The best wine I have ever had.

Today I popped a bottle I picked up online. I had seen several up at auction a few months ago but the price kept me away. The rating- a 96 from Wine Spectator- attracted my eye, and relative to other much more expensive bottles (Giacosa, Scavino, Vietti), it had a higher rating, and therefore was something I had to try.
2000 Giacomo Grimaldi Barolo "Le Coste" 14.5% abv
c- the typical of aged Barolo, black inky depths to a faded orange rim.
a- goes on forever. Roses, violet, tar, raspberry, blackberry, dry earth.
f- dry roses, tar, animal or game, raspberry, balsamic. caramel and truffle way way back on the finish. m+ body, l+ finish.
94-95
This was an amazing bottle! The finish seemed to go on forever, and I was picking up nuances of different things as that time went on. Really spectacular. A wine of singular character.
Just for reference, I paid 55 for this bottle. In the big scheme of things, that is alot of money. But compared to single vineyard bottlings from the above producers, a relative steal. I will remember this one for a long time and I'll be on the lookout for more of it.

The Wines of the Northern Rhone Valley.

I have been wanting to taste some of the Northern Rhones I have been reading about and studying, so I found some! These are not in the order that I drank them, but I will start to the south and head north.
First up:
1999 E. Guigal Hermitage 13% abv
c- garnet purple fading to orange rim.
a- plum, strawberry, cassis, pine herbs, animal, leather, meat.
f- plum, strawberry, currant, meat, smoke, vanilla and campfire. some spices and pine herbs. m+body and m+ finish.
91
2008 Domaine Faury St. Joseph 13% abv
c- ruby to garnet edges
a- blackberry, plum, bell pepper, animal, leather, vanilla, spices, pine herbs.
f- blackberry, plum, black pepper, animal, leather, spices, pine herbs. m+body, m+ finish
89-90
2008 Domaine Faury Cote Rotie 13% abv
c- purple/ruby with lighter rim
a- blackberry, currant, vanilla, spices, and pine herbs.
f- blackberry, currant, strawberry, white pepper, vanilla and campfire. m+ body, m+ finish.
89
The best was the Hermitage of course also the most expensive. A really great wine of depth and personality. But for my money, I would seek the Faury St. Joseph. I found it to be just as good if not even better than the Cote Rotie, which cost me a little more than three times as much. Honestly, I was disappointed with the Cote Rotie. I was really expecting more. As you can see from my notes, it was actually pretty close to the St. Joseph. I will have to try some from another producer when I can find some at a reasonable price.

Germany, Burgundy and the "Pinot" of Italy.

Well my collection has grown and I felt the need to dip into it for a few things over the weeks. First I wanted to taste two Burgundies, and then a Barbaresco, made from Nebbiolo, the grape called the pinot of Italy.
2006 Philippe Colin 1er St. Aubin Les Combes 13.5% abv.
c- yellow to straw, green hints.
a- lemon peel, peach, cantaloupe, hazelnuts, butter, white flowers.
f- toast, lemon, oak, nuts, flowers, minerality, stone.
M+ body, m+ finish
91-92
2007 Paitin Sori'Paitin Barbaresco 14% abv.
c- garnet to orange.
a- rose, violet, tar, animal, raspberry, cherry.
f- confirms. Mineral, dried rose, tar, violet, animal.
92
1997 Charlopin Clos de Fixey 13%
c- amazingly after 14 years in bottle this still has a pretty concentrated color. garnet to orange edges.
a- tart red cherry, plum, raspberry, chalk, animal, vanilla, baking spices.
f- tart red cherry, raspberry, animal, forest, campfire, smoke. long finish, medium bodied. pretty darn good.
91
2005 Gunderloch Nackenheim Rothenberg Riesling Spatlese 8.5%
c- yellow with green hints.
a- peach, melon, citrus, petrol, slate, flowers.
f- peach, lemon peel, melon, mineral, some floral. m body and m finish.
92

Beaujolais!

The third Thursday of November marks the release date of Beaujolais Nouveau, the wine made from the Gamay grape in the same year of release. This is accompanied by much fanfare around the world, but of course, Nouveau is nothing serious, but rather a fun, gulpable, grapey wine meant to be drunk soon after release and best slightly chilled.
I have read a wine writer (forget who) describe Beaujolais as a white wine that happens to be red. I can see some truth in this. There is really no tannin, a high acidity, and while the flavors skew towards red wine (berry, red fruits, etc), it is a very fruit forward easy drinker...
2011 Deboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 12.5% abv.
c- electric purple, thins to edges, watery rim.
a- grape, candy, pear.
f- the same. not alot going on here, but drinkable with a light body and short finish.
84
2010 L'Ancien Beaujolais 12% abv.
c- clear purple to ruby rim.
a- granite, strawberry, raspberry, earth, more serious.
f- lighter but some depth. tobacco, deeper berry. short finish, light body.
87
2009 Christian Vergier Morgon "Tour de Tanay" 13% abv.
-this is from one of the crus or more distinguished wine producing villages in Beaujolais.
c- clear purple to ruby rim.
a- concord grape, strawberry, raspberry, dark gravel, more serious again.
f- grape is predominate with strawberry, raspberry, leather, and earth. light+ body with a medium finish.
88
Some don't like the fresh fruit flavors of Beaujolais. For those I would recommend seeking out the crus, though the label won't say Beaujolais on it anywhere. Your local shop should be able to help you find something though.
I guess no real favorite here. All pretty easy to drink but I guess if pressed I would pick the L'Ancien because of the definite earthiness to it.

Good news, Champagne/Sparkling and a few treats.

