Month: July 2018

Meßmer Pinot Noir 2013

On By optiontraderswinenotesIn Pinot Noir, UncategorizedLeave a comment

2018-07-25 Meßmer Pinot Noir 2013.jpg

This is at least the
third time that I have had this one.

So comforting.

Totally seductive perfume.
Pale.
Low ALC.
Nuttily astringent.
Plenty tart.
Non-intrusive fruit.
(Say what?)

Wine Fruit: Hey, I saw the
light on. What are YOU
ALL drinking?
OTWN: PN. Go away.
WF: I won’t stay long.
I just smelled that awesome
perfume. Couldn’t resist.
OTWN: Let me help you.
WF: Oh well, my GF just
opened a Garnacha.
OTWN: Vaya con Dios.

If I told the casual
wine drinker that I
liked PN from “eastern
Europe”, I would get a
blank stare.

Luckily I’m not any more
self-conscious than the
average paranoid schizophrenic.

I’ll go with “middle east” PN
if I can find it.

What will it take for the
Georgians to start making
fine dry wines and sending them
to Kansas?

I DON’T KNOW, but time is
running out FOR ME.

Where’re the autocratic,
communist governments of
this world when you need them?

Burgundy, I presume.

What’s all this “global”
nonsense for anyway?

Socks?

I don’t mind going barefoot.

(Spring to Fall only please.
I’ll drink Rioja in the winter
with my socks and slippers on.)

Lest you think that I can
dream up this nonsense WITHOUT
FOOD, let me assure you that
I CANNOT.

Lunch menu…
Chili Cheese Corn Tortilla Stacks

(Requires imagination/nightmares.)

Take it or leave it.

The best stack was the one
that got forgotten in the oven
while I was “investigating”
a “blonde” that wrote an article
on corporate bonds.

The overdone stack (the food)
was good.

I didn’t read the article
because the deck was stacked
against me.

I think I need a …

from this BIG BOTTLE.

Day Two…

Actually, the bottle COULD
BE just a little bit bigger.

Hang in there.

Michel et Sylvain Tete Clos du Fief Juliénas Tradition 2015

On By optiontraderswinenotesIn Beaujolais, UncategorizedLeave a comment

2018-07-23 Michel et Sylvain Tete Clos du Fief Juliénas Tradition 2015.jpg

It’s soooo nice to be
back.

First impressions of this
one are a WELCOME pecan
shell astringency and
SURPRISING jammy fruit
flavor.

This might be the best
CruB that I have had.

For the past two years
or so I have been going
to the games, but now
I want a front row seat.

Sheesh.

The first CruB that I tried
was “more acidic” than I
expected and was a bit hard
to adjust to.

I would like to see how I
react to that wine now.

THIS wine has the astringency
that I miss in my beloved PN.

Maybe it’s because I shy
away from oak.

I DON’T KNOW.

It seems to me like the
tannins are in the grapes
as opposed to being
acquired from excessive oak.

I don’t taste a lot of oak.

Maybe it’s grape vine stemminess.

I used to “harvest” my
grape vine trimmings so
that I had plenty of this
kind of aged wood for smoking
hibachi grilled meat.

THAT was good stemminess.

It looks like I paid
up A LITTLE to get
this particular wine.

Good for me.

Maybe now I’m remembering
taking extra time to look
at the CruB offerings
with an eye toward expanding
my CruB experience.

As I try to wean myself
off of this wine for today,
I AM NOTICING a bit of
gaminess or that Gina Carano
tennie odor.

Slightly distracting maybe,
but definitely seductive.

It’s something I would
be hoping to find in Gamay.

For the uninitiated…

Here’s a link on
the Skurnik site for
the 2016 vintage…

https://www.skurnik.com/sku/julienas-cuvee-tradition-michel-tete-2-2-2/

And a Wine.com review
for the 2015 vintage…

https://www.wine.com/product/domaine-michel-tete-julienas-cuvee-tradition-2015/295078

Day Two…

When you know that
you are going to have
THIS wine for lunch, then
WHAT’S FOR LUNCH?

Lazy C4+1 Potatoes

“C” clues…
C1) potato configuration
C2) texture
C3) anti-braising liquid
C4) flavor enhancement technique
C5) cookware type

I can’t believe that
anything this stupid and
simple can be so good.

The potatoes, not the wine.

The wine is neither stupid
nor simple.

Maybe I should drink MORE
of this kind of wine to
see if will rub off on me.

The wine seemed a bit
“thicker” today.

(Maybe I rubbed off on
the wine.)

The “astringency” is still
present and accounted for.

