Excellent. Thanks!!!

ideas for champagne for xmas present to wife?

she likes the yeasty, coffe/mocha deal. but also likes a lot of tiny bubbles.

Casanove is a good one I like, it's around $40.

Other than that, you're best bet is going to be to ask someone where you buy Champagne, and ask them. There are so many labels that there's a really good chance that anything anyone on here would recommend won't be in the store.

Another question about ultra premium wine buying?

Have any of you ever sold any? How is the secondary market and does it reflect any appreciation over the years? I'm wondering with interest rates where they are if wine has any investment component? Yes, yes, I understand the inherent risk in that as well as the likelihood of never actually selling any - I mean once you've got it it would be hard to let go of any...

The secondary market on wine is very economy dependent, meaning that it really depends on how much disposable income is available. Right now, it's not that good, and you only have to look at Bordeaux futures pricing to figure that out. And just like supply and demand, the stuff that is hard to get is going to be priced higher. There is also the inherent risk that the wine you are purchasing wasn't stored properly, and you end up buying real expensive vinegar.

I don't do it, but I know of people that have sold wine out of their cellars. What usually ends up happening is that they take a pretty hefty discount to get a bulk sale done.

I buy most of my Bordeaux through auction. I do it for small collecting/njoyment purposes. I would not get into it as an investment

The only reason I have ever sold wine was to a friend who really wanted a bottle I had, and I certainly didn't profit on it. For me it's all about enjoyment.

( that said, I could stand to sell to free up room in the cellar but I wouldn't be able to pick bottles to sell, I want to drink them all!)

Just bought 6L of Karl Lawrence 07 cab from their website. I'm all in following my e wine hero bsd's Recco

Picked up a sixer of 09 Bordeaux based on a local chefs rec for 2009 3rd thru 5th growths:
Clos du Marquis (Leoville les cases 2nd label) $72 CT 91.7
Talbot (4th growth) $72 CT 91.8
Cantemerle (5th growth) $45 CT 90.3
Haut- Bages-Liberal (5th growth) $54 CT 90.5
Gloria (unclassed) $54 90.8
La Croix de Beaucaillou (ducru Beaucaillou 2nd label) $54 CT 91.6

A 6L or 6L total???? Either way, that's a big entry on a recommendation!

6l total. Swing it my friend

I had Karl L a few weeks on your recco. Estate sale. For the collection

[This message has been edited by coscaggie (edited 12/7/2012 7:56p).]

Awesome. I love the stuff. I only wish they weren't shutting it down!

I've never sold any of the premiums either. I just put them in the cellar. I do share quite a bit though. My Promise allocation came in this week. Good juice. BSD have you had Promise?

1985 Napa Silver Oak last night with our Christmas dinner.

My wine bud brought one of those like 8 liter huge bottles he had been saving.

Great juice.

I've never had Promise, I'll look into them.

'85 Napa SO? That was back when they were good! Nice!!!

[This message has been edited by Bsd (edited 12/8/2012 8:41a).]

Promise is primo Winston Hill.

In honor of the Heisman drinking a 2009 Behrens "The Knockout" cab.

Good juice and the name seemed right.

Just started decanting a 2006 Ovid Experiment M9.36, a blend of 92.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5.7% Petit Verdot, and 1.7% Cabernet Franc.

BSD - I got a case of the Ovid experiment current vintage about 3 weeks ago. I've found the heisman ceremony to be a detriment to my cellar. BTW how big of a cellar do you have?

Buying cases of Ovid, WC? Dayumn! This was a solid Cabernet. I'm a fan of Prtichard Hill fruit. We only had one bottle tonight during the Heisman, as we had some craft beer we wanted to get into as well to celebrate.

The cellar is currently way above my comfort level. We are just under 700 bottles with 28 pending delivery. My two wine cabinets are full and I have 3 cases in boxes awaiting a home once we get thru some wine over the holidays. I'd really like to try a lot of the wines you guys mention on here but with the overflow "problem" I have, I just can't justify buying anything else! (but I'm taking notes!)

[This message has been edited by Bsd (edited 12/8/2012 11:12p).]

Not a wine drinker at all, but we were given a bottle of Beaulieu Vineyard Georges De Latour Private Reserve Cab (2009) last night at a Christmas party. Holy crap, I didn't realize this was a 125 bottle of wine... Guess we'll have to open it up on a really special occasion.

Perissos Rackers blend

It was a slow wine weekend since I was out hunting. We popped the cork on some Domaine Chandon Etoile Brut Rose NV last night. It's a really nice US sparkler, and it can be found in some wine shops, though it's not very common. Most of it goes to the club members.

My allocation of Barrett and Barrett was offered today. Got a case and a magnum. It's one if you haven't tried and get the chance to do it. Great farming by Bo Barrett and excellent wine making by Heidi Barrett.

Htown, once a year in December when the Napa reviews come out, I get a month subscription to The Wine Advocate to check out the descriptions on wines that I like and see if there are new wineries that might interest me. The report isn't out yet so I havent signed up but as I looked over the articles I missed over the last year I saw a 5 part series on grower Champagne. Once the Napa report is released I'll read that grower series and report back.

BSD, put it this way: I haven't had a Grower Champagne that I didn't like. The style runs from steely, rip-the-enamel-off-your-teeth acid, mineral-driven Champagne (that is perfect for raw oysters, btw) to the fuller bodied mousse-y style that goes with just about anything. I'd save the money you'd spend on the report and funnel that into some Champagne.

Good to hear! The month's subscription is only $12 and since I enjoy reading about the Napa wines, the grower Champagne report will be a nice bonus and read for someone like me who has no real knowledge of the region.

Tonight I enjoyed my first Maybach Chardonnay after cracking the 2010 vintage. A very good wine!

Bob foley semillon tonight with green soup. Decent.

Been drinking quite a bit of ken wright lately. I'm a fan

Been drinking quite a bit of ken wright lately. I'm a fan

yeah that is good stuff. oregon pinot is pretty much my fav

Owen Roe is a winery in Oregon that makes some pretty good stuff.

Also here's a groupon type deal for Ken Wright wines. It's probably going to expire soonish.
http://www.fox12dailydeals.com/deal/1193

I'm a long time lurker on this thread and figured I should break my silence and ask for some insight from y'all experts.

I just added two nice red napa cabs to my cellar that I've never tried before and would like some of y'all's thoughts on them and what foods to possibly pair them with. One is an '08 Pahlmeyer cab blend and the other is a Cliff Lede poetry cab, I forget the vintage, '08 or '09 I think. Any thoughts are much appreciated.