LeGrand Pinot Noir (2008)

June 20, 2010 — -

Our neighbors, Brad & Michelle, brought us this wine a couple weeks ago when we had a cookout in our back yard. I chose it tonight to go with our dinner of grilled salmon. (Thank you to Jim at Merry Hill Farm, who shared with me his recipe.)

This wine is delicious and it is the perfect choice for our fish dinner. This French Pinot has a black sheep on the label because it claims it doesn’t follow the herd. Obviously not! I find this to be a softer and more succulent Pinot than I am accustomed to with a nose of violets and cherries. The  tannins are smooth and velvety with a finish of fruit and spice.

A nice way to end a beautiful summer day. I ran 10 miles and Tom worked on installing a storm/screen door. I think he had the harder job, today!

Posted in Blogs, French wines, General, Over $10, Pinot Noir. Tags: , , , , . 4 Comments »

Chateau Labourdette (2006)

June 15, 2010 — -

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.

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

Chateau Fantin Bordeaux (2005)

March 25, 2010 — -

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!

Posted in Bordeaux, French wines, Under $10. Tags: , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Château Greysac Médoc (2005)

February 18, 2010 — -

It is a Thursday evening and we are relaxing after a very busy day for both of us. I chose this Château Greysac Médoc 2005 from our dwindling supply. . .the bad news is that our supply is dwindling. . .the good news is that we always save the best for last so the wines that are left are the more expensive wines. And what am I to do? Of course I have to open an expensive bottle of wine!

This wine is wonderful.  As soon as I opened it, I knew we were in for a treat. There is a combination of cloves and blackberries on the nose. The taste is full of cherries and the texture is creamy. A very charming and drinkable wine!

I purchased this wine at A&L Wine Castle in Ann Arbor. Regularly it cost $23.99 and I bought it on sale for $15.99. Worth every penny. . .Cheers!

Tom: A delicious, big red. Blackberries, some spice, and a bit of sweetness. Surprisingly big fruit in the nose. A very nice wine, and a bit upscale for us…

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, French wines, Médoc, Merlot, Over $10. Tags: , , , , , . 2 Comments »

Chateau Fouzilhon (2008)

January 19, 2010 — -

I was in the kitchen making a few dinner preparations and said to Tom “I am out here all alone slaving away and I am parched.” He saved the day and opened this bottle of wine and brought me a glass!

This French Coteaux du Languedoc is a classic French wine. Tom and I were just sharing our thoughts and we think that — if you had a continuum with Australian fruit bomb wines on one end and Italian austere wines on the other end, this would fall in the middle of those two. It is not a fruit bomb, but it is not austere. It is fruity in a subtle way with a nice dose of pepper and spices. The tannins are rounded and smooth. This is what I would describe as old world. We both love it. This is not “easy to drink” as are some of the California and Australian wines. This takes a bit more effort to taste and enjoy all the complexities. . .a good wine for savoring.

For dinner tonight, I am being a bit creative. I have some organic kale that I received as part of my food co-op membership. So, I browned some ground beef and onions in my cast iron skillet. Then, I added the whole bunch of kale, which I had chopped. I added a large can of petite tomatoes and that simmered while we enjoyed our cocktail. Then, I added chicken broth and elbow macaroni to cook. So, we’ll end up with a goulash with lots of dark, green kale to boost the nutrition value. I think it will be very tasty. I am also going to make a salad.

Posted in Blends, Carignane, French wines, Grenache, Over $10, Syrah, Under $10. Tags: , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Domaine Lalande Pinot Noir (2008)

December 30, 2009 — -

What a lovely day! I am off work this week and I had a fun day. . .getting my hair cut and doing a little shopping. My big purchase was two skeins of yard and two crochet needles and a beginner crochet book. I have wanted to learn to crochet; I used to knit and always enjoyed it. So, this afternoon I read through the first part of the book and practiced the stitches. Such fun! Very, very relaxing. . .

So, tonight I have chicken in the oven along with a yam and an apple crisp. I also have cauliflower ready to steam. I haven’t decided whether I should also make a salad. . .So, Tom chose this French Pinot Noir for me. I had already poured him a glass of a Cabernet from last night, which finished the bottle.  I like this Pinot very much. This is a light bodied and delicate wine, yet the flavor is complex with fruit and spices. The finish is peppery and dry.

This is a keeper.

Tomorrow morning I am going to drive to my friend’s (who lives an hour away) and we are going to go for a long run. . .after that, we will go out for coffee. . .and then I’ll come home, shower and practice my crochet. Ahhh, life is fun when I am on vacation!

Posted in French wines, Over $10, Pinot Noir. Tags: , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Château les Tuileries Bordeaux (2008)

December 22, 2009 — -

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.

Posted in Bordeaux, French wines, Over $10. Tags: , , , . 1 Comment »

Chateau Les Tuileries (2008)

December 9, 2009 — -

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!

Posted in Blends, Bordeaux, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, French wines, Merlot, Under $10. Tags: , , . Leave a Comment »

Domaine Roueire Cabernet Sauvignon (2007)

August 15, 2009 — -

It is a hot August Saturday night in Michigan. We have our fans on and are resisting turning on the air conditioner. . .because why should we not enjoy this heat? It won’t last long! We had a typical Saturday. I started my day with a 10-mile run with my two running partners. Tom worked hard in the yard. Then, I spent the afternoon doing planning for a new course I will be teaching this fall. It is slow work, but having the run behind me helped me to sit still and make progress.  I will work on it again tomorrow.

We started our cocktail hour with an icy-cold gin & tonic. That was followed with this wine from the Languedoc region in France. The wine is very dark ruby with a black fruit nose. I love the taste . . .grass, smoky bacon and blackberries with silky tannins and a long finish. Complex and delicious. A real keeper! So glad we have a couple more bottles on the shelf.

For dinner tonight, I tried an unusal new recipe. Knowing it would be hot, I assembled a meal in the crock pot. I am cooking a turkey breast in a mixture of cranberries, orange juice, onion soup mix, celery, a pinch of salt and pepper. I have no idea how this will taste. I have heard it is quite delicious; we shall see. It smells good. I am going to serve this with a baked sweet potato and sliced melon. We shall see.

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

Chateau Portal Minervois (2006)

July 18, 2009 — -

It is a beautiful July summer evening – unseasonably cool. So, I am taking advantage of the temperature with an oven meal. Meanwhile, we are having a glass of this French red Chateau Portal Minervois. I requested something special tonight! I just finished teaching a 6-session course for graduate students. Each of the sessions were long.  .  .took a lot of energy, especially after working all day. But, I loved the students and hope they learned something valuable.

So, now we are having a quiet evening and decompressing from a busy week. I made a penne pasta dish that is in the oven. I have harvested lettuce and onions from my garden and will add avocadoes, green peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes for a fresh salad.

After selected and tasting the wine, Tom wasn’t overly enthused about this wine and asked if I would like to have something else. But, I am very happy with this wine.  It is an old-world, austere French wine with a grassy aroma. The taste has some vanilla and spice with a long finish. I think it is perfect for our pasta dinner.  Cheers!

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