Salice Salentino (2005)

April 19, 2009 — -

It is Sunday evening and we are relaxing on this cool and rainy evening. We finished reading the Sunday paper because we had to cut short our paper reading this morning. I have a fresh chicken in the oven. I stuffed it was chopped celery because I read an article that suggested that this makes the chicken very juicy. The house smells quite fragrant so I think this will be tasty.

We had our cooking group gathering (for brunch) today. I brought “chocolate rasberry clafouti” which is a baked dessert with raspberries, milk, butter, cocoa, some flour and sugar. . .a custard like dessert with fruit.

This wine is not your usual Italian, austere red wine. The wine has a creamy texture. The taste is predominantly fruit and vanilla.  I think this wine will benefit from breathing although it is perfectly drinkable right after opening.

I am serving our roast chicken tonight with mashed potatoes, a fresh salad, and steamed broccoli.

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Torciano Crete Rosse Chianti (2007)

March 22, 2009 — -

I chose this Italian Torciano Crete Rosse Chianti for our Sunday night supper. I am enjoying being home after a 2-day trip to Indiana, with my school’s  Gymnastics team (it was our conference championship meet). I didn’t get home until very late and was unable to  unwind enough to sleep  — so, a short night for me. Then, up and out the door for my long run (11 miles). So, dinner tonight is simple: A batch of bean soup and a loaf of whole wheat bread. The soup is simmering and the bread is baking. . .and Tom and I are watching some of the basketball games (just watched Michigan State beat University of Southern California and Louisville beat Siena.)

So, back to the wine. This is a light wine. The nose is barely discernable. Perhaps it needs to open for awhile longer. The taste is understated and thin. This would be a great wine for new red-wine drinkers because it has a very mild taste. I’ll bet, though, that tomorrow the wine will have more character than it does tonight.

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Pèppoli Chianti Classico (2004)

October 3, 2008 — -

I chose this Pèppoli Chianti Classico 2004 from Italy for our Friday night feast. We are having spaghetti tonight. I purchased this wine at Kroger’s in Ann Arbor. It was a $27.78 bottle that was in a “discontinued” section for 50% off the price.

This is a quintessentially Italian wine. It is not fruity, yet it is bursting with flavor. The tannins are firm and the mouthfeel is crisp. The nose is pencil shavings and the finish is violets. Simply delicious.

Happy Friday everyone!

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Ruffino Il Ducale Toscana (2004)

August 24, 2008 — -

This Italian red is another one of the deals I found at my local Kroger this week. They had a table full of discontinued wines at 50% off the regular price. This one was regularly priced at $25.09. This is a lovely Tuscany wine with a delicate nose, an austere, yet fruity, palate and structured tannins. This wine will be perfect with our dinner of baked mostacolli and a fresh-from-the-garden tossed salad.

The four of us went canoeing this morning on the Huron River. It was about a 6 mile trip and it was beautiful. About half-way down the river, we stopped and had our picnic lunch in our boats. It was a great time. I think Tom will post some pictures here of our trip.

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Castello della Paneretta Chianti Classico (2002)

April 6, 2008 — -

Castella Della Paneretta Chianti Classico 2002

Our son Tony gave us this wine for our birthdays. This Castello della Paneretta Chianti Classico 2002 is a deep, ruby red with a medium body. The nose is red cherries, vanilla, with a touch of tobacco. On the palate is red cherries, dark chocolate, plums, and luscious tannins. What more could you ask for in a wine? Tony really did a great job choosing this wine for us. Thanks, Tones!

Today is Tommy’s 24th birthday. He was born around 9:30 a.m. on April 6, 1984. Both Tommy and Tony will be coming to dinner at around 8:00 p.m. tonight. I have a cast-iron skillet in the oven with red potatoes that have been tossed with chopped garlic, rosemary, sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and olive oil. On the stove is a skillet of highly-seasoned chicken that I browned and is now simmering. I have fresh baby-spinach leaves waiting to sautee and a loaf of Italian crusty bread for the oven. Oh, and a pan of freshly-baked dark-chocolate-walnut brownies. This is Tommy’s birthday dinner!

This wine is delicious and will be a great accompaniment to our dinner.

Posted in Chianti, Italian wines, Under $10. 2 Comments »

Cetamura Chianti (2005)

January 11, 2008 — -

Cetamura Chianti 2005This Cetamura Chianti 2005 from Tuscany is 90% Sangiovese and 10% Canaiolo grapes. The nose is pleasant with flowers, herbs, and berries. On the palate is blackberries with zing. By “zing” I mean there is a subtle fizzy quality to this wine, which will probably subside as it breathes. It is medium bodied with lots of fruit and supple tannins.

Tom chose this wine for our Friday night (post martini) to go with our dinner of angel-hair pasta with bolognese sauce and steamed spinach. We are both happy it is Friday night. Trigger seems happy, too, as she relaxes next to me on my chair.

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Aquila D’Oro Chianti (2006)

November 5, 2007 — -

aquila-doro-chianti-2006.pngTom selected this Aquila D’Oro Chianti 2006 to accompany our dinner of angel hair pasta with fresh tomato sauce (made from tomatoes from the garden) and steamed broccoli. It is an easy-drinking chianti without being too light. It is fruity but tannic. This will go well with our pasta dinner tonight.

It is getting cold in Michigan! There is a chance of snow tomorrow. Trigger is on my lap (and she loves the polar fleece throw that is covering us, too). I was grateful for daylight savings time this morning because the morning was brighter than of late. But driving home from work I needed my headlights and it was dark as dark can be. Well, you can’t have it both ways!

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Aquila D’Oro Chianti (2006)

September 22, 2007 — -

Aquila d'Oro Chianti 2006This Aquila D’Oro Chianti 2006 is a real value wine from Trader Joe’s. The color is purple and the body is light. The aroma is metal and cloves. (The aroma brings back memories of the monkey bars at my little two-room schoolhouse. This is very pleasant!) The taste is lovely; it is earthy and woodsy. There is fruit but it is not jammy. It is quite tannic. This will go well with our spaghetti dinner.

Tom: This Aquila D’Oro [Golden Eagle] Chianti 2006 is very nice. It has a rich, organic bouquet and taste: a certain yeastiness that seems indicative of chiantis. A nice fruit flavor. Very drinkable.

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Villagiachi Chianti Vendemmia (2005)

September 20, 2007 — -

Villagiachi Chianti 2005This Villagiachi Chianti Vendemmia 2005 is light and fresh tasting. The color is ruby red and the nose is a bit like a “Good & Plenty.” The taste is a gentle mix of cherries, raspberries, and almonds. It is not a big red. It is a light-to-medium-bodied, refreshing wine that is crisp yet delicate. Very tasty and satisfying.

Tom: This Villagiachi Chianti Vendemmia 2005 is medium bodied, with medium tannicity and subtle tastes of chocolate and perhaps licorice (so Melody’s reference to Good & Plenty makes sense to me). A very pleasant wine.

We’ve tasted this twice before: here and here.

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Villagiachi Chianti Vendemmia (2005)

August 5, 2007 — -

Villagiachi Chianti Vendemmia 2005This Villagiachi Chianti Vendemmia 2005 is rich and jammy, with hints of blackberry and tobacco. Medium body and medium tannins. Very nice and very drinkable. This will be pair wonderfully with our spaghetti tonight.

Posted in Chianti, Italian wines, Over $10. 1 Comment »
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