Nia Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

2018-12-09 Nia Cabernet Sauvignon   2015.jpg

From the newest $100 Underdog case.

Lucky me, I gagged on this on
day one and put the wine
“on the rack” for overnight
torture.

Day Two…

It’s amazing what a little
discipline will do.

The wine is winding its way
through my being in a most
seductive way as if to
curry favor with me on behalf
of all wines CAB.

I had a CAB once that was
lovely.

Finding another has been
a “spare time obsession”
ever since.

Pale body/flavor with a hint
of vanilla from soft oak.

Blackcurrant milkshake.

This wine comes close.

After drinking a SUBSTANTIAL
amount of this one, I declare that…

IT
IS
GOOD

REALLY
GOOD

GOOD
ENOUGH
TO
SEE
IF
I
CAN
GET
A
REPEAT

Is it live?????

Crystal Clear.

And this bottle was FREE,
relatively speaking.

Come on, take a…

I’m staring at the remaining
eleven bottles and hoping that
I…

Lest there be any confusion about
how this wine has mellowed my soul…

It was a nice song until he got
to the part about the grass being
overgrown.

But, but, but what about
the wine?

Let’s see if we can find
SOMETHING on-line…

Sheesh, only this…
https://www.vivino.com/nia-cabernet-sauvignon/w/6440796?year=2015
https://www.biercellar.com/products/nia-cabernet-sauvignong

Wine Detail

Note that it contains 20% Merlot.

Hang in there.

Illahe Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2017

2018-12-05 Illahe Willamette Valley   PN 2017.jpg

Well, if this isn’t right up
my alley, then nothing is.

YOU tell ME what this wine
is like.

I’m all orejas.

But don’t get corn fused.

This one is from Oregon.

Say no more.

UNLESS you want to venture
up AND down the coast.

Much to find.

Much to appreciate.

Someone, please, tell me
when, why, and how did God
create the Willamette Valley.

In the absence of actual
NOISE in reply…

I feel better now.

(I’m not sure whether it
is the wine or Spike Jones.)

Frightfully Stunning Wine.

Day Two…

If you follow this one to
“the dregs” you will find
a most delicious sediment.

Most welcome in a PN.

Hang in there.

AntHill Farms Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2016

2018-12-02 AntHill Farms Sonoma   Coast PN 2016.jpg

Holy Crap.

If that’s all I say then
that should motivate you
to sell everything and
get to the liquor store.

It took me a “few sips”
to get into it, but this
wine is…

I DON’T KNOW.

GOOD?

I don’t even know where
the wine comes from. Yet.

Don’t care.

Didn’t bother reading the label.

I still haven’t “gone educational”
and I’m past the shoulder.

Taurus?

Sagittarius?

Oh, how silly of me…

I CAN’T HELP IT.

This Pinot Noir goes with yellow pants.

Swiveling hips.

Harmony.

Brown skin.

Brotherly love.

Puppies and kittens.

Warm solar rays on a cold day.

Commission-free option trades.

Oops, I’m Earthbound and down…

And for the record…

Brown Lab: Am I your favorite
thing?
OWTN: Well Sweetie, there are
lots of “things” out there.
BL: Well, am I your favorite
BROWN thing?
OTWN: I don’t know. There’s
chocolate and…
BL: Then am I your favorite brown
thing that poops in the yard?
OTWN (thinking seriously):
Well maybe. At least until
I catch Halle Berry
poopin’ in my yard.

Totally irrelevant nonsense…

I quit watching “movies” because
I’m too old.

But, but, but, I just
discovered “John Wick 3”.

First Look at Halle Berry in John Wick: Chapter 3

Hmmmmm, perhaps a dopamine bath.

Look at those GSDs. Based upon their
“positioning”, I’d say they are more
intelligent than central bankers.

See how “interesting” this wine
is?

