Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler wine thread

well that just says it all right there
a great start
I think every year that I pine to go to the Napa Valley I'm also waiting MDREW's new Napa Valley reviews.

excellent photos, you can see just how tough it is trying to get pictures in a wine cellar, believe me I know.


perhaps it could have been the numerous glasses of wine?
just a hypothesis.
:-)


this is interesting because the best way to tell if the grapes are all similar in quality would be to use a more objective measurement [especially pH and briX] as opposed to the subjective thoughts of the person inspecting the grapes every day.
I imagine that this approach would probably add more inter-year and inter-batch variation to their wines, less consistency. However that does not necessarily a negative thing, just a different way of approaching the wine making process.


I have yet to try any " red ice wine " that was any good. The few Canadian oneS I've had have been rather uninspiring, too heavy, and not nearly as nicely refined as the whites. a ruby port is more what I believe a refined red ice wine should taste like. IMO


yes but do they ship their wine to Canada?
Because that really is what is more important here.



two funny
you sound like we did when we went Niagara- on -the-lake. it was about 6:30 p.m. and the tasting rooms were closing at 7 p.m. so we were cruising at high speeds to try and make three wineries in 30 minutes to get into the tasting rooms and try six wines at each place plus make purchases before their doors closed and all this after previous day visiting local wineries; we just had to hit those last few more.


oh I absolutely know the feeling!


it sounds like once again had an absolutely fantastic trip.
I am really quite envious. if the markets ever decide to improve sometime in the next year no more than two, I will definitely plan a trip to Napa Valley. I think I can manage that for four-day trip. is just too bad that our friend who lived north of San Francisco recently moved back to Ottawa otherwise I would have had a free place to stay as well.

the next time we had to Niagara,I will be sure to take more pictures and post a more lengthy review.

I agree 100%.
The small wineries are much more fun to attend and talk to people. The larger wineries tend to have contracts or agreements with local wine tour agencies that drop-off 200 people at a time for a tour. most of the people that attend these tours in Niagara are tourists just there to try the ice wines. I had this conversation with two of the pourers at two of the major vineyards about this very subject, and I had this talk with a wine pourer at two of the smaller vineyards as well. they would get a bus load of people from overseas, Germans, Asians, and all they want to try are the Canadian ice wines. others are there to see the massive winery that they've been drinking wines from all these years, for example Jackson and Triggs. most of them have never heard of any of the smaller wineries because they don't sell wines outside of the province or outside of their local region. of course that is understandable.
As you talk about all the smaller local wineries around Napa, I wouldn't know about them either before I went there. I may as well just go and take a wine tour at Fetzer or at Mondavi because that's all I'm familiar with as it is mostly what we see here in our area for sale.
only those who read more or participate in wine clubs or wine forms, for example even reading this thread, may find out more about what is in the area and try harder to find those particular brand names.


ah so that's why those bottles cost under $125
thin skins
very sensitive
need very expensive skin lotion moisturizers

One of the scientists where I work is hosting a wine tasting this evening. The following are the offerings (with notes he supplied), but I'm not sure I can go.

2003 Chateau Longueville du Baron de Pichon-Longueville (usually call Pichon Baron, a “second growth” in the 1855 classification)

This is a brilliantly run property year in and year out, and especially since the mid- to late 1980s has produced one of the top four or five wines made in Pauillac in virtually every vintage. With 13.4% alcohol, the 2003 is one of the most powerful efforts this chateau has ever made. Its dense purple color is accompanied by sweet, jammy creme de cassis notes intermixed with roasted herbs, smoked meats, and chocolate. Although ripe, dense, full-bodied, and moderately tannic, it is silky (because of its low acidity and high glycerin) as well as accessible. It should firm up in the bottle, and be at its peak between 2008-2025. 94+ pts (WA)

Wow. This shows so much ripe fruit and berry character with just the right hint of lead pencil and spice. Full-bodied and very chewy. Big and powerful. Beautiful wine. Superb. Best after 2012. 14,000 cases made. 95 pts (WS)


2003 Ch. Lagrange

Dense purple in color and surprisingly open-knit and velvety textured, the full-bodied, fleshy, succulently styled 2003 Lagrange is more accessible than most Northern Medocs. With low acidity, silky tannin, and loads of chocolatey black currant and cherry fruit as well as nicely integrated, toasty oak, this sensual wine should drink beautifully in 2-3 years (in 2006) and last for 15-18. 91 pts (WA)


