Broken Earth Chardonnay

2004
Australia

Does anyone have any info on the winery that produces the Broken Earth Australian label?

It seems the winery that makes this may have gone under. I can find very little further info on it other than one report that it didn't make it financially. If anyone has any info out there on it, let me know. You can either Tweet me or you can write to me by clicking on the link on the left for "merlotsoul" and follow the email link.

Maybe it was the name that piqued my interest immediately, but I really enjoyed this Chardonnay. I was volunteer bartender last night at an auction and the wines we were serving had been donated. At the end of the night I sat back and enjoyed a glass of this. I am one of the few who actually enjoys the oak flavor to my chardonnay, however, this was a low-oak (if any at all) wine which was very "clean" in flavor. It was citrus-like and melon-full, yet low in acidity. It was smooth and very enjoyable. I had it with cold asparagus and thoroughly enjoyed it. I would like to purchase some but am finding very little info available.

If I had a cape like Katy Perry's, it would say "Kris Allen". I was a big fan of Kris' even before he sealed the deal by singing my favorite current song "Falling Slowly" by Glen Hansard and nailed it. I highly, highly recommend Glen Hansard's movie "Once", which contains not only this, but a couple of other incredible songs (and Marketa's hauntingly beautiful accompanying voice) as well as a story line that emotionally effected me.

Words fall through me
And always fool me
And I can't react
And games that never amount
To more than they're meant
Will play themselves out

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice
You've made it now

Falling Slowly, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova


http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3j7jc_glen-hansard-marketa-irglova-fallin_music


8.0 out of 10
$13 / 750 ml. bottle
(I didn't get the alcohol content.)

Monsanto Chianti Classico

2004
Riserva
Italy

A warm, earthy, smoked leather cherry and vanilla mushroom in the mouth. :)


Finally, I found another chianti I really like. Deep ruby in color, silky smooth and full bodied, it is recommended to decant this wine several hours? We did with one bottle and we didn't with the other. Both tasted the same. And there was little sediment if any. You don't need to decant. Either way, it's highly enjoyable and recommended to drink now through 2016.


And I don't understand
by the touch of your hand
I would be the one to fall

I miss the little things
I miss everything about you

It doesn't mean much
it doesn't mean anything at all
the life I left behind me
is a cold room

Sarah McLachlan, Sweet Surrender



WS 91, WE 90

8.5 out of 10
$20 / 750 ml. bottle
13.5% alc. by vol.

Passing Clouds

2004
Reserve Shiraz
Bendigo
Australia

This is just a real quick recommendation based on this wine I brought home tonight. It was really, really good. But I think it will be awesome with some brief cellar time. It is recommended to drink now through 2010-2012, with it most likely being magnificent in the latter range.

I was very excited to taste my first mint experience in a red. Passing Clouds has a wonderful smoky scent. It is a full-bodied multi-berry, woodsy-oak, with hints of vanilla and mint. It's a bit tart on the finish, which is where I think the most improvement will be with a couple more years. I think its potential finish will be velvet.

Although it is not a budget wine, the flavor is there and I truly believe if you purchase it now and save it a bit, it will be a great buy in the short-term long run (when the price goes up and you've already got it unopened and only improving with age).

Very good on its own, it is recommended as an accompaniment to red meat.

Robert Parker gave this a 91 rating.

I end with a favorite song excerpt from one of my very favorite adult alternative voices, Joshua Radin.

. . . But I look at you, warm in your dream
While your mobile dances above
And I think to myself
It's a beautiful night
And I know everything
Is gonna be alright
Yes now I know
It'll be alright

Joshua Radin
Everything'll Be Alright (Will's Lullaby)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0cSev4R5rs&feature=related

8.5 out of 10
15% alc. by vol.
$24 / 750 ml bottle

Palazzo Della Torre Veronese

2004
Allegrini
Italy

Will definitely drink this very smooth wine again. Buy now to drink and/or cellar for a few years.

70% Corvina Veronese
25% Rondinella
5% Sangiovese

I thoroughly enjoyed this very smooth, full-bodied red. Deep velvety red in color, it was very fruit forward in scent and initial mouth full. Had a big blackberry scent and flavor up front for me. It 's finish was pleasant, not as long as I might have liked, but enjoyable. It was good all on its very own - no food influences. It wasn't as distinct in flavor once the addition of food was made (black bean and roasted garlic stew).







