Nice wines I have drunk recently - Red or White

[JohnM]

Ah don't get me started on Sangiovese clones! We'd need a new forum!

Note that with Italian Sangiovese though, in the older vineyards given the long history of plantings and local experience, rather than specific clones (as in new vineyards) the historic massale selection of vines that have performed very well in the specific plot seems to become more important. At Boscarelli (Montepulciano) for example, in some cases they have different 'clones' in alternate rows and sometimes in the same row. They don't actually know anymore what they all are. Just that that vine works well in that part of the vineyard. Good source material for university research projects.

Heh, heh - I knew that would flush him out . Tell us about your avatar .

Ah, the joys of empiricism based on hundreds of years of trial and error! But get a grant, bring in a molecular biologist and maybe kill the romance . IME, watching them trying take over the world by promising the world in the major research organisation where I worked, they can have that sort of effect - in more ways than one .

 

[TheRealTMA]

Heh, heh - I knew that would flush him out . Tell us about your avatar

The avatar comes from the best bottle of one of the many many excellent bottles we drank on my significant and half birthday trip to Italy in '14. Trip started in Milan then Alba for truffles and wines of Barolos, Barbaresco and Barbera d'Asti plus very special birthday dinner at Piazza Duomo , Modena for balsamic and Enotecca Francescana, Northern and Central Chianti for Chianti then to Montepulciano, Montalcino, Pienza and Siena for Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (Boscarelli etc) and Brunellos (Biondi Santi etc) then over to Norcia for salumi and truffles (and interesting whites made from the pecorino grape). Could fill several pages of TRs on this trip.

Obviously I also have a passion for Sassicaia and have drunk several vintages over the years. The 2003 and 2008's have been my favourites. (The current 2011 we drank while I was confined to a wheelchair in Vienna last NY was very ordinary.) we drank at four bottles of the 2008 at different locations. They are pricy and I find them very very variable. Some are just dull (corked?), some really corked, some ok and some blow your head. One we had Siena at the Grand Hotel Continental was sent back and a new bottle brought to their credit they didn't complain and replaced it without qualms. (I didn't have the heart to tell them the new one was not that much better. The one in the avatar was drunk with friends over Bistecca at La Terrazza del Chiostro (Il Chiostro di Pienza) and was one of the greatest wines I've ever drunk. One could smell (or feel) the aroma of the wine from 3 feet away when it was decanted and the wine itself just blew your head off with flavour, fruit, unbelievable depth and sheer joy of life.


Pienza Sassicaia 2008


Vienna - Sassicaia 2011 with medical supplies.

 

[TomVexille]

Paging Penegal... when are we having a MEL Pinot tasting/ appreciation night???

Hmmmm, this sounds interesting

 

[TheRealTMA]

Was planning a night off on soda water to prepare for the visit to the Willamette Valley next month but sedimental and the discussions today have been slowly working their magic so I searched the cellar and found my 2nd last bottle of the Block 2. Delicious it is too, if a little soft.



Damm you sedimental!:evil:

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Reached for the top shelf myself tonight!

 

[drron]

How was the Petaluma looking. I have a 2000 sitting in the cellar, was looking to see if i need to drink up soon.

Still drinking very nicely.
Though all the early reviews suggested the 2001 would last longer than 2000 so probably wise to consider drinking it some time this year.

 

[UpInTheAir:)]

Was planning a night off on soda water to prepare for the visit to the Willamette Valley next month but sedimental and the discussions today have been slowly working their magic so I searched the cellar and found my 2nd last bottle of the Block 2. Delicious it is too, if a little soft.

View attachment 46048View attachment 46049

Damm you sedimental!:evil:

You can never say no to Yabby... Enjoy

 

[UpInTheAir:)]

Reached for the top shelf myself tonight!

View attachment 46061

Cruiser.. You are awesome as always

 

[TheRealTMA]

Cruiser.. You are awesome as always

Has anyone thought to contact RedRoo to see if they will honour our colleague CruiserElite with a coughtail for the F lounges named in his honour?

No no idea what would be in it but I'm sure those more experienced in coughtails than I could offer suggestions!

 

[JohnM]

The avatar comes from the best bottle of one of the many many excellent bottles we drank on my significant and half birthday trip to Italy in '14. Trip started in Milan then Alba for truffles and wines of Barolos, Barbaresco and Barbera d'Asti plus very special birthday dinner at Piazza Duomo , Modena for balsamic and Enotecca Francescana, Northern and Central Chianti for Chianti then to Montepulciano, Montalcino, Pienza and Siena for Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (Boscarelli etc) and Brunellos (Biondi Santi etc) then over to Norcia for salumi and truffles (and interesting whites made from the pecorino grape). Could fill several pages of TRs on this trip.

