What's in your glass tonight?

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Having a Clos du Récif from Tahiti. It is supposed to be similar to a Savignon Blanc'ish type wine. We brought it back from Bora Bora last May. I have been holding onto it for the year mark. 2013 vintage. Hopefully it transports me back here.

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JohnT, retirement is wonderful, but U still have really bad days like I did today. Started off working on the boat in the backyard/creek, 14 trips to the garage later, Alls well. Went to the community pool/hot tub to soften the aches/pains. Then was supposed to bottle 80 bottles of wine. Broke out the Vinmetric 300, & couldn't get good readings. So started drinking! Then said we will bottle tomorrow or Sun. Well didn't like first bottle, a 2009 Elderberry, from dried berries. Good but a little oxidized. The second bottle was a Zinfedal, OK, but just not it! Just opened the 3rd bottle. A HIT, a Merlot, Cab, Blackberry blend. Should have started with this one. Sometimes U have to "purge" the winery of old/lesser wines. Then have a good one. Soooooo, even in retirement U can have bad days. But they are always better than when we were working! Roy. PS Retired builder. Our motto at work was " the more our customers whine the more we wine! Note there is NO H in our wine!
 
DJ, that is gorgeous. Every time you post one of those pictures, I instantly WANT to GO there! Nice work!

Thanks Paul.
Yes, it was a trip of a lifetime. I had been wanting to go for almost 15yrs. and was fortunate to be able to go. Still can't believe we were there.
If their is a heaven, I guarantee that has to be part of it.

It was everything I had thought it would be and then some.
 
wine4fun.... you suck..... that is just shear jeolousy in its ultimate form typing.

seriously, how absolutely fantastic. how can you possibly come up with a wine to match that view. you make my life look like that of a begger!
all i can say is this.... for the love of God man, post more pictures!


ftc, thanks for the reality break. just was a tough one today. i just needed to sit back and enjoy this "hobby" of mine. i feel much better now....
 
My En Primeur (New Zealand) Pinot Noir. I bottled 1 gallon of this about a year ago (at nearly a year of age). Tonight's bottle is a 1.5L that's been in the bottle and resting since then. The remaining 5 gallons went into bottles in March, if I recall correctly. It's decent, but I'm convinced the EP wines need at least two years.
 
A 20-month-old CC Showcase Amarone (one of my first kits). Pretty dang nice. Still some KT, but the wine seems somehow richer than I recall from the first drinks a few months ago.

Tonight, I had a 4-month-old CC Showcase Amarone! It was bottling night for a newer kit. The interesting thing was that I still had a glass or two in the 20-month bottle, so I could compare them back-to-back. (I used tannins on the newer one that I had not previously on the old one.) The primary taste differences were: The new one was markedly more fruit forward, and had more KT. I must say, however, that I thought it, overall, tasted nicer, or at least had promise of turning out to be a better wine. This may not be surprising, because I believe the older one may have been a bit watered down due to my not initially knowing how big my carboys were..
 
Wife and I went to a birthday party for soon to be son-in-law last night in St. Louis. Somewhat small wine list, but I did try Atalaya Laya 2013. I was almost impressed. After checking the price when I got home I was even more impressed about $10 and somebody have it 93 points. I will have to look for it some. It was monastrell and something else. Which I have forgotten. Very tasty.
 
Tonight, I had a 4-month-old CC Showcase Amarone! It was bottling night for a newer kit. The interesting thing was that I still had a glass or two in the 20-month bottle, so I could compare them back-to-back. (I used tannins on the newer one that I had not previously on the old one.) The primary taste differences were: The new one was markedly more fruit forward, and had more KT. I must say, however, that I thought it, overall, tasted nicer, or at least had promise of turning out to be a better wine. This may not be surprising, because I believe the older one may have been a bit watered down due to my not initially knowing how big my carboys were..

My observation of the Showcase Amarone is that it is good at 1 year, regresses a little during year 2 and becomes pure ambrosia at year 3. Be sure to save a bunch for year 3. I only had 1 bottle last that long and I was really bummed when I finished the last sip. I am convinced you will find it is worth the wait.
 
My observation of the Showcase Amarone is that it is good at 1 year, regresses a little during year 2 and becomes pure ambrosia at year 3. Be sure to save a bunch for year 3. I only had 1 bottle last that long and I was really bummed when I finished the last sip. I am convinced you will find it is worth the wait.

Thank you for the advice, which I am heeding. I have a spreadsheet set up to "regulate" my consumption. I drink them on even intervals between my "start" and "finish" dates. I am scheduled to sip the last of that batch at 48 mos.! :D (Spreadsheet available here: http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showpost.php?p=519608&postcount=35 .)
 
I'm still a newbie (kit wine only so far) but very much enjoying having something new and therefore exciting to learn about.... makes me feel young (course the alcohol helps too ;)) Last year was my first year to make wine and it just so happened that my neighbors were getting married early this year so most all the wine I made went to their wedding as a gift (300+ guests now that was nerve-wracking)...... so I'm having to buy wine to drink while I wait for what I'm making now. I'm a Texan and always find myself in the Texas wines section of course - picked up a bottle of "White-Black Spanish VIII" from Dry Comal Creek Vineyards in New Braunfels TX. It's a sweet wine which I don't typically like but it was this super pretty salmon color and in college my friends and I spent lots of time tubing the Comal and Guadalupe Rivers so couldn't pass it up. It was really pretty good for a sweet wine. Here's the description, "This blush is made from our Estate Black Spanish grapes and Muscat of Alexandra. A perfect salmon shade, with scents of peaches, cherries and watermelon. It hits the palate with big, ripe, fresh fruit, crisp citrus and cherries. Concentrated and full, with a crisp, fresh back end that lingers into a cherry-vanilla finish- demi-sweet, fruity, smooth and drinkable any time with anything. One of our best selling wines for good reason – a terrific ‘Texas Style®’ wine." I would buy it again if I had guests over that liked sweet wine.
 
My 2013 Kenridge LR Grand Red. It is by a long, long shot, the best kit wine I've made. :dg
 
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Opened my first bottle of 18-month-old CC Showcase Red Mountain Cab. I like it a lot. It has more KT than I was hoping for, but that is fading with time that the bottle is open. It is rich, bold, and lush. I get some vanilla and lots of fruit. More sweetness than I expected, I must admit. I will be keeping my eye, errr, my tongue on this one over the next 18 mos.!
 
2009 H3 Les Cheveux Blend. Still pretty darn amazing for a 10.99 bottle of wine. All the right notes are still there. Seemed a bit "hot" but that is because the wine is warmer than in the winter more than likely. Probably peaked I think but still very, very good QPR all things considered.
 
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