8.25 out of 10 (The Guy gives it a 9.0 without the addition of food. 8.5 with tonight's dinner)
13.5% alc. by vol
$20 / 750 ml bottle

Tiz Red Red Wine

2004

Red Table Wine

Santa Rosa, California

Would drink again.

This is a simple, berry flavored red wine. Slight finish. Not bad. Wasn't too bad alone or with lasagna. Cheap.

Can't get no rest, don't know how I work all day

When will I learn? Memories get in the way

I walk around, I can't hear a sound, folks talkin' loud

But I don't see at all, I gotta get away, gotta get away
I don't know where to go

It's hopeless so I guess I'll leave it alone

Games people play, night or day, they're just not matchin'

What they should do keeps me feelin' blue

The Spinners, Games People Play

7.50 out of 10

$7.99 / 750 ml. bottle

13.5% alc. by vol.

http://www.tizwinery.com/

Silverado

2004
Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley, CA
(Stag's Leap District)

First: Thank you to "Morgan" for the post giving me a head's up on the "Red Truck" changeover. I will be interested to see what comes of it. I am a fan in general of "Cline" wines - especially the ancient vine zin.

Blend: 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc

Would definitely drink again - though not in the budget.

This was a gift from my boss so it wasn't in my usual price range. He gave it to me in December and I saved it for a special occasion. I decided to share it with my mom and stepdad and grandmother over Easter dinner. My mother made my grandmother's Yankee Pot Roast and it seemed as good a time as any.

I loved the scent right away - it had an oak and earth scent that drew me in. The flavor was probably more of a black cherry mixed with oak, earth and licorice or eucalyptus. The finish was smooth and lingering. It accompanied the pot roast very nicely. BUT - once again - the age-old question. Is a more expensive wine bound to be better than a less expensive one? I believe, in most cases, no. My mom and I really enjoyed this wine - in fact we all did. But, as my mom and I discussed, I wouldn't spend $45 myself to experience it again. There are many equally tasty wines for $20 and under.

And the song of the day in my head (one of my all-time FAVORITES):

How many special people change?
How many lives are living strange? . . .
Someday you will find me
Caught beneath the landslide
In a champagne supernova in the sky

Champagne Supernova, OASIS

8.5 out of 10
14.5% alc. by vol.
$45 / 750 ml bottle
www.silveradovineyards.com

Dynamite Chardonnay

2004
Mendocino County
Sonoma, California

Will drink again.

This wine was pretty good on its own, but it was really good with shrimp, ricotta, garlic and basil pizza. It's scent was of pineapple and oak. The flavor was definitely pineapple, apple and vanilla. It wasn't as rich and buttery as I would have liked, but I did pick up ever so slight mineral notes when having a sip after a bite of pizza. Overall, it was worth it's price.

Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing.
-Ernest Hemingway, "Death in the Afternoon"

8.0 out of 10
13.6% alc. by vol.
$13.99 / 750 ml. bottle
http://www.dynamitevineyards.com/

Terrilogio

2004
Toscana
Italy

85% Sangiovese
10% Cabernet Sauvignon
5% Merlot

Will drink again.

A funny thing happened when I was looking for an appetizer that would accompany McManis Cabernet for my mother's B'Day dinner last week. The Guy and I have had McManis before and really liked it (see October reviews). He brought some home again a couple of weeks ago and I was reminded of what a really good value it is. So I thought I'd serve that as our before-dinner wine at my mom's dinner. I couldn't find anything on the internet that recommended an appetizer. Then, finally, a recommended pairing comes up and I'm relieved. It recommended Horseradish Cheddar with wheat crackers. I'm reading it and then I happened to notice the site - it was this one! So I took my own advice and we simply had cheddar and crackers.

So, last night I wanted to get another couple of bottles of McManis and went into my local wine shop. They only had the merlot. I have had the merlot and it's not nearly as good as the cab. So I passed. Then I came across the Italians and saw a "Super Tuscan" advertised. I decided to give it a try.

