tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017457764988110566.post4895867579241584400..comments2023-10-09T11:45:33.422-04:00Comments on McDuff's Food & Wine Trail: B-Sides: Some Recent Hits, Misses and OuttakesDavid McDuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03274955351036700406noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017457764988110566.post-76414165179607779722009-01-14T12:19:00.000-05:002009-01-14T12:19:00.000-05:00Thanks for the tips, Joe. Like I said, I haven't ...Thanks for the tips, Joe. Like I said, I haven't given up on Musar and I'll definitely be on the lookout for the '99. I've just had a hard time finding bottles in sound condition on the PA market.David McDuffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03274955351036700406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017457764988110566.post-6751478246817985222009-01-14T02:05:00.000-05:002009-01-14T02:05:00.000-05:00With Lyle on the '99 Musar being really tasty. Fr...With Lyle on the '99 Musar being really tasty. Fresh, crunchy, and a touch of that Musar spice. '78 showed well when I tasted it about a year ago. I don't get the whites. They remind me of Roussanne, if it were made really oxidatively and with a long skin contact (which now that I think of it often times it is). Anyway,not enough acidity for me in these whites.<BR/><BR/>As for Chaussard, I have since tasted a few good bottles in a row of the 'you are so nice' gamay-cot. Cool storage and cool serving temp seem to be key for it to drink well.Joe Manekinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04068628197191676490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017457764988110566.post-9808803593793630882009-01-12T19:22:00.000-05:002009-01-12T19:22:00.000-05:00Wait a minute.... Now that I remember back a bit,...Wait a minute.... Now that I remember back a bit, that Churton was cork-sealed. And the cork and capsule showed no obvious warning signs. I still suspect you're right, though, and I'd still chalk it up to the wine being cooked somewhere along its travels.David McDuffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03274955351036700406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017457764988110566.post-41974846021076555922009-01-12T19:18:00.000-05:002009-01-12T19:18:00.000-05:00Hey Marcus,That's entirely possible -- even likely...Hey Marcus,<BR/>That's entirely possible -- even likely. One of the downsides to screwcaps is that they yield none of the visual cues to heat damage (run-up, pistoning, leakage, etc.) that regular corks show. Not having previous experience with the Churton, I don't have a specific frame of reference. But sweet and sour tomato paste flavors would certainly be in keeping with heat damage.<BR/><BR/>I'm always careful/suspicious with closeouts but sometimes I take the chance. I won't bother returning this one but I wouldn't hesitate to in normal purchasing circumstances.David McDuffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03274955351036700406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017457764988110566.post-15929571035693559572009-01-12T19:02:00.000-05:002009-01-12T19:02:00.000-05:00I wonder if something happened to that Churton and...I wonder if something happened to that Churton and what the merchant would do if you said you thought you were being dumped on, if only for $10 -- I tasted a bunch of their Pinot Noirs including the 2005 two years ago and they seemed to be among <A HREF="http://weingolb.blogspot.com/2007/05/towards-concensus-on-new-zealand-wines.html" REL="nofollow">the best in show</A>. I don't know if I am unlucky but I see the bad wine coming a lot. I swear: half of all white wine priced to clear that I buy is oxidized (even when they are reasonably within their intended lifespan). I always take them back.Marcushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02221624021529319291noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017457764988110566.post-83160872109063596042009-01-12T17:40:00.000-05:002009-01-12T17:40:00.000-05:00Thanks, Nancy. Let me know if you or Rudi would l...Thanks, Nancy. Let me know if you or Rudi would like to send samples of other Becker wines my way!<BR/><BR/>Hey Lyle,<BR/>I definitely plan to give Musar further exploration, both white and red. No amount of decanting was gonna help this bottle though. I checked back in on it over the course of a few days and it just got worse and worse. Aromas and flavors of modeling cement.<BR/><BR/>Josh,<BR/>I've never stashed away any of the "Les Cras," so I appreciate your note. My experience with Valanges' regular cuvées has been pretty consistent over the years -- they pretty much always show best in their first year or two in bottle.David McDuffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03274955351036700406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017457764988110566.post-53171215023313024462009-01-12T14:28:00.000-05:002009-01-12T14:28:00.000-05:00I purchased a bottle of 2001Domaine des Valanges S...I purchased a bottle of 2001Domaine des Valanges St. Véran "Les Cras" from Burgundy Wine Company a few months back for $13.00. Curious to see how it stood up. Those wines have a pretty high acidity profile so I was hopeful that it still had some stuffing. I was wrong, tasted like limp melon juice.Josh Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07782872044604617557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017457764988110566.post-43258406655388208762009-01-12T00:25:00.000-05:002009-01-12T00:25:00.000-05:00Musar 1988 rocks. So does the '99. I don't mess wi...Musar 1988 rocks. So does the '99. I don't mess with the whites but I hear they need lots of age or like 30 hours of decanting.<BR/><BR/>Chossard wines also leave me scratching my head. Eric Nicolas and Robinot are my guys up north. <BR/><BR/>Becker Sankt Paul GG 2005 is serious wine. But serious dollars. The introductory bottle is lovely.Lyle Fasshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10691042953720294290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017457764988110566.post-70755417036573432362009-01-11T18:03:00.000-05:002009-01-11T18:03:00.000-05:00HEY! It's the little Becker Spatburgunder!!! I rep...HEY! It's the little Becker Spatburgunder!!! I represent that wine. :) I love it too. Glad you liked it. <BR/><BR/>Nice lineup and great notes - thank you for sharing.Nancy Deprezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00898821881106722982noreply@blogger.com