Posts belonging to Category Pinot Noir



Happy Holidays New Year and Vaccine

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JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS (OK – WE BLEW BY TURKEY DAY).

STILL IN TIME FOR XMAS AND THE NEW YEAR. LET’S DRINK, THINK AND CHAT ABOUT WINE.

Welcome to my friendly little wine blog new readers. Make sure you sign up as a subscriber so our super sophisticated will notify when there are new posts. In our 15th year (??). There is no cost to follow. No push ads or special discounts. Just the occasional post about anything on my mind that is somehow related to wine. Guest columns are welcome. Like the snickerdoodle recipe near the end! Click on the URL links to learn more.

The lineup for this post includes (i) Bota Box Wine (ii) the biannual delivery from Lyle Fass and (iii) FOUR wines tasted recently; all most likely from Fass.

Bota Box Wine https://www.botabox.com/global/wines.html. tBoW has not tasted this product. I can tell you it is wine in a 3 Liter box (ed. the big one). This is the Pinot Grigio. We Bota_3LPG_500mlPG_GroupShot-winewould taste this one. It is hard to mess up Pinot Grigio which is a grape we favor anyway. Jim Moore of Uvaggio has made a fab bottle forever with Lodi grapes. There is also a Cab and a Chard which tBoW would not taste anyway as he prefers (I am tBoW in case you wondering) other red and white grapes (long standing readers and accomplished wine snobs may weigh in here).

CHECK OUT 4 REASONS WHY ONE SHOULD BUY BOXED WINE (NOTE: this is not from the Bota site!):

“So, why is boxed wine better? [Link to article here https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/shopping-all/the-best-boxed-wines-to-buy-instead-of-bottles-in-2020/ar-BBYAYfS]

(1) “For starters, when you uncork a bottle of wine, you have around a week until it spoils.” [tBoW: in my house if a bottle is open the next day that would be remarkable.]

(2) “Box wine comes in a sealed vacuum bag that can be stored in the fridge or cabinet long as six weeks! Bottles have certain restrictions and stack a lot less easily than boxes.” [tBoW: this is twooo…that is why if you really love wine you install a wine cellar or buy a mega-cooler “refrigerantus” like Dotore. Long time reader and contributor KrisB just stores Fass deliveries in an extra bedroom…his kids sleep in the garage – it’s heated!]].

(3) “Another huge factor in favor of boxed wine is the environmental impact. It’s easy to assume that glass is the answer. But, once you add into the equation the cork, the bottle’s seal, the cardboard boxes for packaging and the emissions caused by shipping heavy bottles around the world, it’s not quite as straightforward as you may have once assumed.” [tBoW: Gotta admit this makes sense. Of course we prefer to buy wines at one of tBoW’s fave shops like Hi Time in Costa Mesa or Woodland Hills Wine Co in Woodland Hills. When it is necessary to use a stopper overnight we have finally found the perfect device that is air-retardant (look it up you moron) and it costs ~$5. Merry Xmas.]

(4) Finally, as boxed wine becomes more popular, the time has come to reassess its reputation. [tBoW: Maybe that time has come. Looking forward to my first spalsh of wine form the Bota Box! Pinot Grigio please.]

Wow. These past 90 days have been a real slog. And now tBoW is on complete domestic shutdown. Happy wife….uh….better stop right here right now!2008 Renato Motalli Valtellina Superiore - Valgella Le Urscele - CellarTracker

tBoW has covered the newest generation of wine importers, shippers and direct sellers; in particular John Rimmerman of Garagiste and Lyle Fass of Fass Wine Selections. After years buying from Garagiste tBoW switched to Fass. Both deliver price, quality and selection that fits the palates and budgets of the usual gang of idiots [clazzy reference to Mad Magazine] that read tBoW. #1 son sent the tout so we took it. Both ship twice a year when temps protect the wine instead of ruining it. But when the boxes arrive…it’s good to have a cellar..or an extra bedroom. Here are a few quick reviews.

2013 Valtellina Superiore Le Urscele $20s?:100% Nebbiolo from AltoPiemonte which is north of Milan, full of small vineyards and local winemakers all the way to the Alpine foothills. If there is a downside…well…this was where the first major COVID outbreak was in Europe. Other than that the region is at hte top of tBoW’s must visit wine tours. And this wine delivered exactly what we like. Lightweight viscosity (the fluid), simply delicious. Read about Valtellina here. A picture of Valtellina vineyards at top of this post!

