Red Wine Recommendation – Xmas Dinner

[Outback Porsche]

From Oz (if you can find it) Katnook Limited Release 2009 Odyssey Cabernet Sauvignon, or Katnook Limited Release 2009 Prodigy Shiraz.

[berettafan]

Don how about some anti-Mark West PN recommendations that are cheaper?

[imcarthur]

Originally Posted by Cajundaddy

One hitch is that typically the more complex the character, the better to allow it to fully develop over time. I think it is a felony in some regions in France to uncork a Pinot before it's 5th birthday. I have 4 bottles from Burgundy France that are waiting patiently for their 2017 uncorking.

Unfortunately, it is not that simple. A good Burgundy, from a good year & from a good negociant ideally shouldn't be touched for 10-15 years assuming it is well cellared. So it depends. Shopping for Burgundy is not a simple task.

Ian

[Tobra]

A great deal of the California wines are not intended to be in the bottle very long. Fair indicator of this is the alcohol content, higher tends to age better.

[BlueTone]

Originally Posted by Don Plumley

Happy to toss in my two pence.

You start off with a price, without talking about the audience. For some, a $100 Pinot is a great day, for others they are wondering why you don't have four bottles of something else...

For Pinot, then we need to know if you trend towards the Burgundy spectrum or to that syrupy cr@p getting big points (my preference just bled through).

It also depends if you need some name recognition (Like faverymi mentioned, or Littorai, Calera) or under the radar "in the know" wines. If they are burg hounds, then I can set you up. Our wines fit the price point, we have something more affordable. Point of reference, ours are on If they are not pinot lovers, then go for Malbec, inexpensive and always a crowd pleaser.

Don

This reminds me of when I brought a bottle of '92 Silver Oak Cabernet to my ex in-laws for Christmas dinner. I subsequently caught the mother-in-law adding sweet-n-low to her glass. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE!!!

[saxen]

The latest Orin swift Mercury head cab- decent wine and a great show/conversation bottle.

[JD159]

Just made a french merlot with oak cubes and grape skins. Used to work at a brew on premise, boss was quite the expert, awards all over the store.

Ever try buying a high end kit, making yourself, adding a few extra tablespoons of sodium metabisuplhite and letting it sit for a year? I made 30 bottles for $130 taxes in.

You would think its a $50+ bottle of wine for a fraction of the price. Very few wines actually age well, and generally peak after a year. Most companies that sell 2 - 5 year old wines simply increased sulphite content to reduce oxidation, with very little improvement in the wine itself after a year.

Something to consider for the new year. Plus it's a ton of fun to make it at home and learn the process!!

However, these are quite good...

https://www.megalomaniacwine.com

[recycled sixtie]

Down the cheaper route I buy a $11 bottle of red wine that is on sale typically reduced from $15. Local liquor stores will likely price match the bigger stores.

I cannot justify expensive wine. I consider a $20 bottle of wine a luxury wine!
Guy

[Don Plumley]

Originally Posted by Cajundaddy

Don can confirm or correct me on this but I would probably be shopping for a 2009-2010 vintage to put on the table this year for Christmas. If we are going to enjoy a premium Calif wine, might as well allow it to fully develop.

It's not too hard to make a wine that is drinkable now. Let it hang on the vine, brix goes up, alcohol goes up, toss in lots of new oak, bang -> points + ready to drink. Sorry, not my cup of tea.

As a varietal, Pinot Noir evolves so much that a little patience is well rewarded. However, figuring how long to hold is as much about each vintage and vinification. Some/most Burgs take longer because the grapes are not as ripe, there is Chaptelization in cold years which I think takes longer to integrate.

Speaking for our wines, the 09-10's are drinking great and we have them available from the library. You don't need to go out and get one of unknown provenance. Our 11 is also drinking great, and the 2012 Pinot available now in new online store is also ready to go. Our premium Monoclone PN's are okay, but a couple of years patience will be well worth it.

For alternatives, you can decant the wine for a couple of hours - that works wonders. Or on a more sturdy wine (not Pinot), use a blender or an aerator. Those venturi effect aerators work really well in supermarket wines.

Anyway, I could blather on about wine all afternoon - and for any real wine lovers I'm happy to do so anytime. As long as it is not about Cabernet, the evil weed.

As Tommy Smothers said, "Napa is for auto parts, Sonoma is for wine"

[Don Plumley]

A quick point - with wine, it's all about personal preference. One man's perfume is another's poison.

My motto is very simple, "Love what you drink, drink what you love."

[imcarthur]

I really must try one of your wines sometime, Don. So far, I have been discouraged by the soda pop nature of pinots from the northwest . . . ΰ la Meiomi. Here's a plug for you:

Soliste: The PinotFile Winery of the Year

Ian

[Cajundaddy]

Thanks for the clarification Don. As always I think it is best to trust the vintner's recommendations for storing and uncorking. The french can get pretty rabid about this with their reds.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

I had a glass of this last night with mussels and tuna tartare.

Zocker Grόner Veltliner

Zocker - 2012 Zocker Grόner Veltliner

Extremely drinkable.

[sc_rufctr]

If you can find it in the US... You should consider "Penfolds St Henri Shiraz 2011"

It's made in our Barossa Valley and it's truly spectacular. It's about $80 locally.

Any Penfolds Shiraz is good but the St Henri is very special. Penfolds export a lot of wine to the US so you shouldn't have any problems finding it.

[72doug2,2S]

A guideline provided by Master of Wine Jancis Robinson. Note that vintage, wine region and winemaking style can influence a wine's aging potential so Robinson's suggestion of years are very rough estimates of the most common examples of these wines.[4]

Botrytized wines (5–25 yrs)
Chardonnay (2–6 yrs)
Riesling (2–30 yrs)
Hungarian Furmint (3–25 yrs)
Loire Valley Chenin blanc (4–30 yrs)
Hunter Valley Semillon (6–15 yrs)
Cabernet Sauvignon (4–20 yrs)
Merlot (2–10 yrs)
Nebbiolo (4–20 yrs)
Pinot noir (2–8 yrs)
Sangiovese (2–8 yrs)
Syrah (4–16 yrs)
Zinfandel (2–6 yrs)
Classified Bordeaux (8–25 yrs)
Grand Cru Burgundy (8–25 yrs)
Aglianico from Taurasi (4–15 yrs)
Baga from Bairrada (4–8 yrs)
Hungarian Kadarka (3–7 yrs)
Bulgarian Melnik (3–7 yrs)
Croatian Plavac Mali (4–8 yrs)
Georgian Saperavi (3–10 yrs)
Madiran Tannat (4–12 yrs)
Spanish Tempranillo (2–8 yrs)
Greek Xynomavro (4–10 yrs)
Vintage Ports (20–50yrs) [6]