Four Vines Zinfandel

The Sophisticate
Paso Robles
2008
Sonoma County, CA

The first night we had this, which I believe was on Christmas Eve, I SO loved it that I couldn't stop commenting on it. My brother brought a couple of bottles along with many others. As we had only so many days and so many wines to try, we didn't get to the second bottle. He, very kindly, left the second unopened bottle with me upon his departure.

I kept it to have with a roast turkey on New Years Day. It just WASN"T the same - I HATE that!!!! I raved about the first bottle. Over the years I have found that red zins accompany turkey nicely so I couldn't wait to open the second bottle with our New Year's Day dinner. And it was good. It just wasn't as good as the first night. I don't know why. The food was different for sure. However, I had a glass prior to food BOTH times and the first time surpassed the second. Reason unknown.

Now, on New Years Day, I did open a bottle of Bogle's Phantom which we enjoyed while I was preparing dinner. I must say, The Sohpisticate then paled in comparison following in the footsteps of the smokey smooth flavors of Phantom. THAT said, I had another bottle of Phantom tonight that was just as disappointing the second time around as The Sophisticate was the second time around. Both Phantoms were the SAME vintage. I had both with no food at first. Totally perplexing!!!

As this review is for The Sophisticate I am going to go with my first impression with the first bottle. It was delicious. It was very smooth, with a lingering vanilla and oak finish.

You don't look at Daddy the way I look at Noah. You don't touch or laugh. You don't play. You don't know anything about love.

---character of Allie in The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

8.25 out of 10
14.8% alc. by vol.
$20 / 750 ml. bottle

Mark West Pinot Noir

2008
Sonoma, California

I reviewed the 2006 awhile back and enjoyed this so much more! :) Pinot Noirs tend to be a little on the lighter side for me, but this one was highly enjoyable. I had a nice big glass last night after work while watching Where the Wild Things Are with my two youngest. Then, tonight, for some reason I just HAD to go buy a jar of olives. I brought home a jar of Greek garlic-stuffed green olives and consumed the whole damn thing, along with another glass of Mark West. Both were SO smooth! In anticipated horror, I decided to read how many servings were in the jar of olives: 12! Well, at least I didn't consume 12 servings of wine. Together, the wine and olives were awesome. I was pretty happy.

Many, many thanks to my "farway" southern friends who magically put this bottle in my mailbox as a "get well" wish last week. You guys definitely made me smile. And I smiled 3 more times too with each glass I poured this last week. THANK YOU. :)

I was feeling stupidly down and out for the last couple of days, in spite of receiving great news that "abnormal" cells removed last week are only pre-cancerous and not cancer. Tim, a co-worker, came up to me with a big sigh and asked how my day was going today. I smiled and said "OK". Then I added that "it could always be worse." He said (not even knowing about my little cancer scare thing): "True. Let's put it in perspective." He then proceeded to tell me about his good friend whose wife just had her first round of chemo today following the diagnosis of advanced metastatic breast cancer. She's in her early 40's with two young children. That zapped me right back to reality. And I am keeping thoughts of her right here with me for constant perspective.

Life is short. Too short. If you feel like buying a jar of olives and consuming the whole thing, just do it.


"Wow. He has a double re-cracker."
Alexander the Goat, WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

8.0 out of 10
13.8% alc. by vol.
$12 / 750 ml. bottle

St. Francis Chardonnay

2007
Sonoma County
California

I was very happy with this choice to accompany (and use in) an angel hair pasta dish I made last night. I am constantly in search of minerality in my wines. It is one of my absolute favorite characteristics that, when it's there, usually promises me a highly enjoyable glass. This wine did not let me down. A magnificent yellow diamond sparkle in hue, this emitted an awesome fresh flower/strawberry essence when I held it in my mouth. Upon swallowing, it was slightly bitter which worried me in the first millisecond. Then as it went down, a burst of mineral heaven sprang forth and I smiled a très heureux smile and relaxed for awhile.


