I got a few bottles of this last week. It's 2017 which I presume is the one they just released? What would you say is the optimum time to age them for?
I'm thinking I will probably buy a couple every year so eventually I'll have a stock of nicely aged ones to crack out on special occasions every year
There is no set rule but my current plan is to drink my 2013 bottles in 2025 and then drinking each subsequent vintage I have the following year - I may crack earlier or Mrs Lao Lao may say, "Fuck this shit, they've been there long enough" and start getting stuck into them
The key is the storage of the wine - Don't have it anywhere with big changes in temperature, cold or hot (perfect temp is 13 - 14 degrees C but that's only achievable with a fridge/temp controlled room etc) and don't have it exposed to a lot of light.
I have my bottles in a cupboard under the stairs which is nice and dark and the temperature doesn't get effected too much as it's away from heat sources.
Probably a masssssive markup in SA anyway and they earn half or less than what we do. Likely them getting a shit deal rather than us getting a good one.
Will be in SA next month.... Should pick up a few bottles or not worth my while.... Only drink white so probably of no value?
No beast so fierce but knows some touch of pity, but I know none, therefore am no beast.
Brought batteries somewhere for the first time in my life yesterday- Powercity, as I also brought 4 laptops, a desktop, a tablet, 2 juicers, an old Virgin Tv box, and sundry other stuff.
I was taking the hard drives out of the laptops and when I went at the tablet (some cheap Chinese thing) I was slashing with a screwdriver at some internal stuff wrapped in tape and silver stuff. When I punctured it I got a very strong smell of something. The kind of thing you have no idea what it is but know intuitively to stop doing what you're doing. Then I thought maybe it was just the smell of glue and had at it again. Very, very strong smell.
I stopped and just put the casing back together. What do you reckon it was that I was smelling?
You probably pierced the battery or thermal paste
I wouldn't use it if you nicked the battery
People say I should be more humble I hope they understand, they don't listen when you mumble
Get a shiny metal Revolut card! And a free tenner! https://revolut.com/referral/jamesb8!G10D21
I'm going to make it a mission to find some Fusion V before Christmas, which I think is even better and about the same price.
I did some research on De Toren a few years back after you mentioned it. I first went straight to source and contacted the vineyard but they generally only ship within South Africa. They did offer to ship to Ireland but all the local process here was on me, they have no presence here and it is very messy this end. I've brought wine in myself from Austria before and nearly had it seized, had to go through a whole rigmarole of writing (an actual letter that had to be sent by post) to customs explaining what I was doing, paying VAT & Duty by bank draft, personally lodging that with them and then collecting it from their compound. I think technically, if you don't have a wet bond, all duties and taxes should be paid up front before arrival which can be difficult to co-ordinate, partly as customs are still in the 18th century technology wise.
Cost is usually R300 a bottle when you buy a case of 12 direct from the vineyard plus transport, Duty & VAT which is great value.
I then contacted their closest distributor who are based in the UK but at the time, they weren't supplying it to an Irish wine shops.
I must e-mail the distributor again, as I think that was around 5 years ago that I checked with them so things might have changed.
One other option would be to ask a wine shop that you know well if they can bring it in. Corkscrew have brought in wine for me before that they don't stock as they stock other wines from the same UK distributor so it was just a matter of adding on an extra case or to their order.
The economics of South African wine continue to evade me.
Meerlust Rubicon 2017 is R460 retail in South Africa itself. So ~€26.
But I can buy the same wine, presumably after taxes, duties in Ireland for €34. So about a 30% increase for the privilege of shipping it form one end of the world to the other, the government cut plus the retailers margin etc.
By comparison, if I buy a French wine in France vs Ireland, the increase is more like 200%.
I think for once, we're the ones not getting screwed on the SA wine as transport, Duty and VAT are at least €8 per bottle.
I did some research on De Toren a few years back after you mentioned it. I first went straight to source and contacted the vineyard but they generally only ship within South Africa. They did offer to ship to Ireland but all the local process here was on me, they have no presence here and it is very messy this end. I've brought wine in myself from Austria before and nearly had it seized, had to go through a whole rigmarole of writing (an actual letter that had to be sent by post) to customs explaining what I was doing, paying VAT & Duty by bank draft, personally lodging that with them and then collecting it from their compound. I think technically, if you don't have a wet bond, all duties and taxes should be paid up front before arrival which can be difficult to co-ordinate, partly as customs are still in the 18th century technology wise.
Cost is usually R300 a bottle when you buy a case of 12 direct from the vineyard plus transport, Duty & VAT which is great value.
