Owner: Rockss and Fruit URL:http://rockssandfruit.blogspot.com/ Join Date: Wed, 09 Apr 2008 21:20:38 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Thoughts on wine and whatever strikes me at the moment. But it's mostly about wine. Site statistics:Click here
A Visit to Michel Tete 2008-04-08 18:28:11 I have always been a long standing fan of Michel Tete's wines and for my palate he has no peers in Julienas. I once declared his '05 Julienas "Cuvee Prestige" to be the greatest wine ever made in a stupor. This visit was my maiden voyage in the Beaujolais and it was beautiful hilly country. What is really interesting is the vines are very low to the ground in the winter and it looks just very stubby like a vine wasteland. Very apocalyptic. I loved it. We had a lovely tasting in Mr. Tete's cellar which was easily one of the coldest cellars in France on this recent trip. Desvignes was cold and of course Fery & Fils which is Pascal Marchand's new was brick diesel freezing. Tete is a nice guy and his wife is lovely. They have a son who is very passionate about filmaking and I am not fully conv
Breakfast at Tiffany's: Done! 2008-04-08 14:29:45 Man that was a breeze. Great story. Very interesting. Pretty racy for the time with some very forthright language but Capote is just masterful with his descriptions and it is quite funny in a tragi-comic way. My copy comes with some short stories in the back which are good but so far not as good as Breakfast
at Tiffany
's. Glad I read it and it was a nice intermediary between Don Quixote and The Brothers Karamazov. I needed something light. Yes Don Quixote is light but it is long and written in older-type language. Reading is great and I can't believe how much time I have wasted reading the newspaper all these years.
An amazingly backward bottle of Bourgeuil 2008-04-08 10:06:27 Was very excited to drink the 2005 Catherine & Pierre Breton Bourgeuil Perrieres but man was this wine ass-backwards. Had one glass over four hours and it barely budged. All drying minerals and tannins with a core of fruit you needed to be able to taste only if you eliminated all other extraneous intake. Still had uncanny freshness but was not as nearly open as the bottle
I had at the Dive Bouteille. I am confident it will budge tonight and will show some more fruit and better integration. I thought the nose was nicely mineral and had dirt, mineral and embryonic fruit nuance but was shut down at the three hour mark. Enjoyable in a very educational, "this is what a super-closed" wine is type of way. Will update this post tonight as I hope the wine is more enjoyable.
Some comments on my Mets 2008-04-04 15:00:15 Been busy so could not post on opening day but there is already dramz in Met land. No Pedro for 4-6 weeks and possibly more. Is this the end? He is so fragile. Maybe if he hit the weightroom more this would not happen as often. He is nimble. But at least we have Santana and Maine who could really break out this year. His last start last year was unreal. He k'ed 15 against Florida and shut them out. And we needed it at that time. Then Glavine buried us but he is in Atlanta and I believe Maine faces him tonight. Should be a great game. This season has great potential if injuries don't decimate us. Looks like we got them all out of the way in Spring Training, less Pedro. I expect nothing less than NL East title, NL East Champions and hopefully a World Series victory. We will see. I think we n
Another thick 2006 Auslese 2008-04-04 12:33:15 I recently enjoyed a bottle of 2006 Selbach Oster Graacher Domprobst Auslese* over a three day period. I love the '06's from the Middle Mosel . . .especially Auslese and above. Johannes Selbach had one of his greatest vintages ever. This exhibited a wonderful diaphenous quality with thick lemon-tangerine almost gumdrop-like fruit, tangy acidity and a thick texture. Lovely clean botrytis, maybe not as clean as 2005 but still wonderful and a steal at the price being offered. All the Auslese and above for SO in 2006 are pretty special.
Crunk Wine 2008-04-04 08:26:05 Seems everybody is starting their own wine label these days. Lil' Jon, the famous crunk rapper/producer has started his own brand of wine called Little Jonathan Winery. The grapes are sourced from California and will be available soon. Some quotes from the article. I can only think of Dave Chapelle when I think of Lil' Jon. That shit was just too funny.“I’m not like an expert, so don’t ask me no questions ... I just like the taste.” ". . .This is not no ghetto Boone’s Farm; this is some real wine.”
WTF is up with Perrot-Minot? 2008-04-03 21:08:52 I have been fortunate or unfortunate to have been tasting these wines since the 2000 vintage and I do not get . . .wait a sec . . .since the 1998 vintage actually, when I first tasted his Mazoyeres-Chambertin when it was $80 a bottle. Now it is like . .hold one a sec..let me go on wine-searcher . . $375 and $800 in the states. Outrageous! These wines suck. I can appreciate wines in a style I don't like. Right before I tasted a sampling of Perrot-Minot 2006's I tasted Denis Mortet's 2006's and they were good wines but not in a style I like but they were well made. The Perrot-Minot wines were not good. There have been murmurings that he has changed his style to less oak and extraction and that may be but these wines were so thick and creamy as to be almost Cabernet-like and were bitter. Fro
I finished Don Quixote! 2008-04-03 15:25:42 Finished it last week and now I know what it must have felt to stand on top of Mount Everest. That is one long book. I loved it though. Very funny . . . a little long in certain parts and it took me around 75 pages to get used to the language, but it was incredibly entertaining, beautifully written and the second part I thought was more interesting than the first. But I feel enriched as a result of reading the book. I tried to read the newspaper after I finished Don Quixote and it was a very hard transition. Breakfast at Tiffany's is next.
