Welcome back Gary! First of all, here is my website:
http://www.djmedo.de
If you are interested in electronic music (house etc), just drop me a line, I will forward you some links to my dj sets 😉
QOTD:
Best – 1976 Johs Christoffel Ã?rziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese **
Worst – 2004 Los Vascos Cab.

Ah, welcome back Gary! You definitely enjoyed your trip in Greece. Had some of these disease-like named grapevarieties ;-)?
Had some of the generic Argyles, thought their were pretty good QPR. Nice profoundness and indeed Burgundy-like, somewhat like Nuit-Saint-Georges I like.
And hey you, you’d better look at my blogs: links all over the place. Still waiting to integrate your fancy banner by the way! Think I am even the first non-USA blog to link to your site! So you owe me one …
QOTD:
Best: 1994 Comte the Champagne Taittinger, amazing!
Worst: 2004 Pescaja Barbera d’Asti Soliter, just junk, and an example of bad winemaking.

QOTD:

Best – 2005 Domaine de Belliviere Jasnieres “Les Rosiers”. Jasnieres is a 100% Chenin Blanc appellation in the Loir (sic) valley. Was asked to order wines for our table at Insieme, Marco Canora and Paul Grieco’s new restaurant (overall very good, btw), and Paul’s crazy-ass wine lists being what they are I delegated to the man himself as he was on the floor. Asked for a red and a white totaling under $140, he actually came in under $130–this was $64 on the list, I believe (for comparison, wine-searcher has it at $29 at Chambers Street but it’s apparently sold out).

Ironically he ignored my one concrete request–“dry”, because I was trying to cater to a boring crowd and the two white-friendly entrees people had ordered seemed to call for it. Instead he comes up with…well, it is technically a “sec tendre”, which falls between sec and demi-sec; it tastes like a beautifully balanced zingy off-dry until the finish which dials back the sugar a bit. So, totally not what I asked for, and totally sensational. Apricots, kumquat, melon, caramel, plenty of flowers, nice minerality, great acid backbone in gorgeous balance with the sugared attack, and then a complex lingering finish. And just a preposterously good food wine. It paired with each appetizer better than the last, and in particular, with anything bright and creamy it just sang. Wow.

Here’s a TN on the erobertparker board:
http://dat.erobertparker.com/bboard/showthread.php?t=131775&highlight=jasnieres

Imported by Louis/Dressner. Gary–if there’s more available, you should really be selling this stuff, it’s great.

Worst – Came back from dinner that night to find my roommates had left half a bottle, recorked, of something called “La Chance” sold for $16 at the small shop around the corner, and identified on their website as a Bandol. The label lists Bandol-style blend and a town in Provence, but not a producer, and quite a bit of fruitless Googling has failed to track one down (this is what happens when you name your wine something generic like “la chance”). It did, however, lead to a tantalizing suggestion the wine might be unsulphured, which would explain my following TN:

“Well after what I’d been drinking earlier tonight this is kind of shit. Opened earlier that night (but

QOTD:

Best – 2005 Domaine de Belliviere Jasnieres “Les Rosiers”. Jasnieres is a 100% Chenin Blanc appellation in the Loir (sic) valley. Was asked to order wines for our table at Insieme, Marco Canora and Paul Grieco’s new restaurant (overall very good, btw), and Paul’s crazy-ass wine lists being what they are I delegated to the man himself as he was on the floor. Asked for a red and a white totaling under $140, he actually came in under $130–this was $64 on the list, I believe (for comparison, wine-searcher has it at $29 at Chambers Street but it’s apparently sold out).

Ironically he ignored my one concrete request–“dry”, because I was trying to cater to a boring crowd and the two white-friendly entrees people had ordered seemed to call for it. Instead he comes up with…well, it is technically a “sec tendre”, which falls between sec and demi-sec; it tastes like a beautifully balanced zingy off-dry until the finish which dials back the sugar a bit. So, totally not what I asked for, and totally sensational. Apricots, kumquat, melon, caramel, plenty of flowers, nice minerality, great acid backbone in gorgeous balance with the sugared attack, and then a complex lingering finish. And just a preposterously good food wine. It paired with each appetizer better than the last, and in particular, with anything bright and creamy it just sang. Wow.