I seem to be on an emotional roller coaster lately. It's my grandmother's birthday today. She's 92 and alone at her nursing home. I am going to go see her tomorrow. But it's days like this that I long for more time. I wonder if the nurses wished her a happy birthday this morning and if she wondered if she would get any visitors today. She was such a big part of my life and I feel terrible that I haven't been there often enough due to too many other obligations and an hour's drive. She means so much to me and I know we have limited time left. We are very similar as she raised 3 children and made family the most important part of her life. She knew what was most important was raising her children in a loving and safe home. She taught me that other things could wait until their due time, but children are here but for a short while. Yet a part of her always felt like she was inferior and longed to be more . . . shiny. I too struggle along that line, knowing what's right, but sometimes wishing for just a bit more, wondering if this is where I am supposed to be. Nothing a little dark chocolate can't snap me out of. I am baking Devil's Food cupcakes right now to bring to her and hope that our visit will stay in her mind awhile. (Hah!!! I was just listening to Chris Martin of Coldplay after a live version of "In My Place" and, after thanking fans for sticking with them through thick and thin, he said - no joke - "Eat More Chocolate" YES!!!!!)

I go from thinking of my life growing up and visiting with my grandparents in their sunny, happy home which always smelled of some delicious meal cooking, to seeing my grandmother now in the end stages of life, to watching my own children grow up before my eyes and wondering exactly where I myself am headed.

I listened to my oldest daughter sing behind closed doors and cried. Her voice is awesome. She was trying out for Glee Club and was a nervous wreck. She's never sung before and was going to be judged on stage in front of others. She refused to practice in front of me. She toyed with singing one of her favorite harder edged rock songs, but decided on one of my favorites, a more recent pop song: Anna Nalick's 2 AM. I came up the stairs and heard her practicing. I stood outside in the hall and was overcome with listening to my first child singing like a young woman. And doing something I was always too shy to pursue. I just stood there and quietly sobbed!! It was an awesome feeling though. I was, once again, in awe of her.

I am really missing my children being little and am yearning for a little one SO badly. I wish I was in a better position to adopt. I am often overcome with the feeling lately, especially as my own grow older. There are SO many children out there in need of a good home, it slays me. I truly believe that children are divinely bestowed upon us and entrusted to our care. The every day headlines bring word of one atrocity being committed against a child after another. It is beyond heartbreaking.

My youngest has a cheery, sunny room and an extra bed. And my children all tell me that they always feel like there's someone missing at the dinner table. Of course, we have 6 chairs and there are only 5 of us, so I am sure that plays a part. But sometimes I am flooded with the same sensation and feel the only way I can "fix" it is to bring some less fortunate child into my home. I believe that whatever was meant to be, will be. And I trust that if it was meant to be, I will some day be in a position to give another child a chance at a better, more love- filled life. And, maybe by then, I'll be exactly where I was always meant to be.



I have an eclectic repertoire of music always churning in my head, on a daily basis. I've come to rely on the dimension music adds to my life, almost as much as that of wine. And I enjoy the two together. My favorites run the gamut of Radiohead to Sam Cooke. Today, it's Sam Cooke who's in my head:

There been times when I thought I couldn't last for long
but now I think I'm able to carry on
It's been a long, a long time coming
but I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

~Sam Cooke~

8.25 out of 10
$12 / 750 ml. bottle

Stephen Vincent Sauvignon Blanc

2006
Sonoma County
California

My most wonderful mother has treated me to dinner out a few times recently and our dinner last week was fun and wonderful. We were both having the Salmon special and wanted the Greg Norman Chardonnay special but they were all out. They offered us this in it's place and we decided to wing it. It was very, very good. It accompanied our meal well and one bottle went down all too smoothly. In addition, I had fried calamari for my appetizer and was amazed that the S.V. went extremely well with it (especially as the calamari had marinara sauce with it that I consumed in it's entirety - I don't normally find tomato sauce goes well with white wines).

Cold, on the lighter side, but with a lasting tropical yet lemon-y slight mineral finish, we both enjoyed this wine.

No restaurant pics :( this time.

I don't wanna talk
About the things we've gone through
Though its hurting me
Now its history
Ive played all my cards
And thats what you've done too
Nothing more to say
No more ace to play

The winner takes it all
The loser standing small
Beside the victory
Thats her destiny

ABBA, The Winner Takes it All


8.0 out of 10
13.6% alc. by vol.
Approx. $12 / 750 ml.
http://www.stephenvincentwines.com/

Windsor Chardonnay

2005
Sonoma County
California

This was another wine we taste-tested out of four from Windsor Vineyards. I actually thought that I really liked this Chardonnay. It was medium bodied with a slight velvety feel. It also had a hint of mineral notes on the finish - which of course I am always in quest of. It was slightly buttery, with a little vanilla and oak. However, the more I drank it, the less I liked it. So it makes it hard for me to rate. If I had one glass only, I would be rating it 8.5. By the time I had almost three (and no more), the finish was tasting a bit "cheap" - a little metallic-like, yet the mineral tones were still there, keeping my interest nevertheless.

