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RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/9/2008 11:41:49 AM   
Blue Shorts

 

Posts: 2774
Joined: 2/5/2008
From: Santa Cruz
Status: offline 		Here's a great review:





N.V. Echo Falls Winery Merlot (USA, California) 





What vile juice hath satan spat forth here? What sputum erupts from his belly? This is anti-wine. Non-wine.

Echo Falls - marketed in the UK to chav women obsessed with getting smashed and stumbling down an English city centre street near you screaming and shouting obscenities at 2am. Marketed to make the proles think they are sophisticated because they are drinking "wine" when in fact they are a glugging down manufactured product - the liquid equivalent of a Big Mac or a Mars Bar.

They no doubt try and market this wine as lovingly made to high quality standards by oompah-lumpahs in a Willy-Wonka-like vinyard covered with love and care and delicately poured one bottle at a time out of the vats and hand delivered by rustic farmers to a supermarket near you. Instead it is probably churned out from a Chernobyl-style uber-factory at 60,000 bottles per hour, resembling more a manufactured combination of man-made materials, NASA-created chemicals, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, more sugar and some alcohol.

And why did I drink this? Because my poor old mum bought me a bottle and insisted on having a glass together and I couldn't say no. I grimaced, drank up and thought of fluffy bunnies to make the pain go away. I feel dirty and ashamed

(in reply to Paul S)
Post #: 121
RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/9/2008 11:49:48 AM   
J2K

 

Posts: 4041
Joined: 5/5/2008
From: Pittsburgh, PA
Status: offline 		Blue Shorts, you're a little late. ; )


BTW, here is another good review-

N.V. Echo Falls Winery Merlot (USA, California) 



What vile juice hath satan spat forth here? What sputum erupts from his belly? This is anti-wine. Non-wine.

Echo Falls - marketed in the UK to chav women obsessed with getting smashed and stumbling down an English city centre street near you screaming and shouting obscenities at 2am. Marketed to make the proles think they are sophisticated because they are drinking "wine" when in fact they are a glugging down manufactured product - the liquid equivalent of a Big Mac or a Mars Bar.

They no doubt try and market this wine as lovingly made to high quality standards by oompah-lumpahs in a Willy-Wonka-like vinyard covered with love and care and delicately poured one bottle at a time out of the vats and hand delivered by rustic farmers to a supermarket near you. Instead it is probably churned out from a Chernobyl-style uber-factory at 60,000 bottles per hour, resembling more a manufactured combination of man-made materials, NASA-created chemicals, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, more sugar and some alcohol.

And why did I drink this? Because my poor old mum bought me a bottle and insisted on having a glass together and I couldn't say no. I grimaced, drank up and thought of fluffy bunnies to make the pain go away. I feel dirty and ashamed

< Message edited by J2K -- 7/9/2008 12:17:49 PM >

(in reply to Blue Shorts)
Post #: 122
RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/9/2008 12:12:04 PM   
Colonel Lawrence

 

Posts: 7118
Joined: 4/24/2006
From: Arabia
Status: offline 		What our (TESCO) wine expert said...
"Grapes selected from northern and southern Central Valley were lightly pressed followed by a short cold maceration and controlled temperature fermentation for 8 to 10 days on the grape skins to extract flavour and fruit potential. No oaking. The finished wine was run off from the skins which were lightly pressed and the first pressings blended back in to the wine for body and flavour. Fresh and smooth with lively crushed berry fruit aromas and flavours of ripe plums and berries."

yes it's about  Echo Falls Winery Merlot , isn't wine fun
 

avoid this bottle?

(in reply to Blue Shorts)
Post #: 123
RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/9/2008 12:24:04 PM   
Blue Shorts

 

Posts: 2774
Joined: 2/5/2008
From: Santa Cruz
Status: offline 		Oh heck.  I should have checked first.

(in reply to J2K)
Post #: 124
RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/9/2008 1:14:21 PM   
pjaines

 

Posts: 10664
Joined: 5/26/2008
From: London
Status: offline 		Chaps,

Glad I was able to spread a little love from such a bad experience.  But as Bill Hicks said, you gotta call it as you see it.  As for purposely tasting bad wines for your amusement I would be honoured, although a little hesitant - it would be a bit like slamming my nuts in a door for cheap laughs. 

