Peter Lehmann Layers Red (2008)

February 11, 2011 — -

We have had a couple of very busy weeks and, as a result, our blog has been ignored. Tonight we change that. Tom opened this Peter Lehmann Layers Red 2008 from the Australian Barossa Valley for our dinner of spaghetti casserole and sauteed green beans.

I bought this wine at World Market for $14.99. It is a combination of several different grapes. The result is a somewhat simple red table wine.

However, there are distinct layers of flavors that keep this from being a run-of-the-mill blended wine. I noticed cedar on the nose, raspberries in the mouth and dark chocolate on the finish in this medium-bodied wine. There is a slight syrupy texture that is not my cup of tea. But, in spite of that, this is a good wine.

I am not going to put it on my “buy again” list but, then again, I am not going to waste a drop while we enjoy this bottle!

(We recycled the bottle before we could take a photo, so here’s a cheat shot…!)

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

William Knuttel Cabernet Sauvignon (2008)

January 12, 2011 — -

I was going to finish the dregs from last night’s wine, but Tom insisted that we open a new bottle because I am going out of town tomorrow and, of course, we have to enjoy our last evening together until Saturday. So I chose this William Knuttel Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, which I thought initially was a Napa Valley Cabernet . . . oh boy! I LOVE California Cabernets. But after we opened it and observed the color in the glass and experienced the nose, we knew it was not a pure Cabernet. Sure enough, when reading the “fine print” I discovered this is a blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. That doesn’t make it an inferior wine, but it is clearly not what I expected. Still good, but very different. There is a distinctive nose and taste of a blend with Cabernet Franc and we pretty much recognized it immediately. Also, I have to brag about Tom, who correctly determined the year to be 2008 by the color in the glass.

This is a very good mid-week quaff with a rich cherry and plum nose. The taste is cranberry, licorice and tobacco. The finish is lengthy. We are going to have this tonight with some leftovers so instead of a picture of dinner, I decided to post a picture of Trigger in her new red shirt.

Cheers!

Posted in Blends, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, California wines, General, Merlot, Over $10. Tags: , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

A.R.H. Family Shiraz Cabernet Merlot (2009)

October 25, 2010 — -

A wonderful weekend and lovely Saturday night. I am listening to “my” football team on the radio and hoping for a big win.

We both worked hard around the house today and completed many chores on our to-do list. Now, a well-deserved relaxing evening.

This A.R.H. Family Shiraz Cabernet Merlot 2009 is our choice for a cozy fall evening. This is rich in plum flavors with a tobacco finish. This goes well with out dinner of ground turkey/black bean/pasta which I served with fresh sauteed spinach and some homemade baked beans.

Posted in Australian wines, Blends. Tags: , , , , , . 3 Comments »

Sterling Vintner’s Collection Meritage (2007)

October 11, 2010 — -

It is Sunday evening and we have had the most beautiful autumn weather. I am in shorts and t-shirt! For us northerners, this is a big deal for October. Tom spent most of the day finishing staining our pergola in the back yard. What a happy day to have that finished. I did laundry, grocery shopping and cooking, plus I took some short bike rides to enjoy the pretty leaves, the fragrant air and the warm temperature. Now we are relaxing. We worked on the Friday Wall Street Journal crossword puzzle and made some progress.

Our dinner tonight is a chicken pot pie that I started cooking much earlier in the day. I purchased some inexpensive chicken (leg quarters) and stewed those this afternoon. Then I deboned and skinned the cooked chicken for my pot pie. I started by sauteing onions, celery, carrots and chunked (unpeeled) red potatoes in butter for about 10 minutes. I added flour and mixed well and added chicken broth and evaporated milk until thick and creamy, threw in the cooked chicken, salt and pepper and put in a casserole and covered with pie crust to bake for an hour.

Our upstairs stash of wine is dwindling so i went to the basement to get this Sterling Vintner’s Collection Meritage 2007. I don’t want to sound overly effusive but this is DELICIOUS!! I really love this. This combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot is just what i adore in a wine . . .chocolate, cherry, vanilla. . .but not sweet, just fruity and totally inviting and sumptuous.

Here’s to all of us that are going back to work tomorrow to give our best. Cheers!

Posted in Blends, Cabernet Sauvignon, California wines, Over $10. Tags: , , , , , , , . 2 Comments »

Robert Mondavi Meritage (2008)

October 7, 2010 — -

Here we are nearly at the end of our work week. It has been one week since my knee surgery and I am doing really well. I am not using crutches at all and I did some yoga during my noon hour. Can’t wait to run!

This Robert Mondavi Meritage 2008 is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. Tom bought this today when he went to the grocery store for orange juice. (Tom is very good at checking out the wines when he stops at the market.) We are both enjoying this one veery much. It was $12 on sale for $10. It is complex with layers . . . on the palate is abundant dark fruit while the finish is a lovely combination of raspberries and blueberries. This is unusual but we don’t detect vanilla or caramel or spice. Just berries. Very pleasant and I would definitely purchase this again.

