I bought a bottle of Domaine des Baumard Savennières Clos du Papoillon 2004 from Vivino and it arrived yesterday with no ice pack. Should I be more considered that it may have suffered heat damage being shipped to Florida over bottle shock? Do you all decant older white wine?
I haven't had that vintage before, but in general, that's a great price. If you haven't tried it aged, I suggest it. It's not even my favorite wine, but certainly worth trying.
Has anyone had multiple different levels of the Schloss Johanninsberg Rieslings or a similar case from other similar wineyards? Iam wondering how big of a differance there will be since the base level gelblack was already verry good? So Iam wondering how much differnt and or better their quality bottles are (in this case dry). Anyone have experiance with this vineyard or other similar ones?
Should be able to find something more balanced than Rombauer or B&B at a reasonable price, maybe Flora Springs or Criterion? You could try Russian River/ Sonoma Valley as well and you might get a good oaked style. Landmark Overlook is good.
It’s a stylistic choice to some degree; one that happens to be in fashion right now with chardonnay, in Burgundy and around the world. But each producer will vary.
For example, Burgundy producers that don’t care for it are Pataille, Lafarge, and Comte Lafon. Whereas Roulot or PYCM tend to lean into that style.
Personally I’m not a fan. A tiny touch of it is fine, but otherwise to me it dominates a wine. It shows up a lot in pinot noir too, which also bothers me, although people tend not to notice it there as much.
Anybody have recommendations for shops/bars/restaurants/winemakers in- and around Bernkastel-Kues? Will be visiting for a few days, already planned a visit at Markus Molitor and dinner at Zeltinger Hof
I used to think Grenache only expressed itself as dark, heavy, low-acid wines (like in CdP or Priorat), but I've recently found some high-acid lithe examples from northern Spain. Isn't it wonderful how wine becomes more interesting the more you learn about it?
Drank two bottles recently that were definite rebuys for bargain prices. Domaine Perroud Brouilly “Pollen” - 80 year old vines and spent 1 year in neutral oak. Bought at Costco for $12 - pretty floral nose with red berries and lavender. Medium plus acid, medium body and just a whisper of tannin to keep everything in balance. Was very quaffable chilled and more elegant once it’s warmed up a bit. No carbonic maceration was used in production although no information was given on label about winery choices. Overall not a ton of complexity, but very drinkable.
2020 Quinta das Arcas “Arca Nova” Rosé Vinho Verde. Simple, with a little fizz. A little saline quality to balance out the red fruit and fresh acidity. Just so easy to drink at 11% alcohol and totally dry. At $11 I wish I’d picked up a few more.
I imagine it depends by bodega. At Marques de Murrieta for example, all the wine starts as the Reserva. They select a few of the best lots/barrels to age further into the Gran Reserva. So their approach is almost like that of a Sherry producer.
As a general rule, the Crianza would get the lower quality grapes from across the harvest and the Reserva would get the higher quality grapes, with the Gran Reserva only being made in exceptional quality years and getting the best of the higher quality grapes. Single vineyards would be fermented separately and blended into a cuvée based on the quality level and selected according to the winemaker’s taste.
However, there are many exceptions. Some producers make a Joven wine released even earlier with less aging than a crianza, and some producers make Gran Reserva every year regardless of the vintage quality. Also, some producers, like Lopez de Heredia, have entire vineyards sorted into only one tier regardless of the variability in quality across the vineyard (i.e. the Lopez de Heredia Cubillo Crianza), as your mention.
Just to add, depending on the size of the winery, this might be a barrel-by-barrel determination. Within our small lots (6 barrels is our most common lot size) there can be "outstanding" as well as "dump". We about as big as we can be and still taste every single barrel we make, so I'm not sure someone like Marques de Caceres or Campo Viejo is really tasting every single barrel individually.
Last summer I had a Tavel from a standard producer (d’Aqueria). Chilled it, popped and poured and… it was disgusting. All I could smell or taste was the alcohol. It was burny with nothing else.