I will start with the good news. Last week I was able to pass the level one sommelier certification class and test administered by the Court of Master Sommeliers. I told Katie that I felt like I over studied, but I guess that paid off since I got the highest grade in the class!
I didn't feel the test was too hard since I was pretty familiar with most of the material. It was 70 questions multiple choice pass/fail and you had to get 60% or more correct to pass, so it would seem like the odds were greatly in your favor. Yet I would say 15-25% of the people in the class didn't pass. I talked to one of my coworkers about that and she said she thought people came to the class expecting to learn everything they needed to know, which is just not the case. They do cover everything, but it is at a very quick pace, so a good background is definitely needed.
Something else that also helped me alot was my like of many of the classical areas they covered. I already knew the 5 first growths of Bordeaux, basically didn't have to study Burgundy and Germany at all, knew northern Italy, the Rhone valley, etc.
Anyway, I will be going for level 2 in about a year. I am excited for that. Lots of studying and tasting to do in the mean time.
This week I had the pleasure of tasting two really great wines thanks to a customer at work. The first was one of the first growth Bordeauxs mentioned, a 1964 Haut-Brion from magnum. I didn't take notes, but this was one of the best red wines I have ever had. Tobacco, dried leaves, wet dog (in a good way), dark red and black fruits. Great depth, and I could literally taste it minutes later. I will have to rate it a 93-94.
The owner of the bottle said he felt it was on the way out, and that 750mL bottles of the same he had in the past few years were much better.
The other was a 2004 j.f. Coche-Dury Meursault. He is one of the few consistently high quality white wine producers in Burgundy, and his wines are expensive. Even this bottle with a basic village ac will set you back 200 or more. Great nose, steely crushed rock minerality, toasted hazelnut, honey, white flowers. Amazing depth. 91.
The week before I bought a few different sparkling wines to try. The first I had heard good things about and was looking forward to.
NV Gruet Brut Methode Champenoise (from 375mL).
c- light yellow.
a- toast, flowers, marble.
f- light honey, some minerality. light body, short finish. not much else...
84
NV Nicholas Feuillatte Brut Rose 12% abv (from 750mL).
c- pink to salmon.
a- strawberry, tart apple, yeast.
f- strawberry with red apple more predominate. light but steely minerality. m body with a m+ finish. really pretty good.
90-91
NV Taittinger Brut La Francaise 12% abv (from 375mL).
c- gold.
a- toast, apple, soft pretzel.
f- caramel with secondary flavors developing. mineral. m finish and m+ body.
87
The least expensive here was the Gruet, and that would be a good everyday drinker, or something to get for parties on a budget. I got the Taittinger in a half bottle so it was relatively affordable, but in a full bottle the Feuillatte would be less expensive and I found it to be better. That would be my pick of the litter this time around.

Cabernet Sauvignon.

This time around I was on to Cabernets. I tasted one French vs. two American examples.
2005 Christian Moueix "Medoc" 13.5% abv
c- garnet to orange edges.
a- cassis, gravel, clay, oak. blackberry, bell pepper?
f- m body, m+ finish. plum, dark fruits, berry, cinnamon?
87
2008 Ghost Pines Cabernet 13.9% abv
c- purple black.
a- cassis, dark fruit, plum, blackberry, oak.
f- confirms. full- body, medium+ finish. fruity and berry. some tannin, good but simple.
87
2005 Jordan Cabernet Alexander Valley 13.5% abv
c- dark ruby black to garnet edges.
a- earth, cassis, bell pepper, dark fruits.
f- touch oak, nice acid. full mouth, long- finish. very good. confirms aroma.
90-91
My favorite was the Jordan, but this will be the most expensive. I got a great deal and paid 33 a bottle, but I think you'll see it more around 50. It is different from alot of Cali cabs in that it seems to be more earth driven and less obviously fruity.
As far as value, the Moueix 'Medoc' while obviously a product of marketing, wasn't bad for the price (12), as well as the Ghost Pines (20ish). Of those two, I suppose I would have to give the nod to the Medoc.

I'm not drinking any fucking Merlot. Oh wait...

I'll start you off with an infamous scene from the great movie Sideways. Though this was a work of fiction, it actually (this line in particular) had an effect on the wine industry. Sales of Merlot went down, and sales of Pinot Noir (Miles' favorite) went up.
Merlot has its historic home in Bordeaux. Here it is used in smaller proportions in left bank wines (west of the river Gironde) and in general, is the main constituent of right bank wines. Of course, these days it is grown all over the place.
2007 Chateau Ste. Michelle Canoe Ridge Estates Horse Heaven Hills Merlot 14.5% abv
c- dark purple.
a- (can't read some of my writing), dark fruit, oak.
f- confirms with oak more present. smoother and softer mouthfeel. full body, long finish with notes of chocolate.
87
2006 Burgess Napa Valley Merlot 14.4% abv.
c- purple to ruby at edges.
a- gravel to slate? earthier, dark fruits, a little hot, oak, campfire.
f- earth, depth. full- body, m+ finish. some oak, darker fruits.
88
2007 Souverain Merlot Alexander Valley 14.5% abv.
c- purple.
a- cassis, dark fruit, dry earth.
f- deep. full body, long finish, dark fruits, light oak influence. pretty good.
89
My favorite here was the Souverain which was also the least expensive. Again, all of these were under twenty dollars, and I think they were all good enough that I would buy them again, though I am not a big Merlot drinker. I don't hate it like Miles, but it's not something I would normally pick if left to my own devices.

The reds less travelled.

This week I was going to try three different reds from varietals that are seen less. That plan didn't quite work out, but I was pretty happy with all the wines that I tasted.
2009 Eugenio Bocchino "Roccabella" Nebbiolo de Langhe 14% abv
c- dusty red
a- violet, tar, animalistic, very perfumy and aromatic but a little restrained.
f- deep long finish, medium mouthfeel. very tannic. nice acidity. nuanced, subtle, earthy. violets and tar. good now but could use some time.
90 now with bottle age I could see this in the 92-94 range.
2006 Odfjell Orzada Carignane Cauquenes, Chile 13.5% abv
c- dark black purple, lighter edges.
a- motor oil (also described as the smell of the plate on the back of a semi cab- the smell of grease, dirt, and metal rubbed together), alcohol, dark fruit, oak.
f- funky (as in off the beaten path). dark fruit, oak, nice adicity. a little alcoholic? full bodied, medium to long finish. I decanted this to get it off the sediment and then poured it back into the bottle for storage. the oak became much more integrated with some air time, day two onwards. would recommend a decant.
88-89.
2004 Marques de Caceres Rioja Reserva 13.5% abv
c- maroon to lighter pink edges.
a- tart cherries, vanilla, earthiness, animal.
f- medium body, long finish. more earth with less fruit. cherry, tobacco, berries, espresso.
89-90. I think this is the first Rioja I had and YUM!
I was happy to break a seemingly long streak without tasting any really great wines. I think all of the wines I tasted this week would be worth buying by the case to keep around for the future. I could see the Carignane being a little off putting to some as well as hard to pair with food, but as I have said before, it was interesting. And the best part is that all of these wines can be had for 20 or less dollars!

Zinfandel/Primitivo tasting and comparison.

