[Houdini]

Well, I require a stunning syrah in show of thanks to Fraudinis' Herculean efforts re:  dealing w/ me for a decade, and the delivery of Minidini in the new year. 

Cost not crucially important (I intend to be spazzed on vintage port for a week post-birth).

[Houdini]

Nah, I've just checked the prices; not all are astronomical.

[Houdini]

Did no-one catch CHATEAU MONTY last summer?  C4 or BBC2, I forget.  I thought it was a great adventure, though his choice of staff baffling:  why fly someone over from the UK instead of local help?  Weird.  Must've been a TV decision, human element etc.. 



Drinking Portugese Niepoort Fabelhaft 06 which I'd wanted to try for ages.  They make incredible port but this kinda sucks.  Described to me as a cult wine, which I don't get.  They make port from this juice? 

[soapy]

Well, I require a stunning syrah in show of thanks to Fraudinis' Herculean efforts re:  dealing w/ me for a decade, and the delivery of Minidini in the new year. 

Cost not crucially important (I intend to be spazzed on vintage port for a week post-birth).

a stunning syrah?

a really good 'un may be hard to find; can 30+ year old grange or la landonne/turque be sourced, at any price?

edit: great what the internets throw up > http://www.nicks.com.au/index.aspx?link_id=82.530

[GraemeA]

http://www.wine-searcher.com/ is your friend for tracking down those hard to find wines.

Watch out for the VAT & Duty being added plus minimum order costs.

[Houdini]

For the wino-foodies: noticed some nice recipes on the Rothschild site http://www.lafite.com/eng/Recipes

I tried some of the Rothschild Chilean Los Vascos for something different, and concur it probably arrived in KZ the long way round, hence the price.  Putting it beside the "local" Georgian C Sauv - it was kinda naff.  Good euro wine is ridiculously priced, Nebbiolo starting at around €50.

The other problem we have w/ liquids here is the cold.  They take ages to warm up back at home from the walk to the shops (-30°C if it's windy) and bottled water is mostly frozen in 10 minutes.

Apologises for spamming the food/drink threads, but what I put in my mouth is pretty much the only source of amusement or satisfaction available here; I found some capers not long back, it made my weekend.

[Houdini]

Where are wines made w/ 100% (or predominantly) Carignan most likely to be made?

Recommendations?  I've only found one 100% carignan back home and would like to try more.

[GraemeA]

Languedoc-Rousillon and Provence but its also used in Spain and Italy.

The Wine Socity has a decent list, see if you can find any of these:

http://www.thewinesociety.com/shop/search.aspx?pageNumber=0&pageSize=9999&type=&grape=&vintage=&orderby=&keyword=carignan&wineType=&appellation=&grapeType=&priceRange=&sweetness=&country=&region=%20&match=&searchType=simple&advancedKeyword=carignan

[Houdini]

Scoffed a bottle of CN du Pape couple of nights back, first time w/ this wine for me.  It was OK but still tasted like a 15 quid bottle*.  How much does one need to spend to make drinking this wine worthwhile?  Mövenpick stock plenty but mostly around the 60€ mark.  Must it really be so expensive?


* Kazakh price, so inflated.

[robertostallioni]

Had similar thoughts re. CNdP myself. A couple of years ago this was in CoOp reduced to 8 squid from 10 so I got a bottle. Quite nice thought I, but no finer than some 5 quid bottles I've found by chance. Sort of a decent "guarantee" for a dinner party perhaps- not that I go to those affairs of course. Although I would think less of you if you turned up to a dinner party with such a bottle. Sort of a "beginnner in pink lace-ups" move.

[Sloper]

A lot of CNdP is sold on the name of the AOC and is barely drinkable, given the choice between at £10 CNdP and a good cotes du rhone village eg a Guigal I'll go for the cotes du rhone.

[fried]

Chateauneuf DP is probably the most over-rated and over-priced French wine available, a lot is sold in countries such as Japan where it has aquired a prestige name. If you start spending around 10 quid (I imagine) you can get much, much better quality cotes du rhone, Lirac, vaqueyras or for a few quid more a decent Gigondas.

I did a season working in CDP and recently almost bought a bottle of (domaine de la solitude) for old times sake, but after talking to the sommelier in the supermarket, I changed my mind.

[soapy]

sommelier / supermarket

??

[fried]

I live in Paris and can now neither speak French or English properly.

[robertostallioni]

I have heard only good things about Château de Chasselas...

[Houdini]

Anything special lined up for the Xmas table?

[Sloper]

BraideAlte Livon '03 (not tried this before but it comes highly recommended at at £30 ish it should be nice)

Rocche dei manzoni Barolo '96 and / or a Corton 03.

Suiddurat 04

[hairich]

last time i saw this was a forum for bouldering in the whole of the uk.when did you last do that sloper.when you still see your dick before the kids whre born

[Houdini]

And the winner of Incoherent Post of the Year goes to ...

[robertostallioni]

Well, I suppose he's got one less card to buy.

[soapy]

slopes, that braidealte sounds stunning:

"An intense straw-coloured wine golden reflections.  The bouquet is intense and spicy and the flavour is elegant and dry.  It is a wine of great structure, full-bodied and warm, with an almost untamed nose, strongly reminiscent of Sancerre, is intense in its long lasting aromatic flavours."

have sampled livon's tiaremate, a superb merlot


rather slender offerings for me this year, but looking forward to:

pommery wintertime nv

a ca del pipa le vigne 99 or two

and a rather nice bottle of frapin extra

[Sloper]

last time i saw this was a forum for bouldering in the whole of the uk.when did you last do that sloper.when you still see your dick before the kids whre born

Ask your wife.

[soapy]

*opens popcorn

[Sloper]

No not at all, it seems as if Hairy has recently split with his partner and in the circumstances I have sent him a pm apologising for the above.

Anyway he has a poin these days I'm much more into chipping than climbing. 

[Houdini]

Had a mad moment and ordered an €80 Barolo last night (hotel meal), figured that since everything was overpriced might as well do it in style (the Petrus prices were whack ...)

Daft really (could've had 2 or 3 excellent bottles from a wine shop) was also served too warm ...