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Wine thread - what are you enjoying?

SIY

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Bouchard is so good.

And your cote-rotie cellar must be epic.
We visited Cedric in 2008 or so, with Jan Didden and Morgan Jones. He was delightful to chat with and opened a bottle of literally every wine he's ever made. We were hooked! It's a pity he got discovered and we can't afford his stuff any more (what little of it is available in the US).
 

Trouble Maker

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Had a few interesting things lately.

My mama got me some rice wine for Christmas. https://www.tippsysake.com/products/fukuchitose-toku-old-virtue
I think I'm going to do their sake sampler box subscription, price seems really reasonable. Also seems like a good way to try some through the year with good info on their site to learn about them.

So we got a smattering of Japanese food for new years eve and got out the nice Japan-ware.

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I had no idea they made Malbec's in France, was pointed to this one at the beer/wine store near us. It was good, though I don't think I'll get this particular one again, but will definitely try more from there. We made a focaccia and had cheese with it, plus started a membership at a board game store/bar down the street which includes a 1 rental (swappable anytime).

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SIY

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In France, they call Malbec "Cot." Those Frenchies have a different word for everything.
 

TulseLuper

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@SIY had Freese and Breakneck Creek yesterday and today. Really good wines. And pretty hefty. We preferred the Breakneck despite it feeling fancier than Freese. The fruit got us. Will report back on the others.

Basically everyone should order a 6-pack at $170 shipped.
 
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SIY

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@SIY had Freese and Breakneck Creek yesterday and today. Really good wines. And pretty hefty. We preferred the Breakneck despite it feeling fancier than Freese. The fruit got us. Will report back on the others.

Basically everyone should order a 6-pack at $170 shipped.
We haven't had the Freese yet. The Breakneck had absolutely outstanding aromatics. If fruit is your bag, the Sunrise Hill will be your favorite- it's the only wine they make from Cayuga Lake and it's indeed a complete outlier from the others. "Hefty" is an interesting descriptor- they certainly have far more weight than, say, a Mosel, and I'm happy that they didn't try to emulate Germany but let Finger Lakes express itself.

If FLX is starting to intrigue you (and it should!), you should try what really will become our signature red grape- Saperavi. At least before it gets discovered and the prices climb.
 

TulseLuper

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We haven't had the Freese yet. The Breakneck had absolutely outstanding aromatics. If fruit is your bag, the Sunrise Hill will be your favorite- it's the only wine they make from Cayuga Lake and it's indeed a complete outlier from the others. "Hefty" is an interesting descriptor- they certainly have far more weight than, say, a Mosel, and I'm happy that they didn't try to emulate Germany but let Finger Lakes express itself.

If FLX is starting to intrigue you (and it should!), you should try what really will become our signature red grape- Saperavi. At least before it gets discovered and the prices climb.

Usually I go for lightness - some of the Mosel wines I've been drinking heavily aren't far from mineral water. Can't help being a fruit guy with Breakneck though, it really stands out. Looking forward to Sunrise Hill. Definitely appreciate them avoiding the cover band thing, that usually doesn't go well.

I've had some Georgian Saperavis. I'm Curious to know what makes it do well in Finger Lakes.
 

SIY

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I've had some Georgian Saperavis. I'm Curious to know what makes it do well in Finger Lakes.
We've done a few comparative tastings, though nothing comprehensive. At least in the young stage, the FLX Saperavis were just as structured but had a different sort of fruit core. It will be interesting to see how they age in comparison, though I suspect that it will be our kids comparing at that point.

Talking with the Dr. Frank folks and a NYC MS who specializes in Georgian wine, the cold resistance makes it viable here, and the climates and growing season length are quite comparable. I'm sure there's some soil mysteries wrapped up in there as well. Ditto Rkatsiteli.
 

TulseLuper

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Makes sense. I wouldn't expect them to be super similar. The Georgian ones I've had have all been made in amphorae and generally pretty natural.
 

