We took the redeye Fri evening from CA, arriving in NYC at 5 AM Sat. I
don't sleep well on planes, so realized early on staying up till
midnight for New Year's Eve wasn't going to work. We decided to skip
the parties and have a nice quiet evening at home. Betsy got a whole
red snapper, which she roasted with fennel (Rick Moonen recipe). I
chose the 2004 Jean-Claude Thevenet Macon-Pierreclos. Clean chardonnay
fruit, although maybe just the tiniest bit dilute. No sign of oak, a
nice crisp Maconnais with a clean minerally finish. B/B+

New Years day we went to two parties. First had a nice spread of
quiches, wraps, cheese, salads, and soup. Wines out included:

2001 Franz Karl Schmitt Niersteiner Hipping Riesling Spätlese
(Rheinhessen)
Some limey citrus over mostly apple fruit, good acidity, good finish.
The fruit doesn't really seem to be showing its all, my guess is an
awkward timing. B

2003 Montes (70% Cabernet, 30 % Carmenere)
Good redcurrant and berry fruit, some light vanilla oak. Slightly
awkward tannins, not very complex. If I had, I'd tuck away for a couple
years to see if tannins integrate, but I wouldn't look for this. B-

I tried not to eat too much before going to next party, but regretted
it when we got there- a potluck with a lot of people who aren't really
into food apparently. I did find some curried dishes that weren't bad,
and tried a few wines:

2003 J & F Lurton "Les Bateaux" Syrah (Vin de Pays d'Oc)
This is Syrah imitating California Merlot. Soft, red, innocuous, and
anonymous. Very popular at party, I'm sure. Not challenging, but not
offensive. B-

2003 Stone Cellars (Beringer) Merlot '03
Now this is plonk. If the Syrah was imitating CalMerlot, this CalMerlot
was imitating Ch. ThamesEnbankment. No acidity, some sweetness, light
but green tannins. Soft to the point of inconsequence. C/C-

2003 Cuevas de Castilla/Menade "Cuvee RS" Rueda
Rather floral nose. Decent acidity for a 2003,the peach fruit is a
little too much like canned peaches however- there's just a touch of
that Del Monte sweetness. Drinkable, especially after the Merlot. B-/C+

I kept looking at my simple Red Car and '00 Ch. Bel-Air, as well as a
bottle of 2000 Barolo from a producer I didn't know & even Borsao, but
felt it bad manners to open without hosts' invite when there were
several open bottles on table.

Hopefully my vinuous 2006 is better than its start.

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent
wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't
drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no
promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of
consistency.

Its good you napped New Years eve. If you work & partee you'll end up like
me. I had a Clipper City yesterday(turned down Duetz & other spritzers as
well as dessert wine from the Loire accompanying a home made triffle)---I
had another stop & bagged it--one beer and 20 meds--I'm amazed I didn't run
into Elvis.........................
"DaleW" > wrote in message
ups.com...
We took the redeye Fri evening from CA, arriving in NYC at 5 AM Sat. I
don't sleep well on planes, so realized early on staying up till
midnight for New Year's Eve wasn't going to work. We decided to skip
the parties and have a nice quiet evening at home. Betsy got a whole
red snapper, which she roasted with fennel (Rick Moonen recipe). I
chose the 2004 Jean-Claude Thevenet Macon-Pierreclos. Clean chardonnay
fruit, although maybe just the tiniest bit dilute. No sign of oak, a
nice crisp Maconnais with a clean minerally finish. B/B+

New Years day we went to two parties. First had a nice spread of
quiches, wraps, cheese, salads, and soup. Wines out included:

2001 Franz Karl Schmitt Niersteiner Hipping Riesling Spätlese
(Rheinhessen)
Some limey citrus over mostly apple fruit, good acidity, good finish.
The fruit doesn't really seem to be showing its all, my guess is an
awkward timing. B

2003 Montes (70% Cabernet, 30 % Carmenere)
Good redcurrant and berry fruit, some light vanilla oak. Slightly
awkward tannins, not very complex. If I had, I'd tuck away for a couple
years to see if tannins integrate, but I wouldn't look for this. B-

I tried not to eat too much before going to next party, but regretted
it when we got there- a potluck with a lot of people who aren't really
into food apparently. I did find some curried dishes that weren't bad,
and tried a few wines:

2003 J & F Lurton "Les Bateaux" Syrah (Vin de Pays d'Oc)
This is Syrah imitating California Merlot. Soft, red, innocuous, and
anonymous. Very popular at party, I'm sure. Not challenging, but not
offensive. B-

2003 Stone Cellars (Beringer) Merlot '03
Now this is plonk. If the Syrah was imitating CalMerlot, this CalMerlot
was imitating Ch. ThamesEnbankment. No acidity, some sweetness, light
but green tannins. Soft to the point of inconsequence. C/C-

2003 Cuevas de Castilla/Menade "Cuvee RS" Rueda
Rather floral nose. Decent acidity for a 2003,the peach fruit is a
little too much like canned peaches however- there's just a touch of
that Del Monte sweetness. Drinkable, especially after the Merlot. B-/C+

I kept looking at my simple Red Car and '00 Ch. Bel-Air, as well as a
bottle of 2000 Barolo from a producer I didn't know & even Borsao, but
felt it bad manners to open without hosts' invite when there were
several open bottles on table.

Hopefully my vinuous 2006 is better than its start.

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent
wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't
drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no
promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of
consistency.

On 2 Jan 2006 09:37:32 -0800, "DaleW" > wrote:

>Hopefully my vinuous 2006 is better than its start.

