ATTN NJ/PA/ETC Berserkers - Saturday Feb 8th Cellar Drawdown Party

We had so much fun back in August, we decided to do it again - Cellar Drawdown Party #2. Dynamics are still the same, I need more space in the cellar, and we’re not getting any younger, so why not share great wine with friends who appreciate it?

Besides, it’s the middle of the winter, do we really need an excuse? :slight_smile:

Click https://www.cellartracker.com/forum/fb.asp?m=476791 for a list of the wines we opened back in August, for ~35 people (I lost count, there were a few extra guests). February will be even bigger and better.

There will be plenty of food from a local family-owned Italian restaurant that caters, and the group will be a mix of Cters, Berserkers, and other friends who enjoy wine and/or are just fun to be around. That was one of the most enjoyable parts of the last party, watching the winos share their knowledge and passion with those that enjoy wine but aren’t yet expert.

Please let me know if you can join us, so we can plan for the food. Friends are welcome too - there is plenty of drawdowning to be done (is that a word?). Wines will be decanted at 4 PM, and we’ll get started at 5 PM.

We’re in Central NJ near the intersection of the NJ Turnpike and Rte. 195, with plenty of convenient local hotel options if anyone wants to stay over. Please bring a designated driver and/or plan for taxi, Uber or Lyft.

PM for details.


David

Looking forward to it! Thanks for hosting :slight_smile:

So generous of David and Allison to open their home and host (again). We had a blast at the August offline - see you on February 8th!

Karen & John

Christine - It will be great to see you and Jason again, looking forward to hearing the progress on your wine project.

Karen - Really glad you can make it as well - having you and John walk everyone through a Jean Edwards vertical was amazing. For those who couldn’t join us, last time I opened a 2009-2012 vertical of the Jean Edwards Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard. This time it will be 2010, 2012-2014 Jean Edwards Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Seventy Four - Forty One Napa Valley. I’ve already finished off the 2011s, otherwise I’d include them too. :slight_smile:

We’re currently at 35 attendees, Berserkers, CTers and other wine friends - including some new attendees. Looking to cap it at ~40, so we still have room. If you’d like to join us, please send a PM for details.

David
Although the travel is not easy; looks like I will be able to make it. Thanks, you and Allison for hosting, it IS an enormous amount of work. Sending you a PM.

Great - send me a pm and I’ll get you the details.

Bumping this for the final count for next Saturday’s Cellar Drawdown Party #2, ordering the food tomorrow. We’re at 41 attendees, with a bunch of Berserkers, CTers, and other wine-appreciating friends from all around - NJ, NYC, DC, Baltimore, PA, Delaware and Ohio (and maybe Connecticut).

Still waiting to hear from a few potential attendees - Jonathon, if you’re still planning to attend please PM me here or on CT to confirm and I’ll get you the details.

Food: awesome Italian cuisine from Dolce & Clemente in Robbinsville, NJ. PM with any special dietary restrictions.

I spent part of this morning pulling wines from the cellar - this is going to be fun, and just in the nick of time for shipping season. Decanting will commence at 4, start time is at 5 - although a few wines may need more air, so earlier for them. I’m taking advantage of the crowd to open up a double-magnum and a couple of magnums too.

We can still handle a few more - PM for details.

Weather looks to be good, might even get a nice big fire going in the outside fireplace.

Look forward to seeing everyone on Saturday!

Getting set up for tonight, going to start with 30 red wines and half a dozen whites - plus some stickies later. 30 decanters out on the table ready and waiting for wine.

We had a couple of last-minute cancellations due to illness and baby-sitter issues, so room for a few more.

News since my last post - Karen and John Troisi are bringing a 2009 and a 2011 74-41 Jean Edwards Cabernet, which will mean a complete 2009-2014 vertical tasting - very cool and thank you Karen and John!

PM for details and look forward to seeing everyone later today.

Well, that was fun - it was great to see everybody, and get to know/know better a few new faces (Lonnie from Baltimore and JulieC from NYC). Big thank you to Chris, Cat, Shane and Eileen for coming early and helping with setup and decanting.