I then contacted their closest distributor who are based in the UK but at the time, they weren't supplying it to an Irish wine shops.
I must e-mail the distributor again, as I think that was around 5 years ago that I checked with them so things might have changed.
One other option would be to ask a wine shop that you know well if they can bring it in. Corkscrew have brought in wine for me before that they don't stock as they stock other wines from the same UK distributor so it was just a matter of adding on an extra case or to their order.
.
I did the same back in 2013-ish; bought a couple of cases from a UK distributor (who no longer seem to be in business). The wine was bonded here, wouldn't mind an, ahem, unathorised tour of their facilities (corkscrew in hand) some time...
"We are not Europeans. Those people on the continent are freaks."
I'm going to make it a mission to find some Fusion V before Christmas, which I think is even better and about the same price.
Just looking at their website, Wine Treasury in the UK, 2017 Fusion V is £43.95 Sterling per bottle. Orders of more than £100 are free to UK mainland and for deliveries to NI, Channel Islands and abroad, you need to inquire on a case by case basis. Price seems a bit punchy.
Also had a look at their Belgian and Germany distributors and their websites are a cluster fuck but the Dutch distributor has it priced at €38.59 a bottle but can't seem to find any info around delivery.
Just looking at their website, Wine Treasury in the UK, 2017 Fusion V is £43.95 Sterling per bottle. Orders of more than £100 are free to UK mainland and for deliveries to NI, Channel Islands and abroad, you need to inquire on a case by case basis. Price seems a bit punchy.
Also had a look at their Belgian and Germany distributors and their websites are a cluster fuck but the Dutch distributor has it priced at €38.59 a bottle but can't seem to find any info around delivery.
I'm glad to see I have successfully outsourced this project.
"We are not Europeans. Those people on the continent are freaks."
Odds on HH waking up in his old gaff in Rennes with one half of the couple that are now renting the house either side of him in the bed?
I wouldn't joke about. Remember being at an AA meeting 30 years ago, and one of the chaps stories was of going back on the booze after a long break, having a six month blackout/bender, and waking up playing a gig in Amsterdam.
You'd want to be drunk to watch that. A few episodes in and it's pure shite.
I watched the first episode last night - it already seems very far fetched, even for a TV show - Not sure I'll last for the full season which isn't a great sign after one episode.
I wouldn't joke about. Remember being at an AA meeting 30 years ago, and one of the chaps stories was of going back on the booze after a long break, having a six month blackout/bender, and waking up playing a gig in Amsterdam.
But if he hadn't blacked out, it would have been one hell of a story
I watched the first episode last night - it already seems very far fetched, even for a TV show - Not sure I'll last for the full season which isn't a great sign after one episode.
It's also kinda offensive to stalkers and murderers
Quite a profitable strategy has emerged for fundalk punting needs a bit of patience.
All you need is a bit of efficient and accurate use of live pause when there is a close finish approaching - Don't wait and rewind or you'll miss the value Stop it as close to the line as you can, if you don't form an opinion immediately, use a bit of card on the screen to draw the line.
Ignore the price in market. Sometimes even when its a clear result the market will be 50:50 until RTV show their freeze frame some 30 seconds later.
Last winner there tonight traded at more than double its SP of 6/1 and was available for ages for lots of money @ 3 and 4/1 after it had won the race. It's the third time I've seen the market get it way wrong in as many meetings.
Something very satisfying about punting a winner that has already gone by.
I need to start drinking Georgian, Greek or Uruguayan wine to be down with the Kool Kidz
Good selection for Christmas.
I mainly drink Bordeaux red and NZ/Loire white. Not the worst rut to be in but probably should expand my selections more. Italian, Spanish and Portuguese are the areas I'm trying to delve more into.
I mainly drink Bordeaux red and NZ/Loire white. Not the worst rut to be in but probably should expand my selections more. Italian, Spanish and Portuguese are the areas I'm trying to delve more into.
I'd drink a fair bit of Eye-talian. Very little NZ\AU.
German, Czech and Slovenian wine is worth investigation.
"We are not Europeans. Those people on the continent are freaks."
If that 2 bed was in Ballsbridge or Dalkey the price would be totally fine, is the location that's the issue there. I've seen it suggested that with that price, the developer actually doesn't want to sell to the public, but wants to offload to the eejits in DLR county council. I've a 3 bed that's very slightly bigger, also in an estate outside the M50 and am selling for a touch off 1/2 million, that's the market right now!
ah no, i'm loving everything. Was fit to explode with worry, and drinking has just shown it was all a mirage. Need to stop it, id heard that two years off beer returned you sensible, but apparently not in my case. heart beer though
Seems like just a terrible question to ask but anyhow: is storing wine standing rather than on it's side a terrible thing?
