Coming next week: Schrader and Rivers Marie. Both are Thomas Brown wines. Antonio Galloni mused, "Rivers-Marie's Sonoma Coast Pinot is arguably the single finest value in California wine. If it isn't, I would like to know what is. ". I can't drink much but for $25, I'll load up on this for house guests.

I'm officially off the wait list off Schrader. I just received notice this week via email and then yesterday their letter arrived at home---WOOOHOOO!

I can't wait for that and the Rivers Marie. Also looking forward to my Venge.

Schrader, and among other wineries, had a huge yield of quality fruit in 2012 so they were able to open up the list to a lot of wait list members. It's first come first serve so be sure to pull the trigger quickly!

I'm hoping my winemaker buddy out there brings an older bottle of Schrader to dinner when we go out to dinner in Yountville in a few weeks. He was going to last time but another winemaker joined us who brought his own bottle from the same vineyard and my buddy didn't want to put that bottle to shame!


[This message has been edited by Bsd (edited 1/18/2014 10:44a).]

I hope that ends up happening for you BSD. You seem to go out there a decent amount. Is it always play or is work involved as well?

Lately it's been for play. I have two accounts out there but I'm usually with family and friends so I rarely see them. I actually quit drinking because of a medical issue so my trips there now are more foodie and relaxation related, with a glass or two of something nice thrown in for fun. This trip will be for a beer at Russian River Brewing Company. Although if someone throws a glass of Schrader at me, I'll probably be nice and drink it.

I'm not going to read through this whole thread but a few of my favorites are;

Scribe Cabernet (2010, 2005)
Scribe Pinot Noir (the new estate grown is very good as well)
Del Dotto Sangiovese

Not a huge white wine fan but I like

Scribe skin fermented chard
Taft street chard

None of these are overly expensive but very good.

Just got done drinking a bottle of Saldo by the campfire. Still very good.

Interesting night at my house last night. For the first time ever, two Cali cabs were poured and neither wine was from Napa!!! Hell has definitely frozen over. We opened a 2008 Stefania Santa Cruz (San Jose area) and a 2008 Keating Monticello Vineyard out of Sonoma. I had two tastes of each. The Stefania was great and could probably last a while longer in the bottle. The Keating didn't do much for me. Maybe it was because it was at cellar temp when I first tasted it but even 30 minutes later it was a but one dimensional. That surprises me because I've always enjoyed his other wines. Oh well. The next time that I have a taste of cab, I'll get back to my Napa roots.

My wife and I went to the "Swirl" wine festival in Brenham yesterday. We weren't real sure what to expect but it was actually a very nice event. They had about 60 wines from all over the world being sampled throughout downtown. Nothing fancy. Mostly wines in the $10-$20 range but fun nonetheless.

Rivers Marie Pinot is a very good buy, no doubt.

reload,

if you find some good stuff from the NW for sale in Texas, let me know.

Heading to Tuscany (Florence) in June...any recommendations for wineries to visit? I guess that's the land of Chianti?

I'm a big fan of Brunello wines in the Montalcino area. There are quite a few wineries there that are accommodating to American visitors. Banfi is a big winery that is "Americanized" and may remind you of a California tasting room. It's worth a stop. My favorites were Casanova di Neri, Altesino, and Poggio Antica.

Montepulciano is a town with several wineries as well. Chianti seemed to be more spread out so we didn't do much there. We enjoyed stopping in the small towns and visiting the enotecas as we sampled (and bought) wine.

Thanks!

If you like Chianti, you should make a trip to Castello di Brolio. It's just outside of Gaiole. It's the best Chianti I've ever had. I'm constantly searching wine lists at restaurants for it and have yet to ever find it stateside. I'm not sure about how in depth the winery tour is (or if they even have one), but the setting is beautiful, you can tour the castle, there's a small restaurant on site that was good, and then there's a full tasting room back down the hill.

I don't know how to post links, but this is their website - http://www.ricasoli.it/

Many thanks!

bularry, I am in northern VA, so I can't help with Texas. I have to order most of wine from the NW. The main problem with collecting wine from the NW is most of the producers are 5000 cases an under. We get a great selection of CA and French, Spanish, and Italian wine here.

reload, yeah that is the struggle.

