Kendall Jackson Chardonnay 2009

Vintner's Reserve
Santa Rosa, California
2009

My friend and I FINALLY walked our almost-5- mile power walk last night. It's been a really long time. It felt good and I was surprised that I handled it so well. I wasn't too breathless! Afterward we had a glass of vino. Hey! It was Saturday night after all and we haven't been together in awhile, and she's had some stuff happen to her recently, and my eldest was on a pseudo date up the road picking apples. We deserved a glass of wine that we'd worked off ahead of time! :)

She is a fan of "Big House". I don't believe I've ever reviewed it, and I won't tonight. She told me it was more sweet, with a Riesling-like flavor. She gave me a choice of the Big House White or her other standby: Crane Lake Merlot. She is a HUGE fan of the Sonoma-Cutrer that I love and, especially, Conundrum - we like this best. However, for an every day wine, she likes the Big House and Crane Lake. So, I chose the white due to being hot and desiring a cold glass verses a warm one. It was enjoyable but I kept thinking about what I was going to buy on the way home.

I decided to pick up one of my own old standbys to accompany dinner: Kendall Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay. However, it is the 2009 vintage. I decided to form dinner around it and made fettuccine alfredo with grilled chicken, fresh parsley and organic peas. It was a nice, pleasing match. After the Big House, the KJ was awesome. I personally enjoy oak flavor and it was oak-heavy with vanilla and wonderful minerality. I don't believe I have reviewed the 2009 before. I love the 2008. This was just as good, though there was a bit of an "after taste" upon drinking alone. However, the after taste went away with the fettuccine and it went away again tonight with tofu and curry and brown rice and sweet potatoes. It was in a different league than the Big House white, though I did enjoy the Big House following our walk. The Big House is only $8.99 and the KJ is $14.99. but they are very different.

I long to just write. And this isn't the forum I prefer. But I will continue to write here for now until I find my true dream writing niche. So I share my thoughts from the weekend:

My grandmother's husband's health is failing. He is in his 90's and it is to be expected. But they've only had about 4 full married years together. However, they have been great years, and they were very fortunate that they had those few perfect years together. They spent time in their "main" home in CT, their "winter" home in Barbados, and their "summer" home in Maine (Squirrel Island). Up until very recently, they were driving themselves to JFK and around NYC and to Maine. He is a wonderful man. He has made my grandmother very happy, and I have an affection for him that I can't explain - as though he was always meant to be there, but wasn't until recently.

I visited with them yesterday and things are not well for him - the doctors believe he has 6 to 7 weeks left here on earth. He is in my prayers every night. My grandmother is having a hard time. She is very devoted to him and will not leave his side even if it is at her own well being's expense. By that I mean that she is not so steady anymore on her feet and she is getting him up and showered and dressed every morning. I am humbled by their love. And I am sad that their life together may be coming to an end. They have been such an inspiration to my friends and colleagues as they met and fell in love and married in their late 80's. I am praying my grandmother can make it through the next few weeks and survive the loss of her second husband as she did her first. She is my last living grandparent and I am filled with emotions as I witness yet again another loss halfway through my life, and the second loss of love for her. They have been so happy together.

As they struggle with this impending change to their love and life together, my own eldest daughter is beginning her future. She likes someone. This made my grandmother so happy for a moment as she dreamed about being "Sweet 16" and liking someone for the first time. Life changes so fast. It goes through its cycles and we ebb and flow with each wave. I love my family and my memories and I miss the past and sometimes fear the future and then again I will embrace change when I feel brave and I think everything is going to be okay, but then I worry that maybe it won't and I am resigned to just take each day as it comes.

For now, I am happy for my daughter as I reflect on my own life's journey, while remembering that of my grandmother. One is coming to an end, one is just beginning, and the other remains in the middle. And, as I look at my beautiful girl, I still see that beautiful baby from just 16 years ago and can't believe how quickly time has flown.


