Wine-savvy

[agxo3]

 

Blue cheeses go from mild to really stinky. A Point Reyes Blue would be considered mild.

 

Broke tradition this year and did NOT open a rubicon for Christmas dinner. Instead we had a 2006 Retzlaff Family Reserve cabernet sauvignon. Very nice with the prime rib and the Smithfield ham (a lot like the old-style "Chinese" hams I grew up with). but, since my daughter was feeling like she missed something, we opened a 2002 Rubicon for Christmas Day dinner......

IMG_2590.JPG

On the 27th we took my wife out for her birthday celebration to a SF restaurant called La Folie. Very nice, French cuisine. Casual but elegant. Great food! We split a half-bottle of the Chinon you see in the picture, and I later had a glass of a very nice 1976 Chinon. THAT was an experience! At $25 for the glass you know it had to be good! But they let me have a taste first before pouring me the glass. That was nice of them.....

IMG_2579.jpg

See you in April!!

 

Not going to flood you with pics of Christmas dinner (or the wife's birthday dinner) but I couldn't resist this one to close out the year......this, my friends, is how you do a prime rib. USDA Prime (not a lesser cut!) roasted on the bone. Simple salt and pepper crust, but I left it in the fridge for 2 days with the salt and pepper to let the flavors all permeate the meat.

 

[bods1000]

Wow!

That meat looks so sinful lol!

 

Had a lot of ramen during the holidays as we were in Tokyo, this - plus an unforgettable Osaka steak:

[Gravity05]

I like malbec, pinot noir or cabernet sauvignon.

[Radiomir]

Chateau D'Yquem, Lynch-bages, Caymus, Pio Cesare, Gaja, insignia Robert Phelps, Pichon Lalande, Richebourg, Hermitage,

Cote de Blonde or Brune, Littoral , William Selyem, Cos Estournel, Chateau Mouton, Chateau Armallac, Charles Shaw. Just the few of my favs.

[bods1000]

Chateau D'Yquem, Lynch-bages, Caymus, Pio Cesare, Gaja, insignia Robert Phelps, Pichon Lalande, Richebourg, Hermitage,

Cote de Blonde or Brune, Littoral , William Selyem, Cos Estournel, Chateau Mouton, Chateau Armallac, Charles Shaw. Just the few of my favs.

You're the man!

[agxo3]

Chateau D'Yquem, Lynch-bages, Caymus, Pio Cesare, Gaja, insignia Robert Phelps, Pichon Lalande, Richebourg, Hermitage,

Cote de Blonde or Brune, Littoral , William Selyem, Cos Estournel, Chateau Mouton, Chateau Armallac, Charles Shaw. Just the few of my favs.

You put Charles Shaw in with the good to great wines? LOL.....

 

Charles Shaw is the classic "we can't sell it so we'll dump it on the broker market" cheap wine with no provenance. Used to be called "2-buck chuck" because it was under $2 at Trader Joe's (in NY it was 3-buck chuck because it was $2.99 when NOT on sale!).

 

Some history - In the wine glut of mid-90's winemakers were selling off their lowest quality wines instead of bottling them and incurring yet even more losses. Bronco Wines bought them up, put them in the cheapest bottles they could find and sold them at Trader Joe's (what some referred to in those days has the "poor man's Whole Foods") for $1.99. In fact, there were some decent bottlings. The early cabs were halfway decent, they had a nice (drinkable) chardonnay, and they had one stellar syrah.

 

Within 2 years, Costco began carrying Cameron Hughes wines - a similarly brokered wine (IOW, the label did NOT produce their own wines, but bought from others and bottled under thier own label). Cameron Hughes has developed the reputation Charles Shaw never had for good wines at good value prices. And these days, even Whole Foods has a $2.69 wine that's better than 99% of the Charles Shaw wines ever bottled.

 

***Sorry for all the edits, maybe someday I will learn to type!***

Wow!

That meat looks so sinful lol!

 

Had a lot of ramen during the holidays as we were in Tokyo, this - plus an unforgettable Osaka steak:

Nice hunk of meat!

Edited January 25, 2016 by agxo3

[bods1000]

You put Charles Shaw in with the good to great wines? LOL.....

 

Charles Shaw is the classic "we can't sell it so we'll dump it on the broker market" cheap wine with no provenance. Used to be called "2-buck chuck" because it was under $2 at Trader Joe's (in NY it was 3-buck chuck because it was $2.99 when NOT on sale!).

 

Some history - In the wine glut of mid-90's winemakers were selling off their lowest quality wines instead of bottling them and incurring yet even more losses. Bronco Wines bought them up, put them in the cheapest bottles they could find and sold them at Trader Joe's (what some referred to in those days has the "poor man's Whole Foods") for $1.99. In fact, there were some decent bottlings. The early cabs were halfway decent, they had a nice (drinkable) chardonnay, and they had one stellar syrah.

