Wine-savvy

[agxo3]

I was even more surprised to read in Wine Spectator December edition that a collector bought a bottle of Screaming Eagle for US$12,000!!!!    :boo:

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Yeah - I don't get it either!! It's a really good wine, but $12,000?? That tells me it's not because it's a good wine, but it's a trophy wine. You know, one of those - "see what I got! I'm soooo rich I can afford to throw money away like wine!" - wines. Some people have more money than sense.

[cakebread]

Yeah - I don't get it either!! It's a really good wine, but $12,000?? That tells me it's not because it's a good wine, but it's a trophy wine. You know, one of those - "see what I got! I'm soooo rich I can afford to throw money away like wine!" - wines. Some people have more money than sense.

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When I take clients out for dinner, I try to stick with the brands that I've had good experience with. Favorites have always been, Far Niente, Silver Oak, Chateau Montelena, Cakebread, Duckhorn, Joseph Phelps, etc.

[agxo3]

When I take clients out for dinner, I try to stick with the brands that I've had good experience with. Favorites have always been, Far Niente, Silver Oak, Chateau Montelena, Cakebread, Duckhorn, Joseph Phelps, etc.

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Good labels all. And with clients you certainly want to impress.

 

If they're really winos, though, it might be fun to find a lesser known but very high quality wine. Then you can impress them with your knowledge that goes beyond the common realm! "Thinking out of the box" - isn't that the over-used buzzword? In fact, bringing something NOT on the conventional wine list but that blows everyone away is guaranteed to score points, right? I've had a someelier off to waive the corkage if I gave him a taste of my wine! The answer was - but of course!!! And that led him to offer ME a taste of something else that he thought was similar to my wine. (It wasn't, but I took the glass anyway! Never turn down a free glass of good wine, I always say! )

 

Like everyone else, I have MY favorites, which tend to be smaller wineries with smaller marketing budgets - Retzlaff, Noah's, Wood Family, Fenestra, Tenuta, Mitchell Katz, Davis Bynum, Armida, Castle, Rosenblum. There are also some on my list that ARE well-known - Neibaum-Coppola (now re-named Rubicon Estates), J, Stags Leap, Castle Rock, Grgich, David Bruce, Bonny Doon, Ravenswood.

 

What will you find in my wine ref? Mostly Niebaum-Coppola, Retzlaff, Noah's, Fenestra and Wood Family. Some Mitchell Katz, some Rosenblum. A smattering of Opus One, a few Bordeaux and a couple of Burgundies, a J or three. The rest come and go - a bottle here, a bottle there......

[cakebread]

Excellent choices there! I've had the Niebaum-Coppola, Stags Leap and Grgich and they're all very good. I'm surprised at how decent the price is for Grgich Hills. I remember buying them a few years ago for $35.00 a bottle at Sam's Club.

 

What happens is that the clients look mainly at the conventional brands and the $$$ attached to them. It helps seal a lot of deals though.

[masi]

Yeah - I don't get it either!! It's a really good wine, but $12,000?? That tells me it's not because it's a good wine, but it's a trophy wine. You know, one of those - "see what I got! I'm soooo rich I can afford to throw money away like wine!" - wines. Some people have more money than sense.

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yup!! you couldn't have said it any better!!!!

[the messiah]

Have you seen the new Wine Spectator Magazine?  Joseph Phelps Insignia - California won wine of the year 2005.  Phelps won over the classics Ch Latour, Ch Margaux.

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tenks for d info bro

[masi]

For some reason unknown to me,   yung Hardy's laging ang release mga one-year old   at Cyrano, the house red is hardy's cab sauv 2004.  Lipstick and some friends commented nga na kulang sa aging, para naman mag-a-age pa sya.  pero it's not all that bad, but it's just that there are far better, finer bottles.   but hey for 85 bucks per glass, i could not complain.

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OR you can go to CYRANO Wine Selections!  Where everyone knows everyone by name! CHEERS! :boo:  

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Cyrano's at the ground floor of the Legaspi Parkview Condominium Legaspi cor C Palance St. Legaspi Village Makati, it's near greenbelt 1.

