A Spectacular Sterling Merlot

Pris and I have been on a bit of a comfort food kick since Thanksgiving.  Maybe it was all the turkey, gravy, and stuffing. Sunday was pot roast, and last night was meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Both great cool weather comfort foods, and both were recommended with juicy Merlot.  We did not have a Merlot with the pot roast, so we decided to try to rectify the pairing this time around.  To go with the meatloaf Pris selected a 2007 Sterling Vineyards Vintner's Collection Merlot.

This particular Sterling Merlot was big and juicy.  Ripe fruits greet you on the nose.  Cherry and ripe berries mingle are balance with a subtle oak foundation.  When this Merlot hits the palate it all smooth big fruit.  I don't like the term "jammy" because it makes me think of something really sweet, but if there's such a thing as semi-sweet "jamminess" this qualifies.  Loads of cherry and red berry dominate the palate and continue throughout.  Soft tannins create a mellow finish with just a touch of bite towards the very end. 

This was an exceptional wine for the price.  It paired exceedingly well with the savory and somewhat sweet flavors of the meatloaf.  I added some spice to the meatloaf by putting in some jalapenos and adding sriracha sauce to the ketchup topping.  These spicy accents were perfect with the sweeter fruit in the wine.  This Merlot is exceptionally smooth and goes down very easily.  While we paired it with comfort classics, it great to drink all on its own.

We bought the 2007 Sterling Vineyards Vintner's Collection Merlot at H.E.B. for $16.99.  We bought it a while back and cellared it for a bit, so I don't know if you can still find the same vintage there, but based on this wine and some of the reviews of prior vintages I'd say its worth keeping on hand.  For more information on Sterling Vineyard and its wines you can visit:  http://www.sterlingvineyards.com/

Step by Step Sauvignon Blanc

Pris and I don't drink much white wine, that should be pretty evident from the overall lack of posts on white wines.  So I figured I'd do a quick review on Step by Step's 2009 Sauvignon Blanc from Chile.  In all fairness, I only bought this wine for cooking up some pork chops with apples and onions.  It was on clearance at Feldman's Market Center and its original price showed it probably wasn't a bad wine. 

After I used it in the dish it sat in the fridge while Pris and I worked through a number of reds.  A couple days ago I decided to braise some chicken in the remaining Sauvignon Blanc with garlic, onion, rosemary, thyme, and sage.  One of my favorite shows growing up was the Cajun chef on PBS.  He was an older man with a Cajun accent who poured as much wine, beer, or liquor for himself as he did for his dishes he was working on.  I can still imitate his accent. 

So to follow his lead I poured myself an ample glass of the Step by Step and then poured the rest into the pot.  The Sauvignon Blanc I poured for myself was crisp and refreshing with strong citrus notes on the nose and palate.  There's a touch of apple sweetness mixed in on the palate that was thankfully subtle.  What followed was a light lingering finish that faded nicely.

 I picked this wine up at Feldmans Market Center here in Brownsville.  It was on clearance for about $5.  Since this was a clearance wine I'm not sure if they have any left, but its worth looking for if you enjoy a nice crisp white that's not too dry or sweet.

Celebrating Post 100 with Hughes Wellman

When Pris and I started this blog a friend of ours told us to talk to him when we hit post 100.  Well here we are at 100 and going strong, in fact there are still 2 wines on deck to write up after this one.  Its been a lot of moderate wine drinking, and a few instances of wine drinking that resulted in some very unpleasant mornings after.

For this post Pris and I felt we needed an exceptional wine.  From there it was a matter of deciding if we go out and buy one or crack into one of the few specials we have saved up.  We opted to go for the latter and open up our last bottle of Cameron Hughes' superstar Hughes Wellman 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon from St. Helena.  This vintage is sold out now, but Pris and I ordered a couple bottles when we moved to Brownsville last year.  We tried our first one to celebrate our anniversary last year and decided to hold off on the second.

The Hughes Wellman Cab is subtle, complex, smooth, and full bodied.  Essentially the perfect Cab.  This opaque purple wine contained ripe red berries and cherry that assailed the nose right away.  While the aroma is great, wait for the first sip.  Full bodied, smooth, and incredibly balanced this wine is amazing.  Black cherries abound at the forefront, followed by just a tough of mineral and spice towards the end.  Silky smooth tannins complete the wine and create a lingering smooth finish.  This wine goes down effortlessly, and is one the easiest drinking wines Pris and I have had the pleasure of enjoying.

