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What Are You Drinking Right Now?


deangold

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After time spent rearranging my cellar, I decided to splurge a little. I had found a forgotten case of 2002 Daniel-Etienne Defaix Chablis Vieilles Vignes. I was a little nervous that I might have left it a bit long, but it was smooth and lovely. We followed that with a 1997 Sassetti Pertimali Brunello which was so beautiful. Both wines made me really happy. If only I could drink like that every night.

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Tsingtao "Extra Draft", which clocks in at a whopping 3.3% alcohol. The regular Tsingtao (in China, that is) contains a curiously light 2.5%, which makes it a safe substitute for water.

Water that gives you a headache. No thanks! (I'll chalk it up to individual variation, but I get a screamer of a headache after a TsingTao. Damned Asian congeners!).

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I don't know much about wine, but I tasted this at Best Cellars on Sunday, and at $15, the 2008 El Curato toro went well with my porterhouse and baked potato while watching Monday Night Football.

Now that I've read my way through the "Best of DonRocks" thread, I saw a Willett's Velvet Glove comment that is making me crave opening my Iron Fist; right now, I'm sipping a Southern Tier Harvest and debating. I've got a meeting in 10.5 hours that I've been dreading for nearly a week.

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Aperitif: Negroni. I'm out of Campari at the moment, so Aperol was used to substitute. I like the strong flavor of Campari better in this drink, but Aperol is Campari Jr. and worked just fine.

Digestif: Offley Boa Vint.age Port 2000. The bottle's been open for a few months, but thankfully I don't have great taste, so I'm still enjoying it immensely.

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Over the past few months:

1971 Schloss Vollrads Beerenauslese

1976 Berncastler (sp?) Doctor Beernauslese/Von Thanisch (internet note said this was "light", which was hard to believe but also very true. A disappointment.)

1976 Niersteiner Orbel Auslese/Weingut Eugen Weherheim Nierstein. Really lovely.

1988 Gewurztraminer SGN/Dom, Schlumberger. (Didn't know what to expect. Orange/pear; a brandy-like intensity and a delight.)

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After time spent rearranging my cellar, I decided to splurge a little. I had found a forgotten case of 2002 Daniel-Etienne Defaix Chablis Vieilles Vignes. I was a little nervous that I might have left it a bit long, but it was smooth and lovely. We followed that with a 1997 Sassetti Pertimali Brunello which was so beautiful. Both wines made me really happy. If only I could drink like that every night.

And if only I could be invited over when you do. :) Sigh, I always said I didn't need money to be happy, and then I fell in love with wine.

'03 Imagery Lagrein for me tonight, bought by a friend on our first trip to CA wine country in '06.

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Two nights ago----- Intercontinental cocktail - brandy, Averna, Maraschino Liqueur.

Just bought Averna for the first time from Ace Beverage over the weekend. Wow, that's some cool stuff! What do others do with it? I have another recipe I'm looking forward to trying from Jason Wilson for a Black Manhattan.

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Experimenting with different things for the designated drivers this holiday. Cactus pear puree (gleaned from actual cactus pears), lime juice, simple and Pellegrino. This is pretty tasty, with a delicate, indescribable flavor from the cactus pear. It's also shockingly fuchsia. I'm tempted to add a little FDC Extra Dry...

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Feudi di San Gregorio Falanghina 2009. Lovely. Fruit (pear and something tropical) with some acidity and monerals, but nothing overwhelms. Nicely balanced.

A wonderful wine, one of the few you will find that matches well with either artichokes or asparagus.

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A wonderful wine, one of the few you will find that matches well with either artichokes or asparagus.

Both of which I prepare fairly often. This wine was an impulse buy at Costco. I've been on a mission to find a white that I really like, and have most frequently been met with thin acidity or overwhelming oak, minerals, etc. Sources online indicate this one will cellar for a couple of years, so I'll be heading back for more.

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Experimenting with different things for the designated drivers this holiday. Cactus pear puree (gleaned from actual cactus pears), lime juice, simple and Pellegrino. This is pretty tasty, with a delicate, indescribable flavor from the cactus pear. It's also shockingly fuchsia. I'm tempted to add a little FDC Extra Dry...

On the lazier end of the spectrum, this make an excellent bev with Pom pomegranate juice instead of the tuna. Same color. Throw a wheel of lime into the glass for good measure.

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I am enjoying the Danish Wintercoat Double Hop 2x IPA and the Bruery's Mischief (Belgian strong ale) which I just had courtesy of Rustico in Old Town. A very delicious Chipotle Pumpkin soup too! Oooo that was good. And now I'm considering what interesting beer to drink later--choosing from a number of interesting ones picked up at Weyerbacher in Easton PA last weekend. Perhaps Titan or maybe Fifteen. Or perhaps I'll join durwoodx and see what he's drinking.

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2006 Rosso Piceno Superiore

Found this description in the Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide: "The 2006 Rosso Piceno (70% Sangiovese, 30% Montepulciano) is a fresh, perfumed wine with a pretty core of dark fruit and good overall balance. It is an approachable red to drink now and over the next few years. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2010."

Fixed a ribeye steak for dinner and this was the only bottle of red on hand, so opened it up to have with dinner. I like the wine but it did not pair well with the steak. (I'm a little spoiled right now, the last time I had steak, someone else treated the table to a delicious Caymus). Is this wine better with tomato, such as a bolognese-sauced pasta, or perhaps lamb or rabbit? I'm at a loss here. Good wine, good steak, bad couple.

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What I am drinking and given how I ended up with it tonight I thought I might share with the group…

I was all set to drink an ’04 Dujac “Combottes” thinking that a friend would come over and the bottle would help him decided a Dujac purchase he has been contemplating. After he got back to me that he was out of town I decided to hold off and pick something else. Remembering that we were having a pork loin and sweet potato stew with a very light preparation that the thinness of the ’04 vintage would be a good match.

