PCF Wine appreciation thread. (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter stocky
- Start date
Good morning @stocky. One of my favorite wines is The Boxer by Molly Dooker from South Australia. I really like many of the South Australian wines, there are many great ones in the $8 a bottle range. The Boxer is about $24.
Little Penguin, Yellow Tail and Penfolds produce some excellent budget cabs, Shiraz’s and merlots.
Dreaming Tree Crush is probably my all around favorite. For $12 a bottle it is an excellent California wine.
Mr Tree
Straight Flush
Had one of the best bottles I’ve enjoyed in recent memory last night.
I actually was given a bottle of Molly Dooker wine from my local football club recently. Was very nice indeed.
Will look for this next time I’m out.
Mr Tree
Straight Flush
It was big, smoky and very full bodied. Not a subtle wine but very well balanced.
SWEATER
3 of a Kind
Silly bottle? Yes. Decent white? Absolutely.
detroitdad
Royal Flush
I drink almost all types of wines, but I'd say 80% to 90% are Reds... of those, majority are medium to full body.
For medium body reds, I find some of the best bang for the buck can be found in low cost Bordeaux (mostly Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur AOCs, some Haut-Medoc, etc) $10 to mid teens range.
In general have found these are better quality (or more to my liking) per $ than most US Cabernets and Merlots I have had in the same price range.
Just recently had some Charles Smith Substance Cabernet (paid $13) and though it was decent (and may benefit from a few years in the cellar), I had a better Bordeaux ($14) the next night.
I'd say my normal drinking wines are low teens to mid $20s per bottle. I won't find my favorite wines in that range, but some very good ones.
Bought a couple of mixed cases recently and was rearranging the wines in my cellar (aka the boxes in my unfinished basement
).. so figured I'd take some pics of some that are aging..
Some excellent Napa Cabs
Really liked Flowers Pinot when I first had it about 10+ years ago (prob 2005/2006 vintages), but not as much recently.
We'll see how these do when I get to opening them.
Some of my best Italians
Another Tignanello (been a fan for years).
Some very nice Margaux and Pauillac
My best Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Some more Rhone Reds
Some more French Bordeaux Reds (Saint-Emilion, Saint-Julien, Saint-Estephe, Pauillac, Pomerol, Haut-Medoc, Fronsac)
Saint-Julien
Saint-Emilion
Starting with my best
For medium body reds, I find some of the best bang for the buck can be found in low cost Bordeaux (mostly Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur AOCs, some Haut-Medoc, etc) $10 to mid teens range.
In general have found these are better quality (or more to my liking) per $ than most US Cabernets and Merlots I have had in the same price range.
Just recently had some Charles Smith Substance Cabernet (paid $13) and though it was decent (and may benefit from a few years in the cellar), I had a better Bordeaux ($14) the next night.
I'd say my normal drinking wines are low teens to mid $20s per bottle. I won't find my favorite wines in that range, but some very good ones.
Bought a couple of mixed cases recently and was rearranging the wines in my cellar (aka the boxes in my unfinished basement
).. so figured I'd take some pics of some that are aging..Some excellent Napa Cabs
Really liked Flowers Pinot when I first had it about 10+ years ago (prob 2005/2006 vintages), but not as much recently.
We'll see how these do when I get to opening them.
Some of my best Italians
Some very nice Margaux and Pauillac
My best Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Some more Rhone Reds
Some more French Bordeaux Reds (Saint-Emilion, Saint-Julien, Saint-Estephe, Pauillac, Pomerol, Haut-Medoc, Fronsac)
Saint-Julien
Saint-Emilion
Starting with my best
Attachments
@softchewy - you have some good bottles!
Opened this beauty last week
2007 Saxum Broken Stones from Paso Robles
Opened this beauty last week
2007 Saxum Broken Stones from Paso Robles
I’ll have to go crack open the wine fridge tomorrow, living in Sonoma County we drink a lot of local wines that don’t probably make it very far out of the area, but definitely have some go-to’s. Our favorite game is finding the best wine under $10 for weeknight dinner drinkers, have had a few shockingly good ones.
Nice stash, @softchewy, got excited for your budget recommendations then saw the Caymus and Stag’s leap (both absolutely phenomenal) hahaha.
