tcizma

6 pack of Marcassin Chardonnay offered to me last week: $1800

Montrachet, France?

Quite often the wines packed 6 to a case are on the pricey side. This has prompted me a number of times in the last couple of years while negotiating the purchase of a particular wine- to ask "6 or 12 pack?" (After having been surprised a few times.

Check out the Dressner website mentioned earlier in this thread. Jean Paul Brun ( Domaine des Terres ) talks about the yeast issue and says the exact same thing.

Do you ever assign a masculine or feminine persona to the wine you are drinking? Big bruising cab? Male, for sure. Lithe, exotic pouilly fume? Feminine, definitely. Pinot Noir can go either way, for me. This one from Heresztyn, probably best known for top notch Gevrey has the charm, poise and elegance of somebody's swiss boarding school educated little sister. Belying it's humble stature is the deep nose with ripe stylish fruit. Good color, light pure pinot fruit in abundance, with fine, structured tannins. About 1/4 the price of big brother.

Yeah, what baphie said... Nicely put.

Jean-Paul Brun from Domaine des Terres Dorees ( imported by Joe Dressner ) is making Beaujolais with lower alcohol ( no chaptalization) and using indigenous yeast to produce terrific drinking wines with really unique fruit character. it should be noted that Brun is the only non-"Cru" beaujolais maker to rate 4 stars from Parker. Another incarnation of Gamay is Cerdon, a semi dry pink bubbly made by spontaneous, but incomplete fermentation. Graet as an apertif or dessert.

Hexamer also makes a pretty good "germanic" style Gewurztraminer

I don't know any Columbia MBA grads. Do they burn dead rabbits? I have drunk far more great wines from Joly than anything else.

I am drinking this wine as I write this and I'm having a little difficulty getting it pinned down. it's good no doubt, but why? Most Napa Sauv Blanc lately have tasted like chardonnay wannabes to me. ( ok that's a little over generalization ) This wine has an herbaceous minerality to it that is quite attractive. Nicely acidic, but not over done. Dare I say that had I blind tasted it I might have picked it as originating outside California? Not sure where John Ruston sources this fruit, I don't think he grows it. Not even sure who is making wines at Ruston since Melka left. This is a sparkling example of what California can produce when it wants to, without trying to make a wine that is all thimgs to all people. ( for under $20 retail)

Just when you thought you were beginning to understand riesling, you taste stuff like this from the Nahe. Try Donnhoff's spatlese from the Oberhauser Brucke vineyard ( probably his best site ) Like licking wet diamonds. Will age for 30 + years I suspect. Also check out Schafer Frohlich wines from the Nahe.

Re: price inflation. We can all !@#$%& and moan about the prices, but the fact is we ( or somebody ) are still buying the wines at those prices. As long as we are, what producer or distributor in their right mind would lower them? What about Cru Beaujolais ? Potel-Aviron made a number of stunning examples in 2000 for a fraction of what wines made from the same grapes sold for under different labels.

Another good bet from the Rhiengau are the wines of Balthasar - Ress. Vineyard sources include Berg Rottland and Hattenheimer Schutzenhaus. Stefan Ress also served as president of the VDP for some time. I have quite a few of his wines from earlier vintages ( 85, 89, 91 ) all are showing well. His current release Kabinett wines ( 2001 has got nothing on 2002 ) are racy and exciting. Download the Terry Thiese catalogs from Skurnik, if for no other reason than sheer reading pleasure.

I found this little gem on the wine list of a strip mall bistro for $44 on their "red wines of reserve status" list. Velvety, dusty soft with a real punch of jolly rancher cherry candy. Just a bit funky, with faint earthy wet black dirt and forest. Had a very intersting "nutty" characteristic sort of like toasted hazel nuts? as It was open longer, the hazelnut gave way to a more coffee esque essence. Paired beautifully with the garlicky brandade and duck casoulet.

frites, organ meats ( and other under- utilized portions of various animals) inexpensive ( but good ) wine and noise.

Coffee and Ancho Chile Braised Beef Short Ribs Serves 6 as Main Dish. I recently prepared this recipe at Disney's Epcot center as part of the Epcot Food and Wine festival to great approval from most of the 750 guests in attendance at the "party of the senses". 6 meaty short ribs cut 2 ½ “ thick 1 large onion, medium dice 6 ribs celery, medium dice 2 large carrots medium dice 8 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped 2 dried ancho chiles 1 dried chipotle chile 2 c maple syrup 8 c strong coffee salt fresh black pepper Season the short ribs thoroughly with salt and pepper. In a hot, heavy bottom roasting pan brown the short ribs well on all sides. Use an oil with a high smoking point like peanut or grapeseed. Remove ribs from pan, and set aside. Drain excess fat from pan and return to heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic and dried chiles to the pan. Cook until vegetables are soft. Deglaze pan with coffee. Transfer mixture to blender or food processor and puree. Return ribs to pan, cover with coffee mixture and cover tightly. Cook at 250F for 6-10 hours until meat is super tender and falling off the bone. Strain liquid and defat. Reduce by ½, adjust seasoning and serve as sauce Keywords: Main Dish, Beef ( RG755 )

