The Wine Thread

[aldukes]

Originally Posted by BC-Axeman

The site works for me. A little slow loading. Hey if money is no object, they have a lot of $3000+ wines you can take a chance on.

sign up for the monthly email- they send out the entire catalog via email. its awesome bathroom material.

[aldukes]

Originally Posted by SmokinApe

Thanks for the tip... I haven't been drinking anyone brand in particular... I like full bodied reds; Cab Sav, Merlot, and a Malbec... Probably around 2005... I know that Boogle is a brand that I usually pick up but no others stand out in my mind...

bogle makes a very good petite sirah.

malbec- i usually stick to Mendoza region in Argentina. Ask your wine shop if they have any wines from Cahors, France. The same grape, but made in an
'old-world" style.

try some Bordeaux- for under $15 you can still get some pretty good wines.

Originally Posted by aldukes

malbec- i usually stick to Mendoza region in Argentina.

Ill second Argentine Malbecs. Spent some time in Mendoza this year visiting some of the wineries I carry here in Wa. very high quality to price ratio. I would say for the money, most of the varietals from Argentina are pretty fine compared to their american counterparts at the same price. For whites, try some Torrontes. Its the main grape of Argentina and very specific to their region. Zippy foral flavors with great acid. Think Sauv Blanc at a great price point.

~Vitis

[SmokinApe]

Can you guys recommend any Argentine brands?

[aldukes]

Originally Posted by SmokinApe

Can you guys recommend any Argentine brands?

Punto Final Malbec Reserva 2005- had this about a month ago- thought it was pretty good- a little heavy on the oak- but at about 12 dollars- totally worth it.

Michel Rolland is involved in Val de Flores and Clos de los Siete. I havent had from either vineyard- I'm going to track down a bottle of 06 Clos this week- I'll post tasting notes.

I don't know much, but my girlfriend has gotten me into a lot of the whites, Riesling, Vino Verde (good cheap bottle from Trader Joes). I'm a fan of Ice wines as well from Canada, and some excellent Muscato's out there as well. it's like drinking juice.

[aldukes]

Originally Posted by aldukes

Punto Final Malbec Reserva 2005- had this about a month ago- thought it was pretty good- a little heavy on the oak- but at about 12 dollars- totally worth it.

Michel Rolland is involved in Val de Flores and Clos de los Siete. I havent had from either vineyard- I'm going to track down a bottle of 06 Clos this week- I'll post tasting notes.

two more:

Layer Cake '07- not bad for about 17 a bottle- black fruit , chocolate- good with a steak.

Urban Uco- puts out a decent product for under 12 a bottle. Heavy oak- but pretty decent fruit- not as good as the two above.

[Mugen910]

Finally...I can start learning about wines...

Originally Posted by SmokinApe

Can you guys recommend any Argentine brands?

For entry level stuff, i love Zolo, which should be around $10-$12 depending on where you are located. Great Malbec, Bonarda, Cab, Merlot and Torrontes.

For a Step up check out Melipal Malbec. (around $20) Hector durigutti makes this one and he is basicaly the Rock Star of Argentinian wine making.. The wines are very rich w/ black fruit and sweet oak. Made for the American palate, and loved by a lot of the reviewers. Very impressive for the $$.

~Vitis

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by aldukes

Michel Rolland is involved in Val de Flores and Clos de los Siete. I havent had from either vineyard- I'm going to track down a bottle of 06 Clos this week- I'll post tasting notes.

I've had Close de los Siete a couple of times. If you are a fan of new world wines, you may like this. To me, it has too much alcohol and seems too "worked" to my likes. Many critics and consumers are fans, so I say go for it. At 14.5% and some decent concentration, the wine has good aging potential.

I am hardly an expert or regular consumer of S. American wines, so I can't offer you much advice.

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by AdamC

I don't know much, but my girlfriend has gotten me into a lot of the whites, Riesling, Vino Verde (good cheap bottle from Trader Joes). I'm a fan of Ice wines as well from Canada, and some excellent Muscato's out there as well. it's like drinking juice.

Vinho Verde is a great stuff. Try the Aveleda brand. VV is a hidden gem, don't tell anyone!

You'll probably love Sauternes, which is a late harvest white Bordeaux like an Ice Wine. Chateau d'Arche is a good one for under $25 for 375 ml.

[SmokinApe]

Thanks for the tips!

[SmokinApe]

I drank a few glasses of this last night, it was pretty good...

http://wineenabler.com/just-wines/ma...06-roogle-red/

[aldukes]

Originally Posted by SmokinApe

I drank a few glasses of this last night, it was pretty good...

http://wineenabler.com/just-wines/ma...06-roogle-red/

Marquis Phillips makes some pretty good Shiraz based blends. I'll keep an eye out for this.

[aldukes]

I'm on a late fall white wine kick lately so I'm pushing back the Clos de los Siete.
I'm really into Vouvray right now- Vouvray is always 100% Chenin Blanc.