SIY

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Makes sense. I wouldn't expect them to be super similar. The Georgian ones I've had have all been made in amphorae and generally pretty natural.
We had a qvevri-made Rkatsiteli from Frank compared with a similar one from Georgia (Orgo). The Orgo was definitely more oxidative despite the similarities in the winemaking. Both had completely unvarnished acidity.
 

Thomas_A

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Latest delivery. Don’t know much about these yet.
 

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PatentLawyer

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We visited Cedric in 2008 or so, with Jan Didden and Morgan Jones. He was delightful to chat with and opened a bottle of literally every wine he's ever made. We were hooked! It's a pity he got discovered and we can't afford his stuff any more (what little of it is available in the US).
I used to be able to get the Val Vilaine (before it was even called that) by the case! And a few of Boloree if I wanted. Even the Creux d'Enfer! Now, you're lucky to get 3 of the VV, and just forget about the rest...esp the Creux!
 

PatentLawyer

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Given the crowd, wonder what you think about wine reviewers and their varied "methodologies"? (i.e., blind versus non blind) Does a reviewer bring any value to such a subjective matter as whether one finds a given wine pleasurable or not?

I've figured out what I like and what I don't so I have no need for professional reviewers....but I find the question interesting. :)
 

SIY

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Given the crowd, wonder what you think about wine reviewers and their varied "methodologies"? (i.e., blind versus non blind) Does a reviewer bring any value to such a subjective matter as whether one finds a given wine pleasurable or not?

I've figured out what I like and what I don't so I have no need for professional reviewers....but I find the question interesting. :)
Depends on the reviewer. There's one who was huge and now basically retired who used to claim that he'd taste blind "whenever possible," and nearly never did. That's (IMO) pure dishonesty, but lack of honesty is no hindrance to great success. Of course, that's tougher for things like barrel tastings. When I was doing judging at competitions, they were always double-blind, and that seems reasonable for that format. Ditto for QC and analytical tastings in professional winery settings. I wish more popular reviewers would do the same.

MS, WCET, MW, and the like do lots of double blind evaluation. When the results are important, that's what you do. If you're just trying to crank out entertaining prose that sells, it's less critical.
 

TulseLuper

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Given the crowd, wonder what you think about wine reviewers and their varied "methodologies"? (i.e., blind versus non blind) Does a reviewer bring any value to such a subjective matter as whether one finds a given wine pleasurable or not?

I've figured out what I like and what I don't so I have no need for professional reviewers....but I find the question interesting. :)
I don't know that I've ever found reviewers helpful. Their drinking experience is not relatable to me, and I'm skeptical of their "methodologies". And there have been too many absolutely nonsensically off vintage reports from pretty much everyone.

That said, I still pay attention to Jancis and Galloni and MFW reviews occasionally. I couldn't tell you why. I pay a lot more attention to personal reports from importer friends.
 

SIY

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I don't know that I've ever found reviewers helpful. Their drinking experience is not relatable to me, and I'm skeptical of their "methodologies". And there have been too many absolutely nonsensically off vintage reports from pretty much everyone.

That said, I still pay attention to Jancis and Galloni and MFW reviews occasionally. I couldn't tell you why. I pay a lot more attention to personal reports from importer friends.
The personal recommendations I've gotten from David Schildknecht have been gold. But mostly, I do it the same way I find new music- if I like a winemaker's stuff, I ask them who THEY recommend. And even though Joe is dead and gone, seeing Dressner's name on the back of a bottle is as close to a real guarantee as it gets for me. When he was alive, Joe hated me, but his choices were always interesting.
 

PatentLawyer

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I don't know that I've ever found reviewers helpful. Their drinking experience is not relatable to me, and I'm skeptical of their "methodologies". And there have been too many absolutely nonsensically off vintage reports from pretty much everyone.

That said, I still pay attention to Jancis and Galloni and MFW reviews occasionally. I couldn't tell you why. I pay a lot more attention to personal reports from importer friends.
Yeah, agree with most of that, except maybe you pay too much attention to Galloni. :p
 
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