Shameless Plug
My sister and brother-in-law are making a sangiovese in Santa Ynez.  Doug Margerum is consulting.  I gave a bottle to a friend who reported back: Opened the btl at a big family dinner last night, Italian restaurant. Everyone loved it. Dad a big fan. Asked how much for 6 pack. Friends and fam discount?   Awesome wine. 


The tasting notes go a little something like this: A classic expression of old world Sangiovese. Delicate flavors of dried herbs, dried cherries & cassis.100% Three Creek Vineyard Estate Sangiovese 2006 was an exceptional year in Happy Canyon (for quality if not quantity) as the grapes matured evenly...


It's available at Wally's in LA for $31.99
http://www.wallywine.com/p-39652-2006-kellner-buoni-anni-sangiovese-750ml.aspx



- posted by Jeff Smith @ 8:25 PM

 
The Tyranny of Numbers
If you go to a store and there are two wines at a similar price point in front of you that you've never seen before, never heard of, and one has a shelf-talker that says 91 Points and the other says 89 Points, you've really got to be a schmuck to go for the second one.  What a bold stance to say, "I know these scores are all just politics, so I'm going with the lesser of the two."

I got an email today that offered "90 Points and Under $8."  The wine is a Spanish white, 2007 Vila Viniteca El Perro Verde Rueda.  Whatever.  It was $18 and is now marked down to $7.99.  According to Josh Raynolds (who writes for Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar), it offers "subtle orchard fruits on the nose, with a suave tangerine note emerging with aeration.  Nervier lime and orange zest on the palate...an impressive blend of power and verve."   I don't know what any of that means, but "90 Points and Under $8" is a helluva sales pitch.

I listed a Le Pin that rated 93 Points at $31.43 per point.  This is less than $0.09 per point.  Seriously, how bad could it be?
The Wine House: http://www.winehouse.com/product.php?sku=8437000094203&d=ALL


- posted by Jeff Smith @ 6:50 AM

 
Pay Up or Shut Up
True wine weenies everywhere are aflutter today after the eRobertParker.com website announced that its much trafficked Bulletin Board will henceforth be available exclusively to subscribers of the site, at $100 per year.  "We are a small company with limited resources...We are sorry to say goodbye...We will miss you, but...We look forward to better serving our loyal subscribers...We wish each and every one of you all the best in wine and life."
To subscribe:  http://www.erobertparker.com/


P.S.  A week later (I'm editing the archives as I go, altering history, Stalin-style baby) Eric LeVine of CellarTracker.com added perhaps the most damning testimony to the shift, "Yes, this is a eulogy. RIP eRP BB."  For more from the Loyal opposition:

www.cellartracker.com/forum


www.wineberserkers.com
- posted by Jeff Smith @ 7:28 PM

 
The Hosemaster
This is a terrific blog by a guy named Ron Washam who claims to "know more about wine than David Sedaris, and...funnier than James Laube."

HoseMaster of Wine:  http://hosemasterofwine.blogspot.com/

Today he lists several upcoming wine events:

The First Annual Wines That All Taste The Same Expo, May 15th

Here is an idea whose time has come. Gathered under one roof are representatives of major wine regions whose wines all taste the same. It's a chance for critics and enthusiasts alike to taste hundreds of examples of wines and write only one tasting note. In the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Pavilion, sixty producers will serve the same wine from sixty different bottles. Can you spot the differences? Yes, that's a kiwi on that label, and, absolutely correct, that's a kea on the other! Most people think a kea is a Korean car! You're good at this! Don't forget to wander over to the Austrian Gruner Veltliner Tent where you'll be able to taste Gruners from more than forty producers, all with incomprehensible labels. This is a rare treat to taste dozens of wines that all deserve 83 point scores and a single tasting note--"Dippity Doo!" When you're finished with the whites, stroll over to the Lodi Holiday's Zin Hotel (oh, those Lodi punsters!) for dozens of fresh baked brownies in a glass. Don't forget to spit! Somehow, I don't think that will be a problem. Also featured, the Wines of Maremma ("We're oh so Maremmarable!") and Australia's Most Expensive Shirazes ("From Dead Arms to Dead Palates").
- posted by Jeff Smith @ 8:18 AM

 
Doing Good by Living Well (tm)

I did a radio show called "Wino Wednesday" on Indy 103.1 last week, promoting the Bogart Pediatric Cancer Wine Aficionado dinner coming up in May.  Stacie Hunt and I poured a 2006 Peter Michael Chardonnay and a 2004 Colgin Herb Lamb Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon to get the attention of hosts Liz Warner and Jose Galvan.  The Colgin was too young, a pity at that price, but the Peter Michael was spot on.  Is it ironic--or just funny?--that perhaps the best adjective you can attach to a California Chardonnay is that it is "Burgundian"?  We will be pairing it with an 2006 Olivier Leflaive Puligny Montrachet Referts at the Wine Aficionado dinner.

