Le Sensuel from the anniversary pack. interesting up front – but turned a bit funky on the finish – ‘rusty axe hits a root” flavors. A pazzzz ( but we liked ‘the muscle’ better).

QOTD – a glass of yellow tail syrah at my grandparents house for St Patrick’s day dinner. Have to say that it was somewhat uninspiring.

House-carbonated Banyuls (don’t know the original producer) as the last course of the pairing at Momofuku Ko monday night. (Against McDonald’s-style fried apple pie with miso sauce and sour cream ice cream.) Brilliant as a pairing–pitch perfect match on the flavors with the carbonation to make it taste dry and assertive enough to stand up to a damn rich and, in the end, very classic apple pie. (Is carbonated Banyuls a good idea on its own? Probably not–it really needs a foil with a lot of spice and sweetness to knock it back into balance.)

Which capped off quite an awesome long weekend for restaurant wine pairings. Went to Chicago for a friend’s blowout birthday tasting menu at Avenues, which featured killer wine pairings throughout (at least until a rather disjointed late harvest Viognier from Australia). Four in a row–2005 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot D’Alcase, Do Ferriero “Cepas Vellas” Albarino (forgot the vintage), 2001 “Burlenburg” Pinot Noir from Marcel Deiss, and 2002 “Pagos Viejos” Rioja from Artadi–were each precise and beautiful wines, bordering on spectacular. Some of the best wines I’ve ever had with a tasting menu pairing, but I suspect they may have been bumped up as the birthday boy is a major friend of the house. Another wine from the trip that deserves serious props was the 2003 “Verdus” S. Rhone blend from the Cotes de Thongue in the Languedoc, which was a ridiculously serious wine to get a 1/4 L carafe of for $13 at Avec.

Most thunder-bringing wine of the (long) weekend, however, was the Scholium Project Sauvignon Blanc that’s the centerpiece of the pairing at Ko. I believe this is the cuvee called “the prince in his caves”–a *skin-contact fermented*, yes, like a red wine, Sauvignon Blanc with piercing and explosive floral, fruit and honey notes on the nose (like, just a *ridonculous* nose), and beautifully integrated nutty oak (just a touch) and acidity on the palate. Totally phenomenal, genre-busting wine that you HAVE to bring on WLTV.

(Ok, so now the last wines I’ve had were a couple I had with dinner, but back when I *started* this comment the most recent was the sparkling Banyuls!)

QOTD – 2005 northern Sonoma Dry Creek Valley Merlot, great color, tight one dimensional nose, fruity but kinda flat from start to finish, also poor tannin structure, gonna go 84 pts.

Sorry, Gary. I am fifteen. Can’t drink wine.
But you are still bringing the thunder! Crazily!

Very good food and wine weekend. Complimenting the delightful culinary creations of the remarkable BabsHoney was an incredible 2000 Arcadian Bien Nacido Pino whose blood orange, red berry and spice tea flavors married beautifully with BabsHoney’s slightly peppery pork chop and onion coulis preparation. Sunday saw thelipsmackingly refreshing 2006Merlin Macon la Roche Vineusse, a finecompanion for a fish dinner, a nd a sure go-to wine as the weather gets hotter.
All brought thunder, lightning, sun, wind and rain. Oenologically, meterologically winners all.

Welcome back Gary! Nice to see you you again with all that energy…
QOTD: Tonight i had a Perrin & Fils Gigondas 2004 La Gille…spectacular…the typical grenache profile of the Rhone region showed up here beautifully, with lots of red fruits and spicyness.

QOTD: embarassing… Barefoot Zinfandel. I bought it on a bargain hunt at Trader Joe’s a year ago. I’ve had zero luck with every bottle I bought in that mixed case, and this last bottle was lingering on my wine shelf because I knew it would suck. I opened it a few nights ago because I wanted wine with my steak dinner, but I was very congested from allergies and/or a cold so I didn’t want to waste a decent bottle.

