Brad Ballinger

Last I was aware, Texas was still a felony state. This means, wine cannot be shipped to Texas from wineries or retailers outstide of Texas. If I'm wrong, then my recommendation is to use K&L Wines in Redwood City, California. If I'm not wrong, then you are limited to retailers within Texas. If you plan on sending a bottle of Champagne that is carried many places, I'd say go with one of the larger wine retailers in Dallas (something you should be able to find out easily on the internet). The larger retailers will also have flutes.

I know Steven Westby at Witness Tree, also a nice guy. I've also seen the effects of ALS on professional colleagues of mine. It's a sad thing to see. The wines of Witness Tree (both their chardonnay and pinot noir) are quite nice. And the "regular" wines from them are very affordable and can go toe to toe with higher priced ones. This is a good cause.

I'm coming late to this party, but I've had computer crises. Hopefully cured now. For French methode champenoise wines, I've enjoye a Cremant d'Alsace -- over there, and I can't recall the name. I don't get to see many of these wines in Minnesota, but I'd certainly like to find more. I've also enjoyed Baumard's Cremant de Loire, and Huet's Vouvray Petillant Brut. The latter one, in particular, is an incredibly complex sparkler. From Italy, the Spumante Riserva del Fondatore wines of Giulio Ferrari are stunning when there is age on them. And Rocche dei Manzoni brands a spumante from Piedmont under the name Valentino. It's vinified "brut zero" dry, and is a blend of chardonnay and pinot nero.

IIRC, the wine is a blend of syrah and petit sirah. I had the 1999 two years ago (had it twice) and it was (as Redwinger commented -- and he had it with me) a difficult wine to drink. I've not had the oppotrunity to try any with age on them, but my fear is that the fruit would fade quickly and there'd be lots of wood for whatever was left in the wine to compete with.

For a price check, go to www.winesearcher.com. As far as food pairings go. Very briefly. . . Spottswoode - steak Hardy's - grilled lamb or game Jaboulet - braised meats

The surprise is how far the prices have been cut -- more than 50%. Your point about need to move product and clear room is a valid one. Other restaurants in the area tha have had this problem have either sold back to the distributor or they've sold to a retailer. Both options result in larger losses than merely selling the wine at retail to the consumer.

Many restaurants nationwide feature half-price wine nights (or something similar) early in the week when restaurants aren't as full as their owners would like. Diners often whine that the prices should be cut all the time. There have certainly been a number of threads in this forum about consumers feeling ripped off and those in the hospitality business expalining why the markups are justified. Both sides have their valid points, and I'm not looking to reopen any old wounds. But my eyebrows raised almost all the way to my hairline (which is getting further and further away from my eyebrows daily) when I read about what a Minneapolis restaurant is doing. The restaurant has cut prices on some bottles by more than half -- permanently. The article doesn't say if the price slashing applies to all bottles on the list, or just some. But it offers these examples: 1999 Beaulieu Tapestry was $119, is now $44. 2000 Shafer Merlot was $95, is now $36. I've never been to the restaurant so I can't comment any further. At any rate, it's a pretty dramatic price reduction.

Oh, yeah. Lists are always fun to get discussion going -- glad to see this one on there, were they high when they put this other one on the list, and so forth. But the list sells indidivudal magazines and subscriptions. Advertising rates are also likely higher for the Top 100 issue, the Restaurant Guide issue, and perhaps some other special issues (I say "likely" as a guess -- I don't know for certain). Some retilaers love it because, if they dice roll their way, they may raise the price. It's been known to happen. I've read and been involved in other discussion where people take some perverse satisfaction in not owning any wines on the list. Others are glad they own the Number 1 wine. Some don't care either way. Last year, I think I had one wine in my cellar on this list. This year, it's four: 1. Rieussec 9. Suduiraut 49. Tempier 89. Inama I'm a little bummed about all the Sauternes toward the top. These have always been a good deal buying on a pre-arrival basis, and I've done so nearly every vintage with Rieussec, Suduiraut, and Climens. I only hope pre-arrival pricing doesn't see a hike as a result of this. Coop - the reason for 200 being on there instead of 2002 or 2001 is that the list is made of wines tasted within the year. I don't expect the tasters make their way to too much Soave. Regarding Eroica, I think this is three years in a row on the list. Aren't they tasting any Smith-Madrone, Stony Hill, or Navarro? And there are only two from Germany? Oh, well. I better stop now.

