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Whats in your wine cellar?

1,436,173 Views | 11196 Replies | Last: 5 hrs ago by Danothemano
HTownAg98
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If you're headed out to Fredericksburg anytime soon, make an appointment to taste at Serrano. Brice and Sarah Garrett moved their winery from Paso Robles to Hye, so they're still selling wines they made while in Paso. Be sure to try the Viognier; Sarah really knows how to handle that grape, and their Texas Roussanne is exceptional. The Paso reds were really good too.
Chipotlemonger
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AG
Opened up a 2015 Pinot from Willamette tonight. Fun to try a nice Pinot with more age on it than I might normally go for! Interesting to pick up the different flavors and aromas…less fresh fruit and more of a dried raisin and cherry character. Also some slight woody savory notes. The acid has smoothed out as well.

I've never had old burgundy, or old Pinot in general for that matter, but if this 2015 is any indication of what they can achieve with even more time I see why they are so popular!
bularry
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HTownAg98 said:

If you're headed out to Fredericksburg anytime soon, make an appointment to taste at Serrano. Brice and Sarah Garrett moved their winery from Paso Robles to Hye, so they're still selling wines they made while in Paso. Be sure to try the Viognier; Sarah really knows how to handle that grape, and their Texas Roussanne is exceptional. The Paso reds were really good too.

I follow them on IG and was wondering about their quality... I'm a bit skeptical. their leaving of Paso was a weird deal
cecil77
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AG
HTownAg98 said:

If you're headed out to Fredericksburg anytime soon, make an appointment to taste at Serrano. Brice and Sarah Garrett moved their winery from Paso Robles to Hye, so they're still selling wines they made while in Paso. Be sure to try the Viognier; Sarah really knows how to handle that grape, and their Texas Roussanne is exceptional. The Paso reds were really good too.
Stop by and say hello! It's been awhile.
cecil77
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AG
bularry said:

HTownAg98 said:

If you're headed out to Fredericksburg anytime soon, make an appointment to taste at Serrano. Brice and Sarah Garrett moved their winery from Paso Robles to Hye, so they're still selling wines they made while in Paso. Be sure to try the Viognier; Sarah really knows how to handle that grape, and their Texas Roussanne is exceptional. The Paso reds were really good too.

I follow them on IG and was wondering about their quality... I'm a bit skeptical. their leaving of Paso was a weird deal

Wineries are businesses and want to get out of California just as much as every other business.

I've changed my attitude about all the CA wineries moving in. Bring 'em on! It's one thing to say the we (Inwood/Chateau Marie LaRose/Oentrepid) are better than other Texas wines, but if we're better than the CA wines (and so far, we are) then it actually means something...
HTownAg98
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Chipotlemonger said:

Opened up a 2015 Pinot from Willamette tonight. Fun to try a nice Pinot with more age on it than I might normally go for! Interesting to pick up the different flavors and aromas…less fresh fruit and more of a dried raisin and cherry character. Also some slight woody savory notes. The acid has smoothed out as well.

I've never had old burgundy, or old Pinot in general for that matter, but if this 2015 is any indication of what they can achieve with even more time I see why they are so popular!
Older pinot noir can be really excellent if it's been cellared property. It will start to show some tertiary notes like truffle, mushroom, earth, graphite. I don't like them too old, as I prefer them to still have some fruit left. But if you can find one that still has the fruit and acid and shows some of those tertiary flavors, they can be pretty amazing.

If you ever go to the Willamette Valley, and want to try some older Oregon Pinots, go to Joel Palmer House. The chef/owner buys all the wines (the cellar is about 99% Oregon wines), puts in his markup, and it doesn't change. You can get some really good deals on older wines, which are very fun to try if you've never had the chance to see how these wines can age. When we went in 2020, we had a 1995 Archery Summit Arcus Estate that was exquisite and very reasonably priced (I think I paid $150 for it, and their current release is $125). I will say that if you don't like mushrooms, you probably shouldn't eat here.
SteelyThunder
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AG
We were actually just at ZD Wines in Rutherford and they put a 2009 Pinot on their tasting menu. It was interesting, but I completely agree that there wasn't enough fruit left for my palate. Our server recognized it and brought us a pair of glasses of the 2015 and we got lucky enough to have a few samples from the library. Really enjoyed their '15 Pinot and ended up bringing home a few bottles. We'll for sure drink them in the next year or so, as I think they were about peak flavor in the 6-8 year range. After 8, for this producer, it started to flatten out.
PebbleRock2019
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Howdy, Everyone! My name is Lydia Nida '09. My husband, Robert '08, and I own Pebble Rock Cellars in Johnson City, TX and we would love for all of y'all to visit us sometime! Our website is www.pebblerockcellars.wine

If you are planning a trip to the Hill Country and need suggestions, please reach out to us at info@pebblerockcellars.wine. We're always happy to make recommendations. There is also a new app called The Vind. This app is specifically for visiting the TX Hill Country and will help you plan your trip after you answer a few questions. It was designed by a young local couple that saw were constantly getting asked where to go.