 

Within 2 years, Costco began carrying Cameron Hughes wines - a similarly brokered wine (IOW, the label did NOT produce their own wines, but bought from others and bottled under thier own label). Cameron Hughes has developed the reputation Charles Shaw never had for good wines at good value prices. And these days, even Whole Foods has a $2.69 wine that's better than 99% of the Charles Shaw wines ever bottled.

 

***Sorry for all the edits, maybe someday I will learn to type!***

 

Nice hunk of meat!

His list was a real head scratcher! Parang listahan lang na nakuha kung saan, which should explain why Charles Shaw is in there. Lol. Totally clueless.

[bods1000]

The rocker Dave Matthews has come up with his own wine. The Dreaming Tree. Rated 50 by the writer, on a scale of 0 - 100, where a 0 rating is, according to the writer, "a crime against grapes".

 

A cab, good enough, which "will not challenge your tongue or your credit card to a duel".

[Radiomir]

Charles Shaw why not have you tasted it? it's my everyday wine. Years ago I bought 4 cases of 96 Chateaus Plagnac at Trader's Joe for $3.99 now if you follow Bordeaux 1995, 1996 is a good year. It's AOC is only Bordeaux but in a good year there is a lot of sleeper. I'd consume that wine everyday like there is no tomorrow. comparing it to a first growth on a bad year there is no contest.

The great Bordeaux that I tasted are the ones that is 15 years or older. Like a 1982 Chateau Talbot that has been decant for at least

6 hours. Last December we opened a bottle of 98 Heitz Cellar Martha's Vineyard and a 2000 Chateau La Tourette AOC is Pauillac.

The Heitz is good but the French is simply superb it's the terroir. I stay away from Burgundy Though it's a tough nut to crack. It's either a great wine or bad. Also Merlot based from the Right bank except Cheval Blanc which is Cabernet Franc. But if you're looking for Cabernet Franc

Look for the Loire region Chinon, Bougeil.

[BMC]

Good read. Permission to hang around.

[bods1000]

Good read. Permission to hang around.

Do share, pare...most welcome.

[agxo3]

His list was a real head scratcher! Parang listahan lang na nakuha kung saan, which should explain why Charles Shaw is in there. Lol. Totally clueless.

 

Charles Shaw why not have you tasted it? it's my everyday wine. Years ago I bought 4 cases of 96 Chateaus Plagnac at Trader's Joe for $3.99 now if you follow Bordeaux 1995, 1996 is a good year. It's AOC is only Bordeaux but in a good year there is a lot of sleeper. I'd consume that wine everyday like there is no tomorrow. comparing it to a first growth on a bad year there is no contest.

The great Bordeaux that I tasted are the ones that is 15 years or older. Like a 1982 Chateau Talbot that has been decant for at least

6 hours. Last December we opened a bottle of 98 Heitz Cellar Martha's Vineyard and a 2000 Chateau La Tourette AOC is Pauillac.

The Heitz is good but the French is simply superb it's the terroir. I stay away from Burgundy Though it's a tough nut to crack. It's either a great wine or bad. Also Merlot based from the Right bank except Cheval Blanc which is Cabernet Franc. But if you're looking for Cabernet Franc

Look for the Loire region Chinon, Bougeil.

 

I have tasted it. I live in CA and have been drinking California wines since the mid-80s. I was one of the first to taste 2 buck Chuck. As I noted, there were some passable wines and a pretty good syrah. But not any longer. thin, acidic, lacking in structure. but, to each his own.........if you like, drink it.

 

I just refuse to drink bad wine. I'll use bad wine to fertilize my yard before I drink it.

 

You sound like a lot of wine articles I've read. Not hard to find a good Burgougne even in a "bad" year. It just may be more expensive than in a good year. I see better California cabs than most Bordeaux. So far my impression has been mostly correct - the French keep most of the good stuff for themselves and ship the rest overseas. The exceptions are the big names who know they can get astounding amounts of money in the New World.

 

Martha's Vineyard was replanted in 1996, so it's hard to see a 1998 being any better than average. It typically takes 4 years for vines to start producing good fruit.

[BMC]

Has anyone tried Planet Grapes at the Shang Mall. I heard it's owned by the Wine Story group.

 

Nice interior chic brutalist. Fairly upscale wine list(at least from my POV). Not a wine drinker.

[Radiomir]

 

These bottles are ripe for the picking from left 1995 Chateau Calon Segur, 2000 Cos D' Estournel,

My favorite it goes well with Foie gras a 1990 Chateau D' Yquem and lastly 1996

Chateau Plagnac.