I've got a few like Owen Roe, A Will, Poet's Leap and Delille. I also have a couple of K Vintner's Syrah's. those are fairly widely available, but there were some others I drank out in Seattle that I would like to get a hold of here at home.

For someone who doesn't drink much, I sure did order a lot of wine today (relatively speaking). Some of these will age for several years and some will be served to guests at our home. Here's the damage:

2 x Schrader Cellars RBS (To Kalon Vineyard) Cabernet
Schrader Cellars CCS (To Kalon Vineyard) Cabernet
Schrader Cellars LPV (Las Piedras Vineyard in St Helena) Cabernet

4 x 2012 Rivers Marie Pinot Sonoma Coast
2012 Rivers Marie Pinot Summa Vineyard Old Vines
2012 Rivers Marie Pinot Silver Eagle Vineyard

2 x 2012 Myriad Dr Crane Reserve "Elysian" Cabernet
2013 Myriad Semillon Tofanelli Vineyard

BSD, I was just about to ask what you purchased from those three. I did the same with Myriad and RM, but since I'm first timer with Schrader I'm limited to a set offer. This is definitely a good problem for me to have!

The Schrader that I bought was a set offer. They always sell "Packs" of wines. Wave 1 gets all of the bottles (add T6, George III, and Old Sparky) and then the rest are released to Wave 2, which included new buyers as well this year. I was offered 2 "fantastic" packs but just went with one. In the old days, I would have maxed out three of these producers!

In some fun news, two guys that work at two of these wineries are meeting me at Russian River Brewing for a beer in a few weeks. I love to sit back and listen to these guys talk about business, farming, and drunk clients.

I'm thinking a bunch of need to show up en masse on BSD's doorstep, wine glasses in hand!

Who's with me??

I'm in Houston for work most of this week. Just tell me what time and I promise not to ring the doorbell---too often!

There are some decent wine shops that ship to VA. I can't believe the TABC does not allow retailers to ship into Texas. bularry which wines beside the Soos creek are you looking for?

Virginia has some decent wine. Had a local Cab Franc in Lexington, VA while travelling through there this summer and it was quite good.

Also bought a bottle from Tennessee made from Concord grapes. Semi-sweet. Tastes exactly what it sounds like - alcoholic Welch's with a bit of fizz. But you know what, paired with a PB&J on white bread it was actually quite quaffable!

reload,

lots of small producers in Oregon and Wash I'd like to try, stuff like Arteberry Maresh, Colene Clemens, Bow & Arrow, Nfarious, Waitberg, Haden Fig, etc. plus smaller release stuff from big producers like Reynvaan or Corliss or Rotie Cellar or Sparkman.

I'm rambling, but you get the picture.

Just ordered a bottle of: 2012 Myriad Cellars Beckstoffer Dr. Crane 'Reserve' Cabernet Sauvignon - 'Elysian'

What do you think, BSD?

I think you've done well for yourself! I had a few tastes out of the barrel in October and it was phenomenal.

In furtherance to Cecil's suggestion to infiltrate BSD's stash, we could either do that or, perhaps something a bit more "genteel" (at least from BSD's perspective!) meet at a fine local (Houston) wine establishment to swap stories.

I mean, jeez, this thread has gone on for 42 pages. Would be nice to move back to communicating/breaking bread the 20th century way. Ha.

bularry,
I found a retailer that carries 6 of the Arteberry M. offerings. I have been meaning to buy a bottle and you convinced me to try one. I have seen 3 different offering of the Sparkmann label at Costco. Maybe you can find them in Texas. I will have the opportunity to pick up some nefarious cellars and Reyvaan this spring from the mail order wine merchant I use. I will report back once I open them.

We are hosting a weekend Malbec tasting. I have 3 bottles from Argentina, one from Washington state, and one from Cahors. Does anyone have a suggestion for a sixth bottle? Thanks in advance!

Chester's Anvil Malbec if you can find it. It's one of the few Malbecs from Napa Valley.