Coffee and Ancho Chile Braised Beef Short Ribs Serves 6 as Main Dish. I recently prepared this recipe at Disney's Epcot center as part of the Epcot Food and Wine festival to great approval from most of the 750 guests in attendance at the "party of the senses". 6 meaty short ribs cut 2 ½ “ thick 1 large onion, medium dice 6 ribs celery, medium dice 2 large carrots medium dice 8 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped 2 dried ancho chiles 1 dried chipotle chile 2 c maple syrup 8 c strong coffee salt fresh black pepper Season the short ribs thoroughly with salt and pepper. In a hot, heavy bottom roasting pan brown the short ribs well on all sides. Use an oil with a high smoking point like peanut or grapeseed. Remove ribs from pan, and set aside. Drain excess fat from pan and return to heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic and dried chiles to the pan. Cook until vegetables are soft. Deglaze pan with coffee. Transfer mixture to blender or food processor and puree. Return ribs to pan, cover with coffee mixture and cover tightly. Cook at 250F for 6-10 hours until meat is super tender and falling off the bone. Strain liquid and defat. Reduce by ½, adjust seasoning and serve as sauce Keywords: Main Dish, Beef ( RG755 )

I have been drinking some germanic wines with screw tops. A winemaker from the Rheingau was telling me that for him, it was simply a matter of economics. Too many corked wines. With our everyday "swill at will" drinking wines ( like Kabinett or QBA riesling, for example ) I don't mind the idea of a screw top. The cork however, remains an important part of the ritual, if nothing else, that goes with enjoying fine wines.

Please post wtn on the Haag Auslese. ( which vineyard location?)

I agree. Terroir is important to cheese for the same reasons it is to wine. Indigenous soil and plants ( which the chow, sheep or goat consume ) weather and other factors of "place" all combine to give any natural product, cheese, wine, or fruit it's own identifiable characteristics.

2002 CASA SILVA – SAUVIGNON GRIS $9.99 NEVER HEARD OF SAUVIGNON GRIS BEFORE? ME NEITHER UNTIL THIS LITTLE GEM SHOWED UP ON OUR DOORSTEP.A GENETIC SIBLING OF SAUVIGNON BLANC AND PINOT GRIS PACKING A PUNCH OF FRUIT NOT FOUND IN IT’S PARENTS. DAZZLING, TROPICAL FRUIT BURSTS ON THE TONGUE WITH A PENETRATING FORCE THEN GIVES WAY TO A LONG CITRUSY FINISH. GREAT ACIDITY GIVES IT THE MUSCLE TO STAND UP TO THE SPICIEST FARE. AT TEN BUCKS THIS IS A STEAL! Cardinal wines, Crystal Lake, Il. From their flyer perfect with sauteed scallops in ginger coconut cream with thai chile and basil oil http://www.cheftedcizma.com/food.php

Somebody should print this thread and publish it. Terroir is so hard to explain to someone who doesn't know much about how wine grapes are grown and the vinification process. Bravo britcook for a very thorough well thought out post. Definitely.You are harshing my mellow! No room for wine snobbery here. Joly is such a brilliant madman. My favorite anecdote about him is where he burns the bodies of dead rabbits and scatters their ashes in the vineyard to ward off pesty lapin .

I have been a fan of Copain wines since I met the winemaker, Wells Guthrie, last year. Now I love Burgundy almost more than anything, but these american pinots have really got my attention. Incredidible body, expression of terroir, and most importantly, true representation of varietal character. I've included a link below to the website and his tasting notes, and I generally agree with what he finds in the wine. Amazingly, this wine has been open for three days ( I'm drinking the last glass right now) and it is absolutely at it's best. The asian spice component is really fascinating, sort of like lemongrass and opium smoke mingled together. Not that I would know what opium smoke smells like, I'm just imagining. The lingering impression is of dried fruit ( think cherry, prune, craisin ) macerated in sambuca. http://www.copainwines.com/Vineyards/hacie...enda_secoya.htm

When I was beginning to learn about wine ( a process that is still continuing, I assure you. ) I often felt that the terms used by the "experts" were obscure and difficult for the novice or layperson to grasp. When I write about wine I try to use terms and phrases that will help people to imagine what it might taste like. Sometimes it comes out sounding a little bizarre, but usually more enlightening than the same old tired phrases many wine journalists continue to use. Combining smells, flavors and textures have been helpful to me when I am trying to capture the essence of a wine in few sentences. " like biting into an over ripe nectarine while burning incense, with an open can of diesel fuel in the room". (balthasar ress hattenheimer schutzenhaus riesling spatlese 1985)

Found this straggler from a case I bought a few years ago. I remembered it as being a little tightly wound, but with really promising hints of powerful fruit. I took it with to drink with dinner at a bistro and had the server open and decant it immediately. We took our time drinking a bottle of Chassagne Montrachet ( I'll post that next) while we ordered and ate appetizers. I poured the first glass of the Clerc Milon after it had been open about an hour. At first impression, I thought that it had not really evolved much. About a glass and and half later I realized that it was really shaping up. After being open about two hours ( and gaining a couple of degrees in temperature ) it really started to show. This wine has ripping lush fruit with a powerful herbal characteristic, almost exotic. Think eating a really ripe plum while burning sandalwood incense. The wine has lots of fruit in reserve, and while not exactly youthful, it gives the impression of plenty of promise in the next few years.