You make me feel like I wanna be a dumb blonde . . ."
-Paula Cole, Feelin' Love

8.0 out of 10
14.5% alc. by vol.
Approx. $15 / 750 ml bottle
www.windsorvineyards.com

Red Truck

2005
Sonoma, California
Syrah, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc and Mourvedre Blend

Will probably drink again.


So, my co-worker "Deb" (who doesn't drink), gave me an article she'd printed out of her Sunday paper about a woman who reviews wines for a living. She did a brief article on the best "grocery store" variety wines for your buck. Deb said to me, "You should review the reviewer." I thought it was a pretty good idea, brought it home to The Guy, and he agreed. Only thing is I then lost the article (but I'm sure it will turn up again soon). Anyway, this was one of the wines she reviewed. Two of her other wines we actually did previously review here but I have to find the article to remember which ones (one was the Banrock Station Chardonnay I believe).

I honestly wasn't looking forward to trying this one. Especially when I smelled the cork and it smelled like red wine vinegar, I almost passed. However, I plodded on and it was good for it's price. It had a blackberry, slight worcestershire taste. It was better on it's own before any food. (The flavor became "cheap" following turkey, sweet potatoes and salad.) I would say it's medium bodied with somewhat of a finish and worth it's price.

Are you gone and onto someone new?
. . . Has someone taken your faith?
Its real, the pain you feel
The life, the love
You'd die to heal
The hope that starts
The broken hearts
Your trust, you must
Confess
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
I've got another confession my friend
I'm no fool

Best of You - Foo Fighters

7.75 - 8.0 out of 10 (undecided)
$9 / 750 ml. bottle
13.5% alc. by vol.

RED

2004
St. Francis Winery
Sonoma County, CA

Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Zinfandel

Will most likely drink again.

Would probably pair well with more casual Italian flavored foods. I had it with baked chicken and then it's flavor took on a woodsiness that I liked.

A blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, and not just one Cabernet,
heady fruit and grapelike bouquet.
Somewhat heavy bodied but aloof with its chalk-like state,
a little leather in the middle, slight spice, almost difficult to rate.
And so it was with the fleeting finish glass of RED,
not compelled to write much more, I'm off to bed.

8.0 out of 10
13.5% alc. b vol.
$10.99 / 750 ml. bottle
http://www.stfrancisred.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/

Cline Zinfandel

2006
Sonoma, California

First of all, I'd like to thank PasaRoblesCab for his contributions the last couple of nights. And I'd like to add to his comments on realizing that not everybody knows what it's like to taste fresh currants from a garden and how the $100 wine tasted just as good as the $30 wine, etc.

It's true that not everyone is afforded such opportunity. I've always wondered what a fresh currant tasted like - I hear it so often described in wine tasting. Yet, I loved hearing PasaRoblesCab's endearing memory with his grandmother's garden and how one night of wine tasting brought him back all those years. I do love to hear and learn about others' interpretations and experiences with wine. There is no right or wrong. We all have different tastes and likes and dislikes. What one person loves, another maybe can't stand. I don't believe that's a reason for someone to hold back describing their own experience because they feel they might offend someone who has never experienced the same thing. The wine world is all about differing experiences. And, also as PasaRoblesCab pointed out, there is something to be said for "Yeah, I really liked that wine - I don't know why, I just did." You don't have to taste this specific thing or that particular flavor. And, laying down $100 or more does not guarantee a "better' wine experience. It is all about whether or not you enjoyed it and would recommend someone else try it no matter what the price. Actually, I would say it is more beneficial to hear someone recommend a $11 wine than a $100 wine as I almot expect the more I pay the better it should be. So, when I hear a $11 bottle was fabulous, I feel I've been given valuable information. And, if I've been told a $50 wine was "OK", I know to stay away.