Saint Peter: Why does your brain
look like swiss cheese?
OTWN: I lived on Earth.
SP: Why didn’t you take drugs
like everybody else?
OTWN: I wasn’t thinking.
SP: Nobody else was. Why should
you be different?
OTWN: I drank Pinot Noir.
SP: Ah yes. What kind did
you like the best?
OTWN: I don’t know. My eyesight
got blurry by the time I
got curious about what I was
drinking.
SP: Saint Gregory should be able
to fix your eyesight.
OTWN: Which one?
SP: Huh?
OTWN: Which saint, not which eye,
don’t be silly.
SP: Go stand in the corner and
don’t trip over those CAB drinkers.

Prequel…

St. Gregory (du jour): How can
I help you my son?
OTWN: I can’t read the bottle
label.
SG: Let me have a taste.
OTWN (hedging the risk that he
could be talking to an ex-Pope.):
I thought you were “all-knowing”.
SG: I am. But I’m thirsty too.
OTWN: Well?
SG: This wine hails from an area
just a bit south of MY DOMAIN.
OTWN: Is that bad?
SG: Let me have another sip.

Jeopardy…

Answer: Sonoma Coast

OWTN Question: What is the
California AVA that encompasses
a confusing area of land that
produces wines that only
saints and lemming herders
can love?.

Long live lemming herders.

And pilgrims that can cover
the 80 miles from from Bodega Bay
to Mendocino without dying
of thirst.

(I’m leaving the saints to fend
for themselves and I don’t care
if the pilgrims are long-lived.)

Might I suggest that they
(saints, lemmings, and
pilgrims) fill their
camel packs with
THIS WINE.

(I’m an equal opportunity
offerer of fine wine advice.)

UN
FREAKING
BE
LEE
VA
BULL

Hang in there.

P.S.

Imaginary Editor: You
didn’t say anything intelligent
about the wine.
OTWN: What wine?
IE: The Ant wine.
OTWN: I don’t remember
drinking it.
IE: But you just finished
half a bottle.
OTWN: It must have been
good.
IE: Well then write something
intelligent.
OTWN: I’m an option trader dude,
not a silly wine lover.
IE: Let me see your P&L.
OTWN: Here.
IE (after reading the P&L):
Let me pour you another drink
while you reconsider your forte.

High Pass Vineyard Willamette Sprockets White 2017

2018-11-27 High Pass Vineyard   Willamette Sprockets White 2017.jpg

This is going to be fun
because I don’t know what
kind of grapes I’m drinking.

The bottle shape indicates
Riesling, but I don’t KNOW yet.

The first sip contains the
honeycomb flavor, so that fits.

There’s a “harshness” that I’m
not familiar with. Especially
in Riesling.

Like stemmy tannins, but I’m
having trouble zeroing in on it.

I’m having Arborio rice fixed
with sauteed moth wings, shallots,
and chicken broth.

I’m a fan of this kind of rice
now that I was able to fix it
with the PROPER INGREDIENTS and
TO MY LIKING.

The wine is probably a wee bit
sweet for a dry wine lover, but
it’s “OK” with the rice.

Curiosity reigns…

You know, when I was “pondering”
what they might make this out of,
PN came to mind “for some reason”.

(When all else fails, deploy
Occam’s razor.)

But in a WHITE???

Look at this…

http://northamptonwineanddine.com/product/teutonic-sprockets-white-wine-2017-high-pass-vineyard-willamette-valley-oregon/
http://tedwardwines.com/producers/teutonic-wine-company

So, it was “reasonable” to question
whether Riesling was in there.

Also, check the reference to
“capsaicin”.

That could be the “harshness”
I’m detecting, but I would never
make the connection.

Day Two…

This wine is SIMPLY STUNNING.

A German-style white with just
a tiny bit of sweetness to balance
the gratuitous and appreciated acidity.

All the usual suspects in
the flavor department.

With each sip, you try to
find a fault, but none appears.

Nothing but pure pleasure.

Chef’s note: I cooked the
rice in a LOW and SLOW manner,
allowing the grains to FULLY
absorb the moisture and
seasoning flavors required
to make the rice EDIBLE.

Freaking delicious.

