Tamellini Soave! It was delicious, balanced, and a fine match for the halibut I cooked.

Toad Hollow, Erik’s the Red. Our school-night, QPR wine. Brings the thunder! Much better and more interesting than the CMS- which I had recently and was underwhelmed. Nearly the same price point. You have to taste it Gary. It also falls into the category of a great alternative to supermarket wines, but is also widely available, unlike many of the other wines on the show that I just can’t find easily.

Sebastiani 2000 Sonoma County Cab. Drank it because I kept passing over it and drinking other wines. It did not bring the thunder, but was still quite good. It was clear it had been sitting around a little to long. Good but tired.

Thank god you’re back gary!

QOTD: I had this red zin call “raider power”… not good.

QOTD: Zolo Torrontes 2007

First ever 2007. First ever Torrontes. And it brought the thunder! Whaddya know.

I would never have picked it up if not for your ep the other day on Argentinian Torrontes – Thanks!!

Columbia Crest Merlot – This is always a good go to wine for me and my friends.

http://questionsoftaste.blogspot.com/2008/03/wine-blogging-wednesday.html

(my Wine Blogging Wednesday entry)

Here’s the text:

In honor of Gary Vaynerchuk’s request for WBW 44, I chose a cab franc from a region I have not tried before, at a higher price point than I’m used to, and with more age on it than any wine I’ve had before.

1996 Jöel Taluau St.-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, Vieilles Vignes, 12.5%, $35 at the Princeton Corkscrew.

This is an extraordinary wine.

When the longish cork was halfway out, I caught a whiff of vinegar and panicked. Fortunately there was no such smell after the cork was out. An unmistakeable tone of green pyrazine wafted from the neck of the bottle, giving me pause. The green bell-pepper tone was not something I enjoyed in the two Cab Francs I’ve had before, and I was hoping that this wine would be pyrazine-free.

Anyhow, I went ahead with double-decanting, observing a nice ring of fine sediment around the bottom of the bottle. Some hints of Salvadorean tamales and stewed bell peppers emerged. Even with the greenness, it smelled delicious. Like a delicate stew broth. I was torn: On one hand, I didn’t like the green tones. On the other – my mouth was watering!

First Tasting, 40 minutes after decanting:

The color is a lovely peachy-orange-purple, which shows textbook signs of age at the rim and in the body. Very much what I’d expect from Michael Broadbent’s color charts.

(Aside: N1-N4 refer to four different ways of smelling (“nosing”) the wine. N1 is gentle, extended sniff of the still wine surface. N2 is a deep inhalation above the still surface. N3 is a gentle sniff after a swirl. N4 is a deep inhalation after a swirl. )

N1 evokes mint, cut wood, bell-peppers, and hints of tobacco, all with an undertone of ripe fruit. N2 suggests olives and wood, with some fruit. N3 mostly reveals pyrazine, with some menthol tones. Although there are earthy tones in the nose, there is no “barnyard” – this is a clean wine.

On the palate this wine is completely captivating. Dry and medium-bodied with beautiful, refreshing acidity and a gripping tannin structure that suggests several more years of life. The midpalate has spicy suggestions of sweet jalapeno candy, which transitions into a somewhat bitter finish, all the while framed with flutterings of unmistakeably ripe fruit. A 91-point wine.
As I tasted a second time, the nose revealed cinnamon and herbal tones, with woody strawberries and raspberries.

Second Tasting, 80 minutes after decanting:

The aromas have bloomed into a bouquet of finely stewed bell peppers/jalapenos seamlessly interwoven with black raspberries (N1). Some volatile acidity is present, with hints of BBQ-sauce sweetness, and slight carmelization (N2). So RIPE! Yet with none of the raisiny characteristics that bother me about over-ripened wines. Ripened to such perfection that the pyrazines don’t bother me. N3: Iâ??m drooling. Lusciously gentle yet clear fruit blooms voluminously on the midpalate. Unique yet… strangely comforting. Reminds me of the first time I played an ivory-keyed piano – it seemed warmer to the touch, immediately set my fingertips at each. The feel was so beautiful, and strangely familiar. There are also hints of dusty earth, but so clean! Grass, pomegranates, warm hillsides drenched in sunlight, clear tones of Black raspberry, plum, warm rocks in the sun, I donâ??t want to stop smelling this. N4: A little earth, some charred/tobacco tones.