Onto the Cline Zinfandel - not ancient vine mind you.

The Guy brought this home last night and opened it prior to dinner. Meanwhile, I had planned dinner around a bottle of Dynamite Chardonnay I've had that I've wanted to try. So, I was stuck. It was so COLD, and it was snowing, and all I felt like was red wine. Yet, I wantd to taste-test the Chardonnay and I had thought all day about what home-made Friday night pizza I was going to do to accompany it. I'd settled on shrimp pizza made with jumbo shrimp, ricotta, fresh garlic, parmesean, and mozarella with basil leaves.

Well, I had a full glass of the Cline prior to dinner and while I was cooking, and it was good. It just wasn't as good as the Ancient Vine zin. It had nice berry flavor up front and finished with vanilla oak (which I normally like), but it also thinned out a bit in the finish and tasted slightly grape juice like. Overall, I would say it was worth the sale price. I did move on to the Dynamite Vineyards Chardonnay with my dinner. I will review that tomorrow.

Look at me
I'm in a place
I never thought I'd be
Don't have the strength
To fight anymore
Or a reason not to leave
So tell me why I still keep holding on
To something I just cannot see
What makes you stay
When your world falls apart
What makes you try one more time
When it's not in your heart
At the end of your rope
When you can't find any hope

Deana Carter, What Makes You Stay

7.75 out of 10
$11.99 on sale for $9.99 / 750 ml. bottle
14.0% alc. by vol
http://www.clinecellars.com/

Frei Brothers Cabernet Sauvignon

2005
Alexander Valley
California


Will drink again - and will try the Merlot as well.

My cousin is married. The wedding was the first Jewish wedding I've ever attended. The best part? The bride and groom share wine during the ceremony with each other and then with their parents. Had I only known this when I was planning my wedding - I might have converted. But seriously, it was absolutely beautiful - the Rabbi was wonderful. The words spoken and meaning given behind the significance of each phase was just beautiful. As the bride lost her dad suddenly last year, his not being there was felt by all, especially she and her mom and sister. Her mom walked her down the aisle and handed her to my cousin. They then stood with the Rabbi under the Chuppah (a marriage canopy that symbolises the bride and groom's first home together). The bride's dad had a prayer shawl and his shawl was woven into the canopy of the Chuppah so that his presence was enveloping them - very emotional. The significance behind the breaking of the glass spoke volumes to me. Awesome.

The Guy, The Bro and I had a nice time in NYC (see some of my pictures posted so far at http://www.cheznathalie.com/ ). I did not, however, have any memorable wine experiences. The Frei Brothers Cabernet was the one I enjoyed the most out of the weekend. I had a glass at my hotel on Friday afternoon while feverishly trying to write a decent poem for The Cuz and his soon-to-be wife.

It's scent was warm spiced oak. It had a bit of a dark chocolate meets tobacco flavor, with a hint of slight vanilla and oak on the lingering finish.

Other wines I enjoyed but didn't care to bother scoring (mostly due to lack of label information)were a good Tempranillo that I had at the rehearsal dinner at La Palapa with the most delicious fried plaintains and sour cream, Cipriani Prosecco which I had at the wedding reception with the first course of lobster and asparagus in an olive oil and lemon dressing, and Beringer Stone Cellars Cabernet which I had at the cocktail hour before dinner and found it accompanied a juicy marinated beef appetizer nicely.

These beautiful flowers adorned the bar during the reception:


After the wine has been poured and life settles in,
A slight, inadvertent fading begins to vows taken among friends and kin.
So capture this moment, or any moment in the day ahead,
And savor it, return to it, let it ground you long after you have wed.

8.25 out of 10
13.5% alc. by vol.
$21 - $25 / 750 ml bottle
http://www.freibrothers.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).

Arrowood 2003 Chardonnay

Posting 1 of 4 related

I have a lot to post and am excited about my day yesterday and all four wines I had to drink last night (Thank you Uncle Bob)- yes four! I went from almost having no wine to drink in the last (2) weeks to having (4) different ones last night. I don't recommend anyone do that as it packed a huge punch which didn't catch up with me until I tried to lay down in bed. Luckily, I spent the night at my aunt and uncle's. And, in case that wasn't enough, Uncle Bob sent me home this morning with half a case from the wine cellar. I will have much to review in the next few weeks (though I must admit, not exactly "budget" material - but I do have enough of my own budget wine to throw in between the others so please keep checking back).