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i finally found my way to cyrano's this early evening. there were just a few people maybe 2 couples then another 2 came in but didn't stay. cozy and warm place if you're up for conversation but if you're not, it could be pretty stiff and pretentious. but lighting in the place was good!

 

i finally got to try the much talked about and ballyhooed Hardy's Merlot 2005! this is the house label. but there other few labels that could be considered.

 

visual was typical of a merlot with mid crimson to mid dark. nose was a mediocre light floral bouquet with a blend of berries, some rasberries and plums but pretty much of the first harvest of spring rather than the summer when the fruits are in full splendor.

 

now comes the tasting part and the finish....well, all i can say is that this wine will not see any glory days. whatever positive that was left in the nose was completely obliterated and betrayed by the wine's body and finish. nothing there. the tannins of a merlot were short.

 

for the price i paid at P85/glass, and i had 2, i couldn't really ask for anything more. perhaps next time i should try the Casillero del Diablo Pinot Noir. That wine I haven't encountered.

 

But because tonight i was alone, I definite couldn't finish a bottle, lest drive home safely.

 

So any takers next week?

Edited January 27, 2006 by masi

[storm]

Oaky ako pareng Masi for next week!

[masi]

Oaky ako pareng Masi for next week!

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sure pareng storm, basta sa makati ka let me know!

[agxo3]

Vineyard and Tasting Notes from Rubicon Estates - this is oneof the two wines I just received as part of my January shipment. Haven't opened it yet, probably won't for another 6 months to a year. I only have one bottle, though, so I wonder if I shoud wait a while, or buy another couple of bottles just in case........

 

Note that this is a 2003 vintage, but was bottled in November 2005. At least 18 months in the barrel! If this follows the general rule of thumb then this will be a wine that will live long inthe botlle - at least another 5 years. Of course, I won't have MY estimate until I pop it open and taste it!

 

----------------

 

NEW RELEASE! 2003 Estate Merlot

 

History

Wines that bear the name Rubicon Estate are made from grapes grown exclusively on our property in western Rutherford in the heart of the Napa Valley. These wines are a true reflection of their soil and climate, exhibiting deep color and a distinctive structure, with aromas and flavors unique to our site and growing conditions.

Merlot has a long and distinguished history on the property. Sample vine cuttings were brought back from Europe and planted by Gustave Niebaum in the 1880s. In the1950s, researchers from the University of California at Davis registered a Merlot sample taken from the Estate as Clone #1, the first California Merlot clone to be recognized and catalogued by the University.

 

Vineyard Notes

Rubicon Estate is comprised of 235 certified organic vineyards in the heart of the Rutherford appellation. Most of these vineyards are strictly dedicated to the flagship wine Rubicon, our proprietary Bordeaux-style blend. As a result of the blending process each year, certain barrel lots of key varietals may become available for bottling on their own. In 2003, we had 18 barrels of Merlot lots that surpassed the needs of the Rubicon blending. These 18 barrels represent small portions of Creek, Gio, 1215, and Chateau block. Together, these blocks bring unique flavors of red berries, blueberries, spice, and violets to the final blend.

 

Vintage Notes

Following the hot vintage of the prior year, 2003 turned into a long, warm season that lasted into the end of October. The growing season was marked by many foggy mornings in July and August which became warm, brilliantly sunny days in the afternoon. Additional fog moderated temperatures and elongated the growing season. October in Rutherford, as always, was spectacular with one beautiful day after another.

 

Winemaker’s Notes

The 2003 Rubicon Estate Merlot, with hues of deep, dark purple, is brimming with aromas of blackberry, cinnamon, spice, and just a hint of violet. Juicy flavors of crushed blueberries harmonize beautifully with _mocha, currant, and French vanilla while soft, supple tannins shoulder a long, sweet finish. The 2003 Rubicon Estate Merlot will age beautifully over the next 10 years. Pair this wine with chicken breasts stuffed with shiitakes and provolone, lamb chops with a banyuls-cherry sauce, or the recipe for roast chicken in your wine club newsletter.

