Red Wine bargain in Phuket

[eezergood]

On 5/6/2022 at 6:42 PM, xylophone said:

It's been a long time since I posted on here, so here goes with a couple of snippets of information: –

 

There is a new WINE PRO opening in the south of Phuket, and it is on the 4024 Road, and if heading south it would be on the right-hand side, just past where the old Honda showroom was, which was alongside the road which leads off into Songkhla University and then into Kathu. 

 

Their initial opening day is this Sunday and I will be popping along because it's possible they may have some promotional wines?? It may be of interest to a few on here @schlog, @Lik @eezergood @JetsetBkk@KarenBravo and others.

 

Also I've tried a few of the "19 Crimes" varietals, and found them to be very reasonable wines, especially if I can buy them a hell of a lot cheaper at Promphan, which has become my regular wine shop.

 

Now here is something which made me chuckle, because although I like my wine and have been buying, drinking and studying it for 50 years, as well as visiting vineyards and Châteaux, my description of wines is fairly basic and I don't find the rare and wonderful nuances in wines which the top wine critics seem to find, and this one in particular made me smile, and it's from Robert Parker.

 

Very deep garnet-purple in color, the wine soars out of the glass with bright, bold boysenberries, warm cassis and ripe, juicy black plums notes, plus emerging nuances of lilacs, oolong tea, cinnamon stick, tilled soil and black truffles. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with tightly wound layers of crunchy black fruits, supported by firm, grainy tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing with lifted fruitiness and on a lingering mineral note.

 

Hmmmm, not sure about the tilled soil though (amongst others!!).
 

Parker - a legend in his own mind, total windbag that has very successfully created himself a platform. Not so impartial, just look at some of the ratings he gave for Penfolds

[xylophone]

54 minutes ago, eezergood said:

Parker - a legend in his own mind, total windbag that has very successfully created himself a platform. Not so impartial, just look at some of the ratings he gave for Penfolds

Absolutely agree Eezergood, and I have been fortunate? To be able to taste some of the wines he has rated highly and some of them were absolutely "huge" wines which would take years to open up, if indeed they ever did, and really didn't deserve such a high score when tasted IMO.

 

He has a penchant for currying favour with people of influence and wealth, and it's surprising that more people haven't seen through this windbag.

[JetsetBkk]

On 5/6/2022 at 6:42 PM, xylophone said:

There is a new WINE PRO opening in the south of Phuket, and it is on the 4024 Road, and if heading south it would be on the right-hand side, just past where the old Honda showroom was, which was alongside the road which leads off into Songkhla University and then into Kathu. 

I'm not too familiar with where Honda used to be. Do you have, say, Google Earth coordinates?

 

I've also searched for "New Wine Pro south Phuket" without luck. Even the Wine Pro Facebook page doesn't mention it.

 

[schlog]

10 minutes ago, JetsetBkk said:

I'm not too familiar with where Honda used to be. Do you have, say, Google Earth coordinates?

 

I've also searched for "New Wine Pro south Phuket" without luck. Even the Wine Pro Facebook page doesn't mention it.

 

It's next from WeCafe.

 

88 Chao Fah Tawan Tok Rd
https://maps.app.goo.gl/725WFfbhH7Vaznf2A

[JetsetBkk]

1 minute ago, schlog said:

It's next from WeCafe.

 

88 Chao Fah Tawan Tok Rd
https://maps.app.goo.gl/725WFfbhH7Vaznf2A

Brilliant, thanks!

 

[xylophone]

On 5/7/2022 at 5:33 PM, madmitch said:

Let me know if you have any reasonably priced Wine Pro red recommendations.

Good day MM,

I have just about gotten through all of the wines I bought at Wine Pro, and a couple did stand out for me, but for different reasons: – a fruity/perfumed and lightish red from Italy, Barbera Piemonte (Sansilvestro) at 449 baht a bottle, and although I'm not too keen on some of the "lighter" reds from Italy, this was a cut above and was very enjoyable, and I will go back and buy some more.

 

The other wine which I have just finished was very enjoyable indeed and it was an Australian red, MWC (MacPherson Wine Company) Shiraz, Mourvedre, 2019 from Victoria, and although it was 14.5 ABV (alcohol by volume) it didn't stand out as one that really assaulted the tastebuds with the high alcohol content, but the Shiraz certainly came through and although there is only 5% Mourvedre, it seemed to soften the wine a little.

