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What Are You Drinking Right Now?


deangold

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Being Good Friday I decided that I needed some communion wine so I dug deep in my collection and came up with a 2001 Kay Brothers Amery Vineyards Hillside Shiraz. The high acid does a good job of cutting through the extracted fruit. Maybe this was not such a bad buy after all.

Started the night with Gin and Tonic made with Aviation Gin, it was a bit too tart in this application. After trying it my wife gave it to me and ask if I make her one with Damrak (as good as always).

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2006 Pierre Gaillard Saint-Joseph Blanc. 100% Marsanne. Honey, Peach and Nectarine with some tropical fruit. This has some weight to it but it is not over the top. Priced well at Bassin's ($27.99)

That sounds delicious, I have a special place in my heart for white Rhones. I think of them as the white wines for the red wine drinkers (then again I love both red and white wines).

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The other day at Babbo, I drank the Tenuta Grillo Cortese "Baccabianca" VdT from Piemonte. Cortese (the white grape of Gavi di Gavi), made like a red wine, with extended maceration and ambient-temperature fermentation. A stunning, stunning wine, with deep, red-tinged fruit, plenty of wax and dried flowers, and a goodly bit of tannin.

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Still exploring my bottle of Zuidam Genever. 2 oz. of it, 1 oz of sweet white port, splash Maraschino, 3 dash orange bitters, 1 dash Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas bitters. Stirred, twist. Next time, less Maraschino. But it's goooood. Love how the port supplies the rancio to the rich juniper of the jonge genever.

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Some wines from Easter Sunday:

Jacquesson no.730: very nice, fine bubbles, a little toasty.

2000 De Chambrun: Still a bit tannic, great with leg of lamb

1977 Robert Mondavi Reserve Cab: Bottle was singing for about an hour, then fell apart.

2004 Copain Hawk's Butte Syrah: Huge nose, very, very big wine. Tight. Not touching the rest of these for at least two years.

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2001 M. Chapoutier Châteauneuf-du-Pape Barbe Rac, it gets better with each bottle.

I am a big fan of Chapoutier Barbe Rac. I have four bottles of the 2001 stashed away. When would you suggest drinking the first one? A lot of 2001 Rhone's that I have tried seem to need some time in the cellar.

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I am a big fan of Chapoutier Barbe Rac. I have four bottles of the 2001 stashed away. When would you suggest drinking the first one? A lot of 2001 Rhone's that I have tried seem to need some time in the cellar.
I tend to like CdP's younger than most. After an hour in a decanter this one was certainly ready to drink, but it will just keep getting better over the next few years. I don't know that I would keep it until it is old enough to drive, but it certainly will be good for another 5 years.
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a 1:1 Manhattan made with Willet 6-yr bourbon, Vya sweet vermouth, and Peychaud's aromatic bitters. I forgot how assertive the vya is, might scale back on it a tad next time to let the bourbon shine a bit more. Still, delicious.

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Punkt Genau! A tasty sparking Grüner Veltliner from Austria.

punkt-label.small.jpg

Started with this(via Joe Riley). Delicious stuff. This is right up my alley like a garbage truck.

Finished with a bolshevik, el diablo and sweet potato pie. I gotta say Tiffany Short is knocking out some of the most interesting cocktails in the district.

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Last night an amazing bottle of 1994 Dominus. The wine - at its peak right now - is freakishly Bordeaux- like. Only that slight pop of sweet fruit on the finish hints of anything California. The nose - tobacco and cedar and a touch of Rhone funk. It is simply astounding to me that a wine like this can be produced in Napa. Also a bottle of 1998 Greenock Creek Roennfeldt Road Shiraz with the cheese course. This wine ain't for you elegant, refined, old worlders, but it is a singular expression of Syrah, made by Aussie master Chris Ringland, the likes of which I have never before encountered . Somewhat reminiscent of a great port but completely dry, it is an intensely concentrated masterpiece, albeit a controversial one.

