WTN: When you want to steal your own wine

[Jenise]

2007 Robert Biale Syrah Kiger Family Vineyard Sonoma County
Acquired two bottles about two years ago. Opened the first about six months ago, and it was unpleasantly sappy and porty. We gagged over the first glass and didn't finish the bottle. Took my remaining bottle to a party last night where there would be unfussy people who actually like sappy, porty wines.

Well, guess what, it was nothing like the first bottle. It was elegant and nicely evolved with that extra depth of age, rich but not at all porty, and best of all it had the burnt rubber notes of a good Cote Rotie. I wanted to grab the bottle and run home with it--but of course, couldn't. They loved it, I loved it. OFS.

[David M. Bueker]

I don’t post many notes on Biale wines, as they are so inconsistent that I am not sure that notes are even relevant.

Always funny/frustrating to open bottles around non-wine people, when they don't want to hear/deal with our faffing about over whether the wine has enough air/trying gauge whether it will show as last time, etc. Have been on both sides of this equation where the wine showed better/worse than recently remembered.

Can be quite anxiety-producing for us, whereas they just want to pour and drink!

[Jenise]

I don’t post many notes on Biale wines, as they are so inconsistent that I am not sure that notes are even relevant.

That would certainly apply to the two of this that I owned!

[Jenise]

Can be quite anxiety-producing for us, whereas they just want to pour and drink!

So true. The host of this particular party is a zinfandel fan who moved here from the Sacramento area and has seemed to have a good handle on California brands of same, so I thought he'd appreciate the Biale even though it was syrah. WRONG--never heard of it. I do try not to pour wines that are over their heads, at the same time I like to bring wines that I'm proud of and provide relief from the "I bought this yesterday at Costco" crowd who are in fact most of the people in this group of friends. I love each and every one of them--they are all outstanding human beings, but their wine choices usually aren't above average.