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

Hard to find the Angeline anymore, but was always a favorite. Will have to try the Special Club.

Thin Mints

When I was in college, I would take a date to a lifeguard stand in Newport Beach to watch the sunset, eat Chinese food and drink Sutter Home White Zin. Miss those days.

This is a good question. I have moved to the Zalto Universal for most Champagne, although I also use Grassl 1855, especially for younger Champagnes.

Anyone recall when the last offer was and what it was? It seems like it has been an awfully long time, either that or I missed the envelope. And for the haters out there, do us all a favor and save it. Thanks Paul See this thread, should provide some insight. https://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/vi...

Happy New Year Blake, hope you enjoy many more of these wonderful Champagnes in 2021.

Had the 2006 Comtes on Christmas Day and it was perhaps the best bottle of it I’ve had. Consistently good since its release.

Diversity. Not one region and varietal make up more than 25% of my cellar.

Wow, amazing looking!

ericskitei wrote: ↑December 2nd, 2020, 8:24 pm Just purchased a Frya on their 20% off special. Pretty stoked to try it (in 4 months when it gets delivered) lol

That's pretty cool, didn't realize they were making a pellet version. I think that would be a good balance between ease and flavor.

These wines definitely age and are almost always better after 7 to 10 years. Oldest one I've had was 15 years old and it was not close to its end point. So glad I bought a bunch of birth year wines to share with my kids. Best so far was a 1995 Angelus for my daughter's college graduation a few years...

Happy Birthday

Opening an 06 Comtes while cooking and then a rose from A Tribute to Grace. I'm sure there will be others, but that is the plan for now.

Even with less people, having turkey and sides. Probably only doing one pie, but other than that it will be the same menu, just scaled back for 4.

A little over $50 > Sojourn Cabernet Sauvignon Cuvée Home Ranch. This performs above it's price point. I'll add Myriad and Quivet to this list. Becklyn, William and Mary in the $65 - $100 range. I’m not sure I would say Myriad, Quivet or Becklyn are Bordeaux-like. To me they are more fruit forward,...

Vintage matters more than winemaker, in this search. Disagree with this completely. I would rather have a great winery in a "difficult" year (very rare in California anyway) than an average winery in a great year. I would add Larkmead (around $100) to this discussion as they are nicely ba...

I use the 1855 for nearly everything now and I love them

I think your instincts are correct. In California, the vast majority of wines that I cellar for extended periods of time are the Bordeaux varietals (and only certain producers). Other than those, I generally would not advise going beyond 10 years. Obviously there are producer and site exceptions, bu...

Sounds lovely Love the ABV, keeping it under 14% even as all those around him were probably in the 15s and 16s by 2001.

Yes, perhaps predictably would work better. I admit I may be drinking wines too soon or even too late. Had an 01 Faivelely Clos Des Corton that was fine, but expected more as it lacked real complexity. I had an 05 Lambrays that a friend served and thought it would be too young (and it was), but it w...

I just wish the people who don't really like Burgundy would just stop buying it. Just don't worry your pretty little heads about it and save the wine for people who love it. It boggles my mind how much money people are willing to pay for wines they don't like in the hopes that lightening will strik...

RyanC wrote: ↑November 2nd, 2020, 9:04 am Bordeaux is more consistent. Burgundy is more consistently good.

I would say that Bordeaux is more consistently good than Burgundy; when it is good, Burgundy is more often great than Bordeaux.

Thanks for the note, just bought my first Betz a few weeks ago and hoping to try it soon.

I had one friend text me this morning after our discussion the other night and suggested that because Pinot is a more delicate grape that maybe it does not travel as well and so Americans are getting a less consistent product than France.

They are just different and this is a daft inquiry. "What's more consistently good: Napa or Oregon: Brunello or Barolo: Port or Sherry: Alsace or Mosel: Northern Rhone or Chinon," would be akin to what you are asking. I actually don’t think it is daft at all. Being different is not the sa...

let’s see specifics and reasons—cooked, corked, too young, or just not good? Alan, it is a fair question and honestly I did not get into specifics because that was not intended to be the point for me. None of the wines were flawed. Sure, we can argue about the validity of each of the wines, but thi...

I have some Dom Perignon rose from 2004 that I am going to open for my son's graduation from college in 2023. I also have a bottle of Taittinger Comtes from 1998 (his birth year) that I am also going to open. If my daughter gets engaged in that time period, I have quite of bit of 1995 Bordeaux inclu...

In the last several weeks, I have experienced the highs and lows of Burgundy. A couple of wines were absolutely wonderful, one friend proclaiming a very nice premier cru wine "brilliant" and saying it entirely changed his perspective on drinking fine wine (he is a relatively new collector)...

Marc Hauser wrote: ↑October 30th, 2020, 12:32 pm Massican.

Yup. My favorite white wine producer!

Well, I'm glad you didn't make the trip for our restaurants. Pasadena is a lovely place to live, but the quality of its restaurants is suspect.

