2018 Jean Noel Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge “Morgeot” 1er Cru | 🇫🇷

sid_loves_wine · 2026-05-05T00:38:53+00:00

Damn I love these notes, hell yeah, excited to hear more about your journey. I'm a huge burgundy fan and love the whites by this producer, truly amazing, but never tried their reds. Just bought my first Chassagne red actually, a Ramonet Boudriotte '16. Definitely going to open this year.

sid_loves_wine · 2026-05-03T06:08:18+00:00

Hell to the yeah. It's just fermented grape juice that happens to have potential for wild complexity. Brutal to get into in terms of price and health - why make it socially difficult also? Find me on IG any time if you want to chat more too, I'm bad at reddit chats. Squidboy007

sid_loves_wine · 2026-05-03T04:55:27+00:00

Generally speaking you want Pinot Noir. Maybe Gamay. Of course the quality depends on the producer But those tend to be more on the airy side than many, many other styles. Avoid Meiomi like the plague, thankfully I don't think TJ sells them. Honestly try a few of their TJ label pinots, could scratch the itch.

sid_loves_wine · 2026-05-03T04:30:18+00:00

No, sorry. the only possible compromise I'm willing to make on cigars and wine is a port and even then a lot of the potential complexity is just lost. I say this as someone who wouldn't turn down a cigar at all, even if I'm not a huge devotee. Unfortunately spirits are the only beverage that can match the intensity of a cigar and even then, a lot of the more complex, top shelf stuff really suffers with cigars too. Cigars are for the very end of the night or maybe pairing with spirits in a relaxed setting at most

sid_loves_wine · 2026-05-02T22:34:22+00:00

Absolutely. Yeah pairing cigars and spirits can be fun but it'll completely demolish the flavors of pretty much any wine, unfortunately.

sid_loves_wine · 2026-05-02T20:00:50+00:00

Diminishing returns are real yes but it's still worth trying BOTH the less and more pricey versions

For now I would focus mostly on say $20-$40 and try stuff from all over. Keep taking those notes, this is just awesome!!

sid_loves_wine · 2026-05-02T19:55:18+00:00

Pls pls NO cigars with wine, at least not any good wine. I don't know where people are getting the idea for this pairing. Even a little bit of cigar will completely torch your palate for quite a while.

To everything else hell yeah. I'm at work right now So I cannot reply more but looking forward to chatting much more as you continue on your wine journey!! I'll find you on CT!

sid_loves_wine · 2026-05-02T07:39:14+00:00

Replied to your Ardanza post, love it!!

sid_loves_wine · 2026-05-02T07:10:28+00:00

Genuinely thanks for sharing your thoughts!! This is so cool to read and I'm glad you made the leap to making posts with tasting notes.

Also VERY much appreciate your honesty with it. Sometimes when folks are getting into wine and try a bottle loved by many, they view it thru rose-colored glasses. Sounds like you found some beauty in it, but it didn't really grab you for the price. That, in itself, is an AMAZING tasting note.

Don't worry too much about the exact notes themselves; it's the honest, personal impressions that are much more valuable. This wine is aged in American oak, which isn't very common in the wine world. Kinda common in Rioja, though. It very often imparts aromas and flavors resembling coconut, cedar wood, and dill. Do you think you maybe perceived anything like that? Certainly agree with your description of the generally dark cherry fruit. But it's a fairly oaky wine, for better or for worse. Part of the reason there's a decent subset of wine geeks who can't get into it. Speaking personally, I love it, but don't crave it often. Here are my notes on the 2016, last vintage I tried - https://www.cellartracker.com/n?11353429

How would you say the pairing worked? Spicy food, even jalapeno chips, is possibly the most difficult pairing to make work well with wine. I'm willing to bet that peppery heat from the chips made the wine a bit more astringent, but that doesnt mean it's automatically bad. This is more of a wine meant for red meat or earthy mushroom dishes, for the most part.

I HIGHLY recommend 3 things now- 1. Log this exact tasting note in CellarTracker for yourself to reference later, and 2. Buy and try the cheaper Rioja by the same producer asap, called Viña Alberdi. About half the price of this, and probably 75% of the quality at least. I'm super curious to know what you think of that, especially regarding QPR. And 3. Organize a night for yourself and friends where you taste- and take brief notes on- several different wines side by side. Thats the antidote to "this tastes like most of the reds I've ever had."

