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

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

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sound67

But this is something else  :D



Mount Nelson Marlborough 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, € 11
90 Points, Wine Spectator

Superb Sauvignon Blanc. Unlike its French Sancerre brother (sister?), this has a livelier acid, but a comparably complex aroma. Closer to the Neil Ellis Sauvisgnon Blanc I tasted earlier, and more to my liking. Again, grapefruit and gooseberry flavours dominate, in the nose and on the palate as well. A wine where all aromas you first sense are realized in the actual wine taste. Fine wine for this price!

Thomas
"Vivaldi didn't compose 500 concertos. He composed the same concerto 500 times" - Igor Stravinsky

"Mozart is a menace to musical progress, a relic of rituals that were losing relevance in his own time and are meaningless to ours." - Norman Lebrecht

SonicMan46

Quote from: sound67 on August 17, 2007, 12:53:51 PM
But this is something else  :D

 

Mount Nelson Marlborough 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, € 11
90 Points, Wine Spectator

Thomas - I'd love to taste that NZ SB you pictured above - at the moment, does not seem to be shipped to North Carolina - just picked up a few bottles for the cellar of the Kim Crawford '06 - typically buy this one yearly - comes here, good price, and always enjoyable; I really love the NZ approach to this grape - just one of my favorite 'white wines' at the moment!  Dave  :)

sound67

Another Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, but with a very different slant:



Nautilus Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2006, € 13
85 Points, Wine Spectator

This time, the aroma of gooseberry is almost pervasive, too much so for my taste. Rather too sour, with citric notes adding to its grassy, less-fruity-than usual finish. Complex to be sure, but not a white I'm going to buy again!

Thomas

"Vivaldi didn't compose 500 concertos. He composed the same concerto 500 times" - Igor Stravinsky

"Mozart is a menace to musical progress, a relic of rituals that were losing relevance in his own time and are meaningless to ours." - Norman Lebrecht

SonicMan46

Quote from: sound67 on August 19, 2007, 03:47:21 AM
Another Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, but with a very different slant:

   

Nautilus Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2006, € 13
85 Points, Wine Spectator

This time, the aroma of gooseberry is almost pervasive, too much so for my taste. Rather too sour, with citric notes adding to its grassy, less-fruity-than usual finish. Complex to be sure, but not a white I'm going to buy again!


Yes, that NZ Sauvignon Blanc ships into my area - likely have had it in the past (try most that reach the stores here) - some of these can certainly be quite sharp & acidic, like an 'unripe' sour apple (but at times, I really like that taste -  :))

I've become more of a Pinot Grigio (a.k.a. Pinot Gris) fan in recent years (attempt to get away from Chardonnay, I guess) - have been trying mostly those from California & Oregon (King Estate an annual favorite), but also from my own home state of North Carolina, which is not doin' too bad w/ the grape.

Just recently, I saw the Italian Pinot Grigio from Banfi (pics added above) at Costco for a great price - tried it a few weeks ago and went back for some extra bottles the other day - check out the comments HERE; agree - quite good and great value -  :D

sound67

#104
Quote from: SonicMan on August 19, 2007, 04:52:45 AM
like an 'unripe' sour apple (but at times, I really like that taste -  :))

Good description, that it's exactly what it is.



I tried to offset it by eating a bit of munster cheese on the side, that did make it appear a little fruitier. But it won't be a favorite.

Next in line could be a Buitenverwachting Sauvignon Blanc from RSA, or a de Wetshof Chardonnay Lesca.
"Vivaldi didn't compose 500 concertos. He composed the same concerto 500 times" - Igor Stravinsky

"Mozart is a menace to musical progress, a relic of rituals that were losing relevance in his own time and are meaningless to ours." - Norman Lebrecht

MishaK

Quote from: sound67 on August 19, 2007, 08:23:10 AM
Next in line could be a Buitenverwachting Sauvignon Blanc from RSA, or a de Wetshof Chardonnay Lesca.

May I reccomend a Mulderbosch Steen op Hout instead?