Given some recent talk and implications I decided to pick from my epiphany wine maker – Jean Marie Fourrier. From there the choice is somewhat easy - Chambolle , Morey-St.-Denis or Gevrey-Chambertain. The later was my village of choice a few years ago and where my passion instantly started the first time I had one. I have drunk all of my villages so it is 1er or GC. I am not opening a Griotte or Clos St Jacques – 1er in AOC only. Champeaux, Cherbaudes, or Combe Aux Moines are my choices. But on second thought a Gevery will be slightly bigger than the stew and I now prefer the femininity of Chambolle of the three villages. The choice gets easy - villages or “Gruenchers“. A more cerebral evening is in order since I already spent the day thinking about the “Combottes”. So the ’04 1er Fourrier “Gruenchers” it is plus we really enjoyed one about this time last year.

The next few steps of this wonderful ritual and thoughts is completed well under a minute or two…

I cut the capsule off and did not notice anything on top of the cork. After pulling the cork and giving it a quick glance I did not see any signs of seepage, which made me curious of the source to the perfectly stored bottle. I looked at the back label that indicated Rosenthal so I knew it was from my local shop and the condition is exactly what I’d expect. Given the amount of SO2 used at this Domaine I was wondering if I was going to have to decant since I do not want to wash one in the morning. Sadly as I poured a tiny amount into a glass to taste the current state and use to rinse the glass I could smell a slight cork taint. I am hoping it well blow off but I wnt to retrieve another bottle in the meantime.

I came across a Gevery-Chambertain “Goulots”, which I did not realize we owned in any vintage. We have never had any from another maker so this would be a new experience for us if the other bottle has not improved. The “Gruenchers” is the worst smell corked bottle ever! Actually it did get really bad in the roundtrip from our cellar.

I go through the same opening ritual but this time I feel some stickiness under the capsule. I did not see any wine anywhere on the capsule, labels or the top of the cork. This time the back label indicates gray market – no Rosenthal sticker and everything is in French. I did not notice a French tax stamp mark on the top of the capsule so I am guessing it is back-doored from the UK. The retail sticker is not in compliance with ATF importing regulations to boot. I did backfill some ‘04’s from a source in NY a year or two ago and vaguely remember getting the only bottle of “Goulots” available in a mix case. The ullage looks like what I’d expect but I did not even check the other bottles to comment on a comparison. Once I look at the cork I do notice that the wine has traveled up the cork some but not in a way that indicated the cork had expanded and contracted. I do not know where the stickiness would come from - possibly in the bottle filling process?? The cork was slightly softer than I’d expect.

Despite the potential suspect storage the wine tastes correct. At this point I am not going to decant and I flirt with the idea of using the Sommelier Riedels because it is going to be a bigger wine than the Chambolle and will benefit from more oxygen. Those bowls are big enough to get more air into the wine but this will mean my third trip to the basement and I’d rather just eat and make do. I did pour some into a glass, put my hand over it and gave it a very violent shake to see how much gas was used and was still in the bottle. Turns out I will be washing a decanter after all.

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It's Meyer Lemon season so we enjoyed a Meyer Lemon Collins and a Meyer Lemon Sidecar. I think the Collins highlighted the fruit more than the sidecar, which seemed to "overbrandy" the juice. These are my first Meyers...and they won't be my last!

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1995 Kendall Jackson Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. poorly stored at room temp for the last 15 years. I bought a few bottles because we liked it in '96 and it was cheap and we didn't have much extra dough and I'd heard it was a good year for Cabernet. I have to say I don't have an extremely refined palate, but we enjoyed the fruity, smooth taste of the 15 year-old mediocre wine. Our friends said they enjoyed it, too. A more refined palate would've found some faults, I'm sure, but I couldn't complain.

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Is it bad form to post two "What are you drinking" updates in a row? Does is say anything about me personally or my tendencies? Regardless, I had an Aviation cocktail made with Meyer Lemon for an aperitif. For dessert I had a 3 oz taste of a newly kegged homebrewed porter. It's been a good drinking night.

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Harpoon 100 Barrell Session 32, Pott's Landbier, which was an excellent hoppy beer, very drinkable, and only 4.8% alcohol, so I'm not hammered afterwards. And then I can open a Session 34 Oak Aged Dunkel. The 34 is a little harsh from the oak aging, and could stand a year in the bottle. I'll probably go back to Total Wine and get more Session 32 though. If I thought I could keep the 34 around for a year or so, then maybe I'd get some of that too.

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Bodega Monticello Verdemar Albarino 2009. My first time with this wine, and it's a very pleasant one. Paid about $12 for it at Total Beverage. A little grassy, a little citrusy. I happened to make a mushroom & sweet potato risotto tonight and it's fine with that, but it makes me wish I had a huge shrimp cocktail instead!

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Old Rasputin Imperial Stout. Sadly just looked down at my glass to find there's very little left. Will be forced to switch to a Young's Double Chocolate, which while good will be nowhere near as good as this is. Probably better since I do have to be able to get up in the morning for work.

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Pieter Cruythoff Chenin Blanc 2010. Spring. :)

:) Hearing all of the wine and dinner reports from my friends and realizing my steak and red wine is totally inappropriate, but it's my first time cooking in quite some time and it's what I had ready so it'll have to do.

2007 Marietta Petite Sirah, Alexander Valley

Bought it at Corridor for $16.99, excellent QPR. I am pretty sure I could pour this into an empty $50 CA bottle and my friends would never know the difference. Now whether that speaks to the wine or my friends...

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