So what are we thinking of opening this weekend?

After the holiday festivities, some of us are back to some sort of (normal) routine!! What are forumites thinking might go down nicely this weekend?

I am looking at a couple of Oz Rieslings but will also consider a `02 Rudera Chenin Blanc from SA. Have to drink up some of the whites in the cellar!!

Well, I have a few bottles that is due right now.
Debating with myself whether I should drink Senorio San Vicente 94 or Chateau Batailley 1995. Both should be pretty good right now and they have been kept for a while. Maybe I should try both?

But for tonight I am opening a Petit Chablis.

Jørn

[Robin Garr]

Bob, one of my greater "wine business" pleasures is the enjoyable duty of tasting each month's selections from the California Wine Club's "Connoisseurs' Series," which features two or three high-end, limited-edition wines every month, usually chosen by Charlie Olken of the Connoisseurs' Guide magazine. If I like them, I write them up in an addendum to the <I>Wine Advisor</I>, and I usually do like them because Charlie has an excellent palate and, frankly, is more aligned with my tastes than RMP when it comes to California wines.

So, I've had two Napa goodies waiting, and will likely open them tonight or tomorrow with a good grass-fed steak or roast beef: <b>Paoletti Estate Winery 2002 Non-Plus Ultra Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon</b>, which is actually a Cab-dominant blend with Cab Franc and Malbec; and <b>XTANT Wines 2002 Napa Valley Red</b>, which could be labeled Cabernet Sauvignon (81%) but adds Merlot (10%) and Malbec (8%).

Although I have a strong preference for European wines in general, this monthly exposure to well-chosen, high-quality California beauties definitely keeps me rooted in the New World as well as the Old. I'm looking forward to it.

[Robin Garr]

Welcome, Jørn! Glad to see a new face pop up here!

Welcome, Jørn! Glad to see a new face pop up here!

Yeah, another European!! Welcome to the forum, we await TNs of course!!

Friend has flown in some truffles from France for a special dinner based around them tomorrow night.

Others are serving their wines blind, but I think it should be a special lineup. I'm taking a 1998 Ornellaia which I'm hoping won't be too young ...

Thank you Bob and Robin.

I am actually returning as I used to frequent this forum a few years back.
Over this time I of course subscribed to the 20 second Wine Advisor.

Either way it is good to be back.

30 second that is.

[Robin Garr]

30 second that is.

I assumed you were a fast reader!

Not sure here. There is talk with some friends about visiting Tuco's Wine Bar in Davis, CA this weekend, so that would mean either opening a bottle I already picked up there, or buying one of his lower priced wines. He has great food in a tiny bistro setting, and he is really "into" wine. One of my favorite places. If we go, I might open a bottle of 2002 Altamura Cab I picked up there a year and a half ago. A delicious Napa cab indeed.

I'm also thinking about hitting another favorite wine shop's Friday night tasting. for $10, you get to meet and greet with four Napa winemakers and an importer. It looks like pretty nice QPR wines tonight. http://www.backroomwines.com/events/index.php

Its gonna rain all weekend here in Buenos Aires.... so this has gotten me into the mood for "old" wines. I will take a Felipe Rutini in the 80s vintage, and a Lopez in the 70s.... lets see what happens...

True to one of my 2007 resolutions, I have inventoried my wine cellar and finished entering all wines into CellerTracker.com. Using that application, I have a list of those wines that I need to drink up, most of them white wines, as one might expect. One of them is an older CA chard, Toasted Head, I believe, second label to RH Philips. Since it is a 1.5 L bollte, I think I will make some cheese fondue with it and drink rest before and after cooking. Liz and I love that classic fondue and since is has become cold (11F this AM) it will be a good use of an older (too old?) white wine.

Tonight with friends we will be opening ESJ '04 Rousanne and his '01 Wylie Fenaughty Syrah. If it is again as I expect hopefully Steve still has some left. Tomorrow night is our wine group and it is 3 cabs vs e bordeaux. I am brining the '90 Gruaud which should stand up well. Sunday is just a nice wine to drink with coq a vin. Now that I think about it, this weekend will be a good wine weekend, at least by my standards.
Walt

Friday Pizza and Saturday's Mexican dish both scream for beer. However, with the Sunday roast chicken I'll most likely pop a 2005 Edmunds St. John Shell and Bone (Voignier/Roussanne Blend)
Bill

Tonight with friends we will be opening ESJ '04 Rousanne and his '01 Wylie Fenaughty Syrah.

I don't know if you have had the 2001 Wylie previously, but I do suggest you decant for 2 or 3 hours at a minimum. Nice choice BTW.

Tonight is bridge night and they are not winos so it will be vin ordinaire tonight (Loosel Dr. L, Laboire Roi Pouille Fuisse, Argyle Pinot). Tomorrow with son and his girlfriend, lamb, and perhaps a 99 Pegau and/or 2000 LaRoque Cupa Numismae. Just anxious to see for myself how they are coming along, based on recent Cellar Tracker notes.

Tonight is bridge night and they are not winos so it will be vin ordinaire tonight (Loosel Dr. L, Laboire Roi Pouille Fuisse, Argyle Pinot). Tomorrow with son and his girlfriend, lamb, and perhaps a 99 Pegau and/or 2000 LaRoque Cupa Numismae. Just anxious to see for myself how they are coming along, based on recent Cellar Tracker notes.

OW,
I've been looking at my small stash of 2000 La Roque Cupa Nimismae, but have held off thinking they still might be a tad young. I could be wrong about that, so if you open one, please post a note.
Thanks,
Bill

Will do, Bill. It has been two years since I tried a bottle, and it seemed to be "close" then. And Robin brought a 1990 to MoCOOL last year and it was well past prime. So I am hopeful. Only two left.

I don't know yet. Zari and I have tentative plans to head for Healdsburg tomorrow. It's about an hour's or so drive up the road. Maybe breakfast at the Costeaux French Bakery and then perhaps a late lunch at Willi's Seafood and Raw bar. As to wine, there's a ton of places to go in Healdsburg. It'll be the luck of the draw. I'm open to suggestion.

Ooooohhhhh Costeaux Bakery. Their Napoleons are amazing!

My plans have changed. A group of us are meeting for supper tonight at Tuco Wine Bar on G Street in Davis. I might bring a bottle that I had bought there in the past (I'm thinking Altamura Cab or maybe the Hartwell Merlot), but we may all simply end up buying his tasting flights, which are often intriguing.

Planned:
Cheap NV Prosecco
Marcarini Boschi di Berri Dolcetto 04
Nervi Gattinara 79
Fontanafredda Barolo 56
La Spinetta Biancospino Moscato D'Asti 01
Cocchi Barolo Chinato NV

but with the following sitting on the subs bench
Cantina del Pino Barbaresco 98
Giordano Barbaresco 78
Marcarini Barolo Brunate 93

Should be interesting

regards

Ian

Planned:
Nervi Gattinara 79

I'd be curious to know how this ages.

Have opened and am preparing to drink an '06 Kim Crawford SB. Haven't tasted an '06 yet, so I'm looking forward to it.

Planned:
Cheap NV Prosecco
Marcarini Boschi di Berri Dolcetto 04
Nervi Gattinara 79
Fontanafredda Barolo 56
La Spinetta Biancospino Moscato D'Asti 01
Cocchi Barolo Chinato NV

but with the following sitting on the subs bench
Cantina del Pino Barbaresco 98
Giordano Barbaresco 78
Marcarini Barolo Brunate 93

Should be interesting

regards

Ian

All before lunch I presume!!