Nice stash, @softchewy, got excited for your budget recommendations then saw the Caymus and Stag’s leap (both absolutely phenomenal) hahaha.
Thanks.. some of my 2005/2006s are probably peaking so may be having some nice wines this year
Jealous.. haven't had any Saxums.. so how was it?
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Decoy Cabernet (Duckhorn) out by you is pretty good for under $20. I tend not to go too cheap on Cabs as most I have tried in the $10 to low teens range I find fairly harsh and not very enjoyable. I'd rather drink a different wine/varietal in that price range. Just picked up a few different Block Estate Cabs (927, 314) in the low $20 range, so will see how those are.
What kind of wines do you prefer?
Yeah I agree, I love cabs but end up not drinking them because I feel like I can get a good Syrah, or Malbec for $10-15 that’s on par with $20-30 cabs. I do just generally love cool climate Syrahs anyway, and have found a handful of really good reasonable Pinots from Sonoma county, the Santa Cruz mountains and the Oregon/Washington area
My general go-to's by region:
USA: California Zinfandel (Lodi) or Northwest Chardonnay
France: Cotes du Rhone GSM
Italy: Tuscany, Chianti Classico (or Amerone if I can afford it)
Spain: Garnacha from anywhere
Australia: Shiraz (Barossa Valley)
Argentina: Malbec from anywhere
Germany: Gewurztraminer (Alsace)
Canada: Ice Wine or Late Harvest Optima (Okanagan)
USA: California Zinfandel (Lodi) or Northwest Chardonnay
France: Cotes du Rhone GSM
Italy: Tuscany, Chianti Classico (or Amerone if I can afford it)
Spain: Garnacha from anywhere
Australia: Shiraz (Barossa Valley)
Argentina: Malbec from anywhere
Germany: Gewurztraminer (Alsace)
Canada: Ice Wine or Late Harvest Optima (Okanagan)
The list at lunch yesterday in Cahors. The prices -- they hurt! (We had the Haute Serre Seignieur.)
You can usually get a little better "deal" on Cabs if you don't mind waiting (meaning buy now, drink later, sometimes much later).
The Charles Smith Substance Cab I had the other night wasn't bad, especially for $13.. very drinkable and not harsh or alcohol forward, but pretty mellow and bland... not sure how it would be in a few years.. either way I would decant for a couple of hours before drinking.
yep, Russian River Valley, Willamette, and others have some very nice reasonable Pinots.
If you are in the mid teens, Bourgogne (Burgundy) has alot to offer.
Some great Syrah in Northern Rhone, but unfortunately you won't find too much under $30
Ever have Contour or Acrobat Pinot Noir? Any good? Have had some decent inexpensive Pinot from Ste. Michelle (a while ago)
Remember having some Erath and Mirassou Pinots that were cheap an cheerful. Heard Gnarly Head was good for the price, but haven't tried it.
Have had Clos du Bois and Menage a Trois, but not a fan of either. Also had some Cherry Pie Pinot that was rated well, but I didn't like it.
Coppola makes some reasonably priced and drinkable wines, but haven't tried the Pinot.
Had MacMurray Ranch when tasting wine for a friend's wedding and it was decent for the price.
Get La Crema and Simi occasionally as my wife likes them (I do too).. but now you are in the upper teens $20+ (at least by me)
Australia's Penfolds Koonuga Hill is pretty good in the low teens.. all the low price Yellow Tail I have tried (Chardonnay, Pinot, Merlot) have been pretty bad. Smoking Loon Pinot (Chile) I have had has also been bad.
I get Columbia Crest Merlot occasionally (most recently H3) at a restaurant by me as it is the best option they have aside from getting a $70+ bottle (great Italian food, horrible wine selection). It's defintely a good wine for the price.
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Hanging in Malbec country eh... how was it?
Fantastic bottles, Paul!! If you're ever around Michigan, you gotta stop by so we can share a few of my bottles, man... I used to be a wine nut but haven't bought much the last few years. Still have a full cellar of goodies to share with friends though... My wife doesn't drink so it's not often I open a bottle for myself.