I am the first to admit that Zinfandels aren't really my thing. If left to my own devices, I would probably not buy many or any at all, but in the name of science and education, I tasted four different wines over the past two weeks.
The thing I don't really like is the big and brash personality- often accompanied by prodigous amounts of alcohol. The lowest percentage abv of the wines I tried this time around was 14. They seem to be hard to pair with food, at least what I have been eating. I imagine they would work best with something simple like grilled steak.
But I do like the earthy, woodsy, mushroomy flavors and aromas I found in these bottles. That is certainly something I would go back for. I have liked the more expensive and refined and sometimes aged zins that I have had the opportunity to try from producers such as Turley and Ridge. I rated Orin Swifts' The Prisoner (primarily based on zin) at 92 points. Maybe I do like them after all?
2007 Felline Primitivo di Manduria 14% abv
c- dark concentrated purple, light bricking at edges.
a- alcohol, acid, dark baked fruits, stewed plum.
f- dark stewed fruits, medium plus body. not horrible, but disappointing for the price.
83
Rosenblum Cellars Cuvee XXXIII Zinfandel 14.5% abv
c- magenta but not very concentrated color.
a- acid, oak, smells pinotish?
f- lighter, brambly woodsiness, mushroomy, spicy, hot. Ok and got better with some time- definitely better on the second day.
85
2007 Bogle "Phantom" 14.5% abv- This is actually majority petite sirah, with 44% zin.
c- deep concentrated purple
a- oak, alcohol, berry
f- oaky, vanilla, wood. some of that brambly woodsiness. off balance and incredibly oaky. decanted on the second day and it helped a little, but not much.
82. Funny if you google "2007 bogle phantom" one of the first things that comes up is someone elses blog who states that they would recommend this to people who like The Prisoner because it is half the price and still hits on most of the same cylinders. I couldn't disagree more. The Prisoner has refinement, class, and much more to it than oak!
2009 Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel 15% abv.
c- dark but clear purple.
a- berry, woodsy, mushroom, alcohol.
f- really confirms the aroma with a touch of oak. a bit hot, but seems much more in balance than the Bogle. Medium plus body with a medium plus finish.
88
Overall a fun experiment. I would buy again and recommend the Rosenblum and Cline. Both were pretty tasty and represent good values. The primitivo was fun to try, but a disappointment for the price. The Bogle was my least favorite. I wish I had skipped that and tried Orin Swifts' Saldo instead. Maybe next time.
On a side note, my wine 'cellar' has now grown to over 100 bottles and is valued at roughly 5300. The oldest and also most expensive bottle I have is a 1989 Trimbach Clos Ste Hune Vendanges Tardive. The youngest bottles that I have and plan on keeping for a little bit are 8 2009 A. et P. de Villaine Cote Chalonnaise 'Les Clous'.
Around 30% of my cellar is Chardonnay, with 22% Pinot Noir, 17% Riesling, and 13% Syrah/Shiraz, however, it is 52% red and 48% white overall. The region most represented by far is Burgundy, with 56 bottles or 51%, with the Rhone being second with 17 bottles or 15%.

Pinot Gris/Grigio tasting and comparison.

Last week I was hankerin' for some whites, so I decided to taste a few Pinot Gris/Grigios. My experience with this varietal (besides in reading) is limited to the two selections we have at my work, so it seemed like a good idea...
2006 Hugel Pinot Gris "Classic" 12.5% abv
c- light gold, hints of green
a- minerality, slate, white flowers, spicy
f- acidity (I actually wrote 'boom!'), mineral, touch of honey. crisp. medium mouth feel, between a short and medium finish. floral.
89
2009 Bollini Pinot Grigio Trentino 13% abv
c- yellow gold
a-musky, white flowers, acid
f- lemon, snappy, acid. light mouth, short finish. very drinkable but doesn't stand out to me like the Hugel.
85
2009 Handley Pinot Gris Anderson Valley 14.2% abv
c- gold
a- apple
f- acidity, honey. short finish, light mouth. alcoholic and flabby. not much there.
84-
There is a clear winner here again- Hugel. I think this was again around the most expensive bottle, but the Pinot Grigio was close if I remember correctly. I would buy the Hugel again, and also the Bollini but probably only as a summer refresher. I was disappointed with Handley. I have really liked most of their wines I have tried, but as you can tell from my notes, I didn't find much there to say about it. Oh well.
Next week: Zinfandels!

Syrah/Shiraz tasting.

My local store didn't have much in the way of American Syrahs except for one that I have had before. I really wanted to taste one along a French and Australian example, but oh well. This includes one I had tasted in the month prior.
2008 Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage "Petit-Ruche" 12.5% abv.
c- concentrated darker/bricking red.
a- spicy, smoky, jalapeno, vegetable.
f- really carries to the mouth. seems watered down. jalapenos, wood. lighter than expected. lighter mouth and shorter finish. interesting vanilla-y/marshmallow finish.
85
2009 Yalumba "Y series" Shiraz-Viognier South Australia 13.5% abv.
94% shiraz, 6% viognier. I know this blend may sound odd, but there is a long tradition of adding viognier to syrah in the Cote Rotie, the northern Rhone region of France.
c- dark purple/ black concentrated color.
a- berry, earth-leather, touch tart cherry, softer.
f- big. some tannin. fruity, soft. med body, med finish.
87
2008 Yalumba Shiraz-Viognier Eden Valley 14.5% abv.
97% shiraz, 3% viognier.
c- dark concentrated inky purple black.
a- tequila? red berries, blue berry. tart cherry. mellow oak, leather.
f- cedary oak, fruit. soft. medium body but shorter finish.
87 (of interest this bottle from a more specific region and costing more got the same score as the one above, costing less).
2008 Heartland Shiraz South Australia 14.5% abv.
c- dark inky purple, very concentrated.
a- tobacco, chocolate, dark fruits, oak.
f- cedary oak. big full bodied longer finish. dark fruits, vanilla, touch tannin.
88
What did I like here? The Chapoutier had the lowest score but it was different and therefore interesting. But I probably wouldn't buy again unless I could find it at a lesser price. The yaluma y series is clearly a good deal, and the heartland wasn't bad either, though a few dollars more. I would buy both again.

California Pinot Noir comparison.