Where I am working at the moment (a dump called Swindon 2 hours west of London) it is filled with ubiquitious "wine bars" at which Echo Falls would count as the high water mark of their range.  Therefore I fear that I may have no choice than be exposed to more branded wine dross.  Of course, I could always not drink but we all know that is not an option.


(in reply to Blue Shorts)
Post #: 125
RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/9/2008 3:34:23 PM   
RoundersRob

 

Posts: 1426
Joined: 7/1/2006
From: Santa Cruz, CA
Status: offline 		The company I work for has an office in Swindon.  They don't seem to like it much either.

(in reply to pjaines)
Post #: 126
RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/9/2008 5:15:00 PM   
Serge Birbrair

 

Posts: 4057
Joined: 4/23/2006
From: Boca Raton, Florida
Status: offline
2006 Kutch Pinot Noir Russian River Valley (USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley)  


Tasted by Tim Corliss on 7/5/2008 & rated 93 points: This wine has many of the characteristics which make Pinot Noir such a wonderful grape. The nose was intoxicating..after just smelling it for several minutes I had to break myself out of a trance to taste it. Deep penetrating aromas of lavender, flowers and sweet, refined black cherry. The flavors are a mix of red and black fruits, with black tea and a slight orange streak. Superbly balanced with the amply acidty and smooth, seamless tannins. Delicate with grace and an underlying power that will reveal itself in time. A unique style and one that I think showcases Pinot Noir from the new world. I almost want to give this a barrel score range of 92-94 since I think this has a long life of improvement ahead of it.


Tim,
I think I saw  what you were doing in the trance. Where I came from it's called "jerking off". If anybody has any objections to "jerk off" descriptor of the note, you have to pardon me, I am still in the trance from 14.4% alcohol in this penetrating my ... bottle of "Pinot Noir wonderful grape."

< Message edited by Serge Birbrair -- 7/9/2008 5:18:00 PM >

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Post #: 127
RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/9/2008 7:27:09 PM   
Wrighty

 

Posts: 1970
Joined: 10/3/2005
From: Hong Kong
Status: offline 		Pjaines - Our head office is in Swindon and for years the highlight was the Pizza Express!

Try the tapas bar in old town, Los Catos.  It's run by my boss's brother and is pretty good, from memory not a huge wine list but selected with care and they've great jamon.

There are also quite a few places north of Swindon which serve good food and decent wine but you'll need a car to get out to them.  And then there's also the Harrow and Little Bedwyn, bit of a journey but if you're looking for a wine restaurant try it out.

Wrighty

(in reply to Serge Birbrair)
Post #: 128
RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/9/2008 7:40:10 PM   
Paul S

 

Posts: 3023
Joined: 1/15/2008
From: Singapore
Status: offline 		TN on 2006 Friday Momkey Cab Sauv (quite a name that)

"clear, medium intensity, ruby core fading into pale pink rim and watery white miniscus
clean, medium intensity, rich jammy blackberry fruit, violet, a touch of mint, slight black peppercorn
palate: dry, acid is medium, tannin is medium, body is medium +, alc is 14%, length is medium and finish is of rich ripe jammy black fruit and tin
flavor intensity: mediium +, flavors include black currant, blackberries, slight vanilla, slight pepper, blackberry jam,

A dense, jammy, fruit-forward South Eastern Australian Cabernet seemingly designed to bridge the gap between fruit juice and wine.
Lots of ripe concentrated fruit yet no complexity or elegance. "
 
 
A very medium wine indeed.

(in reply to Wrighty)
Post #: 129
RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/9/2008 8:36:08 PM   
J2K

 

Posts: 4041
Joined: 5/5/2008
From: Pittsburgh, PA
Status: offline 		Here is a description I have not heard before. I have this wine in my cellar, intrigued to drink it now.