Saint Peter: You’re out of
breath. What happened?
OTWN: I was running away
from a rice stampede and…
SP: Did it catch you?
OTWN: Yes, I tripped and
was instantly covered by a
mountain of cereal grain.
SP: You’re lucky it wasn’t
potatoes.
OTWN: Lovely, but I’m dead
and my favorite wine is
buried under the rice.
SP: You can’t have everything.
OTWN: But I’m dead now.
SP: Hand me your glass.
OTWN: Hey, that’s my Sprockets!
SP: Possessive you are.
OWTN: Gimme that bottle.
I’ll pour YOU some if you’re good.
SP: I was just going to admit you.
OTWN: Hand me your glass.

Let’s not put this one to
bed without “researching”
the Huxelrebe grape…

https://www.germanwines.de/knowledge/grape-varieties/white-grapes/huxelrebe/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huxelrebe

Was that helpful?

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

And there’s this from
Her Majesty…

https://www.jancisrobinson.com/learn/grape-varieties/white/huxelrebe

Emily Litella says that
this grape tastes like Muskrats.

Say what?

So, in trying to make sense of this
“education” we have to back to…

“Therefore, the vineyard sites Teutonic
sources its fruit in Oregon are
located in cooler areas and at
HIGHER ELEVATIONS.”

Oh yeah.

Gimme some o’ dat…

I don’t wanna say goodbye…

Hang in there.

Lo-Fi Santa Barbara Gamay Noir 2017

2018-11-25 Lo-Fi Santa Barbara   Gamay Noir 2017.jpg

When I put this into the
wine cooler I remember thinking
WTH???

When I re-arranged the cooler
after “absorbing” the $100 UnderDog
case I saw it again and remember
thinking WTH???

When I picked it out to drink
today I remember thinking WTH???

As I’m enjoying this wine
today it finally occurred to me
to actually look at the label
A LITTLE CLOSER.

Holy Moly.

Santa Barbara.

Buelton.

Gamay Noir.

How divinely inspired and
indescribably delicious is that?

Before I looked, I assumed that
I was drinking SOMETHING from
Borgogne, but just outside of
an officially designated area.

This is an unexpected pleasure
for ME.

Paleness pushing rose.

A fruity flavor that dares
you to encounter sweetness.

I’ll guess that this one has
spent some time in oak to tame
some of that “freshness”.

See the specs here…

2017 Gamay Noir (Santa Barbara County)

It’s an excellent balance.

The wine is tart and smooth
with each sip.

The low (12%) ALC tempts
me to enjoy for a longer
time/volume than I normally
would at one sitting.

Lest you disremember…

Buelton is one of the
points in the MAGIC triangle
or trapezoid that is
located in Santa Barbara
and it should be
no surprise that an excellent
Gamay Noir comes from this
area since the grape of note
heretofore for me is Pinot Noir.

(Buelleton, Solvang, Santa Ynez, Los Olivos)
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.5952392,-120.1320221,11.5z?hl=en

But I AM surprised.

This is my first GN grown
outside of France as far as
I can remember.

Looking at Wikipedia…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamay

…one is left drooling
and pining for an Oregon offering.

This note ends abruptly because
I was totally distracted by
the wine AND OTHER THINGS.

I just wish I could remember
to try this one again.

Let me see…

Sommelier: If I were you, I
would try this SoCal Gamay Noir.
OTWN: But you ain’t me.
Sommelier: You should try it
no matter who I am.
OTWN: What if you’re not really
a Sommelier?
Sommelier: Look, just try this
GN. It’s freaking good.
OTWN: It’s not French.
Sommelier: It’s better than
French.
OTWN: That doesn’t make sense.
Sommelier: I’m a wine expert dude,
not a logician.
OTWN: Prove it.

Hang in there.

Cosentino The Chard Lodi 2012

2018-10-21 The Chard Lodi 2012.jpg

The wine was “interesting”.

I would say that the wine had
“way more FLAVOR than I can comprehend”.

Maybe I should try a Chard from
this AVA again if I get the chance.

This would be a “try it and tell
me what you think” kind of wine.

Since I gravitate to Chablis,
CA Chard is a big huge question mark.

It might be interesting to seek
out a CA Chard that has “particular”
characteristics and see how the
chosen wine hits my wine target.