Here’s a TN on the erobertparker board:
http://dat.erobertparker.com/bboard/showthread.php?t=131775&highlight=jasnieres

Imported by Louis/Dressner. Gary–if there’s more available, you should really be selling this stuff, it’s great.

Worst – Came back from dinner that night to find my roommates had left half a bottle, recorked, of something called “La Chance” sold for $16 at the small shop around the corner, and identified on their website as a Bandol. The label lists Bandol-style blend and a town in Provence, but not a producer, and quite a bit of fruitless Googling has failed to track one down (this is what happens when you name your wine something generic like “la chance”). It did, however, lead to a tantalizing suggestion the wine might be unsulphured, which would explain my following TN:

“Well after what I’d been drinking earlier tonight this is kind of shit. Opened earlier that night (but

No one told me there’s a length limit on posts! For posterity’s sake, here is the rest:

“Well after what I’d been drinking earlier tonight this is kind of shit. Opened earlier that night (but

Oh, it’s not a length limit, it’s a failure to properly escape < characters. Gary, talk to your web people, this is a classic sign of a cross-site scripting vulnerability. Anyways, *here* is the rest of my post:

“Well after what I’d been drinking earlier tonight this is kind of shit. Opened earlier that night (but <6 hrs), initial nose seemed tired and on its way to vinegar, with cherry cough syrup and, well, tired wine smell. On the palate brighter but boring, rhoney but fake–cherry and strawberry but grapey and cough syrup, and rather disjoint.

“Apparently this is unsulphured. Mistake.”

Although actually considerably worse than that was the by-the-glass Chardonnay my roommate (what can I say? she’s unlucky!) was drinking a couple nights ago at Assenzio, an East Village Italian spot a few blocks from our apartment we decided to randomly try. Unoaked–and I hate over-oaked Chards, but outside of Chablis this is a risky thing to try–thin, very off, greenish and an overriding rubber/chemical aspect like pink eraser. Similar to some box wine I once had except without any residual sugar to cover it up. Wish I’d written down the producer, but it was Italian. (I have been somewhat impressed with some Italian Chards, incidentally.)

Welcome back Gary!

Best wine – Balance Riesling, a little grapefruit flavor never hurt anyone. Very crisp and clean.

Worst wine – A Russian wine that I couldn’t read the label, and little black specks came out at the end of the bottle. Maybe it was unfiltered and still fermenting in the bottle.

Damn good to have you back buddy!

Welcom back G! Just bought 5 T shirts. Will send pics.
QOTD: Best: Alma Rosa Pinot Noir, Worst: Barefoot Shiraz

QOTD. Best wine in last two weeks was a Sangiovese, worst was Cigarzin Cali Zin.

Welcome back.

Welcome back GV. Best wine -Orin Swift- “The Prisoner” 2005. The worst wine-Beringer Merlot(at a grad. party)

Welcome Back GV,

Hope you had a “eftychismenos” trip! On a Crystal Ship Never-the-less…You going Hoity-Toity on us? 🙂 I love the Nut House…Argyle Labels regardless have been consistent and hit 7 HR’s Little League and 0 in HS Ball – Go Figure! I think your needs to build strength…like a pitcher building arm strength 10 days rest would do it. I got a plan to spread the thunder. email me off line and we’ll talk.

QOTD – Best – Familia Cassone Obra Prima 2003 Malbec – on cork’d
Worst – Concannon 2004 Petite Sirah

QOTD: Best was Beringer 2005 White Zinfandel, worst though it wasn’t bad at all, it was just the only other wine I’ve had since you been on hiatus was Avalon 1994 Cab Sauv.

