The Whining Winos of IWL

[bu11itt]

1 Timothy 5:23 (KJV)
Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.


If beer can have a thread...
If whiskey can have a thread...
If food can have a thread...
Hell, if SHOES can have a thread...
Well then so can wine!!!

I thought a place to pop in and have a general discussion of all things grape would be a good addition to the member's lounge. Tasting notes, countries, grapes, styles, AVA's, recommendations, suggestions and just general wine talk is welcome here. Even the occasional thread drift to watch related material might be tolerated (still on the fence about that one).

I'll kick it off with a note on a wine I had a while back. I can say that anyone in the US that is looking for an exceptional cabernet will be hard pressed to find one as good as EMH Vineyards Black Cat. It's 100% cabernet sourced solely from vines that are grown on the owner's land. She lives at the vineyard and only makes the amount of wine that her vines produce that year. It is not sold to distributors or restaurants, if you want it, you have to seek it out from the winery. I am on the mailing list and plan on going deep this fall. I don't always drink cabernet, but when I do... well you get the point.

• 2006 EMH Cabernet Sauvignon Black Cat - USA, California, Napa Valley (4/12/2015)
  Nose: Rich dark fruit with herbaceous undertones. Not green or brown, but floral and maybe a slight sage aspect; I can't really put my finger on it.
  
  Palate: Pure velvet. The fruit is presenting itself so well at this point that it's neither in the forefront nor is it hiding. There are leathery, structured tannins and just enough acid to provide a nice edge and mid-palate bite.
  
  Finish: Beautifully long and moderately astringent. The dark fruit character follows all the way down and leaves a lingering tartness accented with an ever-so-slight smokiness.
  
  Thoughts: Damn!! This is a what I'd call a quintessential representation of cabernet. Not over oaked, over ripe or over done in any way but displays a deft, subtle hand guiding the wine to exactly where it needs to be. I pulled the cork at 2:30 PM and decanted but didn't get to eat dinner until around 9:00-9:30. Suffice it to say that after 7 hours in a decanter it hasn't faded a bit, in fact it's only gotten better. I'm glad I've got some more of this. (94 pts.)
  

Posted from CellarTracker


So fellow IWLers, what are you drinking? What do you like? What do you recommend? What wine related topics do you want to discuss?

[Nokie]

Good choice. That winery is about 20 minutes from my home and they do make some great Merlots as well as Cabs.

[CanadianStraps]

Big red wine fan here.

Currently sipping on a local syrah. I came across this vineyard at a food & drink show here a while ago. I'd not heard of them, but Niagara had endless wineries. No one knows all of them. Anyway, it tested well and I bought half a case. Very drinkable, but I will rest a few bottles in the cellar for a while and come back to it another time.

[Rusty]

Nice decanter, is that just a beaker?
Looks so cool

[bu11itt]

Good choice. That winery is about 20 minutes from my home and they do make some great Merlots as well as Cabs.

Nokie, there are actually 2 Black Cats in Napa.

Black Cat Winery
EMH Vineyards Black Cat

My note was about the second one as all she makes is Cabernet Sauvignon.

Nice decanter, is that just a beaker?
Looks so cool

It's a 1 liter erlenmeyer flask. I use it because it's practical, cheap and easy to clean. I can throw it in the dishwasher when I'm done with it. If it breaks, $15 gets me a new one. Plus it has a bit of "nerd cool" to it.

[bu11itt]

Big red wine fan here.

Currently sipping on a local syrah. I came across this vineyard at a food & drink show here a while ago. I'd not heard of them, but Niagara had endless wineries. No one knows all of them. Anyway, it tested well and I bought half a case. Very drinkable, but I will rest a few bottles in the cellar for a while and come back to it another time.

I love a good syrah. Especially a cold climate syrah. Not really familiar with the wine from your neck of the woods. Looks like I'll have to seek some out.

If you want to try some excellent syrah then I'd suggest the Mike Smith wines, Quivet or Myriad. Both are excellent. I'm starting to get into Sandler Wine Co. Ed makes an amazing pinot. I have his most recent release syrah, although I really shouldn't touch one for about a year or two at least, so based on the winemakers advice I'm just gonna decant it in the morning before I go to work to enjoy that night. I'll make sure to post when I do.

[Henry Krinkle]

I have no valid contribution to this thread today. I had some BC beer with my lunch and no wine for supper. I am currently having a bourbon that I macerated pears and vanilla in. I used those to make quick bread and now sipping the leftovers. If I recall correctly, the bourbon used to be Elijah Craig.

[scottjc]

I'm a big red wine fan but can't afford to partake if the expensive stuff. I love a good Malbec from South America.
I used to be a sponsor of Naked Wines, where your monthly subscription goes to the winemakers. You get a good discount on the final product depending on at which stage you buy, before bottling, bottled, shipped or in the UK.

[scottjc]

I have no valid contribution to this thread today. I had some BC beer with my lunch and no wine for supper. I am currently having a bourbon that I macerated pears and vanilla in. I used those to make quick bread and now sipping the leftovers. If I recall correctly, the bourbon used to be Elijah Craig.

Sloe gin is a big favourite around here and I use the same principle to make a variety of fruit vodkas each year.

[vinylgreek]

We have a semi-regular gathering of friends wherein we cook a different menu each time and share wines. The results of last night's festivities. Didn't quite finish the Silver Oak and Sine Qua Non but we did give it the old college try.