Claret** » Wed Nov 24, 2010 1:57 am

Domaine Chandon Blanc de Noir
2009 Ponzi Pinot Gris
2001 Von Kesselstaat Josephshofer Spatlese
2006 Le Cadeau Rocheaux Pinot Noir

Claret · Post by **Claret** » Wed Nov 24, 2010 2:02 am

stefan, that is an impressive stash of St. I. I am sure that I am underbought 2008, and will try to rectify the situation early next year. No Special Selection for me this year.

Looking forward to your notes. I am skeptical about 2009. I read Mark Vlossaks's comments and the Eola-Amity wines sound more like my style.

mike reff · Post by **mike reff** » Wed Nov 24, 2010 3:18 am

Have a bunch of white burgs to drink and then there are the reds, so far on the list is an '89 Pavie Macquin but I might save that just for me.. lol

RDD · Post by **RDD** » Wed Nov 24, 2010 1:36 pm

Pol Roger
JJ Prum
Zind Hembrecht
Jadot
Pavie MacQuin
Taylor Fladgate

Jay Winton · Post by **Jay Winton** » Wed Nov 24, 2010 2:53 pm

assorted wines but one will be a 62 Haut Brion (not a great fill so we'll see) and a Montrose-not sure of vintage. Also, a burg, zins, and various whites and champagnes.

Jay Winton · Post by **Jay Winton** » Fri Nov 26, 2010 2:16 pm

62HB was cooked but the 62 Montrose was delicious!

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Fri Nov 26, 2010 2:27 pm

From memory, this is what we drank yesterday. Guess which was the unanimous "wine of the night"?

1996 Grand Puy Lacoste
1995 Cos d'Estournel
1998 La Mission Haut Brion
2001 Phelps Insignia
2007 Vieux Telegraphe Le Crau
2000 Beaucastel
2005 d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru
2007 Dauvissat Vaillons
2007 Lafaurie Peyraguey
2003 St. Pierre
1996 Lafon Rochet
1998 Figeac

RDD · Post by **RDD** » Fri Nov 26, 2010 2:50 pm

Well we went easy.
Had a pretty good group.
My brother , Mike, and his wife ,Kelly. My nephew Daniel who has just returned from a two year Peace Corp stint in Mali.
A neighbor and her son.
My Dad and daughters, Claire and Katherine.
Claire's boy freind, TJ also shared T-day with us. I'm not liking these daughters getting older!
Susan put out a great spread.
Fresh native Virginia oysters, smoked Salmon, Mouse, Shrimp............
Then the big 24 lb fresh T-bird and trimmings.
And too many deserts.

We had:
1990 Veuve Clicqout
1995 Raveneau Montee de Tonnerre
1994 Muller Catoir Gimmeldinger Mandelgarten Riesling Spatese
1995 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese

Everything went seamlessly together and all had a wonderful day.
I'm very thankful for my freinds,family and extended BWE family.

William P · Post by **William P** » Fri Nov 26, 2010 4:01 pm

Jim, I will go outside the box and say the Lafon or the St. Pierre.

jal · Post by **jal** » Fri Nov 26, 2010 4:07 pm

1998 La Mission Haut Brion.

JCNorthway · Post by **JCNorthway** » Fri Nov 26, 2010 4:27 pm

That's a hard one. Normally I would say the Phelps Insignia, but I know that JimHow was part of that group. So I will go with the 2007 Sauternes.

RDD · Post by **RDD** » Fri Nov 26, 2010 6:06 pm

1996 Grand Puy Lacoste

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Fri Nov 26, 2010 6:12 pm

Insignia is my first guess, GPL 1996 is my second ("What is this GPL, hmmm?").

jal · Post by **jal** » Fri Nov 26, 2010 6:21 pm

I have had the 2001 Insignia and I can say that it is the worst Insignia ever (monolithic blueberry juice comes to mind). Unless it improved dramatically (or I've had a bad bottle) in the three years since I tasted it, I doubt it was a unanimous wotn in any line-up.

