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

The French Know Their Stuff: Beef Bourguignon and Chatteau Messile-Aubert

Pris and I really like the beef bourguignon from H.E.B. Central Market, but last Sunday I decided to try my own had at making it.  After 5 hours of cooking it was finally done, and it was time for dinner and wine.  To go with a quintessential French dish you have to have a French wine.  Pris and I selected the 2006 Chatteau Messile-Aubert from the Wall Street Journal Wine Club.

The Chatteau Messile-Aubert was a great big red with a deep dark color.  On the nose there was plenty of cherry, currant, and dark berry.  This was a great rich wine, and the cherry, black currant continue on the palate.  Intermingled with the dark fruit is a nice undercurrent of oak and herb.  The finish was juicy and lingering.  Even though this is a big full bodied wine, it was full fruited but lacking the heavy tannins that you find in most Cabs and other big reds.

The Chatteau Messile-Aubert went great with the beef bourguignon, I mean really fantastic.  The rich wine was a perfect compliment to the wine infused beef and mushrooms.  To go with the beef and sauce I included a couple slices of French bread slathered with herb infused chevre cheese.  Again, the wine was the perfect compliment to the rich goat cheese and bread.  Basically you can't go wrong pairing the Chatteau Messile-Aubert with succulent beef dishes and tangy rich cheeses.

The wine was a gift, and it came from the Wall Street Journal Wine Club, but it seems to be out of stock now.  You can find it online at a couple different sites though.  For more information on Chatteau Messile-Aubert you can visit: http://aubert-vignobles.com/messile-aubert.php?specid=3&langid=2

Back to Basics with Alamos Malbec

Even though we loaded up on meals while in San Antonio, I finally broke down and cooked a quick meal last Wednesday.   The prepared meals from Central Market are great, but there's something nice about grilling up your own hunk of beef.  To go with the sirloin we opened up a bottle of Alamos 2009 Malbec.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, you can't go wrong pairing beef and Argentine wine.

The Alamos Malbec is your typical big bold Malbec.  The nose was all dark berry and currant.  While the wine mellowed as it breathed, the bouquet stayed nice and full and bold.  On the palate this Malbec all bold and tannic.  Dark berries and cherries with hints of leather and tobacco flow nicely with each other across the palate.  As the wine goes down the boldness asserts itself.  Towards the mid-palate you start to get a nice touch of spice.  The Malbec finishes strong and full with audacious tannins.

It pretty much goes without saying that the wine and steak went great together.  We got the 2009 Alamos Malbec from our friend Isaac Guerra as an apartment warming gift.  Pris thinks it came from Jones Liquor before that though.  We have a 2010 we picked up, but that one is going to cellar for a bit. For more information about the Alamos Malbec you can visit: http://alamoswines.com/en/

Back at Home with Baron Carl

I blame the lack of posting this week on a prolonged recovery from an obstacle run I did with some friends last Saturday in Bastrop.  Despite being worn out, Pris and I were able to pick some good food and wines from Central Market.  For dinner Sunday night we heated up a beef bourguignon from Central Market and opened up a 2006 Baron Carl Saint-Emilion to go with it.

The Baron Carl was a deep dark red wine with a great nose full of soft fruit.  As the evening wore on, the wine opened up nicely.  When we first started the Baron Carl was soft and smooth on the palate with light berry notes.  As it opened it developed more structure and a deeper flavor.  The soft berry notes were replaced by deeper, darker, and far bolder fruit.  Once the wine opened up it finished with a nice dry tannic finish.

This wine went great with the meal, but this wine seems made for rich beef and potato meals.  We had another similar meal tonight, but more on that later. I bought the Baron Carl at Feldman's Market Center here in Brownsville when I picked up lunch one day.  It runs about $20 a bottle.  Interestingly, the same folks who make Baron Carl also produce Mouton Cadet.

A Birthday Bash with Alto Moncayo

OK, it wasn't so much a bash as it was  Pris and I celebrating my birthday last night, and if your birthday isn't a good enough reason to break out a great bottle of wine, I don't know what is.  It would've been great to have a fantastic meal to go with the wine, but due to a program going on downstairs we had to settle for a NY strip from Texas Roadhouse.  Even though the meal was okay, the wine was exceptional.  Pris picked out a bottle of Alto Moncayo 2008 Granacha, and it was fantastic.

