What wine are you drinking today ?

2010 Vajra Barbera d’Alba. Fully mature with brownish red colour. Full rich palate of dark cherries and gentle tanniin and slightly bitter finish. Not bad with smashed avocado in the garden. 

Musar Jeune; amazing value

Watchet posted:

Musar Jeune; amazing value

It’s amazing how such a wonderful wine can be made in such a troubled region. Long may the Musars keep doing so.

Kiwi cat posted:

Watchet posted:

Musar Jeune; amazing value

It’s amazing how such a wonderful wine can be made in such a troubled region. Long may the Musars keep doing so.

When Serge Hochar was first evangelising the wine around the world, he told the tale of the villagers sheltering in his cellars during one of the bloodier years of the civil war in the ‘80s.

From the NY Times obituary of the legendary Serge Hochar:

“Despite shells falling in vineyards and Israeli tanks appearing at the winery, where the wine cellar doubled as a bomb shelter, Musar missed only one vintage during the war, in 1976, when electricity was out and roads were impassable, Mr. Hochar said.”

Talk about the oenological front line...

Felt like something rich a few days ago. 2000 Rieussec. Deep amber colour, a palate of burnt orange marmalade, dried apricots and dark honey. Not overly sweet, richness nicely counterpoised with gentle acidity. 2 days after opening it I cooked up a pea and bacon risotto. The recipe called for 150ml dry white wine, there was none available so I added the Rieussec, not ideal, but the risotto was none the worse for it! I still have 300ml to go and like Eoinks Grman Loosen wine,the Sauternes can live in the fridge for days without deteriorating. I’ll make sure to have some $10  Sauvignon Blanc on hand when I next make the risotto in the future !

Ooh, what a lovely colour, I love the depth of tone of aged Sauternes, sounds like it tastes just as lovely. You should post your recipe for Sauternes risotto on the ‘Net, it could become a cult item. 

I've got a recipe for Moet Champagne on Weetabix. Very good eye opener on a sunday morning.

Kiwi cat posted:

I've got a recipe for Moet Champagne on Weetabix. Very good eye opener on a sunday morning.

When visiting relatives in Spain I always visit the small fishing port of Cabo de Palos and join the locals in a breakfast of an Asiatico which is very strong coffee, Licor 43, Spanish Brandy and condensed milk lots of sugar and sugary donuts the clue is not to have a second which can take some will power on my part because after the second a third will followed after which a day of drinking can and has ensued.

The last two days of our WSET course in Monaco.

A lot to cover in five days - fingers crossed the they all pass...

Cheers!

The wine dinners are coming thick and fast.  Wine loving family in town for a birthday fortnight.  Loved the Egly-Ouriet, H.Billiot and Puligny.  One more dinner tonight.  Will probably need to start taking Alka Seltzer soon.....

What a wonderful series of wines! The Leoville  Barton is still in its diapers maybe that’s why it did not stand out. The Egly Ouriet is a great champagne, it is a pity that it’s basic cuvée is going to be £70 this year. I am envious of your wonderful wine loving family. Most of mine are happy with Black Tower!

Wonderful but it’s a two edged sword. At least Black Tower is affordable!

ekfc63 posted:

Wonderful but it’s a two edged sword. At least Black Tower is affordable!

I can't decide which is the better wine - Black Tower or Blue Nun, though for the same money it's possible to get Sherry which won't be up to much but the higher alcahol content means you stop caring after a couple of glasses, it lasts forever and you can make a trifle and a nice mushroom sauce from the dregs.        

Sherry doesn’t last forever!

(Not in our house anyway)

<<wine geek mode : on>>

In all seriousness, Sherry really does not keep indefinitely. Light Fino Sherry should be consumed - as any other wine - within a few days, and even deliberately oxidised Sherry will go off if left in an open bottle for more than a few weeks.

In my experience people who say they cannot stand Sherry are invariably basing this view on experience of *stale* Sherry (which is fair enough, but not exactly the wine’s fault). At least the days of Dry Sack on an optic (so-to-speak) are now gone.

<<wine geek mode : off>>

rodwsmith posted:

Sherry doesn’t last forever!

(Not in our house anyway)

<<wine geek mode : on>>

In all seriousness, Sherry really does not keep indefinitely. Light Fino Sherry should be consumed - as any other wine - within a few days, and even deliberately oxidised Sherry will go off if left in an open bottle for more than a few weeks.

In my experience people who say they cannot stand Sherry are invariably basing this view on experience of *stale* Sherry (which is fair enough, but not exactly the wine’s fault). At least the days of Dry Sack on an optic (so-to-speak) are now gone.

<<wine geek mode : off>>

I must apologise for being facetious. Like German Riesling, I think Sherry is much underrated and both suffer from an image issue following heavy promotional campaigns in the 1970's. A chilled Fino is a lovely thing to sip with Tapas and brilliant value considering the work that goes into it, a world away from Emva Cream and Croft Original!

My last wine pic for this "series".   Post dinner flight of '96 Bordeaux.  The Clos du Marquis was tight (less than 30 min decant),  the Lafon Rochet was more open and enjoyable.  The Clerc Milon was as it usually is (ime) i.e. middle of the road nothing outstanding Bordeaux.

Today, these (amongst others). Currently leading a tour of Bordeaux. It's really hard work, as you can imagine.

rodwsmith posted:

Today, these (amongst others). Currently leading a tour of Bordeaux. It's really hard work, as you can imagine.

Looks like bloody hard work drinking d'Yquem.  Somebody's got to do it right!

Marijuana has only been legal here in Canada for just over a week .. quality control down the tubes already .. sheesh .. 

Médoc yesterday!

Vernay - Sainte-Agathe Syrah 2016

Next in my recent purchases of Vernay Syrahs from Yapp Brothers, this softened nicely on drinking, though is perhaps slightly less memorable than the other two...

Domaine de le Mordorée, Lirac 2007 Cuvée La Reine des Bois

Oh my, this is such a treat. Sometimes referred to as a mini-Chateauneuf du Pape. But only by people who are too idle to differentiate how subtly softer this delightful wine is. A velvet fist in a velvet glove.

And I still have two bottles left!

1996 Chambolle Musigny Les Chatelots Domaine Ghislaine Bhartod.

The last of 3 I bought from Layton’s (probably) just after release, so pretty much at en primeur price of around £20-25 a bottle, the others drunk a few years ago.  Decanted for a couple of hours, lovely nose of dark red fruits with earth and mushrooms. On the palate you’re hit with the aggressive 1996 Burgundy acidity, I love acidic wines, so that’s fine for me, YMMV. The fruit flavours are lovely, red currant, strawberry, cherry, earthy and mushroom flavours, white pepper, cinnamon, lovely perfume of spicy red fruits, stays in the mouth for ages. It’s powerful and concentrated, very pure fruits with the secondary mature flavours, not the power of the very finest premier crus, but a very lovely wine if you like acidity in your wine.

nickpeacock posted:

 

Domaine de le Mordorée, Lirac 2007 Cuvée La Reine des Bois

Oh my, this is such a treat. Sometimes referred to as a mini-Chateauneuf du Pape. But only by people who are too idle to differentiate how subtly softer this delightful wine is. A velvet fist in a velvet glove.

And I still have two bottles left!

Ooh, looks lovely. I do like Lirac, and that looks to have great depth of colour after 10 years, suggesting it’s still young on the palate. Personally I find a lot of CndPs a bit clumsy and unsubtle, whil ai have found most Liracs generous and lovely.