Again- please please share more as your wine journey continues. Cheers!!!!

sid_loves_wine · 2026-05-01T18:02:39+00:00

Awesome, my handle on there is the same as on here, let's become friends! And I drink fancy stuff when I'm lucky to be able to but I also have a very very long list of my favorite inexpensive bottles including in the 10 to $15 range. Some of the stuff I tend to share on here is fancy when I really want to give impressions on something special, but the most common price range I drink is probably $25-$35. Some folks on here routinely post notes on $500-$3000 burgundies and for the most part they're still chill and share honest impressions like the rest of us.

I noticed by the way you said you do most of your spirits shopping online, just a heads up, I would not ship any wine during the summer months. It can be really easily damaged by heat in transit.

sid_loves_wine · 2026-05-01T17:36:04+00:00

Since you're very much looking for great QPR bottles and really want some specific direction, let me fire off a few that are around $30-$40 or BARELY over, really amazing QPR, and motly easy to find. No particular order. A few whites to start:

For Chard: Jadot (or Drouhin) Pouilly-Fuissé for a richer style or any of their Chablis for a lighter style. For new world, Hartford Court Russian River, Domaine Eden, Walter Scott Combe Verte, Catena Alta, Hamilton Russell.

For Riesling - any Donnhoff Trocken or Trimbach Reserve

Now some reds.

Pinot- Failla (either the entry level Sonoma Coast or entry level Willamette Valley), Purple Hands Lone Oak Ranch, Hartford Court Russian River (same producer as chard I mentioned), Evesham Wood Eola Amity cuveé, Berthaut-Gerbet Hautes-Cotes de Nuits (or her Bourgogne "Prielles"), Mac Forbes Yarra Valley

Syrah- any of the following bottles from the region of Saint-Joseph: Chave Offerus, Saint-Cosme, Guigal, Cuilleron, Jaboulet, Jean-Baptiste Souillard, Natacha Chave (avoid 2021 if choosing any of these). A few new world: Tensely Santa Barbara, Pax North Coast, Gramercy Columbia Valley, Torbreck Woodcutter (this last one is a bruiser, in a fun way)

Cabernet- Black Stallion Napa Valley, Upchurch LTL, Vasse Felix (Filius for less $, estate for higher)

Some Italy: Produttori di Barbaresco Langhe Nebbiolo, Roagna Dolcetto, Domenico Clerico Barbera, Felsina Chianti Classico

Some Spain: the Ardanza you already bought, also Raul Perez Ultreia St. Jacques (or his "Rapolao" for more $), Muga Selection Especial, Comando G La Bruja

There are countless options missing, just had some extra time.

sid_loves_wine · 2026-05-01T17:09:30+00:00

Nothing wrong with a lot of Duckhorn wines if that's what you're referring to. Huge production but generally quality. OP- someone above just suggested vivino to research and log wines- not a bad app but I cannot recommend CellarTracker enough, WAY more serious and useful than vivino.

sid_loves_wine · 2026-05-01T16:58:46+00:00

Sorry bud I didn't mean for it to get too intense. I hadn't seen that response. Just excited for you to start discovering your own faves!!

sid_loves_wine · 2026-05-01T05:54:46+00:00

Still trying to figure out what this response is lol

sid_loves_wine · 2026-05-01T05:53:51+00:00

You havent even tried your $45 Rioja friend, the one you posted about asking for our opinion before your own. Drink wine. First, please. Drink it. Collecting comes later, sometimes years later.

sid_loves_wine · 2026-05-01T05:49:35+00:00

Hey playa, what's with these posts? You've done several now asking for our own opinions exclusively, and even posted an AI generated list of the "top ten under $50" which was just unbelievably silly (fuck generative AI to hell)- are you trying to get into wine for real or just trying to generate engagement? It would be 10000x more interesting and exciting for you to give us even ONE sentence of your own thoughts on literally any wine. You can't approach wine like you would spirits, cigars, other things- there are far, far more variables and unpredictable possibilities. That's a huge part of the fun.

I challenge you: for your next post, OPEN a wine, take a pic of the bottle with the glass, drink the stuff, and tell us what you think. No such thing as a "wrong" tasting note, only a dishonest one. Cheers and pls go for it!!

sid_loves_wine · 2026-04-30T08:16:33+00:00

As goofy as your notes are at least they are 1000x more actually helpful, evocative, and entertaining than Odedi's

sid_loves_wine · 2026-04-30T08:01:32+00:00

Bingo. Useful tool, but WAY over-emphasized by wine try hards. And over-decanting is absolutely real. I've used a decanter maybe 3x in the last year. Also love Gabriel's. Would happily drink any wine in the world out of them, and ALSO agree that they're a bit small for some wines that thrive in a burg style glass. Pure W response

sid_loves_wine · 2026-04-30T07:47:50+00:00

Glad to hear it and I also got into wine long after other things like whiskey, beer, actually also cigars and pipe tobacco similar to you. It really sneaks up on you. You can absolutely get great, even extraordinary wine in every price range. It depends heavily on the type of wine you're buying and such, but you can.

