Which one? Seghesio produces about 4 of them, IIRC. I think they're mostly single-vineyard numbers, and I've had two that come to mind (Home Ranch and Old Vine), both excellent.

A nice cold crisp bottle of Portuguese Vinho Verde. It’s only good immediately after you pop the cork, excellent with barbecued chicken, has a slight bubbly, so light you can drink it like water, wonderful!

Leftover NZ Sauvignon Blanc. Pretty scrummy!

Too late. Bottle gone. But it was not Old Vine. It will probably be Friday before I open a bottle worth noting, but I will toast you too Matt!

jf

Yes, it's been a while since this thread was active, but I thought I'd report on another really nice wine we enjoyed this evening. This was a 1999 Casa Lapostolle "Cuvée Alexandre" Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile's Colchagua Valley. The combination of ripe red fruit with gentle tannins and a nice oak complement make for a pleasant first impression, a great firm feel in the mouth, and a finish that plays off the more spicy notes of the cabernet. I would say it would be an excellent accompaniment to rich cheeses and broiled meats. Goes for about $18 per bottle.

I had two wonderful wine experiences in the last month. One was a Chateau Lafleur Bordeaux. I am embarassed that I don't remember the year ( 98?)
I drank this bottle with 3 friends, and we savored it for more than an hour. Every sip was better than the last, and it just kept getting better and better. Bordeaux is my favorite, and this was maybe the best I have had. So deliceous!
The other was a 92'Ridge Monte Bello Cabernet. This was, by far, the best Califonia wine I have ever had. We broke it out at Thanksgiving, and I was only able to have 3/4 of one glass, but it was sublime. Never was the bottom of a glass so depressing.

Anderson's Conn valley Vineyards
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Estate bottled, 1990

Last night we had a 2000 "Rasteau".

A Cotes du Rhone Villages by Domaine de Beaurenard.

I find Cotes du Rhone to be reasonably priced wines that are not in the mainstream and are a VERY good value. A bit heavier than a Pinot Noir, but not quite as heavy/big as a Cab.

Tonight, I splurged for no reason other than it being Thursday. One of the wines that I tried at the mega-tasting last month made a very strong impression, so I ordered three bottles.

This wine, a 1999 Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon from California's Napa Valley, was even better than I recalled. It is as smooth as silk satin, and its acidity has been moderated by a rather high level of second fermentation (which changes the malic acid in the wine to lactic acid, making for a less tart end product). Now, normally, I would find such a high degree of second fermentation distasteful, as it adds what I consider a superfluous and distracting buttery taste to the wine. But this one retained so much fruitiness in the underlying flavor that the butteriness was actually appealing, not unlike adding cream to fresh fruit.

This is a big wine that packs a huge taste punch. The initial flavors are of rich, ripe red fruit and a slap of firm tannin. The tannins subside very quickly, leaving that curious herbal and fruity combination so typical of a great Cabernet Sauvignon. The butteriness kicks in towards the end, not a major blast, just a nice flavor that rolls across the tongue then subsides.

This is also an extremely dense, nearly opaque, red wine that could probably stand up to just about any food you'd care to pair with it. It will definitely overpower more delicate and mild flavors, so save this for those big, bold-flavored foods.

At about $36 per bottle, it's not going to win anyone's affordability medal. But, as a medium-priced special occasion wine, this one would be ideal. I'm really glad I've still got two more bottles socked away!

We consumed my last bottle of 1988 Lafite tonight. We had a great little gathering of friends to share this wonderful vintage.

I need to get more Lafite for the party next year!

Here is a photo I found on the net. I will try to take a photo of the actual bottle tomorrow.

Mark,

I can't tell from the picture, but is that the screw top Lafite? Ya know, Budweiser offers a born on date for guaranteed freshness, no reason you should be drinkin' that old stuff!
I know the Bud aint cheep, but it is worth it!

Why that sounds like a good reason to me!

Is it really spelled Grgich? And if so, how is that pronounced?

