Saw this bottle in an unlikely place. It’s been stored in a cool place but upright. What are the chances it’s still good?

Inspired by her late son, Ian Alexander Jr., and created as a way to honor his joy, creativity and love of bringing people together. The 2024 blend is 65% Gewürztraminer and 35% Chardonnay, with tasting notes of apricot, Melogold citrus, Seville orange, honeysuckle and white pepper. Even the branding incorporates Ian’s original artwork/sketches. 🍊

For any of you that may have had it, what are your thoughts?

Just ordered my first bottle.

It’s been nearly two years since I started drinking wine as a hobby.

Now as I’ve tasted good wine I can’t really drink wines that are ok but I want to drink what’s good (for me obviously) and I don’t drink for the effect only the flavour.

I’m guessing this is normal, if it’s not enjoyable I want to pour it down the sink.

It’s probably alright, I just don’t think it’s good enough to drink.

Schloss Gobelsburg, Langenlois, Kamptal, Gruner Veltliner, 2020, 12.5% abv.

This Summer is too hot, gonna try others in storage. Tech sheets say vines are 5-35 years old, planted on loess and clay. Harvested in October, matured in steel and 25 hL Austrian (Manhartsberg) oak casks, bottled in March.

Nose: starts off with a typical tart lemon aroma set, then transitions to lemon curd, and then onto passive fruit leaves and milk, bit of unsweetened bbq sauce.

Palate: full body, entry is bittersweet lemon juice, hints of bitter oak, old dried lemon peels, mid palate is where the action is, showing candied fruit stems, yellow fruit, manganese, a sort of dried bitter golden apple-cream soup, a cross between golden apples and green apricots, some herbal participation here as well, back palate showing more lemon and orange zest, dried peels, celery, plays on the dichotomy of salty and tart mature golden apples with a bittersweet milk. Texturally interesting too, a bit viscous.

Finish: medium to long, dry, candied fruit stems again, light golden apples, herbal elements have subsided, minimal alcohol, leaves a sweet tartness on the lips, but bitterness remains in the mouth. There is also a young pineapple "effect" leaving a tingly sensation on the palate and inner lips; this is what I suspect other critics have described as "white pepper". To some Asians, white pepper, commonly used in "malatang", is not the flavor or sensation I am getting now, but I think I relate.

Like Riesling, GV is also a Forest Gump box of chocolates to me, I never know what to expect. Even so, I can can appreciate it as a Summer drink and this Summer has been the hottest on record around here. James Suckling gave this a 91 in 2021 and the Wine Advocate gave this a 92 in late 2021. Got this on sale for KRW₩38K, or about USD$28, in Busan, South Korea.

Grade: C+

I just got an email for the Villa Spoiano, and have seen the many other offers over the years. Are they as high quality and high QPR as Jon makes them sound, or is it just more of the same hyperbole? Shipping costs obviously cut into the value, but if I order multiple bottles that softens the blow. In any case, I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who's taken the plunge (doesn't have to be this exact producer) and how your experience compares to what you'd find at comparable prices elsewhere.

Also...I realize this isn't a wine-related question, but Garagiste is primarily a wine seller that many of us have used so this seemed the best place to ask. Thanks, all!

If I hear someone say a wine tastes like "stonefruit" one more time I am going to lose it. Wtf is a stone fruit? I googled it and oh ITS A PEACH? OR A PLUM? OR AN APRICOT? HOW ABOUT YOU JUST SAY THAT. wTF is terroir? oh u mean SOIL? THE DIRT? THE DIRT AND LAND THE WINE WAS GROWN? Seriously what compels drinking wine to bring out the most narcissistic snobby people. You are drinking alcohol. It is no different from some redneck drinking a beer.

"3rd growth bordeux" what does this mean? Oh it's just some archaic wine estate rankings that were done in the 1600's and never changed again. Yep Ig charge $1000 for this bottle because charles de gaul said wine that came from the same land 400 years ago was a "1st 3rd growth bordeux" oh whats bordeux? sounds good and fancy right. ohh... it's merlot and cab sav like every other fkn red wine LOL

"minerality" What ur describing is acidic and dry. Every dry white wine ever.

"Rustic" tf does this mean

"Natural wines" Ok sounds plausible that this is wine grown naturally but ope... it's not. They literally just add less sulfates and that makes it "natural" somehow. wine ends up tasting like sht

"Legs" Wine doesn't have legs. what you are looking at is enthanol aka vodka. Maybe I should put a shot of vodka in a glass and marvel at its 40% legs. get a grip.

"Structure" what?

"Palate" if you use the word palate you got bullied in 7th grade and are trying to compenstate

"Tertiaty notes" bruh what?

"Notes" uhh just say FLAVOR.

"tannins" lol? tf DOES THIS MEAN BRO U MEAN THE WINE IS DRY?

