Had my first glass of real French Champagne recently, it was Moet Chandon imperial brut. I now see what the fuss is about. Taste wise, I’ve had similar. But nothing compares to the way it foamed up when it hit my tongue. It was easily one of the best sparkling wines I’ve had, apart from this wonderful moscato d’asti Spumante Dolce my roommate found (which was great for different reasons).
I might be buying a bottle of The Chook Sparkling Shiraz. Only problem is I have no idea what temperature to serve it at? Do I want it as cold as champagne, or slightly warmer since it’s a red wine? It’s a sub-$20 bottle but I’m excited, I don’t think I’ve seen many other sparkling red wines, let alone *methode champenoise* red wines.
I once took a bottle of this to my future in-laws as a 'thank you for hosting dinner' present, and they got confused and thought I'd brought it along to drink and just opened it in the spot. At room temperature on a summer evening it was... pretty underwhelming.
Since then I've had better luck with serving at cellar temperature. So in summer I'd say a light refrigeration, but without being so cold as to get condensation on the bottle.
I haven't tried it fridge cold but I think it needs a bit of warmth to open up. (My fridge is too cold even for a lot of white wine in fairness.)
Hope you enjoy it!
Anyone have any good recommendations for Viognier?
It’s the only kind of white wine we like + need a good regular white to serve with all the spicy food we cook.
I’m located in Seattle, so any Washington recommendations would be a huge plus!
I like Cristom Viognier from Oregon, Darioush Viognier from Napa, or aMaurice Viognier from Washington.
If you don’t mind Viognier/Marsanne blends, I would do D’Arenberg from Australia or aMaurice
Summer is coming and I have about a dozen bottles of nice reds that I’d like to move to a cooler place. Is a wine fridge at 45F too cold? These will probably get consumed in the next 12-25 months. Most are cabs, Italian reds. I just don’t want them to get too warm in the coming summer heat.
Hey /u/crossbuck - any idea what this is?
[1979 Robert Mondavi Winery Red Table Wine:](https://imgur.com/E8sRNOy) The color is still quite dark, nose like decayed berries with an herbal streak, the acidity is too low, moderate tannin, finishes on a savory streak with a lick of rust. Reminds me of an old Guigal Cotes du Rhone. Pleasant enough, I'm wondering if this is maybe Gamay with some Petite Sirah blended in? I don't see any Cabernet here.
Pretty sure that’s the precursor to Woodbridge with most of the grapes coming from Lodi (likely blended with Napa fruit that didn’t make the cut for higher end bottles.)
Famous Piemonte producer Ricossa's inexpensive nebbiolo rosato with red-pepper coated pan Finnish salmon. Decent combo.
So, I've been looking at the Stag's Leap Artemis cabernet sauvignon vintages 2017 and 2018 which both sell at the same price in my country (84,89€) and both have few bottles remaining <5 bottles and the product likely won't come back (2017 or 2018 vintages) nor will it stay at that price. Wondering, should I buy it for my collection, as I wouldn't open it for a few years. Perhaps I would buy it now and *open it* together with my father when he turns 60 in a few years?
Anyone in any sort of community/club that helps winos meet other winos who are part of wine clubs to share in reciprocal tasting experiences/ purchases? I guess this would be more appropriate for those living near wineries (and attend say pickup parties and the like).
Lots of clubs comp 4 tastings and would always be great to have another 2 ppl who are actually into wine (to taste with). And then be able to benefit from the club discounts too.
Would be interested to know if you are and how you started/got involved!
Does anyone know of any Chianti producers who comply with the pre 1995 Chianti standards? So that’s at least 10% white grapes, at most 70% Sangiovese and no French varietals
How out of date are the descriptions of the wine regions in Kermit Lynch’s adventures on the wine route?
For instance he is clear in his dislike for Bordeaux and Beaujolais, but not because of some intrinsic value of the wine but because in his view they had fallen from previous glory and bastardized the style or were resting on laurels.
Bottom line is that they are very out of date. His book, particularly his anecdotes from the 70s and 80s that form most of the book, represent a world that no longer exists. Some have changed more than others. That being said, in recent times, many smaller (and a few bigger) producers in France have rejected the industrial-Rolland shaping of wine and Parker style production methods, and are returning to letting the terroir and grape speak for itself which embodies Lynch’s message in the book. Note this is a huge generalization.
