anyone else waiting for the Rafanelli?

[MontereyRick]

Anyone else waiting for their A Rafanelli order form which usually arrives around April 1?

I've heard great things about the soon to be released 2001 A Raf Zin. Not so much looking forward to their 2000 Cab which will also be released. Also hoping they don't raise prices.

[Drew]

Sorry, I live in a Felony State.....not excited.

Drew

[MontereyRick]

my order form arrived and I'm pleased to say prices did not go up.

2001 Zin $26/bottle (I expect this to be great)
2000 Cab $34/bottle (not as excited here)
1998 Terrace Select (their Bordeaux blend) $90/bottle (3 bottle limit only 100 cases made)

[Bucko]

Well-made wines but too much wood for my palate.

[Glass_A_Day]

Seems to be a trend with you Bucko. A low tolerance for oak? You said the same about Flowers Pinot and the oak there is almost non exsistant.

[Bucko]

We're not drinking the same Flowers or they have drastically decreased their oak influence. Actually some of my tasting group friends accuse me of being an oak whore, so I don't think I have an unreasonable approach to oak. Oak should compliment a wine, not dominate it or compete with the fruit for dominance. No, I don't have a low tolerance for oak, only poor wine making.

[Glass_A_Day]

I agree with your philosophy on how much oak should be in wine and... that we MUST be drinking a different Flowers Pinot. It is so far in the background that you have to look to find it...

[winoweenie]

GAD what you have to unnerstan' is, if after bottling the truck carring the wine passes thru a forest on the way to the warehouse, THAT'S WAY TOO MUCH WOOD! (snort,giggle,wink) WW [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img]

[Glass_A_Day]

What I'm a big sucker for is some genuine Frenchie wood. Gets me every time. It can make a bad wine tolerable, an ok wine good, and sometimes makes a good wine great. Then, if the wine is great to start with, you might have a hard time gettin me to pass her along.

[Bucko]

No, I'm being serious -- we must have tried different wines. Flowers makes a host of different Pinots. I've only had them a couple of times and both times I thought the wines were well made but oaky. I only remember one wine, the Sonoma Coast Hirsch Vineyard 1997. To each their own. Why do you think that WW has those two big front teeth?

[NorCalGirl]

Rick - Have you spent much time visiting the wineries in Sonoma County? Interested in spending a weekend in the next month or so but the selection of wineries is overwhelming. Any suggestions on where to start or who I shouldn't miss would be welcome....I spend more of my time in the El Dorado foothills area - great wine, less people, easy day trip :-) I haven't met a wine I don't like so I'm open to trying any wineries "specialty" although I especially like Zins...Thanks to you or anyone else with suggestions!