Mondavi's Woodbridge Wines

[Kcwhippet]

Kip,

Just a little curious here. What does an artificial apple taste like?

[Innkeeper]

You might want to look for and try an 2003 Cave de Lugny, Macon Lugny, Chardonnay, "Les Charmes." It runs $9 U.S. down here in the lower Maritimes. It is just about the best chardonny in the price range we have ever had.

[LT]

Hi Kit,

A good red that I will recommend is Closduval-Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. Very nice. In fact the Closduval has a very nice range.

[Kip]

Deputy,

I didn't get to try reccomendations you listed before, I am taking all of them though as advice, would you reccomend the white wines you just listed before the other ones you previously listed?

And Kcwhippet,

I don't want to say stuff about Dr.Loosen that makes it sound bad, it sounds like it's respected on this board;but I have to say, I did taste this in the wine. Artificial apple... is hard to explain, I got a green apple like taste but it was very "bright" and quite light but it wasn't quite apple, there was something artificial to me.
What I wanted in wine is the each individual flavor was very potent and not mistakable of what it was, such as potent apple,pear,bluebeery,raspberry,cinnamon,
vinala, etc. But all I got was this very light immatation of a an apple then this weird after taste.


Inkeeper andd LT, I will also take this into consideration.


[This message has been edited by Kip (edited 01-22-2006).]

[Deputy]

Kip, I gotta say that I haven't had time to drink all 20 or so bottles that I've bought since the beginning of the month.

It's mostly just me that drinks wine and as much as I like it, I think a bottle+ per day would be a bit much. [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]

Those two bottles I picked up yesterday are just in the rack with the rest, haven't been able to dive in just yet. Next week, maybe.

[Deputy]

Something else that occurs to me, Kip...

I'm also just learning about wine, and have done a fair amount of reading on the subject, and one of the things I've come up with is that a palate develops over time, so it might be hard to find a wine where you can really distinguish all the flavours as you describe right away.

Everyone's an individual, so I could obviously be wrong, but I know that I have a lot of trouble both with a) distinguishing and b) identifying the flavours and aromas in wine.

Then again, I don't know what half of the stuff tastes like that "wine people" manage to identify in their tastings. [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/wink.gif[/img]

[Kip]

Deputy,

What ones did you try?

Also, it might be just me, but I don't think I should start off with a white, perhaps a red or rose, I am not looking for the bright fruits; I like raspberry, blueberry,strawberry,plums alot more than apple pear,or peaches. I also like spices which I heard can be found in wine, sounds interesting.

[Deputy]

Just today I tried a 2003 Calona Vineyards Artist Series Blush (a BC wine, should probably be available out there) - it was a slighly sweet pink with definite berry flavours and a noticeably spicey finish.

Might be worth a shot...? The only other one we tried was the Beringer white zin because my gf likes the Kool-Aid'esque wines. Very tasty, but on a completely different scale than other dry reds, etc.

[wondersofwine]

I second the suggestion of Trimbach Gewurztraminer (widely distributed). Bucko is more experienced than I with Gewurz but one of his favorites, Boxler, is harder to find than the Trimbach.

[Kip]

Deputy,

Actually, there are only 2 blush wines at my store. Two big huge jugs of wine that is obviously just to make you drunk for only like $11. And some 20+ Zins, and I checked to see what you just listed and couldn't find it, www.thenslc.com is where I shop if you want to see what zins you could suggest, or anybody else.

Wonderofwines, I couldn't find what you suggested either.

[Deputy]

Kip, where are you in NS? I know that Halifax has a few "fine wine" merchants, and other towns may as well. I have a knack for finding the hard to find, sometimes.

I'll see if I can't find a product or two for you.

[Deputy]

Here's one already, Kip:

http://nslcweb.thenslc.com/portal/page?_pageid=33,2893251&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&product_id=C600148&region_id=

This is the Painter Bridge Zin from J.Lohr for about $13. This recently received an 86 from Gismondi (www.gismondionwine.com). I have it on my list of wines to pick up at some point.

