WTN: Four 'eh' wines

[Jenise]

2010 La Celestiere Châteauneuf-du-Pape Tradition Grenache Blend
Almost black in color. Dark fruits, roasted meats, baba ganoush and wet red clay. Very dry finish. Tastes more of syrah than grenache though it is supposedly more of the latter. Didn't hate it, but it's not what I hope for from CdP.

2015 Pomum Cellars Red Wine Yakima Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
Initially grapey with some vinegarry volatile notes. After about an hour, though, things knitted together and it became a decent glass of wine. Made of 47% Cab with all four other usual suspects. Not a candidate for long cellaring.

2014 Fritz Winery Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley
Barely medium bodied, claret style, soft flavors and textures. Quite pleasant, but I don't know that if served this blind I recognize it as zinfandel.

2016 Upchurch Sauvignon Blanc Southwest Facing Boushey Vineyard Yakima Valley
First bottle since last August, and was quite disappointed. I remember and expected subtlety, but it just plain lacked substance. Tasted inexpensive (and it's not), dilute.

[David M. Bueker]

I’ve had nights like that. Usually after the third “eh” wine, I make a cocktail instead.

Usually after the third “eh” wine, I make a cocktail instead.

So you'll open 3 bottles in a row looking for something good?

I'm usually hesitant to open even a second bottle, in case the first one comes around with air and then I have too much wine open. And then by the time I'm more comfortable making a declaration on the bottle it's often middle/end of dinner anyway!

But, sometimes I do get inspired to open that second bottle. Life is too short and all...

And, yes, if the wine becomes boring I'll definitely switch to spirits.

[David M. Bueker]

I have too much wine.

I have too much wine.

Yes, I figured that was part of the equation!

Is 'eh' the same as 'meh'?

[Jenise]

Is 'eh' the same as 'meh'?

It is. Often preceded with 'just'. Considering my proximity to British Columbia (I'm about five miles from the border) where 'eh' is used differently, I should probably always include the 'just'.

[Jenise]

My roll continued last night. An '05 Osyoos Larose (BC grown, Bordeaux owned) tasted more of spent coffee grounds than grapes, and an 02 Karl Lawrence that should have been good (I purchased it from the winery and have stored it well since) had a cork that crumbled into more tiny pieces than we've ever seen a cork do and the contents were damaged.

We finally elected to drink no wine with our meal and repaired to the patio to watch the sun set afterward with a very good bottle of '14 Varner chardonnay, that had a surprising amount of White Burgundian minerality and petrol notes.