Open Mike Syrah.

Bob, get behind me you tempter you.

Isn't he just

Whilst I'm not exactly rushing to fill the cellar with Yellow Tail, in these sort of non-wine geek locations, I suspect it tastes a lot better than many I've tried in similar circumstances.

regards

Ian

Well, guess there is hope for my Painted Turtle Shiraz blend from the Okanagan?

Good to see you here Bob R and we all appreciate your sacrifice offering of the Yellow Tail.............whats up next, the merlot?

[James Roscoe]

Bob, as I mentioned, I'm on a three or four wine sabbatical,.......Bob, get behind me you tempter you.

Regards, Bob

Bob - What the H***, is a wine sabbatical? How can you take a three or four wine sabbatical? I am totaly confused. Of course this is the normal state of things in my life. - James

Oh, shoot -- missed a word, James.

Should read: "three or four week wine sabbatical".

Sorry. That [yellow tail] is obviously very potent stuff.

Regards, Bob

One fellow recommended that I move up to the Cab/Shiraz blend, Bob -- more complexity he said.

This wine gets a remarkable range of opinions, many of them very positive -- here's a small sampling from just one of many sites:

http://www.wineaccess.com/store/totalwi ... d=10544452

The reviews are delightful; just look at all the folks who are having a good first experience with wine:

Beautiful
By Toongrl77 August 27, 2004
Such a gorgeous wine. Ages well. Definite hints of black cherry, spice. My top pick as far as Shiraz is concerned.

Great wine for the money
By redsonlyexceptviognier June 14, 2005
It's pure plonk, but something you can drink everyday, for any reason.

If you've grown tired of wine...
By Funk-tac-u-lar11809636 November 08, 2005
If you've grown tired of drinking wine and want to be turned off from it forever, then pour yourself a nice tall glass of this sewer water. Easily one of the most poorly made wines in recent history, I'm pretty sure that homemade stuff my granpa puts into milk jugs in his basement could beat this unspeakably horrible swill in a blind taste test. That is, unless the tasting panel was full of retards. I'd give this wine zero stars if I could.

etc. etc.

Regards, Bob

[James Roscoe]

One fellow recommended that I move up to the Cab/Shiraz blend, Bob -- more complexity he said.

This wine gets a remarkable range of opinions, many of them very positive -- here's a small sampling from just one of many sites:

http://www.wineaccess.com/store/totalwi ... d=10544452

Regards, Bob

I liked the guy who called it sewer water. I do have to agree that the blends tend to be better than the straight varietals. It is definitely more complex. I also pefer the Jacob's Creek blends to the Yellow Tail blends. That is damning with faint praise however.

[James Roscoe]

Oh, shoot -- missed a word, James.

Should read: "three or four week wine sabbatical".

Sorry. That [yellow tail] is obviously very potent stuff.

Regards, Bob

Bob,
Good luck with this. I assume you will be taking off for Thanksgiving?
Cheers!
James

Well, one can't get too rigid about anything, James. We plan to eat at the Excelsior in Boston, and they have a really nice list:

http://www.excelsiorrestaurant.com/winelist

Happy Thanksgiving!

Geo, have you had the Conde cabs, too? I bought some for our cellar on the reccomendation of an importer friend. Haven't tasted it yet, but if the qualities you describe in the syrah transfer over to the cabernet ("Not exactly sweet, or even ripe, but certainly rich, full flavored and harmonious"), I'll be a very happy woman.

Jenise, we recently tried both the '03 & '04 Stark and Condé Cabs; the Starks are nice for the price, while the '03 Condé is brilliant. The same can't be said for the '04 Condé, which lacks the depth of the previous vintage, and tries to make up for it with excess oak. We'll have a Gang of Pour page online later today with our impressions of all 6 Stark-Condé wines we tried. And yes, the Cabs do tend to show similar personalities to the Syrahs, in that they're not over the top, but I hope you have the '03 and not the '04 Condé.

Cheerioz,

geo