Mark Squires :orangewine:

This and the next three pictures depict the wine selection in my local supermarket.

Do you have critical comments about the selection in a small supermarket near my home? Fair enough. But as someone who has lived in Pennsylvania my whole life, to me it is still amazing and shocking to find so many wine offerings even in a routine small […]

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1997 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir "Allen Vineyard" from the Russian River Valley in California

California Pinot can't age? This producer has made a few that age just fine! Still amazing how great this was nearing age 30. The color gives it mostly a youthful appearance for its age. It's silky, delicious and bright. It has the combo of finesse and flavor […]

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2012 Malaga from Jorge Ordonez Seleccion Especial

3/3 Should we mention the 2012 Málaga? At this point in an inexpensive Muscat's life ($20?), it is pleasant, but a little bland and simple. At least it is low alcohol, fresh and fun. It's not intensely sweet, not a full-on dessert wine. wine #Spain #wine

Back label of the San Roman

San Roman Toro wine from Maurodos, 2004

O. Fournier wine from 2004, Ribera del Duero

2/3 Next, Tempranillos (under other names). The '04 Maurodos San Román was the biggest, richest. Not much finesse and a little one-dimensional, it held well and coated the palate.It's as good as it is going to get, tasty, a bit creamy. 14.5%. $50 then.

The […]

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Granbazan Albarino Etiqueta Ambar

1/3 Portuguese peeps, I betrayed you for another part of Iberia. I mostly liked them. Not as much as yours, of course! I didn't know all of these well; only one was mine. White first: My fave might have been the 2020 Granbazán Etiqueta Ambar, a Rias Baixas […]

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@KentNavalesi @lebanon They make nice stuff! I used to enjoy reviewing their wines.

@chiefgyk3d Explanations boil down to (a) the region is lush and green from vegetation; (b) the wine is harvested early and bottled young, very fresh. Green as in not overly mature, resulting in crisp wines with a backbone of acidity rather than big and ripe. So, the stereotype goes.

I think […]

2016 Pyritis Assyrtiko, Santorini

Karamolegos' very old vines 2016 Assyrtiko (up to 120 years) is holding brilliantly. Tightly wound, eventually expressive and powerful, it shows few signs of entering the next phase of development. It seems so young! And it does open and tastes great. That's […]

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@heidilifeldman @dangillmor Authoritarianism is rising in so many places. It is a worldwide trend for sure.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8Ltpw9f/

Sonoma County vineyards among things flooded in California

#wine #sonoma

https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/22/24303594/elon-musk-harassing-federal-workers-x

Apart from the spectacle of this super-rich clown sitting there chortling while he plots to destroy peoples' lives, he'll go to these lengths too. Like his co-President, no empathy, no decency, not a trace of […]

2002 Phelps Insignia, Napa

Mostly Cab, this familiar label has aged well. It's in a perfect place to drink, soft, round and rich, but showing some mature nuances. It can hold, but I don't see great improvement to come. If you want to spend a few hundred, you can still find this older […]

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1995 Monbazillac Cuvée Madame, the specialty bottling from Tirecul la Gravière

My label is faded, but this '95 Monbazillac Cuvée Madame, the specialty bottling from Tirecul la Gravière, is young. Muscadelle and Sémillon from very old vines, this was and is a star. Darker in color now, but concentrated, powerful and laced with orange […]

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2008 Apegadas "Qta. Velha" Grande Reserva from Douro

This is the stereotype I have of 08 Douro reds Douro--fresh, silky, bright, a wee bit thin (that's age too), but a pleasure, if not quite profound. Mostly Touriga Nacional, this inexpensive red has aged beautifully and tastes great. It's ripe and there's […]

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2010 Late bottled vintage Port from Ferreira (owned by Sogrape)

I've been saying, look for traditional LBVs. Beautiful today, this graceful wine from Ferreira (Sogrape) seems very Vintage Port-like. It has notable power, reasonable depth and a big, flavorful finish. Aromatic and expressive, this is lovely. It's […]

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2002 Seavey Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa

I have and had a lot of vintages of Seavey, and I've often been less impressed with the 02 than some (that's relative!), but this bottle sure shows great. Deep, concentrated and powerful, it has plenty of pop on the finish, classic cassis nuances and relative […]

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@GottaLaff Thank you for the attention to detail and insistence on getting it right.

It is what separates those I rely on from those I couldn't care less about.

2003 Auslese*** Riesling from Christoffel, Urziger Wurzgarten vineyard

This *** Auslese was a bit lower in level than normal. I correctly suspected minor seepage. Still, top Riesling is amazingly resilient. Was I concerned? No, sir! (Ok, a little.) But it was fine, better than fine. Maybe a little more mature, but still youthful […]

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"Loyalty is a two-way street. Sixers go through the corporate motions. The Phillies and Eagles' ownership seems to wear their hearts on their sleeves, at least, just like us. They are hardly infallible, but they sure are committed. I don't get that same sense from the Sixers. I just don't."

At […]

1997 Jones Family Cab Sauv

More pleasant surprises, this time a '97 I wasn't sure of; the winery started in 1996 (with winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown).This is gorgeous in fact, elegant, still showing good fruit, but a mature overlay. It has grip, a lively demeanor and it tastes great […]

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https://act.gavinnewsom.com/go/4030?t=1&akid=2283%2E1226188%2EVws11x

7 pm EST, now

@jiangshanghan They are so chill!🐨

2009 Crasto Reserva Old Vines

From a big, ripe vintage, this '09 shows more elegance now, and it tastes just great. As it evolves in the glass, there's a surprising touch of minerality and some grip on the finish. It's delicious, beautifully crafted and in prime form. Will it still hold? […]

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https://bsky.app/profile/bretbatson.bsky.social/post/3la7p4e3axh2f

Okay, this is just pretty funny. Apparently there is a meme going around of creators making their own comparison of how they feel now versus 2016. This hits the spot #harriswalz2024

I am seeing lots of stories about long voting lines. In a way that's a great thing. But really, people, apart from the fact we shouldn't make it this hard to vote on election day, you have weeks to vote early. Let's resolve not to let things go to the last day. It isn't necessary anymore. It is […]

@GottaLaff Do you know @jesscraven101 A couple of years back she was telling me a few weeks before the presidential election she spoke to a voter who didn't know an election was coming up! I mean, I just can't understand it.

Philadelphia already predicted to have exceeded 2020 vote totals in the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania. A very good portent.

@SwellWines Hard to be definitive today. Several of the key states (AZ, PA, among them) are slow counters. In PA for example, that is caused by the legal inability to count mail ballots in advance. There were a lot of them!

How fast the verdict comes in will […]

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"Tonight, I say this to my Republican colleagues who are defending the indefensible: There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonor will remain." --Liz Cheney, 2022

Sleeping Koala, my shot in Australia

Alert Koala, my shot in Australia

Everybody tense enough?

Stay alert. Not like the first guy. But you can breathe a little. 🙂 #koala #australia