And if you're looking for some old and new places to go, check out the October issue of Texas Monthly for the 2022 Texas Vintners Cup Winners. In this blind tasting, our 2019 Sagrantino was selected as one of the top 12 wines in Texas and our 2020 Roussanne received an honorable mention.

Also, if you are in the College Station area, the Department of Horticulture has started a Spirited Learning series on campus. Once a month (during the school year), they feature a Texas winery. The tastings are free and open to the public. They just ask that you RSVP so they know how many people to expect. We were the featured winery this month and there were around 175 people that attended! It's a great event to help get the word out about Texas wine! Follow the Texas A&M University Department of Horticultural Sciences page on Facebook to find out when the next tasting will be!
FTAco07
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AG
I got engaged today so we're starting a bit of a celebration. Will report back tomorrow with the final bottle count, but these were a good start.


BSD
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AG
Congratulations!!!
FTAco07
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AG
Not as many bottles as I expected since the guys switched to bourbon and the women just cackled.

That 08 Metisse was excellent and the 18 Covert Sage Estate is probably our favorite bottle in the cellar
bularry
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HTownAg98 said:

Chipotlemonger said:

Opened up a 2015 Pinot from Willamette tonight. Fun to try a nice Pinot with more age on it than I might normally go for! Interesting to pick up the different flavors and aromas…less fresh fruit and more of a dried raisin and cherry character. Also some slight woody savory notes. The acid has smoothed out as well.

I've never had old burgundy, or old Pinot in general for that matter, but if this 2015 is any indication of what they can achieve with even more time I see why they are so popular!
Older pinot noir can be really excellent if it's been cellared property. It will start to show some tertiary notes like truffle, mushroom, earth, graphite. I don't like them too old, as I prefer them to still have some fruit left. But if you can find one that still has the fruit and acid and shows some of those tertiary flavors, they can be pretty amazing.

If you ever go to the Willamette Valley, and want to try some older Oregon Pinots, go to Joel Palmer House. The chef/owner buys all the wines (the cellar is about 99% Oregon wines), puts in his markup, and it doesn't change. You can get some really good deals on older wines, which are very fun to try if you've never had the chance to see how these wines can age. When we went in 2020, we had a 1995 Archery Summit Arcus Estate that was exquisite and very reasonably priced (I think I paid $150 for it, and their current release is $125). I will say that if you don't like mushrooms, you probably shouldn't eat here.
some pinot also just has much more of a savory flavor profile.. the fruit is there but there are equal amounts of earth and iodine and mushroom. not so much in sonoma/carneros but other areas of the world.

so good to find the producers/ava's that meet your preferences
bularry
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cecil77 said:

bularry said:

HTownAg98 said:

If you're headed out to Fredericksburg anytime soon, make an appointment to taste at Serrano. Brice and Sarah Garrett moved their winery from Paso Robles to Hye, so they're still selling wines they made while in Paso. Be sure to try the Viognier; Sarah really knows how to handle that grape, and their Texas Roussanne is exceptional. The Paso reds were really good too.

I follow them on IG and was wondering about their quality... I'm a bit skeptical. their leaving of Paso was a weird deal

Wineries are businesses and want to get out of California just as much as every other business.

I've changed my attitude about all the CA wineries moving in. Bring 'em on! It's one thing to say the we (Inwood/Chateau Marie LaRose/Oentrepid) are better than other Texas wines, but if we're better than the CA wines (and so far, we are) then it actually means something...

Know a few winery owners and makers in CA and not one has told me they are interested in leaving... I think circumstances dictate a lot for each individual I guess.


speaking of CA, I heard the owners of Grape Creek have started a "luxury" line featuring fruit from Rutherford and other CA AVA's to sell in a new 290 tasting room. I chortled a bit.
BSD
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AG
Dinner last night…

cecil77
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AG
Interesting. We had the '16 Materium a couple weeks ago. In the lineup was also a Hundred Acre - and although good, they were both the least favorite wines in the lineup. The collective opinion (about 8 of us) was the that style of wine is just "too"... Too concentrated, too much oak, and most particularly too sweet. Seemed like high class Caymus. I know those wines get massive ratings any many love them - the palates of this group seem to have moved away from the style.
cecil77
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AG
bularry said:

cecil77 said:

bularry said:

HTownAg98 said:

If you're headed out to Fredericksburg anytime soon, make an appointment to taste at Serrano. Brice and Sarah Garrett moved their winery from Paso Robles to Hye, so they're still selling wines they made while in Paso. Be sure to try the Viognier; Sarah really knows how to handle that grape, and their Texas Roussanne is exceptional. The Paso reds were really good too.

