The Garagiste Thread (The Great Enabler) Back to Life

[Todd F r e n c h]

I unsubscribed because of this water offer and the corresponding carbon offset BS.

Did you let them know?

[Alan C h a n]

I heard from very reliable sources that the water is totally spoofulated - reverse osmosis, acidified, all new oak, then Michel Rolland comes in and tells them how much water to add back.

But seriously, I did really want to taste the water after reading it. Not $7 worth, but enough to ask Roberto, how was it?

I've been tempted lately by some of the German riesling offerings. Anyone have those wines or bite on the offers?

[Chris Tuttle]

Todd, I sure did.

Chris

[Todd F r e n c h]

Todd, I sure did.

Chris

Too bad you didn't have this to use in the email:

[Roberto Rogness (Online)]

"Not $7 worth, but enough to ask Roberto, how was it?"

It tasted like distilled water which is to say nothing. Give me water with rocks in it any day.

[Udo Hoerhold]

I've been tempted lately by some of the German riesling offerings. Anyone have those wines or bite on the offers?

I bit for 3 of the Fritz Haag's. I've never had anything from that producer before. If I had known a Prum offering was coming out, I might have waited and gone in for that instead.

[Keith Levenberg]

I bit for 3 of the Fritz Haag's. I've never had anything from that producer before. If I had known a Prum offering was coming out, I might have waited and gone in for that instead.

Fritz Haag is a top-notch producer & I personally go for them over Prum - you don't need to wait 20 years for the Prum stench to resolve.

[Cris Whetstone]

I took 3 of the F Haag's at ~$20 each. Nice deal. Excellent producer as Keith mentions.

Did anybody go for the chutney on the heals of the water deal?

[nedhoey]

I don't have interest in the water. The reasons don't matter. At the same time, I don't feel an irresistible urge to ridicule
the offer. Is the smug mockery really necessary? There's already too much mean spiritedness out there these days.

[John Liotta]

I don't have interest in the water. The reasons don't matter. At the same time, I don't feel an irresistible urge to ridicule
the offer. Is the smug mockery really necessary? There's already too much mean spiritedness out there these days.

Smug mockery is page three Ned. Lavish praise are the other two pages. Still two to one positive. And if you count all the pages on the "other" site I doubt seriously the "mean spirits" will blow Garagiste's house down.

[Yoni O v a d i a]

I don't have interest in the water. The reasons don't matter. At the same time, I don't feel an irresistible urge to ridicule
the offer. Is the smug mockery really necessary? There's already too much mean spiritedness out there these days.

Everyone's having a little fun with Garagiste. I don't see the harm in that.

Everyone always give them so much praise that every once in a while when an offer comes like water, I think it's fine to take them to task for it. It's not that big a deal...

[Scott Silton]

I also picked up some of the $20 Fritz Haag Spat. The only other offers I took this summer were point-chasing some Albarino and the Galardi Terra di Lavorno, which seems to be $20 cheaper than anywhere else.

Given the shipping costs, I can't justify dabbling in their cheaper offers. I don't like seeing some of their "only X cases for the entire US" offers end up on retail shelves here, like the Pyramid Valley wines (which are excellent and worth seeking out), and I hate their billing, but I don't mind having a few hundred dollars worth of wine backed up because my success rate with the genuinely off the radar offers has been 75%+.

I'm sort of getting sick of yapping about that "other board" but the shuttering of the Garagiste thread was totally bogus. I absolutely believe that had more to do with Rimmerman's sales pitches criticizing the Parker brand than anything else. When I asked Mark to explain further, he basically said that he didn't have to explain himself to a pissant like me, and provided no evidence. So I'm glad to have it back alive over here and hope that it can be used to evaluate a pending offer from time to time, with perhaps a separate thread for Garagiste related TNs.

[Jim Brennan]

I tried to buy some of the Haag, but I didn't catch the email until several hours later, and it was sold out. I wasn't tempted by the Prums... their best wines are the Spatlese and Auslese IMO, and I can get very nice Kabinetts from other producers at much better prices than Prum.

