SDMB Wine Club -- Week 16

Tis true

I’ve had my eye on larger racks for quite some time :stuck_out_tongue:

Assuming that we are talking wine, and not cosmetic surgery here: I recently ordered a very inexpensive corkscrew, and now these folks have me on their mailing list with a fairly extensive catalog. They have some wine racks that would make a serious dent in my annual wine budget, but they also have some inexpensive modular systems.

WooHoo Thanks to my neighborhood Spec’s, I now have the Juan Gill - Houston price $13.77.

Hopefully we’ll have a chance to sample it this evening.

I couldn’t find the Juan Gil, so I went for the Altos de la Hoya Montastrell. I got the 2005 for $10.99, which seems like a very good bargain for as highly rated as it is.

This is where the rubber hits the road for me. I can appreciate that it is a “big red,” but it’s a little too big for me. I found it really tannic, and that’s a taste I haven’t yet acquired. I have a glass here, and as I inhale it, I can’t really pull out any notes – and I admit I’m bad at that anyway – other than it smells really “winey.” I’m thinking as I write this . . . unlike most of the time :wink: . . . .

I think part of my trouble with it is my own fault in that I poured it to sample by itself. I just went into the kitchen and got a piece of nice cheese, and I seem to like it better with something else pretty full-bodied to chew on. So I think I might enjoy it better paired with a hearty dinner, like a steak or a substantial pasta dish. I also think part of my trouble is weather-related. It is still hella hot here, and it’s hard for me to enjoy such a full-bodied red.

So I’m not loving it, but I also suspect I’m not doing it justice. I’m going to have to make a note to try it again later, to decide if I like it or not.

I do appreciate the pick, though. Part of what I personally wanted from SDMB wine club is to expand my horizons, so I really appreciate a challenging wine. :slight_smile:

P.S. New thread tomorrow, right?

We teamed this up tonight with some grilled sausages.

Both of us liked the Juan Gil a lot. It seemed to have similar tones to the La Posta Bonarda I recommended and very few could locate. I found it to be lush and dark, but not overly so with a hint of spice (maybe a touch of white pepper). Nothing bold of note on the tannins.

Now I definitely need to expand my storage. Thanks Plynck for the link, I’ve got a couple others I’m looking at as well. If I can’t talk my neighborhood outlet into stocking this, I’ll have to start buying it in case lots from the downtown store. Whatever, I liked it enough for it to have a home on my rack, and at $13.77 it’s welcome.

I just called to request a catalog. (I prefer a paper one to on-line.) Now if I get inundated with catalogs because I’m on the LIKES CATALOGS! master-list, I’m going to blame you, Plynck. :wink:

Looking forward to it, as always