Tasting notes of high acid, fruitless wines from Sunday evening with the Chamberettes 2008-04-01 17:55:43 Had some fun wines the other night at the home base with some of my co-workers from CSW and things showed very well less one bottle of corked wine. It was a fun relaxed night and nothing like the madness that ensued when I had two people with strong personalties over and fisticuffs almost happened. Granted one person was way more to blame than another but still that is not how I want to spend a relaxing Sundayevening
drinking wine. With apologies to VLM who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I take complete responsibility for inviting the other party over. I thought great conversation would happen. It did not. Well thank goodness I know other people who are less argumentative and they were an absolute pleasure being my guests.We started off with a corked bottle of the 2002 Ant
The classic April Fool's Joke - The Swiss Spaghetti Harvest 2008-04-01 14:59:53 This was one of the classic April
Fool's day jokes on Panorama which was a well respected British news program on BBC and they went all out. Really funny stuff. Happy April Fool
's day.Here are the Top 100 April Fool's Hoaxes of all time to waste more of your day, week, year.
Read more:Harvest
, Spaghetti
, Swiss
Javier Bardem to possibly play Robert Parker in upcoming film 2008-03-31 20:22:42 Wow! He kinda looks like him and he is crazy enough! This should be interesting and there should be all sorts of commentary on the board that shall not be named. Oh yeah Paul Giamatti as Michel Rolland! What! Parker
goes Hollywood!
Read more:Javier
, Robert
Even more notes from La Dive Bouteille (Olivier Cousin, Catherine & Pierre Breton, Richard Leroy) 2008-03-31 20:08:54 Sometimes at these events all the wines blend into each other bit not at this one. That is why I will post a tasting note on every table/grower who made an impression and there were alot. Just kind of picked these three out of a hat but most of their offerings were delicious and on the normal side of natural and not the hipster/philosophical side of natural. First up the charming and yes, sexy CatherineBreton
.2007 Catherine & Pierre
Breton Bourgueil Dilettante was okay but not really in my style. Full of fruit and fiun and I can see some people liking this but it was not me on this day.2007 Catherine & Pierre Breton Bourgueil Trinch! was great and full of red and dark blue fruits. Some earth and elegance with round ripe tannins. Good depth.2006 Catherine & Pierre Breton Bourgueil Clos S Read more:Olivier
, Richard
Bill Koch loves to files lawsuits 2008-03-31 18:57:30 He is at it again. I would not want to get on this guy's bad side. Lawsuits galore!That is a picture of Hardy Rodenstock not Bill Koch. He is just so much more photogenic.
Read more:files
Asimov blogs about Spatburgunder! 2008-03-31 17:37:14 It makes me so happy to see Eric writing about Spatburgunder. I was giddy when I saw the blog update was Spatburgunder. A wine I have been extolling the virtues for many years. I will say, it might not be everybody's cup of tea, just like Jura wines are not, but if you start playing in this sandbox and start to love it, you will be a very happy camper. From Furst, to Rebholz, to Salwey, to Meyer-Nakel, to Keller, to Kunstler to even Markus Molitor there is a style of Spatburgunder for everybody. So let's see if this blog post by Eric evokes as much conversation as kids and wine.Probably not.
Read more:Asimov
Franc de Pied! 2008-03-31 12:45:44 Just a small note on a delicious, structured and lip-smacking bottle of 2006 Catherine & Pierre Breton Bourgueil Franc de Pied. This had a rustic nose of red and black fruits with some sweet earth scents. The tannins were rough and rugged but the fruit was sweet and the tannins spread nicely on the finish. Not the most elegant wine but stuffed with fruit, earth and tannin only in the way a Bourgueil could be stuffed. Lovely wine and a great sipper. My GF only had a half a glass as her stomach was upset. So I drank the whole bottle, which I have not done in a long time, and I felt tipsy but not so tipsy if I drank, I dunno, a bottle of 17% CA cab. Ha! Take that!
New Content Added! (NOT! - - SEE BOTTOM!) 2008-03-29 11:45:51 Because I can only be so clever 80% percent of the day (YMMM) . . .I have added a gadget for the subversive and hilarious quotes of Steven Wright.There is too much shit on my blog already and the Steven Wright stuff blocks out my Google AdSense and those $25 checks every 9 months come in handy! But I did add this quote of the day thing on the left near my cellartracker thing that does not block my Google Adsense so I am happy. Peace and out.
