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Amarone is something of an acquired taste. However, I enjoyed the Tedeschi for what it is. Perhaps the high alcohol content is a problem for me in my dotage, so to speak (16%). The trend is more toward the traditional levels of 11-12%. But then, to each his or her own, I suppose.
I'm glad you found the experience interesting; it is fun to try out new things.
Now it's time to start thinking about that Cabernet Franc bottle. I have mine. You'll never guess the winery though.
Am not going to try - mental health and all that. But I have 2 to choose from.
I'll give you a hint. It's an East Coast USA winery.
Allen - that is the one I selected!
No, you don't have this wine.
Food pairings are important too - as in Mexican food perhaps? But we hope to get Mexican takeout food tonight for Sandra's dad. Beat the rush.
I sent that Rod Serling joke that you posted to Peggy. She came back and said we should have Margaritas on Cinco de Mayo/Taco Tuesday.
So, I plan on tasting Cabernet Franc at about 4 pm (Pacific) with you folks. Then I'll go downstairs and have margaritas with some fish or shrimp tacos.
😁
That works. We might try to make burritos or something similar.
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Start thinking about finalizing your selection for tonight.
Already done.
So here they are:
L - the 2015 La Grande Vignolle Red Loire Wine Samur Champigny
R - the 2016 Bernard Baudry Le Clos Guillot Chinon
Ah, well we have a bottle from Muse, a winery in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. I’ll open it about an hour before the event. Food pairing will be chicken burritos that Sandra will make. She has the chicken in the crock pot right now.
I'll start decanting around 6PM. Really interested in the comparisons tonight and just between the two I'm presenting. Should be a good night. How about doing a Barbaresco or Barolo night night soon - not necessarily next, but in few weeks?
Perhaps. We need a way to ensure several suggestions are thrown into the hat.
Cabernet Franc is one of (the many) grape varieties with which I have very little experience. If I have had 10 varietal bottlings in my lifetime, I would be very surprised.
This is what I am opening, tonight.
I hope you can read the back label.
My guess is that my report, tonight, is not going to be like anybody elses.
Four months in stainless steel barrels for a Cabernet Franc? Now that's different!
Mark - Very interesting indeed - 6 barrels? How - minute is an understatement.
Remember those Apsaras that I posted the other day in the "What did you buy . . ." thread? My fuzzy photography made it impossible to read, but the two Syrahs were both production runs of 50 cases. The Chardonnay and the CS were both runs of 75 cases.
Figuring 300 bottles per barrel that works out to 2 barrels of the Syrahs and 3 barrels of the Chard and Cab.
Fresh guacamole is being prepared too.
Thanks you for that - Al - but inquiring minds want to know - why?
Got my bottle open and breathing. Chose one that I brought back from our Loire trip last September - Olga Raffault Les Picasses 2008. Really looking forward to trying this with a grilled pork tenderloin.
Very nice V V. That is a Cabernet Franc.
Our flour tortillas are rather small, so it's closer to chicken tacos with guacamole in them.
We have a fire going now, as it's only 57 F today. Yesterday it was in the mid-70's. Has anyone else gotten a head start and sampled their wine? Initially, our bottle was a little tart for my tastes, but now it has mellowed out after an hour in the decanter. Dinner is pretty tasty too.
So, did I mention that we visited the Loire last fall? Here's the entrance to the Olga Raffault tasting room (such as it was, more like a makeshift work area). We tasted with Sylvie, the grandaughter of Olga, unfortunately my French is non-existent and her English was not much better. Still, the CFO managed to make some small talk and the wine was excellent.
Very nice. It always improves the taste of a wine when you can recall the surroundings the first time you tasted it.
A bit distracted the past few days, but I do have a couple of wines. Not an older 2008 by a member of the well-repsected Raffault clan, though... like VV (nice choice), but something more along the lines of the Chinon selected by Paul. Mine is a Les Granges 2017, so a slight notch down from Les Grézeaux 2016 (I think I have that right)... the latter sourced from grapes planted over 65 years ago (older than I am, even).
Here is what the bottle looks like. The wine is sound, but I will review around 4:30 local time. By the way, our temperatures are moving into the high 60's F (about 19 C at the moment) which is normal for here this time of year. We expect about 80 F in a couple of days (27 C).
Looks tasty. I just opened a second bottle in anticipation of finishing off the Muse wine. This 2015 Force Majeure Epinette has 30% Cabernet Franc grapes.
Couple of nice Baudry's in the queue tonight - excellent. Did I also mention that we tasted with Matthieu Baudry (Bernard's son) and that this was the wine highlight of the trip?