[Roberto Rogness (Online)]

"Is the smug mockery really necessary? "

The smug mockery (of intelligence) is IN the offer. We are just commenting on it...

[Max Marinucci]

"Is the smug mockery really necessary? "

The smug mockery (of intelligence) is IN the offer. We are just commenting on it...

How can you offer $7 water from Tasmania and not get laughed at?

[Roberto Rogness (Online)]

Max, it was the attempt to dress it up with science AND the use of the Terroir of other waters as a BAD thing about them that offended me. There are waters that cost a LOT more:

This one is $20+ but they are honest and market it as all about the BLING!

http://www.blingh2o.com/store/

[Max Marinucci]

Max, it was the attempt to dress it up with science AND the use of the Terroir of other waters as a BAD thing about them that offended me. There are waters that cost a LOT more:

This one is $20+ but they are honest and market it as all about the BLING!

http://www.blingh2o.com/store/

Boberto,

Well, how else could you sell expensive water from Tasmania unless you put some crazy spin on it? Bling water is certainly frightening though. I wonder how many people buy that.

[Roberto Rogness (Online)]

Well, Max, we sold ten cases of a $50+ ROSSO di Montalcino in three days with this simple offer:

San Giuseppe di Stella di Campalto Rosso di Montalcino 2005 $53.99 Bio-Dynamic
Yes, this costs as much as many (lesser!) bottlings of Brunello di Montalcino. Yes it is worth it. The end.

Sometimes a little mystery is better than making up a load of crap (or rehashing the press release)...

[nedhoey]

I don't have interest in the water. The reasons don't matter. At the same time, I don't feel an irresistible urge to ridicule
the offer. Is the smug mockery really necessary? There's already too much mean spiritedness out there these days.

Smug mockery is page three Ned. Lavish praise are the other two pages. Still two to one positive. And if you count all the pages on the "other" site I doubt seriously the "mean spirits" will blow Garagiste's house down.

Is that what you took from my post? A concern for Garagistes well being?

[Mo K a n g]

Just remember that water is not regulated in any way, and that tap water can sometimes be more "pure" than some of the spring water brands out there.

I am a Garagiste lemming, but this e-mail would have been more appropriate on April 1.

[Frank Smith]

I ignored the water offer, but did go for some of the 2005 Renato Ratti Barolo Marcenasco (WS96) for $40 that was offered today.

[Andrew Hall]

Back to fanboy zone :

• 2006 Riberach Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes Synthèse - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes (7/9/2009)
  My last note was more hopeful and generous. Odd swampy and metallic notes which are quite predominant. Ditto on 2nd day. No.
  
• 2006 Le Clos d'un Jour Cahors Un Jour sur Terre - France, Southwest France, Cahors (7/8/2009)
  Messy and disjointed for about 30 min. Then settled into dark fruit driven vibe. Not as earthy and brooding as the '05, but hits that vigorous Malbec fruit in a more primal way than all the new world pretenders. Enjoyed it a lot.
  
• 2001 Edi Simcic Duet - Slovenia, Primorska, Goriška Brda (6/8/2009)
  Nondescript nose with generic plum fruit and mocha treatment effect. Bright fruit, more red than black. Medium body, medium definition. Slight coffee spicing from oak and curranty fruit finish. Not awful, made by formula, more modern than is my style and wholly boring. A big whatever.
  
• 2006 Brooks Pinot Noir Rastaban - USA, Oregon (6/1/2009)
  Solid, uncomplex nose. Definite candied-fruit streak runs through it. Clean, solid and drinkable - which puts it ahead of most - but not special.
  
• 2006 Brooks Pinot Noir Janus - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (5/12/2009)
  Nice enough Pinot nodding toward full-blown, but not going there. Enjoyed it.

Posted from CellarTracker

A.

[Mo K a n g]

Man, that is a tempting offer but I am trying to save up for Carlisle and Sojourn....

[Andrew Gold]

Back to fanboy zone :

[list][*]2006 Riberach Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes Synthèse - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes (7/9/2009)
My last note was more hopeful and generous. Odd swampy and metallic notes which are quite predominant. Ditto on 2nd day. No.

