Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon (2008)

July 28, 2011 — -

It’s midweek and we are having this delicious Paso Robles Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 to celebrate a hard day’s work. I am taking four days vacation this week and we are spending our free time doing projects around the house. We have worked very hard and we feel pleasantly, happily exhausted by the end of the day. The weather is slightly cooler today and we have the air conditioning turned off and the windows open.

I made a meatloaf, baked potatoes, garlic toast and sauteed Swiss Chard (from the food co-op) for dinner. Just what we needed after a physically demanding day. The wine has blackberry and cranberry aromas. The taste is very fruity with blackberry, chocolate and vanilla. Tomorrow will be another wonderful day at home!

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

Hess Cabernet Sauvignon (2005)

July 25, 2011 — -

We had this delicious Hess Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 on our Saturday night while we grilled barbecued chicken. We like this wine very much. The wine is rich with fruit flavors and gentle tannins.

(We’ve had this wine several times and each time has been memorable.)

A storm blew in during our cocktail hour and ended by the time we were ready to move outside and grill the chicken.

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

Chalone Vineyard Estate Grown Syrah (2008)

July 21, 2011 — -

We are in the middle of our heat wave like the rest of the country. I worked all day in air conditioned comfort so I can’t say I suffered except for when I had to get into my car that was parked in a sunny parking lot. Even so, pretty mild compared to what some people are going through who do not have air conditioning.

We enjoyed a relaxing cocktail hour (more like two) and read the newspapers (tonight we get two of them). For dinner, I made a casserole with leftover chicken. I chose this California Chalone Vineyard Syrah 2008 that I have been saving for quite awhile. We had it before and really enjoyed it. It’s very good. Quite simply, it is juicy fruity with minerals and oak. Delicious.

Also, here’s a shot of us tasting wine at the Saddlehorn Winery in Burton, Texas, during our recent family get-t0gether. They grow Blanc du Bois and Black Spanish grapes. (This photo captures the extremely rare event of Melody drinking white wine…)

Posted in California wines, Over $10, Syrah. Tags: , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

The Original Smoking Loon Syrah (2008)

July 19, 2011 — -

Tom poured me a glass of this California Smoking Loon Syrah 2008 to sip while I prepared dinner tonight. I was not gung ho to have this wine tonight because a) it was the dregs leftover from last night [I had not had any, but Tom did] and b) I had a vague memory of not enjoying this particular wine. But I decided to be opened minded (for a change). What I discovered is that my memory was probably accurate in that this is not a wine that tickles my taste buds, particularly. Yet, it is not distasteful and it is entirely drinkable, especially for a Tuesday work night. So considering Tom purchased this on sale at our local grocery store for $8 (normally $11.49), I would have to say it is a good value. The color is purple ink, with a chocolate, strawberries, caramel and sage nose. The palate is very fruity with intense blueberry and strawberry flavor and a finish of  an unusual combination of chocolate and rosemary.

For dinner I prepared what I believe is a healthy dish of high-protein pasta tossed with peas, salmon, olive oil and scallions with a squeeze of fresh lemon. We really enjoyed it.

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

Bliss Family Vineyards (2009) Cabernet Sauvignon

July 17, 2011 — -

We had a fun Saturday together. I started my day with a run with my girlfriends before it got too hot. There were five of us this morning: Pat, Christi, Chris, Jeanie and me. We ran pretty fast on the country roads because every time we ran in the wooded, shaded areas, we were swarmed by deer flies, so we had to keep speeding up to outrun them.

Tom & I gave into the heat at about 5:00 this afternoon after walking Trigger. . .decided to close the windows and turn on the air conditioner. It’s going to be in the 90′s all week.

So tonight we started our evening with a Negroni cocktail. It was our first. I had read an article on it and we decided to try it. For two of us: 2 oz. gin, 2 oz. sweet vermouth, 2 oz. Campari. Shaken over ice and poured over a short glass with ice and topped with an orange slice. We really enjoyed it very much.

After our cocktail, we grilled steaks and asparagus and had a glass of this Bliss Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 from Mendocino, California. This is a structured Cab with spice and blueberries on the nose . The taste  has some oak and a touch of mint with a dark chocolate finish. A great wine for a blissful weekend!

