Muga chaka, Muga, Muga...

T

Thor

Thor Iverson
Muga 2008 Rioja Rosado (Center-North Spain) Tasted next to a more oxidized and much older Rioja rosado (yes, Lpez de Heredia), whats interesting to me is not the points of difference lusher, more present fruit at a higher volume but rather the points of commonality. The suggestions of oxidation (the pleasant kind) are already present, as are the pillowy minerality than will erode to something more skeletal with time. So many ross from elsewhere are about sharp red fruit; these are anything but, showing more kinship with the low plains and valleys of the regions whites than with the sultrier reds from which theyre varietally derived. (2/10)

Marte 2006 Vino de la Tierra de Castilla (Castilla-Len) Haphazard red fruit, sun-warmed and reasonably acidic. Neither knit nor multisyllabic, but pleasant enough. It says its a country wine and it tastes like a country wine. Truth in advertising! (1/10)

Amesguren Ameztoi 2008 Getariako Txakolina Rubentis (Northwest Spain) Airier and bonier than usual, even for a wine that defines itself by its lack of lushness. A little spritz, a brittle exterior of chilly red fruit, and a lightning-slash of acidity are about all one gets. Possibly an off-bottle. (2/10)
 
originally posted by Thor:
Amesguren Ameztoi 2008 Getariako Txakolina Rubentis (Northwest Spain) Airier and bonier than usual, even for a wine that defines itself by its lack of lushness. A little spritz, a brittle exterior of chilly red fruit, and a lightning-slash of acidity are about all one gets. Possibly an off-bottle. (2/10)
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I had similiar experiences with every bottle in a half case purchased a while back. I had more than a little spritz in each one. the last bottle i opened the other day had flakes floating in it that were swirling around after the cork was pulled.
 
I had a bottle of the '08 Rubentis at dinner a couple weeks back, with oysters, a pizza with bottarga di muggine, and some wood-oven roasted squid and it was just right, couldn't have been better. I can't help it if I'm lucky...
 
The 2007 Rubentis is still drinking well, according to a friend who has tried it. I didn't like the 2008 that much. Only a few months until the 2009 hits the shelves.
 
originally posted by Bill Lundstrom:
originally posted by Thor:
Amesguren Ameztoi 2008 Getariako Txakolina Rubentis (Northwest Spain) Airier and bonier than usual, even for a wine that defines itself by its lack of lushness. A little spritz, a brittle exterior of chilly red fruit, and a lightning-slash of acidity are about all one gets. Possibly an off-bottle. (2/10)
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I had similiar experiences with every bottle in a half case purchased a while back. I had more than a little spritz in each one. the last bottle i opened the other day had flakes floating in it that were swirling around after the cork was pulled.
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We bought almost a case of the 2007. Over time it threw some flakey sediment, which decreased the color slightly. In spite of that the wine was fine. I don't know about the 2008 - my attempts to acquire some were thwarted.
 
I had more than a little spritz in each one. the last bottle i opened the other day had flakes floating in it that were swirling around after the cork was pulled.
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The spritz is definitely essential to the wine, and I've seen the flakes (didn't check whether they were tartaric or sediment) more often than not. This is the only bottle of '08 that's disappointed me so far, but it was also my last. At least for now. I'm on a buying hiatus (really), but I believe there's some available locally.
 
originally posted by Thor:
I had more than a little spritz in each one. the last bottle i opened the other day had flakes floating in it that were swirling around after the cork was pulled.
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The spritz is definitely essential to the wine, and I've seen the flakes (didn't check whether they were tartaric or sediment) more often than not. This is the only bottle of '08 that's disappointed me so far, but it was also my last. At least for now. I'm on a buying hiatus (really), but I believe there's some available locally.
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Yes, there are a few available locally. If your hiatus is Lent-induced, I'm sure an indulgence would be granted so your Easter ham can enjoy a lovely accompaniment...

I brought two bottles of '08 to the recent Pie Franco dinner and thought they showed well. They are throwing sediment, and their plastic cork is unfortunate. I do like the tongue-tingle of the young wine, but wouldn't mind seeing how it developed over a number of years. But I'm sometimes accused of necroenologophilia, so beware.
 
The hiatus is not Lent-induced, sez this Lutheran. For us, life is already a vast disappointment suffered under the certainty that it's about to get worse; why give anything up voluntarily?
 
originally posted by Thor:
The hiatus is not Lent-induced, sez this Lutheran. For us, life is already a vast disappointment suffered under the certainty that it's about to get worse; why give anything up voluntarily?
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This is priceless. I frequently quip that my parents are too lutheran to admit liking anything, mostly out of fear that it will be taken away from them. I can only rarely get higher praise from them than something cooked (or brewed) being "fine."

