2004 Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon

This was my treat to myself. I had not tasted the 2004 Bin 707 yet, but I had fond memories of the 2002 and I wanted to see how this one was going to turn out.



The 2004 is not as luxuriant as the 2002 was. The 2004 has the dark, full bodied color and the wonderful pungent smell, but the flavor was a bit dull. I think the wine is very young and the various components will integrate better with a bit of time. The wine was short on the palate, with bits of dark fruit. It was smooth and supple, but not mind blowing.

While I was in Seattle I also managed to score a few bottles of the 2005, so I have something to look forward to in this department. I hear it is the best vintage ever.

2003 Stella's Garden Lost Highway Shiraz

So, I was in Vegas at this restaurant. The first thing I noticed is their wine markup is about 4x the normal price of a bottle. Which is ridiculous. But I did not follow my own advice and bring my own bottle, so I was stuck. Luckily we were splitting the tab 8 ways.

The second thing I noticed was they had the 2000 Stella's Garden Lost Highway Shiraz on the menu. The 2004 was stupendous, so I figured lets have a go at one with some age on it. Of course, they brought me a 2003. Another thing I hate is restaurants who do not update their frickin' wine list. But, still, I will take a 2003. So they open it and decant it and add $136 to the bill. Bastards.



Anyway, the wine was very good. It was not that dark, midnight-satin, inky color the 2004 was. It was still a nice, full bodied Shiraz, but much less remarkable than the 2004. The '03 had nice color and was pretty smooth for a 15% wine. Everyone at the table, even non-drinkers and non-wine drinkers all liked the bottle. There was good dark fruit and just a hint of spice.

penfold's releases luxury wines

Good news everyone! The new round of current releases from Penfold's high-end are available as of May 1st.



I do not think I can afford to continue to build my vertical of Grange. Instead, I'm going to sink all that cash into Bin 707, which I rather enjoy drinking. Probably more so than the Grange vintages I have tasted.

2004 Chester-Kidder Columbia Valley Red Wine

The Longshadows wines really are some of the best you can get from Washington. They are also, in my opinion, generally over priced. However, they are less overpriced then their Napa brethren. So if you can afford them, buy them; they do not disappoint. Many are also collectables, so get them while you can.

For my father-in-law's birthday, we opened the 2004 Chester-Kidder. It's a $50 wine. It is a well-made and reasonably complex Bordeaux blend with the addition of syrah into the mix as well. It is not some ridiculous tannin-bomb--it is well balanced with good acidity and supple tannins. It is not a fruit-bomb either--in fact, I give it a few marks off for not having much of a flavor at all. This wine seems much more European in its make than most Washington and California wines. It was a deep purple, but the kind that you can see right through. Medium-bodied they call it. It had a fairly good finish and was pleasant enough to drink. However, I would not consider it a showcase wine. This is a food wine. Drink it by itself and you will not remember it much. Drink it with the right food, and I think it will be spectacular. Furthermore, I am going to let it sit in the bottle for another year before opening one again. There is so much going on with the blend, I hope another year will give it a chance to find itself.

new release: Penfold's Grange and Penfold's Bin 707

I just picked up my allotment of the 2002 Penfold's Grange and the 2004 Penfold's Bin 707. It ain't cheap, but word on the street is this is going to be a 100pt vintage for Grange, and I just can't get over how much I love Bin 707 every time I taste it. Check back in a few years to see what I think of the 707 and in a few decades to see how I feel about the Grange. :)

why buy expensive wine?

Slate has an article today on one man's pursuit of a rare $700 wine. This is a good read for those of you who ask questions like, "is that $100 wine really that much better than this $10 wine?" This might give you some insight on why someone would be willing to spend so much money on a single bottle of wine.

The most expensive bottle I have ever bought has been the various vintages of Penfold's Grange at about $225.

What is the most expensive bottle you have ever bought?