WINE - Red, White, or Other - Discussed Here!

Started by SonicMan46, April 07, 2007, 06:14:18 PM

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Brünnhilde forever

#320
Some time ago I went through my super market's wine section and bought a selection of twelve different wines. My sampling now brought me to a wine from Chile I have to point out to you.

It's Santa Ema, Reserve, a Merlot  Maipo Valley, the first thing I noticed was not the aroma or fragrance, but the unusual colour as I poured it. Such a deep red, almost on the blue-burgundy side. Yes it is dry, but pleasantly dry, no strong bite, and the chocolate aroma mixed with vanilla is so pleasant! I paid $14.95.

Could the unusual deep colour come from a handful of chocolate beans thrown in the vat?  ;D

Forgot: It's 2006.

The new erato

Burlottos Langhe Freisa 2006. Very full and nice with the Freisa's traditional rustic style gracefully handled.

Sergeant Rock

Quote from: Bogey on March 02, 2009, 02:53:44 PM
Looks as though they go for about $20 a pop, Sarge.  Is that what you experienced?

Yes. They were approxiamately 20 bucks (the DMark equivalent) when I bought them. They're actually cheaper now in Europe. I've seen them offered for as low as €13 ($16).

Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

SonicMan46

Quote from: Brünnhilde forever on March 03, 2009, 10:50:39 AM
....It's Santa Ema, Reserve, a Merlot  Maipo Valley, the first thing I noticed was not the aroma or fragrance, but the unusual colour as I poured it. Such a deep red, almost on the blue-burgundy side. Yes it is dry, but pleasantly dry, no strong bite, and the chocolate aroma mixed with vanilla is so pleasant! I paid $14.95.

Could the unusual deep colour come from a handful of chocolate beans thrown in the vat?  ;D   Forgot: It's 2006.

Hi Lis - have not seen you in this thread for a while but remember your purchase!  I've not seen that winery/brand in my area (not a surprise) but those Chilean Cabs & Merlots can be quite tasty, and a bargain!  I'm also 'searching out' more of these South American wines - if not already done, give the Malbec & Carmenere wines from Argentina & Chile a try - and please report back to us -  ;D   Dave

SonicMan46

A couple of posts ago, a question was asked about $10 wines, and a number of us responded - one suggestion by me was to give Californian Zinfandel a try - this is a unique grape to the state (probably pages ago, I and/or others outlined the 'history' of this grape based on recent DNA analysis - orginated in the Balkan peninsula and crossed the Adriatric Sea to Italy as the Primitivo, then was brought to California in the 19th century) - bottom line (and if available to you), this remains an often bargain 'red wine' (I don't drink 'white' Zinfandel - that's just not its purpose, sorry but just my attitude, I guess), e.g. Bogle makes an inexpensive and decent wine from this grape.

Well tonight, my wife went to choir practice, and left me an Italian bean/pasta/tomato dish (which I love!) - calls for a fairly robust red wine, so I visited my basement cellar and brought up a Kenwood Jack London Vyd Zinfandel, 2004 vintage - this was purchased in 2006 for about $18 - thus, has been sitting there for 2+ yrs - on opening was still tannic, but after a glass, the next pour opened up into a deeply flavored red w/ a dark berry/currant bouquet - just delicious; Zindandels, if chosen well, will w/ age (and not much) evolve into wines that taste similar to Cabs & Bordeaux - this is a great grape to explore!

I've visited the Kenwood Winery in Sonoma Vly a number of times; their Jack London Vineyard, named after the American author, who lived in the 'Valley of the Moon' and wrote about the valley, the vineyards, and its wines, produces some wonderful wines from a number of different varietals; these are usually a little more expensive that their Sonoma offerings, but worth a try if highly recommended.