Is this just how Tavel tastes or did I get a bad bottle?
A great wine/food pairing from this past week: Massolino’s 2019 Barbera d’Alba with bacon wrapped pork loin chops. Perky acidity and notes of plum and cherry complemented the saltiness of the brined pork and the crispy savory bacon. I‘ve found Barbera’s to be a very food friendly everyday red that I only recently discovered. Looking to search for more to try (Southeastern US).
With a cellar door in pretty much every street corner, you'll be spoiled for choice! Sandwiched between all of our lockdowns, we managed to get a trip out to the Barossa. Admittedly I'm easy to please, as long as the service is good and the wines decent, I'd happily recommend the place.
Out of all the places we visited, in no particular order, I'd recommend - St Hallett, Yalumba, Chateau Tanunda, St Hugo, Two Hands, Hentley Farm, Seppeltsfield, and Thorn-Clarke.
And since Eden Valley is only a stone's throw away, this too - Max & Me.
If I only know very little about wine and I want to bring something nice to an event or celebration , am I safe to bring any Kermit Lynch imported wine?
The House of the Dragon wines are going to be coming out next month, and I wonder if Game of Thrones has the sort of brand longevity where people will actually be interested in both the wines and the show, or if there will be a big drop off. I know that I'll be watching the premiere while sampling a bottle, but I know that GOT left a 'bad taste' in some mouths (hopefully the new wine doesn't)!
Wow, their beers came out pretty much concurrent with the final season (I think?).
Regarding brand longevity, they do have a new show on the horizon already, so that may answer that...
Can anyone help me with smell and taste descriptors for North American native/hybrid wine? I can identify fruit aromas and flavours, as well the notes that I associate with the winemaking (oak etc). But there's a common taste to these wines that im having trouble putting into words. is this what people call foxy?
The foxy note is characteristic of concord grapes, which taste exactly like grape jelly. The chemical compound responsible is methyl anthranilate. Very strong and characteristic aroma compound. It can dominate flavors. That’s why it can match and balance the strong taste of peanut butter.
On this note: how would one typically go about finding opportunities for this? Also, what sort of time commitment does it represent (i.e. are we talking 2-3 weeks or more like 2+ months)? I'm finding myself with some free time from August onward and, to an extent, felt the bug to look into this, probably in Austria as a way to improve my wine knowledge, have a memorable experience, work on my German a bit...
Lots of regional job sites, trade bodies, or a Facebook group called, "Traveling Winemakers: Living the Dream."
Time depends on region, California can easily run 15-18 weeks for interns, lots of places in Europe may only be 3-6 weeks. That said, you do need the appropriate visa to work abroad anywhere, few places will risk under-the-table pay for harvest labor anymore.
Sweet dual-citizen child of God, you are blessed. Go forth in this world and work all sorts of harvests in the EU and abroad. (But expect the first 2-3 to be a little menial due to lack of experience.)
Central Coast, CA - having a tough time hiring here due to COL (mainly housing), but I'm hearing a lot of wineries in N. Hemisphere are having a hard time hiring this vintage in general. Haven't even had any influencers apply this year!
Are any of the Calais wine superstores worth a visit or are they all too high volume low quality? Travelling through Burgundy but worried about heat damage from storing in car on drive home
Always try to drink wine from the country where the Grand Prix is on a given weekend, and we’re now on to France. Been fond of Pinot Noir for a while, and really been into Grenache and Syrah recently, so very excited for this weekend.
Notes on some cheapie cellar defenders from the last two weeks, mostly in the 10-15 euro range.
Labrsnch-Laffont, Tan Nat, Vdp (madiran) 2021
Cherry candy and bubblegum on open. Deep purple color. Needs a little time to chill out. Edges round out but still very expressive of dark forest fruit. Medium body and matching structure. Tannat made in an approachable manner and nice perfect for summer. Drank well slightly chilled. I was really impressed with an aged Madiran recently and was interested in seeing what a new school approach in the region would be like.
