Château Greysac Médoc (2005)

February 18, 2010 — Tom & Melody

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, Merlot, Médoc, Over $10. Tags: , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Chateau Les Tuileries (2008)

December 9, 2009 — Tom & Melody

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 »

Sterling Vintner’s Collection Meritage (2007)

December 7, 2009 — Tom & Melody

It’s Monday night and very dark. . .we have our Christmas tree lights on and the house is cozy. Trigger is snuggling with me and we are reading the newspaper. Tom poured me a glass of this California blend of Cabernet, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. The nose is a rich black cherry and a bouquet of roses. The taste is delicious. . .chocolate, raspberries and pepper. The tannins are just right: Firm but mellowing as the wine breathes.

For dinner, I prepared a casserole. . .but I wrapped it in foil and put it in the refrigerator for another night (I have a busy week ahead). For tonight. we are going to have leftover steak & broccoli stir fry with brown rice and the most delicious cole slaw. (Although this cole slaw recipe is very simple, it is the best I have ever had.) Want the rec ipe? Just let me know!

I am enjoying this glass of wine very much. I would not hesitate to buy this again (it was on sale for $8.99).

Posted in Blends, Cabernet Sauvignon, California wines, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Under $10. Tags: , , , , , , , . 2 Comments »

Randall Harris Merlot (2006)

November 29, 2009 — Tom & Melody

I recently ordered and received a 12-bottle case of red wine from a company that was advertising by email recently. The case of wine included 2 bottles of this Merlot. Now, I am not a huge fan of Merlot because I generally find it to be too soft; I prefer the bigger taste in a Cabernet, Malbec or Carmenere. However, this Merlot is not bad. The nose is nice with cherries and pepper. There is a strong raspberry on the palate — a bit too overwhelming for my personal taste — but I can imagine that many wine drinkers would find this very appealing and luscious. The finish is pleasant with spice and fruit.

For dinner, I have made (what else?) turkey soup! The highlight of this soup will be the very rich and savory broth, which came from yesterday’s all-day-simmering of the turkey carcass and vegetables. I added a small bag of cubed potatoes (which I got from our organic food co-op and needed to use) along with some corn and other vegetables. It is a very simple soup but I think it will be nourishing and delicious.

Posted in Merlot, Over $10, Under $10, Washington wines. Tags: , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Columbia Crest Two Vines Merlot-Cabernet (2006)

July 12, 2009 — Tom & Melody

Columbia Crest Two Vines Merlot-Cabernet 2006Tom purchased this Columbia Crest Two Vines Merlot-Cabernet 2006, a Washington State blend, at our local grocery store. We selected it tonight because we are having roast chicken for dinner. This wine is quite a value — it was $7.95 but on sale for $5.50. The nose is blackberries and raspberries. A fruit-forward quaff, it feels malleable in the mouth with a gentle, yet fruity, finish. This is certainly a great bottle of wine at a very low price.

It is a beautiful July Sunday evening and we go back to work tomorrow. Having spent the last three days/evenings teaching, I wanted a good home-cooked meal so I went to our local butcher and bought a fresh whole chicken. I am roasting that along with potatoes and carrots. I will make a salad, too.

Posted in Blends, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Under $10, Washington wines. Tags: , , , . 2 Comments »

De Loach Merlot (2006)

April 17, 2009 — Tom & Melody

Tom chose this California DeLoach Merlot for our Friday night quaff. . .it is a beautiful April evening  in Michigan. Everyone is outside, joyously skipping, running, walking dogs, or whatever they can think of to do outside.

I jokingly “poo-poo’d” this wine when Tom suggested it; I generally find Merlots a bit too soft and mellow for my taste, but this is a big Merlot.  The nose is sweet vanilla while the taste is cherries and oak.  Grippy tannins complement the long finish.

We are having the rest of the bean soup that I made this weekend, along with whole wheat bread and cheese. I need to eat well tonight to prepare for my long run tomorrow. Cheers!

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

Ravenswood Merlot (2006)

March 30, 2009 — Tom & Melody

I am finishing this California Ravenswood Merlot that we opened last night. I was pleasantly surprised both last night and tonight at this wine because generally Merlots are a bit too soft  for my tastes. However, this merlot is quite exceptional. It has a fresh, intense plum and cherry vanilla aroma. On the palate is a  full, round, ripe berry flavor with mouth-watering acidity (crisp and clean), followed by  a soft, chocolaty spicy finish with chewy tannins, which adds to the enjoyment of this wine.

It is a Monday evening, start of a new work week. I am reheating a pot of soup that I made last week for our dinner. Simple, but delicious. We’ll eat our dinner and check out “House”  –  one of my favorite TV shows.

Posted in California wines, Merlot, Under $10. Tags: , , . 2 Comments »

Bogle Merlot (2006)

March 4, 2009 — Tom & Melody

Tom’s parents gave us this Bogle Merlot when we saw them a couple of months ago. I am not a huge fan of Merlot, but I am a huge fan of Bogle so I was curious to find out how this wine would taste. (I happen to really love Bogle Petite Syrah so, let’s see about the Merlot.) The nose is plummy. Definitely cherries on the palate with grippy tannins. The finish is soft and gentle with hints of smoke and oak.

I am cooking pork chops and potatoes tonight. (I browned the chops, then added sliced potatoes (skins on), and a chicken-broth sauce, covered and simmered.) I am also going to make a salad. This Merlot will go well with dinner.

And, finally, the good news. The temperature (which was zero this morning when I got up) is supposed to go up starting tomorrow. yippee!

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

De Loach Private Collection Merlot (2006)

February 13, 2009 — Tom & Melody

de-loach-merlot-2006It is another Friday night at our household and we are celebrating with an extended “happiness” hour. I have the dinner table set and dinner on the stove. Meanwhile, we are listening to music on the Bose, reading the paper, and enjoying this De Loach Merlot 2006 from California.

I have a habit of shying away from Merlots only because they usually taste too “soft” for my particular tastes.  I like the bigger tastes of Cabernets, Malbecs, Carmenere, etc.  But I am pleased to say that this Merlot represents itself well. While it is a bit creamy in texture, it has a fabulous nose. The taste is heavily cherries and vanilla. On the finish I can taste the oak.

I am thinking about a friend of ours, Tom, who is a very intelligent wine taster. He has good instincts about the aromas and tastes of wine (and he also has a very science-oriented approach and mind). He mentioned to us that our wine reviews are generally positive, which is true. I thought it worth mentioning that the reason we are generally positive with our reviews is that we only purchase wine that we think we will enjoy–as opposed to some wine connoisseurs who will purchase many wines to do blind tastings — that is not what we do. We purposefully try to purchase the wines that we think we will love. And we’re pretty good at it!

Cheers!

Posted in California wines, Merlot, Over $10. Tags: , , , , . 4 Comments »

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 »
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