Hall Revisited: Good Times are Here Again

As Pris and I work to get back into the habit of enjoying a good glass of wine a few times a week, we noticed that there are a number of great wines that we’ve reviewed and still have in stock. One of these is Hall’s Cabernet Sauvignon. Several years ago I reviewed a 2007 vintage, and recently had the pleasure of working through its 2011 cousin.

Despite the age difference the tasting notes remain relatively the same as in the original post (http://rgvinophiles.blogspot.com/2011/08/hall-simple-name-for-damn-good-wine.html).  However, one major difference was the overall smoothness of the wine. The initial Hall was about four years old while this vintage was five pushing on six. And that year seemed to make a delicious difference. Dark, full bodied, and smooth as liquid silk this was everything a fine wine should be.

We paired the 2011 with a bit of surf & turf, and it was amazing. But this wine was versatile enough to pair with anything from burgers to tenderloin and everything in between. What really seems to work is the aging. Most of our wines were purchased several years ago and seem to really be opening up nicely. If you decide to spend the $30 or so dollars on a bottle of Hall, wait on it. If you can store it in a relatively cool temperature let it age in peace, then enjoy it four or five years down the road. If you can’t wait that long I understand, but it will be worth it.

Simply a Stunner: Cameron Hughes Lot 136 Cabernet Sauvignon

Last weekend was a good weekend for eating and wine drinking.  While the Franciscan Merlot was good, the Cameron Hughes 136 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was one of the best wines Pris and I have had in quite some time.  This was one of the last of our Cameron Hughes stock and it was a good one. 

This was a great rich Cab.  The first hint of what was in store for us was the deep dark coloration of Lot 136.  On the nose, the Napa Cab was dark berry with subtle undertones of oak.  On the palate this wine exemplified everything that is great about Napa Cabs.  Deep rich fruit, blackberries, and cassis all melded together in perfect harmony.  Understated oak provided a nice backbone to the rich fruit.  Full tannins provided a great full bodied finish.  This Cab was superbly balanced and a joy to drink.

We opened the Cameron Hughes Lot 136 on a Sunday to go with our standard Sunday beef dish.  Initially I was just grilling up a sirloin, but the wine called for something a little grander.  In order to match the wine's sophistication I roasted some prosciutto wrapped fennel and prepared a bacon/blue cheese/butter for the steak.  The resulting meal was fantastic, and the wine was a perfect match.

Unfortunately Cameron Hughes' Lot 136 is now sold out and gone forever.  If you happen to find it at a Sam's or Costco buy it quickly.  If you're offered some at a dinner party, accept and enjoy.  You can find out more about Cameron Hughes wines and even get some suggestions on similar offerings at: www.chwine.com.

A Light Cabernet for June: Alambrado's Gran Seleccion Cabernet Sauvignon

June has been unseasonable hot this year, so I'm going to blame the weather for our lack of wine drinking this month.  Sadly we've only opened two bottles, and both of them were from Argentina and were enjoyed fairly recently.  The first bottle was Alambrado's Gran Seleccion 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, one of our few remaining Wall Street Journal Wine Club selections.

This was an extremely light Cab, which made it better suited to the inhospitable heat.  The wine started off like most Cabs with a nose that was lively and rich with the proper dark berry and cherry notes.  However, the lightness was immediately noticeable on the palate. The usual fullness found in most Cabs was absent, but that wasn't entirely a bad thing.  Cherry and currant strike first followed by nice undertones of smoky oak.  Light tannins rounded out this easy drinking summer wine.  The Alambrado opened up very nicely the second day.  The flavors became richer, but it was still lighter than your standard Cab.

We opened the wine to go with a couple of NY strips that H.E.B. had on sale.  While the wine did not go as well as a deeper and full Cab would have, the Alambrado still did passably well with the nicely charred beef.  If you're a fan of traditional full Cabs, this wine is not for you.  However, if you're looking for a decently priced lighter red that is more akin to some of the Spanish and Italian reds then this is a great wine for you.

This was a Wall Street Journal Wine Club wine that is no longer available on their site.  You can still find it available at a few online retailers for about $13.

The Last Flight of the Flying Winemaker: 2007 Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon

Pris and I have been trying to work through the last of our selection of Cameron Hughes wines.  As I stated in an earlier post they seem to be deteriorating on us.  Sunday when we arrived back home, Pris opened up our last Flying Winemaker bottle.  This happened to be a 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva from Chile's Maipo Valley.