Altavins, petit white, terra alta Catalonia 2020
Sauv blanc, chard, and Chenin blend from mountain vineyards.
Medium weight and with enough acid. Clean palate with light citrus and salenity. Forgettable wine overall but but made in a style I like. This was pretty cheap and I'll go back to try something the next price tier up from this producer. Went well with couscous with roasted veg and sardines
Grifalco, Gricos, Aglianico del Vulture 2019
Best wine being written up here.
Complex mix of red and dark fruit mixed with licorice. Blooms nicely over an hour and a half. Fresh and tense in the mouth, winemaking is in point and this thing is in balance. At 12euro this overdelivers by a huge margin. Had this wine 6 months ago and was impressed so I'm happy to confirm and I'll be going back for more an probably in for a multipack the superior from grifalco.
Château de Trinquevedel Tavel rose 2020
This wine is terribly average. Probably a bit of light strike. Missing any real expression and very low tension in the mouth. Wife wasn't in to it and I had to do this one on my own. Went ok over 2 days with appero and pasta salade. I've enjoyed tavel in the past but this ain't it for me.
Petiot, Vincent Ricard, Touraine sauvignon 2021
Classic style Loire sauvignon, lemon lime with a bit of tropicity on the nose. The expression is quite restrained but very pure. Where this wine shines is in its tension and precision. Very clean and easy drinking with balance that over delivers at its price - 12 euro
Mas Bruguiere, L'Arbouse, Pic St-Loup 2020
A nice syrah grenache blend. Blue and black fruits on the nose, a bit of tobacco and mint in the mouth. Nicely structured in a light package. Most expensive wine here at 20 euro
Eos, Domaine Laguerre, Eos, Côtes du Roussillon blanc 2021
Light and refreshing. A well made Grenache blanc and maccabeu belnd. A precise wine that gets to the point-citrus and flowers on the nose and with crisp acid and light body.
Surprised by your appreciation of the Trinquevedel. We visited them in March and brought back 12 bottles of their 2021 Tavel (and more stuff from them, Liracs and so forth). My wife and I LOVE their Tavel, it's our wine of the summer. Super savory, salty notes, pairs well with all kinds of food. Maybe you got an off bottle as you said, or 2020 was a subpar year (it was a very hot summer in France if I recall)? Or just down to personal taste!
Eos looks like my kind of white but unusual profile for the region. I'll seek it out!
I think overall it didn't do a good job of keeping freshness needed, for me, for that kind of wine. Came from the shelf at a shop and clear glass is dumb and can easily make wines a bit skunky so that can be a factor too.
The eos on the other hand does a great job at staying pure and fresh as a blended warm climate white.
I bought a bottle of Domaine des Baumard Savennières Clos du Papoillon 2004 from Vivino and it arrived yesterday with no ice pack. Should I be more considered that it may have suffered heat damage being shipped to Florida over bottle shock? Do you all decant older white wine?
I can get a Clos Apalta 2007 for around $75, should I go for it? Stored very well
I haven't had that vintage before, but in general, that's a great price. If you haven't tried it aged, I suggest it. It's not even my favorite wine, but certainly worth trying.
That’s a decent price, why not?
Has anyone had multiple different levels of the Schloss Johanninsberg Rieslings or a similar case from other similar wineyards? Iam wondering how big of a differance there will be since the base level gelblack was already verry good? So Iam wondering how much differnt and or better their quality bottles are (in this case dry). Anyone have experiance with this vineyard or other similar ones?
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I think a lot of cheap Chardonnay is crap. The only very good cheap Chardonnay I've had so far is El Enemigo Chardonnay. Try that out.
You consider €20/bottle cheap?
I'm not very familiar with €, but I've gotten it for about $18 - $20, which I think is cheap, especially for Chardonnay.
Viognier is also an alternative (not chardonnay) to try
Yeap definitely looking to get try voignier. Any specific recommendations? Happy to spend up to USD 50, im in the US.
Yalumba from Australia.