This time around I bought three bottles of California Pinot. One from the north, one from the south, and one from the general California appellation. I also have tasting notes from one I tried at work, as well as a Australian Pinot that I had shortly before.
2009 Bogle Pinot Noir California 14.2% abv.
c- magenta, cranberry juice.
a- apple jam, apple, plum.
f- touch tarry rubber, fruit, balanced, longer finish but lighter bodied. touch of alcohol at the end.
In the same league as other similarly priced pinots (10ish).
85
2009 Brophy Clark Santa Barbara County PN 13.5% abv.
c- purply deep red.
a- more earthy, manure, dark black cherry.
f- medicinal or vitaminy. fruity. alcohol seems more present despite lower abv. this wine became more favorable after a day open, however I would pass on it.
84
2007 Handley Anderson Valley PN 14.2% abv.
c- dusty violet/rose.
a- spicy, fruit, pinot.
f- carries good depth, balanced. Raspberry/cherry. Showed better on second day with cola/anise notes.
90
2009 Talbott "kali hart" Monterey PN 14.8% abv.
c- clear ruby purple.
a- pinot, cherry, alcohol, acid.
f- same. hot. shorter finish. med mouth feel. oak present as vanilla, which seems to lend it an odd sweetness.
85
2008 Little Yering PN 13.5% abv.
c- garnet, touch brown.
a- pinot, baked cherry, earth, acid.
f- similar. Balanced acid, lighter, but not bad for the price(10ish).
85
Clearly the best wine here was the Handley. This was also the most expensive. The Brophy Clark was a disappointment for the price and I will probably not buy anything by them again. Conversely, both the Little Yering and Bogle were good for the price. Many wines at a less expensive price point can show true varietal character, but this seems more difficult with pinot. Great pinot is not something that comes cheap!

Chardonnay tasting.

A few weeks ago I decided that a good way to familiarize myself with a variety of wines and styles would be to buy three different examples of the same grape from different places totally (countries) or from smaller appellations in larger regions (Cali Pinots as an example).
I started off with a few Chardonnays....
2009 Christian Vergier "Eros" Macon-Villages 12.5% abv.
c- pale yellow/gold.
a- brioche, creek water (corked), white flowers.
f- acidic, zippy. honeysuckle. the slight corkiness adds something in this case.
89
2007 Argyle Willamette Valley Chardonnay 13.5% abv.
c- pale yellow/green.
a- oak, nut, acid, tart green apple.
f- light buttery oak, campfire, apple, marshmallow/vanilla medium finish.
87
2009 Joseph Drouhin St. Veran
No notes taken, but like a nicer entry level(10$) macon-villages.
88
The winner here was the Vergier "Eros". Great food friendly wine at a decent price.

Tons of tasting notes.

This is what happens when I am busy enjoying the great Colorado outdoors during summer. I have been drinking and tasting alot of wines, but have not sat down to write about them at all... So here you go!
2009 E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone Blanc
13.5%abv.
c- pale yellow.
a- honeysuckle, white flowers, acid.
f- creme brulee, light mouthfeel, melon- honeydew.
86 (but very worthy of your attention!)
2005 Chateau la Croix Menieur St. Emillion Grand Cru 13% abv.
60% merlot, 30% cab franc, 10% cab sauv
c- thick dark red, concentrated.
a- bourdeaux for sure. choc, dark fruit, oak, dusty earth.
f- really confirms aroma, but a little more than expected. very soft mouth. full body short medium finish.
86. I bought this before I was a more informed consumed thinking I was getting a deal on something special. However, in St. Emillion grand cru simply means that a wine has a higher alcohol content. There are around 300 grand crus in the area! It is not a mark of quality.
2009 Paitin Nebbiolo Rosato "Giramet" 13%abv
c- liquid rust. orange/red but clear.
a- burnt orange, caramel, almond.
f- fuller bodied. orange blossom. orange, acid, dry. light caramel and almond. short finish.
86.
2009 St. Urbans-Hof Qba mosel Riesling 9.5%abv.
c- light green with bubbles visible on inside of glass.
a- mineral, slate, wet rock, peach, flowers.
f- zippy acidity, peach, light petrol. lighter body, short finish. prickly tongue.
89- a very good value in German Riesling!
2008 Trapiche oak cask Cabernet Sauvignon. 14% abv. I bought this because we recently started carrying Trapiche Malbec at work.
c- red/violet. concentrated.
a- alcohol, stewed plum, dark fruits, oak, cassis.
f- dry, dusty, fruity, tannic.
87- nothing too serious here, but I think it'll run you around ten bucks, so definitely a good deal.
The next few come courtesy of several wealthy guests at work....
2006 Bonny Doon 'Le cigare volant' 13.3%abv.
43.6% syrah, 43.5% grenache, 11.7% cinsault, 1.1% mourvedre, .1% carignane.
c- dark concentrated purple. some rim variation.
a- a little hot? amazing depth. dry, earthy, smoky, plum, dark fruits.
f- confirms. lively acidity. good depth while still being drinkable. med-long finish.
91.
2004 Lucien Le Moine Corton-Charlemagne 13.5%abv
c- straw gold.
a- pear, toast, hazelnut, butter, mineral.
f- some acid. alcohol. med mouth feel. shorter finish. earth
90
1999 Faiveley Corton- Clos de Cortons 13%abv
c- ruby red, slight browning at edges. some sediment.
a- plum, earth, funk, cherry.
f- balanced acid, earth, and fruit. long finish. medium mouth. great complexity.
92-3
2002 Domaine Leflaive Puligny- Montrachet 1er cru "Les Combettes" 13.5%abv
c- gold
a- open for 2 days at this point. hazelnut, almond, flowers, mineral.
f- lasts and lasts. peachy, mineral, nuts, oak, well balanced. very good. long finish. full mouth. 93. One of the better wines I have tasted.
2002 Domaine Ramonet Bienvenue Batard-Montrachet grand cru 14% abv.
c- deep gold.
a- tequila? acid, sherry. closed.
f- sherry notes, hazelnut, acid. steely and mineral. longer finish, full mouth. preox?
88.
2002 Jean-Noel Gagnard Batard-Montrachet grand cru 13.5%abv.
c- deep gold.
a- open 3 days, smells off.
f- definitely off.
NR.
2005 Francois et Antoine Jobard Meursault Blagny 1er cru.
c- gold.
a- yeasty, brioche.
f- light almond, oak, must. very acidic. maybe a little off?
90.
2007 Celani "tenacious" red
69% merlot, 28% cab franc, 3% petit verdot
c- dark ruby to purple.
a- chalk, dark fruit, cassis, tobacco, cedar.
f- soft, choc, fruit, cedar. fuller body, medium finish.
91 opens up with time, could use some bottle age or decant.

