Justin – Isosceles – Paso Robles – 2005

After 10 hours in the car, it was such a relief to pull up to my brother’s home in LA. Not only has it been too long since I have seen him, but I knew there was the chance of really good wine…and I wasn’t wrong! Doug and Minda have a membership with Justin Vineyards & Winery (it’s a new thing, check it out!)


This wonderful red is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc & Merlot. Based out of Paso Robles, California, this could potentially be considered its flagship wine. The label provides a somewhat serious description of the growing, harvesting, blending and eventual bottling of this wine. Although rather dry reading, it gives the drinker a great basis for understanding the incredible woodsy flavors that inhabit the deep red depths of the glass.

A generous sniff provides the recipient with plenty of blackberry and you may even get some of the french oak that this wine is aged in. As you may know from prior posts, I am no wine aficionado, but this is quite something else. I have no clue how much it costs, but I am fairly certain that it will not fall within my $10 budget. Additionally, you probably won’t find it at the liquor store, at least in Utah. There is an off chance that you may find it at a restaurant, or the odd wine distributor. I am pretty sure it will cost you more that (quite a bit more), than most of the wines you purchase and drink immediately. But, you have to find it. It is a wine that you can fall into oh so easily – slightly spicy, with generous fruit flavors.

Minda, who has more experience with Justin wines than I do, and has tasted more aged Isosceles wines, feels that is could age a little longer. In the past, older Isosceles (bottles which had been put away, forgotten, and re-discovered years later), resulted in full, velvety flavors, that she remembers with fond words, as though reminiscing about old friends. And, those of you who have tasted the really delicious aged wines, know that a great wine is like an old friend, it holds your hand, tells you everything will be just fine, and puts you to bed with a gentle hug and kiss.

I recommend you start looking for a bottle, and put it away in a cool (around 52 degrees), dark place, on it’s side. Forget about, then when you are re-modelling, moving or doing some long needed spring cleaning and find it – open it up, let it take a breath, and sit down to enjoy with a good friend. Minda and I have made short work of several bottles of Justin red this weekend, so you may want to find more than one!

Cheers!

Concannon – Merlot – 2007

About a year ago, I found a delightful Petit Syrah by Concannon, in a great bottle. Yes, being of the female persausion, packaging is important to me. The bottle, embossed with the Concannon “logo”, had a real foil top, something you don’t find too often these days. I grabbed a bottle, we tried it, and decided that it would be our anniversary wine.


Recently, I bought a bottle of their Merlot, after enjoying the Petit Syrah so much. We opened it tonight, to drink with londron broil, roast potatoes, onion and mushrooms, and some peas. It was a simple meal, and I thought the Merlot might accompany it quite well.

This Merlot is uncomplicated, and starts out very easily. Tony finds it rather dry on the finish, not as enjoyable as the Petite Syrah (don’t worry, I have two bottles on hand, I shall blog about it soon!). That said, I really enjoy it. It is dry, and less “fruity” than some of the Shiraz & Pinot Noir we have been drinking. The label talks of blackberry and cherry, both of which I can imagine as I drink it, although I would not have come up with those analogies myself. Well, blackberry, definitely, try swishing it across your tongue, it will happen.

It is always a good idea to try other “genre’s” of wine, and this is a good choice to broaden your “mighty grape” horizon. With a price of $9.99, this proves to be a great value, although next time I think it will be better suited to a bolognese sauce.

Later in the evening, I added some Coastal cheddar (Costco) and Creminelli Barolo Handcrafted salami (www.creminelli.com). Both are delicious in their own right. The addition of the Merlot makes for a fabulous ménage a trios - most of you know I am partial to cheese and wine, but add some salami, and the experience is positively blissful.

I recommend extending your wine experience to some Merlot, and this is a must try!



Cheers.

Castillo de Molina - Sauvignon Blanc - Chile - 2009

As summer approaches (no matter how slowly), I have been stocking up on some whites that seem to be worth trying.  So, as we prepared for our annual Mothers Day dinner at Market Street Grill, I had quite a selection from which to make a decision, and since Sauvignon Blanc has been making a regular appearance on my shopping list of late, it should come as no surprise that I ended up choosing one.

Knowing what I was to eat made it easier, as Market Street is celebrating Alaskan Halibut, and they know how to cook it right!  I was prepared to order the same meal that I had last year, Seafood Florentine, and this wine would be the perfect companion.

Perfect, if not for the one hour wait, which brought my wine to room temperature, and the waitress who decided to pour it at room temperature.  I know, rude!  Prior to that, we had ordered delicious Hickory Smoked Salmon to keep us going, and two glasses of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, by Matua.  That particular white was overly sweet, and I absolutely do not recommend it, unless you enjoy puckering after every sip.

Even at room temperature, this white is delightful.  Slightly smokey, with some fruit, and a clean finish, that didn't linger past it's welcome.  Now, I am enjoying it chilled (the day after), with a brownie and vanilla ice cream (dessert after a fabulous Mothers Day of steak prepared by Tony). 

The wine has stood up well, crisp, fresh, clean - everything you want from a Sauvignon Blanc.  Still lightly smokey, with plenty of gooseberry to keep it interesting.  And that finish, it leaves you wanting more, and then some more. 

This is definitely a wine I could easily drink myself, the entire bottle, in one evening.  Jealously guarding each drop for myself, I want to experience it as it develops from chilled to warm temperature.  With birds singing their evening chorus in the background, I can settle in for a relaxing evening, with what will become a regular guest in our household (temporary only, wine just doesn't last long around here!).

