Pepperwood Grove Pinot Noir (2008)

June 3, 2009 — Tom & Melody

It is Wednesday night and we are enjoying a pretty, sunny Michigan evening while we read the newspaper and listen to some music.

Tom is finishing a bottle of wine from last night and I opened this Chilean Pepperwood Grove Pinot Noir. I have heard both rave reviews and very negative reviews of this wine, so I was eager to try it.

The first thing I noted was the pale ruby color. The aroma is tree bark and cherries. The taste is somewhat earthy with a touch of espresso and raspberries with structured tannins and a dry finish. Although with a bit of internet searching I see that this wine is generally sold for under $6 a bottle, I (unfortunately) did not buy this at a particularly attractive price. Now I’ll know better! But, all in all, I think this wine is a delicate-bodied and fruity pinot that is well worth the price in the under $10 range.

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P.K.N.T. Silver Collection Carmenere 2007

May 25, 2009 — Tom & Melody

P.K.N.T. Silver Collection Carmentere 2007This P.K.N.T. Silver Collection Carmenere 2007 (on sale for way under $10 at our local grocery store) is an interesting find.

Somewhat alcoholic, mild in flavor, some dark fruit, and some sweet, caramel-ish notes.

It doesn’t taste particularly like a carmenere, but it’s interesting and different, and has served as our table wine the last night or two.

We’ve done a ton of yard and house work over the holiday weekend and are feeling virtuous and enjoying this cocktail hour…

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Vina Correa Albano Cabernet Sauvignon (2006)

May 18, 2009 — Tom & Melody

It is a Monday evening. I arrived home late tonight because I did a presentation at a Detroit  high school after work. So, our dinner is going to be pretty late (it is 9:15 p.m. and dinner is on the stove but I am in no hurry to sit down and eat; a girl needs her wind down time).

I really (really, really) like this Chilean (Correa Albano) red wine. This is just my kind of wine — dry, big, tannic — fruity, but more chocolate than fruity — a touch of vanilla. It is superb. (I know someone at my office who would love this, too.)

For dinner I am reheating leftovers from a weekend meal of beef stroganoff, which was delicious the first time around so it will be even tastier tonight. Cheers!

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35° South Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

February 11, 2009 — Tom & Melody

35-south-cabernet-sauvignon-2006We are having a glass of this Chilean 35° South Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 on this Wednesday night. It is raining and unseasonably warm for a February night in Michigan. Our neighborhood kids are playing basketball outside in the rain! But they are happy because it is not cold (well, in Michigan we don’t think 40 degrees is cold in February).

I bought this wine last night at Meijer’s when I stopped by to buy a few groceries. It looked interesting. What a find! It is delicious. The color is deep dark red while the nose is filled with fruit and spice. On the palate is fresh blackberries along with a strong taste of caramel and vanilla.  This is a full bodied wine with subtle tannins.

I had to throw dinner together because I worked late; but I think we’ll enjoy it, nonetheless. I have made my favorite goulash recipe (it is simmering now) along with green beans. Very simple, but delicious. This wine is perfect for a mid-week quaff.


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Tubul Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot (2007)

January 5, 2009 — Tom & Melody

tubul-cabernet-sauvignon-merlot-2007We already blogged about this wine last night but we are finishing the  bottle tonight. It is Monday night after our break and it is a back-to-work week. It was a hectic but productive day at the office.

This wine is delicious and because I blogged about it last night I won’t go into great detail except to say that it is a full-bodied and fruity with a long finish.

For dinner, I browned boneless pork loin chops in my cast-iron skillet and then added a thickened sauce of chicken broth and mushrooms. It will simmer for about 90 minutes until very tender. I am going to serve this with mashed potatoes and green beans. Should be a pretty yummy meal to start our busy week.  Cheers and welcome to 2009.

Posted in Blends, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chilean wines, Merlot, Over $10. Tags: , , , . 4 Comments »

Tubul Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot (2007)

January 4, 2009 — Tom & Melody

tubul-cabernet-sauvignon-merlot-2007We are having a bottle of this Tubul Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2007, a Chilean blend, for our Sunday night cocktail hour.  It has been an icy day in Michigan, with gray skies and slippery footing.  Tom & I did some major grocery shopping today — really stocking up on meats for the freezer and other groceries.