SonicMan46

Just returned from a week in Quebec - great scenery, food, & history; our third visit to that Canadian province over the years & we already want to go back! 

In the duty-free shop, a number of Canadian icewines were available to sale, including at least three from Inniskillin - bought the small sampler of Vidal & the half bottle of Riesling - tasted each last night - BOY, what an unctous explosion of flavors & concentration - these are indeed impressive (and quite expensive!) - the restaurant prices for a small glass are in the $20 range, so this was a good option - I've had only several 'ice wines' made in the traditional fashion, so will be a treat to have some sips over the next few evenings.  CLICK on the image for a link to the web site, if interested -  :)


sound67

In my part of the world, due to last year's no-frost winter, there wasn't even an ice wine this year!  :-[

Down the hatch at the moment:


Buitenverwachting Sauvignon Blanc 2006, Wine of Constantia (RSA)

Not a bad Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa, but one that is closer to its Loire "ancestors" than I usually like. Lively lemon, gooseberry flavors, with some passion fruit, moderate (and well-integrated) acid, but a little leaner than I prefer. Described as "complex" in some ads, but I didn't find it so.

Thomas
"Vivaldi didn't compose 500 concertos. He composed the same concerto 500 times" - Igor Stravinsky

"Mozart is a menace to musical progress, a relic of rituals that were losing relevance in his own time and are meaningless to ours." - Norman Lebrecht

sound67

#108
The one to follow, and a pleasant surprise:


De Wetshof Estate Wine Chardonnay Lesca 2005, Robertson (RSA), € 10-12

A pleasantly "uncontroversial" Chardonnay from South Africa, with pronounced vanilla flavors and buttery notes. Not sure about the fruit, some say melon, some say peach, some say pear. To be drunk at 6-8°, or 10-12° respectively, according to another shop. So much for recommendations, thank you very much!  $:)

However, I appreciate the barrique notes to be more subtle (as compared to the Meerlust Chardonnay), and the general smoothness. Still, the acid is snappy!
"Vivaldi didn't compose 500 concertos. He composed the same concerto 500 times" - Igor Stravinsky

"Mozart is a menace to musical progress, a relic of rituals that were losing relevance in his own time and are meaningless to ours." - Norman Lebrecht

SonicMan46

Thomas - thanks for the South African wine recommendations - I MUST start looking around for some of these wines (won't find many here but maybe a few of interest); I've had a number of South African medical colleagues over the years who always talked about the wines from their country -  :D  Dave

sound67

#110

Beringer Founder's Estate Chardonnay 2004, California (USA), € 10-11

Now, this is a fruity Chardonnay. Ripe pear and ananas dominate, with moderate acid and present, but not overbearing barrique notes. I recommend this wine to be drunk at about 10° C. Not a light wine to be sure, and with excellent length, too.

Quick question to wine experts on this board: I am keeping my wines in a wine fridge that has a temperature of about 10°. Are there any rough estimates of how long e.g. it takes a red to warm to 16 or 18° if the room temperature is 20-22°?

Thomas
"Vivaldi didn't compose 500 concertos. He composed the same concerto 500 times" - Igor Stravinsky

"Mozart is a menace to musical progress, a relic of rituals that were losing relevance in his own time and are meaningless to ours." - Norman Lebrecht

The new erato

The rule of thumb is 1 C pr 15 minutes, thogh it obviously depends on the temperature differential.

sound67

Thanks for the help.  :)

Now drinking:


Plantagenet Omrah Unoaked Chardonnay 2005, € 10

Tried their Shiraz of the Omrah range a couple of years ago, nothing special. But as €10 everyday drinking wines go, this unoaked chardonnay is deliciously fruity with ripe pear and melon on the palate, and enough crispy acid to keep it lively and tinkling on the tongue. I gather that more and more white wines are made unoaked these days. Maybe that's why the finish aint that long, although the taste itself is amiably complex.

