I want to get credit for
drinking this one because
it was hard work.
This is just not my
“style”.
Too heavy and too much ALC.
Category: Uncategorized
Mureda Tierra de Castilla Sauvignon Blanc 2016
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
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
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
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
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.
Noble Vines 667 Pinot Noir Monterey 2015
This one is way off
my taste target.
Pruney.
Oaky.
BIG (14.5% ALC)
Soft.
That’s enough misses
for me.
But I don’t want to
give the impression that
the wine is anything other
than GOOD.
Let’s spin the description.
The fruit is rich like
raisins and super ripe
jammy plum preserves.
Throw in some blackberries
and boysenberries.
As a testament to the
barrel ageing treatment,
the wine exhibits an
overt oaky smoothness.
You can feel the ALC
heat on the first sip.
If that puts you off,
then chill the wine.
That will help.
This wine would be good
with smoked meats such
as turkey or pork.
Just nibbling on more
flavorful cheeses will
work too.
I’m trying the hot pepper
cheddar from Dean & Delucas.
(from a gift? BOX of
Vermont cheeses???)
Why is this wine so jammy?
Let’s look at the map…
We’ll assume that the wine
is from the Monterey AVA,
and not “the county”.
Look how close the boundary
comes to the water.
I can just imagine the
grapes…
Super ripe, bursting with
sugar.
As I continue my enjoyment
of this one it occurs to me
that it shouldn’t be too hard
to learn to love this style
of PN.
But, it’s like making the
transition from a tart
fruit pie to…
Now where can I find me
another fire breathing PN?
Australia maybe. Hmmm.
Hang in there.
Stirm Kick-on Vineyard Riesling 2016
10:07am
The drooling started yesterday when Theresa
told me that the egg salad was done.
I just finished making the finger sandwiches
and my stomach is growling.
I decided to dust off the Riedel white wine
glass for this one. I’m waiting for the glass
to chill.
First sip…
This is the driest and most austere R that I
have ever had.
First bite…
This might not be PERFECT, but it will do.
The egg salad wins the flavor battle, but the
wine wins the beauty contest and leads the
cheering squad.
It’s really hard not to shovel and gulp.
Give me an “A”, Apple of my Eye.
Give me a little “h”, honey.
Give me another “h”, honey.
…
What’s that spell?
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Brunch is over and now I get to enjoy
a bit more of the wine without all that
“flavor distraction”.
Boiled eggs CAN BE real stinkers.
Maybe deviled ham WOULD BE better. That’s
easy enough to figure out.
“As The Grape Ripens”…
In this episode, our wine slush contemplates
which food might be best to have for a “wine
brunch” so he can keep having experimental brunches
until he can’t contemplate anymore.
Biscuits and Gravy
Liver and Onions
Gizzards, Gonads, and Geodes
…
The follow-on sips reveal a wine with subtle
flavors of honeycomb and softer, less citrusy
fruit than I’m used to in R. Not quite
pear, but getting there.
And there’s an “earthy” quality that I can’t
yet pin down.
Or maybe something “stemmy”.
No. It’s minerals. “Clean Slate”.
Now I can match the taste and smell. Very nice.
Judge: You have been accused of mixing food
and drink in “an unseemly fashion”. How do you
plead?
Wine Slush: Aggressively.
J: The court finds you guilty of violating
Wine Enjoyment Ordinance #337. You must pay $500
OR do “corrective” community service. Which
do you chose?
WS: Community service. What is it?
Court Order:
Prepare the palate.
Eat the sandwiches.
Clear the palate.
WS: What kind of sandwiches?
J: Court adjourned, it’s time to obey WEO #1.
Day Two…
I “preparing my palate” this morning.
The subtle things are becoming more evident, but
I need more time to prepare. For what, I don’t
know.
I actually got the impression of Semillon. How
can that be? Please tell me I don’t have MORE
brain damage.
https://www.jancisrobinson.com/learn/grape-varieties/white/semillon
How many times is Riesling mentioned in this article?
It’s not that this wine IS LIKE Semillon, it just
REMINDS ME of Semillon.
Now I’m back in Graves/Bordeaux and drooling again.
I want a dry Semillon that reminds me of Riesling.
So there.
OR, I’ll take a Sauternes and just shut up until I can
pay to play again.
For THIS WINE, I started out with earthy/stemmy and wound up
with minerally.
But the earthiness is still there. Maybe it’s grassiness like
the linked article suggests. If it’s good for the goose…
I’m having a MUCH BETTER DAY with this wine without the
“confusion of food”.
And I finally got the wine COLD ENOUGH. The extra chill
is sharpening the acidity and I can now see the stairway
to heaven.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9ioyEvdggk
Please read ALL of the comments and then answer the following
question.