I am a Duffy fan as much as I am Adele. They both take me back to the past in their current music styles. This is a song I love:


I'm scared to face another day
'Cause the fear in me just won't go away
In an instant you were gone and now I'm scared

DUFFY, I'm Scared


8.25 out of 10
13.5% alc. by vol.
$14.99 / 750 ml. bottle

Schild Estate Shiraz

2008
Barossa
Australia


Wow. 94 points from Wine Spectator. Really?? I was disappointed. Don't get me wrong. This is a good wine. Dark berry, vanilla flavor with a hint of smokiness. Flavors that I normally would be totally in love with. I expected this would be so much more.

I still believe it WILL indeed be so much more in a couple of years. I think it has fantastic potential. It was just a little too early just yet.


Had a great time with family during a too short beach vacation. Misquamicut was fantastic fun with my eldest and I riding waves together and laughing. No jellyfish. A lot of fun in the sun.

We had no power, but we didn't need it. Beach by day, kayaking, candelight on the deck at night overlooking the moonlight and water. My children and their beautiful cousin, my brother-in-law with his guitar, a visitor from Barcelona, and a sister-in-law with a bottle of red. Just what I needed. :)






Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead
You know how the time flies
Only yesterday was the time of our lives
We were born and raised in a summer haze
Bound by the surprise of our glory days

Adele, Someone Like You






8.25 out of 10
14.5% alc. by vol.
$20 / 750 ml. bottle (but I received a $3 discount so it cost me $17) :)

7 Deadly Zins

Old Vine Zinfandel
2008
LODI Appellation, CA

I believe I have reviewed this wine before. However, tonight it was really good. I served it with lasagna. I make an Americanized verison of lasagna that includes provolone, mozzarella and parmesean in lieu of the traditional ricotta and egg, etc. The provolone gives it a "smoked" flavor. The 7 Deadly Zins added to that smokiness. It was a fab combo that I enjoyed immensely.

Tonight is a very special night. I have just learned of the impending birth of a baby for my dear cousin, whose father, my uncle, just recently passed.

In addition, today I feel I was given a gift to forward. I went in search of vacuum cleaner bags that I purchased a couple of months ago, but cannot find. While looking for them, I found a postcard from my dear uncle from last year's Thanksgiving. As you may know, this is the uncle who always made Thanksgiving extra special with his presence, as well as his wine.

One thing I was reflecting on, upon learning of his death, was, while I truly believe and know he was bringing GOOD wine, his presence alone made the wine so much better. I kept wondering, was it the wine, or was it Uncle Bob? It was definitely the man that made the experience better. It was a bit like Pavlov's dog. Had my uncle been feeding me sour milk every Thanksgiving, I truly believe I would have learned to love sour milk. It was the man who made the difference.

Well, tonight I sent my postcard findings along to my aunt and cousins. Last year, he did not come to my house (and I thought confidently that there will be many more Thanksgivings ahead) because my cousin had his first baby and they all spent Thanksgiving together, understandably so. As per usual, he sent a case of his wine ahead for us to enjoy on the day despite his absence. But, honestly, it just wasn't the same without him.

Anyway, today I found his postcard written to my girls during Thanksgiving of last year. The postcard was a botanical photo of one of my favorite plants: the Bleeding Heart. In it he wrote how sorry he was that he wasn't with us and that he hoped the picture on the front conveyed that. In addition, he told them how he added a verse to his favorite Thanksgiving blessing (he would sing the hymn "We Gather Together" for grace). He shared his altered version with us to include a beautiful verse about the birth of his first grandchild. That being the "grace" he sang at the Thanksgiving table he shared with his "new" family last year. I forgot about all he wrote in that card because I obviously didn't know he was going to die before our next Thanksgiving. So, to me, it was a gift that I found that card tonight. I shared its contents with my aunt and cousins in an Email so that they would have the exact blessing he sang at their last Thanksgiving together.

