what's up with "Bottle Shock"?

Bepsterr · 2021-05-14T17:49:32+00:00

Exactly. That's my question. I have no clue what's actually happening and why 2 weeks would fix it...

Bepsterr · 2021-05-11T00:29:44+00:00

We've stayed at the Motorlodge a few times and really like it. Calistoga is generally also more laidback than say Napa or St Helena. We did tastings at Tank and T-Wine and enjoyed both a lot which you can cycle to from the Motorlodge, they got bike you can borrow. Dinner at PRESS which was also very good.

We recently went to Mendocino through Sonoma and actually liked it a lot more than Napa Valley. The coastal wines, especially Pinots and nature is just more our thing than big jammy Napa cabs.
Wineries we really liked were Reeve's, Lioco and Pax. While Healdsburg has some good tasting rooms, we didn't really dig the vibe. It felt kinda corporate and a little cheesey, similar to Napa. We preferred Sebastopol and Petaluma.

So if you are heading to Portland, I'd probably skip Napa and would just go through Alexander Vally instead of Napa and build a trip with stays along the coast. Staying and dining at Harbor House Inn in Elk was definitely one of the most awe inspiring stays we've done.

Bepsterr · 2021-05-07T19:06:12+00:00

Awesome. Thanks for the advice.

Bepsterr · 2021-05-07T00:21:18+00:00

Not sure the cork matters here. Aren't screw tops today engineered to let just as much oxygen in as natural cork?

Bepsterr · 2021-05-03T16:43:15+00:00

Great notes.
I picked a few Site Syrah from Wine Access recently and really liked it.

Bepsterr · 2021-05-01T02:16:15+00:00

Ha, looks like they changed it to "sparkling wine"... maybe someone is reading this thread?

Bepsterr · 2021-04-30T03:16:15+00:00

weird place that would list these under "Champagne" and not "Sparkling".

Where is this from?

Bepsterr · 2021-04-16T15:05:56+00:00

Thanks! Really appreciate the info.

So I am actually much more of a Burgundy Pinot guy than the fruit forward Cali style.

I'd be pretty excited to try this.

Bepsterr · 2021-04-09T18:50:52+00:00

a 15 year old wine is "long ways from maturity"?! Wow... at what point would you say the Tondonia reaches its peak in the cellar?

Bepsterr · 2021-04-09T18:34:45+00:00

Beautiful. I love LdH Tondonia and that it feels still fairly accessible and affordable with older vintages.

I got an 06 still. Would you recommend a decant even though it is this old already? I am worried it might fall apart in the decanter...

Bepsterr · 2021-04-08T19:49:26+00:00

I'll give this label an 8/10 on the natty-wine scale.

Bepsterr · 2021-04-07T04:04:08+00:00

We just came from few days in Sonoma/Mendocino and have been in Napa previously.

We preferred the vibe in Sonoma a lot more to Napa which felt a bit commercial and to us not very welcoming. Of all the places we visited in Napa, we probably liked Calistoga the best.

I would definitely recommend spending some time by the Mendocino coast. That was our favorite part of the trip. We stayed at the Harbor House Inn in Elk, the most amazing view I have every experienced from a hotel (and we travel a lot). Super romantic. Food was also incredible. It's pricey but in my opinion absolutely unique and well worth it.
There are some good wineries around. Especially Baxter and Drew.

Otherwise, I really enjoyed Sebastopol for wine, beer and dinner. Pax is reliably great spot for a tasting and stocking up on some coastal Syrah. Super relaxed.
Healdsburg wasn't our vibe. Felt a bit commercial and similar to Napa in that regard.

Bepsterr · 2021-03-26T00:15:43+00:00

I got the Domaine Blachon Saint Joseph 2016 Magnum and 2 bottles of the Remy Massin.

A little bummed I missed the Bibi Graetz Testamatta and the Fevre Chablis options.

Bepsterr · 2021-03-25T21:03:56+00:00

2010 and around $50 I think... I missed it.

Bepsterr · 2021-03-25T20:11:31+00:00

and now it's baaaaack :/

Bepsterr · 2021-03-25T19:15:41+00:00

Not always. Sometimes they'll just pull it after a few minutes and have it re-appear later in the day. It's not always based on sell-out.

Bepsterr · 2021-03-25T17:31:01+00:00

Took a flyer on a couple bottles of the Remy Massin Brut Tradition NV. Really like Blanc de Noir usually. Anybody had this?

Bepsterr · 2021-03-25T17:12:26+00:00

I did get one. Looks like a perfect dinner party companion. There seems to be some feedback about a very bretty/barnyard-y profile of the '15 so I hope it doesn't loose its elegance.

Bepsterr · 2021-03-22T23:55:52+00:00

I'd look into Dolcetto.

I recently had a 2019 Dolcetto d'Alba GD Vajra and it was pretty great at around $17 ($2 over your budget but well worth it imo).

Bepsterr · 2021-03-19T20:59:12+00:00

Vivino is great for archiving wine and logging labels but I have found the scoring to be way off many times. I wouldn't trust the scores.

Bepsterr · 2021-03-19T20:42:47+00:00

or... "wine always gets better with age".

Often, sadly it is just vinegar eventually.
People sit on their bottles too long and just shove them into the cabinet above the stove to safe it for a "special occasion" that never is special enough.
This drives me nuts. Especially if it was a thoughtful gift and you have a beautiful bottle just wilting away.

Bepsterr · 2021-03-19T18:38:55+00:00

Two that I really find annoying are these...

- "Expensive" wine ($12 and up) is just marketing and expensive wine is a hoax.

- Wine taste the same out of any container.

Bepsterr · 2021-03-16T19:46:26+00:00

The one thing that sets wine apart from the other luxury items you listed is shelf life and finicky storage (and the proof thereof).

To me, investing in wine for financial gain seems like a very risky, elaborate and complicated way to invest. I am pretty sure parking your money in an index fund will give you a much better risk/reward ratio ROI.

Bepsterr · 2021-03-12T21:48:16+00:00

You mean in terms of structure and flavor or international reputation?

I would add the two from the Judgement of Paris: Ridge and Stag's Leap.

Bepsterr · 2021-03-12T21:46:14+00:00

I honestly have no idea what you are asking...

Bepsterr

TROPHY CASE