Friends Who Drink It

Jansz Wine Company

Premium Non Vintage Rosé Blend

A very energetic mouthful, somehow ripe and pulling it own weight (with acidic towing equipment) so you don’t feel the weight but you know it has a body, like me in an empire waist dress. Zingy ripe raspberry makes friends with preserved lemon while white toast and white pepper duel it out as to who is the loudest (but not the whitest we know the toast wins that). Really a delicious steal from Tasmania. — 7 months ago

Bob, Tom and 5 others liked this

Bravante Vineyards

Howell Mountain Cabernet Franc 2007

Bravante Vineyards Howell Mountain Cabernet Franc 2007, Napa Valley, California

#AgedWineTuesday

Very dark in color and not showing much age.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity. Dry on the palate and fruit forward with nice complexity.

Showing black plums, cherries, cedar, light vanilla, spices, dark chocolates, coffee, peppercorn, earth, black tea, herbs and light green vegetables.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 16 year old Cabernet Franc from Howell Mountain is peaking now. Drinking very nicely, with a soft mouthfeel and nice balance.

Drinks more like a Napa Merlot at this point.

Still has enough fruits and tannins, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 to 7 years.

This 2007 vintage was a great vintage in Napa, and it is showing. A delicious wine. Elegant and restraint.

Howell Mountain fruit is always enjoyable. A great sipping wine to share with friends and talk about.

A small production of only 185 cases.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$50 (at release).
— a year ago

Ira, Tom and 10 others liked this

Pecchenino

Le Coste Barolo Nebbiolo 2010

This bottle of 2010 Pecchenino “Le Coste” was pulled from my cellar on a “school night” and brought to a fun little gathering of service friends after their shift. Opened, splash decanted and consumed over three hours; served side-by-side with the 2010 Roberto Voerzio “Brunate”. The Pecchenino “Le Coste” was locked down pretty hard for the first 30 minutes but shifted dramatically before the hour mark. At that point, it was singing with bright, red and dark fruits, roses, tar and wrapped up in the most elegant package. Compared to the Voerzio, this was lithe and open-knit. A lovely, traditional expression of Barolo that, while endowed with the classic structure of 2010, is just beginning to offer up more of its charm. It’s probably worth noting that Pecchenino actually resides in the Dogliani commune, just across the boarder from Monforte d’Alba. Dogliani is where some of the highest expressions of Dolcetto are produced under the Dogliani Superiore DOCG classification. Pecchenino’s Dolcettos are lovely examples and super reasonable…but I digress. Back to this wine, “Le Coste” is a small-ish MGA in the Barolo commune that sits directly south of the town of Barolo and said to share some similarities with the Cannubi MGA just to the north. While I don’t have enough experience drinking wines made with the fruit from "Le Coste", I can certainly draw some parallels. Anyway, on this night, the "Le Coste" by Pecchenino wiped the floor with the "Brunate" from Voerzio, which couldn’t seem to really get out of the gate and even after 3 hours in a decanter. The Voerzio is gonna need forever to come back around. Drink now with at least 30min of air. Otherwise, this will continue to drink well through 2030+. — 2 years ago

Scott@Mister, Romain and 8 others liked this

Château de Beaucastel

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhône Blend 2001

I’ve often struggled to appreciate Beaucastel, particularly when young. However, the more often I drink older Beaucastel, I find myself slowly starting to understand why these wines are so important.

Opened about two hours prior. The 2001 Beaucastel pours a pale, slightly hazy garnet with a watery rim. Medium+ viscosity with signs of fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous. Strawberry preserves, leather, bacon fat, and some chicory. On the palate, medium tannin, medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Is this the most powerful expression of Chateauneuf du Pape? No. But it’s balanced, complex and it makes me think and I like that.