Palate: SO MUCH FRUIT! Charming cassis acidity, rich green, brown wood tones, hints of malt on the midpalate (but totally dry). The acidity has many shades to it â?? itâ??s not so much a razor, as a multifaceted gem rolling around on your tongue! In context of the wine’s flavor structure, the acidity is the bridge between initially warmer fruit tones (strawberries, black raspberries) and a brief but crytal-clear cassis tone in the midpalate. Suggestions of orange and spice, a little bitterness on the finish, but I LOVE it! Itâ??s like bitter cinnamon tea, or bitter green tea â?? a rich bitterness. Perfectly elegant tannins. True finesse. Hard not to swallow this – like imbibing a deep-blue petaled flower of exquisite beauty and aroma. Mild tertiary scents of roasting chicken skins, basil, cloves. On the latter part of the midpalate – a soft but distinct spiciness.

This wine is focused and intense. After opening up for a bit, it has completely won me over. Extraordinary. 97-RA. Pairing: I feel it would be a crime to pair anything with this wine except some clean water and neutral bread. The wine is a complete experience in itself.

This episode brought so much thunder that the God of Thunder Thor was in the house. When you really bring the thunder you should have a Thor figure on the set.

QOTD: 2004 Hermanhoff Norton —> PASS+

QOTD:

Sogrape Callibriga 2003. PazZzZzZzZ
Had a wine last month in Portugal called Callibriga made by Casa Fererrinha – though this was the same when I ordered it, but it wasn’t. Decent fruit, but NO tannin whatsoever. Exactly what I don’t like about some Portuguese wines. Plus it was â?¬15 at trade prices!! Not worth more than â?¬7.

The last wine I had was a 2003 Schrader Double Diamond Cabernet, and it definitely brought the thunder.

QOTD – 2005 Cartlidge and Browne Cabernet Sauvignon. At 11$ it brought the thunder. I’ve had more expensive wines that weren’t as good.

QOTD: 2005 Step Rd – Chard

TERRA VALENTINE 2006 RUSSIAN RIVER PINOT NOIR, currently sippy sipping here at the winery http://www.terravalentine.com

Bringing the Thunda!

QOTD: 1997 Castello di Ama Chianti Classico and 2005 Domaine de Ladoucette Pouilly Fume. Phenomenal wines shared with some phenomenal people.

1998 Châtau de Beaucastel, and it brought the Thunder!

Great to have you back!
I am catching up on some episodes while drinking a 2003 Henry’s Drive Shiraz from Australia. It is a very good wine!

glad you are back…hope to see you in Seattle. last wine was a vin santo

Q-Nippozzano Chianti Rufina, 2004, very good!!

A WBW 44 post should be going up on http://www.reignofterroir.com on Tuesday evening, 1st April (no joke!) on French Cabernet Franc by yours truly – nice choice VaynerMeister, I enjoyed drinking the Bourgueil!

Chateau Grand Traverse Late Harvest Riesling Michigan 2006. My hubby & I absolutely love it. Brings the best thunder – we now compare all Rieslings to it!

Greybeard is correct! http://www.reignofterroir.com is coming to the WBW party!

My Cabernet Franc wine blogging wednesday post is up.

Must say, really enjoyed it, hadn’t had a Cab. Franc before and it was a real challenge trying to actually find one. Glad I did, it was a lovely VdP du Jardin de la France.

Lar

(WBW 44 posting)

Thanks for the Cab Franc challenge! I’m a big fan of Cabs Franc from the Loire Valley.

I chose a 2003 Chinon from Alain Lorieux. Here’s my blog entry: http://www.vulusu.ca/archives/359

Also, I started an article in Vinismo about that wine. Feel free to add to it if you want.
http://vinismo.com/en/2003_Alain_Lorieux_Chinon

Domaine Laureau ‘Clos Fremur’ 2006, Loire Valley
Cab Franc/Cab Sauvignon

Pretty, shiny red label. Spanking good wine. Loads of minerals and crushed stone, spices, and smooth Cab Franc goodness. Light body with plenty of flavor and nothing too green or under-ripe, thank you very much! Delicious, and organic too. Mmmm.