Now, just to show how taste can be different, my view of Bordeaux vs. Cali Cab is the opposite of yours. I can rarely find a cheap Bordeaux I enjoy. They are usually too young and astringent for my taste without a few years in the cellar. For around the same price I find more drinkable Cali Cabs. Now, granted, on the upper range, things change. My opinion comes from when I used to drink a bunch of different bottles, maybe things have changed the past few years.
The same goes for Bungundy vs US Pinots. Hard to find a well priced Burgundy that can compete with some Oregon offers. Once again, things change when we're are talking about the great Burgundies, and those can't be equaled. IMO of course.
Fan of Tignanello here as well! And of Italian wines in general, specially Barbarescos and Brunellos.
No surprise: Don't care for Merlots, unless its a top Pomerol, or something like a Pahlmeyer bottling.
Good Zins? YES, PLEASE!
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Never been to Michigan, but if I make it out that way, sounds like a plan! Thanks for the offer (y) :thumbsup:
If you are ever headed over to NY, hit me up and we'll bust open a Brunello or Tignanello.
Yep.. it's always true that the best wine is the one You like
Maybe I just haven't been buying the right cheap Cabs (if you have any suggestions in the low teens / sub $20 range, I'd be interested).. or maybe it's just expectations.. also really comparing 2 different animals (Somewhat Merlot heavy cheap Bordeaux vs cheap Cab heavy Cali wines).
I found some inexpensive Medoc and recently a couple of Graves that had some good complexity and finish.
Bought a bottle of The Show Cabernet Sauvignon recently for about $11.. so will see how that goes.
I also haven't been decanting the cheap Cabs recently, so that can usually help a bit. Also find they benefit from a little extra chill.
Agreed, Burgundy vs US Pinot is like Northern Rhone vs US Syrah.. unless you are in France buying local, you'll most likely be paying more for the "inexpensive" France alternative... though can be somewhat different styles and not always direct comparisons.
Hope this Brunello is nice in a few years
1967 Barolo, my oldest wine (hopefully it hasn't turned to vinegar)
another 2009 Brunello in the picture (La Rasina).. not a great year like 2010, but still a good year.. should be tasty.
I love Saxum - was a wine club member for a few years, but quit once they got too much press and they jacked up the prices. Still have about 2-3 cases I am still working through. All of their wines are Rhone style but from Paso Robles.
mashoo
3 of a Kind
I don't know anything about wine. Enjoyed this thread. The only thing I know, is that I like a dry red. Lol, I've had a fair sample size and dry red wins but I couldn't give you any tasting notes. My wife loves to make me guess the notes and I'm awful at playing that game.
Fan of Cotes du Rhone for lighter reds.. can get some nice ones for fairly cheap.. if you haven't tried some Vacqueyras there are some nice options there.. Gigondas as well, but have found that more hit and miss (YMMV)
For a much cheaper bastard son of Amarone, try a Valpolicella Ripasso.. they mix the leftover Amarone skins with Valpolicella Classico
It's been great -- Cahors are our favorite Malbecs by far. Favorite wines overall, actually.
We are not great fans of Bordeaux, but the six or so Graves we have had on this trip have been just outstanding. As have the Pecharmants, from the Perigord.
For those looking for bargain daily drinkers, we've been fans of Wines Til Sold Out (wtso.com) for years. They pay shipping on four bottles or more, and in ~5 years of buying from them, we've never had a dud
Another *great* source is Cameron Hughes, a California-based negociant. His cheaper wines, in the $11-$16 range, are just outstanding. Despite the Facebook advertising, I don't know how he does it. chwine.com.
had an opolo vineyard zinfandel, not sure which one, Costco , 13 bucks, delicious Opolo Vineyards is in Paso Robles, CA
DRINK THEM!
Saddest thing in the world -- a friend of ours, and officer of the Wine Tasters' Guild to boot, had a father who imported fine Italian wines. He died about eight years ago, and the most horrible thing imaginable was going through the dozens of cases in his cellar and throwing away on average 10 out of each 12 bottles. Don't let that happen to you!
Speaking of which, when we get home, my last two bottles of '78 La Lagune are going to be guzzled...
