Wine
- Thread starter nuclearjock
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Mike, I'm cautiously optimistic. I will report back after the tasting.
Fun! I've hosted several blind wine tastings with three other couples. It's always a fun evening. I typically do Napa cabernet from a specific vintage. Usually I will throw in one high end wine as a ringer to see how the guests rate it among the commoners. My last tasting was a vertical tasting of 6 different vintages from Chateau Montelena. That was a lot of fun with everyone choosing their favorite year.
Makes more sense.
Drinking a wine past it's prime tonight. Sad when an old bottle disappoints, but just another example of why I don't like to buy Italian reds. My wife is on a mission to drink some of our older bottles and clean out the cellar. This has brought some pleasant surprises (1995 Joseph Phelps Insignia) along with some duds like tonight's 1997 Castello di Verduno Barolo. Cork was dry and required some work. Decanted and let sit for an hour. No fruit on the nose and bit of brown showing on the color. Initial taste harkens back to it's former complexity and fullness, but it vanishes in a flash with almost no finish. I bought two of these and drank the first one 10 years ago. I remember it being quite tight and young. I opted to leave it to mature, but I obviously should have drank the second bottle about 5 years ago.
I would never decant such an old wine, especially when the cork was dry. As for the brown showing on the Barolo's color, that's classic of a Barolo of all ages.
Thanks for the invite
On the other hand, Phelps '95 might have been the last of the Insignia I tried— my son had a bottle, and 2 years ago that he treated us to, with some perfectly grilled lamb chops.
I love mixing in high/low end wines for the opinionated folks in our group. One of the most embarrassing tastings was when we took 3 magnums, decanted them into .750s and presented them as 6 different wines. Several folks had a very wide range in their scores of wine from the same bottle.
But, wine was made for drinking and enjoying, and blind tastings sure do get in the way. After all, taste is a matter of taste.
I agree with Mike on decanting—but a short-finishing Barolo is sinfully wrong!
Thanks for the invite
On the other hand, Phelps '95 might have been the last of the Insignia I tried— my son had a bottle, and 2 years ago that he treated us to, with some perfectly grilled lamb chops.
I love mixing in high/low end wines for the opinionated folks in our group. One of the most embarrassing tastings was when we took 3 magnums, decanted them into .750s and presented them as 6 different wines. Several folks had a very wide range in their scores of wine from the same bottle.
But, wine was made for drinking and enjoying, and blind tastings sure do get in the way. After all, taste is a matter of taste.
I agree with Mike on decanting—but a short-finishing Barolo is sinfully wrong!
Devious trick with the magnums. I will have to remember that one. Should make for some pretty good conversation!
Some friends of mine were in the wine distribution business a long time ago and like to tell the story about when they had an expert wine guy do a blind tasting that included a detailed explanation of all the aromas and tastes of the various wines. His favorite wine by far was a cheap wine that had been stored with the closure removed in the refrigerator for days.
I read an article years ago claiming that most people wouldn't know whether the wine is red or white if they drink it blindfolded. My wife and I tried it and never got the wine wrong.
I read an article years ago claiming that most people wouldn't know whether the wine is red or white if they drink it blindfolded. My wife and I tried it and never got the wine wrong.
The white wine is the cold one!
Wine crisis in my house over the past week. My vegan wife has discovered that many wines use animal products in the wine making process. Quite frankly, I was surprised at the number of wineries that use egg whites, gelatin or other animal products to help filter the wines and soften tannins.
We found a great web site where you can search if your wine is vegan. http://www.barnivore.com/ Some very interesting responses there from many wineries. We've even received personal replies to our queries from Flora Springs (vegan), BV (egg whites used) and Opus One (egg whites for fining and sometimes use gelatin to soften harsh tannins). Long Meadow Ranch (one of our favorites) uses egg whites from their own organic free range chickens.
We found a great web site where you can search if your wine is vegan. http://www.barnivore.com/ Some very interesting responses there from many wineries. We've even received personal replies to our queries from Flora Springs (vegan), BV (egg whites used) and Opus One (egg whites for fining and sometimes use gelatin to soften harsh tannins). Long Meadow Ranch (one of our favorites) uses egg whites from their own organic free range chickens.
I leave the sediment in the bottle without decanting it. Well, I remember to leave it in the bottle about half the time. The other half: YUCK!!!!!!!!
Why? You like drinking sediment?
I'm with you, Rick. I like to gently decant these old wines to get rid of the sediment. I try not to be too vigorous with the aeration which can destroy some of these wines that are just past their prime.
Yep, and the remainder I pour through a non bleached coffee filter. It does clarify the remaining wine but I can definitely taste the filter, probably the paper sizing. But waste not want not. ?
?
Yep, and the remainder I pour through a non bleached coffee filter. It does clarify the remaining wine but I can definitely taste the filter, probably the paper sizing. But waste not want not. ?
I've got an aerating funnel with a very fine screen if I feel like getting those last drops of wine. Works pretty well.
I should get one. Thanks for the reminder.
If/when I do decant it is not to aerate wine but to remove sediment. I check the bottle (which would have been standing up for a couple of days) to see if and how much sediment it has. I have a gold plated coffee filter (never used for coffee) and a funnel, or I simple pour off the wine slowly while holding the bottle over a bright light. The filter comes in handy if and when I've studied the bottom of a fair number of bottles
Interesting wine tasting with over 30 people attending! Best wine for me was the white. An interesting grape I've never had from Italy called Falanghina. Sat out on my hot lanai with the rain pouring down and drinking this crisp white wine with apple and peach notes. Refreshing!
The Rose and the red were average. 2015 Bordeaux Chateau Carignan was OK. Heavy on the Merlot without much complexity.
Still an interesting and entertaining event.
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The Rose and the red were average. 2015 Bordeaux Chateau Carignan was OK. Heavy on the Merlot without much complexity.
Still an interesting and entertaining event.
Falanghina is an excellent wine for a hot summer afternoon.
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