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Bell's Two-Hearted Ale. It's been a while since I've had this out of the bottle, since I drink it on draft frequently. Maybe not quite as good as on draft (could I tell the difference in a blind tasting? not sure), but still better than 90% of the craft beers out there.

And it sure hits the spot after a long night of grilling, mandolin-playing, and sausagemaking.

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Last night a bottle of 2005 Chasseur Chardonnay Green Acres Hill. This wine is stupendous! It is not cheap - just short of $50 - but is in the same league as Mark Aubert's brilliant Chardonnays (which for me are the best made in California at the moment) for a fraction of the price. Did not think these wines were distributed locally but I noticed on WineSearcher that Calvert Woodley is selling the wine. If you feel like splurging on a sensational California Chardonnay from an spectacular vintage do not miss this one.

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Last night a bottle of 2005 Chasseur Chardonnay Green Acres Hill. This wine is stupendous! It is not cheap - just short of $50 - but is in the same league as Mark Aubert's brilliant Chardonnays (which for me are the best made in California at the moment) for a fraction of the price.

How much oak does this have?

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Lately instead of Gin and Tonics my wife and I have been enjoying Gin and Limeade. I make a batch of homemade limeade using the rind of the limes to infuse the simple syrup and twice as much lime juice as simple syrup. After I mix it together I let it steep for about an hour, strain it so that the rind is left behind, and it is just limey goodness, mix in two parts club soda to one part the limeade base and a couple shots of gin and you have a great summer drink. I have been using regular Gordon's for this since any it stands up to all of the lime better than some of the finer gins.

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Lillet blonde, one cube, slice of orange. I knew these bathtub sized martini glasses were going to be good for something!

Does anybody know where to get a 4 oz. martini glass? (Seriously, everything I see these days is huge - 7+ oz.)

Crate and Barrel has them, and if you find yourself in Old Town, you can hit the outlet and get them for only a few bucks each.

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Last night: Started with a Dogfish Head Shelter Pale Ale from the kegerator and a Calvados Cocktail made using the Clear Creek apple brandy.

Off to a friend's house, where my fellow scofflaw Marshall made Tonga Punch and Scorpions (winner: Scorpions) by the pitcher. Had a few of those with my Cavalier cigar (only available down at Cavalier Pipe & Tobacco down in Charlottesville; I gotta get some more of them!) and with our appetizers of jerk and Asian wings, plus turkey kielbasa and white cheddar sprinkled with Rendezvous seasonings.

Switched to Flying Dog beers after that - had a couple IPAs and pale ales, maybe one or two other ones while we ate our ribs from Rendezvous, some chicken satay with peanut sauce, and some grilled asparagus.

For today - hmmm. Gotta figure that out. I might try that unusual negroni mentioned a few pages back (yes, read the whole thread today)...

And debating if the weather will hold out long enough for another cigar while I debate what to make for tomorrow's Mixology Monday.

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And to reply to myself, the drink I came up with and need a name for (other than "Blackberry Smash") - I'll be using this recipe in MxMo this month, and entering it into a contest as well.

Blackberry Smash

1 1/2 ounces Apple Brandy (I used Captain Apple Jack BIB)

3/4 ounce Cointreau

3/4 ounce Massenez Creme de Mure (blackberry liqueur)

1/2 ounce lemon juice

Lightly muddle four blackberries in the bottom of the mixing glass. Add the other ingredients, ice, and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with one-two blackberries (they'll sink, yes) and a sprig of mint floating on top.

Mmmmmm. Yummy.

(If any of y'all try it out let me know what you think)

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Last night at Citronelle: 2004 Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet "Boudriottes" 1er Cru. Very vibrant with notes of honey, pears, juniper and peppermint with a hint of chocolate. Delicious.

Recommended by Mark Slater? Ask him what he loves to drink and he says: "White burgundy."

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Friday night at Charlie Palmer Steak:

1977 Heitz Bella Oaks: 750ml bottle, fill at base neck. Surprisingly dark - seemed to gain a bit of weight in the glass. Aromas of oak, leather, and cassis, plum fruit and coriander. Very good - wasn't sure what to expect, but fortunately the wine inside was as pristine as the bottle looked on the outside?!