.

I thought this wine was downright terrible, pissed I bought a six pack of it. I'm planning to forget the other bottles basically forever. One of several let-downs from JR and co. I'm only buying wines I've had from here on out.

[K_F_o_l_e_y]

[Ted Erfer]

Latest issue of WA (Water Advocate) is out. The Tasmanian got rated 100 by their reviewer for this region:

"Very water forward. Much better than the famous (and probably over-hyped) 2005 bottling. I tasted this previously from barrel and it has improved with some age. Kudos to the excellent watermaker here. Some consulting by M. Rolland to bring out the stronger water qualtity of the source."

[Jim Brennan]

FWIW they just offered the '08 Prum Spatleses - Zeltinger, Wehlener, Graacher, and Badstube at about $3 less/bottle than the next lowest offer on W-S (B-21).

2008 JJ Prum Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spätlese - $31.84
2008 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese - $36.94
2008 JJ Prum Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese - $31.92
2008 JJ Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese - $32.86

[BLittle]

Damn Prum Enabler

Got me for a six pack...

[Jim Brennan]

Glad I could be of disservice!

[James Sanders]

Back to fanboy zone :

• 2006 Riberach Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes Synthèse - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes (7/9/2009)
  My last note was more hopeful and generous. Odd swampy and metallic notes which are quite predominant. Ditto on 2nd day. No.
  
• 2006 Le Clos d'un Jour Cahors Un Jour sur Terre - France, Southwest France, Cahors (7/8/2009)
  Messy and disjointed for about 30 min. Then settled into dark fruit driven vibe. Not as earthy and brooding as the '05, but hits that vigorous Malbec fruit in a more primal way than all the new world pretenders. Enjoyed it a lot.
  
• 2001 Edi Simcic Duet - Slovenia, Primorska, Goriška Brda (6/8/2009)
  Nondescript nose with generic plum fruit and mocha treatment effect. Bright fruit, more red than black. Medium body, medium definition. Slight coffee spicing from oak and curranty fruit finish. Not awful, made by formula, more modern than is my style and wholly boring. A big whatever.
  
• 2006 Brooks Pinot Noir Rastaban - USA, Oregon (6/1/2009)
  Solid, uncomplex nose. Definite candied-fruit streak runs through it. Clean, solid and drinkable - which puts it ahead of most - but not special.
  
• 2006 Brooks Pinot Noir Janus - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (5/12/2009)
  Nice enough Pinot nodding toward full-blown, but not going there. Enjoyed it.

Posted from CellarTracker

A.

Occasionally, I wonder if we all get the same offers. None of these ring a bell. Though, if Jon uses the words "modern" "ripe" or "2006" anywhere near "Oregon" I quickly delete.

[Darin Kendrick]

Picked up 6 of the La Blaques one of my favorite QPR purchases last year...anyone else get this or try the 07?

[Ryan Caughey]

Picked up 6 of the La Blaques one of my favorite QPR purchases last year...anyone else get this or try the 07?

I enjoyed the 07 quite a bit but only with a serious decant. Wasn't inspired enough to pick up the 08, however.

[Josh_Pitcl (Online)]

Picked up 6 of the La Blaques one of my favorite QPR purchases last year...anyone else get this or try the 07?

I grabbed 4. If it's half as good as Jon opines, it will be my QPR of 2009.

[Chris S p i k e s]

Picked up 6 of the La Blaques one of my favorite QPR purchases last year...anyone else get this or try the 07?

I grabbed 4. If it's half as good as Jon opines, it will be my QPR of 2009.

How would this distinguish it from any other wine he offers?

Seriously, I don't buy anything from them without secondary confirmation, but this does sound like one of their most enjoyed wines.

[Josh_Pitcl (Online)]

How would this distinguish it from any other wine he offers?

Seriously, I don't buy anything from them without secondary confirmation, but this does sound like one of their most enjoyed wines.

Very true, which is why CT comes in handy. Jon's last Champagne offer had me salivating, until I checked CT and Brad Baker panning of the wine. Might have bit otherwise.