2004 Quinta da Cortezia Touriga Nacional Vinho Regional Estremadura (Portugal, Estremadura, Vinho Regional Estremadura)  


Tasted by kallardnyc on 7/9/2008 & rated 89 points: Very nice black fruit on the nose with tons of Johnson's Baby Powder. Almost smells like a baby's scented rubber toy. Great mouth feel, very viscous and coating. Plenty of plums, sweet on fore, sour on mid and finish. After about an hour of opening the chocolate showed up. The heat is well contained even at 14.5 ABV. I can not believe that this wine is aged 10 months in new oak. Not a hint of wood in my mouth. Drink now, it is more then ready. 89 on pop and pour. 90 after about an hour (30 views)

(in reply to Paul S)
Post #: 130
RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/9/2008 8:41:54 PM   
Paul S

 

Posts: 3023
Joined: 1/15/2008
From: Singapore
Status: offline 		Baby toy - sounds yummy.

(in reply to J2K)
Post #: 131
RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/9/2008 10:45:49 PM   
Wrighty

 

Posts: 1970
Joined: 10/3/2005
From: Hong Kong
Status: offline 		Being in the baby toy business there's nothing I've seen made which I'd want to drink.  Think there was a trend to add vanilla fragrance to rubber/PVC toys to hide the chemical smell a years ago, which would tie in with a taste in wine (apart from the disguised chemical background smell!)

Wrighty

(in reply to Paul S)
Post #: 132
RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/9/2008 10:54:56 PM   
Serge Birbrair

 

Posts: 4057
Joined: 4/23/2006
From: Boca Raton, Florida
Status: offline 		It could have been worse.....it could have been SEX toy
:)

_____________________________

tsk....

(in reply to Wrighty)
Post #: 133
RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/10/2008 12:29:16 AM   
pjaines

 

Posts: 10664
Joined: 5/26/2008
From: London
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Wrighty

Pjaines - Our head office is in Swindon and for years the highlight was the Pizza Express!

Try the tapas bar in old town, Los Catos.  It's run by my boss's brother and is pretty good, from memory not a huge wine list but selected with care and they've great jamon.

There are also quite a few places north of Swindon which serve good food and decent wine but you'll need a car to get out to them.  And then there's also the Harrow and Little Bedwyn, bit of a journey but if you're looking for a wine restaurant try it out.

Wrighty



Found that place and very good it is too.  Some good wine on a short wine list.  Otherwise the town itself seems to be manned by chain-pubs selling 2-for-1 offers on cheap food and cheap plonk.  Still, if I ever feel the need to swig a 2 litre bottle of strong cider sitting at the side of the street I wont be lost for company around here.

(in reply to Wrighty)
Post #: 134
RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/10/2008 3:18:48 AM   
Colonel Lawrence

 

Posts: 7118
Joined: 4/24/2006
From: Arabia
Status: offline 		It says Slough, but think Swindon.

Slough
Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough!
It isn't fit for humans now,
There isn't grass to graze a cow.
Swarm over, Death!

Come, bombs and blow to smithereens
Those air -conditioned, bright canteens,
Tinned fruit, tinned meat, tinned milk, tinned beans,
Tinned minds, tinned breath.
Mess up the mess they call a town-
A house for ninety-seven down
And once a week a half a crown
For twenty years.
And get that man with double chin
Who'll always cheat and always win,
Who washes his repulsive skin
In women's tears:
And smash his desk of polished oak
And smash his hands so used to stroke
And stop his boring dirty joke
And make him yell.
But spare the bald young clerks who add
The profits of the stinking cad;
It's not their fault that they are mad,
They've tasted Hell.
It's not their fault they do not know
The birdsong from the radio,
It's not their fault they often go
To Maidenhead
And talk of sport and makes of cars
In various bogus-Tudor bars
And daren't look up and see the stars
But belch instead.
In labour-saving homes, with care
Their wives frizz out peroxide hair
And dry it in synthetic air
And paint their nails.
Come, friendly bombs and fall on Slough
To get it ready for the plough.
The cabbages are coming now;
The earth exhales.

