detlef Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 It's been a while since I shared my tasting notes and, frankly, there's been some good juice coming by lately. Nothing like a lagging economy to get the reps to start hitting the streets. Today I got a taste of the 2004 Rubicon. Pretty damned tasty. I wouldn't spend the $94 wholesale it would cost me but if I did, at least I'd be happy to know that it was amazing. Loaded with nuance and fleshy developed fruit. This is tasting great today but the rep did say that it took an hour or two to come around. The 2004 Cask Cabernet from the same producer was not as good a value at $57. Tasted no better than any number of highish end cabs that I taste on a daily basis. On the high end bargain alert, my rep is blowing out 2004 BV Tapestry and 2005 Chalk Hill Chard and about 1/2 what they usually go for. The Chalk Hill was slutty California Chard at it's best with just enough acid so you don't feel dirty about drinking it. If this has been a fav or yours and you typically spend more than $30 a bottle for it, I can likely get it to you for less than that after shipping. (Twiley, BTW the Bethel Heights is still flowing and my customers are dying over it. I promise you it's as tasty as Chard gets. Stylistically more up my alley than the Chalk Hill because I like a higher acid Chard but both are stellar). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twiley Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 (edited) What was the name of that Bethel Heights again? Didn't it have a particular vineyard or something? I forget. My wine budget has been limited lately due to outrageous shipping costs so I've been buying locally. Not actual MO wines because they're panther piss, but through a distributor friend. Edited October 1, 2008 by twiley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted October 1, 2008 Author Share Posted October 1, 2008 What was the name of that Bethel Heights again? Didn't it have a particular vineyard or something? I forget. My wine budget has been limited lately due to outrageous shipping costs so I've been buying locally. Not actual MO wines because they're panther piss, but through a distributor friend. It's the 2006 Estate. Not the unoaked one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutch Oven Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Not actual MO wines because they're panther piss, but through a distributor friend. Oh, come on. You know you love some of this ----> http://www.missouriwine.com/Wines.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twiley Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Oh, come on. You know you love some of this ----> http://www.missouriwine.com/Wines.asp When I first got out of college that was one of the wineries that I drank quite a bit of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seattle LawDawg Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 It's the 2006 Estate. Not the unoaked one. I wonder if this is a new release. When I was at the winery in May, they were still pouring and selling the 05 which I thought was odd at the time as most 06s and many 07s had already been released, but was told that they hold a few of their wines longer. I have almost no domestic white wine in my cellar. I do have the 05 Bethel Heights Estate Grown Chard in there though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted October 1, 2008 Author Share Posted October 1, 2008 I wonder if this is a new release. When I was at the winery in May, they were still pouring and selling the 05 which I thought was odd at the time as most 06s and many 07s had already been released, but was told that they hold a few of their wines longer. I have almost no domestic white wine in my cellar. I do have the 05 Bethel Heights Estate Grown Chard in there though. I was shown the wine in April and it was the '06. I just checked my by the glass list from May just to make sure we didn't flip vintages and I just forgot. It was '06 from the beginning. I'm not sure how long ago they switched from Wente to Dijon clones for their Chard but the rep assured me that it had a major and positive effect on their wine. The Wente clone being a CA variety never got ripe enough in Oregon. Meanwhile the Dijon one, being from Burgundy was more suited for the area. It's safe to say that your '05 is from the same stock and should actually hold up reasonably well as if it were a white Burg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seattle LawDawg Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 I was shown the wine in April and it was the '06. I just checked my by the glass list from May just to make sure we didn't flip vintages and I just forgot. It was '06 from the beginning. I'm not sure how long ago they switched from Wente to Dijon clones for their Chard but the rep assured me that it had a major and positive effect on their wine. The Wente clone being a CA variety never got ripe enough in Oregon. Meanwhile the Dijon one, being from Burgundy was more suited for the area. It's safe to say that your '05 is from the same stock and should actually hold up reasonably well as if it were a white Burg. Makes a lot of sense. It's possible that I'm losing my mind and had entered the wine with the wrong vintage into cellartracker too. I'll have to double-check the next time I'm in the cellar. We were doing so well making it through September without rain. Now we're looking at significant rainfall in the valley over the next 3 days followed by what looks to be some great weather following it. We just need a really big umbrella to make it through to Sunday. Our sweetness levels are getting there. Did some checks in the vineyards last night. Sweetness levels ranged from low 22s all the way up to 23.8 for some of the older vine Pinot....very little green in the stems, seeds are ripe, but the winemakers are looking for