The bouquet was enticing the minute it was opened. There was a wonderful strong scent of black cherry and oak. The first mouthful seemed as though it would taste as good as it smelled. There was the oak and cherry up front, some heat, dryness and then a weakening. I was slightly disappointed, but enjoyed it anyway. It got MUCH tastier with an Italian Boule dipped in garlic and oregano olive oil.

"Super Tuscan" is the term used to describe any Tuscan red that doesn't follow regional traditional blending laws. They often use a combination of grapes which then makes them ineligible for DOC(G) classification under traditional rules. But this originally caused them to be labeled as "Vino da Tavola" (i.e. "table wine") which was considered the lowest of the low, even though some of these wines are the finest in the world. The recent formation of the Indicazione Geografica Tipica category (which represents a level of quality somewhere between Vino da Tavola and DOC[G]) has helped Super Tuscans regain their place in the wine world.

No nation is drunken where wine is cheap; and none sober, where the dearness of wine substitutes ardent spirits as the common beverage. It is, in truth, the only antidote to the bane of whiskey.

-Thomas Jefferson

8.0 out of 10
$10.99 / 750 ml. bottle
12.5% alc. by vol.

Chinon

2004
Clos Du Chene Vert
France

Would drink again.

Another wine sent home with me from my uncle. The color when poured was a bejeweled ruby. I loved the scent of this wine and couldn't wait to taste it. I smelled Brie and strawberry and smoke. Although the taste was less berry than I would have liked, I did taste a slight Brie-ness and smoke. But it was a little on the drier side than I normally like, and, not enough big flavor for my total enjoyment. It was more light to medium body, leaning more on the light side. It did accompany Dill Havarti and wheat crackers nicely though.

In my humble amateur opinion, the tannins need softening on this one. A bit tart and would probably do well to stay in the cellar a couple more years.

Go, little book, and wish to all
Flowers in the garden, meat in the hall,
A bin of wine, a spice of wit,
A house with lawns enclosing it,
A living river by the door,
A nightingale in the sycamore!

-Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)Underwoods, I. 1, 'Envoy'

8.0 out of 10
12.5% alc. by vol.
Approx. $22 / 750 ml bottle
http://www.charlesjoguet.com/

Pride Merlot

Posting 2 and 3 of 4 Related:

2004
Vintner Select Cuvee
Sonoma County
California

First, eatingplum.blogspot.com, your snowmen cake is so sweet! Nice job. I am so excited about Fondant. I should probably take a class too as I got so much from the informal shower lesson. I appreciate your comments - thank you. Your recipes look good too, especially the Tagliatelle - I will try to pair with wine. I'm thinking right off the cuff that the budget-friendly The Third Bottle white wine would probably accompany it well. However, I have a bottle of 2005 Kistler Chardonnay my uncle gave me that I am already thinking about what menu options to serve it with (however, not exactly budget-friendly).

On to my current review(s): I guess I have (2) wines to review here but I don't have enough info on the second bottle. After we had our Chardonnay but prior to dinner, Uncle Bob, knowing I'm a Merlot lover, brought out a bottle of Pride (incidentally, he sent one home with me too). This wine was excellent on it's own AND with our dinner. My aunt made a delicious Hearts of Palm salad (with Hearts of Palm, grape tomatoes, avocado, Feta cheese, and other delicious ingredients that escape me at the moment, served with a rasberry vinagrette) and we ordered a phenomenal pizza - pesto sauce, pignolia nuts, and Feta cheese.

The scent was "warm"and very inviting. Lots of oak, vanilla, and berry flavor with a "warm stone" finish were the main flavors I was hit with. I worried what the taste of dinner would do to the wine, but it stood up nicely to the various flavors and I thoroughly LOVED this wine.

I mentioned to Uncle Bob my disappointment in not finding a French Merlot that I was yet impressed with. I told him how I find most of the French reds "watered down" and I seem to definitely be more of a California girl. That prompted him to offer a taste test. Although I was completely happy with the Pride, I took part in the 1995 Pomerol Uncle Bob brought up from the wine cellar. It was very good. The immediate taste for me was definitely Earth. It's extremely different from the California. As Uncle Bob and I discussed, the California is all about the berry, and the French is all about the earth. Very interesting and fun. I still preferred the California.





















