Wine

[Palouse]

And it's a secret.

Yes.

 

[nuclearjock]

The ratio of the various grapes in the blend changes each year and therefore the character.

Hence the name Conundrum.

 

[Mitchell]

Good friends of ours drink the white Conundrum regularly and profess that it is their favorite every day white wine. I was never impressed, but I typically do not drink whites. I did try the red Conundrum once and was unimpressed.

 

[bpdougd]

I haven't had that wine in at least ten years, maybe 20. The few times I drank it the blend was primarily based on Sauvignon Blanc. I have no idea about now.

Coincidentally, I bought four bottles of the 2018 vintage from WTSO.com this morning. That's partly because it was at a good price about 17% cheaper by volume than at Total Wine. I bought it mostly because it is in 1-liter bottles, which I've never had and because I would like to photograph them. I'll have them soon and will make a point of drinking it right away to let you know what I think.

You've always been a giver.

 

[West]

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[Pa]

Anyone here familiar with these grapes?

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[Palouse]

Common Northern Rhone varieties, rich with pear-spice complexity. Rich in color, great with rich foods.

 

[Pa]

Common Northern Rhone varieties, rich with pear-spice complexity. Rich in color, great with rich foods.

Thanks, Nick. I'm not familiar with Rhone white wines. Will this be anything like Chardonnay?

 

[Palouse]

Thanks, Nick. I'm not familiar with Rhone white wines. Will this be anything like Chardonnay?

Can be bigger, richer, more complex. Occasionally fatter. Goes well with rich shellfish, charcuterie.

 

[Mike Buckley]

I'm not surprised that the two grapes are blended with each other, as I've never seen a wine made entirely from either grape. Google Wine Folly Marsanne and Wine Folly Roussanne. Nick introduced me to Wine Folly quite awhile ago and I find their information about grapes to be very helpful.

 

[Mitchell]

Nice new everyday Cabernet.

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The 2016 vintage of this wine was recommended to me by a friend. I messaged the winery to check if the wine was vegan (my vegan wife). The owner of the winery called me up shortly regarding my question! A nice fellow who was genuinely interested in my concerns. When I explained that many wines are fined with egg whites or gelatin, he was surprised and asked if he could call his winemaker and get back to me. 10 minutes later, he was happy to report that his wines were vegan. No animal products used in production. He was happy to learn something new. My case arrived today. Fun interaction with a receptive and interested owner.

 

[Mike Buckley]

he was surprised and asked if he could call his winemaker and get back to me.

It's nice that he felt comfortable acknowledging that he didn't immediately know the answer to your question and was happy to find the accurate answer. That's the benchmark of an ideal company representative in my mind.

 

[Mitchell]

It's nice that he felt comfortable acknowledging that he didn't immediately know the answer to your question and was happy to find the accurate answer. That's the benchmark of an ideal company representative in my mind.

Agreed. I rather enjoyed the interaction.

 

[Mike Buckley]

I never thought I'd see a red wine rated 91 points by James Suckling selling for $10, so when I saw it today I couldn't resist buying it. It's a Rioja.

 

[Pa]

I never thought I'd see a red wine rated 91 points by James Suckling selling for $10, so when I saw it today I couldn't resist buying it. It's a Rioja.

I was considering that too. But we've gotten tired of having to schedule one of us to be home all day to sign for those packages.

 

[Mike Buckley]

I was considering that too. But we've gotten tired of having to schedule one of us to be home all day to sign for those packages.

UPS and FedEx are not requiring a signature during these times of COVID. The wine is almost always delivered to our home hours before I discover that it had been dropped off.

 

[Pa]

UPS and FedEx are not requiring a signature during these times of COVID. The wine is almost always delivered to our home hours before I discover that it had been dropped off.

The last package we got was delivered with a door bell ring. My wife answered the door and the delivery person was there. She asked if she needed to sign, and was told, "No, I just needed to see that you are over 18. (or was it 21?)

 

[Mike Buckley]

I just needed to see that you are over 18".

That's understandable. I wouldn't deliver wine to anyone less than 18" tall either.

 

[Pa]

That's understandable. I wouldn't deliver wine to anyone less than 18" tall either.

 

[Mike Buckley]

Has anyone here tried the Conundrum White Blend by Caymus?

My wife loves it. But I've found recent blends...to be flabby.

My wife...liked the conundrum, I whined about the lack of clear character.

I'll...make a point of drinking it right away to let you know what I think.

My wife and I drank the 2018 white Conundrum tonight. That's the vintage that got the discussion started by Jim, though Nick didn't mention whether he and his wife had tried that particular vintage.

My first impression came from drinking it on its own. It was bright, lively and had a bit of character. My kind of white wine.

My second impression came from drinking it while enjoying egg rolls filled with ground pork, shrimp, crab and other goodies to complement those meats. The egg rolls were dipped in a refreshing sauce based primarily on red curry paste. The wine was even better when paired with that food.

I bought the wine in one-liter bottles at $15 each, which is equivalent to the price of $11.25 for a 750ml bottle. It's a great value at that price, but it would be unreasonable to expect it to be as good as a wine priced at twice that price.

My only disappointment: The shape, size and green color of the bottle when presented on the table makes it look more like a bottle of Pellegrino water than a bottle of wine. If you're wondering if I'm a wine snob, you betcha!