...more Wine.......

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Hope everyone hasn''t given up imbibing...or this will be a very lonely thread...(no disrespect to those, as I am posting during Lent....)

During a recent dinner outing with good friends, they recommended a "Malbec" from Argentina and we really enjoyed it. Fruity and full bodied. Bought another Malbec recently and enjoyed it immensley (went well with left over Beef Wellington): Don David, Micheal Torino, Malbec. Reserve. 2003.

Noobie--where are you? What have you been drinking lately?

Also looking to buy a nice bottle of Grappa as a gift--any suggestions out there?

cheers--Sharon

(this is a martini--did I miss the wine icon out there??

)

 

[Mara]

sharon, greg is not necessarily a big wine connoisseur, but he loves argentinian malbecs...they are typically nice and cheap as well, which is a perk. i bought him a few for christmas and he just drank one from the wine.com wine of the month club that he really liked, but not sure what the name was.

 

[hlmr]

Hi Sharon:

It''s funny, as I have been choosing wine from Argentina as of late and DH and I are really enjoying it! Thanks for the recommendation....I will definitely pick that one up next time.

As for grappa....sorry......don''t know much about it.

Cheers to you too,

Heather

 

[canuk-gal]

Date: 3/26/2006 1:51:05 AM
Author: Mara
sharon, greg is not necessarily a big wine connoisseur, but he loves argentinian malbecs...they are typically nice and cheap as well, which is a perk. i bought him a few for christmas and he just drank one from the wine.com wine of the month club that he really liked, but not sure what the name was.

HI:

Mara, I''m going to check out that site and see what''s recommended! And you are right about the Malbec''s being reasonably priced--I saw bottles ranging from $11-30 (Can). Can''t beat that choice!


Heather, you know I probably would have walked by the "Argentina" region/aisle forever, had this not been recommended to me; but I suppose that is how it works with most wine consumers; you want to try something different, don''t know the grapes/area and are hesitant. That said, I am more adventerous than ever with trying new products and getting many hits and some misses...

cheers--Sharon

 

[pricescope]

Garry taught us to drink New Zeeland "Marlboro" white wines. Those who like fruity wines got to try.

Cost about $15/bottle.

 

[hoorray]

A little known fact... high altitude reds are being found to be even more beneficial for your heart health than regular reds (which are all good), so many of the Argentinian reds have that as an added perc.

We've had some very good Chilean wines recently. Concho Y Torro, the biggest producer, had some very nice Cabs and Carmeneres. The Carmeneres are big and chewy, the cabs are nice and smooth. Most are very affordable.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Not easy to get argentinian wine here in Oz, but will try.

i like blends with malbec - they work well because they can keep the same flavours and style year after year - so when you buy the next vintage - you know it will be the same.

Had a ''Quartage'' - 4 differnet varities including malbec recntly - yum - aussie label - shotfire I think.

But last night we went to the Belgian Beer cafe'' and i had too much Leffe

 

[Gemklctr]

I''m with lop. I''ve tried a few Argentinian wines that were good values, but the best I''ve tasted from SA have been the cabs from Los Vascos and Concha y Toro in Chile. I''ll have to try the Carmeneres.

 

[msdarlinjoy]

Actually ... I really like the Austrailian wines!

Some of my fav's are about $10.00/bottle ... depending on the region and store you buy it from. I like my reds spicy and bold, with a hint of sophistication. Love my whites to be fruity ... sweet or dry.

BanRock Station: Shiraz & Cabernet Sauvignon = Austailian

Black Opal: Shiraz & Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon = Austrailian

My favorite Reisling is by: Chateau St. Michelle = Pacific Northwest Valley

And of course ... Love the Private label Private stock Cab/Sauv by: Robert Mondovi 1997-2000

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

I have been wanting to invest in some of the Penfold "Grange" wines, but they are very costly--but perhaps worth it? Anyone tasted any of the vintages?