additional characteristics / complexity. I thought I might be taking Wednesday off to help get fruit in, but it looks like most of the growers are going to hold off and hope that the rainfall is not as much as forecasted (which is always a good chance in Oregon where weathermen couldn't tell you what the weather was like right now). Fruit is starting to come in for a few vineyards in WA. I think some Merlot is being harvested this week but Cab might not be for a few more weeks. They don't have the rain to worry about...just the cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted October 1, 2008 Author Share Posted October 1, 2008 Makes a lot of sense. It's possible that I'm losing my mind and had entered the wine with the wrong vintage into cellartracker too. I'll have to double-check the next time I'm in the cellar. We were doing so well making it through September without rain. Now we're looking at significant rainfall in the valley over the next 3 days followed by what looks to be some great weather following it. We just need a really big umbrella to make it through to Sunday. Our sweetness levels are getting there. Did some checks in the vineyards last night. Sweetness levels ranged from low 22s all the way up to 23.8 for some of the older vine Pinot....very little green in the stems, seeds are ripe, but the winemakers are looking for additional characteristics / complexity. I thought I might be taking Wednesday off to help get fruit in, but it looks like most of the growers are going to hold off and hope that the rainfall is not as much as forecasted (which is always a good chance in Oregon where weathermen couldn't tell you what the weather was like right now). Fruit is starting to come in for a few vineyards in WA. I think some Merlot is being harvested this week but Cab might not be for a few more weeks. They don't have the rain to worry about...just the cold. I'm sorry but I must have missed it. It sounds like you're involved with a specific winery? I mean, it's rather obvious that you know your way around the wines of the area, but I never knew that you were specifically involved with one in particular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seattle LawDawg Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 I'm sorry but I must have missed it. It sounds like you're involved with a specific winery? I mean, it's rather obvious that you know your way around the wines of the area, but I never knew that you were specifically involved with one in particular. I'm a free agent! Just help out some people I've gotten to know over the years when they're in crunch time. Usually people can find something mindless enough that even I can do it. I enjoy getting out of the office for a few days here and there and diving into the wine business. Can't think of a better way to learn about it. In the past couple weeks, I've been in the vineyards at Le Cadeau and Archery Summit. I'll be in the Emerson vineyards this evening doing some sampling, but I don't think their grapes are as close as some of the others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted October 1, 2008 Author Share Posted October 1, 2008 I'm a free agent! Just help out some people I've gotten to know over the years when they're in crunch time. Usually people can find something mindless enough that even I can do it. I enjoy getting out of the office for a few days here and there and diving into the wine business. Can't think of a better way to learn about it. In the past couple weeks, I've been in the vineyards at Le Cadeau and Archery Summit. I'll be in the Emerson vineyards this evening doing some sampling, but I don't think their grapes are as close as some of the others. Sounds fun. I used to help out a small winery in Santa Cruz for the hell of it as well. Every now and then in the tasting room and doing punch down. They laugh when people volunteer to do punch down. Guys like us get a kick out of it but it's really tiring and boring so the guys who actually get paid are more than happy to pawn it off. Of course, it was a good work out I suppose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutch Oven Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 When I first got out of college that was one of the wineries that I drank quite a bit of. We used to go to the winery in college, get a few bottles, sit by the river and get ripped. Good times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky11 Posted October 4, 2008 Share Posted October 4, 2008 Sounds fun. I used to help out a small winery in Santa Cruz for the hell of it as well. Every now and then in the tasting room and doing punch down. They laugh when people volunteer to do punch down. Guys like us get a kick out of it but it's really tiring and boring so the guys who actually get paid are more than happy to pawn it off. Of course, it was a good work out I suppose. i just got home from doing punchdowns this morning - 6 five-ton tanks and 25 T-bins of Pinot Noir and Zinfandel...it was a nice workout. our Chard should be in early next week, and the Syrah has an ETA of late October. we should be pressing fruit next week as well, and hopefully have everything in barrels by mid-November. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted October 6, 2008 Author Share Posted October 6, 2008 i just got home from doing punchdowns this morning - 6 five-ton tanks and 25 T-bins of Pinot Noir and Zinfandel...it was a nice workout. our Chard should be in early next week, and the Syrah has an ETA of late October. we should be pressing fruit next week as well, and hopefully have everything in barrels by mid-November. What winery? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky11 Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 What winery? August West and Roar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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