This is sort of what I meant in my comment about not being sure what was meant by "light" whites. One person's light is another person's medium or full. I would definitely place most Falanghina in a "lighter" column than most Fiano di Avellino, but they can both reside in the same neighborhood IMO. Anyway, it's a fun discussion.

I don't know if this is the same wine you had or not, but here is a note on a Torrontes I greatly enjoyed... 2003 Crios de Susana Balbo Torrontes, Cafayate, Argentina. Had I known it was going to be all downhill after this beautiful wine, I would’ve bogarted one of the two bottles that were open. Torrontes is the grape in this wine, and the wine is sort of a hybrid between Viognier and Gewurztraminer. It’s floral, has a peach pit element, but also brings on some spice. The nose shows lemon drop, honeysuckle, peach, and spice. The flavor profile is similarly complex and layered. Clean and long finish. Looking back on the even, the discovery of this wine was worth sacrificing my palate on the ones to follow. This wine runs between $10 and $15, and is worth snapping up. A good summer sipper and salad wine. I don't honestly know what is meant by light whites, but I've been enjoying riesling kabinetten from Germany, arneis from Piemonte, and Saumur whites from the Loire.

These are notes that are from the charity wine tasting I conducted as a result of my wife placing it as an auction item in a fundraising event for a non-profit for which she is on the board. What was auctioned off as a wine tasting for eight somehow turned into a Champagne tasting for 30. The title of this post is Vrai Champagne, and these were all Champagne from Champagne. The first four wines listed below were placed around the house. The Feuillate was the welcome/toasting wine. The Peters was paired with caviar and fixins. The Tarlant was placed with pate and cheeses. There was also lobster tail and a fresh foie gras terrine in between the two food stations. The Veuve Demi was served with a persimmon and golden raisin galette. The final four wines listed below were wines I was pouring at a tasting station. I featured these because they are wines that cannot be purchased at a retail store in Minnesota. I'm grateful to Gary Westby at K&L Wines for helping me with the wines at the tasting station. NV Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Brut. This wine is a blend of 40% pinot noir, 40% pinot meunier, and 20% chardonnay from premier cru vineyards, and produced by a grower cooperative. Their press release sheet brags it’s the perfect wine for an aperitif, and it was the right choice for aperitif on this particular evening. I’ve always liked this wine for its nutty qualities it shows in its aroma and on the finish, which adds a dimension of complexity to the bright and fruity apple and golden fig flavors. A delicate mousse helps it go down effortlessly. NV Champagne Pierre Peters Cuvee Reserve Blanc de Blancs Brut. Made from 100% chardonnay grown on estate vineyards. As soon as I pulled the first cork, I could smell the dough rising. This wine is a zinger – and a conundrum. With one sip, it’s a sleek mineral-driven wine, typical of the style of Pierre Peters. With another, it shows powerful citrus and tropical fruit. It shows finesse and power at the same time. It’s a rose in a fisted glove. NV Champagne Tarlant Cuvée Louis Brut Prestige. The grapes for this wine come from the producer’s own vineyards around Oeuilly, a tiny dot of a town in the Vallée de Marne. The wine is made from 50% chardonnay and 50% pinot noir. It is partially fermented in oak, and aged in oak for 13 months and then on its lees for seven years before being released. This wine has incredible depth and complexity, showing spices, some dried apples, and toasted bread. It was the "deepest" and most "muscular" wine of the evening, stylistically. Astonishingly, it was also the least emptied of the non-tasting wines. NV Champagne Veuve Clicquot Demi-Sec. Made from 50% pinot noir, 30% pinot meunier, and 20% chardonnay. At least 50 individual wines are blended to make this cuvée. The final dosage in this wine contains 45 grams of sugar per liter (as opposed to generally between 8-12 grams for Brut wines). The