Chateauneuf-du-Pape

2007
Red Rhone Wine
Domaine Du Vieux Lazaret
France

67% Grenache
22% Syrah
5% Mourvedre
6% "others"

As a child, I loved the "old" Christmas Carols (Perry Como, Glenn Miller, Doris Day, the Andrew Sisters, Benny Goodman). I still do today and find it harder and harder to find any station that plays the original stuff that makes Christmas extra awesome for me.

Christmas is like a wedding - lots of planning and excitement leading up to the event, then it's all over in a whirlwind and there's this feeling of "where'd it all go"? It is truly my most favorite time of year - I LOVE presents and I love giving presents. I love the food and WINE and family gatherings that I crave so much (and never seem to have enough of).

New Year's Eve is my second most unfavorite time of year (Halloween being first). So, I found a religious radio station that continues to play Christmas Carols for 12 days after Christmas and they have been making my week this week. THIS is the week I spiral into a depression. I can't help it. But this station is playing the most awesome eclectic old stuff mixed with some real good newer stuff (think Harry Connick, Jr.) and I am slightly more happy because of it. And, thanks to receiving almost 3 cases of wine in gifts this year, I have something to look forward to every day (or at least every few days!). I just have to come up with the food pairing. We have old friends coming for dinner Saturday and we are going to new friends for the big countdown tonight. So I am hanging in there. :)

My brother brought a couple of bottles of this wine (and I miss him now), and I enjoyed it more with him here with his aged cheddar cheese. However, it was still enjoyable on its own (and with him gone home).

Although I have not previously given much value to decanting, I did buy the Guy a decanter for Christmas and we have been enjoying how the wine aroma fills the room upon doing so. Well, I was blogging after Christmas and my brother decanted this and left it in front of me and left the room. My mouth started watering and I couldn't wait for us to pour it into glasses. We had some aged cheddar with it and had an awesome afternoon together tasting the two. This wine has a stone cherry scent and flavor and is one of the few French wines I thoroughly enjoy. Not a bad value for the price.

Happy New Year.


My world is changing
I'm rearranging
Does that mean Christmas changes too?

Where are you Christmas?
Do you remember
The one you used to know?
I'm not the same one
See what the time's done.
Is that why you have let me go?

Faith Hill



8.5 out fo 10 (when served with OLD cheddar cheese)
8.0 out of 10 on its own
14.5% alc. by vol.
$17/750 ml. bottle

Arboleda Carmenere and Chateau Saint-Jean Red Rhone

Thank you Pasa Robles for your comments on "The Ball Buster". Your description of your experience sounded much more enjoyable than my own.

A few points up front:

1. The Bro made a great statement last night. He said he's been disappointed with wines because he gets "so in love" with finding new ones that he tends to forget what got him interested in the pursuit of the vine in the first place. This statement came in light of he and I enjoying pairing different foods with the Rhone wine last night.

2. In light of Christmas being in the next couple of days, I have put up a new "Holiday Poll" on what wine readers of this blog might be partaking in (provided you're having ham). I know many people have Roast Beef or Turkey. Ham is a tough one to pair with wine. Like the turkey, Pinot Noir is the favorite of many a wine shop owner as a pairing for ham. I will be drinking Pinot Noir because The Bro purchased a couple of special ones which I will review in a few days.

3. This is a blog that I am acutely aware is supposed to be for those on a budget. I realize much of what I've reviewed recently has not been "cheap". But I have been blessed enough with friends and family who gift me with more expensive wines on occasion. Please don't let that turn you away. Just put the info under your hat for a rainy day when you may find yourself able to spend a bit more on a special occasion. Then, may you remember what was good.

4. Check out The Bro below partaking in the second bottle of the evening. He's making a very poignant point!

5. I like my Christmas music all month long with my dinner wine. I hate my traditional favorites (Tony Bennett, Dean Martin, Doris Day, Johnny Mathis, Bing Crosby, Glenn Miller, etc.) being replaced by the likes of Madonna, Whitney Houston, Run DMC, etc., etc., etc. I tend to stick to the originals and don't like anything new. But Harry Connick, Jr. has succeeded in moving me beyond and has given me a new favorite that feels like an oldie. See the end below.


Arboleda
Carmenere
2005
Colchagua Valley, Chile

Will drink again - This is a deal for the price.

My brother has arrived for the Christmas Holiday and he has brought a case of wine. We first opened the Carmenere late afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed it on its own. It's bouquet was of smokey cherry. It was very fruit forward on initial taste and then it heated up a bit before leaving with a slightly creosote-like finish.

The Bro and I agreed that we notice an interesting creosote-light smoke finish on many of the Chilean wines we've had.

Very enjoyable and highly recommended for the price.

8.25 out of 10
$12.99 / 750 ml. bottle
14.5% alc. by vol.

Chateau Saint-Jean
Chateauneuf-Du-Pape
2005
France
85% grenache
15% Syrah

Will drink again.

Tis the season for nutcrackers and chocolate. This red wine
was very good on its own, with freshly cracked nuts, with hot pepper jelly, well aged Cheddar cheese, with our swiss chicken dinner, herb stuffing, and sweet potato, and absolutely awesome with a piece of Hershey's dark chocolate.

The bouquet was very earthy with a hint of berry. The flavor was more of a generic berry followed quickly by earthiness (which I like) and then (for me) sort of a disappointing watered down finish. I don't know why, but French wines just do that to me. They smell like they're going to be great, they can even start out great, but then they finish weak. HOWEVER, once we started experimenting with the chocolate, this wine was great for me. Both The Bro and I immediately tasted chocolate cherry in the wine when it followed the chocolate. I also tasted tobacco. The finish was there when it wasn't before. And it was definitely cherry versus any other berry. Very good and fun to experiment with.

8.5 out of 10
14.5% alc. by vol.
$32.29 / 750 ml bottle

My heart told me once before
To find my dream and search no more
And when my heart finds Christmas
I hope it finds you too

Harry Connick, Jr. (oh! be still my heart)
When My Heart Finds Christmas