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Jude Bischoff
Ice climber
Palm Springs
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 23, 2007 - 11:57pm PT
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Splurged on a Lake Sonoma 02 Dry Creek Valley Zin tonight. Costa, my local wine merchant, scored on the last 11 bottles available as a distributor had a broken case. 92 pts says he in Wine Aficionado. This 18 dollar beauty has fine legs, thick berry jam flavors and the wife is gone for the weekend. OMG
Any wine moments in your life? Have any of you bay area climbers attended the annual grapes and granite gathering in J-Tree?
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dirtineye
Trad climber
the south
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Jun 24, 2007 - 12:10am PT
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If you want a bargain that tastes expensive, try Gnarly Head Zinfandel, or Estancia Cab Sav.
Wine moments... yeah, plenty, but you'd only be jealous, or disbelieving. The great ones cost way too much now. Once upon a time you could get a real read burgundy for 7 bucks and a white one for 12. And some of these California cabs that are over 100 bucks now were in the teens in the late 70's-early 80's.
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Chaz
Trad climber
So. Cal.
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Jun 24, 2007 - 12:17am PT
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I've been seeing Tobin James Ballistic Zinfandel in a local supermarket and at Bev-Mo for about $17-$18. The '05 is the best yet.
http://www.tobinjames.com/our_wines.asp
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Jude Bischoff
Ice climber
Palm Springs
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 24, 2007 - 12:54am PT
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Cigars are the new hippie lettuce. A great wine and a fine cigar, now we're talking.
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Jude Bischoff
Ice climber
Palm Springs
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 24, 2007 - 01:17am PT
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Thanks Locker,
I gave up the cigars, but still have fond memories.
If I don't climb in Idlewild tomorrow I will head to Josh and pick up the shoes. Need a partner?
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KP Ariza
climber
SCC
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Jun 24, 2007 - 08:04pm PT
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Six Great Zins
A. Raffanilli-Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma
Turley-Napa
Outpost-Paso Robles?
Biale- Napa
David Michael "Lust"-Lodi
Deerfield-Sonoma
All of these makers produce single vineyard designates, most of which are higher end, all of which are outstanding. Some of these wines can be difficult to come by but they all certainly deliver the goods.
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Jude Bischoff
Ice climber
Palm Springs
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 24, 2007 - 09:45pm PT
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Hey Kenny, The only one I have had on the list is the Rafanilli and it is truly a fine wine. One of my buddies grew up with those boys. He has some stories to tell.
This "Dancing School House " painting of mine is used by Burrell School Vinyard for their Old School Cabernet. The wine sold out last year and was outstanding. It is a small mom and pop winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
http://www.burrellschool.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=73
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stevep
Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
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Jun 24, 2007 - 09:58pm PT
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Zin is in my mind the best value in red on the market right now. Even the best zins, like the Ridge Lytton Springs, are less than $40, and you can get very good zin for less than $20. Not mention the fact that I like it.
Totally agree on the Rafanelli. Outstanding stuff. The Peachy Canyon single vineyard wines are also great for their price.
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dirtineye
Trad climber
the south
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Jun 24, 2007 - 10:28pm PT
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LOL, hearing the word "Value" and the phrase, "less than 40 dollars", about wine makes me feel old.
Used to drink Heitz Martha's Vinyard for 35-40 bucks a pop. BV Private Reserve Cab Sav for 12, then 15 bucks. Phelps Insignia and Eisle, take your pick, 25 bucks each. We thought those were expensive at the time. Let's not talk about Chassagne Montrache red and white for 7 and 11 bucks a bottle, SOB SOB.
But still, Gnarly Head zin tastes like the old style Zins did for about 10 bucks, and Estancia Cab Sav at about 15 bucks is mighty fine.
That's four zins for the price of one of those 40 dollar bottles, if anyone cares, and I don't think you'll find 30 bucks difference between em.
It really pesters me to see wines that were unknown and really reasonably priced just 20 or so years ago selling for over 100 bucks a bottle now. It's the same wine, tastes the same, just costs more. Mondavi wanted to make California wine expensive, and now it is, Oh Joy.
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Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder Colorado
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Jun 24, 2007 - 10:39pm PT
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nice
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climbrunride
Trad climber
Durango, CO
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Jun 24, 2007 - 10:45pm PT
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Silver Mountain Pinot Noir is excellent! They're just down the road from Burrell School Vinyards and also make an excellent Chard from organic grapes grown on the estate. Less than $20 a bottle. WOW! I got to go along for a private party and tour at the vinyard and like it even more now - I was very impressed.
Too bad I can't get it out here in CO.
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Jun 24, 2007 - 11:04pm PT
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Here's a tip: Fess Parker Syrah from Santa Barbera, the vintage that's in stores right now. A great bargain at $18. Keep this amongst yourselves.
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stevep
Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
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Jun 24, 2007 - 11:08pm PT
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Not the point I was trying to make Dirt.