Possibly as a result of
being influenced by the links
above, I get the “earthy” thing.

The last few sips of this
one are really tanning my
mouth.

Excellent.

————–

Again, for the uninitiated…

I had to go back to the big
Wine atlas to get my CruB bearings.

A DETAILED explanation of
CruB is above my pay grade,
but I at least want to get
a fix on where this particular
wine came from.

The Beaujolais area is in
the SOUTHERN part of the
broader Burgundy area.

(I keep reminding myself.)

Juliénas is one of the ten
“crus” and is in the north
of the Cru Beaujolais area.

Here’s a nice site that might
help you get your bearings…

https://vinepair.com/wine-blog/a-personality-guide-to-the-10-crus-of-beaujolais-with-regional-map/

I’m having a hard time
throwing the EMPTY bottle away.

Hang in there.

Chapelle du Bastion Picpoul de Pinet 2017

On By optiontraderswinenotesIn Picpoul de Pinet, UncategorizedLeave a comment

2018-07-21 Chapelle du Bastion Picpoul de Pinet 2017.jpg

I’m FINALLY getting back
to my Lukas wines.

I didn’t take notes as I
was drinking this one because it
would have been a sinful
distraction.

This wine was a taste of
heaven.

Happily, I’m still on Earth.

I wish I could remember
this wine and try it again.

Cracking the books on PdP
leads me to wonder
how this vintage shakes
out for this AC in the
overall scheme of things.

For the uninitiated…

This wine comes from
“the Languedoc” in France,
which is one of my
favorite wine areas.

The PdP AC (official region)
is “grape specific” in that
the Picpoul is the only
grape that can be made into
wine with this AC designation.

This is quite odd for the Languedoc.

For the most part, it is
a celebration of grape variety
diversification.

I like that.

You never know what you are
going to get.

Hang in there.

Joel Gott Santa Barbara Pinot Noir 2015

On By optiontraderswinenotesIn Pinot Noir, UncategorizedLeave a comment

2018-05-29 Joel Gott Santa Barbara PN 2015.jpg

I feel like a plurality of
prodigal sons.

My detour through the
“value case” has led me
back to my nanny as
I inspect the cooler
filled with HAND PICKED
wines.

(If I didn’t repeat
myself, I wouldn’t be
reliably consistent
over a predictable
time period.)

I collapse at her feet
as she pats my head and
waves the PN bottle cork
beneath my nose.

I’ll eschew the hairy flowers.

I wish to be flogged
with Alfredo noodles.

I’ll endure any kind of
gustatorial torture,
just give me some freaking Pinot Noir.

(Even computing machines
with dictionaries in memory
lose spelling bees.)

I’m remembering how
incredibly wonderful
this kind of wine can be.

Light and fresh.
Tart and acidic.
Sometimes a bit of oak.
Coy flavors that you
have to chase around
in the glass.
Earthiness that can
only be fully enjoyed
after one has been raptured.

I hope I don’t spend
TOO MUCH time in
WINE PURGATORY for
going so far astray.

But, but, but, what
about THIS WINE?

It appears to be one
I picked up in Paola
and is likely to be a
“repeat impressor”.

Since I can’t remember
anything, these notes are
written “without prejudice”.

It MAY BE a bit pruney.

I’m not saying that
it’s a BAD thing, it’s
just the THING that
I’m noticing above all
other THINGS.

Let’s call it REALLY
ripe plums so we can
be PC or whatever.

No matter, I’m enjoying
this “welcome home” in
a big way.

But don’t get any ideas.

She’s MY nanny.

Curiosity killed the
penitent cat.

Let’s read some more
about the California magic
triangle of PN wine.

Twelve Reasons You Should be Drinking Santa Barbara County Wines! #wine

Click to access Joel-Gott-2015-Santa-Barbara-County-Pinot-Noir-Fact-Sheet.pdf

I’ve already drunk
most of the bottle and
I’m still drooling.

Am I missing something,
or is this wine not just
simply WONDERFUL?

Towards the end of the
bottle, I’m picking up
more oak/tannins (GOOD)
and (interestingly) more
of the red/cherry fruit.

Who needs Europe?

Hang in there.

Mureda Tierra de Castilla Sauvignon Blanc 2016

On By optiontraderswinenotesIn Sauvignon Blanc, UncategorizedLeave a comment

2018-07-18 Mureda Tierra de Castilla Sauvignon Blanc 2016.jpg

This was the last of
the “value case”.

I started hugging the
bottle when I found it
hiding in the cooler
hoping to go undetected.

Perhaps this wine is shy.