Welcome back!

QOTD best wine: Laibach Pinotage 2005 from S. Africa. Wow! Dark purple, lavender, eucalyptus, cherries and plums. Yum. Wife brought it back from a business trip; not available here. I’m definitely going to put some pinotage in my next WL shopping basket.

Worst wine: A Chilean cab. It was actually pretty good, but it just happens to be the worst of the last two weeks. It was in my room as part of a gift basket when I checked into a hotel in Santiago last December. I threw it in my suitcase a week later when I left. Just got around to drinking it. Not bad for a freebie. — MB

gary , did you try any interesting Greek wines while on your trip, you should do a greek
show in honor of being there..

Great to have you back, Gary. I’m excited about the t-shirts!

QOTD: The best wine I had while you were away was a 2005 Savigny-Les-Beaune. I wonder if you would have prefered this Pinot Noir to the ones you drank today.

Have you ever checked out my “blog”? If you check out the bottom of the profile you’ll find and interesting link….

http://tinyurl.com/26co2

Good to have you back, Gary!

Spreading the thunder:
http://cam.vox.com
http://benandcam.net

QOTD: In the past couple of weeks…
Best – Chateau Morrisette 2001 Cabernet Franc (this is an old favorite, not something new that I’ve just tried)
Worst – E. Guigal 2001 Cotes du Rhone Blanc (not bad, exactly, but not impressive or particularly memorable)

Last 2 weeks –
Best – 2004 Clio (blueberries and tar, very well balanced and silky).
Worst -2001 Nuvola Vecchia Toscana (past prime and tasted like i was licking a dirty subway seat)

d’Arenberg 2003 Dead Arm

Gary, where’s the tan?? must be the new lighting.

QOTD 2003 Seavey Cab…credit the new Seavey barista. Worst: 2004 Villa Creek High Road…just a gooey mess.

Good to have you back in NJ, GV! Too bad about the good ship Mangini being rocked by Pete Kendall, and what about the Mangini’s appearance on The Soprano’s?

QOTD: Best 2001 Allegrini Palazzo Della Torre, Worst 2006 Pillar Box Red. Not much difference between the two but there you have it. A light consumption period for me.

Nice to see you have returned, sorry about the wines. I will hit you up with a link as soon as I am done here.

Welcome back – thanks to the marathon taping, was like you were never gone to us.

QOTD: 2 great wines in the last 2 weeks: popped my first split of the 2003 Dead Arm Shiraz that i had picked up from you many months back – can’t wait to see this one after a few years; reminded me of a 2003 Caymus SS i had last fall, for half the price (gotta love that)
and
opened the first of 6 1994 mondavi oakville cabs i have been sitting on for years and boy did time treat it well – no bricking, vanilla like crazy on the nose and nice aged plum flavors.

He’s baaaaaaaaaaaaack! Re-energized, looking tan and fit. Vacations do you well Gary.

QOTD: To celebrate my daugther’s HS graduation I had a 2001 Beringer Cabernet Reserve. Absolutely the best cabernet sauvignon I have had this year. Followed this bottle with a 2001 Val Suga Brunello di Montalcino, also quite good.

Took visiting family to the Napa Valley. Stopped at PEJU and was pleasantly entertained. But the wine was so bad couldn’t even pony up the extra $8 for a bottle after crediting the tasting fee.

Footnote: Stopped at Turnbull and tasted several really great wines. However, overall, Rombauer stole the show with a proprietor’s blend burgundian chardonnay and two limited production reserve cabernets.

Best wine: 2 fit the bill Billecart-Salmon 1990, absolutely my favorite sparkler taste in the last 10 years
1997 The Dead Arm with perfectly grilled steaks.
Worst Rosenblum 2004 artists series Paso Robles Zind tasted like sweet, chewy dirt. Sweet tannins and oak don’t make my day.

Great to see you back. So did you enjoy Crystal Cruises? Did you guys take this line because they provide all of the booze?