marketing folks at Vueve bill their demi-sec as “classic accompaniment” to dessert. So we’re also taking them at their word. Oddly, though, whenever I’ve had this wine, it has not been with dessert. I think it makes a nice aperitif and a great partner to cheeses. Although sweet, it still maintains a delicate balance and shows of pastry crust and fruit-soaked bread in its flavor profile. The dessert it was paired with muted the sweetness of the wine. But when I had the wine with gratte paille cheese, it was a great match. The Tasting Station Wines: 1996 Champagne Franck Bonville Brut Blanc de Blancs. This is a 100% chardonnay wine made from family-owned Grand Cru vineyards in Avize, Cramant, and Oger in the Côte de Blancs. It is a tightly focused, laser beam of a wine. But it is by no means one-dimensional. This wine is a bit tight right now and can go several more years. There’s a slight toastiness to the biscuity aromas. The fruit is very concentrated and clean in the mouth with chalky minerals playing a supporting role. The wine has a clean finish, but you know you definitely had something going on in your mouth before you swallowed. Great clarity and focus. 1996 Champagne Pierre Peters “Cuvée Spéciale” Brut Blanc de Blancs. This is also a 100% chardonnay wine made from family-owned plot in the Grand Cru vineyard of Chetillons in Le Mesnil sur Oger. The vines are about 70 years old. As with the Bonville, this wine will benefit from being left alone for a bit longer. This wine has more meatiness, yeastiness, and nuts than the NV Cuvée Reserve served as part of the larger program. The aroma is powerful as is the flavor profile. It’s almost not very “blanc de blancs like,” but is certainly a fun wine to drink. There were layer upon layer of citrus, apple, toast, and nuts, with gobs of hazelnut skins on the finish. NV Champagne Michel Arnould “La Grande Cuvée” Brut. The fruit for this wine is all from the 1997 harvest, but the label makes no reference to the vintage. Arnould is not the only producer to do this, and some do it because they feel the house style they strive for is more important than vintage. The wine is made from two-thirds pinot noir and one-third chardonnay, all from family owned Grand Cru vineyards in Verzenay, with some of the chardonnay also coming from vineyards in Cramant. Many of the vineyards in Verzenay slope to the north. When the high acid harvested grapes meat the yeast, this makes for lots and lots of teeny bubbles. That, and the fact that Patrick Arnould puts the wine through complete malolactic fermentation give the wine a creamy texture. But you always know it’s an acidic bugger. The wine rests on the lees for three years prior to being released. The pinot noir fruit profile was evident here with some cherry tones. In this lineup, the wine seemed the least "overt" in terms of character, but I appreciated it for its balance and completeness. This would be a great toasting wine or terrific with triple cream cheeses. 1985 Champagne René Collard Brut Rosé. In the 1980s, Monsieur Collard only made rosé in the 1985 and 1988. It is made from 100% pinot meunier, of which 12% was added as still red wine, from the family-owned vineyards in Reuil. Meunier is usually relegated to blending grape status due to its early maturing quality and fruitiness that rounds out the blends For those who have trouble finding a rosé that does something for them, then this is the wine for you. You might not like what it does, but there’s no arguing it definitely does something. This wine shows off concentrated cherry and citrus oil flavors. It also has strong spice and earthy components similar to a great Burgundy. The finish seems to go on forever. If you were to ask any Champagne producer who (other than himself or herself) makes the best wines in the Vallée de Marne, you would likely hear the name René Collard named more than any other. It shows with this wine, which is unlike any other I've ever had.

I may be in a bit of a minority here, but I prefer lower acid whites. I like Rob's Vin de Pays suggestions. My standard is Domaine de Pouy Cotes de Gascogne. It's cheap and works well. Made primarily from ugni blanc -- a grape that doesn't have anything at all offensive about it.