Any wine lover worth their
salt will fawn over this
wine like they would over
their child at a fourth grade
piano recital.

WHY DON’T we send our
prepubescent offspring
to WINE SCHOOL so that we can
look forward to evenings
of glorious oenological delight
rather than ones of cacophony.

I DON’T KNOW.

Neighbor: Hey, come to the
game tonight, my son’s on
the dance team.
OT: Sorry, my daughter’s
helping with the barrel tasting
at the Heritage vineyard.
N: Can I come?
OT: Yeah, but don’t bring
the pom-poms.

But, but, but, what about
the wine?

Hommina, hommina, hommina…

If you don’t finish it
in one day, you will have
trouble sleeping.

Sweet dreams.

I can’t find any “useful”
information about this wine
on the web.

YMMV.

I just realized that I
almost let the FORTH pass
without making fun of
Martina McBride.

Wet Fweedom Wing…

Too bad she didn’t
go to wine school.

Hang in there.

Jean-Christophe Mandard TOURAINE SAUVIGNON 2016

On By optiontraderswinenotesIn Sauvignon Blanc, UncategorizedLeave a comment

2018-07-13 Jean-Christophe Mandard TOURAINE SAUVIGNON 2016.jpg

This is another one
from the “value case”
that is almost gone.
(The case is almost gone.)

I didn’t make notes
as I drank.

I loved the wine.

I want to try this
one (or similar) again.

This is why I take
notes as I drink the
wine.

I JUST CAN’T REMEMBER
STUFF VERY WELL.

On the other hand…

I do remember a
“dry honeycomb”
and
“dry grass”
flavor.

It was totally delicious,

Hang in there.

so now I’m drooling as
I anticipate trying this
one again.

Gorrebusto Torre San Millán Rioja Tempranillo 2016

On By optiontraderswinenotesIn Rioja, UncategorizedLeave a comment

2018-07-12 Gorrebusto Torre San Millán Rioja Tempranillo 2016.jpg

Every day requires
a new miracle.

T-O-D-A-Y, this wine
and this song pulls
it off in stride.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rQxI3-xSeg

I can’t write
any more, I’m in tears.

Enjoy the wine with
my blessing.

…

Just kidding.

I can write silly stuff
with my mind tied behind
my back.

RJD was kicking around
in there and as I sipped
the wine, this was the
song I wanted to listen
to.

Maybe it is GOOD
to be melancholy
or sad from time to time.

Sometimes it happens
unexpectedly and we
struggle against the
feeling.

Sometimes we see it
coming, set the
table and enjoy the
company.

I didn’t mind having
Tempranillo on the
table today.

Maybe it’s more
“comforting” than my
beloved “PN”.

But, but, but, what
about the wine?

It doesn’t have a pedigree.

It’s the…

Some of us can relate,
so we embrace the genetic
mutations.

Take a Creolin bath and
enjoy it with a half a
pound of rice.

Hang in there

Porta do Fontelo Beiras Red 2015

On By optiontraderswinenotesIn Red Blend, UncategorizedLeave a comment

2018-07-02 Porta Do Fontelo Portugal RED.jpg

From freaking Portugal…

(Yes, even wine retailers
can’t spell.)

This MIGHT be love
at first sip.

Sometimes I do get
DISTINCT impressions
of THE WINE after a few
sips.

Gamey, then a softness,
then tartness, and
finally smoke.

The fruit flavor
might be light
blackberry.

Nothing heavy.

Now I taste/feel
chalk???

I took me a while
to figure out what
I’m drinking.

It looks like
the grapes come from
the Beiras region.

http://sarmentosimports.com/product-catalog/porta-do-fontelo-red-wine/

This will show
you the location
of Beira wine regions.

https://winefolly.com/review/what-wines-to-drink-from-portugal-by-region/

To make life interesting,
it looks like there
is a
province,
geographic area, AND
wine region
named Beira.

So, I have no idea
what I’m drinking.

There is a reference
to UDACA on the
bottle.

UDACA seems to be
a commune in the
Dão wine
region that claims
to make the wine
but there is no
specific clue as to
where the grapes
are sourced.

This makes sense
since there is no
wine region pedigree
specified on the bottle.

Notice that the
Dão and Beira
regions intertwine
as you move inland.

This would be a
perfect opportunity
to make affordable wine
from grapes that come
from various vineyards
in several different
regions that aren’t
in premier locations.

AND have the wine
turn out REALLY NICE.

This wine IS
really nice.

A fullness of
flavor without being
HEAVY.

Now I’m picking up
a bit of something
GREEN and piquant.