 

A classic grape mix in the Rhône, and sometimes in Australia is what is known as GSM, which includes the grape, Grenache, and there are some really stunning wines made with this blend, although the Grenache heavy wines are not always to my liking.

 

It cost 590 baht plus VAT, and for me it will be worthwhile buying some more, not because it is a lovely wine, and still drinks very well the next day, but has some more ageing potential.

 

I will probably pay a visit to the shop tomorrow to stock up yet again and try a few more wines.
 

[madmitch]

1 hour ago, xylophone said:

Good day MM,

I have just about gotten through all of the wines I bought at Wine Pro, and a couple did stand out for me, but for different reasons: – a fruity/perfumed and lightish red from Italy, Barbera Piemonte (Sansilvestro) at 449 baht a bottle, and although I'm not too keen on some of the "lighter" reds from Italy, this was a cut above and was very enjoyable, and I will go back and buy some more.

 

The other wine which I have just finished was very enjoyable indeed and it was an Australian red, MWC (MacPherson Wine Company) Shiraz, Mourvedre, 2019 from Victoria, and although it was 14.5 ABV (alcohol by volume) it didn't stand out as one that really assaulted the tastebuds with the high alcohol content, but the Shiraz certainly came through and although there is only 5% Mourvedre, it seemed to soften the wine a little.

 

A classic grape mix in the Rhône, and sometimes in Australia is what is known as GSM, which includes the grape, Grenache, and there are some really stunning wines made with this blend, although the Grenache heavy wines are not always to my liking.

 

It cost 590 baht plus VAT, and for me it will be worthwhile buying some more, not because it is a lovely wine, and still drinks very well the next day, but has some more ageing potential.

 

I will probably pay a visit to the shop tomorrow to stock up yet again and try a few more wines.
 

Thanks Xylo.

 

Not quite sure how I'll descibe this to the Mrs but as she's over here in a couple of weeks I think she can wait until then to sample some better wines!

[schlog]

McWilliams 2021 bottles right now at Big C only 399 baht.

 

Thanks to Xylo i went to Wine Pro now more often again. Very nice wine and real bargain is this italy wine Rosso Grande Alberone for only 700 baht.

[xylophone]

Kickstarting this topic again and thanks to @schlog for his feedback and recommendations, so I thought I'd share the experience I have just had here in Patong.

 

Whilst searching for a wine to accompany a meal I had a week or so ago I came across a lovely wine shop called "Aleena House wine" and it is on the ground floor of a building in the "walking Street" that leads up to Patong Tower, and as I only spent a short time there I thought I would visit it again yesterday, and I am so pleased that I did........... 

 

The wine selection is superb, with just a few wines at the lower end of the price spectrum, but many in the mid-range (700 to 1500 baht) and some well above that, and some of these are very well priced indeed. 

 

The wines are from the major wine producing countries and viewing some of these brought back memories, this because there was a case of Château Mouton Rothschild for sale and it took me back to the time in the late 70s when I bought a case of the 1970 Château Mouton Rothschild and shared a few bottles with friends at dinner parties in that decade. I ended up with two bottles in my cellar, and because I wanted to sell almost everything before I moved from the UK to NZ, I shifted a lot of the wine and a collector bought the two bottles off me and paid me exactly what I'd paid many years previously for the full 12!!!!

 

I was a big fan of the Bordeaux wines at one time having collected (and drunk) most of them before moving onto wines from other countries like Spain and Italy, and also some of the better class Australian wines, and on that note there were a few bottles of Penfold's Grange for sale, but I had already "been there done that" so I wasn't really interested.

 

It's one of those places that would keep a wine aficionado interested for hours and because there was a selection of wines from the USA, I decided to buy one and try it, along with an Italian Appasimento, and the US wine was just a little different because it was made from the Petite Sirah grape, which is a grape more common in that part of the world than elsewhere, although it was originally discovered in France.

 

I could go on and on, but to anyone who loves their wines, I would recommend a visit to this place, and it's easy to Google the location, and as a bonus there is some parking space either side of that particular "street".

 

Good hunting.

[xylophone]

Well last night I opened the bottle of "Gnarly Head Authentic Black" 2018 Californian wine, which was superb and so hard to keep a little for tonight! 

 

When I poured out the first glass I immediately thought of the Durif (same grape) wine which I had a few years ago in Australia, because it was inky black, however that was the only similarity because this wine was "gorgeous" in every respect; a nose of ripe black fruits and a palate of the same flavours, namely ripe plum, blackberry and blueberry, to name just a few – – – and despite the colour being inky black, there were very soft tannins in it and I suspect it had been aged in oak for a while to achieve this.

