Alan Kerr?s Vintage?s May 28 Release ? Tasting Notes

As another barrage of Californian wines prepares to hit the shelves, the good news is some of them are very good and a couple are exceptional. However, the bad news is they are not cheap. As always, there are several wines to be found that won?t make the wallet wince so please read on. WINES [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gangofpour/uncZ/~3/a44L6rWp70U/vintages-may-28-release-%e2%80%93-tasting-notes

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Where in the wine world are we? Foggy valley edition

Have you ever though that the higher elevation a vineyard, the cooler it is? I have. But vineyards don’t always abide by the same principles as climbing Mt. Everest. In fact, higher vineyards can be warmer in some areas because they are above the fog line. I stumbled on this picture recently that dramatically illustrates [...]

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2009 Carlisle Sonoma County Syrah: Best QPR Ever?

Just when I was thinking "Hey it's been a while since Wine Spectator gave us a high QPR wine to chase after" they dropped a doozy on us yesterday. The 2009 Carlisle Sonoma County Syrah received a 97 point rating - and retails for just $25. Carlisle mailing list members were offered the wine for an even more incredible $19.50.

Carlisle produces Zinfandel and red Rhone varietal wines out of Sonoma. They've been cranking out high QPR wines for a while now so the name is familiar to wine deal hounds.

It's been a while since I fired up the wwpQPR calculator (what's that?) but I thought this might be the best QPR I've ever heard of. Using a baseline price of $30 (the point at which it is relatively easy to find 90 point domestic Syrah) the wwpQPR gives us a 6.05: Outstanding Value. I think that might indeed be the best value I've ever heard of.

Where to Buy

Well, that's the problem. With only 391 cases produced and mailing list that's been on to their reasonably priced high quality wines for a while this one is going to be tough. A quick wine-searcher.com search turns up a few retailers that claimed to have had it for $25 or under -- but when you click through it's all sold out.

Based on past experience with wines like these, we'll see the wine quickly evaporate at retail especially under $40. The wine will be available at high mark-up at some retailers and will be available on auction sites for $50 and up. At that point, it kind of wrecks the QPR. At $50 it's a 3.02 on the wwpQPR: Very Good. Still a nice value but not one to break your neck over.

What to Do Next

Jump on their mailing list. The pattern is clear with Carlisle - they're producing wines attaining incredibly high scores and they're holding the line on price. Sounds like the perfect mailing list to be a part of. Be prepared for a wait: I signed up a few years ago and haven't gotten an allocation.

Next, scour around wine-searcher looking for back vintages and other bottlings from Carlisle. This bodes well for their 2009 offerings and I hear their 2006s were also amazing.

It's interesting to watch the CellarTracker reviews come in for a wine like this. Prior to the Spectator rating coming out yesterday, the ratings are about what you'd expect for a $25 wine from Carlisle: 90-93 points. A note published yesterday after the Spectator rating came out? 95 points.

I've discussed this pheonomenon with friends before -- how CellarTracker is an excellent resource to consult when deciding whether to take advantage of a wine deal. But there is often a high rating/price correlation on CellarTracker since most regular wine enthusiasts like us taste non-blind. Throw in a little 97-point Wine Spectator bias and it often pulls the CellarTracker ratings up a bit.

Definitely a topic for further discussion. I'd love it if you subscribed to the site so we can continue the conversation.

And consider subscribing to Wine Spectator. You can even use airline miles if you'd like.

Question of the Day: Have you seen this wine available at retail? Any tips for buying this wine or similar offerings from Carlisle in the open market?


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/TvRPZqdvWv4/2009-carlisle-sonoma-county-syrah-best.html

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A Wine for Tonight: 2010 Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling

Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won?t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week?s selection, the 2010 Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling from the Columbia Valley in Washington [...]

A Wine for Tonight: 2010 Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WinePeeps/~3/qrdfXktWAPQ/

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Mystery Shopper Visits Grapes The Wine Company

It's been a while since I've done a mystery shopper style review of a wine shop, but a recent trip to Long Island gave me an opportunity to visit Grapes The Wine Company in White Plains, NY on the way back to Boston. Wine retail tourism - I guess that's what you do when your interest in wine shopping borders on an obsession?

I never know what to expect when visiting a retailer like this. After a couple years on their email list I kind of formulated an image in my head that the store would somehow align with the tone of the emails owner Daniel Posner sends out. I've never met him in person -- he was out of town the weekend I visited -- but I think I first became familiar with Daniel for being banned from the eRobertParker forums (something about questioning their authority on Australian wines was it?).

His emails offer high end wines at deep discount, usually after opening thoughts about a regional sports event. Emphasis is achieved through the use of bold, italics, and red letters. Some of the best deals are bluntly labeled CLOSEOUTS!! or DUMP!. Love him or hate him, you've got to give him credit for being direct.

I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of on-the-shelf offerings at Grapes. What I found was a thoughtful selection of wines chosen from the important categories you'd likely want to stock a cellar with. Domestic Cabernet and Pinot Noir, Italy, and France were each well represented, displayed in single-facings with reserve inventory behind each bottle.

There were a good number of wines I associate with mailing lists (like the 2009 Bedrock Heirloom Dolinsek Ranch for example) that I've never seen on retailer shelves in Massachusetts. And a smart assortment of imports as well.

I picked up a couple Pinot Noirs - the 2009 Chasseur Sonoma County for $32.99 and a 2008 Joseph Swan Cuvee Trois for $34.99. Not the most amazing pricing in the world but I can't find these wines in Massachusetts and if I had built up a mixed half or full case I could have had 10% or 15% off.

While I was shopping I was asked a couple times whether I needed help finding anything. I declined - not because I don't think the help would have been valuable but because I don't need any more reasons to buy wine. To me a store like this succeeds by keeping its customers out of trouble. There's no "fat" to the assortment. Every wine they stock has been vetted and it's hard to go wrong - an impressive accomplishment with about 2,000 unique wines for sale.

I had a look inside their temperature controlled area where they have some truly serious, bank account breaking wines. The picture of Daniel on their website has him standing in this room and I somehow thought the place would be smaller based on that picture. As if this were the entire store or something. This was just a small portion of the store however - I understand they have upstairs and basement areas used for climate controlled storage.

About 20% of the store is dedicated to daily drinkers and deals. I spotted what appeared to be a few remnants from recent email offers. The store was tidy with hardly any indication of the direct shipment business they conduct. If I happened upon the store by chance I don't think I would have had any clue they do a lot of direct shipment business.

Recommendations

Even if they can't ship to your state I recommend jumping on their daily newsletter. They're entertaining and offer good insight into why direct retailer shipment is something wine enthusiasts everywhere should be behind. Daniel has done as much as any retailer I've seen to support the direct shipment of wine and for that he should be commended. If you're passing through the New York area I think you'd enjoy stopping in for a visit. Check out their inventory online to get a feel for their assortment.

Further Reading:

Check 'em out:
Grapes The Wine Company
731 North Broadway
White Plains, NY 10603

Question of the Day: Have you been to Grapes The Wine Company? If so, what did you think? Either way, what's another wine store that's worthy of a little wine retail tourism?


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/T7mKXtC_HoY/mystery-shopper-visits-grapes-wine.html

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Access Granted

Last week’s Access Zone activities at the 2011 London International Wine Fair (LIWF) were not only great fun and a way to spread the word about social media in wine, but they seemed to strike a chord with the wine trade present. Gabriella, Ryan and I were very pleased with the buzz around the fair [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/P8wvaTitzOg/

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