2003 Ch. Pipeau

A good value from St.-Emilion, this well-run estate has turned out a dense, muscular, masculine-styled 2003 with a dark ruby/purple color, and up-front, ripe black cherry fruit intermixed with hints of black currants, earth, and incense. Plush, fleshy, long, and low in acidity, it should be consumed over the next 7-10 years. As always, this is a very sexy wine. 88 pts


2003 Vrai Canon Bouche

This noble effort, displaying terrific purity, power, and richness, provides further evidence that Canon-Fronsac’s cool terroirs were beneficial in the torridly hot, dry summer of 2003. An inky/ruby/purple color accompanies aromas of violets, blueberries, and crushed stones. Powerful, rich, and generous, this sleeper of the vintage should be at its finest between 2006-2014. 88-90 pts (Barrel Sample)


2003 Ch. Mont-Perat

A delicious offering from the Despagne firm, which clearly knows how to produce budget-priced (~$20) Bordeaux that can compete with some of the region’s more hallowed names, the 2003 Mont Perat exhibits abundant quantities of cedar, barbecue smoke, spicy herbs, and black cherry and currant fruit. Like all the Despagne wines, it possesses loads of character and soul. Enjoy it during its first 2-4 years of life. 87 pts (WA)


2003 Ch. D’Aiguilhe

This large (120+ acres) vineyard planted on limestone and clay soils is composed of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, the 2003 was produced from yields of 28 hectoliters per hectare. It exhibits a dense purple color as well as a big, sweet nose of scorched earth, blackberries, underbrush, cherries, and smoke. Layered, opulent, powerful, and rich, with its tannin character well-hidden by abundant fruit, it should drink well for 10-12 years. It is another example of this backwater appellation producing a wine that transcends its pedigree. 90 pts (WA)

Can't go????? Whatinthehelliswrongwithyou!!!!!

I know, I know. I'm trying not to think about it.

I'm going!

My overall impression:

Bordeaux wines are a different ballpark than I'm used to when it comes to wines, and it was wonderful to step outside my zone of experience. In general, the wines were a bit more focused. I was tempted to say thinner, but that's not entirely accurate. Not coincidentally my favorite wine (other than the really expensive one which was marvelous but waaay out of my budget -- it cost more than the rest put together) was the jammiest one of the bunch and cost just under $30.

Specific notes:
0. 2007 Ch. Coucheroy
This was the only white wine of the bunch. It's a dry white wine made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Was quite tasty with mineral overtones and a pleasant nose.

1. 2003 Ch. Mont-Perat
This was the thinnest of the reds, IMHO. Good flavor, but the finish was lacking oomph.

2. 2003 Vrai Canon Bouche
This was a definite step up from the previous red. Fuller mouthfeel, more berry fruit, and moderate dustiness in the nose.

3. 2003 Ch. D’Aiguilhe
My second favorite wine. This one most reminded me of the California wines I love. The nose grabs you right away and the flavor is reminiscent of a zin. A bit spicy and sweet with just enough tannins to tingle the sides of your tongue without drying it out. If I were to buy any of the wines I tasted, this would be the one.

4. 2003 Ch. Pipeau
This was my least favorite. The tannins were a bit too much, and there just wasn't enough "there" there. It needs at least 5 more years in the cellar. The aroma reminded me of smoked meats, which I'd never really smelled in a wine before.

5. 2003 Ch. Lagrange
My third favorite wine. Floral aromas with bright, fruity flavors. Thoroughly quaffable.

6. 2003 Chateau Longueville du Baron de Pichon-Longueville
This was the big name blockbuster wine. Wow! Made from mostly cab grapes, it stood apart from the others in its flavor profile. (The other wines were mostly merlot, I believe.) A bit of the tobacco I'm used to from California cabs, and a wonderful spicy nose and chewy feel in the mouth. The most refined wine of the bunch, for sure.

All in all, a very pleasant evening with fine company and I'm so glad I was able to attend. Thanks, wife!

Glad you got to go Peter. It’s nice to step away from Cali every now and then. I have a couple friends that have been into French wines for years and they continue to pester me to do the same. Whenever we can, we will do a blind tasting with wines from all over the world. The last two times I preferred red Bordeaux over all the other wines, which included Napa reds. The problem I have with French wines, is I have no idea what to buy. They totally baffle me…….

You can start with the 2003 Ch. D’Aiguilhe.

Looking for a Vinturi aerator for this year's wine gift to a fellow oenophile.
If i find it, New Year's will have the blind taste testing!!