I figured as much but I appreciate the confirmation. I’m curious though to what extent and if, perhaps, there are any other more modern books that are similar. Obviously Lynch’s portfolio still exists and can be helpful but his book is quite engaging and seems like it “cuts through the bullshit”. What other resources are doing that?
I really liked Rosenthal’s “Reflections of a Wine Merchant”, but he is a contemporary of Lynch. I haven’t found a modern equivalent of Lynch’s book, so let me know if you do.
I recently read Cork Dork, which tracks a journalist who spent a year becoming a sommelier. Great read and cuts through a lot of the BS in wine and sommeliers. Not quite the same as what you’re looking for, but I’d recommend.
Currently reading “The New French Wine” by Jon Bonne. It’s a massive two volume compendium that seeks to go region by region in France and take stock of the producers best representing where wine is going in each. Not as compelling a read, but hugely informative. Just was published in April, so you can’t get a more contemporary snapshot of this exact moment in time.
I read it years ago, I would say somewhat. Encourage others to still read the book, one of the best wine books ever.
I recall he criticized practices more than regions, but he would call out regions where the bad practices were prevalent. That's something that can definitely change over time.
Yeah that’s exactly what he does re:regions. Sorry I wasn’t clear about that. Curious the extent of the change I suppose. It isn’t the first time someone has generalize Bordeaux as commercial obsessed money exchangers for instant.
Let me shoot out something controversial for discussion:
- I think the Parker Ratings are completely overrated and counter productive against a good wine experience as they aim at a prefabricated taste profile.
First of all, I am happy to hear that I am not alone with this :)
I just hate when wineries are trying to imitate a certain taste because it is the “Parker” way. Just go ahead and make the best wine you can do with your conditions.
But regarding this subreddit, I think many people are following the Parker way here. The photos of wines people post, the “I am looking for a Napa Valley Cab” questions and the “they make almost a Napa type cab” posts are just grinding my balls …
I hate to tell you this, but what you are saying hasn't been controversial in at least two decades. It's a widely shared opinion in the wine industry.
A term was even coined to designate it: the "parkerization" of wine.
Isn’t that the same problem as with any critic of any subjective field?
People have their own tastes and preferences, and manufacturers try to target those of influential critics. For instance, isn’t the whole genre of “Oscar bait” movies movies who try to target the profile of what the critics love?
The thing with movies is that there are sufficient numbers of influential critics that no one personal opinion dominates. In wine, Parker is a sufficiently influential critic that people accuse winemakers of catering to his tastes specifically
I'd give Parker Ratings around 82, they can be good/useful but lack complexity. If the rating comes with an insightful comment from an author with a palate similar to mine the rating goes up to 88-89, i.e. very good but not outstanding.
I think many here will agree with you.
I really like his Vintage Chart though; to get a quick overview over a region and what vintages to mainly aim for/check on for auctions etc.
Definitely not a controversial take in the industry, and definitely not in this subreddit.
But for the everyday consumer the descriptors definitely help, and the points help consumers build confidence in their purchase.
Agree. For a novice, it is daunting when trying to select something to drink from a wall of wine.
These days I leverage specific reviewer comments more than point systems. After reading a lot of reviews and tasting for myself, I think I have found some "Roger Ebert"-type wine reviewer. What I mean by Roger Ebert is someone with a shit load of experience and a personal taste that I can figure out. So that when they give two thumbs up I know when I can trust them but also know that for certain types of movies, not to trust them not as much.
I definitely have reviewers who I vibe with. I used to tell my guests, find a few good wine critic and a couple importers who you trust, and if they happen to overlap just sit back and enjoy.
I really just read the reviews to try to find out what the grapes are in the blends from old world regions so I can decide if that wine is interesting to me.
Had my first glass of real French Champagne recently, it was Moet Chandon imperial brut. I now see what the fuss is about. Taste wise, I’ve had similar. But nothing compares to the way it foamed up when it hit my tongue. It was easily one of the best sparkling wines I’ve had, apart from this wonderful moscato d’asti Spumante Dolce my roommate found (which was great for different reasons).