So, I spent several hours in the kitchen repackaging foods. Then, I got a little carried away and cleaned out cupboards and drawers in the kitchen. I also got rid of old, tupperware cannisters that I have had for years, putting my flour, sugar, etc., into clear, Rubbermaid containers. Now, they take up less room and I can see what I have. Oh, the joy of having clean cupboards and drawers in my kitchen! I can’t wait to get out there and make dinner!

I am going to make what I call a chicken stir fry for dinner tonight with cut-up chicken breasts, vegetables and pasta. As such, Tom suggested a Merlot for our wine but I must have made a discouraging sound because he put that back and got this one instead. :) This is delicious. Everything is right about this wine. . .the color is violet in the glass;  the nose is grassy; the taste is burnt toast, chocolate and dried apricots. And, finally, the tannins are firm, making this a big and beautiful end-of-the-weekend quaff.  Back to work tomorrow after a lovely, lengthy holiday break. . .

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Montes Malbec (2007)

December 20, 2008 — Tom & Melody

montes-malbec-2007Tom poured me a glass of this Montes Malbec 2007 from Chile for our Saturday night cocktail hour. I am a fan of Malbecs and this is just another example of why I enjoy this wine. The color is a lovely dark red in the glass. The aroma is intense, especially right out of the bottle. The taste is delicious; spice, butterscotch and oak make for a rich and complex quaff. The tannins are soft, yet well structured.

It is 8:00 p.m. and I haven’t started making dinner; guess I better get moving! I think I will reheat our leftovers from last night. . .

Posted in Chilean wines, Over $10. Tags: , , . 7 Comments »

Corral del Sol Cabernet Sauvignon (2007)

December 10, 2008 — Tom & Melody

corral-del-sol-cabernet-sauvignon-2007bTom poured me a glass of this Chilean Corral del Sol Cabernet Sauvignon 2007; we opened the bottle last night. It is a Wednesday evening and I have meatloaf in the oven. I’m going to make cheesy hash brown potatoes and a vegetable and call it good for a mid-week meal.

I really like this wine. The nose is leather, through and through. (I can imagine walking into a boot shop.  .  .) On the palate, the wine is very dry and acidic with cherry and vanilla flavor. The finish is moderately long with a taste of pine.

The Chileans know good red wine. I like this one very much. Our son, Tony, would like this one!


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Corral del Sol Cabernet Sauvignon (2007)

November 21, 2008 — Tom & Melody

corral-del-sol-cabernet-sauvignon-2007This Chilean Corral del Sol Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 is our pick for this Friday evening. It is cold and dark, but I have a pot of soup on the stove and a loaf of bread in the oven, and an afghan (and Trigger) on my lap so we are warm, cozy, and happy.

I was very pleased to taste this wine and discover that it is a real treasure from Chile.  On the nose is spicy fruit and leather. On the palate is a smooth combination of cherries, vanilla, and pine.  The finish is dry with a hint of black tea.

A Friday night with this Chilean Cab is a great way to end the week. (To our son Tony, in case you read this, I miss you!)

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Chiñigue Andes Collection Carmenere (2006)

November 16, 2008 — Tom & Melody

chinigue-andes-collection-carmenere-2006We have had this Andes Collection Carmenere 2006 before but it has been a long time. I remember that I liked this very much the last time we had it, and I like it very much now.

We chose this Chilean Carmenere for this Sunday evening. It has been snowing all day and the ground is white. It is 31 degrees outside, but cozy inside. I have a dinner of chicken and potatoes in a heavy cast-iron skillet. I started by browning the chicken in hot olive oil for about 15 minutes, turning the chicken every minute or so. Once it was very brown, I added cubed red potatoes and then a mixture of chicken broth, thickener, and mushrooms. This has been simmering for the last 90 minutes so I know it will be tender and savory when we sit down for dinner.

The wine has a lovely, dark-red color in the glass. The nose is quite fruity with hints of vanilla and spice. In the mouth the taste is predominantly caramel and chocolate with firm tannins. The finish tastes like oak and it lasts a long time.

This is delicious. We both love it!

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