So what have you bought lately?

[jal]

One bottle of 2012 Roederer Phillip Starck Rosé.

[jckba]

Managed to score some 2016 Produttori del Barbaresco single vineyard Reserva's from Vias (metro area distributor) in cases of the Ovello, Montefico, Montestefano and Rabaja and 6btls of both the Asili and Paje.

[JCNorthway]

You certainly did score. You must have depleted their entire inventory! But the reviews I've seen have been really good.

[jckba]

They ended up being more allocated this year than in the past and it seems like some retailers have jacked pricing up a little more than normal. But if you are located in the metro NY area, I did spy some of these on the shelf for $63.99/btl @ Bottle King in Ramsay, New Jersey.

[OrlandoRobert]

Managed to score some 2016 Produttori del Barbaresco single vineyard Reserva's from Vias (metro area distributor) in cases of the Ovello, Montefico, Montestefano and Rabaja and 6btls of both the Asili and Paje.

WOW!

[jckba]

Picked up a case of 2005 Clerc Milon for $1045 or $87/btl in a private sale.

So here’s a question for you all, if we are looking at the over achieving Pauillac 5th growths in Clerc Milon, Grand Puy Lacoste, Lynch Bages and Pontet Canet; which do you reach for more frequently? Do tell.

[Nicklasss]

In preparation of watmer sunny days of spring

1 X 2020 Famille Perrin Nature rosé
1 X 2018 Yves Cuilleron Saint-Joseph Les Pierres Sèches
3 X 2018 Presqu'Ile Santa Barbara Chardonnay
3 X 2018 Philippe Alliet Chinon (to be ready if ever OrlandoBobby is teleported around here)

[JimHow]

I'll always be grateful to you, jckba, for your tip on the 2014 Clerc Milon, I got like almost three cases for, what, $34ish, so beautifully, classically Pauillac, restrained, medium bodied, drinking well young, won't age for 50 years but will be great for 20-30.

[Blanquito]

Good question, JC. I have a pretty clear preference hierarchy among these four wines. Curious how others feel.

My personal ranking of the overachieving 5eme Pauillac:
1. Lynch
2. GPL
3. Clerc
4. Pontet Canet (post 96. I’d put the 94-96 PC above Clerc... more recent vintages have been too modern for me).

[OrlandoRobert]

Good question, JC. I have pretty clear preference hierarchy among these four wines. Curious how others feel.

My personal ranking of the overachieving 5eme Pauillac:
1. Lynch
2. GPL
3. Clerc
4. Pontet Canet (post 96, I’d put the 94-96 PC above Clerc... more recent vintages have been too modern for me).

Agree entirely

[Blanquito]

Buying freeze over... to the tune of a 6-pack of the 2017 Château Thivin Côte de Brouilly Cru Beaujolais.

I tried a test bottle of this in January, which I found pretty thrilling. When I saw this on sale for $22.95, I couldn’t resist.

Not incidentally, I’m my dabblings with bojo over the last couple of years, I’ve had my share of hits and misses but Thivin always seems to deliver.

[rthomaspaull]

The moderator here seems to have it in for me, destroying lots of posts without stating a reason (of course my lousy computer "skills" are a problem).
To jckba: I am unfamiliar with Lynch Bages as its price generally seems too high for its likely score. Of the others, if prices were equal I would get the Pontet Canet , but as prices are not equal Clerc Milon might well have a higher QPR. Of the 2012s I rated the Pontet Canet above the Clerc Milon and the GPL, but the 2016 GPL is really good. rthomaspaull

[Racer Chris]

The moderator here seems to have it in for me, destroying lots of posts without stating a reason
...

There is no one watching. It's just operator error, like so many computer related issues.

[JCNorthway]

One quirk I've discovered about this site is that if you "submit" a post at the same time another post is being submitted, one of them will disappear (I assume the 2nd one sent). So if I'm working on a message of more than one or two sentences, I highlight and copy it before sending. That way if it disappears, I can go back and "paste" the contents of the message into the reply area and re-submit.

[OrlandoRobert]

Buying freeze over... to the tune of a 6-pack of the 2017 Château Thivin Côte de Brouilly Cru Beaujolais.

I tried a test bottle of this in January, which I found pretty thrilling. When I saw this on sale for $22.95, I couldn’t resist.

Not incidentally, I’m my dabblings with bojo over the last couple of years, I’ve had my share of hits and misses but Thivin always seems to deliver.

Hasn’t your Orlando buddy been telling you that for years!? I would posit, Thivin is the most consistent best value wine made in the world. Lofty statement, but I’ve been buying and drinking this estate for many many years. I just reloaded on more 17 as I picked up some 19 as well. 18 is a rule Bojo vintage as is 2015.