Thank you’s are also due to Karen and John Troisi, for bringing their Jean Edwards 2009 and 2011 74-47 to fill out a 2009-2014 vertical, and then for educating all of us on how the wines are sourced and made. Ditto to Shane and Eileen, for bringing a Penfolds Shiraz and an Australian White (forgot to write them down) that were also both phenomenal.

Final count was 41, with nine people who cancelled for various reasons, including sitter issues, the flu, potential coronavirus exposure and a partner embezzling money from their brewpub (no joke). But we had a few extras join us, so it all worked out OK.

We’ll plan drawdown party #3 for ~Aug-Sept, hope to see everyone there.

Final tally - including the four noted above, we consumed 43 wines, and counting a few given to Allison’s nephew to help improve his social life on campus at NYU. :slight_smile:

My WOTN for the Reds was the 2007 Podere Sante Marie (Colleoni) Brunello di Montalcino, from magnum, although the 2007 Alceo and 2010 Saxum Broken Stones (also magnum) were very close; for the Whites it was the 2009 Stony Hill Chardonnay, in an amazing place right now with some air.

Vintage Wine Size
1988 Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey 750ml
2004 Conterno Fantino Barolo Sorì Ginestra 750ml
2004 Bibi Graetz Testamatta Toscana IGT 1.5L
2006 Conti Costanti Brunello di Montalcino 750ml
2006 Alessandro e Gian Natale Fantino Barolo Riserva Bussia Cascina Dardi 750ml
2006 Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey 750ml
2006 Wolf Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml
2007 Juslyn Vineyards Perry’s Blend 750ml
2007 Castello dei Rampolla d’Alceo 750ml
2007 Castello dei Rampolla Sammarco Toscana IGT 750ml
2007 Podere Sante Marie (Colleoni) Brunello di Montalcino 1.5L
2008 Château Le Dome 750ml
2009 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova 750ml
2009 Jean Edwards Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Seventy Four - Forty One Napa Valley 750ml
2009 Stony Hill Chardonnay 750ml
2010 Alpha Omega Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml
2010 Betz Family Cabernet Sauvignon Père de Famille 750ml
2010 M. Chapoutier Côte-Rôtie La Mordorée 750ml
2010 Clos Dubreuil 750ml
2010 Château Croix de Labrie 750ml
2010 Jean Edwards Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Seventy Four - Forty One Napa Valley 750ml
2010 Luscher-Ballard Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml
2010 Andrea Oberto Barolo Brunate 750ml
2010 Saxum Broken Stones 1.5L
2011 Domaine Bizot Bourgogne Le Chapitre 750ml
2011 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Meursault Vieilles Vignes 750ml
2011 Hobel Wine Works Cabernet Sauvignon Engelhard Vineyard 750ml
2011 Jean Edwards Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Seventy Four - Forty One Napa Valley 750ml
2011 Fattoria Petrolo Galatrona 750ml
2011 Tenuta Sette Ponti Oreno Toscana IGT 3.0L
2012 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières 750ml
2012 Jean Edwards Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Seventy Four - Forty One Napa Valley 750ml
2012 William Cole Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml
2013 Jean Edwards Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Seventy Four - Forty One Napa Valley 750ml
2013 J. Rochioli Chardonnay South River Vineyard 750ml
2014 Jean Edwards Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Seventy Four - Forty One Napa Valley 750ml
2014 Sandhi Wines Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict Vineyard 750ml
2015 E. Guigal Condrieu 750ml
2016 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc 750ml

Super work, again so happy this went well David and, as mentioned, I am devoutly hoping to make #3 as part of my big East Coast trip at that time.

Looks like a very nice list. I am excited about opening a 2007 Valdicava next weekend.

A bientot,

Mike

Thanks David for opening your home and your cellar. Kimberly and I had a great time. Looking forward to seeing you again.
Oh, and I really liked the Saxum Broken Stones, it was my WOTN.

Big thank you to David and Allison for hosting a wonderful wine evening!! You take hospitality to another level to bring together lovely people, food, and wine. Agree with your wotn, Colleni, then at the end of the night oreno showed beautifully as well as the Saxum. Liked the 2014 je the best out of the je vertical. Too many great wines to call them all out.

Great line-up of wines. I am new to this board and relatively new to my passion for wine so I didn’t know about this offline, but I am very excited for the next one!