2008 Eugenio Bocchino 'Roccabella' Nebbiolo de Langhe

14.5% abv. This comes from Langhe, which is part of the larger area of Piedmont, Italy which houses the regions of Barolo and Barbaresco. In fact, this is made from grapes grown just over the border from Barolo, and thus may be considered a baby Barolo.
c- dusty red, dark orange edges.
a- roses first. Violet, tar, red fruits, very floral.
f- confirms the aroma. Great concentration, exceedingly long finish (hours really). Very good.
92+.
On a side note, I got to taste a Barolo by a famous producer at work a few days later, and this blew it out of the water at around half the price(17 vs 36+)! It definitely evolved in the glass, so it would be worth it to buy a case and enjoy it for years to come.

2009 Ken Forrester 'Petit' Pinotage

This is an interesting varietal that I had yet to try, so I had to try it! It was developed in South Africa and it is a cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsault. South Africa is the primary growing region for this grape, though it is made else where. The name is pronounced "pin-oh-targe", not "peen-oh-tage" as most say it. Remember, this is from South Africa, not France.
14.5% abv.
c- light violet/magenta.
a- Pinoty, earthy, tar, burnt rubber.
f- in the same vein. Very earthy and funky. No alcohol apparent despite the high abv. Very tasty, and reminds me of a russian river valley pinot noir that costs around 65. This was 12. So great quality for the price. Medium body, very lingering finish. Some of the bolder flavors won't be for everyone, but I really like it.
87.

2010 Rose- Charles and Charles.

This rose is made out of 100% syrah grapes (not surprising , considering who made it!) and is 13% abv.
c- pink.
a- strawberries, acid, very fruity.
f- great acidity with just a touch of residual sugar, but this is a dry wine. Fruity and very drinkable on a hot summers day/evening. Very refreshing. Not bad or great.
86

2007 E. Guigal Cotes Du Rhone Rouge.

14% abv.
c- violet red.
a- a little hot (alcoholic). Bacon, plum, jamminess, smoky, dark fruit.
f- lighter but richer mouth feel than expected. Some oak, fruit, smokiness comes through. Somewhat lingering finish. Smells a little funky in a good way, like a CDP.
I think this wine represents a great value. I paid 11 or 12 for it, and it would be a good one to stock up on. This would go well with grilled foods during the summer.
90.

2008 Louis Jadot Vosne-Romanee.

13.5% abv. Got the remainder of a bottle from my work.
c- definitive ruby of Pinot.
a- tart cherry, earth, a touch of funk.
f- confirms the aroma. Light to medium body. Medium+ finish. Lingering flavor in mouth. Tight and could probably use more time.
87.

3 Fonteinen Schaerbeekse Kriek.

Is there such a thing as perfection? I see wines get 100 points occasionally, but they are few and far between and usually prohibitively expensive for most of the general population. Schaerbeekse refers to a now nearly extinct species of cherry that grows in and around Brussels, Belgium. This beer is made with those rare cherries.
This was bottle 4/28/10 and is 6% abv.
c- clear ruby/garnet. Light foam around edges of glass. Streaming carbonation visible.
a- funky, brett, barn. Saliva inducing tartness.
f- light, tart, floral. Hay, funk. Very good, very complex, great depth. Lingering finish. Oak and vanilla come out as it warms up a bit. Very delicious, and as close to perfect as you'll ever get.
99-100.

2008 Marquis Phillips Shiraz

This is from McLaren Vale and is 16% abv, topped with a screwcap.
c- inky dark purple, very concentrated.
a- dark fruit, oak, leather, pepper, tobacco.
f- softer than expected. In addition to the nose, chocolate comes out a bit later. Full bodied with a medium long finish. Not alot of dimension to it, but I probably paid less than 15, so I would say it is at a good price point. Would go great with anything from the grill! 89.

2004 Phillipe Colin Chassagne-Montrachet 'Les Chenevottes"

This is a premier cru white Burgundy. I have previously had a wine from the same vineyard by another producer, so when this came up at a good price at auction, I wanted to try it.
13.5% abv, cork about halfway soaked through.
c- straw yellow.
a- oak, nuts, hazelnut, minerality, lemon.
f- good. Acidity, nuts, minerality, citrus. Medium mouthfeel, long finish. Smells like there is a touch of oxidation at first, but it blows off to reveal a very tasty wine. 90.

A quicker Berliner Weisse.

I am really enjoying the Berliner Weisse I brewed last winter. It is a great drinkable summer beer with a nice acidity, but I was wondering if I could make a similar end product with a shorter fermentation period.
4.5 lb german pils
3 lb white wheat
.25oz Hallertau pellet boil
.25oz Hallertau pellet finish.
OG- 1.028 @ 80.
5/31/10- Mash in at 122 for 20 min. Decoct to 144 for 15 min. Decoct to 149 for 30 min. Decoct to 162 for 20 min. Decoct to 172 for 10 min (mash out). Boiled for ten min, cooled to 100 degrees and pitched wyeast lactobacillis. Let this ferment warm for 3 days before adding wyeast German Weisse. Something either got in or was in and started to ferment before the addition of the yeast though. Still tasting good thus far. Will bottle soon.

And two others...

1990 Maison Leroy Maranges
Cork 100% soaked through, even wine under the capsule.
C- Cloudy violet, starting to brown at edges.
A- Tart cherries, acid, earth, caramel, truffles.
F- Light, aromas come through. Lingering woodsy flavor, cocoa powder.
Overall- Good pinot, probably about time to drink up. 89.
2008 Orin Swift "The Prisioner"- Napa Valley red wine(majority Zinfandel), 15.2% abv.
C- Dark violet/garnet. Clear but very concentrated color, making it hard to see through.
A- Alcohol, Dark/red fruit. Touch of oak, woodsy aroma.
F- Woodsy, dark fruit, jammy. Balanced, full bodied with medium finish. Drank this over a few days and from day two on it had a really interesting anise/Szechuan peppercorn thing going on.
Overall- Very good, in a similar league and price point to some Turley and Ridge zins. 92.

German Riesling tasting and comparison.