2015 PinMongeard-Mugneret Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2015ot Noir Mongeard-Mugneret $26: This is Pinot Noir from Burgundy (extremely high-snob French wine). Once you get a flavor for Burgundy you will never drink any other Pinot Noir. I have heard long-time reader Ikorb say “I will never drink any wine other than Burgundy.” What a snob! Truth is Burgundy is a very fussy grape that grows best in the Burgundy region of France. It is extremely popular among the cogonoscenti (French for wine snobs) for good reason. Once can purchase inexpensive Burgundy such as this bottle ($26 is cheap Burg). Note the term “pinot noir” on the label. Somewhat like seeing POTUS #45 with the word “moron” nearby. The risk with buying “inexpensive” Burgundy is you will probabVendita vino online su VINOalToP, Enoteca online specializzata su Alto Piemonte e Nebbiololy wonder if for another $15 you coulda had the real stuff. Fortunately, tBoW has a hedge. He bought the producer Mongeard [blahblahblah]. Knowing the quality producers – and the quality importers – are good safeguards. What did it taste like? Burgundy has two critical flavors: (1) sweet like strawberries even cherries, or (2) feral commonly referred to as”barnyard.” Ask yourself what you always find in the barnyard. Especially where the critters wander. Nuff said. That is an acquired taste. This was on the cherry side.

2013 Lessona La Badina 13% $25: Let the website speak. “Ermido brought back to life the wine yards from the wild wood. Nowadays the wine yards are run by his daughters Linda and Sara. La Badina is a niche production. Only 1.2 acres of wine yards in a natural amphitheater protected from the winds on a ground made of sandy marine soil.” Oh yeh. Mr. and MRs tBoW would visit in a heartbeat. The wine is balanced, delicate and sinewy – not muscle bound, more like the guy on the ice dancing duo. In control and strong enough to lift my palate.

2004 Carl Schmitt-Wagner Longuícher Maxímíner Herrenberg Riesling Spätlese | Vivino2004 Karl Schmitt-Wagner Longuicher Maximiner Herrenberg Riesling Auslese 11.5% $14: Fourteen bucks? Now that is value. Why you ask. Because German wines are the hands down best bargains with the greatest price-quality ratio in the world. People just do not understand. These wines are very flexible. KrisB will have to write a brief post (very busy man). Dott-in-Law who don’t ever let wine pass her lips LOVED this one. Not sure where we got it. Guessing Fass. Auslese wines can be quite unctuous when young. This wine had melted down into a golden snickerdoodle. The wine was lightweight, diaphanous, gossamer even [tBoW easy lookup]. She loved and was reluctant to share at all. If you punch up tBoW on your phone she will greet you in her Santa Elf hat! Here is what Parker wrote about the 2007: An intriguing, kaleidoscopic nose of cumin, toasted squash seeds, peanut brittle, lime, mint, and yellow plum preserves… OMG. Do not try to describe wine like this by yourself or with other people…unless you are wearing padded clothing.

Have yourself a merry merry Christmas and a Hoppy Noo Yeer. Look for another post before the New Year.

 

I was looking for Xmas jazz video…tough search! I did find a great one for New Year or any time.

 

 

Hey Mr Covid19! We’re Still Drinking Wines!!

IS THAT ALL YOU GOT MR. CORONA?

Not Impressed. Not By a Long Shot. We Are Hunkering down and drinking wine and..and..and..so much more!!

tBoW and pals – and the occasional drifter – are spending more time on zoom than an Easter/Passover congregant. Thanks to the Desert Wine Shop – who shipped us a case for $154 including shipping – we have plenty of libations with which to celebrate the High Holy Days. Of course we also have a cellar. I mean a proper one; not a bedroom stuffed to the gills with cases of indeterminate labels. WORD: those cases have been curated by the indomitable Krisses…so you can be certain those boxes are filled with obscure delights…the kind one might find in shops like these https://shopobscuraantiques.com/ once featured on the TV show Oddities [ed. find entire seasons on youtube].