[agxo3]

image.jpgimage.jpeg

 

These bottles are ripe for the picking from left 1995 Chateau Calon Segur, 2000 Cos D' Estournel,

My favorite it goes well with Foie gras a 1990 Chateau D' Yquem and lastly 1996

Chateau Plagnac.

I'm seeing some wear and damage on the labels - I hope you've stored these wines properly.

[Radiomir]

They are stored in a temperature controlled environment don't worry about the label. It's paper it deteriotes over time.

[agxo3]

1990 is not that old. If you have mold or water damage, something has happened to those wines.

Edited February 14, 2016 by agxo3

[Radiomir]

It seems that your concern is about water damage or mold on the label. Wine storage in the olden days. when wine ref is nowhere to be found is the basement of the house or wine cellar. where temperature is cooler specially in summer. It's cold and damp surely the label would not survive it. This how the great vintages were stored the likes 1700's Chateau D'Yquem that was once belonged to Thomas Jefferson,

1945 Chateau Lafitte, and etc. in storing wine the main concern is the temperature you don't want to cook the wine and turn it to an expensive vinegar. I have once saw a documentary by the late Jaques Costeau in retrieving champagne from a sunken ship. They did open it and drink it and it's still bubbling. The important thing is the temperature and the condition of the cork. That why they store wine laying down not upright in order not tot dry the cork.

[bods1000]

They still store their homemade wines that way, in cellars, in provincial Spain and France.

 

The point was mold on the bottle, the label was mentioned because that's a place where it could manifest and be seen easily.

 

That's why the bottles have deep punts, for easy handling since they're stored in their sides.

[BMC]

Wines this old should be conversation pieces.

[agxo3]

It seems that your concern is about water damage or mold on the label. Wine storage in the olden days. when wine ref is nowhere to be found is the basement of the house or wine cellar. where temperature is cooler specially in summer. It's cold and damp surely the label would not survive it. This how the great vintages were stored the likes 1700's Chateau D'Yquem that was once belonged to Thomas Jefferson,

1945 Chateau Lafitte, and etc. in storing wine the main concern is the temperature you don't want to cook the wine and turn it to an expensive vinegar. I have once saw a documentary by the late Jaques Costeau in retrieving champagne from a sunken ship. They did open it and drink it and it's still bubbling. The important thing is the temperature and the condition of the cork. That why they store wine laying down not upright in order not tot dry the cork.

The point is that mold and water damage can be an indicator of storage issues - mold on labels typically is a result of condensation that occurs when temperatures and humidity rise, causing condensation on the bottles.

 

I visited a friend this past weekend - he has this awesome collection of wines. He buys to collect, I buy to drink, but he's got some amazing wine. Here are some of the older bottles in his collection. THESE have been stored properly. constant temperature, humidity at the right levels.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 16, 2016 by agxo3

[agxo3]

And yes, that's really a 1944 port. No, we didn't open it. There's just too much historical value to that bottle.

 

The big bottle is a 9 liter Napa Cab. A cult wine. Not sure when that will get opened but I suspect it's still a bit early - in that large a format it needs a lot of time to come to full potential.

 

We did open a magnum 19895 Silver Oak Alexander Valley cab sauv. Some folks say they like the Napa cab better, but there was just absolutely nothing wrong with the Alexander Valley wine.

 

One of these days we'll open a bottle or three of his old Bordeaux, and I will bring a few of my Rubicons to the party. And my 1975 Gruaud-Larose. It's time to pop the cork on that bottle. Bods and Masi - you really need to make your way out this way!!

Edited February 16, 2016 by agxo3

[agxo3]

Also of note ----

 

I went to the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Public Tasting last Saturday. Guess who won a Silver Meday for their 2014 Syrah? None other than ---- (drum roll, please!!) Charles Shaw! Yes, THAT Charles Shaw. I guess I have to go try that wine.......way back when, in the second year of the label, they also had a rather nice syrah. Same winery and winemaker, perhaps?

 

 

 

[bods1000]

And yes, that's really a 1944 port. No, we didn't open it. There's just too much historical value to that bottle.

 

The big bottle is a 9 liter Napa Cab. A cult wine. Not sure when that will get opened but I suspect it's still a bit early - in that large a format it needs a lot of time to come to full potential.

 

We did open a magnum 19895 Silver Oak Alexander Valley cab sauv. Some folks say they like the Napa cab better, but there was just absolutely nothing wrong with the Alexander Valley wine.

 

One of these days we'll open a bottle or three of his old Bordeaux, and I will bring a few of my Rubicons to the party. And my 1975 Gruaud-Larose. It's time to pop the cork on that bottle. Bods and Masi - you really need to make your way out this way!!

Lapit na April!

[BMC]

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/03/20/list-of-wines-cited-in-lawsuit-as-having-high-arsenic-levels/#.VsaExCFA0hQ.facebook