Million Post Quest - Had a good wine lately?

Gator By Marriage

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Had a Malbec tonight that was new to me and I highly recommend. It’s from Argentina, from a well established producer with the very non-Argentinian name of Norton, and it was the 2016 “Privada.” Very, very dark, with a lot of up front fruit and a long after taste. Went well with a classic holiday cookout meal of burgers on the grill, jazzed up baked beans, home-made slaw, and deviled eggs. I got it at B-21 in Tarpon Springs; retailed for $18.99 per, but it was less 10% as part of a mixed case. It may have been above my usual $15 limit, but was definitely worth it. Possibly the best Malbec I’ve had. As always, here’s the label: upload_2020-5-25_21-59-43.jpeg
 

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Mrs G made some roasted chicken thighs with onions and leeks over rice that was outstanding.
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I paired it with a Spanish Tempranillo (Campo Viejo Reserva) that ended up being a perfect accompaniment. More importantly it was a tremendous bargain @ $10 a bottle. (B-21 in Tarpon Springs.) This wine is a great value: a lot of fruit and next to no tannins. It will go with a wide variety of dishes and is worth buying by the case. I plan on buying one. Wow. (And here’s the label)
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Another bargain from B-21 (that I’ve seen @Total Wine in Ga.). This Washington state Cab from Columbia Crest was super smooth with all the Cab flavors you would expect. The tannins are present, but very mild. Had it tonight with grilled T-bones, twice baked potatoes and roasted green beans. The H-3 on the label stands for “Horse Heaven Hills” and it is a cab, I’ve had few times, but this particular vintage is remarkable for the price ($11). I will be buying a case for sure. BTW - both Mrs. G. and my 92 Y .O. MIL concurred with my assessment upload_2020-5-28_22-5-1.jpeg
 

soflagator

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Not necessarily a bargain, but definitely drinks above its price point. Beringer Quantum Blend 2016. Had it out on Friday, and was given a bottle. Very versatile wine that can stand up to anything from steak to heavy pasta. Medium body, really great finish. Not an every day choice but if it’s a special occasion and you’re looking around 30, it’s a great buy.
 

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Gator By Marriage

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As it was Mrs G’s birthday, I went pricier than usual tonight and grabbed one in the $25 dollar range that I’ve been saving for a bit. The wine was a 2014 Vietti Nebbiolo which went great with grilled steaks and roasted potatoes. For those unfamiliar with Italian wines, the labels can be very confusing. On the US, the label, unless it’s a blend, lists the primary grape, Cabernet, Chardonnay, etc. In Italy (and several other places in Europe), it is usually a place name, like Chianti.
Two of the pricier wines in NW Italy are Barbaresco and Barolo. They start in the $30-40 range and go up. Way up. Both of those wines reflect in their name the growing region and not the grape, which in both cases is Nebbiolo. So, if you grow Nebbiolo, but not in one of those two regions, you list the grape name, not the region. Confused? Join the club. In any event, this wine is from just outside Barolo and tastes just like it, but at prolly half the price. Vietti is a good producer and very consistent. Doubtful this wine is still on the shelves, but recent vintages should still be very good. As always, here’s the label. upload_2020-6-28_23-1-13.jpeg
 

Durty South Swamp

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We have some friends who absolutely love 19 Crimes. It’s the wife’s go-to whenever we see them. Not a bad wine at all.
I've got a few in the bar right now. A Shiraz, a cab and I forget the other. Very pleased with everything I've had from them so far.

Also, if you haven't tried decoy, that's another very good one.
 

soflagator

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I've got a few in the bar right now. A Shiraz, a cab and I forget the other. Very pleased with everything I've had from them so far.

Also, if you haven't tried decoy, that's another very good one.

I’ve only had the Cabernet from 19 Crimes. I’ll have to try some of the others. But yeah, Decoy is a good wine, though I find it to be in that danger zone just north of 20 but south of 60. I like it. I do however think you’re close to the same price point of some other solid wines. Try Charles Krug Napa. Just don’t buy from Publix. It’s way overpriced. Total Wine has it and it’s often discounted.

And if you’re up for splurging for a special occasion, and you like Decoy, try Duckhorn, which is the vineyard that makes Decoy. Not an every nighter, but it’s a great wine that you won’t regret buying.
 

Durty South Swamp

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While a good selection, I always avoid Publix. Just too expensive. If I can find something elsewhere, I do. I'll try the duckhorn, thx.
 