My wine-filled evening began after spending the day at my cousin's fiancee's wedding shower in New Jersey making cake and drinking champagne (this was a shower for close friends and direct family of the bride only, but my aunt graciously included me as she knows I love to bake). The shower was a great time - the mother of the bride is an artist and she had her beautiful paintings displayed throughout her home, as well as some interesting sculptures she does. Most of her paintings are of people, but there was a beautiful one of a vineyard in Italy that I just loved.

The bride-to-be's beautiful sister arranged for New York City artist and cake studio owner Elisa Strauss to teach us all how to make perfect cakes http://www.confetticakes.com/. This was such a great time. Elisa is so talented, sweet and extremely funny. I was so excited with all that I learned and how my cake came out (and everyone else's - especially my cousin's perfect bow with her "surgeon's hands" ! She is not a surgeon, she is an ER doc, but everyone kept mistaking her for a surgeon due to her flawless bow - and we did use surgical knives to perfect our cakes - care of Elisa's dad).

Are you ready for my cake??? Check it out.
















Yes! You can eat it. I couldn't wait to bring it home to my children. They couldn't believe it was real cake. It was the hardest thing (emotionally) to cut into it!!! It was absolutely delicious and so hard to see it go! I am SO eager to try this now on my own.

Ok, onto the first wine. I was unable to grab a picture before Uncle Bob had replaced it with a different bottle to accompany dinner. (The next three wines tasted during and following dinner will be reviewed sometime in the next few days.)







Sonoma County
Russian River Valley
California
2003


Would love to drink again if I could get my hands on more.

While waiting for dinner, Uncle Bob brought out Arrowood Chardonnay. It had wonderful fruit and oak aromas prior to tasting. The wine was rich, almost creamy, toasty oak and vanilla with an awesome mineral finish. I loved this Chardonnay. It was delicious on its own and accompanied simple mixed nuts well.

Robert Parker rated it an 89 in 2005 (I don't think he gave it justice - perhaps if he had it now it would rate better).

Thoughts brew over flames that dance and crack
The weight of weary days take their consecutive toll
Giving in to the warmth massaging my back
I relinquish to the fire that, for tonight, nourishes my soul

8.5 out of 10
14.1% alc. by vol.
$25.99 / 750 ml. bottle
http://www.arrowoodvineyards.com/

Mark West Pinot Noir

2006
Sonoma County
California

Not bad, but probably won't buy again. See rating at end in bold.

"Cornycopius" - Thank you for your post. I laughed so hard on an otherwise dreary day.

This Pinot Noir's bouquet was a soapy alcoholic berry. But that was about it for the berry I'm afraid. Dry, heavy on the oak and spice, very light on the vanilla, and not enough berry for a good finish. I was disappointed. You know, just a personal obervation, but I think these "new" higher alcohol content wines are sacrificing flavor for "BAM" and I don't like it one bit.

The days pass, each one feeling like weeks,
as the ramifications of change set in.
The soul stirs as it seeks,
the missing puzzle piece to complete within.
Longing to again feel just fine,
and questioning yet again just what IS best.
Desperately turning to distraction:
music, religion, wordplay, philosophy and finally, Mark West.
Sort of settling on his Pinot Noir wine.

7.25 out of 10
$11.99 / 750 ml.
13.8% alc. by vol.
http://www.markwestwinery.com/

Red

2004
Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Zinfandel BLEND
Sonoma County

Would buy again.

I absolutely love a good blend. For the skinny on the wine skip below to the end.

So, my friends, The Guy thinks my poetry sucks and I should take it the hell off of here (OK, maybe he didn't say it "sucked", but he told me to find a new home for it - like Chez Nathalie). Here's my response to that:

The highlight: from Brady to Donte, a 37 yard bomb!
Jarvis blocks another Kasay field goal, and the crowd is not calm.
Final points reign as the Patriots-Panthers game is scored,
And Evans takes Cassel's handoff and rumbles in from the 2.
Had I watched, my excitement probably could not be contained - how was it for you?
Cassel bobbles the snap, snatching it out of the air and gets it to Evans who continues the play,
And the poor Panthers succumbed to the Patriots last Friday.
Yes, friends, the Panthers were indeed dead,
But I'm, like totally, over it as I partake in a glass or two of "Red".

