WineBurrowingWombat

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• sfwinelover1 says:

  5/31/2023 11:17:00 AM - Hi WBW: Good seeing you, and enjoying reading your TNs. It was the ‘08, the flagship (not the Palengat or Galitzine).

• Cristal2000 says:

  12/9/2022 11:10:00 AM - Hey WBW: I am as yet undecided on it. I am trying to cut back on some wine, and Andremily is a bit on the sweet side for my palate these days. The Syrah is generally available for about list retail, so I don't think you'd be missing out on much by not being on the list. The Mourvèdre is a bit pricier, but it's not like these wines are doubling or anything. I guess it depends on how much you like them. I am not sure if there is a true waitlist or not at this point.

• OG-Wino says:

  5/8/2022 10:02:00 AM - Just read your notes about the Christopher Tynan tasting. Any hints on how to get in touch to request a tasting? I tried the obvious addresses but just crickets so far... Thanks in advance!

• bsumoba says:

  2/15/2022 10:59:00 AM - send me an email at bsumoba @ gmail dot com if you are interested in Eisele. I can refer you to Ellen.

• bsumoba says:

  11/22/2021 3:17:00 PM - I got two wine fridge's that have both humidity and temp control. about 500 bottles

• I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine says:

  11/22/2021 12:38:00 PM - Hey there WBW! What are you doing the evening of December 4th? Email me at jmponfil at gmail dot com Jason

• ozziewine says:

  11/13/2021 8:22:00 AM - Funny you should ask. This summer my Wife suggested we buy a small wine fridg to hold our summer whites. To which I said, heck yeah! So we got a simple Wine Enthusiast 36 bottle fridg at Costco for $250. Ridiculously cheap, but it was better than storing our Summer White bottles in the house during the Phoenix summer. It's worked perfectly and freed up space in my main 205 bottle wine cabinet for longer term storage. During the winter I plan on using the WE fridg to hold wines I will drink soon. That said, if I gave in to my wine urges I could fill a 600 bottle cellar in the blink of an eye. At my age (a super young 69!) I'm not sure that I could drink what I put in there. My 205 storage plus the seasonal WE fridg is a natural regulator for my wine buying urges. It forces me to be more disciplined. If you ever make it to Phoenix I hope you'll look me up.

• MJP Hou TX says:

  6/27/2021 7:16:00 PM - Shae tipped me on Almacerro. She didn't let us down on MM Heritage so we shall see! Thanks for the comment. I've got my hands fun with these three kiddos.

• MJP Hou TX says:

  6/27/2021 6:19:00 PM - WBW, I've been told to sign up early! https://almacerro.com/ MJP

• I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine says:

  4/18/2021 11:59:00 AM - Just a suggestion...food for thought, so to speak....you could try purchasing some older wines (you can use wine searcher or go to some stores out there...I know Benchmark is in Napa, so you could save on shipping). I would suggest maybe trying a few aged wines you already know you like (such as Dunn and maybe a Bordeaux or two) just to see how they taste with some age. I get your preference for lots of fruit. I have friends who apparently have more sophisticated palates than I, because they go goo-goo for some older wines and I don't get it because, to me, the fruit is gone. I guess different strokes for different folks! I would suggest for Bordeaux a decent Producer from a vintage like 90, 95 or 96; or a top producer from an off vintage such as 1998 or 2004. IMO, anything more recent will not be ready. Also, 2000, 2003 and 2005 will be hit or miss on being ready. If you have money to burn, you could do a First Growth Bordeaux from 82, 90, 95 or 96....but this will cost you some big bucks. Even one bottle from any of the aforementioned vintages will let you see if these wines with age fit your palate. Good luck and let me know if you decide to try one!

• I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine says:

  4/18/2021 10:35:00 AM - First and foremost, I think you writing excellent notes. I have read through some of your notes, and have noticed you have tasted some excellent wines, but so many, so young. I was wondering if that is due to no patience, personal preference, or necessity, e.g., no space? Or perhaps that is just what your friends are opening? BTW, nothing wrong with drinking wines so young, but my experience is that for most wines, you pay a premium to be able to age them, and drinking in their infancy could be wasteful, i.e., could perhaps find a similar or better wine for less money. Just a thought. :)

• Mark1npt says:

  11/1/2020 11:05:00 AM - You're welcome, wombat!

• Mark1npt says:

  11/1/2020 9:56:00 AM - Wombat...depends on who you listen to.....some say best fruit ever (which I think was a probably a moderate over exaggeration to make up for the poor '17 crop), others saying 'it was interesting'. Which I don't know how to take. I suspect it was an average, ok vintage of fruit. Probably some very average and some maybe extraordinary. What I do know because I was out there when the first 4 day power outages happened....was hardy anybody had generators to process fruit or hold their fermentation tanks steady if the juice was already processed. Fruit hung longer in some cases which drove up brix which will drive up alc levels. Some fruit sat on the pad in crates for a few days before it got processed. What effect does that have? Some tanks probably had interrupted frementations. What effect does that have? Some people got generators after the fact, so maybe the next outages a few weeks later didn't hamper them as much but bottom line, I'm going to wait and taste and see what people put out because I don't know who did what.....

