TN: Viognier and Cornas

Michael Nielsen wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@googlegroups.com:

what do you think is Extra Virgin Olive Oil other than olive juice?

lol I think olive juice would be something with the oil removed though :)

Finish, texture like granite, subnotes of stone.

not. Last time I decanted just an hour or two, this time 6 hours.

rika, black olives, wet stones in a farmyard, earth, mushrooms, decomposing wood. I totally love this type of wine. for me, this is the type of wine o nly France can do, and noone even gets close.

nt sell olive juice, even though she loves olives. haha, while she likes wi nes that taste like chocolate and its normal to drink liquid chocolate.

Im not sure I understand your comment about Viognier being smooth and cream y like Chardonnay. Im not sure what Chards you're referring to. What is y our frame of reference?

Napa and Russian River chardonnays.

Bill, it makes good sense to me. Both Chardonnay and Viognier are heavier-bodied whites, though Viognier is usually lower acid (barring the exceptional Condrieu) often have higher alcohol levels. Of course, if your standard for Chardonnay (like mine) is Chablis, then all bets are off.

Mark Lipton

I do drink a lot of Chablis and White Burgundy but I also drink a lot of Na pa/Sonoma Chardonnay and while one can find Malo heavy chardonnay from thos e areas I find many tend towards the Burgundian model these days. Rhone wh ites in general tend to have a heavy almost oily texture that I don't find in Chardonnay in general. Currently Ive been drinking a lot of Faila, Niem an Cellars, Ramey, Au Bon Climat, Melville.

Napa/Sonoma Chardonnay and while one can find Malo heavy chardonnay from th ose areas I find many tend towards the Burgundian model these days. Rhone whites in general tend to have a heavy almost oily texture that I don't fin d in Chardonnay in general. Currently Ive been drinking a lot of Faila, Ni eman Cellars, Ramey, Au Bon Climat, Melville.

Have you tried Pine Ridge Dijon Clones? it costs the same as the Ramey I tr ied and liked a lot, but is accessible in my town (not 300km away like Rame y).

Michael Nielsen wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@googlegroups.com:

Is Ramey available in Europe? Where? Do they have online shopping?

f Napa/Sonoma Chardonnay and while one can find Malo heavy chardonnay from those areas I find many tend towards the Burgundian model these days. Rhon e whites in general tend to have a heavy almost oily texture that I don't f ind in Chardonnay in general. Currently Ive been drinking a lot of Faila, Nieman Cellars, Ramey, Au Bon Climat, Melville.

tried and liked a lot, but is accessible in my town (not 300km away like Ra mey).

Your English (like most everybody here) is so good I did't realize you were not in the US. Sorry. I have tried Pine Ridge. Like many California Cha rdonays I find it a bit too ripe and heavy but I understand your connection between Viognier and Chardonay now.

I tried and liked a lot, but is accessible in my town (not 300km away like Ramey).

re not in the US. Sorry. I have tried Pine Ridge. Like many California C hardonnays I find it a bit too ripe and heavy but I understand your connect ion between Viognier and Chardonnay now.

Im Danish but I have lived and worked in Davis. I work with international R &D and got an academic carrier, and have an Italian wife. So English is alm ost like a second primary language.

So you mean that Ramey is more "burgundian" (less cream, more acid) than Pi ne Ridge? How would you place Rombauer/Graham (which I like) on that scale?

I got it in Aalborg, Denmark (my home town).

They are a bit funny. Its mainly a wholesale store for restaurants, but they do have a store front for consumers. But you can't generally see their stock and shop online. I got a booklet with their stock and price list, last time I was there.

Btw this store is also how I got introduced to Tondonia. When they decided to stop carrying them, they sold me a whole box of Tondonia Grand Reserva 1981 for 24 euro per bottle :) Its the first time I ever bought a box of wine.

Now I wish I had bought more boxes.

y I tried and liked a lot, but is accessible in my town (not 300km away lik e Ramey).

were not in the US. Sorry. I have tried Pine Ridge. Like many California Chardonnays I find it a bit too ripe and heavy but I understand your conne ction between Viognier and Chardonnay now.

R&D and got an academic carrier, and have an Italian wife. So English is a lmost like a second primary language.

Pine Ridge? How would you place Rombauer/Graham (which I like) on that scal e?

Haven't had Graham but Rombauer is (to my taste) extremely ripe, sweet and very creamy. Ramey is far more balanced and shows far more acid than Pine Ridge. To be fair Ramey costs quite a bit more than Pine Ridge and Rombauer .

mey I tried and liked a lot, but is accessible in my town (not 300km away l ike Ramey).

u were not in the US. Sorry. I have tried Pine Ridge. Like many Californ ia Chardonnays I find it a bit too ripe and heavy but I understand your con nection between Viognier and Chardonnay now.

al R&D and got an academic carrier, and have an Italian wife. So English is almost like a second primary language.

n Pine Ridge? How would you place Rombauer/Graham (which I like) on that sc ale?

d very creamy. Ramey is far more balanced and shows far more acid than Pin e Ridge. To be fair Ramey costs quite a bit more than Pine Ridge and Rombau er.

Rombauer uses too much oak to me and the less expensive bottlings of Ramey do as well. Hudson and Hyde are the best balanced with little to no malolac tic fermentation but are in the $50-60 range.

What is your opinion of Walter Hansel from Russian River? Graham

Hmm, the Ramey (45$) is actually a bit cheaper here than the pine ridge (50$). So am I understanding these comments correctly that pine ridge is closer to Rombauer (not avail. here unfortunately for me. I wish.)?

I'll stay clear of those , then.

You tend towards the non-malo chardonnays?

No, I want malo, that's why I now know to not save money for the more expensive Hudson and Hyde, since I'll like the normal one better.