Please accept my apologies for no photo - digital camera is dead!

Unfortunately, I did not keep the reciept, but I am pretty sure it is affordable, less than $10.  Definitely worth it, especially if you want to become more familiar with white.  This wine is sure to please.

Cheers.

Gallo Family - Sonoma - Pinot Gris- 2008

Call me a wine snob, but I'm a cheap wine snob!  It has been more than 10 years since I have tried a Gallo wine of any kind.  My experience with Gallo dates back to the 80's, when Chardonnay & Rose (or pink Zinfandel) was all the rage, and cheap wine didn't seem to offend anyone.  Since then, I have broadened my horizons, and moved from only drinking white to a lover of red.  I don't remember any good Gallo experiences from the 80's, but I know I drank lots.  I lived in California, and I hung out with probably the most stereotypical 80's California girls (blonde hair, big racks, small bikini's, you know the kind!).  Cheap white, or almost red, was everywhere.

What I carry with me, all these years later, is an extremely low opinon of Gallo wine, and California wine for that fact.  I have been trying hard to overcome my aversion to California wine, and, indeed, have found some fine wines from that region.  This, however, is the first Gallo I have tried in a very long time.

And, it will be the last.  It is not memorable, and it failed to finish.  Tony explained it as starting as though it had great things in store, but never completing.  The drinker is left unsatisfied and disappointed.  At $8.99, it is about $8 too much.

Instead, let me tell you about the food we had.  I made some delicious salmon, with a citrus basil viniagrette.  For dessert, mini cheese cakes we purchased from Harmons at Corner Canyon (they have a fabulous bakery!)  The wine seemed to improve when paired with the cheesecake, perhaps the sweetness of the cheesecake was complimentary to the overly tart, failing finish of the Pinot Gris.

In closing, let me recommend a delicious summer Pinot Grigio - one from Cavit (which I will review as the summer progresses), not overly pricey, and the crisp, snappy finish doesn't miss a beat.

Cheers!

The Wine Headache – a cure???

Ahhh, I remember the days of the wine headache, you know, the morning after pounding your head gets if you over indulged just a little too much? I don’t seem to get them anymore, it could be that I am now immune, I do drink wine most nights, and when I am not drinking wine, I have a beer or a rum & coke.


Honestly, I have another theory…water. Yes, lots and lots of water. In the past few years, I have made a lot of effort to increase my water intake. I know, I know, you hear it all the time, and sometimes, you SHOULD believe all you hear, especially when it comes to water.

And another thing, whenever I feel like I may have imbibed a little too much, I make sure to drink a large glass of water before I go to bed. You probably think you will be up all night, going back and forth to the bathroom, but it will be worth the effort when you don’t wake up with a pounding headache.

Here’s another idea…keep it to one glass, then switch to water. You will gradually build a tolerance for the second glass, just keep that glass of water in mind, or on the nightstand.

Now, go enjoy a nice glass of wine, followed by a nice glass of water.

Cheers!

Yalumba - Y Series Viognier 2008

It has been a few weeks since I drank or wrote about wine (I feel guilty if I drink without writing, what can I say, it’s my Jewish heritage!). The label says Viognier is grape variety, and I must say, the taste is rate indeed. Absolutely smashing, from the first sip, which was light on the tongue, and finished crisply. After just a few minutes sitting in the glass, a honey background develops, which complements the fruit nicely. The fruit, sort of citrusy, and yes, ending in a honey, slightly syrupy finish.


This is one of the sweetest wines I have tried in while, but please, don’t think Reisling. This is not that sweet at all. Light, crisp, with a slight sweetness, that is worthy of the salmon, wild rice and green beans that accompanied it. I was surprised at how well it joined the meal, as if it belonged there.

For those of you who say you don’t drink white because of the sweet wines you have experienced in the past, you MUST buy a bottle and at least try this. You may not want to drink it again, but I think this is an essential experience if you want to develop your wine “skills” (couldn’t think of anything better, sorry!).

And at a mere $9.99, it’s easy to say yes to this experience.

Cheers!

Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon – Chile - 2007

Friday night turned out to be a quiet night, and spaghetti sounded good to me. Just Megan and I in the kitchen, talking about school and making dinner. Red wine is a great conversation wine, it definitely loosens the tongue, and makes things more interesting all around.
It’s not the first time around for this wine, I have purchased it before, and it makes a great spaghetti sauce. This is not a particularly full bodied wine (a little thin in the mouth), but it does get better the longer the bottle is open, or the wine sits in the glass. It accompanies the meal nicely, and generally makes life more pleasant. It’s light and easy to drink. Although I cannot remember how much I paid (I threw out the receipt), I do know it is under $10.

On Saturday evening, we finished the bottle, with the left over spaghetti. The wine definitely improved, it seemed fuller, with a longer finish that may even be a little spicy. That fact that I wrote this while also watching “The Sixth Sense” doesn’t seem to improve my ability to focus on the wine! So, while I wish I could tell you about the fruit I tasted, which is hard for me at the best of times (it all tastes like wine!), all I can think is that the wine is keeping me warm while the movie keeps chilling me to the bone!

This is definitely not a gateway wine. If you are white wine drinker, moving into reds, I would recommend something a little fuller, smoother and frutier, like a Shiraz or a Pinot Noir. Once you’ve conquered those, and decided you are now a red wine drinker, this is a good one to try. Make some spaghetti, slosh some wine in the sauce, then drink the rest with dinner.



Cheers!