mostly wine stuff

[skibob]

Talking of Dry Creek, the shop had a Quivira Sauvignon Blanc open for tasting. I have to admit that is a style I just don't get. Sure it's smoky and sure it has cat pee aroma, but there's no citrus and barely any acid

I haven't had it lately. Hugh is a good winemaker. But I've always felt that Sauv Blanc (along with Viognier and grenache blanc) are just not suited to most parts of California. People assume because it still has good acidity at 27 brix that "the riper the better". But it loses balance and character at those alcohol levels. Where its classically grown the best is continental and mild (Sancerre, for example). Viognier is at its best in the warmer and drier Rhone, but then they pick it at what California winemakers think of as "unripe". Same w/ grenache blanc.

Best Sauv Blanc I know of around here comes from Santa Rosa Junior College's Shone Farm. Its an old "Musque" clone that has no officially recognized identity. Last I heard most of it goes into a large, mid-market "Sonoma County" blend that loses much of its character. Best tasting eating grape I've ever had too (if you don't mind the seeds).

EDIT: I should add that Shone Farm is in one of the coldest, foggiest parts of the Russian River Valley. Not someplace where California winemakers typically plant SB. Lake County, Napa, Dry Creek, Alexander Valley, those are some of the other places its commonly planted. Although I should add that Tim Bell at Dry Creek Vineyard also makes a real fun "Fume Blanc" after Robert Mondavi's lead that is partially barrel fermented. SB is so well suited to barrel fermentation, and so rarely done here.

Albarino is the counterpoint. When Markus Bokisch planted it in Lodi, everybody thought he was crazy. But its every bit as good there as from Rias Baixas, even at higher sugar/ripeness levels.

 

[mdf]

We are headed up to Mendocino next weekend for our annual California trip (visit our son on the bracketing weekends and drink wine in between). We planned to do that last year, but retargeted further south due to the fires.

We aren't really Pinot fans (that old elegance vs power thing, or as I like to express it, @Tony S wines vs Mike wines), so we are focusing on the non-Anderson-valley parts of Mendocino around Ukiah. Actually, the wine tasting itinerary is mostly an excuse to relax and have a week where the most pressing question is "is it ok to start drinking wine at 10 am?" We've long since realized that no matter how focused the geographic area, a week is not enough time to comprehensively survey a wine region.

 

[mdf]

I loved this so much I just had to share it. From Ester Mobley, the SF Chronicle wine columnist (now there's a job):

After a scathing review of the newly popular "hard seltzer" category,

" as a postscript, I’d just like to remind everyone that wine is gluten-free and grain-free, and has zero sugar (unless you are drinking dessert wine, or, considerably more likely, bad wine)"

 

[Tony S]

I loved this so much I just had to share it. From Ester Mobley, the SF Chronicle wine columnist (now there's a job) ...

Wait. Seriously? The wine critic's name is Ester?

 

[mdf]

Wait. Seriously? The wine critic's name is Ester?

Sadly, no. My subconscious slip. There is an "h" in her name. Still...

 

[skibob]

Wait. Seriously? The wine critic's name is Ester?

If she is having a bad day, is she a volatile Ester?

 

[cantunamunch]

If she is having a bad day, is she a volatile Ester?

Oh dear. We can't possibly let her dance - or anywhere near a jacuzzi.

 

[skibob]

Wait. Seriously? The wine critic's name is Ester?

You'd be surprised how many winemakers are named Brett. I also knew one whose last name was "Yeast".

 

[Uncle-A]

I had some of this the other day and finished it this evening. It was a pleasant drink, I have had their Chianti but this is the first time for IL Ducale.

 

[mister moose]

" as a postscript, I’d just like to remind everyone that wine is gluten-free and grain-free, and has zero sugar (unless you are drinking dessert wine, or, considerably more likely, bad wine)"

Ice WIne. Preferably Canadian, and if you want to go to the homeland, Inniskillan.