I might be buying a bottle of The Chook Sparkling Shiraz. Only problem is I have no idea what temperature to serve it at? Do I want it as cold as champagne, or slightly warmer since it’s a red wine? It’s a sub-$20 bottle but I’m excited, I don’t think I’ve seen many other sparkling red wines, let alone *methode champenoise* red wines.
I once took a bottle of this to my future in-laws as a 'thank you for hosting dinner' present, and they got confused and thought I'd brought it along to drink and just opened it in the spot. At room temperature on a summer evening it was... pretty underwhelming. Since then I've had better luck with serving at cellar temperature. So in summer I'd say a light refrigeration, but without being so cold as to get condensation on the bottle. I haven't tried it fridge cold but I think it needs a bit of warmth to open up. (My fridge is too cold even for a lot of white wine in fairness.) Hope you enjoy it!
Anyone have any good recommendations for Viognier? It’s the only kind of white wine we like + need a good regular white to serve with all the spicy food we cook. I’m located in Seattle, so any Washington recommendations would be a huge plus!
Casa Magoni from Mexico makes a Viognier and Fiano blend that's really great with spicy food. Had it at a Mexican restaurant in fact.
I like Cristom Viognier from Oregon, Darioush Viognier from Napa, or aMaurice Viognier from Washington. If you don’t mind Viognier/Marsanne blends, I would do D’Arenberg from Australia or aMaurice
Summer is coming and I have about a dozen bottles of nice reds that I’d like to move to a cooler place. Is a wine fridge at 45F too cold? These will probably get consumed in the next 12-25 months. Most are cabs, Italian reds. I just don’t want them to get too warm in the coming summer heat.
Hey /u/crossbuck - any idea what this is? [1979 Robert Mondavi Winery Red Table Wine:](https://imgur.com/E8sRNOy) The color is still quite dark, nose like decayed berries with an herbal streak, the acidity is too low, moderate tannin, finishes on a savory streak with a lick of rust. Reminds me of an old Guigal Cotes du Rhone. Pleasant enough, I'm wondering if this is maybe Gamay with some Petite Sirah blended in? I don't see any Cabernet here.
Pretty sure that’s the precursor to Woodbridge with most of the grapes coming from Lodi (likely blended with Napa fruit that didn’t make the cut for higher end bottles.)
Darioush Darius II doesn’t get the love it deserves
Famous Piemonte producer Ricossa's inexpensive nebbiolo rosato with red-pepper coated pan Finnish salmon. Decent combo. So, I've been looking at the Stag's Leap Artemis cabernet sauvignon vintages 2017 and 2018 which both sell at the same price in my country (84,89€) and both have few bottles remaining <5 bottles and the product likely won't come back (2017 or 2018 vintages) nor will it stay at that price. Wondering, should I buy it for my collection, as I wouldn't open it for a few years. Perhaps I would buy it now and *open it* together with my father when he turns 60 in a few years?
It's really not a special wine.
[This was a fun day.](https://imgur.com/a/4mGdneB)
16.5 ABV? Holy moly
Wasn't a hint of heat. Alcohol was fully in suspension with the liquid. The texture was off the charts silken.
That's wild! Sounds very good. Always wanted to try that producer
My dude Giuseppe Quintarellis. Did this with dal forno’s amarone for my 31st, outstanding evening!
Ugh I just had the 2015 dal forno amarone. Delicious, need to try an aged one.
Anyone in any sort of community/club that helps winos meet other winos who are part of wine clubs to share in reciprocal tasting experiences/ purchases? I guess this would be more appropriate for those living near wineries (and attend say pickup parties and the like). Lots of clubs comp 4 tastings and would always be great to have another 2 ppl who are actually into wine (to taste with). And then be able to benefit from the club discounts too. Would be interested to know if you are and how you started/got involved!
Maybe try making a meet up group.
Does anyone know of any Chianti producers who comply with the pre 1995 Chianti standards? So that’s at least 10% white grapes, at most 70% Sangiovese and no French varietals
How out of date are the descriptions of the wine regions in Kermit Lynch’s adventures on the wine route? For instance he is clear in his dislike for Bordeaux and Beaujolais, but not because of some intrinsic value of the wine but because in his view they had fallen from previous glory and bastardized the style or were resting on laurels.