My fallbacks are riesling and pinot noir. But I have to go with relatively inexpensive stuff because no one else really cares or appreciates wine all that much in my family.

Assuming they are both NV bottlings, it probably doesn't matter much. If it were me, I'd go with Pol Roger. The latest releases of NV Veuve do nothing for me. I'm finding them lacking any style and even a bit on the sweet side.

Carolyn Tillie will love you for this post. She works there and posts here. Also, the owners, the Stotesberrys are from Minnesota. I have to drop stuff like that whenever I can.

I could not tell exactly. They are supposed to be produced more or less in the same way, but I guess 1972 is in fact older. The 1972 is over. The producer started to sell the 1975 three or four years ago, when there was little quantity of the 1972 left. Nowadays you can only get the latter by chance, coming across a couple of bottles in some hidden wine shop in Spain or abroad. As I say above, I've tasted the forthcoming release (1977, probably) and was quite positively impressed. ← I don't know of any major difference between 1972 and 1975 except what Mother Nature gave the winemakers. You may be able to find some 1972 around yet in retail sectors. A visit to winesearcher.com will tell you where you can get it.

Welcome, Stuart. We all look forward to the discussion. I also want to offer a big THANK YOU to Katie Loeb, who spent a lot of effort to get Stuart to join us for this conversation.

I've had both the 1972 and 1975 PX from Toro Albala as well, and wholeheartedly concur with your assessment. The 1972 is in a separate class that is far above the 1975.

Nowadays, sad to say, $30 can buy you a bottle of nice wine or a bottle of plonk. It would be interesting to know what the other wine was. But there are other factors that play into this. 2BC is as drinkable as it's ever going to be when you take it home from Costco. Some $30 wines may be shut down or not yet developed, and may not "perform" well in a tasting like this. What were the reasons for choosing the wine you did?

I've never poured in a winery tasting room. But as a guest, the mosthellish thing I've experienced were Americans in Moet Chandon. There was one southern guy in a ten-gallon hat and his high-toned companion with way too much perfume. She would say things like "I don't know why we're here, I don't even like Champagne." And in the tasting room itself, he wanted more wine, but then she wouldn't share hers with him. Apparently she liked alcohol. Pouring wine at tasting events, however, I do have experience with. I actually had to refuse to pour to someone who was obviously intoxicated. That created some fury from her. She threatened never to come to the organization's wine events ever again. The organization head backed me up. I expect some of your hellish stories will come from people who've had too much to drink.

I'm not a chemist, nor do I play one on the Internet. Reagrding 1996 White Burgs, I've drank what few I've had up. I've not been disappointed, but I need to add that I'm likely nowhere as experienced with these wines as the person whose opinion is reprinted here. I only have Batard-Montrachet left (from Jadot). My other 1996 White Burgundy are from Chablis, and there is definitely nothing wrong with any of them. Some are young yet. But I think your friend is writing more about the Cote du Beaune, from which by the way, I've enjoyed 1995s of late. Regarding sulfur-oxidation. They are a somewhat opposite ends of a spectrum. Wines heavy in sulfur are said to be reductive (which is the opposite of oxidative). There is a balance to be achieved. But as to you question about what would lead a winemaker to add more sulfur in one vintage, less in another, I've no idea. But sulfur does occur naturally during fermentation, so perhaps there are tests that read the sulfur levels throughout the process.

I'm curious about the "at least not in our house" comment. Would your observation hold if you omitted these words?

Thanks for the note on this wine. I've only had the reguler and three of the Madame in the cellar. I liked the regular quite a bit, which prompted me to go for it with the Madame. I hope with time, the latter still won't be over the top. What comment do you have, if any, about ageability?

I recall a comment from a friend of mine who once said "I didn't know Banfi was imported into Italy." Their Brunelli have been the only wines I've thought truly "Italian." The 1997 Summus is not very good. The 1997 Excelsus is a good steak wine in a California Cabernet sort of way. I've stopped buying.

You make a great point. We can't assume all of these are in California, which is where I first went. There are many showing up in all states.