We are still accumulating wines for the long haul. As the history of pathogens has shown humankind for 700 years, this shit don’t just disappear. Now we have the anthropocene to consider [ed. for a heavy dose of pandemic history and microbial science you can read all about it here]. Thanks to pal CarltheBrain – CtB-  for the info. For sheer entertainment – while drinking worthwhile wines – check out the daily press briefings from the White House. How soon before the Big Cheeto comes to the podium looking like Iron Man above?

Here is how we have been entertaining ourselves and staying sane.

2018 Chateau d’Oupia Minervois Les Heretiques $10.56: Absolutely incredible. The perfect tBoW wine. Balanced? Check. Tasty fruit backed by some grit? Check. Balanced? Already said that. OK. How about the wine is true to the region? Super check. This is important. Light to middleweight. How often do we taste a wine that is reminiscent of somewhere other than it was grown? Too often. This is mostly (100%) Carignane from the Languedoc where tBoW visited in 2001. Yup. One month before Nine Eleven. The wine growing region 20 years was still regarded as chump change in the world of French super locales, i.e., Burgundy and Bordeaux. The mini-locales included Minervois, Corbières and Coteaux-du-Languedoc. Château d’Oupia is the winery. Who knew the site is legendary! We can tell you the wine meets the hype…and that is before we knew there was any hype. We called Katie at Desert Wine Shop grabbed another quad.

2009 Esprit de Tablas $45. The Tablas Creek winery was iconic. The first major site/venture in the USA to NOT plant Cabernet and Bordeaux varietals. Chose to go with Rhone grapes that suited the weather! Duh. And they started a nursery with vines imported from the Rhone. But one must wait on these collectible wines…and that can sooo haaaard. tBoW often failed and pulled a cork on a tough, tannic monster “before its time.” Then we had to “aerate” like a Brooklyn launderer. Had to purchase multiple kinds of aerators to do it better and faster. Thankfully we found other wines like Burgundies and Altopiemonteses to distract ourselves. Now it is time to clear the TC remainders. Today the tough tannic monster is a much softer patch of heavy sweet grass. Color is dark. Weight is middle to heavy. Flavors? Sappy but short of syrup. These wines were too ripe when harvested. And still too ripe! Double duh. Towards the earthy style. Find friends who always wanted to drink well-aged classic collectible wines from California. And drink up!

2018 A.A. Baadenhorst The Curator $8.06. Another Katie pick. Red Blend from South Africa. Already tBoW is skeptical. I texted KrisB “easily most memorable wine I have had from South Africa.” KrisB response? – “those are words seldom associated with South African wine.” The wine is pleasant. Even enjoyable. I wouldn’t chill it like the Spanish summer red wine the color of vampiric blood. slugged down on the balcony of a Sevilla hotel in July. Before I could text Katie…Mrs. tBoW said “nice label kinda art deco you think?” But…but…the wine itself is so…what’s that word? MEH. What is the problem with South African wines? Start with Pinotage…”a red wine grape that is South Africa’s signature variety. It was bred there in 1925 as a gutsy cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault.” A nation blended two grapes so it could have its own “unique signature” grape? DUMB. Mrs. tBoW likes it. Red wines do not always agree with her, esp the kind of wines we favor which have balancing acid that brings out nuances when well made. OK. This is quaffable. Inoffensive drink. The Shania Twain of reds. The perfect “food wine” for any season. Let’s get more, she suggests. 2 more from DWS! Now I am at a half case!

2015 Domaine Tortochot Morey St Denis $35: Still young. Early middle age like KrisB and Ikorb. Great color deep ruby. Complex flavors. Cherries more than beets. Supremely balanced with a slight tilt to elegance. Think Jane Fonda in Barbarella…[ed. watched the movie recently]. Could go another 3 years ez. Burgundy. King of wines. Medieval. Vineyards passed down thru the family for centuries. Hard to say no when the right offer comes. So we do not…say no.

Dr. John wants to help us all cast a demonic spell on Mr Covid19. Might work. Nobody knows. Give a listen. Gris gris gumbo ya ya.

 

From the Depths of Despair…Wine Delivers Solace…One Case at a Time.

Sure. Things are grim.

Exclusive Preview of Svengoolie Parody From MAD #4!.