 

Appellation: Rutherford, CA

Blend: 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon

Vineyard: Creek, Gio, 1215 & Chateau

Barrel Regimen: 22 months French oak, 55% new barrels

Case Production: 502 Cases

Acid: .55/100ML

pH: 3.61

Alcohol: 14.3%

Bottled: November 2005

Released: January 2006

Bottle Limit: 1 Per Purchase

 

Price: $44

($33 after Rubicon Wine Club Discount)

[bods1000]

The other style is one that requires aging - this is mostly done with reds. This means that a young wine will be "closed up", the fruit being submerged below a heavy layer of tannins. The wine will be bitter and will dry out your mouth. Typically NO residual sugar, hence the term "dry". These may spend upwards of 2 years in a barrel before bottling, and will usually benefit from (for cabernet sauvignon) 5-7 years of bottle aging. Some wines improve for up to 15-20 years, and I've tasted some that were 25+ years old and still delicious!

 

 

Aging a red that is meant to be a DRINK NOW!!!! wine will NOT improve it. In fact, it will probably deteriorate with anything more than a couple of years of aging and will go from red/plum/brick colored to brown rather quickly.

 

Cost is one good indicator of the style of the wine. The lower cost wines will spend no more than 3-6 months inthe barrel and should be consumed quickly. It costs money to hold a wine inthe barrel. They've spent the money to grow the grapes and vinify the juice. They've spent the money to keep the wine and not sell it - it takes up space, uses barrels (at about $600 a barrel!) and their investment is just sitting there not making any more money for them. So they have to charge more - usually, a LOT more.

 

 

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you got it right, pare...

the best reds are stored in new oak barrels (the more expensive ones are stored in French oak, which is more expensive than American oak) - these go out as the premium reds for that winery.

The cheaper, supermarket, drink-now wines are stored in barrels that have been used before - sometimes oak chips are soaked in the fermenting wine to impart a semblance of oakiness...

[bods1000]

... and we're just a bunch of wine enthusiasts!!! :thumbsupsmiley:

 

Again, I tip my hat to Bods for starting this thread and the regulars, as well as lurkers for keeping it alive!!!!

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Yes, yes, yes!!! I gave up on a ot of other threads on MTC but have stuck with this one for obvious reasons. We share a common passion, and I learn a LOT from this thread. keep it up, guys!!

 

Bods, you are my hero for starting this thread!

Wha's this "wine enthusiast" stuff?! I am a wino and proud of it!!!

 

 

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mga pare stop giving me more credit than I deserve - naunahan ko lang siguro kayong magbukas ng thread na ito sooner or later, somebody has got to have the ball rolling!

 

I started this thread to learn a lot about the stuff, and for this my hats off to you guys!

 

cheers!!!

[bods1000]

Hi All - just noticed a few people here mentioning Watershed from Margaret River in Australia - I am an Aussie and my family are actually investors in the vineyard.

 

Got home to spend Christmas with my folks this year and my Dad had 30 cases from Watershed lined up - spent some very enjoyable evenings with him trying to plough through as much of it as we could.

 

Glad to see there are so many wine drinkers here - it is the nectar of the Gods.

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I got to taste a Watershed Shiraz, courtesy of my good friend Z more than a year ago and it sure knocked me off my seat - it was an incredible shiraz. I have always loved Margaret River wines - they're much more smooth and has too much finesse as compared to South Australian wines.

Welcome back, pare! You invested in some excellent wine down there.....

[bods1000]

Talking of Margaret River, the wife and I had dinner a while back at Restaurante Uno and it turned out their house wine is an Evans & Tate Margaret River Shiraz called Grnagara (I hope I got it right). Although I did not order a glass or a bottle, the captain waiter so graciously offered me a glass when i started inquiring about their wines (talk about nosy being rewarded hehehe). Well, as pareng agxo has said, never refuse a free glass of wine! For a free wine, it was delicious - though it was short on that spicy/peppery tinge (I think it was overly chilled) but no bland red here - just the right amount of fruit and finish that should satisfy but not overly impress. A bottle there costs P600 which I think is quite a bargain....furthermore, you can bring in a bottle of wine (no spirits, please) free of corkage.

