Tom and Melody's wine blog » Bordeaux

Mouton Cadet Bordeaux (2007)

Sun, 07 Nov 2010 16:57:45 +0000

Tom bought this Mouton Cadet Bordeaux 2007 today while I was out running around Saturday errands. This was a beautiful November day in Michigan. Sunny. Breezy. Crisp. I love it! I have to admit that I love these 50- degree days even more than the 80-degree days. It is so beautiful.

So I made a pot roast today, which I started at about 3:30 in the afternoon. I started with a roast from the local grass-fed cow (I bought an 1/8th of it). I dredged the roast in flour and cracked pepper and then browned it in hot butter. Once it was brown on all sides, I put it in a pot and covered it with a mixture of cream of mushroom soup mixed with white wine. I covered and baked at 325 for 3 1/2 hours until it was fork tender. We had this with a roasted sweet potato and fresh green beans from my food co op.

This Bordeaux was the perfect choice. A medium bodied wine with a roundness in the mouth. I am having a difficult time describing the flavor. What is notable to me is the feel of this wine in the mouth. The taste is old world. . .not grapey. . .a touch of tobacco with significant tannins.

We like this very much. A definite buy again for us!

Chateau Labourdette (2006)

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 23:36:54 +0000

I am having a glass of this French Bordeaux (Chateau Labourdette) that we opened last night. It’s Tuesday evening. I don’t want to sound like a broken record so I won’t tell you how exhausting my work day was!

It’s a delightful June summer night in Michigan. The sun is shining, everything is uber-green, the flowers are in bloom and the birds are chirping and the frogs are croaking.

This Bordeaux is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet; I recognize the sharp taste and the structured tannins of the Cabernet. At the same time, I detect the mellowness of the Merlot. Together, they create a lovely purple color and a nose of plums and tobacco. The taste is plummy with a touch of pepper and spearmint.

Chateau Fantin Bordeaux (2005)

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 23:28:04 +0000

It’s been awhile since our last blog entry. Life. Tends to get busy at times. But here we are on a Thursday evening. I was able to get home at a reasonable hour. I have dinner preparations started, we read the paper, we chatted about our day, we are listening to music. Tom poured me a glass of this French Bordeaux that we had opened last night. There’s a lot to experience with this wine. Certainly, there is tobacco on first sip. . .along with some ripe fruit. Light body — some might call it thin or acidic. Nice tannic quality. The finish has some spice, licorice, bacon and chocolate. Like I said. . .a lot going on with this one. I like it a lot.

I am going to make burgers in my cast iron skillet along with a fresh tossed salad and some sliced mangoes.

Cheers!

Château les Tuileries Bordeaux (2008)

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:51:35 +0000

It is nearly Christmas. We are celebrating tonight because today was my last day of work until after the new year (okay, when don’t we celebrate?). I have a fresh chicken roasting in the oven. Trigger is cuddling on the chair with me. Tom is expostulating his theories, which is fascinating to me. . .he always has intelligent and thoughtful theories on life.

I like this Château les Tuileries Bordeaux 2008 very much. The nose is earthy with some cranberries. The taste is a good balance of fruit and oak with husky tannins.

I purchased this wine from a mail offer that I received — 12 bottles of specially selected reds — and this is a keeper.

Tom: This Château les Tuileries Bordeaux 2008 comes across as very young, but is still very pleasant. It’s surprisingly light-bodied and quite soft, not the stereotype of the big bold Bordeaux at all. But it’s got a nice dark-fruit taste and a good dryness. Very drinkable. A nice choice for tonight.

Chateau Les Tuileries (2008)

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:53:32 +0000

We are having some extreme weather tonight in Michigan. The wind is steady at 40 mph with gusts up to 60 (if the weather reports are accurate, and by the sounds outside, I believe it). I had to really grasp the steering wheel on my drive home tonight from work. My car was getting blown around. Also, the temperature is in the 20′s but the wind chill is below zero. So, winter has arrived with a vengeance. I am so grateful to be home and out of weather. I can’t imagine what a homeless person does on a night like tonight.