This was a great Cab.  It wasn't ready to go until it decanted in the glass for about 40 minutes, but once it did, it was very good.  The nose was a little rough with big dark fruits mixed with heavy earth and mineral undertones.  While the nose had some issues, on the palate this Cab was big bold fruit and ripe tannins. It was everything a good Cab should be.  Dark cherry and raspberry mixed with good oak undertones up front.  Big tannins provided a nice full finish that lingered well after the wine was finished.

The Flying Winemaker's Chilean Cab would have been great with a perfectly grilled NY Strip, but we didn't have that on hand.  Instead we paired it with a Cowboy Casserole from Central Market.  It wasn't the best of pairings, but the bold wine went well with the heavily spiced casserole.  The wine does appear to be sold out online, but you may find it somewhere.  It you do, pair it with a nice piece of beef, you shouldn't be disappointed.

 This particular Flying Winemaker offering was $9 a bottle.  It is sold out, but you can find similar offerings at Cameron Hughes' site: http://www.chwine.com/wine/flyingwinemaker/

Rendezvous with the Rex Goliath Cabernet Sauvignon

Whenever Pris and I go to H.E.B. she often looks at the wines to see if there were any gems worth picking up.  One wine she always thought about, but never bought was Rex Goliath's Cabernet Sauvignon.  At $5 a bottle, it could be an excellent deal or a royal flop.  Since we no longer really have a decent go-to table wine we decided to give the Rex Goliath a try this week.

For $5 a bottle the Rex Cab isn't a bad little table wine.  That said, this is one of the fruitiest Cab's I ever had.  Ripe raspberry and plum dominated the nose, and gave a hint of what was to come.  On the palate the wine is big and fruity with more raspberry and plum.  Exceptionally soft tannins allowed for a soft and smooth finish.  This Cab was very reminiscent of a Beaujolais or a fruitier Merlot. 

If you enjoy a fruitier red, the Rex Goliath Cab is definitely a great everyday wine to have on hand.  At $5 a bottle, the price is pretty unbeatable and since its carried at H.E.B. you can acquire it at a number of locations throughout the Valley.  For more information on Rex Goliath and their wines you can visit:  http://www.rexgoliath.com/index.htm

Los Rosales Chapel Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Its been a really big slump in the wine drinking here in Brownsville.  I occasionally get comments from readers lamenting the fact that we're really not posting too much lately.  So a couple weeks ago I dove into our stash and pulled out one of our Wall Street Journal Wine Club Cabs to go with a Sunday steak dinner.

I pulled out a bottle of 2011 Los Rosales Chapel Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from the Rafael Valley in Chile.  The Cab had a big bold nose with lots of dark fruit and mineral.  Then the first sip.  Unfortunately my first impression was that the wine was awful.  It was compact, bitter, and I was even wondering if it had already turned. 

However, not being a person to let things go to waste I decided to let it breathe and give it another try.  I'm glad I did.  After resting in the glass and breathing for a good thirty minutes the Cab opened up, and the bitterness mellowed. It turned into a decent little wine.  After breathing you could make out a lot of cassis, mineral, and spice in the back of the palate. 

If you get this wine, let it breathe.  It may even be good to cellar it for a few years to see if that mellows things out.  I would recommend using a decanter and letting the wine breathe for at least an hour.  If you're not going to finish it in one setting then you can do the one glass decanting like I ended up doing.

The 2011 Los Rosales Chapel Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon costs $14 a bottle, and you can order it at the Wall Street Journal Wine Club's website: www.wsjwine.com.

Los Vascos Revisited

Between revolving bouts of flu/colds and bad allergy attacks, February has been a very rough month for wine drinking.  I fact this is both the first and last post for the month.  However, we hope to get back into the swing of things this weekend with the BHA's Third Annual Wine Tasting.

Despite everything, I did manage to get in a good meal and nice bottle of wine last weekend.  I worked up some skirt steaks from Thomas Heller's Ad Hoc at Home and cracked open a bottle of Los Vascos' 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile's Colchagua Valley.  The previous Los Vascos review was of a different vintage of the winery's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, and you could tell the difference.  The Reserve was both more refined and bolder on the palate, but the standard Cab was still a good wine for dinner.

The 2008 Los Vascos Cab had a big nose with nice aromas of cherry, plum, and dark fruit.  On the palate it was slightly sweeter and thinner than its reserve counterpart.  Still, nice strong overtones of cherry and currant worked over the palate.  Despite being a nice Chilean Cab, the Los Vascos offered up a very mellow finish with nice soft tannins.