The three bottles of Penfolds Grange can hang on for another couple of years...
:
Caymus Cab is my fav, but I prefer the regular selection over the special selection
DRINK THEM!
Saddest thing in the world -- a friend of ours, and officer of the Wine Tasters' Guild to boot, had a father who imported fine Italian wines. He died about eight years ago, and the most horrible thing imaginable was going through the dozens of cases in his cellar and throwing away on average 10 out of each 12 bottles. Don't let that happen to you!
Speaking of which, when we get home, my last two bottles of '78 La Lagune are going to be guzzled...
The three bottles of Penfolds Grange can hang on for another couple of years...
I hear ya.. don't have too many wines over 15 years old. The '67 was a gift. I plan to open it within the year.
Have a '92 Merlot from Jamesport (North Fork of Long Island) that wasn't expensive.. just kept it more as an experiment to see if it would last 25 years or more, so that will be opened soon (won't be disappointed if it is turned). The '98 Chateau Montelena Napa Cab I have was another gift. Also plan to open that soon.. '98 was not a good year for Napa, so that could defintely be past peak already.
Have a couple mixed cases of 2005 Bordeaux (most bought as futures) that I will be dipping into in the next year or two as well.
As I probably mentioned, we're not big Cab Sauv drinkers. Nor do we care for much from either Washington or Oregon. And we drink a bottle every night -- and right now, while we're in France, one at lunch and one at dinner. Bad, bad, bad.
One saving grace in sw and south-central France is that producers are bottling no only 750 ml and 375 ml bottles , but also offering 500 ml bottles, which are the perfect size for lunch or lighter meals (i.e., without cheeses at the end to extend the wine drinking). I've never seen 50 cl bottles before this trip.
We are big on zins -- got hooked on Ridge after our first visit to the vineyard about 25 years ago (love the "Watch Out for Rattlesnakes" signs in the parking lot!), when we tasted the component wines in the two preliminary blends of Ridge Monte Bello.We've been members of their "Z List" and most especially their Advanced Tasting Program (ATP) ever since. The ATP list is great, since it offers only very limited production varietals that never make it to retail.
Anything made by Turley is also at the top of the list. One of my favorite personal wine stories is Turley-based:
Many years ago, we were taking a group of eight to the short-lived Wash. DC location of Ortanique, Cindy Hutson's outstanding restaurant in Coral Gables, FL. I went early to select the wines, and found they had three Turleys on the list -- great! So we all sit down, I order four bottles, and the sommelier says, "You know, Larry Turley [Helen's son] is in the back room right now, having dinner."
About ten minutes later, here comes Larry Turley, wearing a denim "Turley" shirt, sleeves rolled up, farmer's hands -- he's not an office worker -- headed for our table, and shakes hands all around to thank us for appreciating his wines.
Needless to say, our friends were pretty impressed that we could conjure up the wine maker himself for our special occasion!
We also love Santa Barbara pinots -- especially Brewer-Clifton and Melville. IMO, they put anything from the Pacific NW to shame.
There is so much good wine coming from Australia. My favorite Aussie wine story:
About twenty years ago, we were visiting my wife's mom in Colorado Springs. We took a drive to Breckenridge. While we were there, her mom fell down a flight of five or six steps in an art gallery and broke her neck. She had to be lifted to a hospital in Denver, where she was lucky enough to avoid surgery and had a halo fitted to immobilize the neck. That was the good news for the day.
So as my wife and I were driving back down to the Springs for the night, we decided to stop off at a restaurant for supper and to celebrate her mo avoiding the surgery. We spotted a place called "Down Under", just off I-25. well, surprise -- it was an Aussie restaurant. And it was full, so we sat at the bar and ordered. Since we were celebrating, it was time for a bottle of Penfolds Grange, 1990, iirc, $125 back then.
So the bartender takes our order, and a few minutes later, I head for the men's room. As I'm opening the door, out comes the bartender, carrying the bottle of Grange!
I'm more used to *leaving* my wine in the men's room (eventually) than having it come *from* there...but it was a great bottle anyway.
It turns out that when they designed the building, they thought that the men's room would be the coldest room in the building, so that's where they put their wine storage. Behind three huge double doors on the right as you entered...