Looking for the right one unread
Needing to lighten the freight in my head
Here comes that sinking feeling again
Throw me a lifeline with no end
For time is robbing me blind
And gravity is not being kind
Sia's "Breathe Me" comes on the radio
And I think oh how appropos:

"Ouch I have lost myself again
Lost myself and I am nowhere to be found,
Yeah I think that I might break
I've lost myself again and I feel unsafe

Be my friend
Hold me, wrap me up
Unfold me
I am small
I'm needy
Warm me up
And breathe me"

9.0 out of 10
$56 - $63 / 750 ml bottle
14.6% alc. by vol.
Mountain Top Vineyard

I would have to give the Pomerol an 8.5 out of 10 (I'm sorry I can't recall the Chateau and my picture is too small to get further info off of).

Reynolds Shiraz

2004
South Australia

Will drink again. Bonzer Mate.

First, an aside:
Funny thing - I know this woman, who just so happens to be my mother, and she called me up recently to tell me she tried The Holy Trinity (more like drank the whole bottle in one sitting), also care of The Bro, and yet, I never saw any commented posted from her. Hmmm.

Now, onto the most recent tasting:
Ok, ok, ok. It was supposed to really snow last night and I so love the snow and impending storms (some storm that turned out to be - facetiously spoken) and I made a fire in the fireplace and just wanted a glass of wine, in spite of my diet. So, here I am reviewing a wine before I intended to.

As I am SO lucky thanks to Christmas purchases, gifts and trades to have mostly wines above $20 in my home at the moment, I chose the only cheaper wine we had (though, as it was a gift, I didn't know its pricing until I looked it up). I made a pork loin for dinner and chose this Shiraz. I opened the bottle and poured a glass and brought it into The Guy and told him to tell me what he was drinking. His first reaction, right off the bat was, "Shiraz." Then he let it settle and he changed to a "Cabernet." Then he said, "It must be a blend because it's not quite a Cabernet." Not too bad - I'm impressed. It's actually 93% Shiraz and 7% Cabernet. He also believed it to be an "under $20 more than $15 wine."

I was slightly impressed with this wine - I don't know if it's because I took a wine break for awhile and can really taste well, or if it's just because I haven't had any in awhile and any wine is good! The scent was of black cherry and pepper. The taste was exactly as it smelled with a slight heat finish that was fairly smooth. It was good with the pork loin and good on its own. However, the wine bottle recommends (and I love this next sentence!): "It's bonzer with tri-tip steak, sausages, ribs or any food fit for the Barbie."

I think this is a good value for the money. The Guy and I figured, based on initial taste, its price range to be $15-17. It's $9.99.

She gets up and pours herself a strong one
And stares out at the stars up in the sky
Another night, it's gonna be a long one
She draws the shade and hangs her head to cry

She wonders how it ever got this crazy
She thinks about a boy she knew in school
Did she get tired or did she just get lazy?
She's so far gone she feels just like a fool

My, oh my, you sure know how to arrange things
You set it up so well, so carefully
Ain't it funny how your new life didn't change things
You're still the same old girl you used to be

-------The Eagles

8.0 out of 10
$9.99 / 750 ml bottle
13.5% alc. by vol
http://www.reynoldsvineyards.com/

Altos de Luzon

2004

Jumilla

Spain

Another gem brought by The Bro this Christmas. A dark plum in color, Altos de Luzon is a smooth, full bodied, well balanced blend of 50% Monastrell, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 25% Tempranillo. An ever so slightly bitter blackberry flavor with granite earthiness, this wine lost the slight bitterness and became more smoky with air. I liked it much more the second night than the first (though it was very good the first night as well - it was just better after it had been opened).

Wine Enthusiast gave this a 91 rating; Robert Parker gave it a 90 rating.

From one of my favorite singer-songwriters, one of my favorite songs - because my diamonds are on the inside:

A candle throws its light into the darkness

In a nasty world so shines a good deed

Make sure the fortune that you seek

Is the fortune that you need

Tell me why the first to ask

Is the last to give every time

What you say and do not mean

Follows you close behind

She had diamonds on the inside . . .