Gator By Marriage

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Mrs G. did some beef tenderloins in a French onion gravy that I would normally have mentioned in the dinner thread but I forgot to take a pic until too late ( :headslap:) Fortunately, I can talk about the wine. Was at Total Wine (in Alpharetta) picking up some vermouth and saw a new wine to me and thought I’d give it a try. It’s an Argentine Bordeaux style blend (60% Cab, 25% Malbec, & 15% Cabernet Franc). The producer is Mascota Vineyards and is the 2015 Unanime. It was normally about $25, but they had it for about $17. Who could pass up a bargain like that? (FYI - I am a fan of their regular Cab at about $15.). In short it was a tremendous bargain. I don’t buy much wine in the $25 range anymore (other than the occasional high end Pinot Noir -sorry @NVGator ;)), but this would have been a bargain at that price. Not overly fruity like some California Cabs nor austere like some Bordeauxs, this seems to fall into the sweet spot in between. I’d probably buy a few bottles to set aside at the normal price, but at the sale price, I’m picking up a half dozen at least. This is a wine that’ll last another 5-10 years for anyone interested. For those who like scores, James Suckling, a long time critic for Wine Spectator, gave it a 94. I have no idea how to score wine, but couldn’t disagree with anyone saying it’s a grade A wine. Here’s a pic of the label:
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gatorev12

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Mrs G. did some beef tenderloins in a French onion gravy that I would normally have mentioned in the dinner thread but I forgot to take a pic until too late ( :headslap:) Fortunately, I can talk about the wine. Was at Total Wine (in Alpharetta) picking up some vermouth and saw a new wine to me and thought I’d give it a try. It’s an Argentine Bordeaux style blend (60% Cab, 25% Malbec, & 15% Cabernet Franc). The producer is Mascota Vineyards and is the 2015 Unanime. It was normally about $25, but they had it for about $17. Who could pass up a bargain like that? (FYI - I am a fan of their regular Cab at about $15.). In short it was a tremendous bargain. I don’t buy much wine in the $25 range anymore (other than the occasional high end Pinot Noir -sorry @NVGator ;)), but this would have been a bargain at that price. Not overly fruity like some California Cabs nor austere like some Bordeauxs, this seems to fall into the sweet spot in between. I’d probably buy a few bottles to set aside at the normal price, but at the sale price, I’m picking up a half dozen at least. This is a wine that’ll last another 5-10 years for anyone interested. For those who like scores, James Suckling, a long time critic for Wine Spectator, gave it a 94. I have no idea how to score wine, but couldn’t disagree with anyone saying it’s a grade A wine. Here’s a pic of the label:
24138

That's a great wine--and Mascota consistently puts forth some great stuff. Try their Pinot Noir from Patagonia--it's very good.

The Malbecs they have from Opi Sandler are all very good as well.
 

gatorev12

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Had this a few weeks back for Bastille Day--a really good Pinot Noir from Alsace...highly recommend!

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soflagator

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@Gator By Marriage, thought of you this week. A guy in my office building is always looking for rare bourbon deals and stumbled upon 6 Silver Oak Napa 2010’s for $100 each. He quickly bought them and realized they are going for just over $600 a piece. Sold them to his boss for what he had in them. Could’ve cleared $3500 in about an hour if he played his hand correctly.
 

Gator By Marriage

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@Gator By Marriage, thought of you this week. A guy in my office building is always looking for rare bourbon deals and stumbled upon 6 Silver Oak Napa 2010’s for $100 each. He quickly bought them and realized they are going for just over $600 a piece. Sold them to his boss for what he had in them. Could’ve cleared $3500 in about an hour if he played his hand correctly.
Sold them to the boss at cost, eh? What a kiss ass! That was one helluva deal.
 

soflagator

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Sold them to the boss at cost, eh? What a kiss ass! That was one helluva deal.

Yep. According to him, the owner of the liquor store tried backing out at the last minute after looking at his phone. At a minimum that should’ve been a pause moment before he arranged the future sale. He’s weak. But I make money off his weakness, so I shouldn’t protest too much.
 

Gator By Marriage

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Had a couple of great wines over the weekend. They were both vintage Bordeaux’s the I mentioned in passing in the dinner thread. The first was a 1995 Lafon Rochet that I have mentioned here before; it is aging quite gracefully and the few bottles remaining should last several years. This chateau is in the St. Estephe region whose wines tend to have the highest percentage of Cabernet of all Bordeaux wines and this very long lived.
The second was a 1986 Chateau Talbot from the St. Julien region. Given the vintage and producer, I knew when I bought it (long, long ago), that it needed a lot of time and quite frankly more or less forgot about it. We had it alongside lamb chops and it was truly spectacular. As I am well aware that finding this particular wine is probably not easy and it could easily be more than most want to spend. I only mention it because should any of you buy a wine worthy of laying down for a bit (and for the most part this will only be certain Cabs and Syrah) and you have a cool place to store it, you will be richly rewarded. I still have 4-5 cases of various Bordeaux’s from the 80’s and early 90’s and get a rare privilege whenever I open one. At times when I was buying them, I wondered at the wisdom; now, I am very pleased with myself! For those who might be interested, here’s the aforementioned wines:
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