2016 Pauillac has been uncorked, more 2019 Montrose, they passed our pay raise, and the Blue Demon has been retired....

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 12:11 am

Long day, I got a new 2023 Toyota Corolla LE hybrid, in "celestite" color, finally surrendered the beloved Blue Demon after 16 years and 372,000 miles. I salute you, Blue Demon, you were a great friend, perhaps the single greatest investment I've ever made, even better than the 1995 Petrus at $275. Now what to call this new bluish-silver beauty.... Any thoughts?

I drove it from Topsham to Portsmouth to Lewiston, 54 miles per gallon on the trip, the needle hardly went down! Hey, you'll excuse me for being excited, it's the first car I've bought since fall 2007, a lot of new bells and whistles!

This month is "European Wine" month in NH, so I do believe that includes France and Italy, and thus, I purchased:

6 (more) x 2019 Montrose @ $152.57 (I now have 12 in my cellar and I'm not sure I'm done yet!)
5 x 2019 Gloria @ $39.52
2 x 2019 Haut Bages Liberal @ $$37.39
4 x 2020 Felina Berardenga Chianti @ $25.49
1 x 2016 Pauillac @ $33.99

On top of all that, the governor and legislature raised our pay from $80/hour to $150/hour, we went from among the lowest paid criminal defense lawyers in the country to the highest paid. A lot of blood, sweat and tears to get here, and still a lot that needs to be fixed in the court system, but this was a huge first step.

Time to celebrate! I don't think I've ever had "Pauillac," before, that's like what, the third wine of Latour?

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 12:19 am

Congratulations, congratulations, and congratulations. You have a lot to celebrate. Why not open a Latour instead of Pauillac? You deserve it.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 12:22 am

Ha... If I had one.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 12:35 am

So the back of the bottle says: "12 Months ageing in French oak this deep crimson colour wine offers the same typical characters as those of a fine red Bordeaux wine."

Hmmmm....

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 12:40 am

The story on our pay raise. Man, it has been a battle the last five years.

https://www.sunjournal.com/2023/03/01/m ... d-rosters/

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 2:09 am

Nice news, and I’m happy for you.

I will always remember the « Blue Demon » from that drive from horny Nashville to the Investigators blues music kingdom Charlotte. But a new car was due.

Looking forward for another positive comment and note on a 2016… we’ll see.

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 2:10 am

The white and gold label has got me thinking a PLL 3rd label and not the Latour but congrats on the new blue demon!

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 2:29 am

jckba wrote: ↑Thu Mar 02, 2023 2:10 am The white and gold label has got me thinking a PLL 3rd label and not the Latour but congrats on the new blue demon!

I think you’re right. The Pauillac label from Latour is more… how to write it, stern?

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 2:31 am

I agree with you guys!
And thank you, JC, I’m leaning towards Blue Demon 2, in tribute to that great warrior that has traveled me through almost exactly 25% of my life. I like it!

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 2:52 am

jckba wrote: ↑Thu Mar 02, 2023 2:10 am The white and gold label has got me thinking a PLL 3rd label and not the Latour but congrats on the new blue demon!

Exactly.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 3:00 am

Not sure why I thought this was a Latour product when I bought it, because you are exactly right, this is a PLL label.
Doesn't Latour have a third label, though?
In any event....
Hey, nothing to complain here at $33! It was extra discounted, originally priced at $42. It has 13% alcohol, what's to complain about there? It was perfectly lovely, especially with some supermarket cheese. It was indeed "12 Months ageing in French oak this deep crimson colour wine offers the same typical characters as those of a fine red Bordeaux wine."
A very nice drink at the end of a monumental day. Dare I say it, it tasted very... "Pauillac."
Rating: 89+ points. Bravo! Whoever the hell produced this!
I might buy a bottle or two on my way back from Logan on my way back from London.

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 3:18 am

Congratulations Jim, on all counts. Hope you get as much out of BD Jr. as the original.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 3:47 am

I loved PLL’s 1996 “Pauillac” back in the day. Priced perfectly for a grad student budget.

jal · Post by **jal** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 3:49 am

Congratulations on everything. Well done.
Latour also has a 2nd wine they call Pauillac. I believe Les Forts is good enough to not be called a 2nd wine
I imagine the PLL Pauillac would be the 3rd as the Reserve de la Comtesse would be th 2nd

William P · Post by **William P** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 4:56 am

Nice haul.

Gerry M. · Post by **Gerry M.** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 1:39 pm

Jim, not sure which store you were at but I just picked up 4 Krug 170ed for $133ea on the sale.

JCNorthway · Post by **JCNorthway** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 2:07 pm

Lots of good news for one day. The car looks great, and now you can afford it!