Ben Harper, "Diamonds on the Inside"

8.25 out of 10 (The Guy says he'd give it a whopping 9.0)

14.5% alc. by vol.

$15 / 750 ml bottle

The Dead Arm (It needs no other introduction)

2004
McLaren Vale
Shiraz

Would most definitely drink again (on someone else’s tab).

The Gal: I traded Thanksgiving pies for this wine - normally we would not spend the amount this cost on a bottle of wine. My brother recommended The Dead Arm to me last spring and I “fell in love” with the whole “dead arm” story: Dead Arm is a vine disease caused by the fungus Eutypa lata. One half of the vine's arm becomes dead wood. But the grapes on the other side are used to make this wine. As my brother told me, the diseased area actually forces all of the flavor to the other side that remains healthy – the side used to make the wine.

So, I kept it in the back of my mind and would look for it wherever I found myself wine shopping. I found it recently and it was $60. I couldn’t buy it, I just couldn’t bring myself to spend that much for a bottle of wine I hadn’t had before. A short time later, a friend of mine was complaining that he couldn’t find any “new” good wines to taste.
Nothing was grabbing him. I told him about The Dead Arm that my brother had told me about. He ended up buying it and he agreed to give me a bottle if I made a couple of pies in exchange. It was a deal.

I decided to try it when my brother was home for Thanksgiving. I sat in my great, great grandmother’s cherry Shaker rocker by our first fire of the season at around 11:30 p.m. and savored The Dead Arm. It was very, very good – excellent. It’s dark inky color was followed in scent by a slight earthy smokiness (or maybe light creosote). It’s taste was black cherry and "hotness", then my favorite, “minerality”, settled in and was followed by a long slightly smokey finish.I loved this wine. It was very reminiscent of two of my previous favorites: Yangarra Vineyard Shiraz and “Bogle’s” Phantom. That said, those (2) favorite wines were about a third of the price. So, I must conclude that, for the price, The Dead Arm was a bit much, at least for our budget. I truly believe that Phantom and Yangarra, at approximately $20-something, are better buys. But, if money is no object to you, I do recommend the taste of The Dead Arm. I had it without any food pairing.

If you don’t make a move without Robert Parker’s permission, this wine received a “95” rating by him.

"Cold hearted orb that rules the night,

removes the colours from our sight,

red is gray and yellow white,

but we decide which is right and which is an illusion."

Justin Hayward and The Moody Blues

(My brother and I recited this in unison over Thanksgiving - this was from my all time favorite "album" "Days of Future Passed" by the "Moody Blues"and "The London Symphony Orchestra" - thank you to my parents for turning me on to really fine music at a young age )

9.0 out of 10

14.5% alc. by vol.

$55.99 - $68.99 / 750 ml. bottle

http://www.darenberg.com.au/

http://www.darenberg.com.au/files/2004%20The%20Dead%20Arm%20Shiraz.pdf

CRUSH Proprietary Red Wine

2004
Dry Creek Valley
California

Will drink again.

I wasn't too sure at first about this wine. High alcohol content and a little bitter balanced slightly by vanilla and borderline "cheap" on the finish, but big fruit up front and in the middle with a pleasant (though slight) heat toward the end. However, with my pizza, it was terrific. Would pair well with a hearty, cheesy pasta dish also. For the price, it's a good "daily" wine for accompaniment to a casual dinner. Nice fruit, slightly oak and vanilla bouquet.

Will I ever see your face,

from across my table?

A guest having come to dine,

will we ever be able?

Chardonnay, Zin, Cab, Merlot or Port,

always pondering as I take in my wine.

True friendship is long, but life is too short.

8.0 out of 10
$9.99 / 750 ml bottle
15.%% alc. by vol.
Crush Winery, Healdsburg, CA

This post is by The Gal who accidentally posted under The Guy's log-in.

Red4 Vina Robles

2004

Huerhuero

Paso Robles, San Miguel

California

Will definitely drink again. Although not wicked cheap, I think this is a great value - it tastes like a more expensive wine.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

This wine is recommended to drink now, and for the next (3) years.

