993Dude

Agree with the comment that Opus and Silver Oak are over-rated. Every time I walk past a bottle of the Napa SO I chuckle to think that there are people that will shell out $99 for it. Similar money buys you Quilceda Creek Cab (100 points) or Staglin Cab which is outstanding.

I tend to drink Turley as my DD. I also enjoy Copain, Pax and Radio Couteau wines. Peter Michael makes stunning wines, but they've gotten very pricey. As for champagne, Drappier Rose for around $30 a bottle sure gives the usual suspects a run for their money.

Kika

Silver Oak is probably the most expensive wine we have personally every purchased, and I agree, there are certainly other cabernets that are just as good, or better for less. Nonetheless, I do enjoy the SO Cab. The wife got 2 Napa cabs last time we were at the winery.

Opolo incidentally is one that we have recently gotten into, about $18 or so.
http://www.opolo.com/

Never tried Screaming Eagle, nor am I likely to every purchase a bottle, anyone here sampled it?

geolab

1- All kinds depending on the meal and weather (last night, argentinian 1492)
2- Yes I do have +/- 2200 bottles (17 years collecting, most below $20)
3- Saint Estephe growth ( chateau Montrose, Cos d'estournel etc 1982/86/90/95/96/2000/2003)
4. most expensive (all is relevant)
-Chateau cheval blanc 1947
-Chateau Petrus 1950
5- best I ever had is both above
6- best I have, not tasted yet, Chateau Lafite 1996 and 1982, 1986, 1990,1995
7- Daily driver is a saint emilion 2000, parcel is next to Chateau Ausonne. (4euros)



I read some have champagne bottles @ the fridge waiting.
Champagne does not like long period @ fridge. Just chill few hours
before or overnight.

V

French wines rock, hands down. If its american, I prefer Silveroak, L'Ecole 41 or Hedges. I worked at Hedges cellars for 4months after I graduated.. Great people

Receiver

Ah to live in France for the wines. I have about 500 bottles. My tastes vary by the day. Over the last few years I have consumed numerous Pinot Noirs from the west coast of the US. If I'm feeling rich, I may open some burgundy. The Calif Pinots appear to have lost their way over the last few years. Big, high alcohol, no finesse, jammy with no length. However, good ones that I tasted there recently were from Papapietro and Bella both in Sonoma.

For really good Calif Italian varietals, try Unti. Or even better, try Italian wines.

My favorite wines continue to come from Bordeaux and I have some 1990 Lynch Bages that I'm thinking of opening soon.

I'm down to my last bottle of 1990 Beaucastel Chateauneuf. However, it's ready and I need to open it soon.

Pinot Noirs from New Zealand are now high on my list especially from Otago.

The Chileans are making geat wine now as well. Someone mentioned Montes Alpha Cabernet which is really good for the price.

My most expensive wine tasted was 1988 Chateau Yquem, a Sauternes from Bordeaux. Nectar of the Gods and you don't want to know how much it was.

banzai993

Finally someone with decent taste

LOL

I will add my list when I have more time..

banzai993

AND you as well GEOLAB...

sounds like you need to host some fellow Rennlisters when they are in Paris

bv shady

Spellbound Petite Syrah tonight!

banzai993

So, what kind of wines do you like to drink? Do you maintain a collection? What is your favorite? What is the most expensive you have ever had? What is the best you have ever had? What are your daily drivers?

1. Our wine choices are typically food or climate driven.. fragrant whites on a summer afternoon or hearty reds with grilled meats and freezing temperatures.. We enjoy just about any really well made wines.. this time of year we drink a lot of Aussie Shiraz.. best value hearty red on the planet IOHO... but on any given day we might just as well be gulping down a dry Sancerre or sipping on a fine Champagne...

2. I have been collecting for about 21 years and have gone through all the usual "phases".. California..Bordeaux.. Burgundy.. Italian.. Australian.. sweet. .dry.. bubbling.. sticky... heavy .. fragrant.. etc... we maintain a proper cellar at our lake house and a couple wine coolers at our house in town.. over the last couple years we have spent about $1K per month on wine. (a serious sickness).. though like P Car fanatisicm there are ebbs and flows with this hobby (directly proportional to cash flow). Current collection is older French with some Cal classics with a large age gap to the newest additions being largely Australian Reds and some Cal Cabs and Zins...