We actually paired the 2006 Cab with a pot roast and mashed potatoes.  Its not the grandest of dinners, but it was solid comfort food made with wine and many of the ingredients found in beef bourguignon.  The recipe actually recommended a merlot for the meal, but the Hughes Wellman paired perfectly with the tender beef and savory sauce.  This wine is so good and smooth that I'm fairly sure it will pair well with about anything.  That said, it really shines with rich beef dishes so look for a roast, braised beef, brisket, and of course a perfectly cooked medium-rare steak.

At $50 this wine was a steal, but its gone now.  The 2007 vintage is available at Cameron Hughes' website: http://www.chwine.com/.  I haven't tried it yet, or even ordered some, but Christmas is right around the corner so maybe a nice gift of wine from us to us is in order.

An Eventful Evening with Pagos de Tahola

Initially Pris and I were looking forward to a long quiet Thanksgiving weekend.  However, on Friday Pris got a call from a friend asking if the facility was free since he and some friends were in a bind on an engagement party they were throwing.  The place was free and Pris went ahead and booked the rental.  Since she was doing them a favor they made sure we were well provisioned with food for the evening.  It was a Spanish menu, and we decided to crack open a Spanish red to go with our tapas and entree.

Pris had actually pulled out a bottle of Pagos de Tahola 2009 Rioja to open earlier in the week and we just never got around to it.  The wine was another from the Wall Street Journal Wine club that I get from time to time.  This deep purple Tempranillo went well with the manchego cheese, Spanish chorizo, serano jamon, and smoked salmon the hosts served. 

The dark coloration of the Pagos de Tahola was a sign of what was to come with the full bodied and rich wine.  On the nose this rioja was deep dark berry and a touch of mineral and tobacco.  This is definitely a wine that needs to breathe for a while to reach its full potential.  Initially the Pagos offered dark fruit loaded with a rough earthiness and strong mineral mid-palate.  As the wine oxidized, the roughness wore off and the wine mellowed considerably.  Smooth juicy berry came to the forefront and the mineral bite subsided, but still maintained a pleasant presence on the mid-palate.  Big tannins provided a strong full finish that did not diminish with time, but rather became more refined and enjoyable.

We enjoyed the wine with the tapas and an entree of pork tenderloin smothered with a roasted red pepper sauce, asparagus, and roasted potatoes prepared by Nena Siller.  The food was excellent, and the wine paired really well with the pork and sauce.  The complex fruit of the rioja complimented the smoky, savory sweetness of the peppers and pork.

The Pagos de Tahola 2009 Rioja came from the Wall Street Journal Wine Club, and it costs $14 a bottle.  You can find out more about Pagos de Tahola at: http://www.wsjwine.com/jsp/product/productDetails.jsp?productId=prod50126

A Big Bogle Cab

I've been seeing a lot of wines from Bogle Vineyards out and about.  They're in World Market, H.E.B., Feldman's, and Jones Liquor (where they have a blend called Phantom that is apparently quite good, and will be bought and imbibed sometime in the near future).  There are also a number of adds for Bogle popping up on the Google add spots, so they're pushing the product pretty strongly.  We've actually already reviewed the Bogle Pinot Noir back in September (LINK), so Pris thought we'd go ahead and try their Cab.

Last night we opened up Bogle's 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon to go with a couple of steaks I whipped up.  I'm not sick of the turkey yet, but the beef was a good change up.  The Bogle Cab was a great wine for the meal.

Bogle's Cab had a full nose loaded with cherry and blackberry with a hint of vanilla to soften it all up.  The bold fruit continued on the palate.  Cherry and dark berries dominated the taste buds up front, but oak and a touch of smokiness work their way through around the mid-palate.  This Cab had big bold tannins that really came out in the finish which was long and dry like a South Texas summer.

At this juncture it pretty much goes without saying that the Bogle Cab went very well with the steak.  I added an extra pepper seasoning to the steak making it a bit more robust and spicy.  We also heated up a little of the maple/bourbon gravy to go with the steak as a sauce.  The bold wine paired well with the steak, and the bold fruit mingling nicely with the added pepper.  Mixing the steak with the gravy combined sweet, spicy, savory, and fruitful with the wine.  This was about as close to a perfect flavor combination as I've ever gotten.

The Bogle wines are all over.  I picked up this bottle at World Market in Corpus Christi for $10.  Closer to home I've recently seen them at Jones and H.E.B.  For the price, this is a great everyday wine that you just can't easily beat if you're in the mood for a big Cab.  It won't hold up for too long once its open, so finish it off quickly.  For more information on Bogle Vineyards and their wines you can visit:  http://www.boglewinery.com/home.php

Thanksgiving Dinner in the Valley...of the Moon Pinot

Thanksgiving day means family, football, and loads of turkey and sides.  Up until recently it was also a day for drinking beer due to the aforementioned football.  However, Pris has always insisted on wine and she's slowly swung me around to her way of thinking--at least for dinner. The after dinner football is all beer time.