Thomas

"Vivaldi didn't compose 500 concertos. He composed the same concerto 500 times" - Igor Stravinsky

"Mozart is a menace to musical progress, a relic of rituals that were losing relevance in his own time and are meaningless to ours." - Norman Lebrecht

Heather Harrison

Quote from: SonicMan on August 30, 2007, 07:08:50 AM
Just returned from a week in Quebec - great scenery, food, & history; our third visit to that Canadian province over the years & we already want to go back! 

In the duty-free shop, a number of Canadian icewines were available to sale, including at least three from Inniskillin - bought the small sampler of Vidal & the half bottle of Riesling - tasted each last night - BOY, what an unctous explosion of flavors & concentration - these are indeed impressive (and quite expensive!) - the restaurant prices for a small glass are in the $20 range, so this was a good option - I've had only several 'ice wines' made in the traditional fashion, so will be a treat to have some sips over the next few evenings.

Canadian ice wine is a classic.  I have had wine from Inniskillin and several other producers from Ontario and British Columbia.  There are usually a few available in Utah.  Canada (unlike the United States) has strict laws governing what can be called "ice wine"; their definition is similar to Germany's.  Canadian ice wine may be expensive, but it is well worth it, and it is considerably less costly on average than German ice wine.

Heather

MishaK

#114
My wife and I just spent a week in Alto Adige, or Südtirol, as it is known to its German-speaking natives. Apart from hiking in the gorgeous mountains and soaking in the thermal baths in Meran (conveniently connected by underground tunnel to our hotel, so you could go door to door in your bathrobe), we also took the time to visit some of our favorite local wine producers.



Cantina Terlano/Kellerei Terlan: this is the local vintner's collective of the town of Terlan, located about halfway between Meran and Bolzano (Bozen). The hillside with the castle that you see on their labels is exactly how the place looks when you're going south down the highway from Meran. This is one of my favorite producers and their wines are fairly easy to find in the US as well. Highlights of their selection include the Terlaner (an elegant, crisp white blend), an outstanding Sauvignon Blanc by the name of Winkl and their Lagrein "Gries". Lagrein is a local native red varietal with very concentrated flavor and considerable body. It goes extremely well with Meraner ham. In addition, Terlan produces small amounts of truly outstanding Gewürztraminer. This grape originates from Alto Adige (see Tramin, below) and unlike the often sweetish Alsatian and German Gewürztraminer, the original Südtirol version is extremely smooth and elegant, more subtle, less sweet, but retains the fragrant bouquet. Kellerei Terlan's Gewürztraminer, though hard to find at times, is easily my favorite Gewürztraminer. 



Alois Lageder: One of the most accmoplished and refined wine makers in the region. There isn't a dud in his selection that I have found yet and it ragis from inexpensive simple Pinot Grigio to wonderfully complex red blends.

Kellerei Tramin: The local collective of Tramin/Tramino from where the Gewürztraminer grape originates. I found their reds and other whites somewhat unconvincing, but if you're looking for "authentic" Gewürztraminer, you should try this. Terlan's is probably a notch more refined, but this is very close.



H. Lun: A small producer we didn't get a chance to vist, Lun makes a stunning, concentrated Pinot Noir "Sandbichler" which can be found in the US as well. Highly recommended.

Addendum: what sparked my initial interest in (and eventually got me hooked on) Alto Adige wines was a wine bar in New York by the name of Bar Veloce on 2nd Ave. between 11th and 12th Streets, conveniently located just a few doors down from my favorite NY sushi place (Kanoyama on the corner of 2nd and 11th), which I started visiting around 2000 when I was living in NY. I usually make it a point to stop by whenever I am NY on travels these days (my NY friends used to joke that I always make them meet me in the same place when I am in town). If you live in NY or are in the area, stop by. They specialize in Italian wines and years of faithful patronage I haven't found a single subpar wine on their menu. Prices are also reasonable by NY standards.

sound67

#115
Had a few friends over and tried the following:


Babich Hawke's Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (NZ) - Neil Ellis Groeneklof Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (RSA) - d'Arenberg The Footbolt Shiraz 2004 (AU)

Babich has a great reputation for its whites, and this SB certainly did not disappoint. The Neil Ellis I already knew and liked very much, but upon direct comparison, I marginally prefer the Babich, which is a touch fruitier but has about the same lively acid and general freshness. Both have peach and melon aromas to counter the gooseberry.