Since there was some discussion about Chilian wines it brought to mind an article I read recently about the producer Casa Lapostolle (house of Marnier renown, you know the orange liquer) and their unique blend of 5 grapes (including Pinot Noir not usually used in blends) called "Borobo" (2001). ("Bo for Bordeux, Ro for Rhone, and Bo or Burgundy"). Might be worth a look and taste......

cheers--Sharon

 

[Gemklctr]

Date: 3/28/2006 5:29:28 PM
Author: canuk-gal
HI:

I have been wanting to invest in some of the Penfold ''Grange'' wines, but they are very costly--but perhaps worth it? Anyone tasted any of the vintages?

Since there was some discussion about Chilian wines it brought to mind an article I read recently about the producer Casa Lapostolle (house of Marnier renown, you know the orange liquer) and their unique blend of 5 grapes (including Pinot Noir not usually used in blends) called ''Borobo'' (2001). (''Bo for Bordeux, Ro for Rhone, and Bo or Burgundy''). Might be worth a look and taste......

cheers--Sharon

I asked my brother, who has an extensive (4000 bottle) wine collection, and he says any Grange vintage from 95-99 is very good, with 98 the best of that group. 86 and 90 are "superb," with 90 named as the wine of the year by Wine Spectator. I''ve only tried the 87, which I thought was excellent (at $300 in a restaurant). Enjoy.

 

[canuk-gal]

Date: 3/28/2006 9:36:50 PM
Author: GemKlctr

I asked my brother, who has an extensive (4000 bottle) wine collection, and he says any Grange vintage from 95-99 is very good, with 98 the best of that group. 86 and 90 are ''superb,'' with 90 named as the wine of the year by Wine Spectator. I''ve only tried the 87, which I thought was excellent (at $300 in a restaurant). Enjoy.

HI GK:

Thank you for your input!!

During a visit to the Post Hotel last year and their restuarant of renown, there were many vintages available from their extensive wine list and starting at the $250 (Can) range to well beyond.......and recently one wine boutique near to me advertized some of their vintages but if memory serves they were more recent again starting around $250....I was very tempted but deferred. Some of the larger wine boutiques have tastings and I missed the one that featured only Granges...sadly that one has not been repeated.....

P.S. I envy your brother''s collection--but I see you both have a "collection" of which to be proud.....

cheers--Sharon

 

[hoorray]

I bought DH a bottle of Grange for his birthday a couple of years ago. I don't remember the vintage, (I'm guessing late 90's) and he hasn't broken it out yet, but it was a Robert parker 94 or 95, and cost $200+ from what I remember.

We also like the Penfolds RWT. RWT stands for Red Wine Test. The story we heard goes that they created RWT to be another Grange type wine. It usually costs somewhere in the $65 range, (a poor man's Grange?) and is delicious.

If you are interested in the US wine history, there is a book called Judgement in Paris, by Tabor, a columinst who covered the 1976 blind tasting of Californian vs French wines in Paris. It is a well written fun read, covering a lot of the early days of the Napa valley wine industry and then some of the globalization of the wine industry, along with the famous tasting where the California wines took first place, much to the surprize of the French tasting panel.

 

[DonaBella]

Date: 3/27/2006 2:45:18 AM
Author: Mrs Darlin Joy
Actually ... I really like the Austrailian wines!

Some of my fav''s are about $10.00/bottle ... depending on the region and store you buy it from. I like my reds spicy and bold, with a hint of sophistication. Love my whites to be fruity ... sweet or dry.

BanRock Station: Shiraz & Cabernet Sauvignon = Austailian

Black Opal: Shiraz & Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon = Austrailian

My favorite Reisling is by: Chateau St. Michelle = Pacific Northwest Valley

And of course ... Love the Private label Private stock Cab/Sauv by: Robert Mondovi 1997-2000

I really love Chateau St. Michelle, too...though DH is not much of a wine drinker...I prefer reislings over reds. I did drink a very nice and smooth Chilean Chardonnay while in the Caribberrean, but I didn''t get the name...got too looped and forgot!

The best reisling by far that I have had was at a friend''s house. She received it as a gift. It was a pineapple-kiwi flavored one that I literally drank 2/3rds of myself! She opened it to share with me while we watched a movie and decided to let me have it while she drank something else. I still to this day have yet to find something remotely close to that one...