As to Italians, who doesn't love Barolos, Barbarescos, Amarones, etc.? But the sweet spot for reds for us lately has been Montepulcianos. One problem with Italy is that northern Italy produces so many excellent wines from grapes you've never heard of. Ever had an Erbaluce, for example? An absolutely great and versatile white that goes with so many foods, like Gruner Veltliner and Viognier.
I don't think there's any doubt that the best buys these days come from Spain and Portugal (which is *highly* underrated). And they don't have to be from the Douro. Think grapes like Mencia, from Bierzo.
Ah well, enough morning coffee blab. Time to start getting ready for lunch, and the drive south from the Perigord to visit friends near Auch and Toulouse...
One saving grace in sw and south-central France is that producers are bottling no only 750 ml and 375 ml bottles , but also offering 500 ml bottles, which are the perfect size for lunch or lighter meals (i.e., without cheeses at the end to extend the wine drinking). I've never seen 50 cl bottles before this trip.
We are big on zins -- got hooked on Ridge after our first visit to the vineyard about 25 years ago (love the "Watch Out for Rattlesnakes" signs in the parking lot!), when we tasted the component wines in the two preliminary blends of Ridge Monte Bello.We've been members of their "Z List" and most especially their Advanced Tasting Program (ATP) ever since. The ATP list is great, since it offers only very limited production varietals that never make it to retail.
Anything made by Turley is also at the top of the list. One of my favorite personal wine stories is Turley-based:
Many years ago, we were taking a group of eight to the short-lived Wash. DC location of Ortanique, Cindy Hutson's outstanding restaurant in Coral Gables, FL. I went early to select the wines, and found they had three Turleys on the list -- great! So we all sit down, I order four bottles, and the sommelier says, "You know, Larry Turley [Helen's son] is in the back room right now, having dinner."
About ten minutes later, here comes Larry Turley, wearing a denim "Turley" shirt, sleeves rolled up, farmer's hands -- he's not an office worker -- headed for our table, and shakes hands all around to thank us for appreciating his wines.
Needless to say, our friends were pretty impressed that we could conjure up the wine maker himself for our special occasion!
We also love Santa Barbara pinots -- especially Brewer-Clifton and Melville. IMO, they put anything from the Pacific NW to shame.
There is so much good wine coming from Australia. My favorite Aussie wine story:
About twenty years ago, we were visiting my wife's mom in Colorado Springs. We took a drive to Breckenridge. While we were there, her mom fell down a flight of five or six steps in an art gallery and broke her neck. She had to be lifted to a hospital in Denver, where she was lucky enough to avoid surgery and had a halo fitted to immobilize the neck. That was the good news for the day.
So as my wife and I were driving back down to the Springs for the night, we decided to stop off at a restaurant for supper and to celebrate her mo avoiding the surgery. We spotted a place called "Down Under", just off I-25. well, surprise -- it was an Aussie restaurant. And it was full, so we sat at the bar and ordered. Since we were celebrating, it was time for a bottle of Penfolds Grange, 1990, iirc, $125 back then.
So the bartender takes our order, and a few minutes later, I head for the men's room. As I'm opening the door, out comes the bartender, carrying the bottle of Grange!
I'm more used to *leaving* my wine in the men's room (eventually) than having it come *from* there...but it was a great bottle anyway.
It turns out that when they designed the building, they thought that the men's room would be the coldest room in the building, so that's where they put their wine storage. Behind three huge double doors on the right as you entered...
As to Italians, who doesn't love Barolos, Barbarescos, Amarones, etc.? But the sweet spot for reds for us lately has been Montepulcianos. One problem with Italy is that northern Italy produces so many excellent wines from grapes you've never heard of. Ever had an Erbaluce, for example? An absolutely great and versatile white that goes with so many foods, like Gruner Veltliner and Viognier.
I don't think there's any doubt that the best buys these days come from Spain and Portugal (which is *highly* underrated). And they don't have to be from the Douro. Think grapes like Mencia, from Bierzo.
Ah well, enough morning coffee blab. Time to start getting ready for lunch, and the drive south from the Perigord to visit friends near Auch and Toulouse...
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