The Chilean Cab was tailor made for the skirt steaks, mashed potatoes, and salad with red wine/herb vinaigrette.  I know skirt steaks are fajitas, but these were cut into 6 ounce steaks; marinated in garlic, rosemary, thyme, and pepper infused olive oil; and then pan-seared and broiled to a perfect medium rare.  You could taste all the herbs in every juicy bite.  A stronger red may have overpowered the subtle flavors the marinating infused into the beef, so the mellowness of the Los Vascos was a perfect compliment.  All the flavors of a solid Cab were present, but they didn't overpower the meal.

We picked up the 2008 Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon at H.E.B. for about $12.  You can find out more about Los Vascos' wines at: http://www.lafite.com/eng/Other-Estates/Vina-Los-Vascos

Last Wine of the Year: Dreaming Tree Cabernet

So we finished out the year with a nice little Cab from Dreaming Tree, from wine maker Steve Reeder and Dave Matthews.  Yes, the Dave Matthews. We received the 2009 Dreaming Tree Cabernet Sauvignon for Christmas from some friends of ours and decided to opened it up to go with our New Years Eve meal.  This California Cab from the North Coast was a great accompaniment to our final meal of the year.

The Dreaming Tree Cab was exceptionally mellow and easy to drink.  The Cab's nose was ripe dark berries and cassis with a undercurrent of spice.  On the palate this wine was loaded with blackberry, cassis, and dark chocolate.  Across the mid-palate there's a nice bit of oak and spice.  Supple tannins made for a nice mellow finish.  Again, this was an exceptionally smooth and easy drinking wine.

The wine went exceptionally well with the steak, Tuscan herbed mashed potatoes with fresh mozzarella, and the green bean/chayote squash casserole.  Of course the wine went great with the steak, the dark rich fruit were perfect with the medium rare strip.  The mellowness of the Cab allowed it to go with the lighter sides.     

Since the Dreaming Tree Cab was a gift, I'm not sure how much it costs.  I know I saw it on sale at Feldman's when I was there picking up lunch a few days ago.  For more information on the Dreaming Tree wine you can visit: www.dreamingtreewines.com

Cruising through our Cameron Hughes Stockpile with Lot 157

Sunday night a week ago (yes we've been lagging in the posting, but it was Christmas) Pris and I opened up a nice Cabernet Sauvignon from Cameron Hughes to go with a simple sirloin and mashed potato dinner.  Pris picked out Lot 157, which was a 2007 Cab from the Yountville region in Napa Valley.  So far, the Cameron Hughes wines have been excellent and diverse, and Lot 157 was no exception.

Lot 157 was a great deep dark wine with great garnet coloration.  On the nose this Cab was loaded with blackberry, cassis, and raspberry.  While the berry is powerful, it was not overwhelming.  When this wine hit the palate it was go time as rich fruits powered through the palate.  Ripe red fruits were dominant on the palate, but it was balanced with subtle tobacco notes.  Supple tannins round out this wine providing a smooth and mellow finish with none of the big bold dryness usually associated with Napa Cabs.  The finish lingers nicely and was very refreshing for a Cab.

We paired the Lot 157 Cab with a simple sirloin that was accompanied by mashed Yukon Gold potatoes with garlic and mascarpone cheese and salad with a simple red wine vinaigrette. The Cab was a solid performer with the steak and sides.  As usual, its hard to go wrong with the combination of Cabernet Sauvignon and steak.

Unfortunately Cameron Hughes' Lot 157 is now sold out.  If you search you can probably find some for sale on the internet.  However, you can also search Cameron Hughes' website and they will list similar Lots that they still have in stock.

Celebrating Pris' Birthday with Santa Rita's Medalla Real

Monday was Pris' birthday and we celebrated simply with a couple steaks and a bottle of fine Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon.  To go with her birthday meal Pris selected a bottle of Santa Rita Medalla Real 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile's Maipo Valley.  For Pris, and to some extent myself, there's nothing better than a big red wine and a medium rare chunk of beef.

The Medalla Real has a great nose, full of berries and black currant.  Even though its a big nose and flavor, the Cab is exceptionally smooth and easy to drink.  The palate is full of dark ripe berries with undercurrents of vanilla.  While this is a full bodied Cab, mild tannins allow for a smooth and uncomplicated finish.

The Medalla Real went great with the steaks, and its going down great on its own as I write this review.  This Cab will go great with beef and even some lighter fare.  It's flavors make it a great partner for both milder and sharp cheeses.

We purchased this bottle at H.E.B. for $16.  For the price, this is an excellent buy.  It will work for special occasions or just everyday sipping.  For more information on the wines from Santa Rita you can visit: http://www.santarita.com/international/home/

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.