Amen, amigo! I went to a New Years Eve party I've been attending for
years, thrown by a Taurus friend who really knows her wines and her
way around the kitchen. (The lemon bars were to die for.) In the past,
her guests have demonstrated an impeccable ability to select and bring
above average wines to the festivus. This time around, however, the
malaise was palpable.

For the first time in my recollection, there were bottles of Trader
Joe wines on the table! Quivira, D'Aquino chianti, one of those
horrible Cotes du Rhones in a bottle that looked like it should have
held brandy...I mean, it was Plonk City!

Fortunately, I'd brought my usual six-pack, plus a bottle of Laurent
Perrier for the midnight burst. Also, a '98 De Renzis Sonnino Vin
Santo, in case the opportunity presented itself, and a '99 L'Ecole 41
Semillon, which had somehow gotten lost in the cellar for years. When
my best buddy sidled up and whispered, "Isn't there ANYTHING drinkable
around here?," I reached for the sixer.

In order of consumption (and yes, we kept these bottles in a
restricted area, away from the plonkified hoardes) :

2000 Allegrini Palazzo della Torre
2000 Travignoli Riserva Chianti
1996 Markham Petite Syrah
2000 Brunel Rasteau Les Sambiches CdR

The Rasteau was probably the most impressive, the Travignoli
disappointing, even after decanting. As usual, no flies on the Palazzo
or the Markham. Never got to the Vin Santo, the semillion or a 2004
Insoglio Campo di Sasso Bibbona. My buddy brought a 2002 Windy Point
Yakima Valley Cab that we didn't open, either, but I recently tasted
it and gave it a B+ on the Dale Scale.

Generally speaking, I bring wines to share, not to hide in a remote
corner of the kitchen. But this was one of those times when a very few
of us knew what we were drinking. I've been to a few "wine" parties
lately that have produced similar results...people with little or no
real wine knowledge grabbing cheapies off a supermarket shelf, just so
they can show up with a bottle in hand. Then they discover the good
wines (like mine), and quickly consume them, leaving behind the plonk.
I'm pleased to see wine is gaining in popularity, but we could sure
use a little more education to go along with the increased sales.

Cheers, and Happy New Year!

JJ

On Mon, 02 Jan 2006 19:21:42 GMT
wrote:

[] the
] malaise was palpable.
]

I always like to palpate a malaise or two this time of year...

[]
] 2000 Brunel Rasteau Les Sambiches CdR
]
] The Rasteau was probably the most impressive, the Travignoli
][]

Tell us more about Brunel. It rings a bell, but I can't place it.
Like the vineyard name: "Was pickin some froot down sombiches place."
More NY feel than Vaucluse, though.

-E

--
Emery Davis
You can reply to ecom
by removing the well known companies

I wish I'd had a vinuous buddy at second party to justify opening
something better, but sharing with a friend is one thing, opening a
bottle solely for me was another. Happy 2006,
Dale

I rang in the New Yearat a nearby friend's place. His brother brought
along Dow's Port (I didn't catch the vintage, if any) which went very
well with my friend's wife's thumbprint cookies.

Happy 2006, indeed!

Dan-O (had a fuzzy navel at midnight)

"Tell us more about Brunel. It rings a bell, but I can't place it. "

Andre Brunel is the producer of the Les Cailloux CdP. I haven't had the
Rasteau, but the CdPs (regular cuvee and the huge "Cuvée Centenaire")
are very nice, in a modern style. I think as Parker has given huge
scores prices have gone way up, though.

Happy 2006 to you and Adele.

Didn't he make movies with Dali, sliced eyes and more strangeness--Un Chien
Andelou(sp) I hope he makes better wine den his flics.

Your partner in vice
J.Murray Fefferman
from his Hospital, Kelbasa State as told to
"DaleW" > wrote in message
ps.com...
"Tell us more about Brunel. It rings a bell, but I can't place it. "

Andre Brunel is the producer of the Les Cailloux CdP. I haven't had the
Rasteau, but the CdPs (regular cuvee and the huge "Cuve Centenaire")
are very nice, in a modern style. I think as Parker has given huge
scores prices have gone way up, though.

Happy 2006 to you and Adele.

On 3 Jan 2006 05:15:17 -0800
"DaleW" > wrote:

] "Tell us more about Brunel. It rings a bell, but I can't place it. "
]
] Andre Brunel is the producer of the Les Cailloux CdP. I haven't had the
] are very nice, in a modern style. I think as Parker has given huge
] scores prices have gone way up, though.
]

Ah, I thought I recognized the name. I'm a long time fan of Les Cailloux
also. When I lived in Boston in the 80s it was the go-to CdP for QPR.
Thanks.

] Happy 2006 to you and Adele.
]

To you, Betsy and David, too, Dale! Now if I can only get the damn
cards out...

On another note, I seem to be losing text on some posts recently.
I've noticed it twice with Anders. I thought you hiccuped, but I see
J. Murray picked it up fine. Any other users of news.individual.net
notice this, or do I perhaps have a problem locally?

-E

--
Emery Davis
You can reply to ecom
by removing the well known companies

In article >, says...
>
>Didn't he make movies with Dali, sliced eyes and more strangeness--Un Chien
>Andelou(sp) I hope he makes better wine den his flics.
>
>Your partner in vice
>J.Murray Fefferman
>from his Hospital, Kelbasa State as told to
>"DaleW" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>"Tell us more about Brunel. It rings a bell, but I can't place it. "
>
>Andre Brunel is the producer of the Les Cailloux CdP. I haven't had the
>Rasteau, but the CdPs (regular cuvee and the huge "Cuve Centenaire")
>are very nice, in a modern style. I think as Parker has given huge
>scores prices have gone way up, though.
>
>Happy 2006 to you and Adele.

I think you are referring to his brother, Luis... ;-)

Hunt