Sir Peter's wines are sold by allocation, but one store that carries a lot of them (starting at only $79.99) is 20-20 in Los Angeles.

20-20:  http://www.2020wines.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=peter+michael&x=0&y=0
Peter Michael Winery: http://www.petermichaelwinery.com/
Bogart Wine Aficionado Dinner:  http://bogartfoundation.org/PDFs/WineRSVP2010.pdf
- posted by Jeff Smith @ 6:48 AM

 
The Gold Standard




http://www.winehouse.com/product.php?sku=45222
- posted by Jeff Smith @ 4:51 PM

 
X-Pensive Winos: Beaucastel & Tablas Creek Smackdown
We had a helluva dinner with Jason Haas, managing director of Tablas Creek Vineyards, a week ago.  TCV is a joint venture with the Perrin family of Chateau Beaucastel, one of the tip-top Chateauneuf-du-Pape producers.  We ran through 21 wines at Bistro LQ from both places.  Here are links to two sets of notes on the evening, from Haas and our own Bennett Traub:

Haas: http://bit.ly/9Z2Min
Traub:  http://www.wineberserkers.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=20946

TCV makes half-bottles, and their white Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc 2007 is a perfect choice for summer.
http://www.whwc.com/p/

- posted by Jeff Smith @ 9:33 AM

 
The NEW Vintage of the Century: Wines You Never Heard of
The third "Vintage of the Century" is upon us.  If we can believe the hype coming out of Bordeaux, the 2009 vintage is going to be one of the all-time greats.  Greater than 2005.  Greater than 2000.  Really, really great.  The first prices are starting to come out, but only for wines that you never heard of.  The big boys will start to roll out over the next several weeks.  Until then, here are a few links to some of the early and inexpensive wines from the NEW vintage of the century.  More to follow.

Woodland Hills Wine Co.
http://email.whwc.com/c.html?rtr=on&s=7cmdn,cnjh,gjv,m4ru,1lvb,97jq,kmja&MLM_MID=590381&MLM_MLID=21451&MLM_SITEID=12346187&MLM_UNIQUEID=68e76eaf16

J.J. Buckley
http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/609410/03e2b7d500/281707081/e14d34cd27/

Hi Times
http://click.hitimewine-email.com/cp/onlinePreview.php?t=NDc1MnwzMTg3M3xKZWZmQENBUlRFRFVWSU4uQ09NfDQyNzMyNXwxMDI1OTUzNTJ8NjMwMzYw
- posted by Jeff Smith @ 4:10 PM

 
Everyone's a critic
The use of scores, whether measured in stars or on a 100 (or 20) point scale is nothing new.  There is a very human instinct to categorize things, put them into boxes that are easily understood.  There seems to be a consensus among American critics that the 100-point system is best.  Parker, Wine Spectator, Steve Tanzer and the Burghound are all on board.  But now everybody's getting into the act.  Wine Enthusiast, the Will Rogers of wine publications that never met a wine they didn't like is starting to show up on shelves.  CellarTracker, the popular online inventory management tool, now has a cumulative score that takes an average from their users who post notes on the site.  But the best, by far, is when Dave Sokolin, the proprietor of Sokolin wine in Bridgehampton, NY (home of the Bridgehampton Killer Bees, National High School basketball champs), offers his own two cents, in the form of a number score.  Talk about impartial.  Talk about integrity.  Talk about how to sell the Push List.  If nobody else offers a number, or if he doesn't like the number, he prints his own.  Talk about moxie!
- posted by Jeff Smith @ 10:30 AM

 
A steal at $1500/bottle + tax + shipping
If we can believe the critics, the 2009 Bordeaux vintage looks like one for the ages.  Le Pin, the extremely rare and expensive Pomerol, has not yet released their price, but the Antique Wine Company in England is offering cases of several back vintages:


2006 is a mere $1527.92 per bottle.  93RP!
2005, the great vintage, is available for only $2829.58 per bottle.  94WS!
2004 represents a good value at a mere $1468.75.   95RP!
2001, which Parker blessed with 98 points, can be had for $2753.75
2000 is strictly for the BSD (Big Swinging Dick) crowd, at $4435.83 apiece
Prices do not include tax, import fees, shipping or insurance.  
For more information, or to order, go to: http://www.antique-wine.com/a-img/0mailers/pin/pin.jpg 

- posted by Jeff Smith @ 9:26 AM

 
Boutique Wineries Exposed
Hilarious!  Must read!!
http://hosemasterofwine.blogspot.com/2010/04/visit-to-bowie-teak-winery-on-pritchard.html
- posted by Jeff Smith @ 9:17 AM