PCF Wine appreciation thread. (4 Viewers)

Think I have only seen 50cl in Brut/Champagne.. not sure if I have seen a 50cl wine.. at least not in the US.

Never had a Turley wine.. will have to try some in the future. That is too funny and coincidental about the owner.. did you find out why he was in DC?

Larry's '90 Grange tasting notes... "mmm black cherry, licorice, fig, and a hint of urine"

Been to Montepulciano a couple of times and a fan of the wine also... hoping for good things from this 2010 Carpineto

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Here's tonight's 50cl bottle. Same diameter as the half bottles, but taller.

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Never been to Michigan, but if I make it out that way, sounds like a plan! Thanks for the offer (y) :thumbsup:
If you are ever headed over to NY, hit me up and we'll bust open a Brunello or Tignanello.
Yep.. it's always true that the best wine is the one You like :)
Maybe I just haven't been buying the right cheap Cabs (if you have any suggestions in the low teens / sub $20 range, I'd be interested).. or maybe it's just expectations.. also really comparing 2 different animals (Somewhat Merlot heavy cheap Bordeaux vs cheap Cab heavy Cali wines).
I found some inexpensive Medoc and recently a couple of Graves that had some good complexity and finish.
Bought a bottle of The Show Cabernet Sauvignon recently for about $11.. so will see how that goes.
I also haven't been decanting the cheap Cabs recently, so that can usually help a bit. Also find they benefit from a little extra chill.

Agreed, Burgundy vs US Pinot is like Northern Rhone vs US Syrah.. unless you are in France buying local, you'll most likely be paying more for the "inexpensive" France alternative... though can be somewhat different styles and not always direct comparisons.

Hope this Brunello is nice in a few years
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1967 Barolo, my oldest wine (hopefully it hasn't turned to vinegar)
another 2009 Brunello in the picture (La Rasina).. not a great year like 2010, but still a good year.. should be tasty.

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...ummmm meet-up at your place? :cautious:
 
Here's tonight's 50cl bottle. Same diameter as the half bottles, but taller.

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Don't think I have seen those in the US.
I've bought a few half bottles as many times my wife just wants a glass or two and I'm not having any.
Her niece bought us a Coravin wine preservation system.. and it works well.
It isn't cheap as the replacement capsules are expensive (looking at alternatives). But you can taste a nice wine without "opening" it.
Wine will keep for weeks / months.. only really works with a natural cork though.

a side note on the '67 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo I have..
Starting during WW II, the Borgogno Winery generally kept about 20% of each good Barolo vintage bottled in their cellars.
Barolo from this time through the 1990 vintage is released periodically under their Library Program.
From what I understand the wines are decanted, sediment is removed, topped with wine from the same vintage and recorked.
I believe the '67 I have was done in either 2005 or 2011 as part of Borgogno's Library Release program.
(black top if it was recorked, red top if it is original... not to mention it says Red Vintage Wine on the recorked label).
Either way it's due (or possibly overdue) for drinking..
 
If any of you wine lovers venture up to Canada I do recommend a summer tasting trip to the following spots in Oliver, British Columbia. The below list are just my favourite spots but the town is full of wineries so you can easily spend a weekend tasting there. I have never had a wine I didn't like from Hester Creek. Even their Rose wines are good which I usually dislike.

- Hester Creek
- Tinhorn
- Burrowing Owl
 
@stocky, kudos to you for starting this thread. I use to collect wine but now I mostly just buy them and drink. I still maintain a wine locker where I have my stash of Bordeaux and some Napa reds. My first Ahha moment with wine was years ago at a tasting of Joseph Phelps Insignia. To this day still one of my favorites. I have several bottles, including several magnums. Go to everyday wine J Lohr. During the summer almost any cold Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region of New Zealand.
 
DRINK THEM!

Saddest thing in the world -- a friend of ours, and officer of the Wine Tasters' Guild to boot, had a father who imported fine Italian wines. He died about eight years ago, and the most horrible thing imaginable was going through the dozens of cases in his cellar and throwing away on average 10 out of each 12 bottles. Don't let that happen to you!

Speaking of which, when we get home, my last two bottles of '78 La Lagune are going to be guzzled... :eek:

The three bottles of Penfolds Grange can hang on for another couple of years... :cool:
Amen, the older I get, that’s more my philosophy. Trying to time a cellerable wine at its peak can be tricky. Drink em before they start going south or totally bad!
 
I am almost never disappointed in a Ridge wine, but last week at a restaurant in Saint Augustine, FL, my wife and I had a bottle of Dusi Ranch Paso Robles Zinfandel 2016, which was thin and faded too quickly to even finish the bottle. Had it been mishandled, or was it simply too young?

Despite this (or maybe because of this), when I was preparing hanger steaks and risotto with pea pods for our Valentines Day dinner last night, I went to my ATP and Z-List shelves for a bottle of the Dusi 2003. Noting that the back label advised "Approachable now, this sensuous wine will be at its best over the next four years," so fearing a repeat disappointment, I only uncorked it an hour before serving, and did not decant.

