WTN: Ragnarok

Maybe I need to find a different store…. I live in Boston and in Asheville area…. I don’t feel like I ever see ESJ wines in either place… and I love them

Well they're no longer being made, so you won't see any new vintages!

Maybe I need to find a different store…. I live in Boston and in Asheville area…. I don’t feel like I ever see ESJ wines in either place… and I love them

Steve has retired, he says, and he made no wine in '22 or '23. So, scoop 'em up anywhere you see them.

[David M. Bueker]

I think Steve may still have some 2021 El Jaleo (the bottling from Shake Ridge Ranch that he started after the end of Rocks & Gravel). It’s a different wine for sure, but it’s delicious & still recognizably ESJ.

Maybe I need to find a different store…. I live in Boston and in Asheville area…. I don’t feel like I ever see ESJ wines in either place… and I love them

These days, you'll probably have to look to Winebid to get ESJ wines. Steve has more or less wound down production, so don't expect any new releases.

I think Steve may still have some 2021 El Jaleo (the bottling from Shake Ridge Ranch that he started after the end of Rocks & Gravel). It’s a different wine for sure, but it’s delicious & still recognizably ESJ.

A major thumbs up for the El Jaleo. It's a lovely blend that's so food-friendly.

Fifth Thor bottle: Trimbach 2002 Riesling "Cuvee Frederic Emile" - totally beautiful, medium gold color, riesling fruit of an apricotty kind, brisk, brilliant acidity, really a wow bottle. (For those who also read WD, I will report on this as part of the next 'little bottles' report.)

[David M. Bueker]

Other than the 1990, the 2002 remains my favorite CFE.

[David M. Bueker]

Opened the 2001 Trimbach CFE Riesling 375th Anniversary bottle tonight, and it was…OK. It had some of that bad period for Trimbach advanced thing going on but it wasn’t fatal. It just dulled the experience a bit. So sad that such a great winery had so many issues from 1996-2001.

[David M. Bueker]

Opened another of Thor's wines. It fit the Wine Focus theme for March.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=70247

I think Steve may still have some 2021 El Jaleo (the bottling from Shake Ridge Ranch that he started after the end of Rocks & Gravel). It’s a different wine for sure, but it’s delicious & still recognizably ESJ.

A major thumbs up for the El Jaleo. It's a lovely blend that's so food-friendly.

My New York distributor (David Bowler Wine) recently bought up my remaining inventory of El Jaléo, including a few cases of 2016 (which is lovely just now), quite a few of the 2020, and all the 2021. I was eager to close out some inventory, so I'd imagine the price at retail will be attractive. So heads up in the greater NYC area, if you fancy you might want some.

[David M. Bueker]

Gotta keep my eyes open!

I think Steve may still have some 2021 El Jaleo (the bottling from Shake Ridge Ranch that he started after the end of Rocks & Gravel). It’s a different wine for sure, but it’s delicious & still recognizably ESJ.

A major thumbs up for the El Jaleo. It's a lovely blend that's so food-friendly.

My New York distributor (David Bowler Wine) recently bought up my remaining inventory of El Jaléo, including a few cases of 2016 (which is lovely just now), quite a few of the 2020, and all the 2021. I was eager to close out some inventory, so I'd imagine the price at retail will be attractive. So heads up in the greater NYC area, if you fancy you might want some.

Woot!!!

I just grabbed a couple bottles of '20 El Jaleo from my local shop!

Sixth Thor bottle: Dom. des Marnes Blanches 2014 Cotes du Jura, Savagnin "Les Molates" - varietally correct flavors of lemon confit but nothing exciting going on here; just blah, no matter what you serve it with; I think Thor's dubious storage enervated this one.

[David M. Bueker]

I thought all of the "gift" bottles were from the wine cellar space he had been using.

I don't recall hearing that. Anyway, I swapped a lot of bottles in and out of my box.

Of course, could also just be a ho-hum bottle on its own, without any hint of Scandinavian mismanagement.

[David M. Bueker]

You must have grabbed one of the bottles earmarked for Loki.

Seventh Thor bottle: Dom. Dupasquier 2010 Mondeuse - magnum; I checked with Wink Lorch and she said that this wine would not be for long keeping so now is actually a good time to open it; and it is beautiful: at first, it seems like it's going to give you the typical young mondeuse experience (essentially a syrah profile but with a little funk and a little in-your-face intensity) but it eases up very quickly and shows mixed syrah and blueberry flavors on a light- to mid-weight frame; there's a little bit of earth here but not much; it's really nice to taste some ready mondeuse!

As Dale might say, a B+ wine, give or take a step depending on your preferences.

[David M. Bueker]

Nice!

I was wondering how that one would be.

Eighth Thor bottle: Dom. Tempier 2009 Bandol - 14%, upon opening, kinda indistinct, I took it for another blah bottle from his blah storage, drank some, recorked the rest; five days later... OMG... it must have just been sleeping before because it is beautiful now: a distinctive black-cherry nose comes so strongly from the glass that I can smell it three feet away; medium to medium-heavy weight; yeah some alcoholic sting but that only rocks the boat, doesn't sink it; and a really pleasingly long pure finish, just cool fruit sliding over a steady bass note of limestone chalk and violets. Thank you, Thor.

Eighth Thor bottle: Dom. Tempier 2009 Bandol - 14%, upon opening, kinda indistinct, I took it for another blah bottle from his blah storage, drank some, recorked the rest; five days later... OMG...

Glad it worked out and great when that happens and older wines bloom.

[David M. Bueker]

Have to remind myself that 2009 was 16 years ago.

Ninth Thor bottle: Dom. Huet 2005 Vouvray Demi-Sec "Le Mont" - 12%, Wine Cask sticker says $44.99 (modern vintages are about the same); Day 1: no obvious damage but merely nice slightly sweet chenin, almost certainly just closed and more to come so let it sit; Day 3: it's opening up, more sweetness, more citrus, still wait a bit; Day 5: here it is! mandarins and kumquats, so ripe but not over-the-top ripe, sweet but still zesty, tangy, long, a good bottle

[David M. Bueker]

You won the old Huet lottery!