Not much activity here these days, which means that it is probably safe to start posting again.

Just a little dinner with friends. :)

CLASSIC BORDEAUX AND CALIFORNIA CABS - Casa Dietz - Santa Ana, CA (4/11/2009)

Champagne

• 1990 Deutz Champagne Cuvée William Deutz - France, Champagne
  My impressions of this wine differed from Cris, but then again, I was drinking this out of a Zalto stem, which IMO tends to make Champagne taste more youthful and ( Read more... )

I used to have a roommate who would tease me about my passion for wine. Whenever I started to talk about wine, she would roll her eyes and cry out, "You're such a wine snob!" Of course, I always suspected that her response was more a function of her insecurity and ignorance about wine, a defensive gesture that revealed her class consciousness and ( Read more... )

FALLTACULAR 2009 - Casa Murray - San Juan Capistrano, CA (1/24/2009)

For California Pinot Noir, 2007 looks to be a strong year. Exhibiting some of the opulent ripeness of 2004 and the refined elegance of 2005, 2007 should be a welcome post-partisan response to lovers of all things Pinot. It was a vintage that allowed winemakers to make the kind of ( Read more... )

It was a friend's birthday, so we decided to break out some of the gems from our cellars. With the exception of the mediocre 1970 Cos d'Estournel, all the wine drank rather well. The highlight, of course, was the 1982 Cheval Blanc. Not as legendary as the 1961 (which Miles unceremonious downed with a burger in the movie Sideways), but a pretty ( Read more... )

If you have never heard of Kosta Browne, then chances are you know very little about California Pinot Noir. Now before you call me a snob, which you probably already think anyway, let me just say that Kosta Browne is to California Pinot what Ferrari is to Italian cars -- both are bold to the point of being audacious, opulent to the point of being ( Read more... )

I'm really looking forward to the weekend. Why? Two words: Kosta Browne.

( Read more... )

In many parts of the world, 2005 was a banner year for wine. Even someone with a New World palate such as I found Bordeaux in 2005 rather irresistable. Beg, borrow, or steal: what ever you do, buy some 2005 Bordeaux! You won't regret it!

2005 BORDEAUX - Wine Exchange - Orange, CA (2/16/2008)

According to the organizers, all the 2005 red Bordeaux ( Read more... )

In the movie Sideways, Miles explains to Maya the reason for his passion for pinot noir: "Pinot is a hard grape to grow. As you know, it's thin-skinned, temperamental, ripens early. Pinot needs constant care and attention and in fact can only grow in specific little tucked-away corners of the world ( Read more... )