I recently wanted to do a tasting of three Rieslings from different regions of Germany. Even before my wine bug was itched somewhat recently, Riesling was probably a varietal that I would buy more over others. Why? Well, I think the simple answer is that I like sweets and liked the apparent 'lightness' of the grape. But now that I am paying alot more attention to what things actually taste like, I have learned to appreciate Rieslings in a much different way.
Germany is very far north, in fact one of the northern most wine producing regions in the world. This will often create problems with growing grapes, mainly them getting enough light and warmer weather to fully ripen. The cold conditions also create alot of acid in the grapes. These are wines that will really wake your palate up. But think about how they would taste if there wasn't that residual sweetness to balance the wine. Maybe acidic to the point of being undrinkable.
So while a good German Riesling will often have some sweetness to it (unless you see the word 'trocken'-dry on the label), the sweetness actually serves to create a balanced wine in the end. The combination of acid and sugar (both act as preservatives) means that German Rieslings can be some of the longest lived white wines in the world. Spatlese level and above in particular can show well after 10-20 years or more.
I am finding that German wines are also a very good deal. While there aren't crus in German as in France, you can buy what are considered by many to be 'grand cru' level wines starting at around 20 dollars.
To keep it simple and less expensive, I opted to try QbA level wines. This is a lower designation, though the grapes still have to come from a the area noted on the bottle, as well as be at least 85% of the grape noted on the bottle to be labelled such. Chaptalization, or the addition of sugar during fermentation to increase alcoholic content is allowed, as is the addition of sussreserve, unfermented grape juice of the same varietal and region added after fermentation to give wines that hint of sweetness. I realize that I should try this with wines all produced in the same year, but this is what I had to work with.
2006 Batterieburg "Detonation" Riesling- Rheinhessen, 11% abv.
C- a little gas in the wine. Light straw/green color.
A- Petrol/gas. Melon- honeydew, cantaloupe.
F- A little hot. Honeysuckle, fruit- peach and melon. Short finish, light mouthfeel, white flowers, minerality.
Overall- Ok, a little off balance. Could use more acidity. 82
2009 Schloss Vollrads Riesling- Rhinegau, 10% abv
C- again a little gas, larger bubbles forming in glass. Pale yellow green.
A- Lighter, peach, mineral, touch of melon.
F- Spritzy, light peach. Flowers, apple, short finish, coins.
Overall- Better than the last. Good value. 86.
2008 St. Urbans-Hof Riesling- Mosel, 9.5% abv.
C- Small bubbles, straw/green. Most concentrated color of the three.
A- Smells more there than the others. Light petrol, peach, minerals.
F- More acidity, but still in balance. Flowers, medium finish. Apricot, peach, mineral. Wet stone. Best of the 3
Overall- The most complex of the three, and still in the same price range. Great deal. 90.

Pour un Pugno di Luppolo- retasting.

This is my 'Fistful of Hops' ale that I brewed last summer(6/16/10). I was inspired by a bottle of my Grisette that had been infected with Brett, and though that was completely accidental, I really liked the taste of it.
Tasting 4/25/11-
Cloudy lemon color. Great foamy white head that left nice lacing in the glass. Ample, streaming carbonation.
Brett aroma, citrus, earthy hops, dry, dusty.
Earthy brett taste. Soil, hay, citrus. Highly carbonated, light mouth feel. Champagne like effervescence. Short finish, but some hanging on flavor remains with you.
Still drinking ok, but from my previous tasting, it seems like the remainder should be drunk soon.

Terrapin/De Proeuf- Monstre Rouge.

Let me start by saying I did not buy this and most likely would not have bought this if left to my own devices. Katie brought it home from work for me, so I thought I would give it a whirl.
The label states this is an Imperial Flanders red. I believe 8% abv.
Pours a murky red/brown. Very hoppy aroma, which is kind of what I was afraid of. Tastes like an IPA. It wasn't until the third glass (with the bottle left at room temp) that I felt I could detect even a hint of funk, and that was more Brett and no lactic tartness at all.
Very hoppy over all, not true to style. If I had bought this and thought of it as a Flanders Red, I would have been very disappointed, as it was nothing like one at all.
As it is, I didn't pay for it, and while it wasn't bad for what it was, it wasn't near what it claimed to be. For that I would have to give this beer a low rating. I would not buy again, and recommend that you don't either.

And wines.

1996 Jean Michel Gullion- Gevrey Chambertin Vieilles Vignes.
Beginning to brown a bit around the edges. Aromas of earth, acid, tart cherry. Flavors of rose petals, violets, cherry, earth, acid, touch of oak. Medium finish, medium body. If you have any of this, I'd probably drink it soon. But pretty good. Definitely shows the difference between an American Pinot and even a modest village appellation red Burgundy. 88.
1998 Bouchard Pere et Fils- Vigne de Enfant Jesus (375mL).
Amazing perfume. Oaky, earthy aroma. Good color concentration. Cherry, tea, raspberry. More intense earthiness in the mouth. Very balanced with nice acidity, a short finish, and lighter body. 90.
2005 Camille Giroud Santenay.
Didn't take notes, but very good especially considering the price. 90.
2006 Louis Jadot- Domaine Duc de Magenta Puligny-Montrachet 1er cru Clos de la Garenne.
Rich nutty aroma, citrus. Nut, toasty flavors. Balancing acidity. Very drinkable with a nice minerality behind it. Medium plus body, medium long finish. 91.
2006 Verget Chassagne- Montrachet 1er cru Les Chenevottes.
I didn't take any notes when I drank this, but it has been the most amazing wine I have ever put in my mouth! Full, rich nutty flavor, citrus, minerals, fat. This wine comes from vines literally a stones throw from Montrachet, perhaps the most famous white wine vineyard in the world. Incredibly long finish. Could literally taste it hours later. I could drink this daily for the rest of my life and not get bored. 93.
2005 Francois et Antoine Jobard Meursault- Blagny 1er cru.
Unfortunately, I believe this bottle is victim of premature oxidation. Basically a much quicker aging of white Burgundies. At this point, not undrinkable, but drink soon if you have it. Nutty flavor, along with oxidized sherry and a deep gold color. Medium body, medium finish. 86.
2008 Vincent Pouilly-Fuisse Marie Antoinette.
Very enjoyable. Marshmellow and vanilla over some nuttiness, mineral, citrus, tropical fruit. 90.
The great Sauvignon Blanc experiment- I haven't had many besides what we have at work, so I decided a good thing to do would be to try some myself. I got a cheap NZ, a more expensive NZ, and a French Sancerre.
2009 Monkey Bay.
Tropical fruits, guava springs to mind. Pineapple maybe. Gooseberry. Good acidity. Not bad for 9 dollars. 86.
2009 Cloudy Bay.
Very similar to the Monkey Bay, but more so. More depth of flavor, more acidity, more everything really. But at 25, I would have to go with the Monkey bay for a better deal. 89.
2007 Patient Cottat Sancerre Vieilles Vignes.
This shows the difference between the NZ and French Sav blancs. Definitely more wild, higher acidity, more earthiness/minerality. Tart gooseberry, flint, a touch of the tropical fruits. A different beast. 89.
2008 Paolo Scavino Vino da Tavola Rosso.
Really good for the price (around 10). Didn't take notes. 89.
2007 Phillipe Faury Condrieu.
I got this because I wanted to try a French Viognier. Honeysuckle, vanilla, marshmellow, musk melon, stone fruit. Long finish, medium body. Mouthfeel of heavy cream. Pretty amazing. 92+.
2004 Domaine Grand Veneur Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Origines.
None of the funkiness that I have found in some other CDP's. Not bad, but really nothing about it seemed to stand out or speak to me. 89.
2005 Dr. Loosen Bernkasteler Lay Riesling Kabinett.
I had heard about the petrolly/kerosene flavors and aromas riesling can develop if aged, but had yet to try any. This is it! And yes, there is a petrol aroma in the nose, along with stone fruits and stone. Really a good riesling so show you what German wines are all about. Great laser acidity to cut through the residual sugars, and at 8% abv, it is a lot lighter than Cali rieslings. 91.
1997 Prince Poniatowski Vouvray Clos de L'Avenir.
I got this after reading in Clive Coates magnificent book Cote d' Or that he thinks white Burgundies were once sweet wines when possible, like modern day Vouvrays. This wine is made of Chenin Blanc that has definitely seen some of the noble rot, Botrytis. Apricot, mango, honey, some of that Botrytis funk. Very drinkable. Laser acidity. Sweet without being over the top and cloying. It would be interesting to see a modern day burg made in this style, though I doubt anyone will ever do so. 92.