RDD · Post by **RDD** » Fri Nov 26, 2010 6:36 pm

I went for the GPL based on Jim's love of the vintage.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Fri Nov 26, 2010 6:42 pm

Greetings from the Berkshires, happy holidays to all....

Great guesses by everyone, but the absolute unequivocal "wow" wine of the night, which drew a huge response from everyone, was the 2007 Vieux Telegraghe. Absolutely stunning. We popped and poured, it displayed immense fruit, immense bouquet, a truly great wine. The hands-down winner for wine of the night. I'm glad I have seven more bottles left!

AlexR · Post by **AlexR** » Fri Nov 26, 2010 9:29 pm

Jim,

Wine of the night: 96 GPL?

I attended a Thanksgiving meal for 150.

At my table, we had 2001 Bon Pasteur (quite a disappointment: brawny but heavily overoaked and fairly extracted) and 2000 Sociando Mallet (that was MUCH more like it: incredbly fresh blackcurrant flavors and very good acidity. A delight that still needs years).

All the best,
Alex R.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Sat Nov 27, 2010 12:07 am

VT 2007? BWE is shocked, shocked I say!

A big, slutty fruitbomb, weighing in at 16.3% alcohol and a texture cuttable with a knife? Gettoutahere! A "wine" best enjoyed with dingdongs or better yet for performing industrial-strength engine lubes. No surprise this monstrosity took WOTN honours from such a group of wine neophytes!!! What of terroir, elegance, classicism, sense'o'place, sheer drinkability, I ask? Would the pilgrim fathers have given thanks for so 21st Century an abomination? Surely instead they would have seen the mark of the beast in this undeniably seductive Juju juice.

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Sat Nov 27, 2010 1:25 am

Hey, I LIKE '07 VT. And they're not dingdongs, they're whoopie pies!

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Sat Nov 27, 2010 1:35 am

We had an '06 Girardin Puligny Folatieres, which was very good on its own but an outstanding match for fresh Chesapeake rockfish with oyster and button mushrooms and a butter sauce. Not exactly traditional, but WOW.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Sat Nov 27, 2010 1:43 am

In all seriousness, I like the VT 07 too, but I couldn't resist.

mike reff · Post by **mike reff** » Sat Nov 27, 2010 2:56 am

popped the 1995 Pavie Maqcuin and it was not as good as I had hoped.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sat Nov 27, 2010 12:34 pm

I was as shocked as anyone, Patrick, especially since the wine was completely dumb in my one previous experience with it earlier this year. Jeez, two big tastings in a row, the first being with the 15 court clerks at my house last month, the wine of the night has been a. Hateauneuf du Pape. That previous time it was the 2007 Les Cailloux.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Sat Nov 27, 2010 5:59 pm

I'm glad to hear these 2007 CDPs are showing so well, actually. I guess it is faith restoring after my several disappionting experiences with them, where they came across as over the top. But Vieux Telegraphe is one of my favorite estates and it never seems to let me down. Well done, BD, well done.

Jay Winton · Post by **Jay Winton** » Sat Nov 27, 2010 10:00 pm

glad I loaded up on 07 Southern Rhones but I need some VT (I bought the 07 VT Telegramme which is drinking well now).

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sun Nov 28, 2010 5:56 pm

The 2007 Vieux Telegraphe is available for $69 in NH. A bit more pricey than I'd like, but I might add another two or three bottles to the seven in my cellar. And if they are available for the 15% French wine sale I'll probably buy more.

Another wine that performed very well at Thanksgiving dinner was the 1998 Figeac. Lot's of chocolate in there.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sun Nov 28, 2010 5:58 pm

On Friday night, at a second turkey dinner with other relatives, the 2000 Smith Haut Lafitte was the wine of the night. It was just oh so classy, I'm a huge fan of this wine from this vintage. It is my favorite year for SHL.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Sun Nov 28, 2010 7:13 pm

Is the SHL 2000 better than the GPL or Pontet Canet 2000, Jim?

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Sun Nov 28, 2010 7:20 pm

No question in my book, Patrick. I tried to bid on a case of the 2000 SHL a few years ago in the Verlin auction but, no matter how high I bid, there was always a higher bid. The 2000 SHL is a great wine.