Lockwood Cabernet Sauvignon (2005)

January 10, 2008 — -

Lockwood Cabernet Sauvignon 2005I am having this Lockwood Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 from California for the third time. This is the type of wine that I sincerely enjoy. It is what I consider to be a big red: big taste, dry, spicy, woody and tannic. Tonight we are having loin of pork with potatoes and squash and a salad. It is Thursday night so it is starting to feel like the weekend is very near. Thank goodness! It’s been a demanding week.

I had lunch with my son Tony today. He was adorable in his knit cap (with strings hanging down) and a big, gleaming smile. We met at Pita Pita. I got there first and ordered him a chicken schwarma and I had a cup of lentil soup and a small salad. They make the best food. We both loved it! It is always a wonderful treat to see my sons!

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, California wines, Over $10. Leave a Comment »

Lockwood Cabernet Sauvignon (2005)

January 8, 2008 — -

Lockwood Cabernet Sauvignon 2005This Lockwood Cabernet 2005 from California did not disappoint me in the least. I chose this wine to serve with bison steak, brown rice, and salad. It is everything I want in a Cabernet: it is rich, dry, oaky, and spicy (with licorice), and the tannicity is aggressive yet velvety. This is the kind of wine I really appreciate and enjoy. I would rate this an “A+” if this were a homework assignment. . .

It’s only a Tuesday night but it feels like it has been a long and demanding work week. Thank goodness for relaxing and lovely cocktail hours! Cheers.

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, California wines, Over $10. Leave a Comment »

Ironstone Vineyards Cabernet Franc (2004)

January 7, 2008 — -

Ironstone Vineyards Cabernet Franc 2004This Ironstone Cabernet Franc 2004 is interesting. I can’t say that I love it or that I would want to have it again, but it is because of my personal taste, not because the wine is inferior. I have been letting the wine breathe and it has mellowed, making it taste better now then it was 20 minutes ago. It is a translucent purple in the glass. The nose gets better with air — at first it had a musty aroma — but after breathing it is fruity. The taste, at first, was sharp and acidic. But, after breathing it is balanced with medium body, blackberries, and cherries and quite tannic.

My recommendation is to open this bottle about 20 minutes before it is served. My opinion went from “I don’t like it” to “Mmmm, this is pretty good” after letting it breathe.

Posted in Cabernet Franc, California wines, Over $10. 1 Comment »

Alamos Malbec (2006)

January 6, 2008 — -

Alamos Malbec 2006Tony and George wine tasting in Buenos AiresThis Alamos Malbec 2006 from Argentina is one of several wines that I bought for Tom for Christmas. Tom is a Malbec kind of guy. In the glass it is purple and violet. The nose is vivid with pleasant spices, violets, and fruit. The feel in the mouth is graceful and supple, with black cherry and blackberry flavors along with black pepper and a hint of leather. The finish (with soft tannins) lasts a long time.

I chose this wine for our Sunday night dinner of homemade spicy spaghetti sauce (with pasta) along with steamed spinach and salad.

Trigger relaxingAnd since this wine is a Malbec, this would be a good spot to post this photo of our son Tony and his good friend George as they tasted wine (Malbec of course) in Buenos Aires this past summer.

And here is a photo of Trigger relaxing with us as we taste this Alamos Malbec 2006.

Posted in Argentine wines, Malbec, Over $10. 8 Comments »

Rancho Stella Cellars Paso Robles Zinfandel (2006)

January 5, 2008 — -

Rancho Stella Cellars Paso Robles Zinfandel 2006This Rancho Stella Cellars Paso Robles Zinfandel 2006 from California is fabulous. Tom chose it for our Saturday night. We are celebrating the fact that our son Tony has returned safely from an “alternative winter-break” trip to New Orleans to work on a community-service project. He hauled junk, painted, and generally helped to clean up flood-damaged areas. Tony was gone for 10 days during his break between Christmas and the start of his winter term at Eastern Michigan University. Tony, we are so happy that you are back!

It’s a gray day in Michigan. The weather warmed up to 40 degrees (F) and our snow has started to melt. A good day for a pot of soup and a loaf of bread. I also baked a batch of oatmeal chocolate-chip cookies for dessert.

I almost forgot to tell you about the wine. There is nothing sweet about this wine (yay!). And it is dry. The nose is pleasantly spicy and the taste is lots of pepper and fruit. This is dry and lip smacking and delicious. Cheers!

Tom: This Rancho Stella Cellars Paso Robles Zinfandel 2006 is rich and jammy, lots of berry flavor. Nicely tannic. A very nice wine and it will be excellent with a spicy soup.

Posted in California wines, Over $10, Zinfandel. Leave a Comment »

Agustinos Carmenere (2006)

January 4, 2008 — -

Agustinos Carmenere 2006This Agustinos Carmenère 2006 from Chile is fabulous.  We have had this wine before and blogged about it. But I (naturally) taste it as though it is my first time.  In the glass it is a rich dark violet.  The exorbitant nose is rich with pepper, cherries and oak. The taste is plum and raspberries. The taste lingers a long, long time with a fruity, lengthy finish. We will have this wine with a casserole of brown rice and leftover ham and a fresh salad. Coincidentally, it is a Friday night and the last time we had this wine was also a Friday night. I guess we think of a Carminere as a celebratory wine (because we always celebrate Fridays!).

Posted in Carménère, Chilean wines, Over $10. 4 Comments »

Red Heads Studio The Red Sedan (2006)

January 3, 2008 — -

Red Heads Studio The Red Sedan 2006This Red Heads Studio The Red Sedan 2006 is a blend of Shiraz and Malbec from the southeastern region of Australia. This is our second bottle of this wine. We had this last month and I loved it. Who wouldn’t love a blend of Shiraz and Malbec? The color is purple and dense. The taste is very fruity and rich with hints of woods and shrubs and the finish is long.

It was -9 degrees (F) this morning and not much warmer tonight. I have the leftover beef barley soup heating on the stove. This wine will pair perfectly with soup, bread, and cheese and will warm us from the inside out.

Posted in Australian wines, Blends, Malbec, Over $10, Shiraz. Leave a Comment »

Altos Las Hormigas Malbec (2006)

January 1, 2008 — -

Altos Las Hormigas Malbec 2006House in snow on January 1, 2008Happy New Year! It is January 1, 2008. We are celebrating a new year with a glass of Altos las Hormigas Malbec 2006 from Argentina. This is one of the wines that Tom bought me for Christmas. This wine is plummy with a taste of wood. It is very dry. Absolutely delicious. Worthy of a toast to the new year.

Today we spent the morning shoveling our driveway. We had at least 10 inches of new snow blow in overnight. I took some pictures that Tom will post. It’s beautiful! In the early afternoon, with our appetites stoked by all the shoveling, we Trigger in snow January 1, 2008Tom shoveling January 1, 2008walked over to our neighbors, Brad and Michelle Bowersox, for a lovely New Year’s brunch. Michelle is a wonderful cook. We are lucky to have such wonderful neighbors!

Posted in Argentine wines, Malbec, Over $10. Leave a Comment »
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