 

Overall a delightful experience and when I have finished the bottle tonight, I shall be going back for more!
 

[paddypower]

On 1/11/2023 at 1:04 PM, xylophone said:

Well last night I opened the bottle of "Gnarly Head Authentic Black" 2018 Californian wine, which was superb and so hard to keep a little for tonight! 

 

When I poured out the first glass I immediately thought of the Durif (same grape) wine which I had a few years ago in Australia, because it was inky black, however that was the only similarity because this wine was "gorgeous" in every respect; a nose of ripe black fruits and a palate of the same flavours, namely ripe plum, blackberry and blueberry, to name just a few – – – and despite the colour being inky black, there were very soft tannins in it and I suspect it had been aged in oak for a while to achieve this.

 

Overall a delightful experience and when I have finished the bottle tonight, I shall be going back for more!
 

price?

 

[Crossy]

On 1/11/2023 at 1:04 PM, xylophone said:

Well last night I opened the bottle of "Gnarly Head Authentic Black" 2018 Californian wine

 

So, the plonk was potentially younger than this thread ???? 

 

We still miss the stuff we got from the cash-and-carry in Brussels. It was called Le Bolleaux (it really was The Dogs) French vin-de-table, 4.50 euros for 3 bottles!

[xylophone]

4 hours ago, paddypower said:

price?

 

720 baht a bottle.

[xylophone]

4 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

So, the plonk was potentially younger than this thread ???? 

 

We still miss the stuff we got from the cash-and-carry in Brussels. It was called Le Bolleaux (it really was The Dogs) French vin-de-table, 4.50 euros for 3 bottles!

Yes , life is like that Crossy........lovely bottles of vin-de-table (mine from France) up to the French Grand Crus, meaty Aussie reds and this Californian beauty. Not to mention the Italian Appassimento wines............the list and life goes on and I've still got loads to taste!!!!

[paddypower]

14 hours ago, xylophone said:

720 baht a bottle.

i have very few reasons to want to go back to phuket, but that shop sounds like a real find. Ill check to see if they are online. thanks again ????

[xylophone]

On 1/17/2023 at 12:27 PM, paddypower said:

i have very few reasons to want to go back to phuket, but that shop sounds like a real find. Ill check to see if they are online. thanks again ????

A little update on that Gnarly Head Authentic Black wine, PP, as I went back and bought a couple more bottles and was somewhat disappointed!!!!!!! 

 

The second bottle I tried was a nice enough wine but had no outstanding characteristics to it, either on the palate or the nose, which I found quite strange.

 

Now I've heard of bottle variation and have actually experienced it with French wines, when I have tasted two bottles of the same wine out of the same case, and they've been different, and this was exactly the same, so I had to go and buy another bottle to check it out.

 

I had that a couple of days ago and although it was better than the second bottle, it was nowhere near the stunner that the first bottle was – – go figure.

 

As far as I know my palate hasn't changed markedly or been damaged, so it's a bit of a mystery, however it won't stop me trying yet another bottle because despite all of that, and it not being up to its initial promise, it isn't a bad wine at all, and I need to explore this experience even further............. 

 

If you do manage to find some and try it, your feedback would be interesting and welcome.

[schlog]

Xylo few days ago i was at this shop and wanted to buy it. Was there at 1pm and it was still closed. Little strang opening hour with 3pm and not really matching with me. So no feedback now from me. Maybe i give a second chance in some weeks.

[xylophone]

3 hours ago, schlog said:

Xylo few days ago i was at this shop and wanted to buy it. Was there at 1pm and it was still closed. Little strang opening hour with 3pm and not really matching with me. So no feedback now from me. Maybe i give a second chance in some weeks.

If you don't manage to get that one, try the Camasella Appassimento from Puglia at Wine Pro, better than Rosso Grande Alberone by a long way IMO!! Best Appassimento I have tasted.

[schlog]

8 hours ago, xylophone said:

If you don't manage to get that one, try the Camasella Appassimento from Puglia at Wine Pro, better than Rosso Grande Alberone by a long way IMO!! Best Appassimento I have tasted.

Bought and enjoyed already some bottles of this Camasella. Yupp very good Appassimento. You remind me i need to go Wine pro tomorrow lol.