What did you drink tonight?

originally posted by Steve Edmunds:
I sure don't think of Rhys as a gamble. Those guys are carving their wines out of solid rock.
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Well, they are certainly impressive young wines. The gamble is whether they will repay the investment and cellaring. I've bet yes, but we'll see.
 
originally posted by Jay Miller:
2012 Zilliken Rausch Auslese
Wow! Electric! Grapefruit, crystallized pineapple, all sorts of wild flavors. Long finish that keeps changing though growing subtler as it progresses. Will benefit from a fair amount of time but quite good now. I owe John G for this one as I bought it based on his review.

Served with a Valentines Day dinner of:

Seared Foie Gras in a blackberry puree heart
Deviled Duck Eggs on a bed of salmon caviar
Baked sea bass with miso, roasted asparagus wrapped in culatello, jasmine rice with panang
Valrhona Hot Chocolate with a piped Chantilly Cream heart
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Wow, Jay!
 
originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by Bill Lundstrom:
originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by Bill Lundstrom:
the broc vine starr is delicous wine indeed.

its been mentioned before but there is a lot of interesting wine being made in California right now. years from now we could look back on this time frame as a significant era in california.
i dont know how long i will keep buying wine in large quantities to cellar but right now im buying from several of these newer producers and hope im rewarded for cellaring them.
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I don't really buy Broc to cellar. Hobo and Ghostwriter, some of the wines I'll cellar for a bit, sort fo the same way I feel about Steve's (newer) wines in terms of aging. I've made the Rhys gamble and bought some Ceritas, Arnot-Roberts, and Salinia.

I do think this is a significant moment in what is to come.
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What's your general impression of Ceritas?
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At IPOB SF last year, the wine that really stuck in my mind was the Ceritas Heintz chardonnay. So much so that I signed up for the mailing list. I've got a Porter-Bass chardonnay in the fridge, maybe I'll try it tonight.
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Salinia does a Heintz, too, I think. Very tasty.
Best, Jim
 
originally posted by VLM:
2012 Broc Vine Starr zinfandel. Glou-glou zinfandel and a completely unique expression of the grape. Savory and herbal with tangy red fruits. A blend from Buck Hill in Russian River and Arrowhead in Sonoma Valley.

2012 Hobo Dry Creek Valley zinfandel. Different from the Broc, but still not the jammy, disgusting style of zinfandel. I'd call Kenny's rendition more claret-style. Like the old Storybook Mountain zinfandels, if you will. Broader fruit profile with some spicy brambly notes. A blend of five vineyards in Dry Creek.

If you haven't tried either Chris or Kenny's wines yet, you're making a mistake.
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This reminds me that I have a couple of bottles each of '11 Vine Starr and '11 Cuvee 13.1. Next trip to the wine locker...
 
originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by Steve Edmunds:
I sure don't think of Rhys as a gamble. Those guys are carving their wines out of solid rock.
Click to expand...

Well, they are certainly impressive young wines. The gamble is whether they will repay the investment and cellaring. I've bet yes, but we'll see.
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I'm betting yes too, especially after opening the 2004 Home last year which seemed to be just entering prime drinking window.

At this point my favorites are Home and Horseshoe but we have to wait and see what everything does with more age. I haven't been particularly impressed by the Alpine or the Swan so I've stopped buying them. Family Farm and Bearwallow I like in more recent vintages. Not as much as the others but enough to buy a bottle in some releases. I like the Skyline but not at $99.

With the exception of the 2010 Alpine I've loved all the Chardonnays. I'm hoping I just caught that one a weird time.
 
originally posted by Steve Edmunds:
I don't much talk about CA Chardonnay, but there was one I had from Arnot Roberts that rang my bell.
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Ah, please tell?

For me, the problem with CA chardonnay is that when it's terrible, California-style stuff, it's easy to say: not my bag. But when it's leaner, more European-style stuff, it's a bit forgettable.

