October 29, 2009 Wine Inventory

Second in an occasional series.

As of today, October 29, 2009, I have the following wines on hand and awaiting consumption:

White

None

Red

2003 Bolla Amarone della Valpolicella (750ml, Italy)

2004 Benegas Don Tiburcio (750ml, Argentina) **

2004 Laurona Montsant (750ml, Spain) **

2005 Rombauer Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (375ml, USA, California)

2005 Olabisi Petite Sirah (750ml, USA, California)

2005 Louis M Martini Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon (750ml, USA, California)

2005 Ravenswood Sonoma County Zinfandel (750ml, USA, California)

2007 Clos de los Siete (750ml, Argentina) **

2007 Domaine de Couron Little Canyon (750ml, France) **

2007 Ruffino Chianti (375ml, Italy)

2007 Spanish Sons Tempranillo (750ml, Spain)

2007 Trapiche Oak Cask Malbec (750ml, Argentina)

** Blend

Sample Bottles (Temporarily stashing them at home to bring to work for tasting events)

2006 Cannonball Cabernet Sauvignon (750ml, USA, California)

2006 Catena Cabernet Sauvignon (750ml, Argentina)

2007 Catena Chardonnay (750ml, Argentina)

2007 181 Merlot (750ml, USA, California)

2007 Layer Cake Primitivo (750ml, Italy)

2008 Miguel Torres Santa Digna Sauvignon Blanc (750ml, Chile)

Notes:

+ Reminder: The Amarone was a gift.

+ I am drinking the last few gulps of my lone white wine from the inaugural list: 2007 La Crema Chardonnay (USA, California). It is “okay”. I much prefer their Pinot Noir, which is such a mouthful a 375ml bottle will do me just fine, thanks.

+ I am not a white wine hater, but I do prefer reds. I have a few white wines “on hold” at work and maybe one or two will grace the next wine inventory review.

+ I am toying with the idea of writing a series of articles about Beer & Wine store life, but in the immediate term I was just commiserating with a wine rep about “having” to taste wines each week. I say “no” to the vast majority of what is pitched to our stores. It’s not entirely based on the tyranny of my palate, but we only have capacity for so many wines, and while we lose some lines to attrition (see next item) I can’t haphazardly agree to anything and everything. What I am always looking for, however, is “good stuff”. Example: Merlot is Merlot is Merlot. Taste one, and you’ve tasted them all. Except: We have a cheapie bottle of French Merlot ($7.99 retail) that caught my fancy and I bought a bottle to drink with beef stew. LOVED IT. Excellent “nuance”, and so not the usual Merlot taste. That is what I am looking for in a crowded wine category like Merlot.

+ The “Benegas” line of wines is either no longer available through our usual distributor, or plain not at all. I took one for the team (oh darn) and bought our last bottle of Don Tiburcio, as I had been wondering how it was. A few of our wine customers seemed to like it but they were short on specific feedback.

+ Some day I hope to afford a reasonably good wine fridge, and then save my nickels and dimes for a bottle of Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Le Serre Nuove. I was hoping to reel in “the” Ornellaia, but it retails for damn near $200. There’s the wine you want, and then there’s the wine the distributor will let you have.

+ There’s lots of great wine out there… explore!

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