Wine and Beer Enthusiasts

[0388631]

Four finger pour of JWB. Simple, to the point. Spanish cava with dinner tonight. Beautiful afternoon today leading to dusk. Slightly warm, sweet smelling air. Enjoying fruit from the garden and nuts with tea and coffee. And me momentarily blinding myself with some grapefruit spraying aromatic oils and juicy into my eyes. Apart from the grunt inducing pain, it was a beautiful day.

The days are beginning to lengthen and the nights shortening.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

A Cru Bourgeois from Bordeaux.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

A Cru Bourgeois from Bordeaux.

Actually, the bottle in question is a Grand Vin de Bordeaux Chateau Chemin Royal 2013 Moulis-En -Médoc - Cru Bourgeois.

 

[mobilehaathi]

Letting a St. Emilion breathe a bit for later tonight...

 

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Letting a St. Emilion breathe a bit for later tonight...

Once can only applaud your taste, young man.

Do enjoy.

Today, in my wine merchant's, I eyed bottles with undisguised greed.

St-Emilion did catch my eye, but I succumbed to an Amarone instead (I had forgotten just how good this is); a Riesling and a few bottles of Chablis Cru Bourgeois along with two other bottles (details later) completed my purchase.

 

[mobilehaathi]

Once can only applaud your taste, young man.

Do enjoy.

Today, in my wine merchant's, I eyed bottles with undisguised greed.

St-Emilion did catch my eye, but I succumbed to an Amarone instead (I had forgotten just how good this is); a Riesling and a few bottles of Chablis Cru Bourgeois along with two other bottles (details later) completed my purchase.

Well if I’m honest there’s also a Châteauneuf-du-pape sitting here begging to be greeted....

 

[0388631]

Clos Henri Sauvignon Blanc. Poured a before returning it to properly chill. Delicious. Proper acidity, crispness, and a heavenly aroma reminding me of a spring floral and fruit flush.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Off to a private wine tasting this evening; don't know yet what I shall bring, and do not know what others will offer.

 

[arkitect]

Off to a private wine tasting this evening; don't know yet what I shall bring, and do not know what others will offer.

Enjoy!

Many years ago I fell in with a crowd of people who lived to drink (wine, that is).

A couple times we did "blind tastings".

Each person would bring a bottle — disguised by wrapping the lower half and stripping any identification on top… we'd all take notes and then compare with a big reveal.

Very interesting how often people were just plain wrong — and also how some people were incredibly spot on.

But only to be done with people you can have a polite disagreement with. Some people do take it a bit too seriously!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Enjoy!

Many years ago I fell in with a crowd of people who lived to drink (wine, that is).

A couple times we did "blind tastings".

Each person would bring a bottle — disguised by wrapping the lower half and stripping any identification on top… we'd all take notes and then compare with a big reveal.

Very interesting how often people were just plain wrong — and also how some people were incredibly spot on.

But only to be done with people you can have a polite disagreement with. Some people do take it a bit too seriously!

The host is an old academic friend - and I expect a few others to show up; the instruction was to bring "something interesting"; I tend to translate "interesting" to mean "something seriously good", not an experimental horror (which I have had at such private functions in the past - there was a ghastly offering from the Basque country which I devoutly hope never to meet again).

I tend to meet these people at one tastings and we have occasional private functions where wine and cheese are consumed in generous quantities.

And, once a year, I deliver a guest lecture (not on wine) to their students.

 

[mobilehaathi]

A glass of Saumur (a tasty white made from Chenin Blanc), as the red Bourgogne (Côtes de Nuits) and the Amarone take some deep breaths.

 

[0388631]

not an experimental horror (which I have had at such private functions in the past - there was a ghastly offering from the Basque country which I devoutly hope never to meet again

My graduate program... someone who was foreign took this as that, but in earnest they thought people would enjoy it. I can't recall where they were from or what it was I consumed, provided it was made for human consumption, but it tasted faintly of slivovitz, tar from asphalt, lemony wax and some other flavors I don't wish to remember.

I think most of us made due by drinking copious amounts of alcohol that was good or sparkling water. I had stopped being religious long prior to that event but I'd be lying if I said I didn't pull aside a friend that night in the program and ask she pray with me that we didn't die.


Edit: Even the worst moonshine I had overseas was tastier and less harsh.

 

[mobilehaathi]

A demi bottle of premier cru classé sauterns (Château Coutet) has made an appearance this evening.

 

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A demi bottle of premier cru classé sauterns (Château Coutet) has made an appearance this evening.

Excellent.

I produced an excellent wine (from the south of France - a blend of Grenache and Syrah); alas, most of the other offerings fell far short of the quality of mine.

But, it was an enjoyable night.

 

[0388631]

Excellent.

I produced an excellent wine (from the south of France - a blend of Grenache and Syrah); alas, most of the other offerings fell far short of the quality of mine.

But, it was an enjoyable night.

Soft and stone-fruit without that jammy aftertaste?

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Well if I’m honest there’s also a Châteauneuf-du-pape sitting here begging to be greeted....

Oooooh.

Do let us know how you get on, when you do manage to greet one another.

Soft and stone-fruit without that jammy aftertaste?

Very soft, and elegant and eminently palatable.

And yes, as it happens, it didn't have that jammy aftertaste.

 

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I have just opened a bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, in order to allow it to breathe for several hours.

 

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Sipping a glass or three of sublime Châteauneuf-du-Pape - Domaine Giuliani 2010 (100% Grenache), liquid nectar. Smooth, luscious, sublime.

 

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Sipping a glass or three of sublime Châteauneuf-du-Pape - Domaine Giuliani 2010 (100% Grenache), liquid nectar. Smooth, luscious, sublime.

Finishing off this sublime nectar.

 

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A stunning dessert wine from Antonutti called Lindul.

 

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Have opened a bottle of wine from Australia to sip and savour this evening.

The bottle is called "Claire" and it is by O'Leary Walker winemakers 2004 "Claire Reserve Shiraz Clare Valley".

It is currently breathing away happily to itself.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Have opened a bottle of wine from Australia to sip and savour this evening.

The bottle is called "Claire" and it is by O'Leary Walker winemakers 2004 "Claire Reserve Shiraz Clare Valley".

It is currently breathing away happily to itself.

A rich, robust and highly regarded wine, - which I enjoyed - but I still prefer the Old World wines (apart from some reserves from Chile, which can be excellent).

 

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A small crate of six wine bottle was delivered from my wine merchant, while a larger crate of Founder's CBS was also delivered by the place where I buy my beer.

 

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Sipped a most agreeable German Riesling this evening.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

A glass of Amarone followed by several glasses of good German Riesling with dinner.