Screagle

[GordonCooks]

After reading how Heidi Peterson-Barrett scapped her 2000 vintage because it wasn't up to her standards - one has to wonder what happended to all that wine. Do she give to to friends? or is there some type of second label or maybe it's shows up in a Showket meritage or something. Inquiring minds want to know.

[futronic]

The juice will be sold off in bulk to other producers and blended into their wines (or just be their wine, depending on how much is bought).

[GordonCooks]

(or just be their wine, depending on how much is bought).

I'm skeptical that that could be done anonymously

[porkpa]

Has anyone on this board ever had any? I have two bottles, 1 '94 and a '99, both of which I received as gifts. I can't bring myself to open them, thinking that I'll be drinking a thousand dollars. Is it really that good?

Porkpa

[GordonCooks]

Has anyone on this board ever had any? I have two bottles, 1 '94 and a '99, both of which I received as gifts. I can't bring myself to open them, thinking that I'll be drinking a thousand dollars. Is it really that good?

Porkpa

My wine cellar was initiated with a single bottle of 94 given to me by an old family friend. I started rounding out all the 1994 Cal Cabs (back then, they didn't declare 97 the vintage of the decade) I'm saving this bottle along with some others for my 40th B-day in a few years. I never tasted it otherwise.

[LOS]

Has anyone on this board ever had any? I have two bottles, 1 '94 and a '99, both of which I received as gifts. I can't bring myself to open them, thinking that I'll be drinking a thousand dollars. Is it really that good?

Porkpa

Yes, I've had it. Is it really that good? Depends. If you're floating in dough and like new-wave Cal Cabs, then sure. If I must do Cal Cab, I prefer Montebello, or Pritchard Hill, or Schweiger. That said, Screagle has more finesse than most of the other cults I've been fed (which is most of them). So if you like huge monster cabs, but would prefer to have some finesse along with those gobs and gobs, Screagle may just be your thing. If you're rolling in the dough, it may even be worth the $$$$.

But you could sell that single bottle and buy a full case of 1975/6 CVNE Vina Real, or 1993/6/9 D'Angerville Volnay Clos des Ducs, or ....

You get the idea. If it were mine, I'd flip it in a second. It's a wine where you are paying for the "ooh" factor. Personally, I let others pay for rarity. I look for quality -- preferably underpriced, underappreciated. If I had a 85 La Tache or Romanee Conti, I'd flip them too. In fact, I have a few choice bottles I'm planning on flipping as soon as the auction market recovers.

The gift factor makes it a little bit different. I'd be less inclined to flip a gift bottle. Bu t if it were fetching that much dough, I'd probably do it anyway.

[Carema]

Most things I have found, Colgin Bryant Grace Family etc are overpriced for what they are. Uncellarable and unbearably pretentious. I think I know what the bottling of Heidi's discarded wine is, I cannot remember it at the moment I will get back to the forum on this. For the most part, when wine ups its ante at the prices, I let go and let other people sell them. I cannot bear this kind of elitism. I agree with LOS- if these kind of bucks are up for grabs, spend it in France. Or buy 80,000 bottles and get the world drunk on good cheap table wine.

[KatieLoeb]

I'm the the camp with Lee on this one. I'd rather have ten bottles at $100 than one bottle at $1000. There's NO WAY it's ten times better! Actually one of my favorite big hulking California Cabs is Justin Vineyards from Paso Robles. Less Cabernet-flavored-Jolly-Rancher than the Napa wines and lots more finesse. The 2000 vintage is only available in double magnum (at least according to the winery website) at this point, but is still a bargain at $175 for 3L compared to the cultish wines. Their "Justification" Cab Franc/Merlot blend is luscious as well and priced in the mid to high $30's.

Since we're playing "I'll-show-you-mine-if-you-show-me-yours", the few truly fabulous bottles in my "cellar" are a 1985 Graves Chateau La Mission Haut Brion, a 1970 Delas Hermitage "La Christophe", and one bottle of Isole et Olena 1997 Cepparello. Those are the only "big guns" in my very small collection. I have a few assorted eclectic Austrian wines and a few odds and ends collected while travelling but that's about it. I tend to buy wines to drink right away since I don't really have adequate storage. I'm thinking of removing the trash compacter I NEVER use from under the kitchen island counter and installing a small wine fridge if I can find one of the proper dimensions.

[Carema]

Katie:

yeah! me too. I barely ever save. I will start out by stating:

Most American wines wear a death necklace toll, of five years out and you are lucky to get anything

drink it now... tomorrow may never come. Tomorrow was made for some for all we know...

song written in the 40s regarding her love going off to war still applies today.

For all we know we may never meet again (so open that 78 la chapelle my friend)

Before you go make this moment sweet again (just one last sip of the 89 d'Yquem)

We won't say good night until the last minute (I am sure there are more than dregs left in that 71 Ducru you hold out bastard)

I hold out my hand, and my heart is in it ( also a riedel tasting glass that I would like you to fill with more of that 96 Cannubi Bartolo Barolo)

I could go on and on but after all I am not holding a 20 year old british soldier in my arms and pondering the white cliffs of dover. Those who could not afford college are choking in the middle eastern sand wondering if they will come home with limbs.

Africa is, and will be filled with dying children.

In the USA millions of children go hungry and lots sleep in cars even in the winter. Their parents know not how to cook and would not care to dissect the oeschle difference between Kabinett and Spatlese.

anyway drink up folks. cheers. happy holidays. lovely new year.

be safe.

-C