(in reply to RoundersRob)
Post #: 135
RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/10/2008 3:26:30 AM   
pjaines

 

Posts: 10664
Joined: 5/26/2008
From: London
Status: offline 		Aaaah.  Indeed.  Such poetry to discuss the towns of the Thames Valley.  It is the reason my wine consumption is going through the roof - either spend 4 hours a day commuting back to South London or sit in a dodgy hotel glugging down Echo Falls Merlot.  I may try some Ernst & Gallo tonight in a kind of self-flaggelation of the taste buds.

_____________________________

My new DJ stuff....

(in reply to Colonel Lawrence)
Post #: 136
RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/10/2008 3:40:20 AM   
Colonel Lawrence

 

Posts: 7118
Joined: 4/24/2006
From: Arabia
Status: offline 		Can we help -
http://www.yell.com/ucs/UcsSearchAction.do?keywords=Bars+%26+Wine+Bars&location=Thames+Valley&searchType=relatedlocation&cam=intToolbar

How come you're not down for a CT gathering nr London Sept 5/6th?
Or are you in Seattle?
L.

_____________________________

First they came for ....................

(in reply to pjaines)
Post #: 137
RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/10/2008 3:46:02 AM   
pjaines

 

Posts: 10664
Joined: 5/26/2008
From: London
Status: offline 		I've only just started really posting on the forum - never too sure what is going on in London and I've just been sounding out the board to get a feeling for what is going on hence why I've not signed up for the CT London thing.  But I'd definately be interested in it now, although only if Echo Falls is included.  Is there a post with the details?  For my (considerable) sins I live in Lewisham, saaaaarf of the river.

_____________________________

My new DJ stuff....

(in reply to Colonel Lawrence)
Post #: 138
RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/10/2008 4:24:58 AM   
Colonel Lawrence

 

Posts: 7118
Joined: 4/24/2006
From: Arabia
Status: offline 		Paul,
Here's the link -
http://www.cellartracker.com/forum/m_21064/mpage_1/key_/tm.htm
and the Poll @
http://www.cellartracker.com/forum/CT_weekend_satellite_in_London%3F/m_23288/tm.htm
Do sign in to both, that at least get's them to the top of the list.
I'm in Dubai and Wrighty (also Paul) is in Hong Kong, but in August there's the virtual tasting -
http://www.cellartracker.com/forum/Virtual_Community_Tasting_Event_--_August_16-18/m_24267/tm.htm
which we will both be back in the UK for.
I have a place between Swindon and Lewisham (nearish Heathrow) which we're discussing as a possible place to meet.
Got to find the wines as well.
The Sept. event is more in the air but grander, but require some more warm bodies.
I'm in town, and there's a few others talking about making it, but few certain.
You could be the voter that tips the balance.
See what you think.
L.

_____________________________

First they came for ....................

(in reply to pjaines)
Post #: 139
RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/10/2008 5:00:20 AM   
Colonel Lawrence

 

Posts: 7118
Joined: 4/24/2006
From: Arabia
Status: offline 		Not sure but it seems he drank at least 8 bottles?
1980, 1983, 1987 (2), 1988 (2), 1995, 2000
A little tired and emotional ........................?
 
 
Tasted by noppakit s. on 4/18/2008 & rated 94 points: What can I say ? The very warm welcome and great full course lunch at the Chateau and a New Year Greeting sent to me from the manager.

How can I refuse ? I used to love Palmer very much. At lunch, 2 bottle each of 1987 and 1988, that's lovely but the 1995 in the evening is too strong for me.

So I have to say that I don't like Palmer in top vintage. Maybe it's very good in next 25 years because the 1983 is still harmful to me.

The 1980 is a bit too old but nice.

.............................................The 2000..............................................

Great structure and powerful...that's it.

_____________________________

First they came for ....................

(in reply to Colonel Lawrence)
Post #: 140
RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/10/2008 6:40:08 AM   
Paul S

 

Posts: 3023
Joined: 1/15/2008
From: Singapore
Status: offline 		Like I said before, Mr Nopakit S drinks more good wine than the rest of us combined

(in reply to Colonel Lawrence)
Post #: 141
RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/10/2008 7:26:49 AM   
Wrighty

 

Posts: 1970
Joined: 10/3/2005
From: Hong Kong
Status: offline 		Paul - Not sure where you're staying.  The Swindon hotels are as bad as the town and not cheap.  Have been travelling back for 10 years now so tried most.  Would recommend http://www.jesmondsofhighworth.com/ we get a corporate rate of GBP100 or 80, another option was http://www.jollytar.co.uk/about.htm but the landlords changed hands quiet a bit and the quality of food varied but good price.