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 2:36 pm

Jim, not sure which store you were at but I just picked up 4 Krug 170ed for $133ea on the sale.

I got 6 bottles of the Krug at that price in January, Gerry, I may pick up a few more this month. I went to Portsmouth yesterday, I'll be coming back up through New Hampshire at the end of the month on the way back from London.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 2:59 pm

Gerry M. wrote: ↑Thu Mar 02, 2023 1:39 pm Jim, not sure which store you were at but I just picked up 4 Krug 170ed for $133ea on the sale.

Buy ALL of the Krug! Seriously. Jim can bring it to a convention and sell off to us like hotcakes. We at BWE will thank you again and again.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 3:12 pm

Sigh... Oh man, there are 119 bottles of Krug in the system, tax free, at $133 each.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 3:29 pm

JimHow wrote: ↑Thu Mar 02, 2023 3:12 pm Sigh... Oh man, there are 119 bottles of Krug in the system, tax free, at $133 each.

Is the 170 the latest/current release of the NV Grande Cuvee?

I love Krug and the cheapest I can get it in Colorado is over $200 a bottle. Seriously, if you have any capacity to mule some vino, I would take at least six (and pay you today) at that price!

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 3:47 pm

Just ordered 12 bottles Patrick, I'll let you know when I get confirmation of the order.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 3:56 pm

JimHow wrote: ↑Thu Mar 02, 2023 3:47 pm Just ordered 12 bottles Patrick, I'll let you know when I get confirmation of the order.

Giddy!

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 4:00 pm

I've seen this selling for as high as $300 out there, it's a great tax-free deal.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 4:08 pm

Just got the order confirmation, I'll pick them up tomorrow Patrick, we've got some bad weather today.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 4:21 pm

JimHow wrote: ↑Thu Mar 02, 2023 4:08 pm Just got the order confirmation, I'll pick them up tomorrow Patrick, we've got some bad weather today.

You da BD! 6 for me (I'll take whatever you don't want, as few or as many as that ends up)? Check or Zelle?

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 4:27 pm

I don't do Zelle, Patrick, they come in a nice convenient cardboard case of 6, just send me a check for $800 at James Howaniec, P.O. Box 655, Lewiston, Maine 04243. I'll be in NYC in next month or so, I can hand them off to your brother or whatever works.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 4:52 pm

Terrific, thanks. I'll drop you a check in the mail today...

I am not in NYC again until the early summer probably, but we can easily figure a drop with my brother, shoot me a text or email when you plan to be in the Big Apple and I'll arrange a dead-drop!

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 4:57 pm

Sounds good!

AKR · Post by **AKR** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 5:47 pm

Congrats on all that news. My car is of similar age, but I put few miles on it. In fact, so few, that the insurance company wanted me to sign an affidavit warranting that. Which I thought was weird given that with all the data floating around there, these firms can very easily check the mileage, since its recorded at every smog check/servicing/interaction with the DMV etc.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 5:51 pm

Ha my odometer stopped turning over at 299,000. The only reason why I knew I was at 372,000 was from the trip odometer, which turned over every 10,000 miles.

JoelD · Post by **JoelD** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 6:40 pm

Is the Pauillac their third wine? Has anyone tried the 2016 Reserve Comtesse?

Racer Chris · Post by **Racer Chris** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 7:00 pm

Here's my note from the bottle of 2014 Pauillac I drank a while back:

2014 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Pauillac de Pichon Lalande - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (11/14/2020)
A very good wine, even shows a little Pauillac character, and would stand up to many a Cru Bourgeois. Represents decent value in the $25 range. (89 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 7:10 pm

Joel, I drank the 2016 Reserve Comtesse and loved it so much that I bought a case. I agree, Chris, this is a nice little wine at the price.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 7:18 pm

Mailed.

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 7:21 pm

Curious to see how long it takes to get to Jim

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 7:47 pm

The mail system has been a disaster, Anthem was ready to cancel my health insurance because they haven't received my January premium. I've sent them three separate checks for Jan/Feb/March and they haven't been cashed yet.

Gerry M. · Post by **Gerry M.** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 8:02 pm

Jim, which store are you getting them from? I planned in going to #69 in Nashua later today to grab 6.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 8:05 pm

Hampton North had 14 in stock this morning, Gerry, I placed my online order for 12 bottles at the discount.
They're holding them for me, gonna pick them up tomorrow morning.
Buy! Buy like the wind!

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 8:21 pm

Given there’s no sales tax buying it in NH, it’s like finding Krug on the shelf in Colorado for $122!

*I love how excited we are on the “deal” we’re getting for a single bottle of wine that costs over $100!