Day Two…

Whatever GREEN there
WAS is getting lost
in the anti-braised
green beans and garlic
that I’m having today.

The wine is still
CHARMING.

Like a high school
band concert.

Beauty is in the
eye of the beholder.

I played and I
listened.

I can’t decide which
is worse.

Why weren’t the
the band and audience
BOTH drinking
(wine preferably)
BEFORE the concert?

I DON’T KNOW.

It seems like things
would have been a bit
less “tense” with
an “icebreaker”.

What a minute!

How does a
wonderful Portuguese
red wine make
one start thinking
about high school
band concerts???

Easy, the old grey
sponge can’t remember
anything else.

Shrink: How is
the old memory
holding up?
Option Trader: I
don’t remember.
S: What did you
wear to your third
birthday party?
OT: A buccaneer outfit.
S: Did you wear
a patch over one
eye?
OT: Yes, I had a
hard time reading
the wine list without
it.

http://www.buypiratecostumes.com/buccaneer.html

Hang in there.

Clos La Soleya Penedes Spain Cava Brut

On By optiontraderswinenotesIn Cava, UncategorizedLeave a comment

2018-06-29 Clos La Soleya Penedes Spain Cava Brut.jpg

Clos La Soleya Penedes Spain Cava Brut

I decided to
BE DISTRACTED today.

Especially since
Penedes Cava (Penny)
would be THE CAUSE.

She has flowing
black hair, dark
hazelnut eyes and
an ever so lightly
bronzed complexion.

With an effervescent
personality.

I said my prayers
BEFORE I opened the
bottle but I doubt
that will help.

When YOU open the
bottle, you have to
be careful not
to be sucked back
into the it after
the pressure is
released.

I used a vice-grip
pliers to open the
silly thing because
I’m an options trader
and can’t spend my
day chanting in an
effort to remove the cork.

The warning on the
label states that
there is no lifeguard
on duty inside the bottle.

This wine came in
a “prescribed” case
focused on VALUE.

From Spain predominately.

(I’m curious as to
whether the doctor
ventures outside of
Spain for value.)

I was ecstatic when
I saw this one in
the case.

(Actually, this one
might have been
delivered in a separate
bag because the bottle
was TOO FAT TO FIT
IN THE CASE.)

It’s time for some
food, but first I
have to go write
“You’re an idiot”
on my bathroom
mirror and hope that
my wife doesn’t
go in there before
I do.

But, but, but…

What’s the wine like?

It’s like playing
kiss the bottle with
the Rockettes.

Or Chippendales,
if you are a
female member of
the opposite sex.

Obviously, most of us
don’t drink “THE
BUBBLY” every day
because the world
would be a better
place if we did.

And we don’t want THAT.

Better to suffer and
complain, and drink
still wine.

Can we have Champagne
with the orange cake?

Shut up and drink your
powdered milk.

Day Two…

I did the vacuum
pump thing on this
one in hopes that
it might help
preserve the fizz.

(Actually, this
doesn’t make sense
but I had to do
SOMETHING.)

Good enough.

This has been
a real treat.

I was kind to myself
yesterday, so I have
plenty of this one
to drink today.

I expect my mind
to start drifting
away any minute now.

…

Why DON’T WE drink
the sparklers everyday?

For breakfast preferably.

I DON’T KNOW.

In the 1960s,
people drank TANG.

And powdered lemonade.

That’s quite insane.

Too much TV I suspect.

(Yes, we also ate “TV”
dinners.)

NOW, I’m thinking
about seeking out
bubbly from ALL OVER
THE PLACE.

I DON’T KNOW, but
I suspect that I
couldn’t fill
a shopping cart
(say two cases) with
these kinds of wine
at the LARGEST wine
superstore in the
KC area and still
have a bank balance.

Since I’m an EARLY
DRINKER, this is
a mouth watering
ambition.

(Meaning, Champagne
breakfasts sound good.)

HOWEVER…

I would really like
to find 375ml bottles
since…

But seriously folks,
It’s only money…

http://www.premierchampagne.com/categories/champagne-sizes/half-375ml.html

And if you have
to buy full bottles,
this is MORE evidence
that it gets expensive
in a hurry.

http://honestcooking.com/25-best-american-sparkling-wines/

I’m not particularly
discouraged.

If life wasn’t challenging
we wouldn’t need
shrinks that don’t
drink TANG for breakfast.

Option Trader: None of my
trades work out unless
I make them after 12:30PM
or so.
Shrink: What time do you
start drinking?
OT: As early as possible.
S: Try getting up earlier.
The French start trading
while you’re still dreaming
about naked puts.

Hang in there.