We looked around at what the best selections were for turkey day, and almost everyone brought up Pinot Noir, Lambrusco, or Reisling.  There were a of couple places suggesting rosé or rosé champagne.  That would've been interesting, but Pris doesn't like rosé and I can't drink champagne and stay sober to save my life.  So we went with the Pinot since we like it and haven't really had that much on hand lately.

I grabbed a few different Pinots at Jones Liquor last week and this week so we'd have some variety to choose from.  Of course I went with Mike Jone's suggestions since we've liked pretty much every single one of them.  After a quick sampling in the store, I was set on the Valley of the Moon's 2009 Pinot Noir.

The wine had an excellent fruitful and complex aroma dominated by sweet plum and cherries.  Like most Pinot's it was soft on the palate, and loaded with ripe red fruit.  There is a nice oaky backbone to the Valley's Pinot.  This is tempered by the fruit and a hint of vanilla.  Soft tannins round out the wine and allow for lingering and robust finish.

One of the great things about Pinot is that it will pair well with just about everything, unless its a big steak or some equally big and rich meal.  Turkey is not that bold and this smooth wine paired perfectly with the it.  I was a little worried since the turkey was slightly sweet from the maple/bourbon glaze I cooked it in.  However, the combination of savory and sweet turkey with the fruity and smooth wine were great complements.

I picked the Valley of the Moon 2009 Pinot Noir up at Jones Liquor here in Brownsville for about $19.  You can find it there for sure, if Mike Jones has any left after the Thanksgiving weekend.  I've also seen their wines at H.E.B., but for full disclosure, I can't remember which varietals.  For more information on the Valley of the Moon winery and its wines you can visit:  http://valleyofthemoonwinery.com/main_scaled.html

A Special Wine for a Special Occasion

Last Friday night Pris and celebrated our 9 year anniversary of being together.  Its been a great ride, and we wanted something a little special to commemorate the occasion.  So I went to Mike Jones at Jones Liquor to see if he had any recommendations.  As usual he had a number of them, for both the night and Thanksgiving.  I ended up picking up a bottle of Maison Louis Latour 2009 Gevrey-Chambertin. 

This is an excellent French Pinot Noir.  Unlike a lot of American Pinots, the Latour was bold, earthy, and highly complex.  The aroma was the first hint of what was to come.  Rich fruit mingled with mineral undertones, smoke and licorice.  The flavor was exceptionally deep and intricate.  Dark ripe fruits hit the front of the palate followed by a rich earthiness.  A lot has been made about "terroir" or the soil the grapes are grown in.  Different folks give it different weighty, but with the Latour you can really taste the earth these grapes were produced in.  This aspect of the wine adds a rich complexity that's absent in most of the Pinots we've had.

Even though I would've liked to have cooked something special for our anniversary, I couldn't due to an event the following night.  So we ordered up a couple steaks from Toscafino and settled in for the evening.  Despite being a Pinot, the wine paired great with the steaks.  The rich complexity of the Latour was more than enough to compliment the herbed and buttered ribeyes.  The versatility of this wine will allow it to mix with any number of dishes.

I picked this wine up at Jones Liquor in Brownsville.  As it was a special occasion I splurged a bit on it.  The Latour runs for $52 a bottle, but is well worth it.  For more information on Maison Louis Latour wines you can visit:  http://www.louislatour.com/pages/index.php

With Lot 169 you can "Go for Merlot"

The other night Pris opened up a bottle of Cameron Hughes' 169 2007 Napa Valley Merlot.  There wasn't any particular reason for it, she just wanted to get through a few more bottles this month since we were a little slow on our posting.  Sometimes its nice just to open a wine for no other reason than to drink it.

Lot 169 is a perfect example of what a good Merlot should be: fruity, rich , a little dry, and full of flavor.  On the nose this Merlot was loaded up with plum and currant, dark berry, and even hints of chocolate and espresso.  The rich fruit continued on the palate with the currant, plum, and berry dominating the palate.  It's hard to put into words, but even though these are some of the usual suspects found in most Merlots, the Lot 169 blends them in a way that is unique and sets it apart.  This complexity and layering of flavors provides a easily drinkable wine.

The Lot 169 2007 Merlot is a great wine to have on hand.  Its blending of mellow feel and complex flavors make it wine that can go with just about anything.  Or you can drink it all on its own on a cool autumn evening.  For more information on Lot 169, or to order your own, you can visit:  http://www.chwine.com/wine/lot/169

Italian Night is a Great Night

For any of you who watch The Borgias on Showtime you'll be familiar with the character of Giuliet Farnese, the pope's mistress in the show.  She was rumored to be the most attractive woman in Rome at the time.  I don't know if the wine we selected for dinner was named after her, but it was definitely a beautiful wine.  A few days ago I whipped up a batch of baked pasta shells stuffed with Italian sausage and a blend of cheeses.  To go with this meal we selected a 2010 Villa Farnia di Farnese Montepulciano from the Wall Street Journal Wine Club.