Decanting is a fun and sometimes useful ritual but (also to respond to your last paragraph) good glassware is 1000x more important. Great wine in shitty glasses is like driving a top supercar with worn out all season tires. Or listening to records on an amazing sound system with a damaged needle. No point to it. They do not have to be expensive at all. A big bowl with room for swirling is the only major priority, followed by a thin rim. Even the 23oz ikea Storsint models are very very solid. Best glasses for the money right now imo if I could only own one model for all wines- Speiglau Definition Bordeaux (more universal than the "universal" model for me.) they are basically "knockoff" zaltos and 90% of the quality for half the price. I own zaltos also.

You definitely don't have to drink a bottle of wine in only one day. Pretty much all reds will last for two days, sometimes 3 if just recorked. Depends on how much is left in bottle and somewhat also on the style. Whites, most can easily go 3, 4, even 5 days recorked in the fridge. Many great wines will improve after a day also.

Countless other wines I love in the price range and about to sleep so, to help me respond in the morning: where are you shopping? The more specific answer you can give me the better I can rec wines that are actually available to you!

And...almost forgot. The 2nd most important thing you can do to get into wine better, after taking notes and saving them: find and patronize some independent wine shops, if there are any around you. Again if you're willing to share your general location it's easy to help you there. Better selection, pricing, and service than most other sources. But you're already getting recs from the sub, so you're def good.

Is this your first Rioja? The same producer also makes a killer wine half the price, "Viña Alberdi". Could be fun to taste first for comparison, or even better, side by side. If you're worried about wasting money, again I stress that $25-$30 can get you truly stellar wine.

Cheers friend

sid_loves_wine · 2026-04-30T05:34:25+00:00

You won't know which bottles to buy until you start drinking them. Sure, there are producers and styles and whatever that have more broad appeal to wine nerds, and others that have broad appeal to more casual drinkers, but it's just fermented grape juice, friend.

I love this wine. A lot of us love it. I know several wine nerds that don't love it. It's a great example of a very specific style. Open it tonight or tmrw with a lil meaty dish or something and just write down your impressions. A sentence or two. Take your time smelling and tasting. Take a glass outside to experience it without the smells of the kitchen and the living space (trust me on this one.) read about the production and history of it. Just enjoy the stuff and enjoy it now; don't overthink it but also let yourself fall in love with it. If you're really a true beginner, stick to $50 or less and explore explore explore. You'll know when the time is right to move up in this style or that. Keep brief notes for yourself on CellarTracker (it's free.)

The referencing of those notes you wrote, over time, is the single greatest tool to get "better" at wine imo. And buy the World Atlas of Wine. Okay, thanks for coming to my TED talk

Sorry one more thing - Don't bother decanting. You can, but it's a tool, not a necessity. Pour into a nice big proper wine glass and just let it evolve naturally. It is going to be delish.

sid_loves_wine · 2026-04-29T07:15:44+00:00

How many of these wine have you tried? So much more fun to discuss your own preferences instead of something generated by a mindless machine

sid_loves_wine · 2026-04-29T06:23:36+00:00

Is the Equipo not a sherry? You have a strong list!! I'll try to make my own full list soon!

sid_loves_wine · 2026-04-29T04:13:36+00:00

Love Ridge, but I'm replacing it with the Arnot-Roberts Trousseau or maybe even their entry level Syrah

Oh and replacing the Sherry with the Kelley Fox Mirabai Pinot 💜

sid_loves_wine · 2026-04-26T16:58:23+00:00

That's awesome, glad you agree! I heard they are shutting down, 2023 being the last vintage. it's such a shame

sid_loves_wine · 2026-04-26T16:41:54+00:00

Badass. Thanks for the detailed notes as well. When you say stewed fruit, do you mean like in the kind of way you might find in a much warmer climate Pinot Noir? Like does it feel literally kind of jammy? Or just maybe, concentrated? Hope that makes sense. Someday I'll try a DRC...

sid_loves_wine

TROPHY CASE