TheSkip

10

So, I came home yesterday and there was a package at the door. I wasn't expecting anything and looked at the sender. @Martin G Rivard ! Well then! I knew santa was over, but perhaps Easter Bunny Rivard had struck?

I opened the box with haste. Surely anything from @Martin G Rivard would be of high quality. I saw a flash of orange and though, oh my! But there was only one bottle and it was oddly shaped. This must be the limited edition, double magnum of @Jason Chang's Nine Suns cuvée! I ripped open as if it were Christmas and out came Carlo Rossi.

I'd never heard of this producer but I trusted Martin. This bottle came with a very handy pour handle at the top. I was excited. Although it was only 4pm, I remembered what @Bill Bender said about 3pm so, I thought to myself, why not?

Hurriedly, I came into the kitchen and got my favorite Zalto glass, as inspired first by @Roman Sukley. I retrieved my corkscrew and opened the knife only to discover that this was a convenient screw cap! How thoughtful of Martin!

Open it went and the room filled with a lovely sweet grape must. I knew this would be special. I grabbed my winestop given to me by @Ron R and inserted to to insure there would be not a drop wasted.

Into the glass and my excitement prevented any thought of a decant.

What a wine! Those Concord grapes - what has Welch's been thinking? They've missed out on one of the finest varietals I've ever encountered. I knew I was truly lucky to try this rare wine.

But something felt...off. And I realized, I had nothing to pair with this! Thankfully there was a full 4L in this bad boy. And the screw cap allowed for prompt resealing.

Away I went in the car. What oh what to have? Aih! Exactly! @Paul T told me about the heaven of pairing McNuggets. Off to Ol' McDonalds I went.

Twenty McNuggets and sweet and sour sauce please!

I scurried to the back, and carefully withdrew my Zalto from my backpack. Opening the McNuggets, I knew this would be special. And indeed, I am with words to describe the experience. Yet, again, I knew something just wasn't right. The wine wasn't presenting itself. So I thought, how can I classy this up? And then I remembered all of @David L's posts with the classy silver wine coaster.

I had to have one. I asked the chap at the counter of McDonalds, but the response I received was less than satisfactory. I had to solve this issue myself. Thankfully , while returning to my table, I spotted a HomeGoods store immediately next door. I ran across and found a lovely silver charger.

And finally, returning to my table, I was now all smiles! More smiles than @Mike R !

What a special evening. I really wanted to end this off right. I grabbed a dozen roses and rushed home to the wife. Half a bottle Rossi still intact!

I showed her the bottle and wow! You should have see her eyes. I then suggested we retire to the bedroom and this was met with prompt approval.

And with such a great night, I wanted a lovely memento. I gently placed the bottle against her and snapped a lovely shot that is sure to be on the cover of the next issue of BBB with @Bill Bender !

Thanks for thinking of me @Martin G Rivard ! — 7 years ago

Star McGowan

9.0

Besides t bar t ranch, this is one of my all time favorite sav blancs!! — 8 years ago

Pauline Forister

9.9

Christmas Eve 2015 with Britt and jake sparks, Jed, T and P — 8 years ago

Yvette Lippert

9.0

Double gold at California State Fair in 2007. — 9 years ago

Sandra K

9.5

Smoothe and buttery. — 9 years ago

Rudy DeLaurentis

9.4

Picked up a case of the 2005 on a Sideways movie tour in 06. Cool rustic wine tasting room. Santa Barbara County is almost as much fun as Napa and Sonoma. Last one and drinking exceptionally well. Complex nose of dark fruit, licorice, barbecued ham. Similar on the palate, really delicious. Cheers. — 9 years ago

Brian Miller

8.9

Perfect with t-day meal — 9 years ago

Kyle Groombridge

9.5

Awesome Pinot by my man, Philly T! Raspberry and sweet cherry on the elegant nose, really nice full mouthfeel of cola, nutmeg, crushed fruit and everything nice. I'd put this just below the Baldacci Pinot but awesome all the same. — 10 years ago

Meredith Freudenthal

10

Gift from Kenze/Ian! — 10 years ago

Karen Scalera

10

This was amazing — 7 years ago

Rob Brobst III

9.3

This is a good wine with ripe fruit, flowers and a BEAUTIFUL NOSE. Well done for $20 bucks. I'm so glad Patrick Chapman (Screaming Eagle) has landed here. Call him and stock up now for spring. This one doesn't disappoint. @Paul T @Ron R @Jacqueline @Bill Bender @Jim Trobaugh @Eric Shanks @David L @TheSkip @Jade Moore @Warren Sapp — 7 years ago