 

pareng masi, keep me posted through sms if anything pushes through next week :cool:

 

Have a fruity, supple and elegant weekend all you folks!!!!

[kiko machine]

not into wine, medyo di ko talaga gusto yng lasa...

di ko sure kng masasanay ako drinking it...

but kng mei time i drink kobe wine....

 

[okidok]

Has anyone tried the 2003 Oregon Pinot?

 

IMHO, it's great!!!!!

[masi]

Has anyone tried the 2003 Oregon Pinot?

 

IMHO, it's great!!!!!

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which labels? i have a couple of bottles at home both from Willamette (?) Valley.

[BnF95]

Anyone know where I can get a decent Argentinean red?

[agxo3]

Has anyone tried the 2003 Oregon Pinot?

 

IMHO, it's great!!!!!

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Which one? There have got to be more than 30 Oregon wineries producing good pinots! Most are in the Willamette Valley, including Domaine Drouhin, which is the Oregon operation of the famed Burgundy family.

 

Speaking of Burgundies - I had dinner at a friend's house last night. Each couple (there were three) contributed one of the courses.

 

We brought the starter - crab cakes with a red pepper coulis and watercress greens with a mandarin orange/ginger dressing. We paired that with a prosecco/citron vodka/lemon sorbet cocktail. A good Italian sparkler, sweetened up just a bit with the sorbet and given a bit of a kick and a burn with the vodka. Nice! My wife made the craqb cakes, I made the coulis. We bought the ginger dressing.

 

The hosts provided the main course, which was a roast bone-in pork loin with green peppercorn gravy. Paired with a 1997 J Nicole's Vineyard Pinot Noir. Great wine, great pairing! Loads of red berries and dark stone fruit (plums and prunes). A bit of leather. A touch of red meat. Some white pepper lurking in the back. Looooooong finish. After that, we opened a 1995 Cote du Nuits. I forget the winery, but it was delicious! Took a good half-hour to open up, so I would guess it could have lived another 7 years in the bottle. A hint of barnyard that dissipated as the wine opened up. Lots of leather and a bit of smoke. Nice round tannins to hold the long finish together. A touch "sweet" - it had so much fruit!

 

Finally, apple sturdel for dessert, paired with a late harvest viognier from a local Livermore winery (Fenestra). Smooth, not cloying with hints of green apple and honeysuckle. Some violets on the nose. a Great finish to dinner.

[Guest the_eight_of_orbs]

oooh were you that guy seated alone near the door? I was there! i was waiting for my boyfriend. and we left for dinner came back and quicky left din cuz we didn't wanna be stuck with the drunk, loud but altogether funny Friday group.

 

Had i known, i could have asked my bf to stay longer.

 

Casillero Del Diablo Pinot Noir is a whole lot better than the house wine Lipstick and i tried that before Xmas.

 

A few more visits and you'll probably get the hang of it. :thumbsupsmiley: it may seem pretentious for new comers but i'm sure you'll find most of the regulars at the very least, amusing.

 

 

Speaking of Lipstick, has anyone heard from her?

 

 

i finally found my way to cyrano's this early evening.  there were just a few people maybe 2 couples then another 2 came in but didn't stay.  cozy and warm place if you're up for conversation but if you're not, it could be pretty stiff and pretentious.  but lighting in the place was good!

 

i finally got to try the much talked about and ballyhooed Hardy's Merlot 2005! this is the house label.  but there other few labels that could be considered.

 

visual was typical of a merlot with  mid crimson to mid dark.  nose was a mediocre light floral bouquet with a blend of berries, some rasberries and plums but pretty much of the first harvest of spring rather than the summer when the fruits are in full splendor.