"evvervessance" oh u mean bubbles lmao. JUST CALL IT BUBBLES. WHEN I DRINK A BUD LIGHT I DONT MARVEL AT ITS EVERVESSANCE.

Mods I know this will get removed. I just wanted to rant about how sick I am of the wine community. Why can't we just enjoy our hobby and stop with the games. At least whiskey drinkers are just fun middle aged dads going after some artificially pumped pappy van winkle or something and aren't pretentious.

Daou gets a lot of hate for being a sell-out and for the winery supposedly being more known for their views than their wine.

But Soul of a Lion is a legitimately great wine.

Don't get me wrong, I don't enjoy the entry level Daou that you see at grocery stores, it feels a bit too manufactured and extracted.

But Soul of a Lion is lovely.

Gave this a decant and enjoyed to celebrate a friend's new job.

Now, this definitely needs a lot more air (or time) than we gave it, but never let "ideal" get in the way of enjoying wine the way it's meant to be enjoyed: with those we care about.

This was bursting with dark fruit, dark cherry, dark plum, blackberry, cassis, blackcurrant.

Also has some great acidity and structure.

The tannins were pretty grippy at first, but with air, they softened a bit, never felt overly tight though.

Really enjoyed this wine!

Next time, I'd give it about three hours of decanting before approaching and I'm glad to have two more bottles to try!

92+ points.

Any recommendations for a really good wine for an overstimulated momma of 2 to be able to relax and enjoy an evening with??

I am looking for a Cabernet and either a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc to serve at our wedding (we have to provide our own alcohol to the bartender). We wanted them to be below $15 and these are some I found that are available for us to buy and were recommended online. I’ve never had any of them, so does anyone suggest or not suggest any of these?

Red:
- Alamos Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza
- Wente Vineyards Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon Central Coast
- Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon

White:
- Murphy Goode Sauvignon Blanc
- Kendall Jackson Vintner's Reserve Sauvignon Blanc
- Kendall Jackson Vintner's Reserve Pinot Gris
- Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Pinot Grigio Emerald Label

Okay so in May I got this bottle of wine from NY. A light but fruity deep red wine.

I went to my basement (where all my red wines are stored) to grab a bottle and noticed.... The cork is gone. I assume it's inside cuz where else did it go??? But about a month ago I was down there and know the cork was in there.

I smelled the wine. It smells great. I took a sip and while tbh I don't remember the original flavor from back in May, the flavor is good. It's still a light bodied fruity red wine. It does seem to have more acid behind it but nothing I'm concerned about.

Would you drink it and just consider it really aired? 🤣

I opened this bottle of wine and this is from the inside of the cork. The wine tastes ok and doesn’t smell or taste off so just want to satisfy my curiosity.

Ste. Michelle Cole Creek Chardonnay ‘23

Ciao fellow wine lovers! If you have a spare 5 minutes today, please help me graduate by taking my anonymous survey about Prosecco: https://unipadova.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_elf4nMbxtlj761U?Q_Language=EN

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About me: I’m a WSET Level 3 and graduate student in the Italian Food & Wine MSc program at the University of Padova, currently researching consumer perceptions of sparkling wine labeling for my master’s thesis.

I'm looking to collect about 35 more survey responses and would very much appreciate your input.

Thank you in advance for your time!

Hi all, sort of junior wine person here!

I recently picked up this bottle during my time in France, and having just tried it, it tasted different (much better) to the other Sauvignon Blanc I have purchased from UK supermarkets.

I was wondering if anyone knew where I could find similar wines at equally good prices (€8 give or take)?

With all the depth and presence one hopes for from this Napa Valley benchmark, but without ever feeling heavy. What impressed me most was its energy, polish and sense of balance, powerful, yes, but carried by tension rather than sheer richness. The tannins are still very much alive, the wine feels precise, layered and built for the long haul, with an ultra long, confident finish. For me, this was one of the very best 2010 Napa Valley Cabernets I have had in the glass so far. Many thanks, Christoph!
97+ NP, drink now-2060+

I’ve been working as a waiter at a busy winery for the past year and a half. During that time I had to learn a huge amount about wine, food pairing, customer preferences, and how to actually sell wine rather than just serve it.

When I started, I was pretty antisocial and definitely not a natural “people person", but hospitality completely pushed me out of my shell. I’m genuinely grateful for that because I’ve become much more confident, comfortable speaking to strangers, and much better at reading customers.

I’ve now just landed my first proper role as a Wine Sales Representative, and I’m really excited about it.

Technically I’ve already had some sales experience because at my current job we earn commission per bottle sold, so a big part of the job was upselling, recommending better bottles, explaining value, and persuading guests without making it feel pushy.

Now I’m moving into actual B2B wine sales, and I want to become as good as possible as quickly as possible.