...Have you heard of a reisling like I just described?

 

[msdarlinjoy]

I haven''t heard of a reisling that tasted like pineapple ... but sounds delish to me!

I think I''d be calling up that friend and seeing if she can remember, and then run back and let us know!

I can not affoard wines over $100.00 ... so I guess I am just an advid wine drinker versus ... a expert specialist!

I do appreciate everyones comments and suggestions though ... I did see this weekend some chilean wines ... the cameneres ... malbecs ... will be grabbing a bottle of each to try, they too were very reasonable.

I haven''t seen a Marlboro white wine though ... still looking for this one.

Keep the suggestions comming ... I will add to my list to try!

Have a great weekend!

 

[hoorray]

Date: 4/1/2006 4:55:10 PM
Author: Mrs Darlin Joy

I haven''t seen a Marlboro white wine though ... still looking for this one.


Keep the suggestions comming ... I will add to my list to try!


Have a great weekend!

Most of the Marlboro whites are Savignon Blancs. They have a distinctive, tart taste, and are very good. The most famous one is Cloudy Bay, which is released once a year and sells out quickly. I just saw some in a local wine shop yesterday, so it must be their release time now. It is not as tart as some of the Marlboro. In general, I like them best with food -- especially lunch because they tend to be crisp and tart (if we are out for a nice lunch which includes wine.)

 

[canuk-gal]

Date: 4/1/2006 4:59:35 PM
Author: lop

Most of the Marlboro whites are Savignon Blancs. They have a distinctive, tart taste, and are very good. The most famous one is Cloudy Bay, which is released once a year and sells out quickly. I just saw some in a local wine shop yesterday, so it must be their release time now. It is not as tart as some of the Marlboro. In general, I like them best with food -- especially lunch because they tend to be crisp and tart (if we are out for a nice lunch which includes wine.)

HI:

I, too, was mystified by the Marlboro reference--is that the producer/vineyard or location? (sorry for dumb questions). Are they oaky at all? As before, I am always on the search for the "ultimate" (hehheee) white wine, and will look for this one next go around........

My husband just told me he might have "business" in Adelaide--so maybe this is a good excuse for me to accompany him and drink myself around Australia and over to NZ as well??? Should I "brush up" on what to expect??

cheers--Sharon

 

[Sundial]

Marlborough is a region on the south island of New Zealand that is known for its wine. We spent two weeks on vacation in New Zealand earlier this year and were told by the locals to look for sauvignon blancs produced in Marlborough and pinot noirs from the central Otago region. We really enjoyed the wine and the country and highly recommend both!

 

[Mara]

I am a sweet wine whore...I hardly ever drink wine but when I do, Moscato is my favorite, but only the light, sweet ones with low alcohol content, I drink them with fish and chicken! And actually it saves me from wanting dessert typically. Even Rieslings are typically not sweet enough for me though there was one we tried recently at a restaurant which was very good.

My fave Moscato so far is the Marchesi di Gresy Moscato, I get them in 1/2 bottles from Whole Foods which can get pricey as there are only about 2 glasses to each bottle, but I did find a case online for alot cheaper so I am thinking maybe I should just go that route!

 

[hlmr]

Date: 4/1/2006 5:46:52 PM
Author: canuk-gal

Date: 4/1/2006 4:59:35 PM
Author: lop

Most of the Marlboro whites are Savignon Blancs. They have a distinctive, tart taste, and are very good. The most famous one is Cloudy Bay, which is released once a year and sells out quickly. I just saw some in a local wine shop yesterday, so it must be their release time now. It is not as tart as some of the Marlboro. In general, I like them best with food -- especially lunch because they tend to be crisp and tart (if we are out for a nice lunch which includes wine.)

HI:

I, too, was mystified by the Marlboro reference--is that the producer/vineyard or location? (sorry for dumb questions). Are they oaky at all? As before, I am always on the search for the ''ultimate'' (hehheee) white wine, and will look for this one next go around........