Look. We believe in – and practice – wine therapy.

Every freaking day…well, mostly evenings.

Good news is The Desert Wine Shop in Rancho Mirage is owned by enlightened people whose palates match that of tBoW and many of our readers almost eerily. tBoW called up Kate and asked her to put together then ship a mixed case of her most fabulous and inexpensive [ed. just say c-h-e-a-p] wines. Fact is we have been reading her tasting lineups pre-corona  [ed. of course shut down for now] and she pops corks on some very very very interesting wines. The case arrived within 24 hours [ed. $23 shipping].

Mrs. tBoW has all mail on 24 hour quarantine. So next day at 6:00 [ed. PM] we pulled the cork on the…

2016 Thierry Lurton Chateau Camarac 12.5% $11.66. Blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc…from Entre-Deaux-Mers. Full disclosure…tBoW not a fan of Sauv Blanc grape. Grassy California styles ruined that. But Semillon? Has there ever been a bad one made? Me thinks not. And this was superb. Blended like siblings who love each other. Need more of this for summertime when covid19 has been sent packing…or at least until such a time as it returns. No? Unlikely? Unable to wait on this. Interesting note from producer on back label: “to be kept 1 to 4 years.” So we are at the end of the winemaker’s recommended cycle. We are prudent and attentive with all warnings. We keep socially distant. We stay inside unless we drive around in our hermetically sealed vehicle. Only host or attend virtual wine tastings.

Other wines in the case include a Savoie Gamay Rose @ $9.86; Parallele 45 Cotes du Rhone Blanc [ed. nice, esp since not fond of red CdR wines] @ $12.56; Aveleda Vinho Verde @ $9.86…and eight more wines that will be covered during this horrific pandemic now gratefully tempered with a splendid case of vin from DWS.

Pour a glass and read the following tale of life among Millenials featuring ironic irony and admirable, if normal, work habits penned by the Glass Jar. The name of the current employer of the Glass Jar will remain unknown to protect it’s questionable nature and unnecessary existence [ed. a few more wine reviews shall follow]..

All Wade ever did was walk around the building.

Wades work history is peppered with rapid departures. He was once fired from a job he took knowing in his own mind the job was mindless. Wade was later fired. Curiously, the executives flew over to the office to fire the woman who fired Mr. Mindless. Mr. Mindless had a buddy from his neighborhood who he worked with. His buddy has since been fired. 

Wade was known for walking around the building. He did little work and commonly strolled around parts of the building he had nothing to do with. He was told by his supervisor that he was taking too many walks. On that day, he took a walk. Wade did last a solid seven months before he was told it was him time to join the Hall of Fame of people fired from this beautiful company.

About a month after Wade’s last walk out of the building, this COVID-19 situation had all employees working from home. [ed. ironic eh?] We were told to get the things we needed and head on home. Meetings were virtual. Working in pajamas was normal. Taking long breaks in-between emails became normal. When you take away supervisors and cubicles, it is amazing how little work one can do from home. With all the walking around I was doing on the clock, I realized this pandemic is turning us all into Wade! If only Wade could just stay employed by Morons Incorporated, he would be getting paid to walk around whichever building he wanted.

A message of hope to kids, one day you can be paid to sit around and watch TV and don’t let anybody stop you from believing in yourself. 

Now we are going to provide you with the best coronavirus wines. Wines to make you reflect on all the nothing you accomplish when working out of the bath tub.

Thank you GJ. I feel like Svengoolie sans the makeup. Classic “culture crossed with tacky would-be humor.” Perfect for the shut-in season. Here is teh extar wine review.

2017 Gachot-Monot Cote de Nuits-Villages $30ish. [ed. I lifted this right off a website. Helps the memory.]This is a special cuvee which comes from a plot of the same name “Les Chaillots” in old Burgundian French which means ‘Les Cailloux’ (the Pebbles) which exactly describes this plot where the soil is very stony with natural drainage. The soil produces complex wines which are expressed in fruity notes of cherry, blackberry & forest floor. Would tBoW say Complex? Nah. Ripe and juicy? Yes. Cherry and blackberry? Cherry. Forest floor? Not a hint “tanks gott.” Not even meaty unless you are thinking kangaroo jerky, crikey. This wine is delicious and a Burgunday bargain. Almost certian it was a Desert Wine purchase.