At first sip after opening, this wine was of moderate body and visually looked a bit tired around the edges, But its power built and built. By serving time, it was gorgeous with dinner, and became deeper and more and more lush over the next two hours, through a cheese (St. Nectaire) with which it paired beautifully, and a chocolate dessert. The last few sips might have been the best.

We've noted before that the back label aging recommendations of Ridge wines are always very, very conservative. I am happy to state that of the many bottles we've consumed many years after the label recommendations, not one has ever fallen short of excellence.

Thank you, winemakers at Ridge!
 
Meant to put this in the cellar for a bit, but my wife opened a 2014 Domaine Julien Masquin Châteauneuf du Pape Memora tonight. ~ $30 price range.
Fairly light bodied and thin overall, alcohol is prominent, not too much complexity.. some cherry, vague spice.
Might be early for this wine, but not sure I'd see any huge improvement with aging.
Definitely not a bad wine, but nothing special... easy drinking.
More proof that it is tough to find a very good Châteauneuf in this price range.

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Just wondering, for all you Cali red fans out there (and I know you are, in droves!), do you normally drink your wine within about 10 years of bottling or so? I've heard some general statements made that Cali reds "peak" at about 8 years or so, and do not hold as well with age as, say, French or Italian wines which can easily go 20 years or more. Any observational truth to these statements in your opinions?
 
Just wondering, for all you Cali red fans out there (and I know you are, in droves!), do you normally drink your wine within about 10 years of bottling or so? I've heard some general statements made that Cali reds "peak" at about 8 years or so, and do not hold as well with age as, say, French or Italian wines which can easily go 20 years or more. Any observational truth to these statements in your opinions?

Probably not all that helpful but it really depends on the wine/who made it. Some of those fruit bombs probably should be opened within 5 years, while there are other big wines that can easily last 20-30 years. On the whole though, the Old World wines are definitely built to age much longer.
 
Just wondering, for all you Cali red fans out there (and I know you are, in droves!), do you normally drink your wine within about 10 years of bottling or so? I've heard some general statements made that Cali reds "peak" at about 8 years or so, and do not hold as well with age as, say, French or Italian wines which can easily go 20 years or more. Any observational truth to these statements in your opinions?

There is some truth to it, but the reality is that the vast majority of wine produced is meant to be consumed within a few years of being released.
That said, there are many factors involved with some of the most important being grape varietal, storage environment (temp, humidity level, light exposure), acidity levels and structure / balance.
Warmer temps will age wine faster... but if you go too cool (like leaving wine in a regular fridge for an extended period) it can reduce humidity and dry out the cork, possibly letting air into the bottle (bad). Mid 50s is a good temp for storage. 50% to 75% humidity (60% is a good sweet spot)
As an example of varietal difference, (again, in general) Cabernet Sauvignon will age much longer (2x - 5x or more) than Zinfandel.
Price doesn't necessarily determine good wine, but another general rule of thumb is higher priced wines will age longer (in general they will have better balance and structure). Your best bet without going too deep into it is probably to go by varietal and price.
If the heavier red wines you buy are in the low $20s or less.. don't expect them to benefit too much from cellaring. Just drink and enjoy.
 
^ That’s it in a nutshell. All a matter of taste. What’s good tasting wine to one may be mediocre or even bad to another! Yep, good tasting wine is wine that you like.
 
Let's see...
Amarone della Valpolicella from Verona

Blended corvina, rondinella and corvinone

Spicy, short in mouth. It have some strength and a final toasted taste.
Dry and medium body.

Still not fan of Italian wines...

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For me the Bourgogne is the best french wine....for the 20 more expensive wine in France, the first 19 are Bourgogne and the first Bordeaux came at 20 place.

I have to test some Bourgogne wine from Savigny les beaune...the city of the GPI factory lol
 
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I'm not a wine connoisseur by any means but know enough to be dangerous. I always look out for great wines that have the best value and recently tried the Apothic Brew. They are fairly inexpensive but tends to run out of stock, at least here locally. I love the combination of cold-brew coffee, berries, and oak, perfect for those long poker sessions.

https://bustedwallet.com/apothic-brew-review/

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Here is a pic of my most recent wine acquisition. Like many people, I do tend to favor big bold Napa cabs... but most of what I own is actually Zinfandel, Syrah, Petit Syrah and Pinot Noir (which I find are usually a much better value than cab). Personally, I just appreciate learning the stories behind great wines, and I love to find the best expressions of each varietal and region. I'm really looking forward to being a part of this thread and to connect with friends @TKO @horseshoez @allforcharity and all of you about a shared passion for wine (and bourbon anyone else???). Also, please count me in for the next Michigan Reisling Icewine tasting with @ChaosRock (and a shout out to my hometown of Traverse City).
 

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