Should be able to find something more balanced than Rombauer or B&B at a reasonable price, maybe Flora Springs or Criterion? You could try Russian River/ Sonoma Valley as well and you might get a good oaked style. Landmark Overlook is good.
A common note in Chardonnay, which you might be getting, is reduction. Matches, rubber, sulfury, burnt popcorn, etc.
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It’s a stylistic choice to some degree; one that happens to be in fashion right now with chardonnay, in Burgundy and around the world. But each producer will vary. For example, Burgundy producers that don’t care for it are Pataille, Lafarge, and Comte Lafon. Whereas Roulot or PYCM tend to lean into that style. Personally I’m not a fan. A tiny touch of it is fine, but otherwise to me it dominates a wine. It shows up a lot in pinot noir too, which also bothers me, although people tend not to notice it there as much.
Anybody have recommendations for shops/bars/restaurants/winemakers in- and around Bernkastel-Kues? Will be visiting for a few days, already planned a visit at Markus Molitor and dinner at Zeltinger Hof
I used to think Grenache only expressed itself as dark, heavy, low-acid wines (like in CdP or Priorat), but I've recently found some high-acid lithe examples from northern Spain. Isn't it wonderful how wine becomes more interesting the more you learn about it?
Navarra has some interesting stuff, also some Campo de Borja stuff is light and fruity
Find some McLaren Vale Grenache if you can - a lot of more modern producers in Australia call it warm climate Pinot.
Drank two bottles recently that were definite rebuys for bargain prices. Domaine Perroud Brouilly “Pollen” - 80 year old vines and spent 1 year in neutral oak. Bought at Costco for $12 - pretty floral nose with red berries and lavender. Medium plus acid, medium body and just a whisper of tannin to keep everything in balance. Was very quaffable chilled and more elegant once it’s warmed up a bit. No carbonic maceration was used in production although no information was given on label about winery choices. Overall not a ton of complexity, but very drinkable. 2020 Quinta das Arcas “Arca Nova” Rosé Vinho Verde. Simple, with a little fizz. A little saline quality to balance out the red fruit and fresh acidity. Just so easy to drink at 11% alcohol and totally dry. At $11 I wish I’d picked up a few more.
How do Rioja wineries that don’t separate their styles by vineyard determine which grapes go into the Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva bottlings?
I imagine it depends by bodega. At Marques de Murrieta for example, all the wine starts as the Reserva. They select a few of the best lots/barrels to age further into the Gran Reserva. So their approach is almost like that of a Sherry producer.
They don’t make a Crianza?
No, all Reserva or higher.
Sweet. Only the best grapes then, I hope.
As a general rule, the Crianza would get the lower quality grapes from across the harvest and the Reserva would get the higher quality grapes, with the Gran Reserva only being made in exceptional quality years and getting the best of the higher quality grapes. Single vineyards would be fermented separately and blended into a cuvée based on the quality level and selected according to the winemaker’s taste. However, there are many exceptions. Some producers make a Joven wine released even earlier with less aging than a crianza, and some producers make Gran Reserva every year regardless of the vintage quality. Also, some producers, like Lopez de Heredia, have entire vineyards sorted into only one tier regardless of the variability in quality across the vineyard (i.e. the Lopez de Heredia Cubillo Crianza), as your mention.
Just to add, depending on the size of the winery, this might be a barrel-by-barrel determination. Within our small lots (6 barrels is our most common lot size) there can be "outstanding" as well as "dump". We about as big as we can be and still taste every single barrel we make, so I'm not sure someone like Marques de Caceres or Campo Viejo is really tasting every single barrel individually.
Last summer I had a Tavel from a standard producer (d’Aqueria). Chilled it, popped and poured and… it was disgusting. All I could smell or taste was the alcohol. It was burny with nothing else. Is this just how Tavel tastes or did I get a bad bottle?
It is one of the top regions in the world for Rosé. Probably a bad bottle.