My husband just told me he might have ''business'' in Adelaide--so maybe this is a good excuse for me to accompany him and drink myself around Australia and over to NZ as well??? Should I ''brush up'' on what to expect??

cheers--Sharon

Oh, how exciting!!!! Most definitely YES!!!

Heather

 

[noobie]

Hi Sharon,

The only Malbec I have in my cellar right now is Catena. They are heavier than I usually drink, except with a hearty meal. A few recent tastes were a 2002 Penfolds Bin 707 Cab that was a little disappointing. It was flabby for how young it was. I''ve been traveling quite a bit and they recently served Poggio Antico Brunello on the flight. As a rule, I don''t drink on intercontinental flights, but I had to make an exception

It was quite good, but then again, I''m partial to Italian wine.

As far as Grappa, don''t know much about it, so can''t help

Cheers!

 

[InLuvWithMrH]

We just got our hands on 2 bottles of 2003 Chateau Leoville Barton - Cab Bordeaux...scored a 98 on Wine Spectator!! Maybe we'll open one for our 10 year Anniversary...

 

[msdarlinjoy]

Date: 4/1/2006 4:59:35 PM
Author: lop

Date: 4/1/2006 4:55:10 PM
Author: Mrs Darlin Joy

I haven''t seen a Marlboro white wine though ... still looking for this one.


Keep the suggestions comming ... I will add to my list to try!


Have a great weekend!

Most of the Marlboro whites are Savignon Blancs. They have a distinctive, tart taste, and are very good. The most famous one is Cloudy Bay, which is released once a year and sells out quickly. I just saw some in a local wine shop yesterday, so it must be their release time now. It is not as tart as some of the Marlboro. In general, I like them best with food -- especially lunch because they tend to be crisp and tart (if we are out for a nice lunch which includes wine.)

Hi Lop ~

Thanks for the info ... I always love learning about wine

. I think I would definately like these, Tart is good. Hubby definately does not do sweet, so this will be a good one to try out, I will look for Cloudy Bay. Have a wonderful evening.

 

[msdarlinjoy]

Date: 4/1/2006 10:20:09 PM
Author: Sundial
Marlborough is a region on the south island of New Zealand that is known for its wine. We spent two weeks on vacation in New Zealand earlier this year and were told by the locals to look for sauvignon blancs produced in Marlborough and pinot noirs from the central Otago region. We really enjoyed the wine and the country and highly recommend both!

Thanks sundial

~ for this added info ... I will linger a lil'' longer and check out the New Zealand''s. I would love to go to New Zealand, pic''s that I have seen of the country is breath-taking!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Had a couple of disappointing reds this w/e--not big bucks so not terribly heartbroken, but will not repeat; Peter Lehman, Knightsbridge, Shiraz; and a Frescobaldi Castiglioni, Chianti. The former was a big cough syrupy and the latter just too sweet for my taste.

As an aside, The Post Hotel presents "Wine Summit Lake Louise 2006 from June 1-4, with wine tastings from Chateau Margeaux, Domaine Serene, La Sprinetta, Joseph Phelps, and Veuve Clicquot. For those of you who''ve never been to Lake Louise or the Post Hotel I highly recommend this wonderful hotel in this magnificient part of the world.....I vote for PS conference, during this time June 1-4

("my back yard")

cheers--Sharon

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

OK, apparently I am the only one who is drinking these days....since this thread is completely dominated by MY posts.....

That said, and given that Father''s Day is coming up, is the impetus for this post. I''m sticking to that story......

My DH is a Port fan. Not to say that I am not, but my proclivities tend toward tawnies, and he likes rubies (like Imperial Topaz to Burmese Ruby?). I decided to get him a nice vintage Port (from my son

) and began to investigate what was available and worthwhile....and found a "treasure".

2003, Vintage, Taylor Fladgate. Deep red body color, beautifully rich & fruity, a lovely bite and smooth finish. Really superior to so many of those other rubies and tawnies we''ve had lately. Worth every penny.