Some recent beers.

Well, I have apparently been way too busy to write anything recently, but I am still drinking beer of course! Here are some I have had recently.
Samuel Smiths Nut Brown Ale.
Rich, nutty aroma. Not as sweet as Newcastle, and the aroma in definitely present in the taste as well. Medium body and full mouth feel. Nice lingering finish. If you like Newcastle, make sure to try this beer.
Olde Suffolk English Ale.
I bought this despite the clear glass bottle. The promise of tasting a aged ale was too much for me to bear!
Dark mahogany color. Thin mocha head. Lightly skunky aroma from the clear bottle. Nuttiness. Tastes sort of like a rich Belgian ale, but lighter, giving way to something like a nut brown ale. Light carbonation. Very lingering finish. Worth a try, without the skunky flavor this would definitely be a must buy!
My very own Fantome @ 1 year of age!
Color may be a touch darker. Still streaming carbonation and a little white head. The aroma is more barnyardy than I recall- dark warm orange, hay. The flavor is earthy, soil, hay with light citrus, with a medium finish. Still very light mouth feel owing to a very low ending gravity.

Flanders Pale Ale.

Hidely doodly neighborino! Well, it's not quite that Flanders. But this time around I am trying to make something in the vein of one of my favorite all time beers- Petrus Aged Pale.
9 lb German Pils
1 lb Carahell
1.25 oz Styrian Goldings pellet @ 90 min
Wyeast 3763
tog- 1.057
aog- 1.049
ig- 1.008 (4/17/11)
3/24/11- Mash in with 4 gal water at 132. Dough in temp at 122 for 20 min. Decoct to
145 for 40 min decoct to
162 for 30 min decoct to
169 for 10 min (mash out)
Sparged with 176 water.
I had a large boil over since I was playing a video game and not paying full attention. Lost about 2 gal of volume. Added water and some light DME to make up for the volume and potential gravity lost. Still was under gravity by about 8 points. Ah well.
4/17/11- To secondary, which is the carboy that contained my historical Saison. Didn't clean the carboy at all since I liked the flavor of what come out of it.
4/20/11- Nice and foamy in the carboy. Guess the house bugs are doing some more work on the beer.

Wines drunk recently.

Here are a few wines I have consumed in recent times...
1985 Trimbach Gewurztraminer Cuvée des Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre
Nice aromatically, litchi and exotic fruits, but dead in the bottle. Not much flavor left. NR.
1945 Château La Dominique non estate bottling.
Again, very aromatic, but most of the flavor was gone. Still had a nice acidity however. NR.
2003 Camille Giroud Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru Les Guérets
Very good, if not somewhat atypical. Darker in color and fruitier than you would normally find in a red burgundy. Evolved in the glass over time into something great. Only have one bottle left (ARG!) 91.
2006 Benziger Family Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
Not bad, not great. Definitely improved with some air time. Nice flavors throughout. 89.
2008 Cameron Hughes lot 145 Chardonnay
Nose of pear, asian pear, slight oak. Same flavors, with oak surprisingly less apparent for a cali chard. BUT... hugely alcoholic and bitter finish. Dumped half the bottle. 72.
2008 Emeritus Vineyards Pinot Noir Hallberg Ranch
I don't believe this is sold at retail? I got it from work. For the first few days it took me to drink this bottle, it showed a strange burnt rubbery aroma. Kind of off putting. But once you got past that it was good. Don't know if I would spend $75 on it in a restaurant good, but at 25 retail if you can find it, probably not a bad buy. 89.
2007 Georges Dubœuf Mâcon-Villages
Not a bad Chardonnay. This could be a decent 'house' bottle of wine. Flavors of citrus, honey, tropical fruits, a little underlying minerality. 86.
2007 Corvidae Wine Co. Shiraz Lenore
Tried out my new decanter with this wine. Very fruity in the dark red fruits vein as you might imagine. Not bad, but nothing special. 84.
2006 Château d'Argadens
Surprising clarity and also light in flavor. Tannic, dark red fruits, short finish. Not horrible, but I don't know if you'd find something much better in a Bordeaux Superior for this price. 82.
2001 Maison Leroy Bourgogne
This is from the negociant side of the Leroy name. Paid 20, but their more prestigious releases sell for up to 2000. Mold growing on cork and cork also completely soaked through. Wine inside was still fine. Light color beginning to brown a little around the edges. Soft fruits, cherry, orange peel. Some funk. Earthy/forest floor. A good basic Burgundy. 87.

