What are we drinking in the Omicron ominous?

[DavidG]

Nice note and excellent reference points.

I love BAMA. One of my favorite Bordeaux Chateau.

Yeah, I liked this more than my note conveys. I thought the bouquet was pretty sensational, very much in a sous bois style. If you like that style as much as I do, this had a 94 pt bouquet I’d say. The palate dropped off a bit, but still excellent and so good with steak. For the $62 it just cost us to reload, hard to imagine a better QPR these days in mature claret (even back vintages of Sociando are like >$70-$75 at this point).

The pricing we got was ridiculous. Even retail is ridiculous. I will reload again once Patrick’s stock arrives.

I liked my bottle a bit more than you did, but having had many bottles of this estate, you will see some bottle variation. I’ve never had an “off” bottle of 2000, but I cannot say that they drink consistently from bottle to bottle every time. Most of my 2000s were around 94 pts, but I was hotter on the last bottle, was best showing yet.

Have either of you had the 2010? I assume it needs a Blanquito or two.

[OrlandoRobert]

I’ll try that in 15 years!

[DavidG]

Tres Blanquitos! Gracias Roberto.

[Nicklasss]

2008 Marion Amarone della Valpolicella

Time to drink. Trouble red color, with a nice complex cherry, gingerbread spice chocolate cake aromas, light molasse and more rdark berries. Mouth is fresh, slightly tannic, hal sweet half dry, with good power of fruits and spices. Long.

[Ianjaig]

Chasse Spleen 2009: Day one: Found this to be surprisingly modern. Blackcurrant and vanilla dominate, giving way to rich, velvety chocolate and soft black fruits, yet still full bodied and tannic. Very pleasant - but could easily be mistaken for something from the Barrosa.
Day two: not a lot of evolution from the day previous. Still very chocolatey, with a long, luscious finish. Rich & concentrated - bordering on being jammy. Hint of leather.

[Claudius2]

Guys
Currently sipping a 2005 Tertre-Daugay St Emilion GCC.
This is the very last bottle of the OWC.
This was a bit better than the last but I do wonder why St Emilions like this are made. It tastes like a Barossa Valley Shiraz with 15% alcohol, Low acid, lots of oak (and cherry, dusty oak) and rich and ripe fruit.
I asked Wendy what she thought entirely blind and she said the alcohol was too high and the oak was too much. It isn’t all bad as there is a lot of fruit and richness but it is too port like, alcoholic and oaky for St Emilion or for that matter, Bordeaux.

My last comment was on 85 and 86 Wines and I am again wondering if the style of wine was just changed forever.
Cheers
Mark

They actually aren't making Tertre Daugay any more! I think 2010 was last year, and the vineyard is now part of Quintus if I recall.

Arv
Yeah and somehow I’m not that upset about it.
I however have never had Quintus so I have no idea what style it is.
I do however have quite a lot of wines from St Emilion though i just hope they are not much like the Tertre Duguay.

Cheers
Mark

[stefan]

2018 Henri Boillot Meursault Les Poruzots. Attractive smoky nose, sufficient minerals, good mouthfeel. A bit sweet. Should improve. For drinking now it is not worth its $100+ price, but you can say that about most Burgundies on the market.

[SF Ed]

2017 Domaine Georges Vernay Condrieu Les Chaillées de l'Enfer. Loads of white and yellow stone fruits, lemon and an oily (in a good way) mouthfeel. Very long and moreish.

I love Condrieu. Too bad the good stuff is usually expensive (like anything from Vernay).

SF Ed

[Claudius2]

Midweek we always have a bottle of Champagne.
This week, Cattier Brut Icone NV.
Light gold colour with nose of bread dough, nuts and apples.
Similar characters on the palate. Medium body and well balanced. Quite dry with a touch of bitterness on the back palate. More secondary flavours rather than overt fruitiness.
I don’t know the cepage but I’d guess it has quite a lot of Pinot Meurnier and not much Chardonnay, with a touch of red fruit in the mid palate. It is a round, honeyed style that could do with more front palate fruit. Good wine but not in the top class of NVs.

[AKR]

2017 Domaine Georges Vernay Condrieu Les Chaillées de l'Enfer. Loads of white and yellow stone fruits, lemon and an oily (in a good way) mouthfeel. Very long and moreish.

I love Condrieu. Too bad the good stuff is usually expensive (like anything from Vernay).

SF Ed

I love the stuff too, but at least for me, they're all pretty good - as in its rare to get one that's NOT good.

As long as they're young.

I saw some months K&L had some Vernay viognier (non Condrieu AOC) that were offering, which I had never heard of before. While I was waffling on it (I had nothing else to pick up from them) it vaporized, all dozen cases sold in a heartbeat....

[Blanquito]

2017 Carbonnieux Blanc
This is so good. Crisp, savory, a touch herbal, shares a lot with Sancerre. For $30-35, a world class white QPR.

