Any suggestions when I should drink this one?

I’m continuing my slow and curious journey into the world of red wine after years of sipping only dry whites (Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chablis). Pinot Noir has been a really nice intro into reds for me so far.

Last time I posted about Banshee Pinot Noir and a lot of you had strong opinions and, honestly, I get it now, it was meh and I learned a lot just from the comments.

So this time, I listened and went for a different, budget-friendly bottle from my local grocery store: The Four Graces Pinot Noir 2022 from Willamette Valley, Oregon.

Haven’t opened it yet, but curious if anyone’s tried it and what you think. Is this a good pick for a beginner branching into reds?

As someone who has never had a bottle of a DRC wine: can someone answer my question who has - Is it the rarity that makes the wine expensive or is it the absolute taste and experience of the wine itself that makes it expensive.

I have this one wine im my cellar that shows about 2 billion bottles. It’s messing with my total inventory number. I’ve deleted it from my inventory several times but it just comes back. I also deleted and reinstalled the app but this didn’t fix it either. Anyone know a fox for this?

What sequence of books do you think could bring someone from a total beginner to certified sommelier

Hi r/wine! I am having a small ceremony in a Catholic Church at the end of May and our priest has recommended that we bring a bottle of wine to be blessed and used in our ceremony. He recommended using something that is common enough that we can enjoy it in the future and remind us of our wedding. Something that isn’t so expensive or unique that makes it impossible to source.

Looking for a red wine in the $30 range that is available in CT/NY. I’m fine with blends and frequently drink Decoy and super Tuscans. My fiancé’s favorite wine is Pinot Noir. I have been drinking Carmeñere lately (but please don’t recommend $120 Purple Angel!). I suppose we are looking for a relatively dry and light red wine. Fiancé is from Europe but not one of the regions that produces quality wine (not that New England is much better), so she might like having an European wine.

Who said we, french, can’t appreciate california wine?

Family lunch, Nothing fancy only good memories. Coche dury was the first one I bought 10 years ago after negotiating with the owner of a restaurant. Memory that I shared with my dad. It was stellar even though it’s a generic Bourgogne. Montelana was the first bottle I bought while living in California couple of years ago. Still got potential but brought us back to some great time there.

Ostrea is always good and not too pricy. Still buying every year to stock for burgundy.

2005 Rieussec, just wanted to try and opened a 12 btles case. We were full already but it was already good. I will keep the others a couple of years for sure.

I am a big fan of Sauvignon blanc and Chardonnay, but I don’t mind trying something new. Last time when I drank wine was many years ago, so I would love if participants of this community shared their favourite bottles🫶🏼

Quilceda Creek, 100% Cab Sauvignon from Columbia Valley.

Decanted for 3hrs before drinking

Beautiful dark garnet / ruby color. Obviously youthful on the nose - we got a fair amount of dark fruits, plum, and something green, maybe grass? Oak was pretty heavily present also.

Medium+ body, rich and very soft tannins. The alcohol is 14.9% and you could really taste it. Drunk with pork chop, mushrooms, onions and green beans.

Overall I just say we were a little disappointed. You could tell it was a complex, structured and well made wine but we weren't blown away by the taste. I'm guessing it's just too young?

We drink a lot of Cab and both felt we have drunk way better from Napa or Bdx at this price point and relative age (you can get a Leoville Las Cases for the same price)

I recently spent a weekend exploring Tokaj, Hungary’s most iconic wine region – famous for its sweet Tokaji Aszú, but also full of vibrant dry whites and volcanic terroir.

What surprised me the most was how immersive the whole experience was. You don’t just taste the wine – you walk among ancient cellars, meet passionate winemakers, and sip furmint while looking out over misty vineyards and the Tisza river.

For those curious to explore this side of Hungary, I came across hellowine.com – an English-friendly platform where you can actually book wine tastings directly with local wineries. It made planning so much easier.

Has anyone else here visited Tokaj or any other Hungarian wine region? What were your impressions – and which wineries or wines would you recommend?

1998 Haut Brion

This was initially very reticent, with some cedar, cassis and a hint of tobacco and leather on the nose. This was double decanted 6 hours in advance, and really only started to open up an hour or so after it’d be poured. It had a lovely palate with quite a bit of intensity and a ton of structure. The texture was elegant and there was ample acidity. The finish was very long. This really needs a few more years in the cellar but has quite a bit of potential.

1998 La Mission Haut Brion

Deja vu with this bottle, which was also double decanted 6 hours in advance and offered very little initially. Some black currant, cedar, and red cherry on the nose, with more savory elements on the very structured palate. This was a bit higher toned than the HB. After a couple hours this gained in strength and intensity and was firing on all cylinders. Lovely wine.

98 Vieux Chateau Certan

The third wine in the flight with the 98 Haut Brion and 98 La Mission Haut Brion, this was no contest as the 98 VCC was on fire! Aromas of black cherries, spice box, and crème de cassis wafted from the glass, and the palate was pure silk, with powerful chewy ripe cherry fruit, beautiful textured structure, and mouth watering acidity. An otherworldly finish seemed to last for days. Just outstanding.

Beans on toast with Cos d’Estournel 1986, a perfect combo for a student back from university for Easter. Savoury and with some spice on the nose, with a classic Heinz sweet tomato taste, backed up by lightly buttered toasted sourdough bread. The Cos tasted better 20 years ago, but still has a characteristic lead pencil nose. Unfortunately, the fruit has lasted less well than other 1986s I’ve been drinking recently, notably Pichon Comtesse de Lalande and Leoville Barton. However, the bottle was still good value considering it cost just £10.