As a sort of epilogue, I was able to enjoy this bottle with someone who drinks old Beaucastel more regularly than I do. He described this bottle as being one that is in-between plentitudes; which makes sense as some of the tertiary characteristics are beginning to show themselves. Subsequently, you can drink now but this will likely enter a new dimension in the next few years.
— a year ago

Scott@Mister, Brian and 14 others liked this

Hoddles Creek Estate

1er Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2018

First taste of the 1er after having collected a few different vintages over the years, along with consuming plenty of their bargain priced Hoddles Creek Estate pinot noir. It’s a cracker. Drinking gorgeously now, having had a few years to integrate. Was having too much fun wolfing down tasty pizza with friends to make detailed notes, but it was certainly a pleasure to drink. — a year ago

Sam Marshmallow
with Sam
Bob liked this

Gaja

Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2004

Purchased12+ years ago, drank it last week with family and friends. Steak and risotto dinner. Initial tasting at bottle opening gave me concerns, was
afraid it had peaked long before, whiff of vinegar, no fruit. Decanted, tasted again after 30 minutes, had begun to open up. Started drinking after another 30 minutes and wow, what a difference! Have never experienced that great a change in a wine. So superb. The sommelier just smiled. Fruit rose up, very fine tannins,so smooth, loved it. Wish I had another bottle. Drink now.
— 2 years ago

Domaine Marcel Deiss

Engelgarten Bergheim Alsace Riesling Blend 2001

Alder Yarrow
9.5

There are a few producers in the world about which I can say unequivocally that I adore every wine they make. Domaine Marcel Deiss is one of them. @domainemarceldeiss. I managed to get ahold of some older vintage wines recently and I’m trying very hard not to drink them too fast, but they’re just so darn good. Decided to open this one over dinner with friends last night and it was glorious. Crystallized honey, parchment, dried orange peels, and herbs, all welded to a core of crushed stone. Fantastic. This is a most unusual (though not for Deiss) field blend of Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Beurot, Muscat, and Pinot Noir. — 3 years ago

Milissa, Lyle and 10 others liked this

Rockford

Basket Press Barossa Valley Shiraz 2020

Another amaaazing wine here in Down Under. The Basket Press only available to the ‘in’ members of Rockford winery. Rich flavors expressing from beginning to end in layers of dark, ripe fruits but firmly anchored by well rounded, soft tannins that carried the experience to a long lingering, pleasant finish. We had lunch with our friend who happened to ‘in’ 😊 with Rockford hence our opportunity to taste this wine and share it with other friends who had been admiring Rockford wines for 40 years. — a year ago

Gareth AndrewsAndrea ClementsTammy de Weerd
with Gareth, Andrea and 1 other
Ira, Jan and 2 others liked this
Ira Schwartz

Ira Schwartz Influencer Badge Premium Badge

@Jan de Weerd are they still bottling single vineyard Shiraz in great years?
Jan de Weerd

Jan de Weerd

I am not sure Ira. I think they produce the basket press every year, selected from several barrels from different vineyards. I don’t think they are all estate vineyards either. But, again, not sure. Fantastic wine however. They are also making some fun wines using Alicante Bouchet, like a red ‘white’ wine and then use the pressed skins to coferment with a Grenache/Mourvèdre blend to give it a nice spicy tanniny backbone and call it the ‘frugal farmer’ 😁
Jan de Weerd

Jan de Weerd

@Ira Schwartz forgot to tag you. Cheers!

Palmer & Co

Brut Reserve Champagne Blend

Palmer turned my head in general at a recent tasting—if you can get your hands on the 1996 vintage my gosh…but for exceptional Champagne at (if not everyday) more frequently do-able prices lean in. Toasty white bread with these citrus notes that…can I be honest? It reminds me when as a teen vegetarian in St Louis I’d do late night runs to Steak and Shake where my friends got burgers but I’d order toast and butter with a lime freeze. Those toasty but piquant and refreshing notes. Expect like that on a platter with even more nuance. Obvi it doesnt taste like that precisely but its toast and citrus vibes don’t let go and cream and apple butter are backup singers. Do drink Palmer. — a year ago

Ira, Joe and 10 others liked this

Domaine A. Cailbourdin

Les Cris Pouilly-Fumé Sauvignon Blanc 2020

Tasted blind with friends who thought more in the Alsatian dry Riesling or Pinot Blanc spectrum. I can taste why: has a thick mouthfeel & density of that area, & the Sauvignon Blanc Is a bit of a Zelig as it warms up. Very, very good. — 2 years ago

Owen Mazon
with Owen
Daniel, Bob and 7 others liked this