Re: Need Help With Some Gifted Wine
 

Me too. ;)

Re: Need Help With Some Gifted Wine
 

It's not a good idea to cook with wines that have turned, it's no different than cooking with any other spoiled ingredient, it won't make a magical turnaround, it'll still have an off taste which it will impart into the rest of the dish. You'd be much better off picking up a fresh $2-3 bottle of something like Charles Shaw, Foxbrook or the one that wal-mart carries (owns?) Oak Leaf? Turning Leaf? something like that. :2

Re: Need Help With Some Gifted Wine
 

I would like to see your technique sometime!! :r

I do usually use 2 Buck Chuck. But we will see about these wines. I would never use bad wine. :tu

Re: Need Help With Some Gifted Wine
 

I cook with two buck chuck all the time.

Sometimes I even add it to the food.

Re: Need Help With Some Gifted Wine
 

A BIG +1

The Robert Mondavi is 25 years old! A lot of whites can't handle that amount of aging. I'm curious, does the bottle say where the grapes came from? It just says "California" white, but does it say a vineyard or area/appellation? If it was stored correctly, it could be okay, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

I personally like Meridian as an every day wine, that should be a decent one if you like Reds.

Re: Need Help With Some Gifted Wine
 

Sauvignon Blanc is the grape. My guess is it'll go down the drain, but I would like to read the results soon in this thread!

Re: Need Help With Some Gifted Wine
 

Aw come one, we have been going on with this for three weeks already. She's not going to open them.

Re: Need Help With Some Gifted Wine
 

Poet,

Actually, whites age WAAAAAY better than reds, as a RULE. As in Champagne, Vouvray, Riesling, sweet whites (Sauterne anyone?), Quarts de Chaume and others.

That said, I'd be curious to see how any of these whites turn out. Most cheaper CA whites are not made to age and with age turn to vinegar. Have to see which glass was actually used on that Buena Vista, but the color of the wine tells me it has oxidized a while ago. 25 year old Sauvignon? Best of them don't age well and are not meant to age at all, actually.

Meridian comes from a overripe year in CA, in general, and high yield Central Valley specifically, with very low acidity and no balance to carry it through.

Beajoulais is worth a shot, although it is not Morgon and isn't meant to be aged.
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Moses, you seem to contradict your hero, Parker :-) Not that I disagree with you... I had my last bottle of 1998 Napa Viognier last year, from Pride. It tasted GREAT in every respect, but Pride is considered Top 3 Viognier vineyard around, IMO, and aged in neutral wood (so no oak at all). I am not sure I'd place a bet on the bottles above, doubt good storage conditions on any of these, actually would bet against good storage since no one buys CA cheap whites to age them. Nor reds. They are made to drink short term, as is 95% of the world wine.

Its akin to buying Garcia & Vega to age them, but hey, always worth 10 minutes' time to go through them before you open a good bottle of beer.

Re: Need Help With Some Gifted Wine
 

Forgot to add that beer better be $14 a six pack or more...

Re: Need Help With Some Gifted Wine
 

He's not my wine hero, that would be Michael Broadbent :sl

Speaking of old CA oddballs, I picked up a 1962 Inglenook Gamay in excellent color/condition... Should be interesting.

Re: Need Help With Some Gifted Wine
 

Holy carp, my birth year.

Re: Need Help With Some Gifted Wine
 

Also picked up a 1966 Charles Krug Pinot Noir. I have been searching for older CA Pinot's (before the over ripe high alcohol era). They are undervalued in my opinion and can fool many a Burgundy fan.

Re: Need Help With Some Gifted Wine
 

You mean lack of fruit at mid-palate and mushroomy finish? :-) I've had a couple of older CA Pinots that were incredible, but in general, they are far and few in-between, almost non-existant. Back in the day Pinot was harvested at 5+ tons per acre and clonal selection was lacking. That said, I would love to find some old BV Pinot made by Chelischev, he's the one who started the revolution in 1947.

Can you remind me who invented the use of RO in wine business and why? :sl LLC proudly touts it these days and the rest of them are not shy about it, either.

Got to go, have a meeting in a minute...

Re: Need Help With Some Gifted Wine
 

No one has mentioned, but the merlot is likely to be decent.
I don't drink wine at all, but we go through a lot around here between my wife and family. I do all the buying and pay close attention to how it all presents itself and how it tastes on my wife (we play suckface a lot). I've gotten really good at picking stuff they like and stuff that I like to taste second hand. :)

Re: Need Help With Some Gifted Wine
 

Just the way I like them! Browning on the edge. ;)

As for the BV's, I have:

1968 and 1974 B.V. Pinot Noir, Beaumont

Re: Need Help With Some Gifted Wine
 

It's funny this never went anywhere. How strange is that.

Re: Need Help With Some Gifted Wine
 

OK, Hootie is coming over this weekend. I will open a bottle or two. Been so busy haven't been home any weekend.

Re: Need Help With Some Gifted Wine
 

Careful, if you end up drinkng a great bottle, the wine slope is VERY bad:)