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

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

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Harry

Jack Daniels number seven, nothing better against oncoming depression

sound67

Yesterday:


Neil Ellis Shiraz 2003 (RSA, Stellenbosch), € 12-14
Kloster Eberbach Rauenthaler Riesling QbA (Germany, Rheinhessen), € 7


After my good experiences with Neil Ellis' Sauvignon Blanc I tried their 2003 Shiraz (the regular, not the "Vineyard Selection"). Decanted, it turned out to be solid effort: strong blackberry on the nose, of medium body with substantial white pepper and a good finish.

The second is the regular ("classic") Riesling from Kloster Eberbach, one of Germany's most notable winemaking companies, Hessische Staatsweingüter. Raunethal is one of their highest-rated vineyards. A florid Riesling, too, very fruity, a bit lacking in acid. Will try one of their Kabinett or Spätlese selections some time.

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

Posted on the previous page about just adding the Shingleback Shiraz 2004 to my cellar, now have vertical vintages from '02 to '04 - think the '05 may have been released recently -   :D

Last night we had dinner @ a colleague's house, and I brought the Shingleback '02 Shiraz, but I noticed that a tremendous sediment had developed (been in my cellar untouched for 2 1/2 yrs or more) - so I decanted the wine, cleaned the bottle, replaced the 'now clear' decanted wine, & re-corked; at dinner, the wine was just superb, still quite dark w/ tons of fruit, but just mellow (despite a high alcohol content) - these wines are getting 90+ ratings, but I'll plan to keep them for a couple of years -  :)


sound67

#143
Yesterday...


GLEN CARLOU Pinot Noir 2004 (RSA, Paarl), € 13 (Photo shows the 2003 vintage)
2004 - Gold: Veritas Award 2005
2004 - Gold Medal: Classic Wine Trophy 2005
2004 - Bronze - International Wine & Spirit Competition, London, 2005
2004 - John Platter: 4 Stars


One of South Africa's most celebrated winemakers produces this excellent Pinot Noir (along with their year's-best-Syrah of 2004, which is also in my "cellar") with strong black cherry on the nose and palate. It is matured in large, 700l barriques, which accounts for subtler-than-usual oak and roast notes - which suits me fine!  :)

Normally I'm not a great fan of this particular grape (the best I ever drunk was a Fetzer Barrel Select Pino Noir), but I tried the GC for my father before I was going to present him a couple of bottles - and it was a good thing, too, because my trader falsely advertised this wine as "semi-dry" (Germans differentiate between dry, semi-dry, smooth ("lieblich") and sweet wines), which it most certainly is not. While smooth in finish it is nothing like the German variety "Spätburgunder" in its semi-dry incarnation - the dishwater style my father likes so much  $:) So while a very good wine, it is totally unsuitable for the purpose for which I bought it.

Which is just as well. I liked it a lot.  ;D

Today I got a boatful of sweet wines from my favorite trader of "overseas" brands. Two more bottles of the d'Arenberg The Noble Riesling 2002 which I mentioned earlier, as well as two each of these bad bastards:


ELDERTON Botrytis Semillon 2003, € 14 (375ml)
YALUMBA The Noble Pick Botrytis Viognier 2004, € 16 (375ml)


And what appears to be the most famous sweet wine from South Africa:


KLEIN CONSTANTIA Vin de Constance 2000, € 36 (500ml)

And a few regular dry whites from RSA, AU and NZ:


KAURI BAY Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (NZ, Marlborough), € 9-10
BABICH Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (NZ, considered superior to the company's Hawke's Bay), € 10-11
d'ARENBERG The Last Ditch Viognier 2005 (AU, McLaren Vale/Adelaide Hills), € 12-13
KLEIN CONSTANTIA Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (RSA), € 10-12

And a red from RSA that is supposed to be great:


VERGELEGEN The Flagship 2001 (RSA, cuvée), € 45

One bottle, of course...  :'(

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

Of these, I tried the Klein Constantia SB first


KLEIN CONSTANTIA Sauvignon Blanc (RSA, Constantia), € 10-11
John Platter, "The South African Wine Guide": 4 Stars

Directly from the wine fridge, at about 9-10°C this wine seemed a little flat. Fruity at first (melon and grapefruit over gooseberry), but with very restrained acid and a short finish. After the first glass I put it in the regular fridge, at about 7°C, and ironically the acidity seemed to be more noticeable, without of loss of fruit, and the finish improved. Maybe I'm deluded here, but that was my distinct impression.