I follow them on IG and was wondering about their quality... I'm a bit skeptical. their leaving of Paso was a weird deal

Wineries are businesses and want to get out of California just as much as every other business.

I've changed my attitude about all the CA wineries moving in. Bring 'em on! It's one thing to say the we (Inwood/Chateau Marie LaRose/Oentrepid) are better than other Texas wines, but if we're better than the CA wines (and so far, we are) then it actually means something...

Know a few winery owners and makers in CA and not one has told me they are interested in leaving... I think circumstances dictate a lot for each individual I guess.


speaking of CA, I heard the owners of Grape Creek have started a "luxury" line featuring fruit from Rutherford and other CA AVA's to sell in a new 290 tasting room. I chortled a bit.
LOL, several thousand wineries in CA, quite a few now have locations on 290 in Texas and more are on the way - it was just a personal observation.

And why chortle? I'm not a Grape Creek fan - but that doesn't mean that their CA wines can't be any good. For years now you've denigrated any mention of the Texas wine industry, so I guess it's to be expected.

BSD
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AG
cecil77 said:

Interesting. We had the '16 Materium a couple weeks ago. In the lineup was also a Hundred Acre - and although good, they were both the least favorite wines in the lineup. The collective opinion (about 8 of us) was the that style of wine is just "too"... Too concentrated, too much oak, and most particularly too sweet. Seemed like high class Caymus. I know those wines get massive ratings any many love them - the palates of this group seem to have moved away from the style.



Interesting.
greenband
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AG
Requirement to label ingredients in wine is a good idea, although I'm not sure if what is being proposed will allow people to understand the amount of sugar, MegaPurple, sulfites, etc. that are added to the wine.

https://www.winespectator.com/articles/whats-in-a-label

Quote:

In response to an executive order by President Biden, the Treasury Department conducted research and released a report, "Competition in the Markets for Beer, Wine, and Spirits," in February 2022. That report asserted that TTB should "prioritize labeling rules that protect consumers and public health, while reducing or eliminating any regulatory requirements that create compliance costs and can be barriers to new entrants or burdens to small businesses." It also observed that "regulatory proposals that could serve public health and foster competition by providing information to consumers, such as mandatory allergen, nutrition, and ingredient labeling proposals, have not been implemented."

I trust wine more from France and Italy to have less excess sugar, MegaPurple, etc. Not sure if that is a good assumption.
cecil77
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AG
This is a fascinating discussion. Not completely sure what I think.

Winemaking is a complex art with a bunch of science. It's not easy. Think about it. Why are there great winemakers, average winemakers and mediocre winemakers? If it's just growing grapes, crushing, inoculating, barreling and bottling then why the vast difference in winemakers? Because it's complex with myriad decisions, not the least of which is finishing the wine.

Few winemakers are willing to share proprietary techniques in their wines. While I would love to see sugar levels on the labels just like ABV, quantifying tannins, pyrazines, polyphenols or anything else is difficult. As to "additives" here's a clue... virtually all wines, including the most expensive and most exclusive aren't just grapes and yeast. No winemaker is going to list what techniques are used.

Also, while most wines I drink are French, they are leaders in MOX and other modern techniques, but yeah, I think I'd agree about Mega purple and added sugar. I think people would be shocked at how much added sugar there is in CA wines, particularly at lower price levels.

BQRyno
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AG
Blue star for using "myriad" in a grammatically correct manner….and for good thoughts.
bularry
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cecil77 said:

bularry said:

cecil77 said:

bularry said:

HTownAg98 said:

If you're headed out to Fredericksburg anytime soon, make an appointment to taste at Serrano. Brice and Sarah Garrett moved their winery from Paso Robles to Hye, so they're still selling wines they made while in Paso. Be sure to try the Viognier; Sarah really knows how to handle that grape, and their Texas Roussanne is exceptional. The Paso reds were really good too.

I follow them on IG and was wondering about their quality... I'm a bit skeptical. their leaving of Paso was a weird deal

Wineries are businesses and want to get out of California just as much as every other business.