Obviously I also have a passion for Sassicaia and have drunk several vintages over the years. The 2003 and 2008's have been my favourites. (The current 2011 we drank while I was confined to a wheelchair in Vienna last NY was very ordinary.) we drank at four bottles of the 2008 at different locations. They are pricy and I find them very very variable. Some are just dull (corked?), some really corked, some ok and some blow your head. One we had Siena at the Grand Hotel Continental was sent back and a new bottle brought to their credit they didn't complain and replaced it without qualms. (I didn't have the heart to tell them the new one was not that much better. The one in the avatar was drunk with friends over Bistecca at La Terrazza del Chiostro (Il Chiostro di Pienza) and was one of the greatest wines I've ever drunk. One could smell (or feel) the aroma of the wine from 3 feet away when it was decanted and the wine itself just blew your head off with flavour, fruit, unbelievable depth and sheer joy of life.

View attachment 46032
Pienza Sassicaia 2008

View attachment 46031
Vienna - Sassicaia 2011 with medical supplies.

See, peeps, I can flush 'em out with the best of them .

Seriously, though, fascinating stuff and thanks for posting. Errr - not yet another medico, by any chance .

I hope your confinement to a wheelchair - for someone so young - was temporary.

 

[JohnM]

Believe it or not, after last week's tasting, I have been welcomed into Daver6's wine tasting group (see, QF WP, I don't always disgrace myself :shock::mrgreen and we have a tasting that night. Theme is: reds from a road less travelled. Promises to be fun and interesting.

BTW, just catching up with the thread after spending most of the day on the beach. Gorgeous Indian summer weather after rather early rains last week and, unusually for the west coast, a nice offshore breeze blowing all day (normally a sand-blasting sea breeze hits by noon). Anyone who's seen anything of the Margaret River world championship surfing on at the moment would know that an insane swell is running. Surf is a bit cough in Perth, but the vibe on the beach is sweet-as .

 

[JohnM]

Was planning a night off on soda water to prepare for the visit to the Willamette Valley next month but sedimental and the discussions today have been slowly working their magic so I searched the cellar and found my 2nd last bottle of the Block 2. Delicious it is too, if a little soft.

View attachment 46048View attachment 46049

Damm you sedimental!:evil:

Ahh, 2010, I see. I have two slumbering. What are your thoughts on when to send numero uno to the angels?

 

[JohnM]

Was planning a night off on soda water to prepare for the visit to the Willamette Valley next month

There's no need to take things that seriously :shock:.

Know it quite well from several visits. Tell us more about the plans. TR please .

Have you been/are you aware of the Evergreen aviation museum near McMinnville? It's the home of the Spruce Goose. Worth a visit, as is staying at the colonial McMennamins hotel in McMinnville.

 

[TheRealTMA]

See, peeps, I can flush 'em out with the best of them .

Seriously, though, fascinating stuff and thanks for posting. Errr - not yet another medico, by any chance .

I hope your confinement to a wheelchair - for someone so young - was temporary.

No, a 'proper' doctor

The wheelchair was for the quadriceps femorus tendon done by tripping down three steps on 25th Dec at 11 pm. Had not had a drink for 7 hrs! Op on Boxing Day to screw it back and five days in AKH hospital in Vienna. Loverly. Just filling out the insurance claim today after getting in all the bills - in excess on $25k.

 

[JohnM]

No, a 'proper' doctor

The wheelchair was for the quadriceps femorus tendon done by tripping down three steps on 25th Dec at 11 pm. Had not had a drink for 7 hrs! Op on Boxing Day to screw it back and five days in AKH hospital in Vienna. Loverly. Just filling out the insurance claim today after getting in all the bills - in excess on $25k.

And what does the first comment mean . You talkin' about them there PhDs by any chance?

Ouch! That tells me that maybe you should have kept drinking - you may have rolled with the bumps a little better .

 

[TheRealTMA]

There's no need to take things that seriously :shock:.

Know it quite well from several visits. Tell us more about the plans. TR please .

Have you been/are you aware of the Evergreen aviation museum near McMinnville? It's the home of the Spruce Goose. Worth a visit, as is staying at the colonial McMennamins hotel in McMinnville.

Yes. Thanks. Drove past the Evergreen museum last year on drive from Seattle to Sonoma/SFO but didn't have time to stop because of winery visits. Am planning a visit this trip to pace out the wineries.

Staying at the Allison resort for four nights.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Ahh, 2010, I see. I have two slumbering. What are your thoughts on when to send numero uno to the angels?

Another 2-3 years.

 

[blackcat20]

My picks from Epiqure Sips and Sliders:
The Lane basket press shiraz
Wolf Blass St John shiraz
Wolf Blass black label 2006

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Cruiser.. You are awesome

Wouldn't go that far - and wine I depicted was not quite as good as I hoped - lacked complexity and stopped a little short on the back pallet.

Indeed I think this wine may have been mislabelled - it said Western Australia - but I suspect it was indeed a New Zealand wine ........................ it tasted a lot like sheep dip!

 

[UpInTheAir:)]

Wouldn't go that far - and wine I depicted was not quite as good as I hoped - lacked complexity and stopped a little short on the back pallet.

Indeed I think this wine may have been mislabelled - it said Western Australia - but I suspect it was indeed a New Zealand wine ........................ it tasted a lot like sheep dip!

Yes I've been there... certainly didn't buy any wine lol.. Hence my laugh at your "top shelf" comment..