For the 'white wine' lovers reading this thread, I can recommend the Sauvignon Blanc from Kenwood Winery - usually made as a standard & a reserve bottling, the regular offering is inexpensive and usually delicious - the style is more 'acidic & grassy' - the current 2007 vintage has received excellent reviews - give it a try (usually made in large amounts & about $10) - enjoy -  :)

 

Brünnhilde forever

Quote from: SonicMan on March 04, 2009, 04:38:06 PM
and please report back to us -  ;D   Dave

I have been concentrating on concerts and of course operas, listening, watching and then writing about them; that takes up a lot of my time.  :)

Bogey

A glass and a half with a nicely miranated and grilled steak:



Thanks for the rec. Dave.  They were out of the '06.

Tasting Notes - Aromas of dark cherry, raspberry, dried floral, and vanilla oak. On the palate dark fruit, blueberry, and oak char dominate. The mouthfeel is rich, with balanced acid and tannins.
There will never be another era like the Golden Age of Hollywood.  We didn't know how to blow up buildings then so we had no choice but to tell great stories with great characters.-Ben Mankiewicz

toledobass


Bogey

Quote from: toledobass on March 05, 2009, 07:37:05 PM
are those your tasting notes B?



Hardly, Allan.  Heck, I was hoping someone here could tell me what they mean. :D 
There will never be another era like the Golden Age of Hollywood.  We didn't know how to blow up buildings then so we had no choice but to tell great stories with great characters.-Ben Mankiewicz

SonicMan46

#329
Quote from: Bogey on March 06, 2009, 03:25:05 AM
Hardly, Allan.  Heck, I was hoping someone here could tell me what they mean. :D 

Bill - I was going to ask the same question, but from the wording probably off the King Estate website -  ;)  BTW, I was recommending their Pinot Gris, but they do make a nice Pinot Noir, as do many Oregon wineries.

Don't bother too much w/ those descriptions; each grape varietal seems to have a 'jumbo' of terms that seem to get 'regurgitated' in most wine reviews, and certainly by the wineries promoting their own products.  I visit a lot of North Carolina wineries, and the same terms (depending on the grape) seem to 'flow' from the mouths of the people pouring you their wines (of course, this is often pure memorization - not sure these servers have even tasted all the wines poured, and the wines from North Carolina are often just not that good,esp. the reds and will rarely exhibit the 'cornucopia' of aromas, tastes, & aftertastes attributed to them!) - Dave  ;D

SonicMan46

OK - I'm not sure how available this wine is described below, but just picked it up the other day @ Harris Teeter for about $14:

Novas - Carmenere (80% Carmenere & 20% Cabernet Sauvignon) from Chile; 2005 vintage (Colchagua Valley) - just picked up this red wine from the bottle appearance (below) - this wine for the price is just outstanding - I need to return to H-T and pick up some extra bottles for the cellar; the tannins are already quite smooth (could age easily for a year but pretty much ready to drink now) - worth a try if you like Bordeaux reds or Cabs from CA - please reply back if you give this wine a try -  :D


bwv 1080

Quote from: SonicMan on March 04, 2009, 05:07:31 PM
A couple of posts ago, a question was asked about $10 wines, and a number of us responded - one suggestion by me was to give Californian Zinfandel a try

Due to some business trips up to Sonoma, I have had too much really good zin to buy any here in TX. particularly the $10 stuff like Gnarly Head.   Try a case of this:

http://www.taltyvineyards.com/wines.html

The Chateu ste Michelle recommendation was good, I have added it to Montes on my $10 repertoire


Bogey

A nice full glass of:



Had it with the "Renfield Salmon".  I actually liked this red with the fish.  Being a newbie at wine, is that OK?
There will never be another era like the Golden Age of Hollywood.  We didn't know how to blow up buildings then so we had no choice but to tell great stories with great characters.-Ben Mankiewicz

SonicMan46

Quote from: Bogey on March 21, 2009, 06:28:37 PM
A nice full glass of:



Had it with the "Renfield Salmon".  I actually liked this red with the fish.  Being a newbie at wine, is that OK?