Thanks to the Glass Jar for his contirbution to vin literatur. Since we are all locked up and shut in with nothing better to do than let our minds wander we encourage you to share your views on life and wine. Here is the greatest songwriter of a generation.

Forced and Unforced Wine Errors.

 

Making Sense of Chaos.

Lettie Teague recently wrote what she really loves about wine 7 Reasons We Love Wine. tBoW loves Lettie Teague…and wine. Much to love when it comes to wine. However, there is a lot of dopey stuff as well. And since tBoW does not write for a living (at least not about wine) we can poke fun at all the silliness involved.

Take Wallys Wine and Spirits. For more than four decades Wallys was the trendsetter in how to market fine wine. Steve Wallace and Gary Fishman [ed. call me Gary, Matt’s Dad wants to interview you] ran the best WINE shop on the Westside. The only competition was the Wine House which became the SUPER market for wines ’round the world. However, Wallys was the top dog with the Hollywood client list. Ran into Danny Kay there. Had him sign the birthday card I happened to be carrying with me. Now Wallys is a laff riot of misguided pretension. Glamour and importance. Cater your next awards season party. Affect your glamorous lifestyle. Forced error – misguided hubris.

The aging wine thing is D-U-M-B. Archaic. Silly. Producing wine to be aged is bull pucky; a fashion foisted on the innocenti who believe wine is better with age. The only thing better with age is adolescence. In fact aging wine is a gamble…a poor one. Odds are stacked against those who love wine when the wine needs to “lay down.” This is doublespeak for heavy oak and tannins more commonly found in wood sealers. Those phonies who would write a wine review suggesting “lay down this beauty for a decade” are lost in the “fog of wine.” Lettie Teague would never suggest laying down a wine. At least we believe that is true.

Ever freeze a bottle of wine? You now…put it in the freezer to cool and discover a few days later you actually put in the cooler to freeze? Unforced DUMB error.

tBoW recommends wines that can be opened and consumed right now. Sometimes it is necessary to lay the wine down in the cellar. This is usually the case when wine is shipped. Wait 2 weeks if you can stand it. Sometimes it is necessary to allow a wine to settle down if the bottle has been cooled in the freezer on a bed of ice…and forgotten. That wine should be defrosted at room temp before pulling the cork in another week…if the cork has not forced its own exit from the bottle. Barring unforced errors like freezing wine for good cause there is no excuse for buying wine that needs to be aged for a decade or more. There are two exceptions to this rule: ports and sauternes.

Here are two wine paragons that can please greatly when opened “before their time;” and one wine that missed its “open by” date.

2016 Boxler Gewurtztraminer $35: Floral nose, a flower bouquet, honey suckle. Flavors of hay and mint. Say what? Over the top AND balanced. Honey. A knockout. Can it age. Certainly. However, if we bought more it would be like trying to keep my hands off my baby granddaughter. Oh sure. Wait until she’s five years old and more ambulatory. Looks like this gewurtz baby is still available at Kermit Lynch, Flatiron and Vintage Wine Merchants in San Jose. Lucky buy! Thank you Kermit.

NV Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut 13.5% $39 at Costco. May seem pricey however for champagne of this pedigree it is the go-to choice for tBoW on Valentines Day. Fruity, marzipan like. Break out the nice flutes. Dependable selection for the special occasion. The right question is whether the tBoW reviewed Cava sparkler Ravenots at 40% the cost, is good enough? We would say not quite…but close.

2011 Domaine Joseph Roty Marsannay 13%. $40ish. Tough to find. Because it is old now. Generally the vineyard designations age longer and are more interesting than this village bottling. The pedigree – Roty – is top notch. The wine is exotic but on its way to the Assisted Living Facility. tBoW finds that Burgs are generally better when consumed “before their time.” We missed here by a couple years. Forced PEDIGREE error. Fuggedaboudid. It’s Burg Town..

Making the right choices when buying wines is important to our list of reasons to love wine. As Chuck D and Public Enemy put it don’t believe the hype. However we find Bob McNamara in all his confidence and technicalities the more appropos analogue when it comes to figuring out how to enjoy wine by accepting the Fog of Wine.