By the look of it, you had a wonderful night of wine!

Robert Dentice wrote: ↑October 28th, 2020, 2:54 pmI hit Pasadena as well.

Let me be the first to apologize if you made the trip for the food.

2012 Virage Vineyards - USA, California, Napa Valley (10/29/2020) Really a nice wine. The nose is pure Napa, very expressive with dark fruit and some Christmas spices. On the palate, the bright acidity brings the wine to life. At first there is plum and dark fruit, but then the acidity kicks in and...

A couple of weeks ago. Oddly i got five other packages on Tuesday and Wednesday

I tend to buy a number of bottles of Veuve Fourny Grande Reserve Brut most years. Got it this year for $35 from Envoyer. It plays like a Blanc de blanc even though it has some pinot. It is bright, crisp and generally a really enjoyable wine.

I’m a big fan of new gins, but had a Beefeater martini the other night and it was a lovely cocktail. Such a classic and underrated gin. I feel like Beefeater got this third chair reputation behind Tanqueray and Bombay Sapphire. I don't really get it. I think if you're a fan of the london dry style,...

We’ve been roasting whole chickens. The recipe is essentially Thomas Keller’s recipe. 1.rinse the chicken and dry with paper towels inside and out. 2. Season liberally. Thomas Keller uses kosher salt and pepper. I’ve been using various other seasonings 3. Place in a preheated oven @450 until the br...

From Villa Creek Restaurant in Paso, these are awesome. Butternut Squash Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce Tomatillo Sauce 1lb tomatillos 2 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped 1/2 cup green onion, chopped (greens only) 1 jalapeño, sliced 1tbl Sugar 1/2 tsp black pepper 1/3 cu...

This is what drives me nuts. I authorize shipping for Monday of this week because temps are down and figure I will get it Thursday at the latest. Get notice that it is going to ship. They don't deliver it to FedEx until Tuesday and now it is stuck in NoCal with no further updates. Moreover, weather ...

Wines coming to the house in droves, this was one of them.

K&L has 2002 Billecart-Salmon "Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart" for $180 which is a pretty stellar bottle of wine. They have the 2006 for $100 which is a steal IMHO. Certainly not as drinkable as the 2002, but a great wine to have in the future. Just had a 98 a few months ago and it ...

I’m a big fan of new gins, but had a Beefeater martini the other night and it was a lovely cocktail. Such a classic and underrated gin.

I got a three month free trial. In that 90 days, I watched everything on the service I wanted to watch and cancelled before being billed. There's some good stuff on there. There's just not enough good stuff to justify a long-term subscription. They're at $10/month. That's insane if you compare Netf...

I have to be in DC next week to see my son, are there any restaurants doing outdoor dining? He would love a steakhouse, but anything outdoors would do.

I was a bartender for a million years and this is how I just to make mine. Fun fact- how did I learn this technique? I saw Woody (Woody Harrelson) the bartender doing it in an episode of Cheers! Before I learn this, we used to just peel the peel off of a lemon slice, but they were not nearly long e...

Stopped by A Tribute to Grace to do a tasting this weekend. Spent a good hour and a half with Angela Osborne talking about her wines, her family and wine country. She is inspiring. One of the things we talked about is how unique her approach is to Grenache, especially in California. Many of her wine...

Barry L i p t o n wrote: ↑October 10th, 2020, 9:43 am It’s hard to find Indian food that’s a cut above; I really enjoyed Bibi Ji (Rajit Parr’s place) and am going back next week.

Zaytoon sounds like one to try!

Thought the food at BiBi Ji was very good. Not loving the DJ music, but so be it.

I don't have a specific recommendation, but make your reservations early. At least pre-pandemic, I tried to get a driver a few months in advance and was told they were sold out.

Melville (either at the winery or in the city) produces a number of very good wines at reasonable prices. A Tribute to Grace in Los Alamos is great if you are up that way.

Scott G r u n e r wrote: ↑October 5th, 2020, 3:36 pm
T. Altmayer wrote: ↑October 5th, 2020, 3:23 pm Not sure what is more over-rated, the filet or the rib-eye.
+1 point for filet. -2 points for Ribeye. You are in the negative, I am sorry.

Ha, I would guess my opinion of the ribeye is strongly in the minority. I do not love the excess fat in the ribeye.

Not sure what is more over-rated, the filet or the rib-eye. Porterhouse rules followed by the NY strip. [scratch.gif] You lost me there since the Porterhouse is 1/2 Filet. Very simple distinction. Filet mignon — when served on its own — is usually butchered way to thick, especially at steakhouses. ...

Not sure what is more over-rated, the filet or the rib-eye. Porterhouse rules followed by the NY strip.

has anyone heard from Jennifer Lamb? I've been sitting on this for a few days, until she gave me approval, but I can now tell you that she lost her house, all the wine in her cellar, most of her family pictures and her 40 jars of homemade jam. She got out with just a few personal items and the dogs...

Search found 1806 matches