I agree that what is perceived as the best wine has gotten way too expensive, and that those single vineyard Ridge's, are in no way three to four times better than any number of $10-15 zins.
Just that those Ridge's are good, and are recognized in the same way that the Phelps Insigna, or Mondavi Private Reserve, or any number of other $100+ bottles of Cab. Or $50-$75 bottles of Merlot or Pinot. Relative to those options, the zin is a value in my mind. Not that it makes me run around and buy $40 bottles of zin, when there are plenty of good options for less than $20, even here in Utah.
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dirtineye
Trad climber
the south
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Jun 24, 2007 - 11:25pm PT
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Steverino, my point about wine is that there is almost always something around ten or 15 bucks that is damned good, and I mean good without reservation. My other point is that 40 bucks is too much, unless the wine is truly world class. That's a function of drinking a lot of great wine before the nouveau riche drove the prices of French, then California wine sky high. Sort of like paying 3k for your first new car, and thinking that 20k is WAY too much for any car, and 40K is unspeakable.
IT could be worse. I knew a fellow whose dad had bought Chateau Latour 61 for about 2 bucks a bottle. Imagine how he felt when the wine price boom hit!
But back to wine values, there have been tastings where the so-called experts, who have a lot to do with setting prices, were given wines where the bottles had been swapped-- in other words, the cheaper wines were put in the expensive lables and vice versa. Guess what they picked as the best wines? And then there was the tasting with the wines in black glasses, where the 'experts' could not tell red from white.
I'm a firm believer that wine should be judged on how it tastes, and nothing else.
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KP Ariza
climber
SCC
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Jun 24, 2007 - 11:38pm PT
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Jude, the Raffanelli's have become stingy w/ there juice. Tasting by appt. only and only 1 bottle per group- even if you are 10 people!
Steve, really lovin' the Ridge eh? good sh#t but some of the finest Zins are small lot little known labels w/ fat price tags, only to get worse.
Dirt, gas was a buck ten a gallon at that time. Those days are over bro, so either suck it up and pay at the pump, get an inside connect to lessen sticker shock, or continue drinkin' swill like Estancia cab.
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Jude Bischoff
Ice climber
Palm Springs
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 24, 2007 - 11:41pm PT
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Price, for the most part, does not determine the quality of the wine. I have tasted 60 dollar bottles that could have cost 10 bucks. However, The master wine maker, using advanced blending teckniques and ingredients will make a huge difference.
French Oak, which is the most prized aging barrel used for Pinot and Cabs, is very expensive. Hense the cost is passed on to the customer who is willing to pay for the quality craftsmanship and artistry that goes into these fine wines.
If the wine maker is a true artist, you will tell the difference.
California wines are amoung the best in the world. The list goes on.
I had Knarly Head for the first time this week, very tasty.
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WBraun
climber
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Jun 24, 2007 - 11:44pm PT
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California wines are among the best in the world. The list goes on.
Ripple
Mad dog 20-20
night train
Thunderbird
Wild Irish Rose
etc.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Jun 24, 2007 - 11:48pm PT
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Last night I went camping with some friends in the mountains.
The weather was absolutely perfect, the night calm and clear, the moon and venus were the first to light the night. We were up in the firs and pines and with nobody within 5 miles the calm was only broken by a deer snorting in the woods nearby.
Being something of the wilderness sommelier I carried a modest selection, and as I was in the company of a young doctor with an experienced palete I decided to break out a bottle of Mouton Cadet Bordeaux to go with the london broil we barbecued.
Imagine my surprise when our third, a mormon rastafarian, expressed the wish to try the second glass of wine in his 30+ years.
Suffice to say that next time it will be his FIFTH glass.
Damn it was great.
Cheers to you all.
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Jude Bischoff
Ice climber
Palm Springs
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 24, 2007 - 11:49pm PT
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LOL Werner is coming for dinner, break out the mad dog and q up some dogs.
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dirtineye
Trad climber
the south
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Jun 24, 2007 - 11:51pm PT
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Dirty Kenny, bad analogy, what else on ST?
The range of price and quality in gasoline does not come close to that in wine. There are no gas tastings, and nobody will seriously tell you that brand x gas is worth 20 times the price of brand y, LOL.
If wine followed gas pricing structures, there woudl be three prices for wine, and all brands would price out within a few cents of each other, and be cheaper than bottled water. If only that were true.
But lets use your analogy anyway. 61 Latour, one of the greatest wines of all time, 2 bucks in say 1965, when you would be hard pressed to find gas at more than 25 cents a gallon in the USA. Let's find a multiplier. OK, gas is now over 3 bucks, for you losers in CA we'll call it $3.75, and use that to find that gas prices rose by a factor of 15. OK, using the same factor for wine, Latour should cost, HMMM, lemme see here, um, why, 30 bucks.
OK, I will buy all that you will sell me at that price, ROTFLMAO!!!!
But if you think Estancia is swill, you're just an effing wine snob, and I pity you. I'll bet you could not pick it in a blind tasting out of 12 wines as the 'swill' you proclaim.
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