[Racer Chris]

2012 Domaine de Chevalier.
Really nice nose. Less expressive on the palate at first, but evolved nicely over 2+ hours.
Interestingly, it showed some heat (13.5%) which I found appealing in this wine.

[Blanquito]

1988 Ridge Cabernet-Merlot Bradford Mountain
High toned strawberry and sous bois… extra spicy, tangy and bright. Simple, singular, delicious.

[Racer Chris]

2017 Felsina CC, over the past two nights with pizza/leftover pizza.
So much more satisfying than the bottle of 2019 Thivin I drank last weekend.
Sangiovese works for me in many ways. Gamay just turns me off.

[Ianjaig]

Went to a Bordeaux tasting with some friends last week. I thought we were trying the 18s that are now starting to land, but there were plenty of 16s to try as well. There were probably 30+ wines open and we managed to taste around 2/3rds of them.

The two standouts for me were Sociando Mallet and Corbin 2018.

Thought the Faizeau Sélection VV 2018 & Valade L'Etendard 2016 were both particularly good value as well.

[OrlandoRobert]

2017 Felsina CC, over the past two nights with pizza/leftover pizza.
So much more satisfying than the bottle of 2019 Thivin I drank last weekend.
Sangiovese works for me in many ways. Gamay just turns me off.

Intersting. I drink a lot of both of these exact wines. Felsina is on a roll, the 16s are outstanding across the board.

[Winona Chief]

It’s been a very hot last several weeks here in the DC area. Most recent wines Delamotte NV Champgne and Mordoree 2020 Tavel Rose Rein des Bois (my favorite rose wine - a powerful full bodied wine).

Didn’t think a recent Egly-Ouriet NV Rose Champagne was worth the big bucks but a 2012 Cedric Bouchard Champagne Cote de Bechalin Blanc de Noirs was fabulous. Also a very good showing by Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle Champagne #24.

Chris Bublitz

[JimHow]

Racer Chris wrote: ↑Fri Aug 13, 2021 6:05 am
2017 Felsina CC, over the past two nights with pizza/leftover pizza.
So much more satisfying than the bottle of 2019 Thivin I drank last weekend.
Sangiovese works for me in many ways. Gamay just turns me off.
Intersting. I drink a lot of both of these exact wines. Felsina is on a roll, the 16s are outstanding across the board.

The 2016 AND 2017 Felsinas are stunning.

[Winona Chief]

Agree that Felsina Chianti Classico is wonderful in most vintages but also love those Thivin Cote de Brouilly Beaujolais - of course there are so many different styles of wine that I like.

Chris Bublitz

[Winona Chief]

Tonight more Champagne, nv Laurent Perrier Rose and the infamous Miraval (2020 vintage) owned by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie - they are still fighting over it 7 years after the divorce. Still, it’s very nice pale rose wine made by the Perrin family of Chateau Beaucastel.

Chris Bublitz

[Nicklasss]

Didn't think a recent Egly-Ouriet NV Rose Champagne was worth the big bucks

Chris Bublitz

Unfortunately, same for me this summer, when I had The NV Grand Cru rosé...

[Nicklasss]

Tonight more Champagne, nv Laurent Perrier Rose

Chris Bublitz

I really liked this rosé this summer. Clearly well made, dry, lightly fruity, superb bubbles. What did you thought about it Chris?

[Nicklasss]

In that very warm day (it is still 77 F outside at 9:54 pm), we had spaghetti with bolognaise sauce and the 2019 Ama Chianti Classico. They know their stuff as the Chianti, ligthly chilled is very enjoyable even in that extreme heat. Cherries, berries, tobacco, with a very goid acidity and medium tannic structure. Also some vine wood, and that light rustic sangiovese grape. Excellent in that classic style.

I understand i could drink that Chianti, lightly chilled, in Tuscany in a very warm day, with lot of pleasure, with some BWE friends and nice olives or antipastis.

[Winona Chief]

Nic,
That Laurent-Perrier Rose showed very nicely again last night. It’s a very good Champagne and it’s very popular with friends in our neighborhood. I go through about a half dozen of these every summer at informal gatherings on our deck or in neighbors yards.

Chris Bublitz

[Blanquito]

Nic,
That Laurent-Perrier Rose showed very nicely again last night. It’s a very good Champagne and it’s very popular with friends in our neighborhood. I go through about a half dozen of these every summer at informal gatherings on our deck or in neighbors yards.

Chris Bublitz

I am a big fan of Laurent-Perrier''s vintage bubbly too-- the 02 and 08 punch way above their weight. Need to try the rose!

[Blanquito]

2017 Marc Colin St. Aubin La Chateniere, tonight with roast char and garden vegetables. Wow, this is great stuff, definitely shows some oak and richness on the nose and attack, but uber racy with great limey brightness and gingery intensity on the finish. More explosive than refined. However you slice it, shockingly good.