Ach du Lieber Spatburgunder!

Lederhosen und Rot Wein!! Sehr G-u-u-u-ut!

This is the Ahr Valley which is north of Mosel and which – until very recently – has been the most highly regarded wine valley in Germany.

Oh yeh. tBoW is going. Goodbye Luxor and Valley of the Kings…und Hellau Ahr.

We last (actually initially) wrote about German Pinot Noir, Spatburgunder, during the past summer. Das vas nicht gut.

Under relentless email assault from Lyle Fass tBoW dipped his tongue into the glass of German Pinot Noir sold by Fass. [ed. Fass is the successor or at least rival to the king of online megawinemarketers Jon Rimmerman of Garagiste]. The hype is powerful and compelling for any woke wine slugging environmentalist. Global warming has allowed for the propitious [ed. portentious even?] growth of Pinot Noir by Le Bosch. Rumors have been inconsistent. Fact checking – an impromptu tBoW tasting past summer – was inconclusive to be kind.

Two bottles were cracked together; one imported by Fass and the other by Kermit Lynch.

2017 Enderle & Moll Liaison $38 (online altho’ I am not sure what we paid Fass): Chambers Wines website says this…”a beguiling nose of stone, crushed strawberries and red florals, the palate is radiant with red cherries, strawberries, blood orange, and a hint of tart red currant.” Not the tBoW writing style however useful for a quick intro to top tier (at least for now) German Pinot Noir. Enderle & Moll as Fass warned is a hot ticket. What did we think? This wine is Burgundian. The wine is so tasty. The fact it is beyond quaffable is H-U-G-E news for tBoW and readers. The wine calls V-O-L-N-A-Y its brother. Volnay is commonly described as pretty, lush, floral. tBoW might add on the “cherries” side of Burgundy [ed. the other side is mushrooms, feral, “forest floor.”] We love cherries. The best news is that this could be easily mistaken – at least by tBoW – for “yer durn tootin” Burgundy. Don’t bother searching. Cannot get it.

Image result for Boxler Pinot Noir 20162016 Albert Boxler Pinot Noir $67: Man. We missed out here. One of those “why-didn’t-we-buy-more.” Imported from Kermit Lynch who this summer offered a 6 pack steal of Boxler Alsatian wines for under $220. We bought two six packs of Alsatian white wines and the lone Pinot Noir. Boxler is a reliable Alsatian white wine producer however who knew this red would be so incredible. It was the priciest bottle in the gang which we attributed to scarcity. As IGTY might put it…who makes Pinot Noir in the Alsace? Who would pay $67 for it? If the Enderle & Moss is Volnay then this is Russian River Pinot Noir from Williams Selyem or Rochioli circa 1980s. Those wines were distinctly Californian from one of the two best – amend that four best – growing regions for Pinot Noir in California (and therefore the nation).

The other two credible New World Pinot regions would be the Willamette Valley (Maggie Harrison/Antica Terra; Patty Green RIP) and soImage result for Burt Williams winemakeruthern Napa’s Carneros rolling hills. You can also throw in Jim Clendenen in Santa Barbara. Our point is this. The 2016 Boxler Pinot Noir is a ringer for the best of lush and balanced and sluggable California Pinots. Fruity without going over the top, balanced (always important even essential to well made wine), never acidic not even in the earliest stages.

Burt Williams was the legendary self-taught winemaker who put Williams-Selyem (and Pinot Noir outside Burgundy) on the map. He died recently…a healthy and greatly respected winemaker whom the wine industry just did not want to let go of.Image result for Patricia Green winemaker

And that is the good news [ed. he means the wines not the deaths]…two Pinot Noirs that tasted like Burgundy grown and produced outside Burgundy, along with Pinot Noir that tastes like the earliest great New World Pinot Noir wines.

We expect to be busting corks on other German Pinot Noir wines shortly. We shall duly report. For right now…keep your eyes peeled. Today we are back on the hunt for German Spatburgunder. So, as always…when buying German Pinot Noir? Research and stay frosty.

Und now vee haff ein spitzenmäßiger Schuhplattler, sehr exakt und rhytmisch getanzt. Sowas sieht man nicht alle Tage. Jawohl!!