Yep, Grgich it is. A nice Croatian name, pronounced like "gerg-itch". (Croatians and Slovenians don't bother with superflous vowels! ) You can read more about Grgich Hills at their web site.

Matt,

where do you come up with all those words!? At $36 a bottle, can I be your date?

I have been trying every different label I can find for New Zealand Marlborough Savignon Blanc--so far the best is Kim Crawford, but the half as expensive ($9) Noblio is also very good.

jf

Ha! You should be asking Mark how much that Lafite was! I can buy an '01 Lafite today for about $225. Yes, PER BOTTLE. 2000 and 2001 were excellent and very good years, respectively. The 2000 was last selling for over $400, and the futures on the '03 (despite strange weather sure to become a classic vintage for Bordeaux) are at $400 now, likely to go up further as the wine is released in 2006. 1988 was not a memorable vintage for any of the Bordeaux, and as such, even Lafite was selling for about $150 as late as February of 2004.

But Chateau Lafite Rothschild is the premier cru that made Paulliac one of the most renowned of the Bordeaux, and even in a year when most other winemakers struggle to produce a decent wine, Lafite is consistently among the most eminently drinkable of the Bordeaux.

Yes, my husband is familiar with Lafite and says it is very expensive.
Tonight, we had a 2000 Chalone Pinor Noir.

Yeah but an '01 will not be ready to drink for about 10 years!

I paid $135 per bottle for a lot a five on winbid.com in January 2003. the '88 is now going for over $200 a bottle.

I had a really good '86 a few years ago. Also the '87 was better than some give it credit. WS rated it an 87 but I think it is way better than that.

It is my favorite wine. I am bidding on a '01 as I type!

YES!

$141.00 for a perfect condition in the wrapper '01 !!!

ooooh! baby!

I am pumped!

Did you try the Brancott's? If so, what did you think?

Has anyone ever had 1993 Silver Oak, Cabernet Sauvignon?

I wasn't that into appreciating wine until my husband introduced me to that producer and vintage. Then, I knew wine was good!

Excellent price, Mark! You'll be well rewarded, but I'd let it cellar for a few more years. Both the 2000 and '01 have great cellaring potential, with the '01 probably being best after about 2009. How many in the lot?

one bottle in this lot.

I am looking at a lot of 5 and the seller wants $155 which is still a great price but I am going to ask my wino buddy if he might want a bottle or two or three if we can get the entire lot. It's a Dutch auction.

I won't touch these until 2010 or so.

I still need to find some older vintages for the party next year!

Now I am going to pour a wee dram of The Balvenie 21 year old Port Wood to celebrate!

Mark,

Have you had the Lafleur? The bottle I had ( late 90s, I will try to get the exact year) was about $130. I am no wine expert, but it was fantastic, and one of my friends who shared it, who is quite experienced, declared it better than an 84' Lafite he had a few weeks earlier.

I have not had the Lafleur.

WOW! I only found one bottle of Lafleur (vintage 2000) on Wine Commune and the high bid is $900!

That's way too rich for me!

I will keep looking.

What are you all buying for New Year's?
Any recommendations on Champagne? Has anyone seen these single servings with hot pink labels called, "POP"?
Tonight, I'm drinking a Bordeaux from the Pomerol region; "Chateau Treytins". Smooth and probably a very highly rated wine by the experts but somewhat boring to me. I miss the fruit- forward spicy overtones of the Mad Fish Shiraz that I had last week...

Matt, on the first page of this long thread I mentioned that I had opened a bottle of Fume Blanc from Grgich Hills...LOVED it!
You guys were speaking of expensive wines a few weeks ago...how about Chateau Petrus from Bordeaux? Five to 12,000 dollars per case! Almost impossible to get your hands on a bottle since it is only sold to a select group of wholesalers and they will in turn only sell to prestigious restaurants and to their favorite customers(usually past/reliable buyers of the wine).

Leaping Horse Cab Sav 2002. Yummy.
Special Reserve Claret, Bordeaux Superieur 2003. Yuk.

Oops! A tad over enthusiastic there........

Kool-Aid :p

-AKindWord