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

#145

d'Arenberg The Last Ditch Viognier 2005 (AU, McLaren Vale & Adelaide Hills), € 12-13
Robert Parker: 88 points ("'Cut from the same mould as the Money Spider, with more apricot, peach, and tropical fruit characteristics, is the fresh, lively, medium-bodied 2005 The Last Ditch Viognier. This excellent, well-endowed Viognier sells for a song.')

Difficult to compare this Viognier with the three I sampled before (Trentham Estate's and Yalumba's "Y" from Australia and the Chateau de Campuguet from France), since d'Arenberg's take on this florid grape features more pronounced oak notes than the others (Trentham's and Yalumba's aren't oaked at all, the CdC more subtly). The oak deepens rather than lessens the impact of the fruit flavors (contrary to what some people suggested on the web) and make this Viognier a more complex, "meatier" experience than the specimen quoted above. The variety of flavors also includes ginger, which may make it appear "perfumed" to people not inclined to viognier. A mouth-filling, characterful wine that can stand on its own.

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


ELDERTON Botrytis Semillion 2003 (AU, Barossa Valley), € 14/375ml
Silver Medal – NZ Liquorland Top 100, 2004
Bronze Medal- Cairns Wine Show, 2004
Bronze Medal – Perth Royal Wine Show, 2004


Quite different from the d'Arenberg The Noble Riesling. Very heavy, concentrated, even oily texture, aromas of apricot and honey, subdued acid. I tried this with aromatic cheese (molded variety with mushrooms) at first, which only emphasized its sweetness. Then with very dark, smoky chocolate (80% cacao) which worked better, as it elevated the underlying citric notes, giving the wine a little edge.

Not as sophisticated as the (slightly more expensive) d'Arenberg, but a good, intense sweet wine.

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

Lilas Pastia

How do Rhine Rieslings compare with the Alsace ones?
My favourite white wines are the alsatian gewürztraminer or pinot gris. Then the rieslings

The new erato

#148
Quote from: Lilas Pastia on September 23, 2007, 06:37:30 AM
How do Rhine Rieslings compare with the Alsace ones?
Difficult to answer as the style in Alsatian Rieslings tend to be all over the place concerning eg sugar, and there is no sweetnessbased apellation in Alsace. At least in Germany you have the predikat + trocken markings to go by. As a general rule the Rheingaus are more austere and minerally.

sound67


KAURI BAY Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (NZ, Marlborough), € 9,-

An unbelievable bargain! Fruity, powerful, mouthfilling SB with citrus notes but not too much acid.

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 22, 2007, 04:14:39 AM
Of these, I tried the Klein Constantia SB first
KLEIN CONSTANTIA Sauvignon Blanc (RSA, Constantia), € 10-11
John Platter, "The South African Wine Guide": 4 Stars

Directly from the wine fridge, at about 9-10°C this wine seemed a little flat. Fruity at first (melon and grapefruit over gooseberry), but with very restrained acid and a short finish. After the first glass I put it in the regular fridge, at about 7°C, and ironically the acidity seemed to be more noticeable, without of loss of fruit, and the finish improved. Maybe I'm deluded here, but that was my distinct impression.


Thomas - thanks for all of those great pics & descriptions of wines in your previous post - would love to give many a try if available to me - I've often had the Babich Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough ships here) - recent vintage quite good!

I like your description on how these wines can change w/ temps - I usually keep a number of 'whites' in my basement fridge (not sure what the exact temp might be but probably standard USA) for 'quick' selection, when first removed, the wines are too cold, so I love to drink them over a period on an hour or so and many 'warm up' w/ more interesting & pleasant aromas & less acidity (which 'coldness' seems to accentuate) - but just a thought for those concerning 'chilling' of wine - the right temp can make a big difference and these wines will vary depending on their type, vintage, etc.  :D

I've had a bunch of wines since my last postings; currently sipping on a McManis '06 Viognier - I love exploring this grape because it never seems to quite be good enough on many attempts, but when done well, the wine can be just attractive w/ all of the special features described by Thomas; the McManis option is from California & quite inexpensive ($9 for me locally); unoaked & with complex fruit, esp. of the 'tree' variety (pears, apricots, etc.) - check out thier Web Site, if interested!   