And that's all I have to sat about that.

 

[cantunamunch]

Ice WIne. Preferably Canadian,

I am never buying another Vidal icewine without tasting it first. IMO, the icewine experience, Vidal particularly, has become just as or more touristy as mid-90s Tokaj Aszu - ornate packaging and a super-sweet richness with one aromatic note. And that's it. Sure it works in icewine martinis, but dear me the tongue gets tired, fast. The other sad thing is that Vidal icewine has driven Riesling out of shelf space.

I'm not off Vidal, mind you, I just have to taste it first. Currently we are drinking https://www.3clochers.com/products.php#glace which is just delightful with everything from pineapple cake to blue cheese.

 

[skibob]

I am never buying another Vidal icewine without tasting it first. IMO, the icewine experience, Vidal particularly, has become just as or more touristy as mid-90s Tokaj Aszu - ornate packaging and a super-sweet richness with one aromatic note. And that's it. Sure it works in icewine martinis, but dear me the tongue gets tired, fast. The other sad thing is that Vidal icewine has driven Riesling out of shelf space.

I'm not off Vidal, mind you, I just have to taste it first. Currently we are drinking https://www.3clochers.com/products.php#glace which is just delightful with everything from pineapple cake to blue cheese.

There have always been good Tokaj out there. Its just that the biggest brand (looking at you Royal Tokaj) has successfully blocked easy export of them for decades. So they can be very hard to find. A friend says he even has trouble finding them in Turkey and Bulgaria. Let alone the US.

 

[cantunamunch]

On the experimental category shelf we have:

 

[Jilly]

Ice WIne. Preferably Canadian, and if you want to go to the homeland, Inniskillan.

And that's all I have to sat about that.

I am never buying another Vidal icewine without tasting it first. IMO, the icewine experience, Vidal particularly, has become just as or more touristy as mid-90s Tokaj Aszu - ornate packaging and a super-sweet richness with one aromatic note. And that's it. Sure it works in icewine martinis, but dear me the tongue gets tired, fast. The other sad thing is that Vidal icewine has driven Riesling out of shelf space.

I'm not off Vidal, mind you, I just have to taste it first. Currently we are drinking https://www.3clochers.com/products.php#glace which is just delightful with everything from pineapple cake to blue cheese.

Don't like Vidal at the best of times. Kittling Ridge makes an icewine and brandy concoction that makes the icewine reasonable. Smoother. Can't remember but there is one late harvest Riesling that rivals icewine and 1/2 the price. The palate gets to a point where sweet is sweet and it can't tell the difference.

 

[cantunamunch]

The palate gets to a point where sweet is sweet and it can't tell the difference.

Icewine and brandy sounds interesting. Wonder how well that would work for obstler-type clear brandies.

Have you done the icewine and black coffee sip one then the other thing yet? Could also try it with mildly sweet baked stuff like the Vin Santo/biscotti is done.

 

[Uncle-A]

I don't drink a lot of Malbec but this was very good.

 

[Uncle-A]

We picked up some more Summer In A Bottle wine, only this time it was the white and not the rose.

 

[cantunamunch]

You would appreciate these I think.


The one on the right is a particularly approachable Greco, just acid enough to be reliably refreshing, just minerally enough to cleanse without puckering. Total. Summer. Zawsome.

 

[mdf]

Clos du Bois Coro Mendocino with homemade salsa and playing Sushi Go in my son#s backyard.


The Coro is a thing Mendocino is doing where several wineries do their own riff on a common set of rules, analogous to a traditional European appellation with restricted grape choices.

 

[Uncle-A]

I stopped by one of my local wine shops yesterday and they had a tasting going on so I tried this Tribute Cab. It was very nice and had a good finish, the person shared that it is a 14% content red. In the past when I tried 14% wines they seemed a bit harsh but this was not. The vintage was 2016 and of course I had to purchase a couple of bottles since I liked a lot.