(Excerpts adpated from: http://patriots.scout.com/2/672316.html)

Put that under your Patriots hat which (still) needs to be washed. Ha!

OK, wine review:

I like this wine. I was a little hesitant at first, but liked it even more with a strange combo of pseudo lame leftovers. Mashed parmesean potatoes, grilled turkey burgers, and Romaine, celery and tomato salad (with Newman's Own Olive Oil & Vinegar dressing). I was completely shocked that it actually tasted great and different following each separate otherwise blase forkful.

The initial bouquet was of dry, tart rasberry. The color was a beautiful deep burgundy. The first taste was dry, followed by rasberry, then a little bitter, then a nice new saddle taste. (I can't remember the last time I ate a good saddle.) I guess it was a kind of leather taste I'm trying to explain.

Enter, a bite of mashed potatoes. A sip of Red. Vanilla hits the tongue! Then slowly dissipates. A bite of salad (with red wine? - yuck!) and a wonderful cream-of-mushroom beef burgundy flavor hits. Really, really fun. Very versatile wine.

I took the liberty of posting it on my last entry below ("The 3rd Bottle" from earlier today) as one of the recommended "stock" wines.

8.25 out of 10 (for its ability to food pair with less than exemplary dish flair)
$12.99 / bottle
http://www.stfrancisred.com/

Sebastiani Merlot

2002
Sonoma County
California

First, thank you to "PasaRobles" for your comments and personal experience. Your wine worthy recommendations are noted. But I must say that the wine pricing is NOT the same - $10.99-$13.99 for a 1.5 L bottle - almost double the amount of wine for at least $6 less per bottle. So if it is a budget constraint, Yellowtail probably isn't that bad for the buck.

I might actually try the Chenin Blanc when I have fresh scallops next week.


There it is!!! I saw it! "Spike's Sexiest Bartenders" being advertised on my site by Google - not by me. I tried to visit Spike's and leave my comments but couldn't. I want to know where the hell the male bartenders are.


Whose Opportunity?

Renovations, BMWs, reservations at dining establishments so fine,
Darfur, Somalia, AIDs, orphans, no clean water supply.
Electricity run amuck, closets full of clothes, clean water flowing freely to beautify the lawn.
Amidst violence, oppression, hatred and the list goes on,
barefoot women and children walk for miles to reach a bacteria-filled water hole.
Helpless elders watch their offspring of blank stares and protruding empty bellies,
feeling far beyond shocked to either cry or console.
A well-meaning friend tells me "There's nothing you can do. You're born where you're born, get over it and move on."
In some ways she's right - feeling bad's not good enough in this messed up world of extremes gone wrong.
Blackberries, flat screen TVs, rooms full of toys, everything bigger, better, faster is the norm it seems,
Half a world away from both, drinking Sebastiani by candlelight, children safely within reach, and a roof over their heads, I am fortunate enough to know not either extreme.

Nice wine. As a merlot lover, it was very welcome for a change. Beautiful, velvety deep crimson color - you can see the warmth - makes me want to wrap myself in it and go to sleep. Cherry, dark chocolate, smoked mushroom-earthy taste with spicy heat. Long finish. This would probably be fabulous with a beef dish or stew. I enjoyed it with my pen and paper only.

8.5 out of 10
$16.99 / 750 ml bottle
13.5% alc. by vol.
http://www.sebastiani.com/

Cellar No. 8 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon

Cellar No. 8
Asti Winery
2004 Cabernet Sauvignon
Cost: $10.99 / bottle

Rating: 7.5/10
likely would buy again

The name of the wine is what attracted me to it in the wine shop. What I thought was a unique naming convention in my early days of discovering wine -- naming a wine after a bin or a lot -- is actually more common than I knew. Still, something about this No. 8 drew me to it. Maybe it was the price, maybe it was the label, maybe it was the idea that I had to try No. 8 because I wondered if the first seven were any good. Who knows. Regardless, I brought it home for the Gal and I to try as we wind our way though the wonderful world of wine blogging.