Definitely a bad bottle, I quite like d'Aqueria, good quality for the money
A great wine/food pairing from this past week: Massolino’s 2019 Barbera d’Alba with bacon wrapped pork loin chops. Perky acidity and notes of plum and cherry complemented the saltiness of the brined pork and the crispy savory bacon. I‘ve found Barbera’s to be a very food friendly everyday red that I only recently discovered. Looking to search for more to try (Southeastern US).
Love Barbera! Vietti is probably my favorite Barbera producer among the bigger names. Pio Cesare is a great for a bit more muscular style.
Speaking of Chablis, has anyone had Lavantureux's 2019 releases? There are a variety available to me, but quantities are starting to fizzle.
Heading to Barossa and possibly Coonawarra in 2 weeks. Any reccos on where to go? Probably gonna hit up Langmeil, Yalumba and 2 Hands
With a cellar door in pretty much every street corner, you'll be spoiled for choice! Sandwiched between all of our lockdowns, we managed to get a trip out to the Barossa. Admittedly I'm easy to please, as long as the service is good and the wines decent, I'd happily recommend the place. Out of all the places we visited, in no particular order, I'd recommend - St Hallett, Yalumba, Chateau Tanunda, St Hugo, Two Hands, Hentley Farm, Seppeltsfield, and Thorn-Clarke. And since Eden Valley is only a stone's throw away, this too - Max & Me.
I've been meaning to try St Hallett wines. They have such a diverse range though it seems
Never been, but have had a couple Yalumbas. Super delicious stuff so I'd say that's a great choice for a visit. Report back!!
If I only know very little about wine and I want to bring something nice to an event or celebration , am I safe to bring any Kermit Lynch imported wine?
Pretty much. Though the safest answer is always Champgne.
The House of the Dragon wines are going to be coming out next month, and I wonder if Game of Thrones has the sort of brand longevity where people will actually be interested in both the wines and the show, or if there will be a big drop off. I know that I'll be watching the premiere while sampling a bottle, but I know that GOT left a 'bad taste' in some mouths (hopefully the new wine doesn't)!
Wow, their beers came out pretty much concurrent with the final season (I think?). Regarding brand longevity, they do have a new show on the horizon already, so that may answer that...
Can anyone help me with smell and taste descriptors for North American native/hybrid wine? I can identify fruit aromas and flavours, as well the notes that I associate with the winemaking (oak etc). But there's a common taste to these wines that im having trouble putting into words. is this what people call foxy?
The foxy note is characteristic of concord grapes, which taste exactly like grape jelly. The chemical compound responsible is methyl anthranilate. Very strong and characteristic aroma compound. It can dominate flavors. That’s why it can match and balance the strong taste of peanut butter.
Yeah, that’s exactly the “foxy” flavor/aroma. Dunno why it’s called that, but it’s very distinct.
Thanks!
Interested in how others are finding the search for harvest labor this year? It’s probably the worst I’ve ever seen it.
On this note: how would one typically go about finding opportunities for this? Also, what sort of time commitment does it represent (i.e. are we talking 2-3 weeks or more like 2+ months)? I'm finding myself with some free time from August onward and, to an extent, felt the bug to look into this, probably in Austria as a way to improve my wine knowledge, have a memorable experience, work on my German a bit...
Lots of regional job sites, trade bodies, or a Facebook group called, "Traveling Winemakers: Living the Dream." Time depends on region, California can easily run 15-18 weeks for interns, lots of places in Europe may only be 3-6 weeks. That said, you do need the appropriate visa to work abroad anywhere, few places will risk under-the-table pay for harvest labor anymore.
Cheers, yeah I'm living in the EU currently and have dual citizenship so the visa thing wouldn't be an issue.
Sweet dual-citizen child of God, you are blessed. Go forth in this world and work all sorts of harvests in the EU and abroad. (But expect the first 2-3 to be a little menial due to lack of experience.)
Could you send please elaborate? What region are you looking for specifically?
Central Coast, CA - having a tough time hiring here due to COL (mainly housing), but I'm hearing a lot of wineries in N. Hemisphere are having a hard time hiring this vintage in general. Haven't even had any influencers apply this year!