Ken Frank

9.2

91 from a double magnum for July 4th with some dry aged T-bones is the way to go. Classic Napa CS form it's era. Loads of mellowed cedar and bright fruit. Delicious. — 8 years ago

with Pam, Josh and 1 other

Patrick Derdeyn

9.0

I love Carlisle, but if the mantra that they all need tons of rest holds true then that goes double for this one. Day 2 and it's just starting to open up and give a peak. Will hold another 5 years before I check in again. — 8 years ago

Dock Hooks

8.9

It's Holiday Season here in Morehead City, NC , and I'm at one of my favorite hangs (Promise' Land Market where the vibe is tres local, coastal, grooviness + Christmas) digging some amazing cheeses, olives, almonds and wine.
Firstly, I posted this wine previously, so this is a double tap with some space in between. Remembering my last experience, I decided to aerate pour into a decanter and on-and-off turbo-twirl for a half hour before jumping jumping in for the swim. That was proper, for sure, as doing so moves this wine up a bit, in my mind, mellowing this front-end tannin bomb , eliminating the raspberry and showing its better blue side, plus adding a little finish. My guess is that the cab franc vintage was less than ideal blurring the merlot and unfortunately squelching what could have maybe been St Emi GC elegance. The rest is my previous post: This GC is maybe a little past it's better time (odd). That written, its Merlot centric main grape charged by a cab franc splash and tempered by what seems to me to be plenty of time luxuriating in classic French oak expressing blueberry & vanilla on the nose contrasted by rabbit tobacco (earth connection complimenting country elegance) seems classic St Emi GC.
After that initial nose-hit of earth, spice, blue fruit and vanilla, it starts to slip, as the tannins grab somewhat roughly (perhaps a death grip) in one's front mouth cutting things short and masking the expectation of a rather brilliant nose turning what starts as blueberry and spice to a tannic squeezing raspberry mouth with zero finish - a shame. On t — 8 years ago

Dorinda Shank

9.0

In honor of Mr. T — 9 years ago

Thomas Yoo

9.0

Pretty good wine. Only double the price at restaurant. — 9 years ago

with Rachel

Dade Thieriot

10

If you'd like to taste 2010 G-Max from a double magnum just show up with 100 "#Keller is Killer" T-shirts and you can have all you want! #KellerParty — 10 years ago

with Petra

Steve Wolmaark

9.6

Excellent. Gift from Jeff at T&R — 10 years ago

Rocky Fagioli

8.9

Great for the price — 7 years ago

Steve Anderson

9.3

Made in an oxidative style like the Jura Blanc, but much more so. Rich, saline, nutty. May not be for everyone, but I really like this style. Double post as Mrs A and I shared a bottle the day prior, before opening this one for guests. — 8 years ago

with Max and Albert

Amy Brackin

9.1

Great find from the Napa trip this winter. Very nice midrange Cab. Thumbs up — 8 years ago

Jared Mayron

9.5

Great minerality, red fruit, floral, great finish, SF international double gold — 8 years ago

Brian Grech

9.3

Full body, inky, with big fruit and medium complexity. This shows up bottles at double the price. — 8 years ago

with Ashley

Kieran Roberts

8.9

Red fruit and balanced. Please t drinking — 9 years ago

Michael Walsh

9.3

Delicious late summer Cabernet. Loads of fruit but great balance. Paired perfectly with a T-bone steak and grilled asparagus. — 9 years ago

Anthony Biagi

Winemaker Hourglass, Owner Patria

9.3

Cut my teeth here. Dan duckhorn was a terroir sniffing God. Would guess the cab I this bottling came from stout on hm, vine hill ranch, spottswoode, stelzner merlot jj Cohn. Guy new great vineyards he and T Soter new where the kind was at. — 9 years ago

Mark Mannebach

9.2

Dark plum but with some earthy notes and pepper — 9 years ago

Raj Ajrawat

9.0

Soft notes. — 10 years ago

Donna O'Neil

9.5

Double magnum! @stsupery Yum! — 10 years ago

William Allen - Two Shepherds

Owner/Winemaker Two Shepherds

9.5

Martian Ranch #grenache #rosé . Yum. I really gotta make this sh&t in harvest 2013. — 11 years ago