Anyone familiar with Spotted Owl from Napa? Boss gave me a bottle (2010 Mountain Cuvee) from the case he had delivered to office yesterday. Not much found on the internet about it. Looks like ~$30 but that's all I could find. No reviews.

I'm on the wine committee for my son's high school auction. In a week or so we will auction off an Italian flight and a California flight on-line. If anyone is interested in bidding, I'll post the link when the auction starts up. Anyone can bid, not just those associated with the school.

Italian Flight (comments from Houston Wine Merchant):

Whites

Angelo Gaja Alteni Brassica 2009
Italy’s #1 producer; 100% Sauvignon Blanc - rich and textured; white peaches, melon, flowers and sage aromas and flavors

Querciabella Batar 2010
One of the top wines from Tuscany year end and year out; Chardonnay & Pinot Blanc blend

Marchesi Antinori Cervaro della Sala 2011
100% Chardonnay from Antinori; Wine Spectator – “Well-knit and balanced, with layers of apricot, honey, creamed apple and smoky minerality”

Reds

Angelo Gaja Barbaresco 2009
This is the wine that made Gaja famous! 92 points Robert Parker

Ornellaia Bogheri Superiore 2010
97 points Robert Parker – “a truly outstanding wine that leaves a lasting memory for those who are lucky enough to enjoy it. What stands out is the absolutely seamless-seamless-seamless (yes, it's worth repeating three times) integration of its many moving parts”


Biondi Santi Brunello di Montalcino Annata 2008
Most famous Brunello producer who stays true to the traditional brunello style; 92 points Robert Parker

Domencio Clerico Barolo Per Christina 2005
Single Vineyard Barolo 94 points Robert Parker- ‘The 2005 impresses for its length, textural finesse and fabulous overall balance.’

La Spinetta Barolo Campe 2006
Another single vinyard Barolo with good age; muscular in the glass, with powerful tannins that frame the expressive, generous fruit; 93 points Robert Parker

La Spinetta Barbaresco Starderi 2006
Top house in Piedmont; another terrific Starderi characteristic of the house’s super rich Barbaresco style; 93 points Robert Parker

Le Salette Amarone la Marega 2009
Good rich traditional style of Amarone; the elegance of the fruit comes though, as does the chewy intensity of the appassimento; 93 points Robert Parker

Quintarelli Valpolicella 2002
Most famous producer in the Veneto región; according to Robert Parker this vintage is just beginning to reach to maturity and should drink well for a number of years to come

Marchesi Antinori Solaia 2008
Antinori’s top rated wine; richer and darker than the Tignanello; 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese and 5% Cabernet Franc, aged in 100% new oak; 93 points Robert Parker


California Flight (Comments from Houston Wine Merchant):

Cabernet Sauvignons
Textbook 2011
Classic Bordelaise winemaking; specializes in growing and crafting small lots of Cabernet Sauvignon grown in the Oakville appellations

Stonestreet Monument Ridge 2009
89 points Steve Tanzer – ‘Good dark red; currant, graphite and loam on the nose and palate, plus a whiff of chocolate’

Frank Family Vineyards Napa 2010
90 points Steve Tanzer – ‘Rich, silky and seamless, with lively flavors of dark fruits, tobacco and exotic spices. Finishes with broad, fine-grained tannins and good verve’

Joseph Phelps Napa 2010
94 points Robert Parker - ‘The 2010 is beautiful. Scents of pain grille, mocha, black currants, spices and plums emerge from this deep, resonant wine; possesses stunning textural depth and richness, not to mention phenomenal overall balance

Jordan Alexander Valley 2003
2003 growing season produced a layered, richly textured wine; the oak has transitioned into a supporting role for the luscious, black cherry fruit that remains abundant.

Far Nienti (Nickel & Nickel) Oakville 2010
Planted on some of the most beautiful, gravelly loam soil in the Napa Valley, the Martin Stelling Cabernet vineyard uniformly produces wines with supple tannins, bright, forward fruit, and beautiful tannin structure.