• Mark1npt says:

  5/13/2020 10:52:00 AM - Hey Wombat, good to hear from you.....doing fine here in FL....my office has been open throughout though I've only been working 3 days a week for a month now as there just aren't many patients with no elective surgery being done, though we did open our beaches and the operating rooms this week so here's hoping! If you liked the '16s you are sure to love the '18s. Hedonism, will probably be the buzzword for the '18s. Any winemaker who can't make a really good wine out of the '18 grapes, needs to quit. I've never made wine in my life but I could probably make an easy 90pts on my first try with this fruit. That is if you like rich plush upfront Cali fruit bombs! For those who like a classy refined long lasting wine, I think these will all age quite well, too as their acids and tannins really had a long hang time on the vine to develop. The longest hanging and best vine mature grapes in some say 30-40 years of Napa winemaking. You'll just have to wait a bit to drink them. The '16s were plush and drinkable right from their release, some of the '18s I've had so far seem almost too plush and might need 6-12 months of bottle aging for some of us. But they are very, very good. My credit card has me hurting. I just had to dip into my IRA this week to pay it down some. So I feel your pain, brotha!

• Mark1npt says:

  3/2/2020 8:16:00 AM - Wombat, I am fortunate to know a few Cali winemakers very well and they are quite honest with me in their feelings of the vintages, not just puffing me up for sales. I can really trust them, plus I know Napa well and follow the weather and the growing seasons so I take that into account as well. I don't trust much of what I read in the media, but I tend to trust Parker's WA and LPBrown along with Galloni from Vinous more than the rest when it comes to reviews. I find it to be a big win-win(for some BDXs) when Neil Martin from Vinous grades something out and scores it high along with either Galloni or LPBrown since he is such a tough grader in his own right. Hope this helps, Mark

• sfwinelover1 says:

  9/30/2019 4:16:00 PM - Yes to getting together sooner. Other than some nights here or there, I'm mostly open until 10/22, when I'm away for 5 days. I'm in touch with one person outside of CT who I met through CT. He left a message with his e-mail in a comment, then edited the comment to remove it. Not sure how to do that, but that sounds like a good solution. btw, I do have a lot of older stuff, including most of a case of that Beringer PR '10, if you're interested in trying older wines. Also, don't think that you're doing anything wrong. It's really all about personal preference.

• sfwinelover1 says:

  9/3/2019 1:48:00 PM - WBW: one last thought on the fridge. While it's certainly better to keep good wine in a wine fridge than not, since you live in SF, if you keep your wines out of sun and damp areas, they should be fine, IMO, subject to a) the wines being ok on purchase (parenthetically, since I'm a regular private party and auction purchaser, I've had some problems upon purchase for older wines I've bought), and b) you're not buying first growth Bordeaux or the like with the thought of aging them 30-50 years. There are good arguments both for drinking sooner and drinking later for many elite wines. For Bordeaux varietals--both those actually from Bordeaux and the Cals--and for Brunellos, Barolos and Super Tuscans, I'm more inclined to age, but I'm very interested in experimenting with drinking at least some wines sooner than I have in the past.

• vintage1949 says:

  8/27/2019 7:22:00 PM - I am saving your last post about tannins. Excellent explanation! Thanks for all the work you put into answering that question. Dave

• vintage1949 says:

  8/27/2019 11:01:00 AM - Ok this time I need your help. How do you determine tannins especially smooth tannins versus harsh tannins. Dave Just looked at my message board. Thanks for the wine recommendation. Sounds good.

• vintage1949 says:

  8/19/2019 7:55:00 PM - “it's going to be like having a juicy steak dangling on a pole in front of a hungry lion” perfectly put! Dave

• vintage1949 says:

  8/19/2019 12:10:00 PM - Drinking a young Chateau Mouton Rothschild (2018) in my humble opinion is very hard to appreciate. It is going to be all tannin with no secondary features present. It takes a professional to be able to tell what is on the nose or palate. Years ago I tried a young Mouton and all I could taste is-grin-something akin to cactus juice. That does not mean you could not get something out of it-but I sure could not. I am going to wait and see what Parker states is the drinking window and try it at the earliest possible date. Remember I am not a spring chicken so I cannot wait twenty years. I really hesitated to tell you the following regarding I am living the life but it would be unfair not to tell you. Two years ago I broke my back in seven different places-so I am living the life in a restricted fashion. I cannot stand more than one minute and when we go out to eat I cross my fingers that I can stand the pain sitting. However there are times when I feel good and things are great. Especially when sipping fine wine. Hopefully one of my Cayuse wines is fit to send to you after I try one of the two bottles of each vintage I have. It took me five years on their waiting list to start getting their wine and ten years to get their Bionic Frog. If the regular Cayuse wines don’t work will find something else to send you. Be patient-it may take a long time to figure out what is perfect. Last time I promised someone a bottle it took two years-it was on futures. Dave