Dedalus Old Stout.

Ulysses is a book that I first tried to read once about seven or eight years ago. I had read that it was widely considered the best book every written in the English language, and I decided I therefore had to read it.
My first attempt didn't go so well. I took it on our family vacation to North Cackalacka and even with making a fair amount of notes in the book (for me), I didn't make it much past page 40. If that even. It is a very intricate, complicated, and almost strenuous book to read.
Now I have gotten back on the horse. I decided that now was the time. Today I passed my previous high mark, the third chapter, where Stephen walks on the beach and nearly all of the book is his inner thoughts and memories. I am now about to start chapter four and I feel pretty confident in my ability to finish the book this time around. Two tries on Ulysses is not too bad from my understanding.
The beer is an experiment as many of my brews are these days. An attempt at perhaps a modern day historical stout. The beer is fermented on oak, solely with Brettanomyces. A portion of the beer was boiled separately, without hops, and is being fermented a bit by Lactobacillus. This will be pasteurized and added back to the main wort in the future.
It is well know that Guinness adds a portion of soured beer to their blend to give it the unique 'tang'. I have read that is around 3%. Mine will be around 10%. We'll see how it goes.
Dedalus Old Stout.
9.5 lb pale British malt
1 lb black patent
1 lb dark crystal
1.5 oz Styrian Goldings pellet @ 90 min
1 oz Styrian Goldings pellet @ 15 min
Wyeast 5112 Brettanomyces Bruxellensis
2/1/11- Mash at 156 for 90 min. At sparging, kept first two quarts separate and boiled for ten minutes before cooling in some snow outside. Once this got down to around 80 degrees, I added a handful of reserved crushed grain to introduce Lactobacillus. This all went into a 2 qt mason jar with plastic wrap on the surface of the wort to prevent it from reacting with oxygen. This has my heating pad on low wrapped around it, as Lacto likes to ferment warm.
The remainder of the beer was boiled for 90 min with noted hop additions. Once chilled, racked to primary fermentor with .5 oz washed med toast Hungarian oak cubes and .5 oz new Hungarian oak cubes. Added the brett from a starter originating on Saturday.

Mine vs. Theirs.

There are two main trains of thought in homebrewing. When they start, most people start with the first, which is to make tried and true recipes out of a book or from an online source. There are many 'clones' of commercial beers, and even several books dedicated to the subject, so you can try to make your favorites such as Guinness, Sierra Nevada, or Chimay Rouge.
Then there is the other train of thought. After making a number of book recipes one may start to wonder... 'What can I really do? Will it be difficult? What if it's not good?'.
I would say at this point after spending alot of time in the first category, I am now firmly in the latter. One of my thoughts is if I can buy a beer, why would I want to try to make it? I was scared to try to formulate my own recipes. It seemed very intimidating. But it is not very hard at all. I have made some really good and interesting beers.
Of course then again, there are some commercial beers that I really love. I decided to take aim at one of those and here are the results, tasted side by side with the beer in question.
My lost for life vs. Unibroue's Maudite.
Color- Pretty darn close. Maudite looks a tad darker, with more streaming carbonation. Head color looks identical. Both are cloudy, though Maudite is clearer than mine.
(Maudite left, mine right.)
Strength- Maudite is 8% with mine being 7.6%.
Aroma- Maudite has more of the Belgiany yeasty aroma. Orange, spices, little hop perception. The hops are much more prevalent in my beer. The same yeasty aroma is there, but less so. I used Wyeasts Canadian/Belgian strain which comes from Unibroue.
Taste- Maudite is luscious and smooth as always. Nice rich mouth feel. Dark fruits, spiciness, great lingering after taste. Hops in the finish, but as a generalized bitterness. My beer has a lighter mouth feel, not as rich and filling. Both have maybe a touch of tartness. Spicy and hoppy. I added way too much in the finishing stages of the boil. More or all of that should have been at the beginning. Both seem to be retaining the head identically with a little lacing in the glass. Mine has a lingering finish as well, though it is different tasting. Hoppier for sure.
Overall- I got pretty close I would say. I think a change to the hopping plus maybe a touch more of special b malt I could be even closer. The beer under the hops tastes very close. In fact, I was close enough that one of my beer loving coworkers was able to identify what brewery I was going after, though he said he felt it was closer to Fin du Monde in taste.
I am very pleased with this beer. I wish I had thought more about the hopping ahead of time, but oh well. It is not exactly Maudite (though close enough I could say 90%), but it is good in and of itself.
Recipe and brewing information.

Wine.

Well, my first batch of wine is fermenting away...
5.25 gallons frozen Chardonnay must from Sangiacomo Family Vineyards, Sonoma, California.
Vintners Harvest BV7.
1.5 oz medium toast Hungarian Oak cubes (33 percent new).
1/8/11- Must completely thawed, added yeast to start fermentation.
1/11/11- Gravity in 1.060's. Racked to secondary and oak.

Exciting things!

I have some very exciting things in the works here at the 'brewery'!
First of all, I have purchased 5 gallons or so of frozen grape must for an attempt at making wine. I found some 2008 Chardonnay from Sangiacomo family vineyards in California at a very reasonable price. I have purchased yeast and I am just waiting for the must to arrive so I can get it started!
The only homemade wine I have ever tasted was fairly disgusting, but I am hoping with my experience and knowledge I can make something palatable and maybe even good. Pricing it out, it'll cost me something like 5 dollars a bottle to make, so if it tastes at least as good as a 5 dollar bottle of wine, I'll be happy.
I will start fermentation in the bucket the must arrives in, and rack to secondary (better bottle) when the gravity is around 1.045. It'll go on 1 oz of new med toast Hungarian oak cubes and .5 oz of once used Hungarian oak. I will introduce the malolactic cultures in the late spring or early summer, and bottle sometime next winter.
Also on my radar- old stout. I will probably get this started towards the end of the month. I'll brew a basic stout, but remove two quarts and ferment that with lactobacillus before pasteurizing and adding back to the main fermentor. Guinness most notably, adds a portion of soured beer to their stout to produce that unique tang. I will also ferment solely with Brettanomyces and add some oak as well.
Also also on my radar- my historical Saison will be bottled in March and I'll need something to take it's place. I love Petrus' Aged Pale, and I'll be brewing something in that vein. In the past it seemed like 2 years of fermentation was more than I wanted to handle, but my opinion on that has changed.
Some labels...