Maybe it doesn't matter with an average wine and does with a better one?
Am not a wine person but might be in the future (and therefore might purchase a few of the aforementioned). Don't really want future me looking back at me like a
Seems like just a terrible question to ask but anyhow: is storing wine standing rather than on it's side a terrible thing?
Maybe it doesn't matter with an average wine and does with a better one?
Am not a wine person but might be in the future (and therefore might purchase a few of the aforementioned). Don't really want future me looking back at me like a
Corks are essentially wooden sponges. If a bottle is stored upright long term, the cork can dry out and let small amounts of air into the bottle. Storing a bottle on its side stops that happening as the cork stays wet.
Irrelevant for any wine you buy to drink soon.
In a fit of empathy with HH, I just demolished the last 2 built-in wardrobes that we inherited with this house. Fuck me, they built things to last back in them there days.
Now for the joy of the visit to the dump.
"We are not Europeans. Those people on the continent are freaks."
Have been chasing down the energy guy who did the survey of our house 2 months ago. Had a chat yesterday. The gist of it being that he hadn't bothered to send us the survey results as 'you've no chance of getting a builder'. He said all his usual builders aren't even answering the phone and also that a lot of the lower-skilled building workforce haven't returned to work yet (either returned to their native lands or else sitting on the PUP to the bitter end).
Pretty discouraging from both our own POV but also in the wider context. Just gotta sit and wait it out I guess and let Lao Lao sort out the global supply chains and SF will resolve the building industry here.
"We are not Europeans. Those people on the continent are freaks."
Nice card at Naas to get the jumps season into third gear and lots to enjoy at Del Mar tonight. Will be funking hard for Ronan Whelan and A Case of you in the sprint but probably not a bet.
No huge fancies, mostly just sit back and enjoy. Its a pity there aren't another couple of runners in the novice hurdle, I don't think its as deep as it appears on the surface and would guess that Joseph's Vultan might turn out to be overpriced in it, want to be taking on the of of the market maybe a speculative RFC with Autumn evening . Same problem with Belfast Banter in Wincanton, he travels well, is fit to run and could be competitive at this level today, would like the 10/1 if there were 3 places.
Have been chasing down the energy guy who did the survey of our house 2 months ago. Had a chat yesterday. The gist of it being that he hadn't bothered to send us the survey results as 'you've no chance of getting a builder'. He said all his usual builders aren't even answering the phone and also that a lot of the lower-skilled building workforce haven't returned to work yet (either returned to their native lands or else sitting on the PUP to the bitter end).
Pretty discouraging from both our own POV but also in the wider context. Just gotta sit and wait it out I guess and let Lao Lao sort out the global supply chains and SF will resolve the building industry here.
Our lad is finished up with us at Christmas and i know he has 4 or 5 others on the go but might be able to squeeze you in. Just tell him i wont pay him if he doesnt
Have been chasing down the energy guy who did the survey of our house 2 months ago. Had a chat yesterday. The gist of it being that he hadn't bothered to send us the survey results as 'you've no chance of getting a builder'. He said all his usual builders aren't even answering the phone and also that a lot of the lower-skilled building workforce haven't returned to work yet (either returned to their native lands or else sitting on the PUP to the bitter end).
Pretty discouraging from both our own POV but also in the wider context. Just gotta sit and wait it out I guess and let Lao Lao sort out the global supply chains and SF will resolve the building industry here.
Try and book one though. At least get on some good builders list. They'll always have a waiting list.
I hold silver in tit for tat, and I love you for that
There's a builder called Séamus Harrington Const Ltd that I'd recommend. I've been in a lot of top end architect designed homes and he's one of the best ones I've seen.
No website which is weird. His own house that he built featured on Home of the year.
I hold silver in tit for tat, and I love you for that
If that 2 bed was in Ballsbridge or Dalkey the price would be totally fine, is the location that's the issue there. I've seen it suggested that with that price, the developer actually doesn't want to sell to the public, but wants to offload to the eejits in DLR county council. I've a 3 bed that's very slightly bigger, also in an estate outside the M50 and am selling for a touch off 1/2 million, that's the market right now!
Mate of mine here in Ashbourne sold his run of the mill bog standard 3 bed house in an estate for 510k. Bought a detached house in a more settled area of Ashbourne, 5 bedrooms, a massive back garden, large driveway, huge patio area out the back too. And unlimited potential for whatever he wants to do for 600k.
In Ashbourne! Mental prices but cant help thinking hes done well in the whole thing.
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