Have you tried the Cuvee Zacharrie? Oh momma.....

[Blanquito]

Buying freeze over... to the tune of a 6-pack of the 2017 Château Thivin Côte de Brouilly Cru Beaujolais.

I tried a test bottle of this in January, which I found pretty thrilling. When I saw this on sale for $22.95, I couldn’t resist.

Not incidentally, I’m my dabblings with bojo over the last couple of years, I’ve had my share of hits and misses but Thivin always seems to deliver.

Hasn’t your Orlando buddy been telling you that for years!? I would posit, Thivin is the most consistent best value wine made in the world. Lofty statement, but I’ve been buying and drinking this estate for many many years. I just reloaded on more 17 as I picked up some 19 as well. 18 is a rule Bojo vintage as is 2015.

Have you tried the Cuvee Zacharrie? Oh momma.....

Oh yes, you definitely get a lot of the “blame” for Thivin’s ever increasing presence in my cellar! And that’s after still not ever having had the Zacharrie or their other top cuvees. (I do really like the Reverdon, as a somewhat fruiter and easier going version of the CdB).

[Racer Chris]

So, based on the discussion above I checked Winesearcher for 2019 Thivin Cote de Brouilly. My FLWS has it for $25.99 list. I should be able to get at least 10% off.
My only experience with Brouilly is a couple bottles purchased at Total Wine, drank before I even used Cellartracker, although if I checked Vivino I might have posted a short note there. I don't remember the producer.
I have some friends that like lighter red wines so I might pick up a couple bottles of the Thivin. Whats the optimum drinking window for this wine?

[OrlandoRobert]

Perhaps it is my palate, but I do not necessarily find Beaujolais to be a lighter style of wine. Well certainly some of the wines can be on the lighter side, many of the higher end wines, like Château Thivin, are more medium weight with great structure. I happen to like my Beaujolais young, but some of them age exceedingly well. A bottle of Thivin can have an open drinking window, In my humble opinion, for 20 years. The top estates from Morgon, Fleurie et al can go long as well. A Chateau like Roilette actually needs 10+ years.

Here are my faves, many of which I buy in most vintages:

Roilette
Thivin
Foillard
Desvignes
Chermette

[Blanquito]

I just looked at my CT which I have been quite fastidious in updating and last year I also bought last year 12 halves of Langoa 09, a six pack of the super Brane Cantenac, a six pack of Trotanoy which was the star of the show in a Trot vertical featuring 98/00/05/10/15/16/18, and a half case of Haut-Brion, which some say is better than the 1989.

Just re-reading this, seeing that Ian almost got a case of the Trots ( )...

But seriously, should we be buying (more) 2019 now that the tariffs are gone? I see the likes of the Brane Cantenac for $51, Branaire Ducru for $40... FWIW, our own Jeff Leve rates these 96 and 95 points respectively. Very tempting (despite Jeff’s endorsements, for my palate of course!). But I was very high on the 2016 Branaire are the UGC, and Jeff gave that one a 94, so maybe some palate convergence is occurring here.

[Comte Flaneur]

There is a severe shortage of 2019s in Blighty Patrick - today I cleaned out J&B on 24x375 (2x12) LLC 2019s, at the release price. Negociants are withholding stock to merchants who are going to have to bid up on new stock.

The big unknown of course is what is the story with the 2020 vintage which no doubt will be hyped and we should get reports in coming weeks.

[Blanquito]

Well, shoot. Just ordered a 4 pack of the 2019 Brane Cantenac.

[OrlandoRobert]

Well, shoot. Just ordered a 4 pack of the 2019 Brane Cantenac.

Haha, aren’t you too old for futures, lol!?!

[Blanquito]

Well, shoot. Just ordered a 4 pack of the 2019 Brane Cantenac.

Haha, aren’t you too old for futures, lol!?!

I just officially turned old only 3 days ago!!! So bordeaux futures are probably a bad idea. Yes, the big 5-O. It’s seems like virtually overnight, everything has changed.

[JimHow]

Wait til you hit 60.
I was fine, until I hit 60, and then, like clockwork, the health problems started to accumulate.

[OrlandoRobert]

Wait til you hit 60.
I was fine, until I hit 60, and then, like clockwork, the health problems started to accumulate.

Poor Bobby Goulet is cracking and he ain’t even 50!

Had him over to my beach place a couple weekends ago with two other buddies, for wine, cycling, gummies and general Bachannalia. We slaughtered him at mile 15 of a 50-mile route. Was not pretty at all. Then he slept on the couch all day.

Youngsters these days....

[Blanquito]

Wait til you hit 60.
I was fine, until I hit 60, and then, like clockwork, the health problems started to accumulate.