I’ve never given CA Chard
a second thought.

How dumb is that?

Hang in there.

Badger Mountain Columbia Valley Riesling 2017

2018-10-19 Badger Mountain Columbia   Valley Riesling 2017.jpg

I saved this one to have with quiche and
then both the wine and quiche disappeared
before I knew what was happening.

The only thing I THINK I remember is that
the wine was richer in flavor and less
acidic than I would expect.

“Earthier” too maybe.

Now that I’m thinking about it, I
seem to remember fruit that was “milder”
than straight citrus. The white peach and
nectarine mentioned in the link below
sounds like it.

I will probably buy another one of
these with the hope that I will take
proper notes next time.

Let’s look for some tasting notes…

https://shop.badgermtnvineyard.com/xe/xe.asp?page=viewitem&p=506&cat=badger%2Dmountain%2Dwhite%2Dwines

I paid $8.49 for this one, so it
won’t be too painful trying it
again.

Hang in there.

Belle Ambiance California Pinot Noir 2015

2018-10-15 Belle Ambiance   California PN 2015.jpg

Luckily I have a store receipt to remind me
where I bought this GEM.

Paola.

I paid $6.79.

I didn’t take notes, but I’m pretty
sure that this wine was OK.

My RIA that managed part of my
RAT PACK went belly up and dumped
the managed accounts back to us
“bag holders”.

Wine has not been anything more
than a “stress reducer” for the past
few days.

I guess it is a good thing to be
drinking cheap medicine.

I’m pretty sure that this
wine comes from an area that
normally grows grapes for raisins.

You never know what you are
going to find in Paola.

Hang in there.

Castle Rock (gut) California Pinot Noir 2013

2018-10-11 Castle Rock (gut)   California PN 2013.jpg

I want to get credit
for drinking this one.

Just a “cheap and drinkable”
PN.

Hopefully I won’t be punished.

Saint Peter: Why did you
drink that disgusting, generic
Castle Rock stuff?
OTWN: I couldn’t afford anything
better.
SP: Why didn’t you work harder?
OTWN: I was always hung over.
SP: You didn’t HAVE TO drink
ALL the time. Did you?
OTWN: No, but I became an
option trader late in life.
SP: You’ve suffered enough brother,
follow me.

Wife: Wake up, wake up,
you were smiling in your sleep.
OWTN: HE let ME in!!!
W: It was just a dream.
After you take the trash out,
go stand in the corner.
You’ll need the practice.

Hang in there.

Kendall Jackson Pinot Noir 2016

2017-10-07 Kendall Jackson PN   2016.jpg

“Vintner’s Reserve” no less.

Whatever.

Finances dictate that SOME
of the stuff I drink be
“affordable”.

I can’t imagine what the
“Vintner’s Sewage” is like.

No matter.

The FIRST thing I encounter
in a respectable PN is the perfume.

This perfume is like that worn
by a high school coed at homecoming.

Best appreciated from the opposing stands.

That’s not to say that it
is NOT seductive, it just takes
more effort than I can muster
to appreciate.

But, but, but…

Let me warm up to it a bit.

Ah yes. After two hot dogs
with mustard, this wine is
coming into it’s own.

A match made in perdition.

Saint Peter: You weren’t going
to survive the torture for
buying cheap wine. You are
lucky to be here.
OTWN: What does LUCK have
to do with it?
SP: It’s just a figure of
speech.
OTWN: Yeah? Then you are
holier than thou.
SP: Go stand in the corner.
OTWN: But they’re wearing
cheerleader’s outfits.
SP: Have something against
cross-dressers?
OTWN: What kind of perfume
are they wearing?

OTWN: My headaches won’t
go away.
Doctor: What kind of diet
are you on?
OTWN: Pinot Noir.
Doctor: How much do you
drink?
OTWN: Not enough, apparently.
Doctor: Why don’t you
try something different?
OTWN: What could be better
than headaches?

But, but, but
what is the wine like?

It’s like something your boss
gives you for Christmas.

Happy Trails, Hans…

Or maybe it’s as beautiful
as this little nightingale…

I can’t decide.

Hang in there.