Wine Berserkers - international wine social media, online community, and discussion

Damn - not again....

So now there is a "correlation' between percentage of new oak and 'accessibility'? Not a linear relationship at all...

The economics of grapes definitely come into play here. I don't think you'll see folks ripping out PN anytime soon to plant other varieties anytime soon - but you will find plenty of plantings of syrah popping up in cooler areas. But let's take a step back with regards to other areas that are not as...

This is about to get dicey, me thinks . . .

I think one of the take home messages here is that there is a 'limitation' to how long one can expect a wine to 'remain fresh' after using thinks like a Coravin. All things considered, once a bottle is 1/2 finished or more, you are best just to consume it then because the effectiveness of inert gas ...

Am I the only one that thinks Dunnuck gives high praise to everything? I feel like every score he hands out is 96+. I’m clearly exaggerating, but am I? [pwn.gif] It certainly appears that way. I think you can substitute in nearly every region in CA in the title instead of 'Sonoma' and you may see t...

And PLEASE note that not all areas should be painted with the same picture. My heart truly goes out to all of those affected - as a long time customer of Chateau Montelena, and a friend of Adam Lee and the folks at Smith-Story and others, this news is quite sobering and depressing. I know how hard w...

Please note that there are large wooden fermenters that many wineries use as well. I have seen these at places like mondavi.

Tom,

Just head over to Wine Exchange and hit up Kyle for suggestions; or go to Hi Time and hit up Dan - both will steer you right. And you might want to throw in some Chinon in there for comparison sake.

Cheers.

Plenty of great suggestions and a few more to add to the list: Lang and Reed (they started out ONLY making Cab Francs) Jonata Lieu Dit Roark Wine Company Big Table in OR The variety can certainly be polarizing depending upon what you are looking for. The last three make lighter takes on the variety ...

Drinking the N.12 Chardonnay today. Gave it to my wife who has a much better pallet than me. She loves it. Said it compares right there with her fave Rombauer Chardonnay. She's HAPPY! Which makes me look like a really smart guy. #12 is VERY controversial too. Really the only one that has been contr...

As with anything else in life, it is always best to do your own homework - even here on this board. One person's 'perfect wine' is another's 85 pointer - and they are both correct because it is their opinion. We still don't really know what to expect with vintage 2020 - and it's simply too early to ...

I was talking to a fairly prominent RRV Zinfandel grower today and he had me follow him out to his truck. He hands me a sample bottle and asks, do you smell anything? It was Zinfandel fermented near dry, I smelled nothing off, he said the client winery told him “it’s obvious smoke taint you can sme...

Casey Hartlip wrote: ↑
September 10th, 2020, 3:35 pm
Just had a client pass on 70 tons of Pinot......sucks to be me.

Sorry to hear that. Was it based on tests or something else?

Cheers.

I would imagine with the fires up there, things might be changing as well . . . but heck, none of us really know. Some of you on this thread seem to peruse the 'bulk market availability' more than most wineries do!!!!

Cheers

Is anybody in the business that can explain how deals like this are typically structured? I assume that CH and the bulk seller signed a contract at some point to deliver product by a certain date. Presumably he had a full pipeline of these contracts going through the Fall. I would imagine that the ...

My thoughts and prayers are with you all up there...

Who's on third?

RC is one of the top producers in Napa at any price. Not sure why they never achieved cult status, but their wines are impeccable. I was surprised to see negative chatter on this one. It's funny how people get hung up on extremely high price as an absolute indicator of quality. Robert Craig consist...

With the current fire situations and the potential that some producers will not make any wine in 2020, the bulk market is already drying up quite a bit. There still will be many wineries that will need to secure cash to cover current expenses, but I'm guessing that some or even many will hold their ...

We are not picking fruit at Family Farm, Skyline, Alpine, Horseshoe or Centennial Mtn. Very painful but I guess it could be worse. I hope other wineries are faring better. This is pretty devastating for everyone. I am so sorry to hear that, Kevin. Devastating . . .let me known if there's anything w...

Be safe and sending positive thoughts and prayers . . .

I might wait a bit until folks get through the damage of fires and the craziness of harvest . . .

That said, I'm sure you'll get lots of recommendations. Cheers.

FWIW, I've seen a decent amount of RRV berry samples come in at between 1-2 - awaiting results of microferments in most cases. The Santa Lucia Highlands is another area where red grapes have been greatiy impacted. It appears most likely that Clarice Wine Company won't be producing a 2020 vintage an...