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

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

Going to Geyser Peak

Last weekend we opened up a bottle of Geyser Peak 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon from California's Alexander Valley to go with a simple steak dinner.  Nothing fancy other than the curry pumpkin soup with some sirloin and roasted potatoes.  The Geyser Peak Cab was a great choice to go with the meal. 

The Geyser Peak Cab had a solid fruity nose with  the usual notes of cherry and dark berry.  It was lighter than most of the Cabs we've had, but still full flavored with great structure.  Solid cherry and blackberry dominate the palate while mixed in with just a touch of spice.  The finish was softer and ended more quickly than most Cabs, but it was still satisfying.

We picked up the Geyser Peak 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon at H.E.B. for $16.99.  This is a solid easy drinking Cab that is a good everyday wine.  The price is a bit on the high side for an everyday wine, but well worth it.  You can find out more about Geyser Peak wines at:  http://www.geyserpeakwinery.com//index.cfm

Enjoying a Bountiful B.R. Cohn

For whatever reason I was a little tired Sunday.  I initially had grand plans for our evening meal, but by the time I went to H.E.B. to pick up supplies I was already feeling a bit rundown.  So I decided to do a tried and true dinner of steak, baked potato, and salad.  To go with this easy meal Pris selected a bottle of 2007 B.R. Cohn Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Cohn has is one of our go to wines when we can find it.  We've bought it at H.E.B., Jones Liquor, and wherever we run across it.  This is a nice little Cab.  Its not as full bodied as most, but it still offers great flavor and a nice strong finish.

The 2007 B.R. Cohn Cab had a deep fruit nose that was loaded up with ripe dark fruits.  This is a softer and mellower Cab, but it still had loads of rich raspberries, cherries, and cassis.  All the hallmarks of a good Cab.  The Cohn opens up across the mid-palate and ended with a mellow, but nicely tannic and dry finish. 

Despite it being lighter, the Cohn went really well with steak, potato, and salad.  Of course the deep fruit and tannic nature of the wine complimented the rich beef flavors in the medium rare sirloin.  It was surprising how well the wine went with the salad that had just a simple home-made red wine vinaigrette.  The soft fruit and mellow nature of the wine went very well with the tangy herbal salad.  As a side note, I love making my own vinaigrettes.  They're easy and hard to mess up since all you have to do is keep adding more oil or vinegar (and sundry herbs) till you get the flavor you want.

The B.R. Cohn is great little Cab, especially if you're looking for full flavor minus the big boldness of most Cabs.  We picked up this bottle at either H.E.B. or Jones Liquor (we grabbed the last two there on our first trip in).  The Cohn Cab runs about $17 a bottle.  For more information on B.R. Cohn and their wines you can visit:  http://www.brcohn.com//

The Way of Cenay



Sunday I should have been hunting with my family, but was sidelined after a small kitchen accident.  However, all was not lost.  Since I wasn't out in Bluetown, I was able to make a nice little dinner for Pris and I.  The same injury that kept me out of the field meant that it needed to be an easy dinner, so flank steak with caper sauce and grilled asparagus seemed to fit the bill. 

To go with this rich fare Pris selected a 2006 Cenay Blue Tooth Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, California.  Apparently September is California Wine Month, and Pris remembered that this is a great California Cab.  Despite all that though, you can't really go wrong with beef and California Cab.



The Cenay hits with loads of ripe red fruit on the nose.  The typical raspberry and blueberry aromas were in full effect.  This Cab was full and flavorful on the palate.  The same ripe raspberries and some cassis worked together with a bit of oak worked together nicely.  The Cab starts of smooth at first, and continues smoothly through the mid-palate.  But then bold tannins come out and lead you into a big biting finish.





Essentially, the 2006 Cenay Cab is everything you'd expect from a California Cab.  It went great with the flank steak with caper sauce, grilled asparagus with manchego cheese, and toasted Italian cheese bread.  The savory bite of the caper sauce was a great counter-point to the fruit in the wine.  At the same time, the beef itself complimented the lush Cab very well.  We're actually finishing off the wine as I write this.  It went well with tonight's dinner which was a bone in strip steak with mushroom/goat cheese polenta.  Again, the bold Cenay Cab was a great compliment to the beef and the savory polenta.



If you're looking for something exceptional, this isn't quite it.  If you're looking for a really good Califonia Cab and are willing to spend a bit more, then this is a wine for you.  We picked up this wine originally at Central Market in Austin.  This particular bottle that is now empty was purchased at Jones Liquor for $37, but they also sell it at Feldmans as well here in the Valley.  For more information on the Cenay line of wines you can visit:

http://www.rowlandcellars.com/about_cenay.html