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

Smoking Loon Cabernet Sauvignon (2009)

June 20, 2011 — -

We have been absent from our blog for several months due to obligations and distractions. We will try to do better. So, tonight, after a very hectic work day, I put together a meal on the fly and Tom opened this Smoking Loon Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 that he bought this weekend on sale at our local grocery store. Frankly, I was expecting not to like it because a) I didn’t like the look of the label (stupid, but true) and 2) I somewhat close-mindedly assumed that a wine on sale at our local grocery store would be marginal, at best. However, this wine is not all bad. It is a drinkable and enjoyable midweek quaff. The nose is very off-putting at first, but it gets better after it breathes for awhile. This is a pleasant, black fruit-rich wine with strong tannins. The finish is slightly bitter but in a good way.

For dinner, I started with a pound of ground beef from the freezer. I ended with a hamburger stroganoff that was very tasty, thanks to lots of spices, chicken broth and sour cream.

It is so good to be home after a 6-day work trip. Time to relax and enjoy the last night before official summer begins tomorrow!

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

Ferrari-Carano Cabernet Sauvignon (2008)

May 18, 2011 — -

I opened this wine because I wanted something pretty special after an exceptionally demanding and stressful last couple weeks. This really fills the bill. Very delicious with that wonderful Alexander Valley personality that I love. Chocolate, coffee and minerals are the predominant flavors.

It is unusually cold and rainy today so I decided to make a cold-weather meal. I made a big batch of spicy chili and a loaf of homemade, crunchy bread that is irresistibly good — both in taste and texture. This is a bread that actually bakes in a covered cast iron skillet in a very hot oven. I took a picture to show you how beautiful it is! :)

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, California wines, Over $10. Tags: , , , . 3 Comments »

Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon (2007)

May 18, 2011 — -

Tom & I enjoyed this rich and tobacco-y California Cabernet with an equally rich dinner of grilled steak, baked potato, fresh asparagus and steamed broccoli.

We had our first-of-the-summer outside dinner on our patio. Everything tasted even better eating it outside. It was a big dinner but I was loading up for a long training run scheduled for the next day.

This is one of our “go to” wines that is dependably delicious and decadent every time we open a bottle. Subtle flavors of ripe cherries and vanilla with a smokey finish.

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

Hayman & Hill Cabernet Sauvignon (2007)

April 19, 2011 — -

A large group of us, together for the next several days for meetings, had dinner at a great steak place last evening in Indianapolis. We chose this Napa Valley Cab to go with our mainly steak-focused dinners. We started the meal with shrimp cocktail that was unbelievably wonderful. The wallop from the horseradish was both delicious and momentarily shocking as it worked its way through the range of tasting mechanisms. Then the steaks arrived, hot and sizzling, tender and tasty. I had mine with sauteed mushrooms with a side of spinach. The wine was a good choice due its bold taste and firm structure. Surprisingly, we did not finish the second bottle so I put the cork back in and carried it back to my hotel room; I look forward to a glass tonight when our meetings end.

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, California wines, Over $10. Tags: , , , , . 1 Comment »

Stag’s Leap Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon (2007)

April 3, 2011 — -

My friend and colleague, Steve Nordwall, gave me this bottle of Stag’s Leap Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 after we discovered that we shared a love of big red wines. I saved it for a very special occasion and tonight was the night.

I opened this wine about 45 minutes before we were ready so that it could breathe. Meanwhile, I was preparing to saute fresh mushrooms (from the food co-op), while baking au gratin potatoes and setting the table (with fresh flowers). The wine is exquisite. Inky black with legs like I have never seen before. The nose gave a preview of what was to come . . . as did the color in the glass. The taste: an explosion of flavor while the texture — the sensation in the mouth — substantive and all consuming.  This is not fruity; it is a taste of the forest. I just do not know any other way to describe it.

Such a special and wonderful wine for a very special evening. Happy anniversary, love of my life!

Posted in Blogs, Cabernet Sauvignon, California wines, Over $10. Tags: , , , , , , . 6 Comments »
« Older posts
Newer posts »
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.