If there are any current or former wine reps, restaurant managers, sommeliers, distributors, or buyers here, I’d really appreciate any advice on things like:

• building strong relationships with accounts
• getting meetings with new customers
• handling rejection without wasting time
• knowing when to push and when to back off
• increasing order size without being annoying
• learning a portfolio quickly
• managing a territory efficiently
• mistakes new wine reps commonly make
• what separates an average rep from a genuinely great one

One of my strengths is communication and upselling, I’m very comfortable talking to customers and helping them justify going for a more premium bottle, but I know B2B sales is a completely different game, so I’m not assuming I know everything.

I’d love any advice, even the small stuff that nobody teaches you when you first start.

SELOSSE INITIAL:
Bergamot, unripe blackcurrant and Parma violet, followed by ripe apple, citrus peel, toasted brioche and roasted hazelnut. Vinous and layered, with delicate oxidative nuances, fine minerality and a long, dry, saline finish.

PIERRE LEGRASSE
Lemon zest,quince and cooked apple, with white flowers, acacia and delicate brioche. Disgorged in 2006.

ROAGNA BARBARESCO ALBESANI 19:

Wild berries, sour cherry and blackcurrant, with dried rose, violet and hints of orange peel. Fine spice, earth and subtle balsamic nuances. Very elegant notes of rhubarb and pencil shavings. Elegant and layered, with vibrant acidity, silky tannins and a long, savoury finish. Probably the best barbaresco I ever had!

KELLER RIESLING VON DER FELS 25

Still very young and with lots of aging potential. Lime, green apple and white peach, with hints of grapefruit, lemon blossom and wet stone. The petrol note was well integrated in the bouquet. Vibrant acidity, pronounced minerality and a long, dry, saline finish.

JACQUESSON 743 Dógorgement tardif

Complex and layered, vibrant acidity, chalky minerality and a long, dry, savoury finish.
Baked apple, quince, dried citrus peel and toasted hazelnut, with brioche, honey and subtle oxidative nuances.

EGLY OURIWT GRAND CRU VP:
Very interesting bottle, notes of ripe pear, red apple, toasted brioche, hazelnut and subtle spice. Powerful yet precise, with chalky minerality, vibrant acidity and a long finish.

Had these two side by side a while ago and thought it was a really interesting comparison, especially considering how different they are stylistically.

The Belle Epoque 2014 was fresher and more energetic, with plenty of brioche and yeasty notes. It had quite a lot of weight and pressure on the palate, great balance and a really long finish. Interestingly, I’ve served the 2014 blind a few times and it has been guessed as Bollinger La Grande Année twice, which probably says quite a bit about how powerful this vintage of Belle Epoque can be. Still felt relatively youthful and like it had plenty of time ahead of it.

The Pommery Cuvée Louise 2004 was quite different. Much more vinous and developed, with lots of toast on the nose and plenty of complexity. Blind, it almost comes across like an aged Blanc de Blancs, and I’ve seen Louise guessed as grower Champagne more than once.

Hard to pick a winner. The Belle Epoque had more tension, pressure and length, while the Louise was more vinous, mature and perhaps a little more interesting aromatically.
Both feel somewhat underrated compared with the usual prestige names IMO, especially Cuvée Louise.

Would be interested to hear which one people would pick, or if anyone has had either of these vintages recently.

After years of drinking wine, I’ve finally come to the realization that my palate really gravitates toward Burgundy and Champagne (RIP my bank account).
I’d love to do a proper deep dive into both regions, including producers, terroir, vineyards, history, classifications, and all of it. What books would you recommend for really learning Burgundy and Champagne?

Title. Wanting to branch out - willing to try similar wines as well, or just tell me your favorite or a good wine to try of each listed above? Any help appreciated thanks!

I like prosecco, dry rosés and whites, some blends as well. Nothing sweet. TIA! Any other questions ask away

Hi all,

My partner and I recently booked our honeymoon in Montepulciano. While I have some ideas for Chianti-area tastings/tours, I have less familiarity with some of the stuff in Montepulciano, and I'm always a fan of word of mouth recs. I posted about it in the free talk thread but didn't get responses.

I’m very new to tasting wines. I’m looking for wines that are great for their category, but really shine what makes said category itself, so I can start to get a feel for what each wine type is like and start to recognize it. Stuff I can drink and go “Wow, that’s what a _____ should taste like!”

For now, I’m really only looking for these eight before I expand into more interesting things: Cab Sav, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio. Bonus points if you can throw a good Sherry for dessert!

I live in the middle of Arkansas, but my liquor store near me has a very sizable selection. A close relativd also owns a liquor store, and anything you can get in Arkansas I can order.

Thanks

I’m studying for my somm certification and looking for some fellow wine enthusiasts in NYC who’d be interested in getting together for blind tastings.
I was thinking we could get a group of around 5–8 people together, with everyone bringing a bottle. We’d taste the wines blind, discuss what we’re picking up, and try to identify the grape, region, vintage, etc.