 

now comes the tasting part and the finish....well, all i can say is that this wine will not see any glory days.  whatever positive that was left in the nose was completely obliterated and betrayed by the wine's body and finish.  nothing there.  the tannins of a merlot were short.

 

for the price i paid at P85/glass, and i had 2, i couldn't really ask for anything more.  perhaps next time i should try the Casillero del Diablo Pinot Noir.  That wine I haven't encountered.

 

But because tonight i was alone, I definite couldn't finish a bottle, lest drive home safely.

 

So any takers next week?

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Edited January 30, 2006 by the_eight_of_orbs

[masi]

oooh were you that guy seated alone near the door?  I was there!   i was waiting for my boyfriend.   and we left for dinner came back and quicky left din cuz we didn't wanna be stuck with the drunk, loud but altogether funny Friday group.

 

Had i known, i could have asked my bf to stay longer.

 

Casillero Del Diablo Pinot Noir is a whole lot better than the house wine   Lipstick and i tried that before Xmas.

 

...  Speaking of Lipstick, has anyone heard from her?

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it's good that you mentioned "seated alone near the door?" :hypocritesmiley: since my wife would be reading this!!!!

 

i was seated facing the bar where a couple was enjoying a sauv blanc there was another couple who was on the couch. you could have been one or the other or the couple which met there, then left. and i observe everything that goes on all around me !

 

i wasn't much good conversation that evening though. too much to handle during the week so i decided to unwind, but there weren't much of a choice between the chardy and the merlot.

 

now, if there was whiskey, which a... said he was working on, hmmm, i can't wait for that day.

 

 

as for lipstick, well, i got an sms from her quite recently, but she seems to be VERY BUSY!!!!!

Edited January 30, 2006 by masi

[bods1000]

Anyone know where I can get a decent Argentinean red?

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Best World has I think a good selection of Argentine wines and they are available at most supermarkets like Makati supermart, Unimart, Shopwise.....

Look out for the malbec varietal, as it is the indigenous Argentine grape. The others usual varieties, like cab sauv, somehow don't quite come out right when made in Argentina , or maybe I really haven't tasted a lot of Argentine wine....

[bods1000]

To while away the time at a dentist's office last week, I got to read an article which says that to avoid hangovers, it is preferable to drink the "purer" liquors, like gin or vodka. It mainly has something to do with the presence of substances called congeners in other spirits and wine, which vodka and gin don't have.

Care to comment, as I don't have much experience with vodka, and gin I forswore a long time ago

I don't get hangovers with wine so I don't know if this is true.....

[masi]

To while away the time at a dentist's office last week, I got to read an article which says that to avoid hangovers, it is preferable to drink the "purer" liquors, like gin or vodka. It mainly has something to do with the presence of substances called congeners in other spirits and wine, which vodka and gin don't have.

Care to comment, as I don't have much experience with vodka, and gin I forswore a long time ago

I don't get hangovers with wine so I don't know if this is true.....

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can't say much about whiskey, just before the new year, i went out with my brother and drank about 8 shots of JW Black and 2 bottles of SML. went home around 3a.m. woke up at 10:30 that morning to accompany my wife to do get some grocery boy, was i still drunk! had i bumped anyone with my grocery cart, i could have been cited for DUI! :boo:

 

 

all along i thought the best way to rid a hangover is to drink some more!!!

Edited January 30, 2006 by masi

[bods1000]

can't say much about whiskey, just before the new year, i went out with my brother and drank about 8 shots of JW Black and 2 bottles of SML.  went home around 3a.m. woke up at 10:30 that morning to accompany my wife to do get some  grocery  boy, was i still drunk!    had i bumped anyone  with my grocery cart, i could have been cited for DUI! :boo:

all along i thought the best way to rid a hangover is to drink some more!!!

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pare that's still a good rule of thumb!

remember when we had a bottle of wine each? Also that time when we started out with Glenfiddich, then had wine? Next time pare we try to add vodka to the mix - wala daw hangover ito eh