Down Under Shiraz (2008)

May 31, 2009 — Tom & Melody

It was a perfect day. I have tried to imprint it in my mind so I can remember it always! The weather was gorgeous. I ran a good 1/2 marathon with some of my girlfriends. Our son, Tommy, and his girlfriend, Amanda, came over for dinner. This was my kind of day!

Tom & I started our cocktail hour with a cold and fizzy gin & tonic with a fresh wedge of lime. Then, out to the grill to start the steak. We opened a bottle of this Down Under Shiraz, which was the perfect choice for our steak dinner. I also made oven-roasted potatoes (potatoes cut up in chunks with skin, mixed with olive oil and freshly ground salt & pepper, then roasted in the oven for about 90 minutes), and a really delicious fresh salad.  I grilled aspargus on the grill, as well. I also made brownies for dessert with ice cream. Everything tasted delicious.

But, back to the wine. A perfect choice for a grilled steak — full of berry flavors with a  generous complement of black pepper and hints of oak. Excellent!

Posted in Australian wines, Over $10, Shiraz. Tags: , , , . 2 Comments »

Westend Estate Down Under Shiraz (2008)

April 3, 2009 — Tom & Melody

This Australian Down Under Shiraz is our pick for a cold and blustery Friday night in Michigan. We Michiganders are tired of cold weather and today was really COLD! But, we are home and snuggled in for the night so we can’t complain.

For dinner tonight, I browned pork loin chops in hot olive oil until brown (in a heavy cast-iron skillet) then I added potatoes (cubed, with skins on) and a sauce of chicken broth and mushrooms (thickened) and it has been simmering for over an hour. I will add a vegetable when we finally decide we are done reading the paper and ready to sit down and eat.

Happily, this wine is a treat. The nose is big and bold and the color is inky. On the palate, this is bursting with black pepper with oak on the finish. It is truly an Australian Shiraz from start to finish. A great complement to our dinner tonight.

Gigi, you would like this one!

Posted in Australian wines, Over $10, Shiraz. Tags: , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet (2007)

March 15, 2009 — Tom & Melody

It is Sunday evening and we have had a beautiful spring day in Michigan. I think we saw every, single person under the age of 12 in our neighborhood today — either on a scooter, a bike or bouncing a ball. We Michiganders sure do love the first snow-free, semi-warm day! (I also saw my first robin — a sure sign of spring!)

We are finishing this bottle of Penfolds Shiraz Cabernet from Australia tonight. This is the kind of wine that put Australia wines on the map. Deep red in the glass with pomegranate,  spice, dried cranberries and a bit of wood. Luscious and fruity, the tannins are firm. This is just an easy-to-drink, very enjoyable, lush red wine.

We are going to have a pot of homemade soup and a loaf of home-made bread tonight. Just a simple Sunday-night dinner. Cheers!

Posted in Australian wines, Blends, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Under $10. Tags: , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Warburn Estate Shiraz (2008)

February 17, 2009 — Tom & Melody

warburn-estate-shiraz-2008It is a Tuesday evening at our household; a winter storm warning is in effect for tonight and tomorrow and we are hunkering down to read the paper and see what happens. Neither Tom nor I had a particularly happy day at our jobs so we are glad to be here together, licking our wounds, so to speak.  Jobs can be demanding!

For dinner, I put the pot of soup that I made this weekend on the stove to heat. I took the rest of the bread that I baked this weekend on the table and I took a chunk of cheese out of the refrigerator to warm to room temperature. This will make a delicious, but very, very easy dinner. I just didn’t have the energy to do much else tonight.

Tom chose this Warburn Estate Shiraz 2008 for us tonight. This is a great wine to taste and describe . . . the color is deep purple and the nose is grassy and vegetal; the taste is blackberries and freshly-ground black pepper. The feel in the mouth is round and supple with soft tannins. The finish is long and peppery. I like this wine . . . we haven’t had an Australian Shiraz for awhile and this is nice.

Posted in Australian wines, Over $10, Shiraz. Tags: , , , , . 56 Comments »

Lindemans’ Cabernet Sauvignon South Eastern Australia (2008)

February 9, 2009 — Tom & Melody

lindemans-bin-45-cabernet-sauvignon-20081I chose this Australian Lindemans Bin 45 Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 for our Monday evening “happiness hour.” The nose is deeply cherry and the taste is filled with berry fruits and oak. Talk about a fruit-forward, luscious wine — this is it!

For dinner tonight I have prepared pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes, and a vegetable mix of asparagus, green beans, corn, and baby carrots.

We are trying to decide: Do we watch Obama’s press conference or do we watch my favorite show “House”? Hmmmmmm. I’ll let you know tomorrow who wins.

Posted in Australian wines, Cabernet Sauvignon, Under $10. Tags: , , , . 3 Comments »

Yalumba Barossa Shiraz (2005)

November 24, 2008 — Tom & Melody

yalumba-barossa-2005This Australian Barossa Shiraz is 95% Shiraz and 5% Voignier. Tom chose this wine for us because I was trapped (Trigger was on my lap). It is a Monday night and I had to work late so I have a pot of leftover soup on the stove to heat up.

This wine is impressive. I was surprised to see the alcohol content at 14.5% because I didn’t notice any heat on the nose. Rather, I noted dried apricots and flowers.