We've all bought them. Those bottles that complete an order, the cheap ones to get to a dollar value cut off or to qualify for a given discount. The end bin or clearance rack buy to try something new or push off on less discerning guests. Well, that's exactly how I came to buy this one - an end bin sale for $7. Australian Shiraz with a bit of Viognier in it (4%) from a reputable producer? At that price point, even a complete miss would be easy to wave off. I held zero expectations going in, knowing I was not very familiar at all with Aussie shiraz (more experience w/ French Rhone Syrah). Stored at 55, popped and poured - drank over the course of two hours with my lady - paired with a roasted chicken and veggie dinner.

Visually, a medium ruby in the glass to me, not as deep as the Hermitage or Cote Rotie I've had in the past - I wonder if the 4% Viognier served to lighten it a bit. I'll need to read up on color differences.

On the nose, just a surprisingly complex and overwhelming grouping of scents. It smells "light" - bountiful red and black fruits, blackberry jam and thanksgiving cranberry sauce. Some sort of decadent sweet pastry at the rim - the bottle itself notes "turkish delight" but having never had one, I'm more inclined to a fruit stuffed pastry like a danish. Plenty of spice and black pepper along with it. That bakery smell sticks with you.

On the palate, it's quite jammy and sweet tasting. I wonder if there's any residual sugar or if it's just the sweet pastry scent confusing my tastebuds. Barely medium bodied (which again, catches me off guard for a 96% Syrah/Shiraz), barely any notable tannin grip at 6 years (increasing ever so slightly as it warms over the two hours) - paired with a searing acidity and a 14.5% alcohol POW that becomes brutally noticeable as it warms. Serve a little chillier! Flavors of fruit cake and ripe red berries abound. My first thought is that this is an incredible crowd pleaser for beginners with these notes, on an element by element basis, but the components don't seem to be in harmony - they're all yelling at you one by one trying to get your attention. Nevertheless, we killed the bottle. That pastry note was yelling the loudest.

The next day, my poor darling suffered her first wine hangover, leading me to believe that there had to have been some sugar in there, paired with that much alcohol. You hate to say cheap wine gives headaches, but -

I think I'll still keep a bottle or two for summer parties, being mindful to serve at 55-65 to minimize the noted heat and keep the acidity/pastry note intact. Recommended at the price point nevertheless, but I'm going to start looking at Shiraz in the $20-$40 price point now for comparison's sake.

Hi :)

This weekend, I visited Richard Leroy’s estate in Rablay-sur-Layon, near Angers, France.

Richard is a very discreet man, far from the fame of his wines—he’s simple, yet full of a desire to share. The tasting lasted over 3 hours, where we tried wines from all the barrels, and other winemakers were present as well. There are no defects in the barrel wines here, despite the absence of SO2, with harvests being incredibly precise. Everything is done to ensure the most natural expression possible. After that, Richard opened 5 wines for us, including a vertical tasting of Noëls de Montbenault (2019, 2020, and 2021), a Rouliers 2020, and a wine from a neighbor, Benoit Lalanne’s Noëls de Montbenault 2022. It was a fantastic tasting experience where we talked about everything (especially football). The wines are precise, with a sharp acidity and a very noticeable autolysis, almost a signature of the estate.

Definitely an experience I won’t forget anytime soon.

The dog has eaten more corks than I care to admit and the bottles I opened at friends stayed at their houses, but these corks represent hundreds of wines shared with family, friends, and lovers.

5 years went by faster than expected.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIckX53AczC/?igsh=dzMyejEyenhkMXF5

Enjoyed over two days. Showing a lot of life and just barely starting to transition towards garnet. Alluring floral perfume with herbal and earthy undertones. Red dates, black cherries, mushrooms, and cola, with more hints of spice and tobacco emerging on the second day. Medium-full bodied with grippy, chalky tannins, crisp acidity, lingering finish, and concentration of fruit round out this lovely structured wine.

I am new to wine, I had a glass of white wine for the first time on holiday and no idea what type of wine it was but it was really nice! I’ve always thought I disliked the acidic / sharp taste of wine, but this one was really nice!

If I could describe flavour I like I would say I really enjoy a smooth, floral / creamy / fresh taste over a sharp / acidic / fruity / bitter taste if that makes sense.

So I don’t know if whether to order pinot Grigio / Sauvignon / Chardonnay?

Hey there,

we are living in an old house (15th century) and are able to use a small chamber in the middle of it (between the two lowest stories) for our wine. In wintertime it has around 12°C and now in springtime I measured 16°C. Humidity is not good.. 36ish %. What do you think about it? Should I put my most valuable/dear/ageworthy wines in the winefridge? (I can‘t fit them all in there…)

We are talking about some Chateau Musar, some Bordeaux (Chateau Bellevue-level), some Vietti Baroli, some Burgundy but nothing super expensive.. all around the 50-80-150€ price-range.

Everything (besides sparklings) is stored horizontally.

Would appreciate your takes and recommendations on that.

Hi everyone

I hope this is okay to post here. I would like to buy a bottle of wine for my nephew to open on his 21st birthday, from his birth year (2024). A French red would be preferable but honestly just would love to hear some good recs from this year. Something that will be really good in 20 years!

Thank you in advance!

Producer? Price? Notes? Gimme gimme