quote:

Originally posted by EHpianist:
I just heard that my fiancee's alcoholic father found and drank our 1979 Chateau Margaux... lovely...

At least we still have a 1964 hidden away in an undisclosed location!

Elena
http://www.pianofourhands.com

Oh, and there's also the 1971 Cheval Blanc he hasn't found...

But nothing I have ever tasted beats the Chateau Margaux, best wine I've ever had.

quote:

Originally posted by EHpianist:
But nothing I have ever tasted beats the Chateau Margaux, best wine I've ever had.

It is fantastic.

You should surround your fine wines with a couple of cases of thunderbird. Some would call that enablemnent, I call it self-defense.

I've been fortunate enough to have drank maybe a dozen vintages of Ch. Margaux. They are without fail stunning, elegant, flawless wines, and amazingly consistent in house style. My favorite Bordeaux to be sure.

quote:

Originally posted by Mikhailoh:
I've been fortunate enough to have drank maybe a dozen vintages of Ch. Margaux.

Clearly you must be much older than me...

Elena
http://www.pianofourhands.com

quote:

Originally posted by jon-nyc:
You should surround your fine wines with a couple of cases of thunderbird. Some would call that enablemnent, I call it self-defense.

That is a BRILLIANT idea!!! LOL!! By the time he gets to the good stuff he'll be too drunk to stay awake. I will tell my Jon, he'll have a good laugh.

Elena
http://www.pianofourhands.com

quote:

Originally posted by EHpianist:
I will tell my Jon, he'll have a good laugh...

and I thought I was your Jon...

Elena,

I don't know, but I've been pretty serious about wine for 25 years.

BUT THANKS FOR MENTIONING MY AGE ON FATHERS'DAY!!!!!

hee hee..

Has anyone here ever tried a Viognier? I'm absolutely crazy about this grape. Probably the most distinctive wine I've ever tasted. I like the R.H. Phillips (about 12 dollars).

"Fragrant orange blossom, jasmine and tropical fruit aromas. On the palate the wine is rich, with a creamy texture and intriguing hints of honey and spice. The finish is long, with vibrant flavors of kiwi, lychee and apricot."

Yes.. try to find Calera's if you can.. very nice stuff last vintages I had.

If you can find and afford it, Condrieu from the Rhone Valley is the exquisite stuff the US and Aussie winemakers are trying to get close to. Actually, come to Cincinnati and we'll seek one out and split it. I've never had one.

Yes, I'll admit it: I'm not all that big on white wines. But, it does seem that Viognier is the Next Big Thing in whites. I haven't tried any straight up yet, but, I did manage to try a bottle of 2003 Zonte's Footsteps Shiraz/Viognier from Australia a while ago. It was quite an unusual combination, with a bit of the tropical fruit and aroma from the Viognier propping up the otherwise unremarkable Shiraz.

And speaking of Shiraz.... Tonight I pulled out a 2003 Paringa Shiraz from South Australia to go along with (of all things) pizza. The Paringa is a pleasantly consistent wine from vintage to vintage, even if it isn't particularly stellar. This vintage seems a little heavier on the second fermentation than others I've tried, giving it a bit more buttery taste than I prefer. But the fruit seems to be of high quality, with a nice lushness to the dark red fruitiness. This wine is not high in either acid nor tannins, which makes it pretty approachable for a lot of people. It's also relatively light on the oak, the level of which some people find objectionable in many Aussie Shirazes. The Paringa can usually be had for less than $10.

I refuse to let this thread die!

With this evenings openers (a selection of British cheeses and biscuits), I paired what was left of last night's bottle -- a 2003 Corbera Nero d'Avola from Sicily. Nero d'Avola is Sicily's most famous red wine grape, and it makes for a delightfully fruity but lusciously complex dry red wine. This particular bottle was no exception, with a fragrance combining the expected dark, red berries with the distinct aroma of dried apricot and toasty vanilla added. The flavor exhibits a very complex profile, but once again there is a peculiar, yet intriguing, taste of apricot on the finish. This wine has deep garnet color, with mild tannins and medium acidity.

In addition to being a compelling accompaniment to the cheeses, it also went quite well with last night's chicken, and would probably do quite brilliantly with any number of meat or pasta dishes. This wine was also quite the bargain at $8.00.

Matt,

Thanks for digging this up.

I have been relishing all the Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs I can find, the two best so far being Isabel and Kim Crawford. Nobilo is my favorite of the moderately priced choices and we had a bottle last night with bluefish, baked with a yogurt and fresh dill topping. Perfect combination.

Tonight I have a bottle of Fire Steed Pinot Noir (from Oregon), which I have not had before but which was recommended by someone in the business so to speak. Dinner will probably be a rather pedestrian stir fry or jambalya, but whatever it is I need to get going on it.

jf

Jack,

I have to say the one Fire Steed Pinot I've tried was pretty light and unexciting...but who knows what a different vintage will bring.

Tonight's wine was a Cistus Douro from Portugal. A little musty but I think it was more the wine's character than any flaw in processing or bottling...actually attractive in its way. Really.

I really need to try the NZ Sauvignon Blancs. With weather turning cool here, it's hard to say when that will be.

This has been fun to read! I wasn't on this board over the summer, so I'm glad the thread was revived. I too love the Nobilo SV, I've been drinking that a lot. I also tried a Viognier this summer, I bought a bottle at Whole Foods Market that was $6.99 a bottle, and a screw-top at that. Although I didn't realize it was a screw-top until I got it home! I can't remember the name of it now, I'll have to go back and see if I can find it again.

Lately I've been drinking Searidge Chardonnay, they sell it at a grocery store here for $3.50/bottle. Great stuff. I'm cheap, I don't like to spend over $10 for a bottle!

quote:

Originally posted by SAS:
I'm cheap, I don't like to spend over $10 for a bottle!

I'm with you. The thrill of the hunt!