What “musically significant thing” happens at exactly 4:19
in this “particular video”?
I keep looking at the neck of the wine bottle which is
exposed above the wine bib to see it the spelling has been
changed to “Sturm”.
Alas, it is static and I’m forced to investigate Stirm’s web
page.
Hmmm.
For a minute there I got a little “geographically confused”,
but after figuring out that the “Kick-on” vineyard was near
Santa Barbara I felt a little better.
As you know, I consider the Solvang/Los Olivos/Santa Ynez
“triangle” to be oenologically endowed by GOD, so when I
connected this wine to Los Alamos, I was “relieved”.
Maybe I need to add Los Alamos and Buelton to create a
parallelogram of sorts.
And the verdict is…
The bottle is empty and the wine will be sorely missed.
But school is still in session…
Campo de Borja/Calatayud/Cariñena is another “triangle”
that haunts me.
Someday I will have a wine from from this area that is
“light and elegant”. I can wait…
Ah, wait a minute. Rosé????????????????????
Mamma Mia, I can hear a bell wing…
Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Poggio Anima Belial Toscana Sangiovese
First taste.
Milky. Oily. Black cherries.
Hmmm.
Some tannins now. That’s nice for a change.
Belial: cute
http://www.poggioanima.com/offering-details.php?name=belial
This style of S might just be right up my alley.
Put the juice in steel containers and hang pictures of
oak barrels on the outer walls to scare up some softness.
Very light and fresh. Yum.
Last night when I was deciding upon which wine to
dream about Sangiovese came to mind just because
I haven’t had one for a while. I didn’t know I had
THIS ONE and I certainly didn’t know I would be drinking
it today.
This is better than a dream.
Lunch will be cheese/onion/black olive enchiladas, but it can
wait.
I’ll have the Black Cow made with cherry cola while I wait
for hunger to ensue.
I would like to taste test this one against a “similarly prepared”
Nebbiolo; to see if I could tell which is which.
This is REALLY GOOD.
I just did a “cursory review” of MLF (again) to see if I can
imagine how this wine got its “smoothness”.
TMI…
The wee bit of oak might have done it. I’ll go with that
unless informed otherwise.
I assume the beautiful ruby color is a testament to the
minimal oak treatment.
I would normally expect a “washed out brick” color from
S, but that might just be my imagination. It knows no
restraint.
Finally, lunch happened and I’m trying to creep up on
the 375ml mark as slowly as I can.
Did I say that I REALLY LIKE THIS ONE? Sheesh.
What is it???
The color in the glass continues to mesmerize.
Do wines have beauty contests?
I’m going to put the screwcap under my pillow tonight.
I suppose I should hammer it flat first…
Wife: Why are you ears bleeding this morning?
Husband: I had a great Tuscan wine yesterday.
W: That makes your ears bleed?
H: Yes, but it doesn’t happen very often.
W: Maybe you should quit drinking wine.
H: I do!
W: When?
H: Every day after lunch.
W: I mean for good.
H: Define “good”. Where’s that jar of alum?
Day Two…
Not so milky/oily today. I suspect the original
sensation was a knee jerk response to that glass etching
B-Villages.
I’m just having MORE sauteed asparagus today so the wine
will be “challenged”.
This seems to “scare up” a different set of taste
sensations in the wine.
I still feel some tannins, but there is a flavor that
is eluding me.
I have a few more glorious sips left so we’ll see
if I can come up with something.
Maybe TJ (the pres.) wasn’t off base. The “state dinner menu”
should consist simply of a list of AOCs and vintages.
If you’re hungry, stop at Jimmy John’s on the way over.
Macron’s driving the forklift down Pennsylvania Blvd
to deliver desert.
I give up. The wine is just plain good. I can’t stop
daydreaming.
Is wine getting better, or am I just an easy mark?
Now I’m imagining a Tuscan Merlot that fits MY palate.
Maybe a blend. Maybe I’m ready to try a “super Tuscan”
if I can afford a good one and it’s not too “heavy”.
Since the drool spigot is fully open, what about Maremma?
There’s a big question mark in my brain for this area and
as I read about it (to refresh my memory), it seems
VERY INTERESTING.
My concern is that Maremma wines might pack some serious heat
or be “leaf challenged”.
Just a few sips left of the PA Sangiovese. The milky smoothness
is back. Just a “soft touch” sort of thing.
I would normally taste strawberries in a Chianti/Sangiovese wine.
Not so much with this one. That’s a surprise given the 90% SS treatment.
The fruit is darker, but I’m still having a problem pinning it down.
I need more of this wine to do a proper evaluation.
TO BE CONTINUED. Hopefully.
Option Trader's Wine Notes 