[Kip]

Thanks Deputy,

I was looking at that earlier in the day, and was wondering if it was a good wine. So I might give that a shot, sounds like a complex wine too. I might not get it right away, but I think I will have a shot and tell you what I think of it.

[AzWino]

Dear Kip,

I hope your wine experiance is coming along.

I must say that from your original question to some of the final answers things took an abrupt about face. You started out asking about Woodbridge and it's merlot (a red wine) and you have been sent to buying reislings and chardonnay's.

So I am assuming (and you know what they say about the word assume)that you are most interested in finding and enjoying a bottle of inexpensive red wine, preferably a merlot.

Their are many very good quality inexpensive merlots on the market today. Here are a few that I would recommend under the $15 retail price.

Clos Du Bois 2001 or 2002.
Barnard Griffin 2003 ranked 95th in the W&S top 100 for 2005.
Lindemans Bin 40 2001 - 04
Concho y Toro 2003
Meridian 2003

Believe it or not I have found that some of the more inexpensive merlots are much better than those commanding a higher price.

Shop your local grocery and or wine store for the sales. You can save sometimes as much as 50 percent on a bottle of wine. This is a great way to experiment and to find a wine that you would enjoy and can afford on a daily basis.

Good Luck, Good Drinking and Cheers.

[AzWino]

Kip,

Perhaps to explain artificial apple is to tell them it tastes like a jolly rogers hard candy. What a terrible taste LOL.

Kip, I left this off my last post, but it is very important, not to just you but to any novice and experianced wine drinker. The book I found most useful and contained a world of knowledge is the Wine for Dummies book. Yes one of the big yellow and black books! But wow what an interesting read.
Anyone interested in wine should have this in his/her library. (no i don't work for the publisher or a wine producer/retailer)

Again,
Good Luck, Good Drinking and Cheers

[VouvrayHead]

"What I wanted in wine is the each individual flavor was very potent and not mistakable of what it was, such as potent apple,pear,bluebeery,raspberry,cinnamon,
vinala, etc. But all I got was this very light immatation of a an apple then this weird after taste."

I think as you try more wine you might come to find that you're not going to get potent direct flavors of other fruits. This is why you can have the same cabernet reviewed by two venerable wine writers where one says "cassis and mint" and the other says "cherry and eucalyptus." I would try to find a wine you just enjoy drinking and then try to pick out what you taste in it.

if you want to find some keynotes that most of us talk about you can look for spices in trimbach gewurztraminer, vanilla in Santa Ema Chilean merlot, buttery-flavors in inexpensive Australian chards, clove/cinnamon in Taurino Salice Salentino (a v. nice and affordable italian red), green pepper in New York state Cab Franc, blueberry in some petite sirahs... there are plenty more, but those are some that are pretty distinct to me. of course there are people that taste these wines differently. what makes wine fascinating is usually not the straight-forward flavors, but the discreet complex ones. i'd start reading and get very acquainted with the people that work in any good wine store you can find.

[Deputy]

Kip, just to keep you up to date, I tried the Painter Bridge Zin with dinner tonight (at the ungodly price of close to $9/glass) and I have to say - I loved it. It was the first time where I was really able to sense much in the way of complexity in wine.

Here's my review:

http://www.wines.com/ubb2/Forum16/HTML/000445.html

Give it a try, I doubt you'll be too disappointed. I could be wrong, but I thought it was delicious.

[heavyj]

Whole Foods has a great private label (365- Whole Foods Brand) Tempranillo for about $10. Not sure if there are any Whole Foods in Canada

I agree with Wondersofwine about the Pinot Noir from Saintsbury Garnet. If you ever have a little extra money the Etude makes a great Pinot as well. Almost any Pinot from the Carneros Valley in California will be good.

[WileECoyote]

VouvrayHead wrote - "buttery-flavors in inexpensive Australian chards"


IMHO, if you want buttery, go grab a bottle of the Fat Bastard Chard., That is what I cull But-ter-ry!

[This message has been edited by WileECoyote (edited 01-30-2006).]