1977 Heitz Martha's Vineyard: 750ml bottle, also base neck. Darker than the Bella Oaks, and the famous eucalyptus / mint nose was very evident. Completely resolved tannins, and spice, leather, and black fruits. An excellent bottle - so glad luck was on our side Friday night!

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For a fennel-themed dinner party: Gin and tonic made with Hendrick's gin infused with fennel seed. Surprisingly good. The original idea was to use the fennel gin with tomato water in a faux Bloody Mary, but that didn't work out quite as well, mostly because you can't get tomato water at this time of year.

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A silly night of excess hosting a friend who owns a so-called California cult winery, and joined by Sebastian and our respective S/Os. Started with the always delicious 2003 Aubert Quarry Vineyard Chardonnay. From there it was a bottle of 1998 Marcassin Pinot Noir Marcassin Vineyard - still fine but IMO on the decline. That was followed by the 1997 Guigal Cote Rotie La Turque - the first in a string of wow wines - peaking right now but not going anywhere. The 1990 L'Angelus is a magnificent St. Fmillion and it may well be as good as the sensational 1989 - one of the great wines of that vintage. We ended the evening with 2 California cabs, and what cabs they were - the 2001 Colgin Herb Lamb vineyard was sensational but clearly eclipsed by the 2002 Sloan - as good a Cabernet as I've ever tasted from my favorite recent vintage.

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A glass of 12% homebrew imperial stout that really should've gotten to 14-15% and thus is way too sweet. It's not terrible, but it's on tap at home, so I can forgive my own sins.

Remembered after the fact that I had already written about this particular beer on dr: Click

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Another night of excess - this time a post race dinner for 10 at my home - an annual Preakness tradition. The wines (and food)

2003 Aubert Ritchie and Lauren Chardonnay (out of Magnum) with assorted Hors Doeuvres

1983 D'yquem - stunning as always, with torchon garnished w/ pickled rhubard and pistachio butter

1983 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier Montrachet, 1998 Kistler Cuvee Cathleen and 1998 Marcassin Marcassin - the 83 was wonderful but fading ever so slightly and the Kistler shockingly good - served with Jumbo Lump crab and hearts of palm salad

1978 Giacosa Barolo Rocche di Castiglione, 1988 Guigal La Mouline, and 1998 Pingus - my god that La Mouline is an amazing Cote Rotie - served with creamy polenta topped w/a wild mushroom ragout

1968 Freemark Abby Cab, 1983 Grace family Cab, 1983 Palmer, and 1988 Lafleur served with grilled filet, grilled asparagus and ramps, and roasted sunchokes - the Lafleur, a baby, nosed out the Mouline for my wine of the night.

1998 Greenock Creek Roennfeldt Road Shiraz, 1998 Bussola Amarone TB, with cheese. No wine in the world has the nose or flavor profile of Chris Ringland's Roennfeldt Road - what an amazing behemoth of a wine!

1998 Zind Humbrecht Tokay Pinot Gris Vendange Tardive with strawberry/blueberry shortcake - it tasted great considering it was 1:30 AM! This wine will taste great in 50 years.

18 empty bottles this morning and everyone got home safely.

Big Brown put on an awesome performance - but he really was running against what was probably the worst Preakness field I've seen in 25 years.

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An as-yet-unnamed cocktail made from 2.5 oz. Tanqueray, splash of crappy lime cordial, and a dash of bitters, shaken with a bit of candied yuzu peel and garnished with more of the same. Much tastier and more complex than the ingredient list might lead you to believe (especially given the lime Kool-Aid nature of the cordial).

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Last night: the house pinot noir at Bistro des Celestins.

Followed by a bit of Tuaca, a Dogfish Head Palo Santo Morran, Dogfish Head 90 minute IPA, and a Stone Pale Ale. The first couple of those while smoking my triple maduro cigar...

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