Producer: Domaine de Vaufuget
Vintage: 2007
Region: Taurine ,Loire, France
Price: $11

Sight: Clear, bright straw color
Nose: Apple, pear, lime, charcoal, white flowers
Palate: Apple, citrus, lots of chalk, slight almond sweetness,touch of copper on the finish (in a good way)

Very simple wine with great fruit flavors and enough acid to cut through the Mexican food I had it with. Touch of sweetness, even a little salty too.

[SmokinApe]

I am about 1/2 way through a bottle of this Cab Sav, pretty decent stuff... From a local vineyard in NOVA, Tarara...

[LasciviousXXX]

I love good wine but generally can't afford to drink it on a regular basis so I stick to the mid level stuff mostly. Anything from the Monterey Valley area is a fave of mine and recently I've been into Norther Rhone's but they can sometimes get pricey.

I have been lucky enough to enjoy some truly fantastic wines thanks to some of our bro's here.... so thanks guys.


Last bottle I had was mid-level 2003 Coppola Diamond Claret. Great rich wine with deep color and aroma. Good stuff

[CoventryCat86]

Originally Posted by aldukes

I'm on a late fall white wine kick lately so I'm pushing back the Clos de los Siete.
I'm really into Vouvray right now- Vouvray is always 100% Chenin Blanc.

Producer: Domaine de Vaufuget
Vintage: 2007
Region: Taurine ,Loire, France
Price: $11

Sight: Clear, bright straw color
Nose: Apple, pear, lime, charcoal, white flowers
Palate: Apple, citrus, lots of chalk, slight almond sweetness,touch of copper on the finish (in a good way)

Very simple wine with great fruit flavors and enough acid to cut through the Mexican food I had it with. Touch of sweetness, even a little salty too.

NICE!!

Not that I'm a huge wine expert but the subject certainly does interest me and I could talk about it for a long time but I'll try and keep this relatively short:

Vouvray is a very nice and little known fairly dry white. My ex-wife/fiance (don't ask, LMAO!) Kathleen, is the Tasting Room Manager at Hopkins Vineyard in western Connecticut. She know a lot about wine (from drinking A LOT of it, LOL!) and likes Vouvray (as you said, made from Chenin Blanc grapes) and she also likes Pinot Grigio. We both like drier wines.

Hopkins Vineyard is the largest of the 30 or so vineyards in Connecticut and by largest, I say by the number of acres of grapes they grow (~35 acres). Sharpe Hill in Pomfret, CT claims they are the "largest" based on total number of cases sold per year because they import quite a few of their grapes and juices. Almost all of Hopkins' wines are "estate grown" meaning they grow the grapes there in Warren, CT on their property.

Kathleen played a big part in designing a new European-style Rose (drier than what most people think of when you talk about Rose), it's called "Lady Rose" but you can't find it on their website because it's new this year. Since it was an experiment, they only made 130 cases and it sold out in ten weeks. They hope to make quite a bit more for next year so be sure to watch for it on their site. I'll post back here when it's available.

Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are damn near impossible to grow in Connecticut so a few of the vineyards here grow Cabernet Franc grapes which is sometimes called the "grandfather" of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. Cab Francs tend to be drier than most Cabernet Sauvignons and are not quite as full bodied as your average Cabernet Sauvignon. Hopkins' Cab Franc is IMO the BEST one you'll find from CT vineyards. The 2005 was fantastic but it just sold out last weekend (I got one of the last cases!). And yes, it noticeably varies from year to year. The 2002 was a great one and the 2003 was "not good" when it first came out but as the year went on, it seemed to markedly improve in the bottle. 2004 was a bad growing year here in CT so what little Cab Franc grapes they grew all went into the Red Barn Red blend so there was no Cabernet Franc from Hopkins in 2004.

Hopkins also makes two very good sparkling wines, Gold Label and Silver Label and I love them both.

I'm also a huge Bordeaux fan along with Cabernet Sauvignon. Bordeauxs are blends with mostly Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, along with a little Merlot and sometimes a little Cabernet Franc thrown in along with Petit Verdot. I've never had a first growth label Bordeaux (since most are high three figures per bottle) but I've had a second growth one and it was wonderful (Chateau Lascombes Margaux 2003). Check out the "Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855" to see what I'm talking about.

I'm still trying to figure out the difference between a "grape" (Cabernet Franc) and a "region" (ie "Bordeaux"). One of these days, I hope to "get it", LOL!

The world of wine is very similar to cigars, drink what you like and like what you drink. Fancy, expensive wines are nice but there are some great wines out there for $10.00 to $15.00 a bottle.

By the way, GREAT THREAD!

[CoventryCat86]

For any of you guys in the Sonoma/Napa region in California, you live in what many consider the best area in the WORLD for wine!

I'd love to make a trip out there some day! I'd also really enjoy a trip to France at some point in my life. I'd definitely make the Bordeaux region my #1 priority.

[CoventryCat86]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

Vinho Verde is a great stuff. Try the Aveleda brand. VV is a hidden gem, don't tell anyone!

You'll probably love Sauternes, which is a late harvest white Bordeaux like an Ice Wine. Chateau d'Arche is a good one for under $25 for 375 ml.

Hopkins makes an AWESOME Ice Wine. It's expensive stuff but if you're into 'Ice Wine" then you really ought to try it. It's a very heavy, very sweet dessert wine.