sound67

The above-mentioned Klein Constantia SB btw I will not buy again. The first bottle was unimpressive, the second corked. :(

Meanwhile, after the very good KAURI BAY, now on to something truly excellent:


PALLISER ESTATE Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (NZ, Marlborough), € 15
http://www.palliser.co.nz/notion/site/templates/reviews_popup.asp?pid=114

Forceful SB with peach, grapefruit and lemon on the palate. Good acidity and very appealing mineral notes make this a complex wine, the finish is rewardingly long. Shows that it never hurts to spend a few bucks more if you want to move from good to very good.

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


DR. HEGER Grauburgunder "Oktav" Kabinett 2006 (Germany, Baden), € 10

Heger is a well-established winemaker in the Baden region, his company is mentioned favorably in the Johnson Wine Guide. This Pinot Gris is a "Qualitätswein mit Prädikat" and comes off as a likably complex white with substantial mineral notes and dominating apple aroma. A full-bodied, powerful Grauburgunder with a pretty long finish. Should work with many dishes.

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

Last night, Murphy-Goode Merlot 2002 - sitting in the cellar for about 2 1/2 yrs - small amount of sediment, so needed to be decanted; still quite flavorful w/ dark berry aromas but also some bottle bouquet - just have a bottle left (will probably let it sit for another year or so); LOML cooked up some buffalo rib-eye steaks + sauteed broccoli - wine was great w/ that dish!  :)

But I'm not buying much California Merlot these days - the offerings from that state are becoming rather expensive for the better rated producers and the prices have just escalated, similar to cabernets (and their blends); I'm finding better value in searching out the Washington State & Chilean merlots; in fact, the most recent Columbia Crest 'Grand Estates' Merlot that I bought for the cellar was the 2004 vintage @ $11/bottle (90 rating in Wine Spectator - just an outstanding bargin).

 

sound67

I bought a couple of bottles of the Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 recently. Was well received in some quarters, and trades for around 11 € here. There is a cheaper variety, called "Two Vines", at € 8.


WARWICK ESTATE Professor Black Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (RSA, Stellenbosch), € 13

An excellent and individual SB from South Africa, all "fire and brimstone", so to speak. A very, very dry white, whith plenty of bite - but not as obviously acidic as e.g. the NZ "Nautilus" SB I drank earlier. Very good value for those who e.g. like especially mean-and-lean Riesling,

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

Kullervo

My 21st birthday is coming up. Anyone have any recommendations for a reasonably-priced wine that can easily be found in the supermarket or elsewhere? :)

SonicMan46

Quote from: Corey on October 07, 2007, 03:08:57 PM
My 21st birthday is coming up. Anyone have any recommendations for a reasonably-priced wine that can easily be found in the supermarket or elsewhere? :)

Corey - from your profile, you live in Florida - should be plenty of choices for wine!  :D

What 'type' interests you (red, white, sparkling, etc.) and 'how much' do you want to spend - certainly a special time!  :)

Kullervo

Quote from: SonicMan on October 07, 2007, 04:02:09 PM
Corey - from your profile, you live in Florida - should be plenty of choices for wine!  :D

What 'type' interests you (red, white, sparkling, etc.) and 'how much' do you want to spend - certainly a special time!  :)

Of the wine that I've tasted in the past I've always liked dry red wines the most. Anything in that area under, say, $20?

bhodges

If you like Australian shirazes, you should be able to find a good selection of them by producers like Rosemount, Yalumba, Jacob's Creek, Penfolds and Tyrell's, all very reasonably priced (e.g., $10-15).

And heartiest congratulations!  Will there be special music to accompany the wine?  :D

--Bruce

Kullervo

Quote from: bhodges on October 08, 2007, 08:51:21 AM
If you like Australian shirazes, you should be able to find a good selection of them by producers like Rosemount, Yalumba, Jacob's Creek, Penfolds and Tyrell's, all very reasonably priced (e.g., $10-15).

And heartiest congratulations!  Will there be special music to accompany the wine?  :D

--Bruce

Thank you. I really know nothing about wine, but I have an excuse. Now I have the chance to find out.

No music with dinner, my family doesn't do classical and I don't really like background music. :D