[Racer Chris]

This week:
2016 Senejac
2015 Marsac Seguineau
2016 Lilian Ladouys
2015 Lilian Ladouys
The Senejac was somewhat ordinary, but the latter 3 were all quite enjoyable.

[Claudius2]

Yesterday drank Piper Heidseick NV.
It had been in a wine fridge for a few years at least and showed some development. Yeasty, honeyed, with flavours of quince and brioche though could do with some mid palate fruitiness. Quite dry and firm and maybe I kept it too long? Much better with food (in this case, pork with Thai basil).

I also drank some of the 2016 Medoc I’ve been using in cooking, Ch Roc Tilliade. There is some pleasant Merlot character starting to show through though it remains rather dry and angular. Several bottles of this wine have ended up in wild mushroom risotto and various other slow cooked dishes.

Also Vickery Eden Valley Riesling 2015 which has developed very well, showing floral, herby fruit and some petroleum/kerosene characters. Palate is quite complex with nice citrus flavours and minerality. Some honey and sweet herbs. Really nice Riesling.

Chateau Maltroiye Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Clos St Jean Rouge 2009. Very last bottle from the case. Somehow this bottle seemed very oaky and a bit dry on the end palate, did not taste as good as the previous 11 bottles but still quite good with food.

Cheers
Mark

[AKR]

I actually like to use white vermouth for making risotto - I find it punches up the 'winey' flavor more than a dry blanc.

[Claudius2]

Arv
I’ve also been known to put Port in it. I sometimes buy LBV or Ruby Port to use in cooking, it adds a touch of sweetness but never shows too much for my palate. Use it in steak Diane with some brandy as well.

I am trying to think of the last time I’ve drunk Vermouth. Cinzano was somehow popular during the 70s but luckily that faded soon with wine starting to become popular and by then Port and Sherry started to decline in popularity.

[jal]

With ratatouille and baked swordfish we drank a bottle of the 2018 Thomas Pico Chablis Patte Loup Vent d'Ange (so many names for a Village Chablis).

The wine is golden color, nose a bit tropical, very fresh and vibrant. Good complexity, acidity and structure, but tastes more like a good Chassagne Village than Chablis. It probably is because of the vintage; 2018 is a little bit more expansive and wide than the tight and focused 2017

Still a bargain at $35, it is richer on the palate even if more costly than Fevre, Louis Michel and Billaud Simon, 91

[AKR]

I am trying to think of the last time I’ve drunk Vermouth. Cinzano was somehow popular during the 70s but luckily that faded soon with wine starting to become popular and by then Port and Sherry started to decline in popularity.

We don't drink that many cocktails nowadays, but Mrs AKR liked Negroni's and I enjoyed Manhattan's which are both classics that use red/sweet vermouth -- Cinzano if one is feeling spendy. I could swear I read somewhere that Negroni's have displaced Margaritas as a most popular cocktail, although I find that hard to believe, esp. out west, where some restaurants have frozen Margarita machines.

[Claudius2]

Arv
After writing the above, I recalled that I drank a few vermouths in Jerez de la Frontera, Nov 2019, which is quite a charming and unhurried town. Laustau gave us tastings of some flavours vermouths but I really can’t recall what they were like, probably as I’d drunk too much sherry including their black sherry (Pedro Ximinez) already…

[Racer Chris]

Another heat wave coming in on the heels of Hurricane Hennui so I opened a bottle of German riesling. It went well with my cheese and crackers appetizer, but went really well with the leftover pork fried rice I made Sunday and re-fried tonight.
2019 Schloss Vollrads Riesling, Rheingau. 90 pts.

[OrlandoRobert]

Popped another 2011 Chateau Magdelaine last night, excellent stuff notwithstanding the vintage

[SF Ed]

Great bottle last night - 1993 Lamarche La Grand Rue. Mature in appearance but youthful on the palate, almost electric. Blood and cinnamon on the nose, dark cherry and five spice on the palate. Linear attack and finish. Very long.

One of the best bottles I've had this year.

SF Ed

[Blanquito]

Popped another 2011 Chateau Magdelaine last night, excellent stuff notwithstanding the vintage

Wish I’d loaded up on this when it was released.

[Nicklasss]

Very good inexpensive red wines lately. Back to basic.

2018 Troncone from Le Ragnaie : 100 % sangioves, with a light cherry side that is very luminous. Light spices and red berries, not too much alcohol. Very good.

2020 Saint Cosme Côtes du Rhône : dark and concentrated, purple fruit, hummus, red berries, light meat. Quite concentrated in mouth, very good but tiring to drink. More punch than elegance. Good.

2018 Terres de Méditerrannée Pays d'Oc Dupérré Barrera: i did not had that wine in most last vintages, but that 2018 is well made and convinient. Not the biggest nose but some blacl fruit, dark cherries, light ink. In mouth, better, balance, very black fruit character, with good freshness. Exçellent for the very low price. The magic of a great blending by a quality negociant.

[Racer Chris]

Monday wine.

[JimHow]

You are an amazing man, Racer Chris.