3. Favorite is a hard thing to qualify... if this means the stuff we drink the most it would have to be Shiraz and anything made by Kevin Mitchell or Chris Ringland.. Kilikanoon (full range) and the R wines etc.. in our view the best value hearty reds for the $$$.. there are awesome wines from Spain, Italy, California, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand and from many other spots all over the planet. .the thing I love the most about wine (besides the wine) is the fact that there is no way one could ever know everything there is to learn about it.. we are crazy about wine!

4. Most expensive I have ever had at a restaurant was probably a '61 Petrus.. it was insane and someone else paid for it.. I went nuts in Paris one time 10 years ago and bought 6 bottles of Chateau Climen Barsac 2 each of '47,'49 and '53 and paid about $1K each and still have one '47 left in the cellar.. I have to tell you that each bottle was truly amazing and was shared with special people at special times over thata decade and I dont regret any of it.. saving the last one for an upcoming birthday or maybe not..

5. Hard to remember the best.. there have been so many excellent experiences.. I remember a 20 year vertical tasting of Y'Quem with Kevin Zraly in 1989 in Atlanta.. there were wines from '67-'87 AMAZING.. I remember a dinner with Chuck Wagner of Caymus about that same time and we tasted multiple vintages of Special Select.. (10 or so?).. and I just came back from a trip to Napa and sat in Tor Kenward's living room and tasted his 2005 To Kalon Cabernet which was the one of the most supple and delicious Cal Cabs I can recall ever tasting... and I remember when my wife and I were first seeing each other we had some crappy Mondavi Cab from room service and at the time it tasted great because.. well.. i was caught up in the moment...

6. Daily drivers.. Kilikannon Killerman's Run Shiraz, First Class Shiraz, Beringer Private Reserve Chard, Conundrum, Veuve Clicquot, whatever we think needs to be drunk.. we go through about 24 bottles a month (YIKES) so we have a chance to "cull" though old stuff that needs to get drunk.. there was a time when I was sure that my case of '88 Mouton was going over the hill so we drank it with Chili or Spaghetti more than once (think Miles in Sideways with his Cheval Blanc!)

We enjoy our wine.. thanks for this thread...

Steve 96C4S

Here's our drink of choice...

Grateful Dead "Dead Red" non-alcoholic red wine Red Table Unwine The Grateful Dead Collector's Series 5 bottles (ea 750mL / 25.4 fl oz): 1. Steal Your Face 2. Skull and Roses 3. Skeleton and Roses 4. Dancing Skeletons 5. Space Your Face California Premium Dealcoholized red table wine (contains less than .5% alcohol by volume)

David Ray

Van since you started the thread why don't you complie all the data and give us the "best of"?

0-5
6-10
11-20
21-30
I don't think the majority care about "over 30" unless someone else is pouring.

dbf73

banzai (and others) - favorite zins?

Van1

David, I am not much of a statistician, so I couldn't help all that much with a compilation. It does seem that the 993er's are actually all over the board with price points though. Some seem to prefer the less expensive ones while others have some impressive collections or have been able to enjoy some impressive wines. My 40 bottle collection pales in comparison of some of the others reported. But I would argue that the $30-60 price point is the sweet spot for some outstanding wine.

To all that have posted, I have taken many notes and look forward to trying some of the other 993er's favorites.

geolab

A quick one:
Go get a Pomerol 2003 whichever brand, the cheaper the better, and try it.
Open the bottle 15 minutes to half an hour before.
Over here they start @ 8 euros, so should be $20ish in the US
If no Pomerol around a 100 mile radius, get a "Lalande de Pomerol" but desperately 2003.
Give me a sign what you think when you do...
If you like it, I will give you another one tomorrow...
best regards

banzai993

slow on the response here sorry

Bella home estate, Seghio Cortina and Old Vine, Storybook Mountain, Ridge Geyserville or Pagani Ranch...

of course just about anything from the Turleys (crazy $$$)

usually if you are looking at stuff grown in Dry Creek Valley and from a good vintage and $25 on up $$ you will find a decent zin...