Pris actually opened the bottle about four hours before we ate so the bottle had plenty of time to decant.  This was done based on Mike Jones' recommendation when he sold us the wine.  The Alto Moncayo was so many things, big and bold, smooth and rich, and excellent. 

Alto Moncayo had an indulgent and complex nose that was a mix of ripe berry and earthiness.  When this wine hit the palate it was all pleasurable layered flavor.  Rich dark ripe berry melded with spicy and fruity notes that all develop and intensify as the wine progresses.  The finish is paradoxically soft as the wines flavor intensifies to a fruity intensity that borders on sweetness.  Despite the sweetness, this is not a sweet wine.  It is a phenomenal wine, and hopefully another special occasion will come along that warrants getting another bottle.

The granacha is heavy enough to pair well with the steak, and this wine worked well with dinner.  The Alto Moncayo was smooth enough to drink all on its own after dinner as well.  However, where this wine really shone was when it was paired with herbed goat cheese, manchego cheese, and fontina cheese.  Pris said the wine contrasted well with the spicy buffalo chicken strips I cooked up for her too. 

We picked this bottle of Alto Moncayo 2008 Granacha at Jones Liquor here in Brownsville.  It runs about $57.99 a bottle, which is to be expected for a 93 point wine.  I couldn't find a website for this wine, but there are a number of places selling and writing reviews of it online. Definitely keep this one in mind when you're looking for a big, bold, and fantastic wine for whatever the occasion may be.

Navarro Correas has a Nice Little Merlot

The last post of the month!  Early on it looked like we wouldn't get through too many wines this month, the drinking just wasn't happening.  But we've managed to get through a decent number of wines this month after all.  The final wine of the month is Bodegas Navarro Correas Collecion Privada 2007 Merlot.

The Navarro Correas Merlot was a good easy drinking every day wine.  It had a fruity nose with lots of ripe berry and a touch of musky earthiness.  On the palate you're hit with a well structured fruitiness that borders on sweet.  However, as the wine continues on its course it develops a bit more bite and fullness.  Along the mid-palate the berry fades and a nice oakiness comes to the fore.  The Merlot has a nice tannic finish that slowly fades after the sipping is done.

We paired the Navarro Correas Merlot with a paprika and flour breaded pan fried steak served with a tomato gravy.  It paired really well with the meal.  The fruitful wine countered well with the savory garlicky tomato gravy, and complimented the breaded beef portion all at the same time.

The Navarro Correas Collecion Privada Merlot runs about $10 a bottle.  We picked ours up at Jones Liquor here in Brownsville, but I've seen it around.  For the price its a great everyday wine that's really easy to drink.  It's mellow nature also will allow it to go with a number of different food pairings.  For more information on Navarro Correas and their wines you can visit their website here:  http://www.ncorreas.com/index.htm

Bogle Vineyard's Pinot Noir

Monday night I offered Pris a couple different dishes for dinner.  Unfortunately for her the one she wanted took about an hour and a half to cook.  On the plus side we had a lot of time to pick a wine and let it decant. Dinner was a whole roasted chicken that was rubbed with goat cheese and cilantro under the skin and stuffed with garlic and lemon.  Towards the end of the roasting the chicken was glazed with honey and crushed red peppers.  To go with this great rich meal Pris and I selected a 2009 Bogle Vineyards Pinot Noir.

The Bogle Pinot had a great complex nose that was loaded with berry goodness.  As the wine crossed the palate it was full of ripe fruit.  Towards the end there was a nice bit of mineral bite and a touch of spice.  The Pinot ends with a nice lingering finish.  This is a well balanced wine with nice herbal undertones that is mellow enough to go with almost any type of food.

The Bogle Pinot went really well with the roasted chicken and salad.  The chicken was a mix of creamy rich cheese, sweet and spicy glaze, and the sharp tang of the cilantro and lemon.  The meal was accompanied by a salad with a champagne vinaigrette with the remainder of the goat cheese and cilantro.  The mellow fruit of the Bogle Pinot went great with the rich flavors of the chicken and salad.

I picked up the Bogle at World Market while I was in Corpus Christi for a conference last week.  It runs about $11 a bottle, and its a great mellow everyday wine to keep on hand.  I kind of wished I'd picked up a couple more bottles since our Pinot selection is somewhat limited.  For more information on Bogle and its wines you can visit:  http://www.boglewinery.com/home.php