For dinner, I am making a dish that is both comforting and healthy. Our food co op started up this week so i needed to incorporate some of my healthy organic vegetables. First, I browned a pound of ground beef that is from a local cow! Wow. What a difference. Ground beef from a local farmer is so different than what you buy in a store. I added some chopped onion and celery and carrots (all from the co-op) and then added canned chopped tomatoes. After that simmered for awhile, I added chicken broth, fresh spinach and some elbow macaroni. And I am cooking some fresh beets. We should get our prescribed servings of vegetables.

All on all, a great cocktail hour and a delicious dinner.

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

Vitiano (2007)

September 24, 2010 — -

Friday night is finally here. What a busy week. The weather is still warm but there is a wind advisory and we can feel the cooler air moving in. Today was in the 80′s but the weekend high is going to be in the low 60′s.

So tonight I am having a glass of this Umbria blend of Cabernet, Sangiovese and Merlot. The Vitiano 2007 has a nose that is not particularly inviting, in my opinion. But, I have noticed this before with Italian wines so maybe it speaks more to a lack of sophistication on my part than to the actual quality of the aroma. However, I find the nose to be vegetal and musty. It is difficult for me to enjoy the taste of wine when I don’t like the nose. Nevertheless, this wine has good fruit flavor and a strong chocolately finish. It is decent but I probably won’t buy it a second time.

Looking forward to my weekend.

Posted in Blends, Italian wines. Tags: , , , . 2 Comments »

Pillar Box Red (2007)

September 11, 2010 — -

Here we are settling in after a busy week. I was in Reno all week doing work-related business. I came home very late last night and spent today unpacking, doing laundry, grocery shopping, etc. It is nice to be home. It was a cool day with rain. A perfect day to be in the house.

I chose this Pillar Box Red 2007 to go with dinner. This is a cool weather dinner. The first in a long time. I bought a sirloin tip roast at the grocery store today. It is in the oven in a covered pot with onions, carrots and potatoes (with garlic tucked into crevices). It has been roasting
on low heat for about 4 hours.

This wine is from the Southeastern side of Australia. This makes us think about our son, Tony, who is in Perth. We realize Perth is on the other side of the continent, but still. . .it doesn’t take much to make us think of him!

The wine is delicious. I bought this for $14 at A & L Wine Castle in Ann Arbor. The nose is fragrant and fresh. The taste is dark chocolate and tobacco. The finish gets your attention. . .

This is going to be the perfect wine for our Saturday night beef roast.

Posted in Australian wines, Blends, Cabernet Sauvignon, Over $10. Tags: , , , , , , . 2 Comments »

Vitiano (2007)

August 26, 2010 — -

Happy Thursday . . .over-the-hump-day! Tom is out of town so I am having a quiet evening and trying to relax after a hectic day.  I worked late and then stopped at Plum’s Market on the way home and picked up a few groceries for dinner. Of course, I couldn’t walk past the wine without looking. I only bought one bottle and this was it. The blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet intrigued me. Good choice, Melody! The texture is soft and the flavors complex. The initial impression is ripe fruit and black pepper.  It took me awhile to nail the finish. . .but happily I did. . .celery! I can’t say that celery is a popular wine-tasting term, but I promise you, it is the perfect descriptor.

So, I grilled a burger for my dinner and had it with my fresh tomatoes from the garden. I have some watermelon waiting for me if I can find the room.

Posted in Blends, Cabernet Sauvignon, Italian wines, Merlot, Over $10, Sangiovese. Tags: , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Sterling Vintner’s Collection Meritage (2007)

July 13, 2010 — -

We are enjoying a lovely, July evening. Strangely, the sun is shining brightly, but it is raining. We are very happy to have the rain because we needed it badly. But it is odd to have the rain while the sky is seemingly clear.

Nonetheless, here we are enjoying the soft rain, windows open with a gentle breeze. I took advantage of the cooler evening to put a chicken casserole in the oven (a basic chicken and rice combo).

While completing our weekly “Wall Street Journal” crossword puzzle, we are enjoying this Sonoma, California blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. The nose is subtle and takes awhile to reveal itself but with some decanting it offers chocolate and blackberries. The taste is a deliciously complex mix of fruit, spice, flowers and chocolate. Very yummy. This wine was $13.99 but on sale for 9.99, which is an excellent value. Had I paid the full price, I would have been satisfied but at this price it is a real find.

Posted in Blends, Cabernet Sauvignon, California wines, Malbec, Merlot, Over $10, Petit Verdot, Pinotage. Tags: , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Savanha Pinotage/Shiraz (2008)

July 9, 2010 — -

This South African blend of Pinotage and Shiraz is our choice for this hot summer Friday night. This is a spicy, plummy, bold-flavored wine that is an impeccable choice to accompany our sausage-red potato-cabbage skillet dinner. I particularly appreciate the finish — velvety, spicy and crisp. Here’s to a fun summer weekend!

Posted in Blends, Blogs, Pinotage, Shiraz, South African wines, Under $10. Tags: , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »
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