Bill - a perfect combination!  I eat a lot of fish at home & in restaurants; when I order Salmon or Tuna (the latter always on the 'rare' side), Pinot Noir is my wine of choice; matches the color of the fish & the mellow, less tannic taste of this grape is a perfect choice; so not to worry, a great selection - in Oregon, salmon & Pinot Noir is a MUST combination!  Dave  :)

Bogey

Quote from: SonicMan on March 21, 2009, 06:35:46 PM
Bill - a perfect combination!  I eat a lot of fish at home & in restaurants; when I order Salmon or Tuna (the latter always on the 'rare' side), Pinot Noir is my wine of choice; matches the color of the fish & the mellow, less tannic taste of this grape is a perfect choice; so not to worry, a great selection - in Oregon, salmon & Pinot Noir is a MUST combination!  Dave  :)

Well, what do you know.  Thanks, Dave.
There will never be another era like the Golden Age of Hollywood.  We didn't know how to blow up buildings then so we had no choice but to tell great stories with great characters.-Ben Mankiewicz

Bogey

#335
Interesting thing happened.  I noticed that the last third of my fairly full glass (7-10 oz?) tasted better than the first two thirds.  In short, it got better during the half hour or so I was drinking it.  Does this make sense?
There will never be another era like the Golden Age of Hollywood.  We didn't know how to blow up buildings then so we had no choice but to tell great stories with great characters.-Ben Mankiewicz

SonicMan46

Quote from: Bogey on March 21, 2009, 06:44:00 PM
Interesting thing happened.  I noticed that the last third of my fairly full glass (7-10 oz?) tasted better than the first two thirds.  In short, it got better during the half hour or so I was drinking it.  Does this make sense?

Of course, first after a little wine (and its effect) you may just be starting to 'relax' (for want of a better word); plus, depending on the red wine and its age, aeration may affect its taste (i.e. tannins, etc.) - this should not be a major issue w/ Pinot Noir (unless really young & tannic), but some of the more age-worthy reds, e.g. Bordeaux, Cabernets, Rhone-types, Piedmont Italian, etc. - allowing the wine to 'breath' (requiring decanting) often improves the flavors, tastes, and lessens the tannins - often, I've decanted some older 'reds' and have tried them that night & the 'leftovers' the next day, and I must say that the tastes are often different - so, what you're experiencing is one of the wonders of better red wines - Dave  :)

Sergeant Rock

#337
Quote from: Bogey on March 21, 2009, 06:28:37 PM
A nice full glass of:



Had it with the "Renfield Salmon".  I actually liked this red with the fish.  Being a newbie at wine, is that OK?

As Dave pointed out, yes it's a great combination. We almost always have pinot noir with Salmon....and just last night, in fact: a 2005 German pinot noir (Spätburgunder) from the Deidesheim wine cooperative (Winzerverein Deidesheim).

Quote from: Bogey on March 21, 2009, 06:44:00 PM
Interesting thing happened.  I noticed that the last third of my fairly full glass (7-10 oz?) tasted better than the first two thirds.  In short, it got better during the half hour or so I was drinking it.  Does this make sense?

Excellent explanation by Dave. My family in Ohio experienced that for the first time last October the evening before I returned to Germany. We had a farewell dinner at a fine restaurant. I ordered two bottles of a Santa Barbara pinot noir and my brother-in-law, not a wine drinker, commented how each glass tasted somewhat different, with the last glass, the end of the bottle, being the most mellow, even sweet, and more to his taste. It is fascinating to experience this "living" phenomenon of good wines.

Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

Bogey

Well, only one more glass left in the bottle, Sarge, so hopeful for tonight's taste.
There will never be another era like the Golden Age of Hollywood.  We didn't know how to blow up buildings then so we had no choice but to tell great stories with great characters.-Ben Mankiewicz

SonicMan46

Quote from: Bogey on March 22, 2009, 07:48:03 AM
Well, only one more glass left in the bottle, Sarge, so hopeful for tonight's taste.

Bill - well, let us know your thoughts, and glad that you're enjoying the experience!  Dave  :D