The d'Arenberg Shiraz also was new to me: medium-bodied, fine blackberry and black currant aromas and white pepper. Good stuff, but not as intense as some other Australian Shirazes I know (like the superb BIN 28 Kalimna Shiraz from Penfold's). I think I need stronger stuff than this, so I ordered the Mitolo GAM Shiraz yesterday.

All three trade between € 10 and € 13 here.

Thomas
"Vivaldi didn't compose 500 concertos. He composed the same concerto 500 times" - Igor Stravinsky

"Mozart is a menace to musical progress, a relic of rituals that were losing relevance in his own time and are meaningless to ours." - Norman Lebrecht

toledobass

I had a greek rose tonight.  Of course I can't remember who made it and it's not on the website's wine list.  I had no idea a greek wine could be so nice and perfect for a warm humid Cleveland evening.

Allan

sound67


Plantagenet Omrah Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (AU), € 9-10

An eminently drinkable everyday SB, closer in spirit (more fruit, less acid) to the French Loire Sancerre's than to the more acidic variety often found in NZ and AU. Tropical fruit in the nose, ripe melon aromas on the palate, with citric finish. Acid is present but very well integrated. Not a terribly complex wine, but a great balanced one to drink a whole bottle of - and quickly, too. ;)

Thomas
"Vivaldi didn't compose 500 concertos. He composed the same concerto 500 times" - Igor Stravinsky

"Mozart is a menace to musical progress, a relic of rituals that were losing relevance in his own time and are meaningless to ours." - Norman Lebrecht

sound67

Tried a few German wines this evening at Frankfurt's winefest (at the Fressgass'), and some Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc weren't bad. But compared to wines like this (no more expensive, I'd like to add), they're dishwater:


Chateau de Campuget Cuvée Prestige Viognier 2006 (F), € 8.50 (up to $18(!) elsewhere)

A particularly strong viognier with the customary fruit and floral notes, but not the least bit perfumed. With, surprisingly, stronger acid than the Australian Viogniers from Yalumba and Trentham, with an impressively long and powerful finish. At this price, a steal.

Thomas
"Vivaldi didn't compose 500 concertos. He composed the same concerto 500 times" - Igor Stravinsky

"Mozart is a menace to musical progress, a relic of rituals that were losing relevance in his own time and are meaningless to ours." - Norman Lebrecht

SonicMan46

Quote from: sound67 on September 07, 2007, 03:10:16 PM

Chateau de Campuget Cuvée Prestige Viognier 2006 (F), € 8.50 (up to $18(!) elsewhere)

A particularly strong viognier with the customary fruit and floral notes, but not the least bit perfumed. With, surprisingly, stronger acid than the Australian Viogniers from Yalumba and Trentham, with an impressively long and powerful finish. At this price, a steal.

Thomas - I've really been enjoying your wine comments - I've had the Australian Shiraz you posted a few back on this thread; the Sauvignon Blanc mentioned more recently looks great - wish I could get my hands on a bottle -  :P :D

Also, I'm a great fan of Viognier but have mainly had California & North Carolina versions!  Yes, North Carolina, my home state, is doing not too badly w/ this grape (a lot of 'trial & error' left & many more years to improve!) - the French offerings just don't ship here, but I'd love to give them a try!

For myself the last few days or so, Franciscan '05 Chardonnay from Napa Vly (actually a nice inexpensive Chardonnay w/ good reviews); King Estate '06 Pinot Gris or Grigio (a perennial fav for me; Oregon), and a Warre 1992 LBV Port - needed to be decanted, and as good as a lesser vintage offering - been sipping on that one for a number of nights, finished off yesterday.   :)