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Broke open a 'tester' of the 2015 Crowdsourced Cabernet from Columbia Crest. As expected, a little tight at first. But still good, considering its relatively young age. It opened up fairly nicely. I get blueberry and anise - tannin and acid are fairly firm. This is pretty enjoyable now, but I plan to let the remaining bottles sit for (hopefully) two years or more.
 
I have fallen in love with Norton. We are traveling through Missouri (beginning our adventure of seeing a game in every major league ball park). One day we decided to visit the Missouri wine country and that's where I met Norton. To me it is so complex it should be a blend, not a single varietal. Truly outstanding and my new obsession

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May 2015 version of a Bordeaux field blend (74% Merlot, 13% Cab Sauv, 13% Malbec). Seems like the added tannins have died back a lot, very smooth without the bite I got from a bottle earlier in the year. Very fruit forward, which is a change, almost like the Cab Sauv packed up and left the equation, leaving the fruit to run rampant.

Listening to a bunch of diverse music, anything from Blind Faith to the Eagles (Seven Bridges Road sounds great in the head phones). Now listening to some Gordon Lightfoot since I love the 7-string steel guitar, just wish I had the resolve to learn how to play it.
 
I have fallen in love with Norton. We are traveling through Missouri (beginning our adventure of seeing a game in every major league ball park). One day we decided to visit the Missouri wine country and that's where I met Norton. To me it is so complex it should be a blend, not a single varietal. Truly outstanding and my new obsession

You are one of the few. I am also a Norton fan, absolutely my favorite. As far as blending goes it is my understanding that as long as the single varietal is 80% or higher they are allowed to call it a single varietal. If you taste a 100% Norton you will find there is little to no middle or end palate so they are often blended. This fall I'm making 10+ gallons. I'm going to blend 10 and 20% Merlot, 10-20% Tannat or Nebbiola and some unblended. My favorite is a 10% Merlot blend from one of my local wineries.
 
Domaine Loubejac Rose from Oregon. This is another one of those 'Winery Direct' wines from TW, where it is hard to find the actual winery. But something (I don't recall what) caught my interest when I saw this online. At $15, it's no screaming bargain, but it is very nice. Not a steal, but I'm not upset with what I paid. Really nice mineral notes, along with peach and strawberry. Good finish. Excellent with tonight's dinner

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You are one of the few. I am also a Norton fan, absolutely my favorite. As far as blending goes it is my understanding that as long as the single varietal is 80% or higher they are allowed to call it a single varietal. If you taste a 100% Norton you will find there is little to no middle or end palate so they are often blended. This fall I'm making 10+ gallons. I'm going to blend 10 and 20% Merlot, 10-20% Tannat or Nebbiola and some unblended. My favorite is a 10% Merlot blend from one of my local wineries.

I'm sure there is something else blended in. They offered a couple blends but I preferred the one listed as Norton. I tried a blend of Norton and Chamborcin 70/30 that they described as being similar to a tuscan. Since I love tuscan wines I expected that blend to be my favorite but it didn't make the cut. It just lost the pizazz.

Also really enjoyed the Chardonelle. Seemed like a blend of Chardonnay and maybe Pinot Griis. Really enjoyable white. Had one fermented and aged in stainless and another with big oak and probable battonage. Really full bodied and buttery. Opened new worlds for me
 
94 and humid today. :rdo So I'm starting with an ice cold Corona w/ lime. We'll see how I feel after that.
 
Tonight, I cracked the last bottle from my first batch of 2012 LR Red Mountain Trio from Kenridge/Cellar Craft. Dayum! :HB In a week, it'll be 5 years old and there is no mistaking that this is a nice, full bodied, Washington wine. Really enjoyable. With pretty much all my red kits; I may enjoy them, but I can definitely tell they are kits. I'd have a hard time distinguishing this one though.

Followed the directions, aside from some additional oak (French) and 3.6g of Tancor Grand Cru tannin about 6 weeks before bottling.

I have one bottle left from the 2nd batch, where I added tannin in primary, changed the yeast to D254, barrel aged for 12 weeks, and added a little more tannin prior to bottling.
 
Had dinner at Rustic on the Coppola property in Geyserville last night (cue Linsey Buckingham's Holiday Road).

Had the Director's Cut Cinema (Cab base with Zin and Petit Sarah) and the Reserve Cab with a porterhouse steak.

Big monster wines. I need to figure out a way to live here.
 

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