It thrills me to mention that my wife will now be charged with the duty of teaching the next generation of the Norwegian lutheran undergraduates in NE Iowa to like things, specifically art.

Whohoo!

Kevin
 
I frequently quip that my parents are too lutheran to admit liking anything, mostly out of fear that it will be taken away from them. I can only rarely get higher praise from them than something cooked (or brewed) being "fine."
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I really, really, really dislike Keillor's oeuvre, but he does have one quote along these lines that I love. It's in the movie, but I don't think it's original to it. There's more to the quote than I can find online, but it finishes thusly: "We come from people who brought us up to believe that life is a struggle, and if you should feel really happy, be patient: this will pass."

The height of enthusiasm back home is either a deadpan "huh"...or, if something's really, really extraordinary, "well, that's a heck of a deal." If it's extraordinary but to be disapproved of: "well, huh...that's different." And that's all you'll get.

It thrills me to mention that my wife will now be charged with the duty of teaching the next generation of the Norwegian lutheran undergraduates in NE Iowa to like things, specifically art.
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Clapping. Clapping along to gospel hymns. Clapping on 2 & 4 rather than somewhere in the general vicinity of 1 & 3. That's always worth two, three hours of entertainment with Lutherans.
 
originally posted by Thor:
It thrills me to mention that my wife will now be charged with the duty of teaching the next generation of the Norwegian lutheran undergraduates in NE Iowa to like things, specifically art.
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Clapping. Clapping along to gospel hymns. Clapping on 2 & 4 rather than somewhere in the general vicinity of 1 & 3. That's always worth two, three hours of entertainment with Lutherans.
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We are certainly over the moon. Our general coping strategy with the academic job market has been to not get too attached to any particular job, no matter how perfect it might seem on paper. But it really seems so far as near to the perfect job as possible for my wife/family. Halfway between my parents and my wife's parents geographically, good school, motivated students, and being both graduates of St. Olaf, my wife and I know a little bit about small midwestern towns with norwegian-lutheran colleges, Luther and Decorah seem like the perfect fit.

And now I can make my Chambers St. orders more than an annual just-after-the-tax-return occasion. Gamay for all!

Cheers,

Kevin
 
originally posted by Thor:
Clapping on 2 & 4 rather than somewhere in the general vicinity of 1 & 3. That's always worth two, three hours of entertainment with Lutherans.
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Priceless. But can't black Lutherans swing?
 
both graduates of St. Olaf
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Hey, my grandfather used to hold a bunch of quarterbacking records there. Doubt he still does, but in Minnesota that's a sort of currency. Not that bragging is allowed.

But can't black Lutherans swing?
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Black Lutherans? Black...Lutherans? You mean like after servicing the coal furnace in the church basement? I'm not sure I understand.

I don't know what entertains me more: the possibility that there might be black Lutherans, or the thought of Lutherans swinging. In any sense of the word.
 
originally posted by Kevin Roberts:
We are certainly over the moon. Our general coping strategy with the academic job market has been to not get too attached to any particular job, no matter how perfect it might seem on paper. But it really seems so far as near to the perfect job as possible for my wife/family. Halfway between my parents and my wife's parents geographically, good school, motivated students, and being both graduates of St. Olaf, my wife and I know a little bit about small midwestern towns with norwegian-lutheran colleges, Luther and Decorah seem like the perfect fit.

And now I can make my Chambers St. orders more than an annual just-after-the-tax-return occasion. Gamay for all!

Cheers,

Kevin
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Congratulations! (On both your wife's job near home--an unimaginable prize--and your increasing consumption of great wine--I can imagine it; I just can't pay for it for it right now.)
 
Actually, I was hoping for Marcus Samuelsson.

But that conference sounds like a blast. "Health Assessments for Men and Women." Who says Lutherans don't know how to get the party started?
 
originally posted by Thor:
Actually, I was hoping for Marcus Samuelsson.

But that conference sounds like a blast. "Health Assessments for Men and Women." Who says Lutherans don't know how to get the party started?
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The equivalent white workshop is "Rhythm Assessments for Men and Women."

What a can 'o worms we've opened...
 
originally posted by Thor:
But that conference sounds like a blast. "Health Assessments for Men and Women." Who says Lutherans don't know how to get the party started?
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As many here know, my wife is German and her family is Protestant/Lutheran (not really any other choice for Protestants in Germany).

At our wedding in Germany, my mother-in-law arranged for a special choir to sing music in English during the church ceremony. After the ceremony she asked me how I liked the 'gospel choir'.

Now neither I nor any of my black American church-going relatives had noticed a gospel choir at the wedding. But apparently the rigid white Germans singing songs in English qualified as gospel in the local cultural context. Perhaps because they smiled while they sang!
 
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