Poor Bobby Goulet is cracking and he ain’t even 50!

Had him over to my beach place a couple weekends ago with two other buddies, for wine, cycling, gummies and general Bachannalia. We slaughtered him at mile 15 of a 50-mile route. Was not pretty at all. Then he slept on the couch all day.

Youngsters these days....

Wow, and Florida is FLAT! Let’s take Bobby on a mountain canyon ride at 6000 ft with a religion-induced grade.

[JimHow]

You're all invited to my back deck whenever you get to the Great State of Maine, which of course everyone must do in their lifetime, it is reasonably flat as well.

[OrlandoRobert]

Maine? Florida beaches?

Sorry Sir Jim, we pick warm sunny beaches and hot ladies in bikinis!

Bobby will wear his hot white tight pants for you. It’s quite a sight.

[Nicklasss]

I'll go to Maine when i can, covid wise. Even if Jim and me disagree on Beaujolais!

Blanquito is right buying Thivin.

OB is rigth with Jean-Claudes Desvignes, Foillard or Chermette.

[Nicklasss]

Maine? Florida beaches?

Sorry Sir Jim, we pick warm sunny beaches and hot ladies in bikinis!

Bobby will wear his hot white tight pants for you. It’s quite a sight.

Florida was an excellent destination... when i was single. Today, Maine is a better destination for me

[JimHow]

Now that I'm fully, double Pfizer vaccinated as of this morning, I'm ready...
Let's get this party started, be it Maine, Florida, or anyplace in between!

We can travel to Iceland right now, right this minute, and Poland, too, sort of.
It's a start!

[OrlandoRobert]

I just got my second vax today! I ran around the office butt neked in celebration. Popped a smokin Cornas, now I ain’t feelin so hot.

[JimHow]

Yeah baby!
I was feeling a little punk today afterwards as well, but I feel better now.

[Claudius2]

I just got my second vax today! I ran around the office butt neked in celebration. Popped a smokin Cornas, now I ain’t feelin so hot.

Yeah I got the second Pfizer fax on Monday and had no side effects so I’m relieved.
However it is going to take some time for the world to shake off the virus.
There are now at least eight COVID-19 variants and the further the mutations go from the initial virus the lower the probability that the vax will work.
Even when it was limited to China there were already two variants and the further they spread the more the virus will mutate.

[jal]

3 x 2017 Jacques Carillon Puligny Village
3 x 2018 Jacques Carillon Puligny Village
3 x 2018 Leoville LasCases. (GBFX, this is your fault!! )

[DavidG]

You go Jacques!

[jal]

I picked the wrong week to stop buying wine:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hd1ciPnTGKg

3 x 2017 Guillemot Bourgogne
1 x 2019 Evesham Wood Willamette Pinot Noir

[stefan]

6 2016 Jean Luc Ramet Tarrasses Cote Rotie
3 1999 Guigal Brune et Blonde Cote Rotie
1 2003 Guigal Brune et Blonde Cote Rotie

[Blanquito]

4 cases are en route from California, arriving tomorrow:
Reds:
2 x 1973 Sterling Reserve Cabernet
3 x 1975 Sterling Reserve Cabernet
1 x 1990 Montelena Estate Cabernet
2 x 1993 Dalla Valle Cabernet
3 x 1995 Dalla Valle Cabernet
3 x 2003 Ridge Monte Bello
1 x 2017 Frog’s Leap Estate Cabernet
6 x 2017 Thivin Cote du Brouilly
1 x 2018 Jean et Gilles Lafouge Auxey-Duresses La Chapelle
1 x 2019 Thivin Reverdon
1 x 2019 Thivin La Chapelle

Whites:
4 x 2015 Rhys Horseshoe Chardonnay
3 x 2017 Louis Michel Butteaux Chablis
3 x 2017 Jacques Saumaize Les Creuzettes Pouilly-Fuissé
1 x 2017 Henry Pellé Clos des Blanchais Menetou-Salon Blanc
3 x 2018 Jacques et Nathalie Saumaize Courtelongs Pouilly-Fuissé
1 x 2018 Jean et Gilles Lafouge Meursault Les Casses-Têtes
1 x 2018 Château-Fuissé Pouilly-Fuissé Tête de Cuvée
2 x 2018 Domaine de la Chapelle (Catherine et Pascal Rollet) Pouilly-Fuissé Vieilles Vignes
1 x 2018 Ridge Estate Chardonnay
1 x Pierre Péters Cuvée de Réserve Blanc de Blancs Champagne

[Comte Flaneur]

6 x Louis Roederer Champagne Brut 2013
15 x Louis Roederer Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2013