I know it isn''t FD yet, but can you tell we don''t stand on ceremony in our house??!!

cheers--Sharon

 

[noobie]

Date: 6/8/2006 8:13:22 PM
Author: canuk-gal
HI:


OK, apparently I am the only one who is drinking these days....since this thread is completely dominated by MY posts.....

Ummm, no not really

OK, recent bottles:

1995 Moulin St Georges - nicely aged Bordeaux slight floral
1995 La Cardonne - earthly and bigger than the MSG
1987 Grahams Vintage port - ultra smooth and oh so good
1998 Vidal Ice wine - getting a bit long in tooth, but nice none the less. I have a 1994 riesling ice wine that I am keeping to see how it evolves
2001 - La Spinetta - Nice big italian, I would buy this again
1998 Fife Zinfandel - Surprisingly good. Usually not a fan of zins, but this was balanced
1995 Joseph Phelps Cabernet - This was actually very good. I was concerned with how it would develop
1995 E&J Gallo Estate (yes, I know, Gallo, but this is the big estate wine, a very fine Cali cab) It was a bit closed down. I think it needed more air


Boy Sharon, that 2003 Port was opened very young for a vintage. I''m glad you liked it. I am still aging my 70''s, 80''s and 90''s vintages

 

[canuk-gal]

Date: 6/8/2006 8:49:34 PM
Author: noobie

Date: 6/8/2006 8:13:22 PM
Author: canuk-gal
HI:
OK, apparently I am the only one who is drinking these days....since this thread is completely dominated by MY posts.....

Boy Sharon, that 2003 Port was opened very young for a vintage. I''m glad you liked it. I am still aging my 70''s, 80''s and 90''s vintages

HI Noob:

Actually I was planning to write that we never expected to be parents (e.g Fathers Day theme), so "we don''t stand on ceremony", we just enjoy what we have now (Ok too sappy??). Yes, it could be enjoyed for FD''s to come, but hell, life is short....

While I have you on the line Noob; what do you think of:

Beaux Freres 2003 Pinot Noir? Saw it today and was tempted.....
Sorry, did you say you had the Heidseick 1985--Champagne Charlie?
...saw a Phelps today...boohoo forgot which one, but will take up your recommendation
am waiting if I can get the Inniskillin 2002 Vidal Sparkling Icewine.....totally sweet bubbly yum

cheers--Sharon

 

[noobie]

Have not tried Beaux Freres, but have heard good things about them. I have tried the 1990 and 1995 Heidseick, but not the 85. Both were good. In most cases, I prefer a more yeasty, fuller bodied Champagne, although I do like a good blanc de blanc.

Phelps is most known for Insignia, a very good, very expensive cab.

I hope you like the sparkling icewine. It was not to my taste when I bought a bottle a few years back.

On tonight's menu is a 1994 Viader Red from Napa. It is Napa's version of a Cab Franc style Bordeaux (Cheval Blanc). I hope I did not keep it too long. I have stored it for about 8 years. 1994 was agood year so should be OK. Served with 2 1/2 inch thick bone in rib eyes on the grill.


ETA: The Viader was gorgeous. Classic nose of violets from the Cab Franc with sweet fruit and good acidity. It was real yummy... the prime rib eye was good too

 

[Gemklctr]

I should check this forum more often. I'm told the Beaux Freres is the best Pinot Noir made, but it's getting very difficult to find after Sideways. I'm partial to Flowers, but it has very limited availability outside of northern California as well.

I'm also a big fan of icewine from the Niagara region, which is where I grew up, but haven't tried the sparkling version yet. For port, I prefer tawneys at 20-40 years old, but am storing several vintage ports given to me by my partner who collects them.

Finally, I don't think you can go wrong with Insignia. In fact, it's in a recent print from Thomas Arvid (a noted wine artist) along with a Viader! I'll have to try the Viader, and if I like it as much as noobie I'll get the print as well (I collect Arvids).

ETA: Here is a link to the Arvid print:
http://www.thomasarvid.com/gallery/New-Releases/Cover_to_Cover_sig_SM

and a Phelps press release:
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/11-29-2005/0004224550&EDATE=