We now have another head office in Watford - suppose it could have been worse and been in Slough!  If you want anymore local knowledge drop me an e-mail.  After 10 years have worked out a few alternatives to the curb and 2 litres of cider - just!

Wrighty

(in reply to pjaines)
Post #: 142
RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/17/2008 9:53:24 AM   
jhannah27

 

Posts: 3169
Joined: 6/9/2008
From: Indianapolis, IN (via Orange County, CA)
Status: offline 		Here's a double whammy I had to share.  Serge, I love that you called this guy out in your tasting note! 

2007 Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc(South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch)

Tasted by dfitzg2 on 12/25/2006 & rated XX points: General feeling that this is an outstanding wine,with the best that SB has to offer.

Tasted by Serge on 7/16/2008: This wine gets A+ for the label design and C for everything else. Not my best Savignion Blanc, no sirrie Bob.
hey, dfitzg2 dude how the heck did you manage tasting this wine in 2006????
Tell me the secret and I'll paypal you $200.


_____________________________

-- Jeremy


(in reply to Wrighty)
Post #: 143
RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/17/2008 10:16:12 AM   
Serge Birbrair

 

Posts: 4057
Joined: 4/23/2006
From: Boca Raton, Florida
Status: offline 		J, Brits say he used Time warp machine
;)
http://www.wine-pages.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=016507

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tsk....

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Post #: 144
RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/17/2008 10:29:07 AM   
jhannah27

 

Posts: 3169
Joined: 6/9/2008
From: Indianapolis, IN (via Orange County, CA)
Status: offline 		I guess it could have been December of 07 right?  When does the Southern Hemisphere usually release their whites?  October/November?

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(in reply to Serge Birbrair)
Post #: 145
RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/17/2008 10:34:20 AM   
Serge Birbrair

 

Posts: 4057
Joined: 4/23/2006
From: Boca Raton, Florida
Status: offline 		No, it could NOT. No way possible.

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tsk....

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Post #: 146
RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/22/2008 2:54:23 AM   
Maestro

 

Posts: 913
Joined: 10/4/2007
From: Italy
Status: offline 		I love the opening sentences of this one, espcially how they "establish the context" for what he writes after that...


2005 Auteur Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard (USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley) 3/24/2007 97pts

Yeah, baby!! Pooped cork and sat for an hour. Huge cherry nose gives you a hint of what is to come. Yes, this baby (and I mean baby) is full of ripe red fruit, including bing cherry and strawberry, but it also has the stuffings to age. There is a bit of sweet tannin and a good amount of acid. While the fruit is big, it is not overextracted, and it is also a good food wine, though I would stick to heavier dishes. So wonderful now, but I will the rest sit a bit to see how much more complex it will get. (1622 views)

(in reply to Serge Birbrair)
Post #: 147
RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/22/2008 3:50:13 AM   
Serge Birbrair

 

Posts: 4057
Joined: 4/23/2006
From: Boca Raton, Florida
Status: offline 		I'd like to see how he managed doing it with the cork
:)

_____________________________

tsk....

(in reply to Maestro)
Post #: 148
RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/22/2008 7:11:52 AM   
Paul S

 

Posts: 3023
Joined: 1/15/2008
From: Singapore
Status: offline 		Pooping cork sounds painful. No wonder he sat for an hour.

(in reply to Serge Birbrair)
Post #: 149
RE: Tasting Notes To Note - 7/22/2008 7:13:42 AM   
Serge Birbrair

 

Posts: 4057
Joined: 4/23/2006
From: Boca Raton, Florida
Status: offline 		He'd be much better off with the screw caps.

_____________________________

tsk....

(in reply to Paul S)
Post #: 150
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