Wine-savvy

[agxo3]

We had "1999" California Bordeux Blend wines last night hosted by a good friend from college. Masi was there. Liberty and Mrs. Storm were there too. Masi and Liberty came in late so they missed the first bottle, a JARVIS Lake William. The next bottle was a De Lorimier Mosaic Meritage Alexander Valley. The third bottle was a St. Clement Oroppas (very complex). We had a great night reminiscing the past. Liberty and our host were office-mates.

 

Past midnight, the conversation went about Pinot Noir and our dear host brought out a Ponzi Willamette Valley Pinot Noir from Oregon. It was great (Mrs Storm loved it) though we're no expert. What a bottle to end the wonderful evening at 2 am.

 

Paging Mr. Agxo.

The only wine you had that I am familiar with is the St. Clement Oroppas. (Oroppas is Sapporo spelled backwards - a Japanese firm bought St. Clement some time ago and renamed its top end wine.)

 

The typical Orpppas has great black fruit flavors, loads of smooth tannins and layers and layers of flavors, ending in a slight hint of sweet tobacco and dark chocolate, and a hint of smoke/toast from the oak.

 

Alexander Valley is to the east of Healdsburg in Sonoma County. It gets hot out there in the summer, but the nights are cool with some fog forming in the lower elevations. Great for syrahs, zins and some cab andmerlot. would be interesting to see what went into that meritage.

 

Jarvis Lake William? Don't know that one. Will have to go find a bottle to taste!

 

Oregon is gaining fame for its pinot noirs. The Willamette Valley had a climate very much like Burgundy in France so the French have been setting up shop out that way. Drouhin among others produces a very nice Oregon pinot noir, but I am finding some very, very nice examples of pinot from my local area as well!

[FNX]

hi everyone - just curious where do you guys drink wine?

[bods1000]

hi everyone - just curious where do you guys drink wine?

 

Usually at some get-together at friends' houses...

pare I read some post of yours regarding Coltrane. Mahilig ka sa jazz?

One time we had some drinking session in a member's place - puro jazz pinatugtog namin. Dave Holland, mostly ECM discs. Paging 16track hehehe.

[agxo3]

hi everyone - just curious where do you guys drink wine?

 

Whenever and wherever I can.....

 

Today, for example, is wine day at work! Late in the afternoon, when everything is winding down, a small group of us get together to sit, sip, chat and otherwise unwind from the long, trying, discouraging week.

 

I (and others) bring in some wine - sometimes tried and true old standbys, sometimes wines we know nothing about and want to taste, others bring in some snacks.

 

I usually have a glass or two with dinner, even at home. And every now and then, some of us friends gather just to sit around, bond, and sip some GOOD wine - one of us hosts.

 

Then there's the Vino y Vida wine bar down the hill from me. Audrey (the owner) has good taste in wines so we meet there sometimes.

[FNX]

Usually at some get-together at friends' houses...

pare I read some post of yours regarding Coltrane. Mahilig ka sa jazz?

One time we had some drinking session in a member's place - puro jazz pinatugtog namin. Dave Holland, mostly ECM discs. Paging 16track hehehe.

 

wow that sounds like fun.

 

yup i like jazz - usually I listen to my jazz playlist when I'm working and I want a more mellow/controlled pace

 

Then there's the Vino y Vida wine bar down the hill from me. Audrey (the owner) has good taste in wines so we meet there sometimes

 

 

 

where is Vino y Vida?

[agxo3]

wow that sounds like fun.

 

yup i like jazz - usually I listen to my jazz playlist when I'm working and I want a more mellow/controlled pace

 

 

 

 

 

where is Vino y Vida?

 

In Fremont, CA.

[FNX]

In Fremont, CA.

 

Hahahaha wth... maybe 5 years ago I would have joined you

[FNX]

Any winery in the Phils?

I know of a few wine places but not wineries (ie. those that produce wine) - unless of course you count novelino as a "winery"

[FNX]

just found out how they make the bubbles in chandon's wines - quite fascinating

[GEORGESKIE]

konti lang grapes dito sa pinas...

[FNX]

import the grapes man

[payatot]

was invited to robert craig's "representation without taxation" party at their downtown napa tasting room

started with a 2007 mt george cuvee

65% cab sauv, 30% cab franc, 5% merlot

good everyday wine

$30 per bottle

 

barrel tasted 2008 affinity cab sauv and 2008 mt veeder cab sauv

loved both of them; the mt veeder was very bold compared to the affinity. can't wait for their release

 

tasted both 1999 affinity cab sauv and 1999 mt veeder cab sauv

poured by robert craig himself; short chat with him

 

1999 affinity

deep red, black cherry, blackberry, some smoke, some sweetness and oak

at $80 a bottle, i was a bit disappointed. it was nothing extraordinary. i found it a little soft

 

1999 mt veeder

ruby red, purplish color, smoke, oak, fuller bodied than the affinity, moderate tannins

 

my favorite:

2006 mt veeder cab sauv

81% cabernet, 19% merlot

black fruits, chocolate, vanilla, cedar

great finish

$70 per bottle; i brought home a case :thumbsupsmiley:

 

also had a short chat with steve tebb, one of robert craig's winemakers

Edited April 20, 2009 by payatot

[agxo3]

import the grapes man

 

Not a practical suggestion. The grapes have to be picked at a ripeness level the winemaker specifies (so the winemaker has to be on-site at harvest time) and they don't last more than a few hours before they're past the desired ripeness and sugar level.

 

Some wineries here in the US have tried importing grape JUICE from France and making the wine here - with not a lot of success. Letting the juice sit in cold storage for weeks while in transit does some really funny things to the flavors.

 

Or, you can import that fermented wine, and bottle it locally, at which point, I'd ask - why???? Other than the lower weight of wine in stainless steel tanks vs. in bottle, there's not much point since the labor intensive (and costly part) of the process is already done! Unless you're talking about wines of the 2 buck chuck genre - in which case, I'd say that's not even drinkable, so what's the point?

 

On a related topic - went tasting at a new (for me) winery yesterday. Place called Picchetti up in the hills above Cupertino. Century-old place, survived Prohibition by becoming a ranch instead. BUT - the wines were just okay. Nothing remarkable about them. The winer was the zin, made from grapes sourced from another property in Santa Clara County. Hmmmm - other than the ambiance of the place, nothing to recommend it.

 

Also went to Retzlaff on Saturday for the release of their 2006 Family Reserve. Only the 4th time in 30 years they've released a Family Reserve. Very small production (120 cases total), all grapes from the vines in their front yard. Lush, rich, smooth tannins. Still a bit fruit-forward, which should recede with aging, letting the tannins get more pronounced and balancing the wine out somewhat more. I would guess 3-5 years in the bottle. So I bought 2 bottles.

 

Finally inventoried my wine last week, and re-arranged my storage. I'm down to just over 20 cases (woohoo! That means I've been drinking more than buying!). Time to drink those '93, '94 and '95 Opus Ones, and the '96-'99 Rubicons. They're never going to be more ready to drink than now. I see a great series of summer wine sipping parties coming up.

[payatot]

agxo, you want to invite me over?

[agxo3]

agxo, you want to invite me over?

 

Get yourself out my way and PM me......depending on what's going on, where and with which group......this goes for you all. Storm, Masi, Bods - you still owe me a Livermore wine day! When are you coming this way for that?