• vintage1949 says:

  8/19/2019 8:37:00 AM - Greetings Again, I should explain my (now solved) wine cellar problem. In our first house the basement had a room with a basement window. Perfect-in went an air conditioner. Our second home used the basement space below the family room. No air conditioner-passive. Felt cool-thought it would be perfect. My wines were not turning out as expected. To my horror when I took a wine thermometer and put it in a glass of water and watched through summer and winter I had a 20 degree swing in temperature. Luckily there was another room smaller in size surrounded on three sides with cement block. The room stays cool in the summer so I am ok. It would be better if there was a window so I could put in an air conditioner to keep it at 55 during the summer but I guess you can’t have everything. As I am writing this I am in Northern Wisconsin at a cottage on a lake. Brought along a bottle of 2009 Domaine du Château de Chorey (Germain) Beaune 1er Cru Vignes Franches Vieilles Vignes and a bottle of Duetz champagne. Unfortunately the Burgundy during its early years of aging spent time in the cellar with the wide temperature fluctuation. Opening it today. Hope it is not spoiled. Sorry for such a long post. Cold outside the cottage so sitting by a fire with really nothing to do. Take care Dave

• vintage1949 says:

  8/19/2019 8:05:00 AM - Greetings, I just looked up 2016 Calon-Ségur. According to Parker the beginning of the drinking window is 2021. That would be a lot earlier than the 2018 vintage. (Better fit for you than 2018)Laughing-I am in a self imposed no buying period for five months. Bummer-but it will be worth it. Saving up to buy three bottles of 2018 Chateau Mouton Rothschild. So-grin-giving advice to other people what to buy and I am on the sidelines. In January will buy a couple bottles of the wine I just mentioned then saving up for June release of California Cabs. Down the road if my Cayuse Syrahs have survived my first wine cellar (unbeknownst to me years ago the first basement room I selected had a temperature fluctuation of 50 winter-70 in summer. Only found that out using a wine thermometer and a glass of water.) will send you a bottle on me. Dave

• vintage1949 says:

  8/16/2019 3:12:00 PM - I know this is tough but you may want to save up for a cellar first before buying Bordeaux. Dave

• vintage1949 says:

  8/15/2019 6:47:00 PM - If you live in San Fran you might want to skip Bordeaux and go Californian-especially if you have a small cellar. You will have to decide what to do. To be honest if yI lived in California and had limited space for wine I would not fool around with Bordeaux. Just my opinion. If you had space for over 200 bottles that might be different. Let me know what you decide. Just so you know I have a passive cellar in my basement so I could hold more than I could ever afford. (From Wisconsin) Dave

• vintage1949 says:

  8/15/2019 2:57:00 PM - Click on wine searcher. I use that all the time. Wait until fall for delivery. Remember the 2016 Bordeaux will have to rest in your cellar for at least seven years. Buy Bordeaux for the long haul and California cabs for shorter aging. What state are you in? Dave

• vintage1949 says:

  8/15/2019 10:04:00 AM - Look at Anakota Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota Vineyard especially 2015.

• vintage1949 says:

  8/14/2019 8:28:00 AM - This is vintage 1949 or Dave. We can visit back and forth using each other’s public message board. Just a thought. Dave

• csimm says:

  5/25/2019 9:40:00 AM - Being Bay Area locals, hopefully we'll run into each other one day and we can enjoy some fun juice! Cheers!

• csimm says:

  5/24/2019 3:56:00 PM - Hi Wombat... Just saw your message on my message board. Sorry for the delayed reply. I have a cellar that we built from scratch. We took half of what was a small one-car garage before renovations (the dogs got the other half for their play room lol) and insulated it up, built the racks, and put a commercial cooling unit in it. Capacity is around 2,000, but I've dialed-back the inventory quite a bit lately. I used to use the stand-alone wine fridges, but the little cooling units would always break. Anyway, having a cellar is a game-changer for sure...and a wallet-bender at times!!

• oldwines says:

  5/21/2019 6:26:00 AM - A few suggestions that might fit your "dream wine" description...that are not totally unaffordable...and available with some looking... 1982 Ch Gruaud Larose, 2004 Aldo Conterno Cicala, Romirasco or Grand Bussia Barolo, 1994 Dominus Napanook, 1984 Heitz Martha's Vineyard (or 1974 if you can possibly find it), 2013 Spottswoode Estate Cab, 1987 Caymus Special Selection, 1984 Dunn Howell Mountain, 2001 Gaja Sori San Lorenzo (short decant). Provenance is everything however!

• wineotim says:

  4/15/2019 9:50:00 AM - I have a 2013 Dunn Howell Mountain too, I see you have reviewed it already.