Constant Musings

I saw this nice bottle of 2004 Chateau Petrus at a store last weekend. Tempting… But the price was not so tempting :)

Turkey pot pie and a glass or two of a nice Tuscany red, Argiano’s 2009 Non Confunditur (which, by the way, is in 46th place on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines for 2011).

Yum.

Just got back from an amazing Christmas/New Year’s vacation in Germany. I’m exhausted from traveling & lack of sleep but excited about 2012! I think it will be a great year :)

More soon.

I tend to purchase wines that, roughly speaking, fall into the following categories: everyday wines, once-a-week wines, once-a-month wines. My everyday wines are good values that don’t break the bank – good wines at a good price. The once-a-week wines tend to be higher in price but still reasonable – very good wines at adequate prices, which I usually enjoy over the weekend. The once-a-month wines are usually outstanding wines that I buy after doing extensive research on them. Their superior quality tends to be a direct reflection of terroir and sophisticated vinification. They tend to be pricey, which usually is due to low production volumes and high demand. And then there are those wines that promise to benefit from aging, which I buy specifically for cellaring. There seems to be a common misconception where some people think all red wines benefit from aging, which is of course not the case. Many modern, fruit-forward wines lack the structure necessary for extended aging and are best consumed while they’re still young.

The wines I buy for cellaring don’t always cost an arm and a leg – there are plenty of good buys at reasonable prices. For example, here are some of the newest additions to my collection:

A few bottles of the 2009 Le Vieux Donjon Chateauneuf-du-Pape. A great value from the Southern Rhone region. Fantastic wine, classic Rhone. It’s well extracted with good structure, so it should reward a few years in the cellar and become ever more complex. At $70 it’s a great buy, especially taking into account that 2009 is considered an outstanding Southern Rhone vintage – one of the best in the last decade.

A few bottles of 2005 Chateau Lagrange. You don’t always have to look to the Premiers Crus for outstanding Bordeaux wines. You can often find excellent wines and much better value among the Deuxiemes and Troisiemes Crus. Case in point: the ’05 Lagrange from Saint-Julien, which is very reasonably priced (around $85). This chateau is a troisieme cru and the 2005 (which was an outstanding Bordeaux vintage across the board) is an amazingly beautiful wine. It’s a little closed still after 6 years but already hints at the greatness it will show in another 10-15 years.

A few bottles of 2006 Chateau Giscours. Here’s another troisieme cru that provides outstanding value. While I have a slight preference for the ’05 Lagrange, that could just be due to the overall quality of the ’05 vintage. Still, the ’06 Giscours is a beautiful Margaux that will develop into an amazingly rich, decadent beauty over the next 10 years or so.

These are all French wines, but that is just a coincidence. I buy a lot of California wines as well, plus Spanish, Italian, German, Chilean, Argentinean, Australian… I am all for equal rights :)

Ok, now I’m getting thirsty.

I love Duckhorn wines… And this one was particularly delicious. As much as I like to explore the variety of wines the world has to offer, a good Napa Cab is just hard to beat.

Hmm come to think of it, I could really do more posts about wine, considering how many bottles I go through :)

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This image is nothing special from a photography standpoint, but I like it for a simple reason: it combines three elements that to me can make any day a special day: good food, good wine, and, most importantly, good company. When the flavors of fresh ingredients combine with the complex aromas of a good wine, and all of this happens while engaging in stimulating conversation – now that’s bliss. What else does one really need for a happy life? Not much :)

Sometimes simple water features can make for nice photographs…

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This local guy’s shack was the perfect place to relax in a hammock and enjoy a few cold beers… and a great spot to watch a tropical thunderstorm.

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My trip to Thailand was right in the middle of monsoon season, so in addition to many hot, sunny days there were a few days with some pretty amazing and dramatic weather – usually announced by clouds like these. I love a nice, heavy, tropical rain on a hot day, everything just seems so lush afterwards :)

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This is just one of many spectacular sunsets I enjoyed in Thailand. It is sooo hard going back to work after a vacation :)

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I’m back from an incredible vacation in Thailand… Possibly one of the best vacations ever. Phuket is a tropical paradise :) Will post some pics soon.

I had a wonderful Labor Day weekend in California’s Napa Valley…. This place is so stunningly beautiful, it’s hard to put into words. Rolling hills full of lush grapevines, beautiful wine estates… and a seemingly endless number of wineries offering some of the best wines in the world. I enjoyed lots of great food (much of it made from delicious produce from local farms), and of course tried many, many outstanding wines. It won’t be long before I return to stock up on more wine :)

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There is nothing better than sitting outside with a nice, hearty breakfast on a sunny weekend morning… ideally with lots of spice, and of course some nice coffee :)

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Here’s a picture from a recent trip to Budapest… I love how the shapes and tonality work together to create a nice visual impact.

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… have always fascinated me. Here’s one I saw in Arizona last weekend – it felt very apocalyptic :)

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