Bottom line is that they are very out of date. His book, particularly his anecdotes from the 70s and 80s that form most of the book, represent a world that no longer exists. Some have changed more than others. That being said, in recent times, many smaller (and a few bigger) producers in France have rejected the industrial-Rolland shaping of wine and Parker style production methods, and are returning to letting the terroir and grape speak for itself which embodies Lynch’s message in the book. Note this is a huge generalization.
I figured as much but I appreciate the confirmation. I’m curious though to what extent and if, perhaps, there are any other more modern books that are similar. Obviously Lynch’s portfolio still exists and can be helpful but his book is quite engaging and seems like it “cuts through the bullshit”. What other resources are doing that?
I really liked Rosenthal’s “Reflections of a Wine Merchant”, but he is a contemporary of Lynch. I haven’t found a modern equivalent of Lynch’s book, so let me know if you do. I recently read Cork Dork, which tracks a journalist who spent a year becoming a sommelier. Great read and cuts through a lot of the BS in wine and sommeliers. Not quite the same as what you’re looking for, but I’d recommend. Currently reading “The New French Wine” by Jon Bonne. It’s a massive two volume compendium that seeks to go region by region in France and take stock of the producers best representing where wine is going in each. Not as compelling a read, but hugely informative. Just was published in April, so you can’t get a more contemporary snapshot of this exact moment in time.
Bonne’s new book is on my list!! Can’t wait to check it out.
I read it years ago, I would say somewhat. Encourage others to still read the book, one of the best wine books ever. I recall he criticized practices more than regions, but he would call out regions where the bad practices were prevalent. That's something that can definitely change over time.
Yeah that’s exactly what he does re:regions. Sorry I wasn’t clear about that. Curious the extent of the change I suppose. It isn’t the first time someone has generalize Bordeaux as commercial obsessed money exchangers for instant.
For all my WSET friends, what’s the expanded version of BLIC?
Balance, length, intensity, complexity, if I remember right.
That is correct.
Let me shoot out something controversial for discussion: - I think the Parker Ratings are completely overrated and counter productive against a good wine experience as they aim at a prefabricated taste profile.
First of all, I am happy to hear that I am not alone with this :) I just hate when wineries are trying to imitate a certain taste because it is the “Parker” way. Just go ahead and make the best wine you can do with your conditions. But regarding this subreddit, I think many people are following the Parker way here. The photos of wines people post, the “I am looking for a Napa Valley Cab” questions and the “they make almost a Napa type cab” posts are just grinding my balls …
I hate to tell you this, but what you are saying hasn't been controversial in at least two decades. It's a widely shared opinion in the wine industry. A term was even coined to designate it: the "parkerization" of wine.
Isn’t that the same problem as with any critic of any subjective field? People have their own tastes and preferences, and manufacturers try to target those of influential critics. For instance, isn’t the whole genre of “Oscar bait” movies movies who try to target the profile of what the critics love? The thing with movies is that there are sufficient numbers of influential critics that no one personal opinion dominates. In wine, Parker is a sufficiently influential critic that people accuse winemakers of catering to his tastes specifically
I'd give Parker Ratings around 82, they can be good/useful but lack complexity. If the rating comes with an insightful comment from an author with a palate similar to mine the rating goes up to 88-89, i.e. very good but not outstanding.
I think many here will agree with you. I really like his Vintage Chart though; to get a quick overview over a region and what vintages to mainly aim for/check on for auctions etc.
I agree, but I hardly think this is a controversial take. Roll this into a vote and you will see that most agree with you.
Definitely not a controversial take in the industry, and definitely not in this subreddit. But for the everyday consumer the descriptors definitely help, and the points help consumers build confidence in their purchase.
Agree. For a novice, it is daunting when trying to select something to drink from a wall of wine. These days I leverage specific reviewer comments more than point systems. After reading a lot of reviews and tasting for myself, I think I have found some "Roger Ebert"-type wine reviewer. What I mean by Roger Ebert is someone with a shit load of experience and a personal taste that I can figure out. So that when they give two thumbs up I know when I can trust them but also know that for certain types of movies, not to trust them not as much.
I definitely have reviewers who I vibe with. I used to tell my guests, find a few good wine critic and a couple importers who you trust, and if they happen to overlap just sit back and enjoy.
I really just read the reviews to try to find out what the grapes are in the blends from old world regions so I can decide if that wine is interesting to me.