Once again, I am enamored with a blend. This delicious wine is 60% Syrah, 28% Petite Sirah, 8% Touriga, 3% Tannat - hence the name: "Red4". The bouquet is hard for me to describe. It was enticing, though it was like a broccoli - red meat scent for me. Strange, I know. Slightly spicey, but really nice black cherry fruit and slight vanilla flavor with a hint of cocoa before the finish (vanilla and chocolate do actually work together). The finish is slightly peppery. I enjoyed this alone and with a Kashi (http://www.kashi.com/) Mediterranean pizza (spinach, fire-roasted tomatoes, red onion, sweet red pepper, feta cheese with whole grain and flax seed crust).

Let me tell you brother, she’s been sleeping in the Devil’s bed.

And there’s some rumors going round,

Someone’s underground,

She can rock you in the nighttime’til your skin turns red.

Woo hoo witchy woman,

See how high she flies.

Woo hoo witchy woman,

She's got the moon in her eyes.

Witchy Woman - The Eagles

8.5 out of 10

$13.99 / 750 ml. bottle

14.3% alc. by vol.

http://www.vinarobles.com/

Chapelle-St.-Arnoux Gigondas

Cuvee
2004
France

This was a good French wine - will buy again.

I bought this wine to go with "Boeuf Bourguignonne" (Beef Burgundy) - please visit http://www.cheznathalie.com/ for the recipe. I was looking for a Bordeaux preferably but ended up with this. It was really good, though it needed a little more "oomph". But I enjoyed it very much anyway. Although I felt it needed more fruit and did not seem to have a "burst of flavor", there was something about it I liked a lot. It did have a slight mineralness in the finish which I enjoy. It had a bit of a "warm rock" taste as well. It was very consistent and balanced. I enjoyed it more on its own than with the meal. I felt the meal needed a stronger wine to bring out the taste of the recipe and the wine did not hold up as well to the strong flavors of the meal. But it was good anyway.

She dances to "Wilco"
Round and round she goes
She bends down and looks at me upside down through her knees
Then she bounces up and spins until she's dizzy

I tell her to keep going when she wants to take a break
I want to write a poem about her dancing
And she laughs "Oh for Heaven's Sake!"

She's only six years old and cute as can be
Full of life and so much fun, oblivious to Time
Dancing to the chorus "Can You Leave Me Like You Found Me"
I can't imagine life without her as I sip my Gigondas wine

8.0 out of 10
$14.99 / 750 ml bottle
14% alc. by vol.

Novy Syrah 2004

2004 Novy Syrah
Gary's Vineyard

Santa Lucia Highlands

California

Will drink again (though not currently in the budget - The Bro bought this one).

(I know I was supposed to review Penfold's Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz 2001 next but we had so many different wines in two days that I couldn't keep up. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't outstanding and it was $19.99. I will try to do an official review at a later date.)

This wine smelled rather lightly of slight fruit and herb. The flavor was delicious -slightly dry at first, becoming less so as the fruit kicked in, then the berry flavor sort of turned spicy beef-burgundy like with a nice herb-like finish. We had this wine with parmesean encrusted chicken, roasted asparagus and curried saffron rice. We were all hit up side the head with wicked pepper and spicy curry when a bite of the rice was followed by a sip of wine. We weren't sure if the wine was doing it to the food or the food was doing it to the wine (or a combination of both). The Guy just about fell out of his chair he shook his head so hard from the experience.

This wine received a 90 rating from Wine Spectator www.winespectator.com

"Drink wine, and you will sleep well.

Sleep, and you will not sin.

Avoid sin, and you will be saved.

Ergo, drink wine and be saved."

-Medieval German saying

8.25 out of 10

14.8% alc. by vol.

$31.99 / 750 ml bottle

http://www.novyfamilywines.com/

Nipozzano Riserva Chianti

2004
Chianti Rufina
Tuscany

Will drink again. See the rating below.

I am not fond of Chianti. It is too dry and there is not usually much of a finish for me. Tonight, I had a Chianti I thoroughly enjoyed. This was very good. I think if you're a Chianti lover, you are going to really appreciate this wine. Actually, if you're not a Chianti lover (as myself) you will appreciate this wine. It's a good wine to start with.