Rudd Samantha’s Vineyard Oakville 2008
92 points Robert Parker – ‘Its dense purple color is followed by abundant aromas of creme de cassis, sweet licorice, charcoal and earth. This supple, dense 2008 should drink nicely for 10-15 years’

Dalla Valle Vineyards Napa 1993
One of the original cult wines of California, this brilliant wine has had enormous success since the mid- and late 1980s. From the famous red soils in the Oakville Corridor on the eastern hillsides overlooking such great addresses as Rudd Estate and Screaming Eagle, the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits a dense ruby/purple color as well as a classic, earthy, creme de cassis-scented nose. The 1993 is now ready to drink and enjoy!

Shafer Hillside Select 2009
98 points Robert Parker – ‘deep, racy and layered from the very first taste the 2009 impresses for its exceptional balance and pure pedigree; plenty of flesh here, but also more than enough tannin to help balance some of the wine’s more overt tendencies. A dazzling, utterly vivid finish rounds things out in style. This large-scaled, voluptuous Cabernet Sauvignon should be at its finest between the ages of 10 and 30.’

Dunn Howell Mountain 2006 (Magnum)
95 points Robert Parker – ‘big, dark and juicy; There is an element of wildness that runs through the wine. Graphite, licorice, tar and smoke are just some of the nuances that add complexity. The 2006 boasts superb purity from start to finish. Elements of fleshiness give the impression the 2006 might drink well relatively early, until the massive tannins set in. Floral notes add freshness on the finish. This is another fabulous wine from Randy Dunn. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2036’

Merlot

Pride Mountain Vineyards 2010
90 points Robert Parker – ‘The 2010 Merlot is the most fragrant and lightest of the wines at Pride. Sweet red cherries, dried flowers, tobacco and spices all waft from the glass of this delicate wine’

Syrah

Shafer Relentless 2010
97 points Robert Parker – ‘The extraordinary 2010 Relentless offers up notes of graphite, subtle wood charcoal, barbecue smoke, blackberry, blueberry and raspberry fruit, and hints of spice and meat. This full-bodied, supple-textured, exceptionally rich Syrah already has a certain accessibility, but should age well for two decades.’ (The 2008 was #1 on the Wine Spectator ‘s 2012 top 100 wine list.)

Red Blends

Peter Michael Vineyard ‘L’ Esprit de Pavots, Knights Valley 2010
94 points Robert Parker – ‘Owned by Sir Peter Michael, this estate has employed a bevy of brilliant winemakers over the years, the current being the two Morlet brothers, Nick and Luc, from the Champagne district in France. Both have brought French savoir-faire and applied it to extraordinary vineyard sites to produce world-class wines of extraordinary richness, intensity and complexity. The 2010 is made from a similar blend with slightly less Cabernet Sauvignon and more Merlot. Loaded with black fruit, licorice, bouquet garni and forest floor characteristics, it is an opulent, round, delicious wine.’

Cain Five Spring Mountain 2008
100% Cain Vineyard the estate vineyard is planted to the classic set of five traditional Bordeaux varieties. The 2008 Cain Five is a traditional Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Supple-textured and understated, with savory herb and dill-laced currant flavors.

Joseph Phelps Insignia 2010
95 points Robert Parker – ‘The stunning 2010 Insignia was made from 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot and the rest Merlot and Malbec. This beauty is one of the top Insignias produced over recent years. It should age easily for 20+ years.’

Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red 2008 (Magnum)
93 points Robert Parker – ‘The 2008 Proprietary Red Wine blend is essentially a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated wine with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec blended in; graphite, blueberry and lilac notes, sweet tannin, medium to full body, and an elegant, gracious feel, with no shortage of richness and concentration. Just now coming into early stages of maturity and should continue to drink well until 2025.’

quote:

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In furtherance to Cecil's suggestion to infiltrate BSD's stash, we could either do that or, perhaps something a bit more "genteel" (at least from BSD's perspective!) meet at a fine local (Houston) wine establishment to swap stories.

I mean, jeez, this thread has gone on for 42 pages. Would be nice to move back to communicating/breaking bread the 20th century way. Ha.

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Lucios? Underbelly?