I've changed my attitude about all the CA wineries moving in. Bring 'em on! It's one thing to say the we (Inwood/Chateau Marie LaRose/Oentrepid) are better than other Texas wines, but if we're better than the CA wines (and so far, we are) then it actually means something...

Know a few winery owners and makers in CA and not one has told me they are interested in leaving... I think circumstances dictate a lot for each individual I guess.


speaking of CA, I heard the owners of Grape Creek have started a "luxury" line featuring fruit from Rutherford and other CA AVA's to sell in a new 290 tasting room. I chortled a bit.
LOL, several thousand wineries in CA, quite a few now have locations on 290 in Texas and more are on the way - it was just a personal observation.

And why chortle? I'm not a Grape Creek fan - but that doesn't mean that their CA wines can't be any good. For years now you've denigrated any mention of the Texas wine industry, so I guess it's to be expected.


I drink plenty of Texas wine, actually, more than most I'd bet. But I'm not buying CA wine made on 290. And if they are just retailing their CA wine on 290 with a tasting room, I can get that experience with a vast array of CA wine and several quality wine bars and restaurants near where I live. What the F would I do it there?

and "luxury" made me laugh. If you have to tell people that....

I don't denigrate the Texas wine industry, as said above, I support it. But I don't support people chasing a quick buck selling to wine novices a bunch of crap. thousands of wineries do it around the world, and I don't support those efforts, either.
cecil77
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AG
Sorry for this misunderstanding.

I agree with every word of that.

What's changed is that I relish the "challenge". Bring it on. If we're better (Inwood/Oentrepid/Ch MarieLaRose) than the Tx winery next door - that's great but to the larger wine market is meaningless. If we're better than the Napa wine store next door, (and so far we are) that's a really good thing for us.

bularry
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cecil77 said:

Sorry for this misunderstanding.

I agree with every word of that.

What's changed is that I relish the "challenge". Bring it on. If we're better (Inwood/Oentrepid/Ch MarieLaRose) than the Tx winery next door - that's great but to the larger wine market is meaningless. If we're better than the Napa wine store next door, (and so far we are) that's a really good thing for us.


agree with closing remarks, making wine that stands on its own in any market should be the goal for our Texas winemakers, and thankfully, that is the case for many as the talent and techniques and most importantly, vineyard knowledge, matures.
jh0400
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AG
Virgin Voyages has a pretty good onboard wine selection. This was pretty reasonable.
jh0400
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AG
Having a "brought from home" wine tonight. I love these Ridge blends.


BSD
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AG
I really like the Ridge Rockpile vineyard. I used to have several of their zins.
HTownAg98
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I haven't had a Ridge that I didn't like.
schwack schwack
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I made a thread about this, then saw this one. Excuse the double post - but looks like y'all know stuff!

We have a 1985 Dom Perignon Rose' that we will never drink. I was doing some online research on where to sell it & these people out of Florida will either buy it outright or consign for sale on ebay. I have requested information on their fees, etc., but was wondering if anyone on here knows of them, has dealt with them or maybe you know of someplace better?

https://www.cultwinesintl.com/
aggiejumper
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AG
How much do you want for it? What is provenance of the bottle? Can you post a pic or two? I'd be interested if things check out.
schwack schwack
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I don't know - just starting to look around at prices & research it. We are not wine/champagne drinkers - bourbons are our thing. We received this as a wedding gift in 1997 from a good friend in NYC & intended to open it on our 20th but forgot to.

Here are a few pics. The foil looks good to us, the fill level is high.




Chipotlemonger
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AG
How was it stored? Move much during that time? Where are you now?
schwack schwack
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AG
Quote:

How was it stored? Move much during that time? Where are you now?

Stored in on it's side in it's box. Moved when we left Dallas about 4 years ago - now in Palestine. Pretty consistent temp - we keep things pretty cool here under hvac all year - we don't even open windows in spring/fall too much pollen.
aggiejumper
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AG
Per the previous poster, what's provenance and history of the bottle. You can go from less than $200 and a good chance it's no good to $1k if perfect provenance
HTownAg98
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It might be worth something to a collector just because it's unopened and you still have the box. The value will just be in the bottle and the box, not what is inside the bottle. The other issue you'll have is how was it stored by the person that gave it to you. If you can't prove that up, a serious collector isn't going to take a chance on it.

Even if it's been stored at a constant temperature, it may not be good anymore. My thought would be to just drink it on your anniversary and see how it is. It's it's terrible, pour it down the drain and have some bourbon.
schwack schwack
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AG
Quote:

It's it's terrible, pour it down the drain and have some bourbon.

Best bottle in the world or worst - it will taste pretty terrible to us either way - LOL. Neither of us like champagne at all.
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