The Farnia di Farnese was a great Italian red.  The deep red opaqueness was the first indicator that this was an exceptionally rich wine.  Ripe fruits dominated by dark berries and plums offer a great fruity nose on this Montepulciano. When this wine hit the palate it was all smooth dark fruit.  The plum continued on and was joined by some notes of licorice and a touch of spice at the front of the palate.  

To say the wine went well with the pasta shells would be an understatement.  Overall it was a very rich dish since the shells were stuffed with Italian sausage, roasted garlic, onions, basil, ricotta, marscapone, parmesan, and romano cheeses.  This dish needed something rich to keep up with it.  The Montepulciano, tomato sauce, and Italian cheeses were meant to be paired together.  The Farnese was rich and fruitful which complimented the tanginess of the tomato sauce and savory of the cheese stuffing.  Everything just clicked together.

While the Farnese is a full flavored wine, it is not heavy or dry.  The smoothness and full flavor make this a great anytime wine, but it really shines with pasta dishes.   What's more, at $12 a bottle its perfectly priced for everyday drinking.  For more information on the 2010 Villa Farnia di Farnese Montepulciano you can visit:  http://www.wsjwine.com/

Loading up on Los Vascos

The other night Pris and I cracked open a bottle of 2006 Los Vascos Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon to go with our customary Sunday steak dinner.  Its been slow on the wine drinking lately, but this was a great wine to come back to.  The deep garnet wine was also a superb choice to go with our blue cheese, chevre, and garlic crusted strip steaks.

Los Vascos' Reserva Cab had a rich nose that was loaded with blackberry, cassis, and cherry.  All the usual hallmarks of great Cabs.  On the palate Los Vascos was big and bold with lots of fruit and great tannins.  Despite being big and bold, the Cab was still smooth and easily drinkable.  A blend of cassis and dark berry mixed with nice mineral undertones to create a robust and complex flavor.  Like any good Cab the Los Vascos had strong tannins that allowed for a satisfyingly dry and lingering finish.

This Chilean Cab went great with our steaks, shallot and crème fraiche potatoes, and balsamic vinaigrette salad.  The boldness of the wine was an excellent counterpoint to the richness of the flavors in the meal.  The cheese topping was extremely flavorful, and Los Vascos was not overwhelmed.  If fact it went great with the cheeses.  Overall, this was a great meal with a great wine.

I'm not sure where we picked up this particular bottle because we've had it for a while, before we started tracking our wine purchases.  Pris has it listed at $19 a bottle.  I've seen it at Jones Liquor (where we purchased a bottle when we moved) and at H.E.B.  Now the weather is turning "colder" these heavier wines will be good to keep you warm at night.  For more information on Los Vascos you can visit:  http://www.lafite.com/eng/Other-Estates/Vina-Los-Vascos

Another Lazy Afternoon with Marques De Caza

There are some awesome wines out there that are so rich and flavorful that they're almost beyond description.  Then there are good wines that you can drink almost anytime and they won't break the bank.  Marques de Caza's 2007 Tempranillo is one of these latter wines. 

When we bought this wine at Jones Liquor, Mike Jones told us it was an okay Tempranillo.  Not bad, but nothing particularly special.  After opening it up today I found he was once again right.  That's not to say the Marques is a bad wine, it just doesn't pack any wow factor.  However, at $11 a bottle its easily an everyday wine if you're a fan of Tempranillo's.

The Marques has an exceedingly fruity nose with loads of raspberry and currant.  As the wine breathed and opened the nose developed a bit more bite and the fruit notes became a touch muted.  The oxidation process didn't do much to dampen the lively fruit this wine packs on the palate though.  Ripe red berries dominate the palate, and there is just a spice towards the back of the palate.  The Marques has a mineral and spice finish that hits quickly, but then lingers for a bit.  All in all its a solid Tempranillo.

We opened this bottle up to go with so left over Rudy's BBQ brisket that we heated up for lunch.  The fruit and spice in the wine went really well with the smoke and spice rub on the brisket.  This wine was made for roasted red meats, and though its smoked, the brisket fit that bill well.  The fruit and spice also played well with the rich and spicy bbq sauce.

This is a good everyday drinking wine that is easily drinkable.  We picked it up at Jones liquor here in Brownsville and it runs about $11 a bottle.