Yalumba MGS Handpicked; though a bit pricey I gave into the power of the candied fruits which gave way to lively acidity , then breaking into deep dark berry flavors and a wave of spice… a winner despite the $$

Welcome back Gary. Dude you were amped!
QOTD: Peter Lehman, AUS Cab 2004. A good drop.

QOTD: Last wine i drank was: Teute Cisa Asinari Dei Marchesi Di Gresy – La Serra Moscato D’Asti…. This thing, to me, brought serious thunder to me!!! It’s a frizante, low in alcohol, and great flavor…This is currently my favorite wine….it’s AWESOME!

Nice that you’re back…

QOTD: last Wine I tasted- 2002 Chateau Le Giron-Premières côtes de Bordeaux.

It DID bring the Thunder, specially with the meal we had:Jabugo Ham and chocolate, cilantro cream and blueberries for garnish. It’s light tanic and very aromatic, tastes of aged beef and cherries. I loved it.

Welcome back GV, Last Vino was Cain Cuvee NV4..bringin the thunder!

QOTD: I opened a Vecchia Cantina Bianco Vergine from Valdichiana. Major paazzzz!! It had a nice citrus, tropical, and tree fruit nose. The taste however, had a canned vinegar artichoke/sweat funkyness to it. Not recommended.

qotd: Luccio Moscato. I liked it.

Good to see you back Gary and AWESOME TO SEE YOU HOSTING WINE BLOGGING WEDNESDAY

QOTD: Graham’s Late Bottled Vintage Port 2000 – good!

Andrew

QOTD: 2004 Barton&Guestier Chateauneuf du Pape, and it rocked my house.

QOTD: 2006 Selaks Marlborough Chardonnay. Enjoyable, tastes like a chard, wouldn’t go as far as to say it brings teh thunder. Priced circa 11 bones in Denmark, not bad. 🙂

Great show, welcome back Gary!

QoTD – Ella Valley Vineyards EverRed 2004 and it was somewhat of a pass (way too much black pepper to be really enjoyable)

Very excited to have you in the Hot Seat again, also thanks to all the boys who kept the seat warm for you. Mott, nice job with the broom -“sweep it up Mott!”

I really like the Hedges Red Mtn 3 Vineyard Red. You hit the nail on the head with the CMS in my Pal’s opinion.

I had my last bottle of Lindeman’s 2000 Pyrus Cab tonight with a little piece of Filet. Got it for under 8 bones and I haven’t seen it’s QPR rival period. Let it breath for a day or so, and while it’s not Bond, it is a ripping good steak washer downer. I don’t even know if they are continuing the product in the US anymore.

Those of us that commented on the under 100 day should all get the new wrist band, or a new car (hey Oprah gave out 200 cars). Anyway we all know that we are a special breed. – we are proud to be among the few, the bored. It could dang near become a pathetically weak movement or something.

And another thing – Actually just wanted you to reach 300 today. Hey, We are so pumped to have you come out to Washington which is right above Oregone! I hope to come up and shake your hand, but don’t know if your handlers will let the unwashed close enough 🙂 I am going to try anyway. I will try to remember to wash.

Welcome back Mr. V 😉

QOTD:I had after some great Brandy de Jerez and Rum’s a 2004 Hungerford Hill Orange Shiraz/Viognier and it brought the thunder!

QOTD: 2005 Chateau de Tracy pouilly fume. It was a pretty good expression of the variety.

Good question. I’m always forgetting what wines I drink. Like the snow under sunny skies. I’m digging it as I drink, talking about it, getting in deep, appreciating the progression of the bottle, life. And then, after a few days, it’s progressed straight out of my mind. Looking at labels in the store- have I had that? Some stick around, stones on the soggy grass, but most melt away.

Gary, you have the show to keep live action tasting notes for you. What about other times? On the job? At restaurants? Who’s got a good system to remember their thoughts as they taste? I’ve never been much of one for reading with a pen…

QOTD: The last wine I had was a 2003 Darien Crianza, it was ok but far from great costs about 12 euro. Good to see you back Gary!!