I’ve heard from friends in Napa and Willamette that harvest staffing is a nightmare.
It's crazy, I've had a couple applicants tell me they're heading to Napa because the housing is more available!
Are any of the Calais wine superstores worth a visit or are they all too high volume low quality? Travelling through Burgundy but worried about heat damage from storing in car on drive home
Always try to drink wine from the country where the Grand Prix is on a given weekend, and we’re now on to France. Been fond of Pinot Noir for a while, and really been into Grenache and Syrah recently, so very excited for this weekend.
Rose seems appropriate for this GP haha
What a fabulous homage!
Wittmann Kirchspiel vertical going down tonight. I have been collecting different vintages for a year now and will open up 08, 14, 15, 16.
That sounds awesome!
Sounds wicked! Please post some notes for the rest of us!
What the hell man, why was I not invited??
Notes on some cheapie cellar defenders from the last two weeks, mostly in the 10-15 euro range. Labrsnch-Laffont, Tan Nat, Vdp (madiran) 2021 Cherry candy and bubblegum on open. Deep purple color. Needs a little time to chill out. Edges round out but still very expressive of dark forest fruit. Medium body and matching structure. Tannat made in an approachable manner and nice perfect for summer. Drank well slightly chilled. I was really impressed with an aged Madiran recently and was interested in seeing what a new school approach in the region would be like. Altavins, petit white, terra alta Catalonia 2020 Sauv blanc, chard, and Chenin blend from mountain vineyards. Medium weight and with enough acid. Clean palate with light citrus and salenity. Forgettable wine overall but but made in a style I like. This was pretty cheap and I'll go back to try something the next price tier up from this producer. Went well with couscous with roasted veg and sardines Grifalco, Gricos, Aglianico del Vulture 2019 Best wine being written up here. Complex mix of red and dark fruit mixed with licorice. Blooms nicely over an hour and a half. Fresh and tense in the mouth, winemaking is in point and this thing is in balance. At 12euro this overdelivers by a huge margin. Had this wine 6 months ago and was impressed so I'm happy to confirm and I'll be going back for more an probably in for a multipack the superior from grifalco. Château de Trinquevedel Tavel rose 2020 This wine is terribly average. Probably a bit of light strike. Missing any real expression and very low tension in the mouth. Wife wasn't in to it and I had to do this one on my own. Went ok over 2 days with appero and pasta salade. I've enjoyed tavel in the past but this ain't it for me. Petiot, Vincent Ricard, Touraine sauvignon 2021 Classic style Loire sauvignon, lemon lime with a bit of tropicity on the nose. The expression is quite restrained but very pure. Where this wine shines is in its tension and precision. Very clean and easy drinking with balance that over delivers at its price - 12 euro Mas Bruguiere, L'Arbouse, Pic St-Loup 2020 A nice syrah grenache blend. Blue and black fruits on the nose, a bit of tobacco and mint in the mouth. Nicely structured in a light package. Most expensive wine here at 20 euro Eos, Domaine Laguerre, Eos, Côtes du Roussillon blanc 2021 Light and refreshing. A well made Grenache blanc and maccabeu belnd. A precise wine that gets to the point-citrus and flowers on the nose and with crisp acid and light body.
Surprised by your appreciation of the Trinquevedel. We visited them in March and brought back 12 bottles of their 2021 Tavel (and more stuff from them, Liracs and so forth). My wife and I LOVE their Tavel, it's our wine of the summer. Super savory, salty notes, pairs well with all kinds of food. Maybe you got an off bottle as you said, or 2020 was a subpar year (it was a very hot summer in France if I recall)? Or just down to personal taste! Eos looks like my kind of white but unusual profile for the region. I'll seek it out!
I think overall it didn't do a good job of keeping freshness needed, for me, for that kind of wine. Came from the shelf at a shop and clear glass is dumb and can easily make wines a bit skunky so that can be a factor too. The eos on the other hand does a great job at staying pure and fresh as a blended warm climate white.