Here's the deal - once a wine is more than 1/2 poured, it really doesn't matter what you do - it is not going to 'age' beautifully from that point forth (unless it is the exception to the rule). You are fighting some serious chemical reactions - and that would be the case with Corvavins, VacuVins, o...

Sherri, I do believe many of the newbies are fake accounts - or the same person under different names. I believe that it why there has been a tug-of-war at times on this thread. As board regulars probably sense the same. (Of course, I would like to be wrong... as it’s always more pleasant to feel t...

Sherri, I do believe many of the newbies are fake accounts - or the same person under different names. I believe that it why there has been a tug-of-war at times on this thread. As board regulars probably sense the same. (Of course, I would like to be wrong... as it’s always more pleasant to feel t...

Karen,

Interesting to see. I'm sure many would love this potential list - same testing protocols?

Cheers.

Wishing you the best of luck this harvest, Fred - and that goes to all qineries and vineyards out there. Here's hoping things turn out better than some expect.

Cheers

First off, you would think ETS could contract with others to do testings. This seems ridiculous to me that turnaround times are as long as they are. Second, i know winemakers who are quite trepidatious after 2008 - lots that smelled fine all thru ferments and some aging only to show taint at blendin...

Casey Hartlip wrote: ↑
September 2nd, 2020, 1:56 pm
Word is wineries are sending interns home because they think many won't crush any fruit.

Where are we talking Throughout Sonoma? Anderson Valley? Specifics?

Yikes . . .

Norm has been making consistently good wines for a long time - and he indeed has helped many getting started in our area. He is the 'OG' of handmade sparkling wines here in SBC, and many have been tutored by him and followed his lead. Good to see him getting some love around here.

Cheers.

My hope is that the tone of the thread does not 'scare off' many that are new to the board or those that have pervasively been 'lurkers only'. The board needs new voices and opinions all of the time, and this thread has assisted in bringing in some new folks. The call for civility is not new - it's ...

It is derived from an old Greek term that means 'pointed wit' . . . at least that's what my search finds, and that's what Rob told me about the name.

Cheers.

Did Matthew T get banned or something? This is the longest I have seen this thread without a post from him. Not banned, just no interest in posting anymore. One guy questioned how I am as a father, another told a ridiculous story about his friend and how after she got therapy she was a better perso...

Michael, I just don’t know enough and was hoping someone would ask the question. Does the final blended wine see barrel again? I assume not, that’s why i think most of them are not the same wine. Of course, if barrel doesn’t really mean barrel that’s a different story. After blending, the wine is a...

The challenge, unfortunately, is that a test ferment may not show what happens in the long run . . .

Cheers.

From what I understand, the Vinc+ corks are similar to DIAMs, which folks have accepted wholeheartedly. The big issue here is TCA over the long haul - you will not have to worry about that. I am not Cam, but my guess is that this is not a 'cost' thing at all - it has more to do with minimizing TCA a...

I do believe reds will develop much slower under tin lined caps versus saranex (polymer) liners - and many wines from the late 90s and early 2000s were bottled under tin because it was the only option. It therefore is no surprise that the aging curve of these wines would be 'slower' than under natur...

I would think ETS would work to speed things up as well - the industry deserves it if at all possible . . .

Cheers.

Curious if any others on this board have opened any of these themselves as of now?

Cheers.

Richard Albert wrote: ↑
August 28th, 2020, 5:27 pm
Screw caps have been around in California since the 1940's, what is old is new.

True - but I continue to hear that folks need side by sides to truly 'see' how differenty the wines develop. . .

Appears that screwcap works well for whites. However, does it allow the classic reds to develop and reach maturity? What are the top reds that have been cellared under screwcap, and that have developed positively to proper maturity? I don't particularly care for fruit in a wine to remain preserved ...

I prefer screw caps. I will settle for DIAM. Had two recent release bottles in the last two weeks that were under regular cork and not correct. One was very badly corked. The mustiness was obvious. The other was just scalped of its fruit. A second, sound bottle of the same wine clearly demonstrated...

So sorry, Ian . . .

Preach, my friend...

Cheers

White Hawk is north of Los Alamos, in Cat Canyon. They are therefore excluded. It is an intersting little corridor with a number of smaller vineyards - Watch Hill, Black Oak - but one of Manfred's vineyards is in there, as is the newly planted Nolan Vineyards (100+ acres) as is Martian Ranch.

Cheers.

Wonder if and how things will change.
. .

Https://www.sfchronicle.com/wine/articl ... o-19872290

Search found 8170 matches