So, it is Wednesday night and we are glad to be home with power. I imagine there are many people who have lost power by now. I have a casserole in the oven. This casserole is a new recipe I am trying with ground beef, noodles, mushrooms, onions, cottage cheese & sour cream, broth (the noodles were added without being cooked, hence the broth to make sure the noodles get cooked to “tender perfection”). . .a comforting and filling dinner, I hope, for a very cold night. I am also baking an acorn squash and I am going to make a green salad.

Oh dear. I hear sirens. How many mothers out there cringe when they hear a siren? I still do. . .I always think about my two sons and wonder where they are and if they are safe.

Getting back to the purpose of this blog entry — the wine. It’s good. It’s earthy and fruity (but emphasis on the earthy).This is exactly what I would expect from a French Bordeaux blend.No complaints here!

Dona Sophia (2007)

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 23:05:38 +0000

I finished the rest of this Portugal “Dona Sophia” wine Friday night after a long and arduous work week. Tom opened a bottle of something new that he had purchased at the grocery store. I opted to have the remaining glass of this because I really like it.

This is an opulent, richly-colored red Portuguese wine with a mouthful of black fruit and a balance of acidity and tannins.

We grilled hamburgers for dinner. I picked two warm, ripe juicy tomatoes from the garden to serve on the burgers. I also sauteed asparagus in olive oil. It was a great way to celebrate the end of the work week.

Château Lucière Bordeaux (2006)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 23:29:03 +0000

We are enjoying a mid-week cocktail hour this June evening. Both Tommy and Tony are visiting tonight and I have big dinner plans — which includes the grill — and 10 minutes ago the rain was pouring down. I thought I might need to resort to pizza to save my husband from grilling in the rain, but the rain has stopped and the sky is bright once again. Yay!

This Château Lucière Bordeaux 2005 is one of my favorites. I purchased a case of it recently. It is richly flavored, dry, and tannic with a big, lusty finish.

Our son Tommy is a member of The Ben Daniels Band. The band played at The Blind Pig in Ann Arbor last night. It was just fantastic. We were sitting close to the stage and took some pretty good pictures. Tommy plays the bass guitar. Their music is very good and original.

Chateau Fantin Bordeaux (2005)

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:09:06 +0000

This French Chateau Fantin Bordeaux is delicious. I ordered a half case of this wine on the recommendation of another red-wine lover. The nose is black fruit and plums. In the mouth is medium to full-bodied structure with a rusty taste mid-palate. The finish has the lovely taste of candied cherries. This wine will stand up to a good steak — which is what we are having for dinner. Tom will grill one steak and then I am going to slice it to serve with steamed brown rice, broccoli and a salad. I think this wine is a winner and I’m glad we have 5 bottles left to enjoy.

Château Les Ragottes Bordeaux (2005)

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 23:30:16 +0000

Tonight I have a pot roast in the oven with an array of vegetables and a sauce of beer and cream and mushrooms. It smells and looks wonderful.

I chose this Château Les Ragottes Bordeaux 2005 for this dinner. This is a beautiful black in the glass. On the nose is cloves and spice. On the palate it is dry and astringent with hints of blackberry. The finish is medium long with oak and metal.

This is a wonderful French wine; it is not a fruit-forward wine like we are likely to taste from Australia, but it is complex with many layers of metal and fruit. Superb!

La Cour Pavillon (2005)

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 23:41:06 +0000

Yummy. This La Cour Pavillon 2005 Bordeaux is delicious. A lovely bouquet of cherries and blackberries. This red is silky smooth and tannic. The finale is a spicy chocolate and chocolate-covered cherries.

Today we spent much of our day shoveling the driveway. I took some pictures of the snow while we were shoveling. We have at least 10″ of snow; it was beautiful today!

Tom: This La Cour Pavillon 2005 is a pleasant, fairly light, medium-tannic bordeaux, tasting of cherries and berries. We’re very much enjoying this after several rounds of snow shoveling today!