Read more:Content
A lovely bottle of Roulot 2008-03-29 09:53:31 Nothing sexy here just the 2005 Roulot Bourgogne Blanc. First day this wine was all texture and a little bit of baby fat flavors. Last night though the minerality seeped in and filled out the mid-palate and this had crunch, salinity and a long finish. Really a great effort and something that will last probaly 3-5 years in the cellar without pre-moxing. A lovely drink and perfect in the rare instances I drink white Burgundy out of my own cellar. That'a about how much I'll spend on a bottle
of white burg these days anyway. $20.
Great Quotes from Hunter S. Thompson 2008-03-28 18:55:53 He may be dead but his quotes live on . . .America... just a nation of two hundred million used car salesmen with all the money we need to buy guns and no qualms about killing anybody else in the world who tries to make us uncomfortable. A word to the wise is infuriating.Buy the ticket, take the ride. Call on God, but row away from the rocksFor every moment of triumph, for every instance of beauty, many souls must be trampled. Going to trial with a lawyer who considers your whole life-style a Crime in Progress is not a happy prospect.I feel the same way about disco as I do about herpes. I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me.I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours. If you're going to be crazy, Read more:Great
, Hunter
, Quotes
, Thompson
Now the glasses are built into the bottle 2008-03-28 10:52:20 Just something light today as I feel too heavy to rant and pontificate. So there is some Vinho Verde that has built in paper cups as its wine glasses. Definetly a down-market promotion but it could turn more people onto wine that is not bad or it could be a flash in the pan gimmick. You decide? Or the ideal way to make a homeless man classy?
Read more:bottle
Del Tha Funkee Homosapien - Wrong Place 2008-03-27 16:31:29 Oh yeah. So funky. Man . .No Need For Alarm is where it is at. What a flow and such a funky beat. Just early 90's perfection. Great video too.
Read more:Place
, Wrong
Wine and your children 2008-03-26 11:32:07 Eric Asimov wrote a great article on the debate if parents should give their children moderate amounts of wine at the dinner table to encourage an appreciation later in life. Well I wholeheartedly agree as that is how I started to appreciate wine was from small sips at restaurants with my parents. It piqued my interest and well here I am. Yes, there are terrible alcoholics in the wine business but there are terrible alcoholics in any business so that argument falls flat as far as I am concerned. Asimov also wrote a blog entry that has sparked a fascinating discussion which I encourage you all to read because it has alot of viewpoints. A great read.
A quick update . . . 2008-03-25 17:25:34 The 2002 Clos Rougeard Saumur "Breze" that I gave a bad review in my post improved dramatically over a night in the fridge. Last night it was clean, crisp with some light oak notes. Reminded me of a killer Meursault. I loved it. I still have some for night three which will be tonight. If you have any of these let them sleep for ten years minimum. It is amazing what a night in the fridge will do to a structured disjointed white wine.
Great article on the new age of wine criticism 2008-04-10 16:17:40 This has been going around the blogosphere recently and it is a great article about the end of Robert Parker and the new age of wine criticism. The link is a PDF so give it a minute. It was written by Mike Steinberger and is from the great publication The World of Fine Wine.
Read more:Great
I just tasted a great Kabinett Trocken 2008-04-10 12:01:27 Just a quick blurbie tasting note. I just tasted a great 2006 Bacharacher Kabinett Trocken by Ratzenberger and it worked. Kabinett Trocken is a category I usually find too austere but this was rich, yet dry and had classic Mittlerhein flavors of apricot, peach pit and gobs of tart minerals. This cuvee also ages very well as I had my last 2002 recently and it was singing with stunning pure mineral perfume on the nose that was just pure heaven. I love Ratzenberger and as I have said before he is tops in the Mittlerhein for me. No one does a better job. Not Weingart. Not Muller. Not no one. That's all. Have a nice day.
Please Vote For Me 2008-04-12 16:29:56 In my attempt to get more readers I have been adding alot of nonsense to the blog and there is a thing on the left that says "Vote for Me." Please
do it. I will get more readers hopefully. Can't get in the New York Times all the time ya know. Thanks to all my loyal readers and commenters.
just wine points - - - because nothing else matters 2008-04-11 13:56:29 Wow! What a great idea. I totally hate thinking and this new website will take care of that for me. Man where has this been all my life? As I have said in previous posts points rule and now there is a website/company to fulfill my fantasy of not thinking about what I drink. Finally!
Read more:matters
Rayas is baaaaaaack! 2008-04-13 18:13:30 Went to the Martine's tatsing a couple weeks ago and while there was some interesting stuff there and some not so interesting stuff what really rose to the top for me was to taste the amazing 2005's from Rayas. I definetly am not a Grenache fan but what Rayas does with Grenache is astonishing and much more Burgundian than any other estate in Chateaunuef. I have had legendary bottles of the 1983, 1985, 1989, 1990. Also had some great bottles of the Fonsalette 'Cuvee Syrah" including a mindnumbing 1978 at Cru right when they opened and were practically giving wine away. I think $224 on the list. Also many good bottles of the 1995 Cuvee Syrah. But after 1995 when the father, Jacques died, he had no one to take over so Emmanuel Reynaud, Jacques nephew took over. He owned the Chateae de Tours i
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