The initial impression of No. 8 wasn't what I had hoped for. It was a deep maroon color with hints of spice and a bit of fruit, but my initial taste wasn't a deep rich satisfying moment, it was more of a tart fruity sensation that left my mouth feeling a bit chalky after I swallowed. Of course I did the whole "Smell it three times in a deep wine glass" to get the wine's aroma down. I took a sip holding it in my mouth for the recommend 3-5 seconds (See Kevin Zraly's Windows On The World Complete Wine Course), and still something didn't feel right. I think I was trying to put too much thought into drinking the wine, and not just enjoying it.

So, to hell with the "how to drink" wine guidelines, I filled the glass and took in a mouthful of the deep red Cab to see if it was what I wanted to drink with dinner. As I swallowed, I felt the warm sensation follow the wine down my throat opening my senses to the peppery, fairly rich sensations the wine offered. Still though, it wasn't what I had hoped for. At least, not until I had it with something to eat.

The Gal brought home a fresh baked flax seed 9" round loaf from the bakery -- a treat we only rarely afford ourselves (fresh bread) as it's completely against every known diet recommendation, and we're actually trying to be good. The bread, dipped in virgin olive oil, was an excellent compliment to the wine. Add in a little pasta with red marinara sauce and the wine came to life. [What?!!! This, my friends, is "The Gal" proofing "The Guy's" grammar, etc. and he is SO not sure of what's going on with the bread I brought home - bought at my favorite "New Morning Country Store" literally taken off the truck from "Bantam Bread Company" - it is 100% completely organic wheat flour with flax seeds and oat and canola oil, etc., etc. , etc. NOT bad for you at all!!!!!! Of course, if you consume 3/4 of the loaf like he did, along with a half pound of pasta, it is bound to pack on the pounds]

When drinking the rest of my glass during dinner, I no longer noticed the unflattering dryness of the wine, nor the overabundant berry aroma. What I noticed was that it went well with dinner. Heavy foods like bread and a pasta with red sauce, put this wine firmly into the "will buy again" category after it's initial placement there was in doubt.

An interesting fact about the wine, aside being available under $15, is that it comes from a cellar founded by some old country Italians who settled in California and started a winery ... the Asti Winery. Now of course, what I've learned about the winery is that it was bought out by Beringer, and more recently by Fosters (yes the beer company). Not that that should turn you away from picking a wine, but it lost a little of it's personality, at least in my opinion, even though it still hails from a highly respected section of wine country in Sonoma County California.

From the label:
Cellar No. 8 wines are crafted at the historic Asti Winery in Somona County. Applying time-honored methods and expertise, founder Andrea Sbarboro[sic] and a group of Italian immigrants formed an entire community around the art of winemaking. Cellar No. 8 makes only red wines -- Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel -- which deliver rich flavors of cigar, spice, leather, earth and chocolate. Whether relaxing in your favorite leather chair or barbecuing with your friends, Cellar No. 8 is a great discovery which just might become your next tradition.

From an article on bay area winemaking covering North Bay communities such as Sonoma, Marin and Napa counties. NorthBayBiz.com, there was a bit more about Andrea Sbarbaro, and his establishment of the Asti Winery community:

Sbarbaro was a successful Italian immigrant in San Francisco. Among other ventures, he organized and managed numerous building and loan associations. Through his business acumen, the various organizations he headed were able to build over 2,500 homes in the Bay Area. Applying his building and loan principles to agriculture, Sbarbaro fashioned a plan for a grape growing and winemaking cooperative, but the families that settled in the villages of Asti and Chianti were not interested in shares of stock and commonly held property. They wanted their own land to farm and they were willing to save their wages to acquire it.

If you're a fan of Sonoma -- and you probably won't know till you try at least a half dozen different wines from the area -- then you may want to check out these other North County wineries or this map (right click to save/view in new window PDF)

After reviewing that list, I can honestly say I'm a fan and I never knew it. We (the gal and I) have had a number of wines from Sonoma including Simi, Ravenswood, Blackstone, Chateau St. Jean, Kendall-Jackson and more. It seems many of the hearty reds we tend to enjoy have their roots in Sonoma.

Back to Cellar No. 8.

Buy it, try it, it's worth the $10-12. You can get it online for under $10.00 and even less if you buy a half case or a case. I paid retail of $10.99. I wouldn't recommend it if it pushes the $15 barrier, there are too many other Cabernet Sauvignons out there at that price.