2008 Charles Shaw Shiraz

Yes, two buck chuck. Not just any two buck chuck, it's a 2008! You may be asking why would anyone waste cellar space for mass produce barely drinkable swill. Well, let me tell you, it's more of a thought experiment on whether any bottle can age. Though, to be honest, I had space to burn and why the hell not!

Now, let me tell you, on the initial nose, you pick up signs of an aged wine, faded supple funk. Which is in itself rather surprising given that this bottle was very over the top fruit bomb with its clear label stating it's made in the style of Australian fruit forward wines. There's still berry, dark but there's blood too.

A lot of what's picked up on the nose continues into the palate. It's actually pretty nice, kind of like a hyperactive child whose matured reaching into their mid to late twenties. On the first sip out of the bottle, there was a ferocious fire after burn in the mid palate but it's not present anytime in the next couple of sips.

In the glass, it was pretty inky, dark ruby red getting softer to the top.

Overall a very nice experience.

I'd give it a 84. I've had shiraz that was way over the top to the point where I'd reject it and this was one of them, to be honest.

Definitely will look forward to opening the next in years to come. Got three more I think.

2009 Bordeaux Tasted

So, while strolling through a wine tasting for a local wine shop that is my stomping grounds, there was quite the surprise! The surprise being an initial release from the lesser known cru's in bordeaux of the 2009 vintage.

Having tasted it, I was rather surprised at how fruit forward it is with very little to no old world action one would come to expect from a bordeaux. This is very much in congruence with what many of the barrel sampling have mentioned in their tw*ts and blogs. It was nicely balanced and drinking well as of this moment with very little to no harsh tannins to get in the way.

That being said, the age worthiness of this may not be present and probably should be drank within the next 5 years at most. This is all fine for me with the current switch over in the philosophy of wine to drink and not to hide.

Even being as young as I, life is too short to hold on to wine and no one should die with a loaded cellar as that would truly be a great tragedy.

Yet another step towards finding the place of my palate...

Like most people, I'm finding that there is a very soft sweet spot for sweet wines such as ports, dessert wines, and lately, Muscat.

This has been found upon going to a sparkling wine tasting which isn't really that great of an idea when one is sick with the flu in such a warm season! Stuffy nose and coughing didn't enhance the experience by any mean but was determined to enjoy the experience. Anyhow, the point of the story was that most of the sparkling wines, two whites and a rose, really didn't find itself appealing to me till I had reached a 2008 Italian Muscat that was drinking very well for such a young age.

Having gone with a partner of mine to this wine tasting event, we had thoroughly enjoyed the Muscat and really wanted to find that bottle at where they said it would be sold. Fast forward to the weekend and completing another round of 10 wines tasted, we had went to another wine merchant that was said to have the bottle we found very palatable and didn't find it. We, however, found the same varietal that was very delicious in its own rights though not the same flavor profile as the previous Muscat we had. At 9.99 and a 2009 to boot, it was drinking very well and was outstanding considering the price range and youth of the bottle.

I'll have to remember to post the picture of the bottle.

Final self update: Still sick.

No new posts...

Having been sick has really put the usual wine tasting route on a halt. Though, I was able to enjoy a mix drink tasting that was quite an experience that should be tried when looking for that one mixed drink. That being said, it's been found that rye whiskey based drinks have found a place on my palate getting me at smashed whiskey, delicious.

I'll hopefully resume my rounds this weekend after having gotten finally to the tail end of this odd snap of a sickness at the beginning of summer!

Riesling for the ages!

At first glance, an Austrian Riesling produced by a top maker from the 2000 vintage should just finally reach it's strides peaking now. One would also think that such a bottle bought right now would cost more than a very pretty penny having that it was maintained in very good provenance as the box it came in would suggest.

After having said that, it was all a misconception. The bottle was on clearance due largely in part of the hurting economy for the low, low price of 9.99. Having decanted the wine for... well, over a week, it has been maintaining its strides well until tipping just a day over. Within the duration however, the bottle has been tasted showing little, if any, noticeable changes as the color of the wine has been developing a deeper gold while growing more viscus.

Upon reaching a week in, it hit what I would say is the ultimate peak of complete and utterly deliciousness. The depth of the flavor, the richness of the bouquet, the thickness coating the palate, and the finish struck a wonderful chord. Needless to say, I was blown away by this bottle and looking towards buying one more to replace the one I had opened with my sister.

The price in which the distributer had marked it was at 46 dollars and, clearly, the age-ability and quality gives honor to the price range it rests its laurels on. Where many wines fall apart reaching the week in the decanter, this one has just begun!

CellarTracker: 2000 Prager Riesling Smaragd Hollerin

Will buy one to do a formal report.

Informal Evaluation: Emphatic BUY! [90+]

Note: Though informal, first 90, I think.

Pierre Peters Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut Millésimé - 2003

With a soft golden glow, it sports very fine bubbles lifting to reach the top bringing with it a very standard chardonnay profile that quickly evolved into something more. Notes of aroma amongst the family had mentioned nuttiness, almond, hints of oak, walnut, and bread dough gradually rising.

The taste had grown profoundly past from the first thirty minutes from a closed off state originally turned me off as it displayed the standard still closed off chardonnay profile to something more appetizing. What was once bread dough from mid palate to finish had shown a profile that was delicious to a level that is quite difficult to describe as the experience was what I recall at this moment. The finish had continued most elegantly through and through to truly make it worthy of every penny and more.

It is to say the least that my family had enjoyed this as much as I did and perhaps more. To those bottles remaining in the collection, stay well!

Evaluation: Buy for those occasions [89+]

Cellar Tracker: http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=554687

Not all chard's are made equally - Extended

As we continue down the path to self discovery of the wine palate level, it is becoming more apparent that my palate for chardonnay has gained a bias favoring French. This time around the step that has led down this direction was 2003 Pierre Peters Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut Millésimé, which has been thus far the most expensive bottle I have opened. Though, the reason for opening this bottle was a collision of several events making for a wonderous occasion worthy of such. However, I digress.

In having drank this bottle, the path of wine is not all about tasting, the flavor profile had an initial standard chardonnay profile which has put me off but the evolution in which it had undertaken following is what truly shine through. It has shown that even though it was a 2003, it has still a long line and progression left to it to which will offer an experience that is greater than the value of the bottle. To this, I look forward.

Informal tasting notes... COMING SOON!