The first taste is chocolate and dried apricots.  The mid-palate shows some cherries and plum along with pepper. There are also hints of cinnamon and nutmeg. The finish is chocolate, apricots and cloves with velvety tannins.

This is a very fine wine. I believe I purchased this at  A & L Wine in Ann Arbor. I would definitely purchase this again.

Posted in Australian wines, Over $10, Shiraz. Tags: , , , . Leave a Comment »

Razor’s Edge Shiraz

November 14, 2008 — Tom & Melody

razors-edge-shirazEarlier in the week I had the pleasure of dining with four fellow members of the NCAA Research Committee while attending the annual meeting in San Diego. I promised them I would blog about our wine.

Katie, Roxanne, Kurt, and Bruce, this is for you!

The five of us headed out together in search of dinner in the Gaslamp district of downtown San Diego. After stopping and browsing at several restaurant menus, we settled on the Asti Ristorante on Fifth Avenue. I think the offer of a free dessert helped us make our decision. (It’s not easy committing to one place with five different people saying “Anywhere is fine with me!” We were a flexible and agreeable group.)

As we were getting ready to walk in, Katie noticed Dick Vitale. We all got a good look and, sure enough, he was right there eating outside on the sidewalk seating area. So we knew it must be a good restaurant.

The three red-wine drinkers in the group chose the Razor’s Edge Shiraz because none of us had had it and the price for a bottle was reasonable.  We all enjoyed it. It was very fruity on the palate with good structure. I noted a touch of pepper and vanilla on the finish.

We all had delicious dinners. Three of us, including myself, had fresh crab linguine. Quite yummy. But the dinner was not the best part of the meal. The best part was the company of these fun and intelligent new friends. Cheers!

Posted in Australian wines, General, Over $10, Shiraz. Tags: , , , . Leave a Comment »

Red Knot Cabernet Sauvignon (2007)

October 19, 2008 — Tom & Melody

I purchased this South Australian Red Knot Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 yesterday during a Sam’s Club shopping spree. I was coming home from a football game and had a list of things I needed. Natch, I had to browse the wine isle. Tom wasn’t with me so I was really struggling with a full cart of heavy items plus humongous paper-goods packages (toilet paper and what-not). But I managed to slide some bottles in the crevices of my cart! I actually purchased two of these and I am glad I did.

This is extremely smooth and velvety in the mouth with intense flavors of blackberries and cherries. On the finish is chocolate. The tannins are soft and mild; I enjoy firmer tannins, but this is a nice change of pace.

For dinner, I have cut up two steaks (that I purchased on sale at Krogers) and those chunks are marinating in olive oil and seasoning. I will stir fry the steak with fresh asparagus, tomatoes & green onions freshly picked from my garden. I will serve this over some Barilla penne pasta. I have enough for four, in case our son Tommy and his girlfriend Amanda join us. We think they might so I am prepared.

I just asked Tom what he thought of this wine . . . I am quoting: “I would say that this is a very rich, chocolately, tannic Cabernet.” Oh, Tommy and Amanda have just arrived! Time to sign off. Cheers everyone!

Posted in Australian wines, Cabernet Sauvignon, General. Tags: , , , . Leave a Comment »

Rosemount Estate Shiraz Cabernet (2004)

August 25, 2008 — Tom & Melody

I found this large, 1.5 Liter bottle of the Australian blend of Shiraz and Cabernet at the 50% off table at the Ann Arbor Kroger’s store (I loaded my cart with all the good reds and this was one of them). This is your typical Australian fruit bomb — a round feel in the mouth and the palate bursting with fruit and subtle tannins. There is nothing to complain about unless you prefer a more austere wine. And, what a deal! This large bottle was $21.79 and half priced at around $10.50.  I have had a roast cooking slowly all day, which I will serve on buttered noodles with a vegetable and a salad. This wine will complement our dinner nicely.

Posted in Australian wines, Blends, Under $10. Tags: , , , . Leave a Comment »

Elsa Bianchi Cabernet Sauvignon (2007)

April 15, 2008 — Tom & Melody

Elsa Bianchi Cabernet Sauvignon 2007This lovely Argentinian Elsa Bianchi Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 was included in one of our wine club shipments. I have been saving it because I had a feeling it was going to be a wine we would very much enjoy.

Well, I was right, natch. It is a delicious cabernet. The nose is pine trees and blackberries. In the mouth it is full bodied and bursting with black fruit and structured tannins. The finish is moderately long and quite lovely.

Tonight I mixed up a meatloaf (ground beef, ground pork, oatmeal, eggs, onions, tomato juice, spices) and put that in the oven. Because I had the oven on, I also cut up an acorn squash. Also, my neighbor Michelle, who belongs to a food co-op, brought over Swiss Chard and two large beets. So I washed the beets and they are roasting in the oven with the meatloaf and squash. When the beets are roasted, I will remove the skin and dice. I will steam the Swiss Chard. This should be a delicious dinner by the smells in the kitchen.

Tom: This is a great wine with a powerful, chocolaty nose and a very nice tannic taste of berries with hints of vanilla. Very nice, very interesting.

Posted in Australian wines, Cabernet Sauvignon, Over $10. 5 Comments »
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