Saturday, April 05, 2008

Wine Tasting - Affordable 2005 Bordeaux

AFFORDABLE 2005 BORDEAUX - GEM Wine Cellar, Portland OR (4/4/2008)


Friday night wine tasting at GEM Wine Cellar, 3433 NE Broadway, Portland, OR 97232.


2005 Bordeaux wines, all priced under $20.


  • 2005 Château Segonzac - France, Bordeaux, Côtes de Blaye, Premières Côtes de Blaye
    Nice wine, good fruit, decent terroir, short finish. Good wine to start the flight, but nothing special. Good/Very Good - 85 points. (85 pts.)

  • 2005 Château Moulin Rompu - France, Bordeaux, Médoc
    A step up from the first wine of this tasting, with decent minerality, and smooth tannins, nicely integrated with the acidty and berry fruit. Excellent - 88 points. (88 pts.)

  • 2005 Château Cornelie - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
    VERY nice Bordeaux, with great berry fruit, some pepper, and nice French minerality. Nose has some leather and raspberry. I like this one. Excellent/Outstanding - 90 points. (90 pts.)

  • 2005 Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) Bordeaux Contrôlée Réserve Spéciale - France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Contrôlée
    This had been open for a bit, but very well-integrated fruit, acidity and tannins, to make a tasty, nice-drinking wine. May still need some time to really shine. Outstanding - 90 points. (90 pts.)

  • 2005 Château des Granges D'Or Médoc - France, Bordeaux, Médoc
    Drinking very well, with sour cherry fruit, tobacco, and some edgy tannins. Not as nice as the previous two. Excellent - 88 points. (88 pts.)

  • 2005 Château Paradis Casseuil - France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Contrôlée
    Wow. Excellent integration, with slightly drying tannins, smooth acidty that's keeping the fruit in check, and very nice terrior/minerality. Wine of the Tasting...too bad they are out of it at the wine shop, or I'd buy a bottle or three. Outstanding - 91 points. (91 pts.)


Posted from CellarTracker

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Despair: Alcohol and Motivation




There is a new, fun tool at Despair.com called the Parody Motivator Generator. You can basically make your own "demotivator" posters. A friend made the following, featuring another friend who has an affinity for searingly hot food. The Great Balls of Fire referenced are a habanero pepper and cheese fritter dish from local Portland restaurant chain Salvador Molly's. Each fritter contains like an entire habanero pepper or something, and you need to eat 5, plus the habanero-mango chutney that comes with the dish, to get on the "Wall of Flame". The gentleman pictured below has made it on the Wall 3 times now. Crazy...I ate TWO of the Balls, and couldn't talk for an hour. They even made my urine burn. NO, it wasn't the Clap. Sheesh.

Great Balls of Fire!