It was very fruit forward in scent and taste. It was a "deep, plum red" in color (per The Guy's description and I concur). After the fruit, I was hit with the dryness which is usually where I stop liking Chianti because that's all there is. But it was followed by a nice finish. It was definitely "Chianti" in taste, but at a "higher" level. It had a smoothness and a lingering finish that made it especially good. And, for the first time, I tasted plum. It tasted good on its own and with our dinner (home-made pizza with fire-roasted tomatoes, ricotta, fresh organic mozzarella, chicken sauteed in garlic, olive oil, organic mushrooms and fresh parmesean cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes).

"The Bro" is visiting from out of town and, along with massive sized pumpkins, he brought me beautiful chrysanthemums, gifts for my children, (3) bags of apples (I think he's hoping they will get used in a pie or two before the weekend's up), and . . . (6) bottles of wine. He sure knows how to cheer me up. I bought the Chianti for tonight's dinner, however.

"The Bro" had this to say about it: "I like Chianti - but it usually has a higher acidity and this one doesn't. There's a slight acid and then it just ends, followed by an exceptionally smooth finish."

"The Guy" felt this Chianti tasted like a "cheap, Italian table wine." (He just likes to play Devil's Advocate and we just humor him and throw him pizza crust.)

Tomorrow's review will be of Penfold's Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz (courtesy of The Bro).


SGT JASON LANTIERI

At the flagpole along my morning route,
I was introduced to you today.
I felt a lurch in my chest,
and once again, wished we'd found a better way.

In tribute, majestic flag flapped in the wind,
set at half-mast on it's pole.
The reports, all no longer new,
tell the sad story, the loss of yet another soul.

A future comes to a screeching halt,
no way for it to come back.
As another family is stricken,
by the loss of a son in Iraq.

8.25 out of 10
$21.99 / 750 ml.
13% alc. by vol.
http://www.frescobaldi.it/

As a side note: Wine Spectator gave this Chianti a 91 rating.

Clos du Bois 2004 Chardonnay

2004
Sonoma Valley
California

Will definitely buy again.

We went to a family surprise party held privately down by the sub base at this little hole-in-the-wall bar "VooDoo Daddy's". We had a great time and I enjoyed a few glasses of Clos du Bois' 2004 Chardonnay. It was very good and really hit the spot for some reason. First taste was of strong oak and pear followed by intense buttery vanilla - just what I long for in a Chardonnay. I had a lengthy conversation with the bartender who did a great job of seeking me out and keeping my wine glass full. She's really young and her husband is serving in the Navy. He was home for the day and she had to work and he was shipping out for Japan the next day - not a happy bartender. But she still took care of me.

I did not take a picture of the bottle so I thought I'd share a picture my daughter actually took of the wall.

8.0 out of 10
13.5% alc. by vol.
$11-14 / 750 bottle
http://www.closdubois.com/

Nine Stones 2005 Shiraz

Hilltops
2005 Shiraz
Australia

Might drink again.

As I was doing my "photoshoot" for this blog, I opened the wine to pour into our two glasses and went to work shooting some pix. The entire dining room filled with this wonderful, strong fruit scent while I took shots. I started salivating anticipating what the wine would taste like. The color was really dark purple - almost like ink.

The taste was bitter first and tasted a bit like Robitussin cough syrup, then very spicy and peppery and dry. Slight fruit with a short finish ended it.

I was disappointed based on how wonderful the initial room-filling aroma was. The taste didn't hold up to what I smelled. It definitely tasted better after having sat open for half an hour. It's a good wine for the price and would probably do best as a drinkable one to have on hand for casual entertaining. I bet it is a wine that will definitely improve with age.

7.5 out of 10
$11.99 / 750 ml
14% alc. by vol.

I received my "Wine Enthusiast" mag this afternoon and was psyched to find my favorite location featured: the Barossa Valley. There is a featured article on some of the bigger Barossa Vineyards and then the Buying Guide in the back is chock full of highly rated Barossa wines. Some (actually most), unfortunately, are on the very pricey side - "my" 2004 Yalumba Octavius is one of many (the one I so hope to be able to taste one day) having received a nice rating of 94.

The following is a link to the on-line mag, though it's only updated through September as yet. The Barossa article is in the November issue.
http://www.winemag.com/homepage/index.asp?adid=WEMAGTAB