I don't say that to be provocative. (Here?)

But I wonder: what is the good path of the chardo in that part of the world?
 
For those keeping score, Kay, you win the longest thread evurrr on the non-Jeeb board.

Woohoo!

Also, some Vergano Vermouth briefly through the glass this early evening. Fabulous nose.
 
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
originally posted by Steve Edmunds:
I don't much talk about CA Chardonnay, but there was one I had from Arnot Roberts that rang my bell.
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Ah, please tell?

For me, the problem with CA chardonnay is that when it's terrible, California-style stuff, it's easy to say: not my bag. But when it's leaner, more European-style stuff, it's a bit forgettable.

I don't say that to be provocative. (Here?)

But I wonder: what is the good path of the chardo in that part of the world?
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A basic Qupe chardonnay last summer seemed to capture the essence of the grape and the place. Ripe, honest, lovely and around $20.
 
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:

For me, the problem with CA chardonnay is that when it's terrible, California-style stuff, it's easy to say: not my bag. But when it's leaner, more European-style stuff, it's a bit forgettable.
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Interesting point. I'm not sure I'd go so far as to say 'forgettable', but sure, if you're trying to compare something with another region then it is always going to lose out to the actual wines from that other region.

Which is why I haven't had the energy/time to get into much CA wine from any grape. Syrah would be the big exception, but even there only from one guy. Of course all of this may be more about me than the wines. And the same may be true for you. There are apparently folks who do dig the unique styles of Arnot-Roberts, Rhys or Broc chardonnay.
 
Tonight's wine for me with dinner is Berreche Les Beaux Regards. 2009 fruit, disgorged December 2012. For this blancs de noirs guy, this is a blanc de blanc that I'd happily drink any time. Bone dry finish but generous on the tongue. Not as intriguingly spicy as a recent Lemble, but better cut and length. I'd like to cellar some of these.
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:

For me, the problem with CA chardonnay is that when it's terrible, California-style stuff, it's easy to say: not my bag. But when it's leaner, more European-style stuff, it's a bit forgettable.
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Which is why I haven't had the energy/time to get into much CA wine from any grape. Syrah would be the big exception, but even there only from one guy. Of course all of this may be more about me than the wines. And the same may be true for you. There are apparently folks who do dig the unique styles of Arnot-Roberts, Rhys or Broc chardonnay.
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Broc Mara is Muscadet made from the chardonnay grape.

Arnot-Roberts Watson reminds me of a good St. Aubin from Lamy, maybe.

Rhys is it's own thing. Most similar to Mt. Eden and I would say Corton-Charlemagne in style for the Alipne, when it hits. Horseshoe is hard for me to categorize.

Salina Heintz chardonnay is most similar to Kalin for obvious reasons (such as the 2007 current vintage). This wine really impressed local skeptics.

I'm really happy to see all this activity. Of course, all these young guns owe a debt to all those who came before and didn't give in to bigger-better-faster-MORE!
 
The Rhys Alpine Chardonnay is more tropical than any Burgundy I've ever had, but it wears it well. I have not tried the Horseshoe yet.
 
originally posted by VLM:
most similar to Kalin
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Thanks for the reminder of Kalin! A '90 LD of theirs was my California chardonnay epiphany. I wish I could find such again.

I was gleeful to share a '95 of the same with a very curious/enthusiastic François Pinon, but to me, it didn't match the '90 from before times.
 
originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by Steve Edmunds:
I don't much talk about CA Chardonnay, but there was one I had from Arnot Roberts that rang my bell.
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Watson Ranch?
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Is Watson Ranch Santa Cruz Mountains? I think that may have been it; it was at Camino, in Oakland, and Josh Raynolds and Keven Clancy ordered it off the list. I was skeptical, because I couldn't remember the last time (since maybe 1977) that I'd had a California Chardonnay that made me want to drink it. It was just so very energetic, and light on its feet; I was astonished at how much I liked it!
 
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