Approximately 10 minutes later, I received a phone call from my aunt who is visiting one of my cousins down South. This was a trip she and my uncle had set in motion weeks before he died. She carried on alone. She called me to tell me that they got my Email and to let me know that my cousin had just shared with her on this trip that she too is expecting a baby. Her brother had a most beautiful baby last year, and now she too will have a baby. To me, everything has come full circle. It is bittersweet, as I wish my uncle could have seen BOTH of his children's first child, but I know, as I said to my cousin, that he already knows this baby. I am totally blessed that I found his postcard and I forwarded it this particular weekend. I truly believe it was his doing.

This wine was fantastic with lasagna and garlic bread. A smokey cherry bomb with a bit of leather nuances.

In the circle of life
It's the wheel of fortune
It's the leap of faith
It's the band of hope
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the circle, the circle of life

Some of us fall by the wayside
And some of us soar to the stars
And some of us sail through our troubles
And some have to live with the scars

There's far too much to take in here
More to find than can ever be found
But the sun rolling high through the sapphire sky
Keeps great and small on the endless round

Elton John, The Circle of Life


8.0 out of 10 (with food / lasagna)
$15.99 / 750 ml. bottle
15.0 % alc. by vol.

6th Sense Syrah

2008
Lodi Appellation

This wine was all chocolate, leather, rasberries and smoke.

I have not felt like posting or even writing much of anything since the untimely passing of my uncle. Everything just feels . . . different. More importantly, wine isn't so great anymore. I used to taste zealously and with anticipation and fun. I just don't feel the same. I go about my days as usual, but now with less zeal when I remember he's gone (which is several times a day). When I catch myself laughing, I feel bad. But I do remember how important laughter was to him and how much joy he brought others and I know he would want me to laugh as much as I can.

So, I am back to review the first wine I've had in awhile that inspired me and that I thoroughly enjoyed. But, more importantly, I felt compelled to write again due to re-connecting with my husband's younger brother. He is at an age finally where he realizes what is truly important. He has been out of our lives for too many years. He came for dinner and we talked, played wiffle ball, rode around in a golf cart, drank wine and toasted life, and ate birthday cake in celebration of his recent birthday. It was the best I've felt since Uncle Bob died, and I am thankful.



Chocolate and rasberries . . .



The hardest day awaits me this year - Thanksgiving. It is my favorite holiday and it was the one I totally enjoyed sharing with Uncle Bob. He truly was the best. I said some words at the burial of his ashes, and I ended with this poem by the great Emily Dickinson. Life is, truly, too short.

You will not see me, so you must have faith.
I wait for the time when we can soar together again, both aware of each other.
Until then, live your life to its fullest and when you need me, just whisper my name in your heart, I will be there.

--Emily Dickinson--


8.25 out of 10
$16 /750 ml. bottle
15.5% alc. by vol.

Kendall Jackson Chardonnay

Vintner's Reserve
2008

I walked with a friend tonight
We hit 5 miles at a good pace
I was sweating
My heart was pounding and it felt good
My heart has been sore and broken
I wanted to feel it pumping out of my chest
I pushed myself harder

Later I drank lemon water, 2 glasses
And then she took out a well chilled bottle
Kendall Jackson Chardonnay, Vintner’s Reserve, 2008
I could not resist
I raised my glass to toast you
But she was on to something else
She didn’t know you
So I toasted you in my head

My boss asked me today how I was
I burst into tears
He didn’t know what to do
He stood up and reached across his desk
I couldn’t stop the tears

You weren’t even mine
I don’t have your blood pumping through my veins
But I always felt I should have
Maybe that’s just me, being me, always overreacting

I will miss you forever.

8.o out of 10
$13.99 / 750 m. bottle

July 1, 1945 - July 8, 2011


The whole room was alive with joy when he was in it. For he was either laughing, singing, telling a story, or pouring wine. There is now such a big hole in this world for me and so many others who loved him, and our lives as normal are no more. There are no further words to express the shock, incredible sorrow, and heavy heart I feel.

Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay

2008
Sonoma, CA

This is one of my stand-by favorites. I am surprised that the ratings aren't higher than they are. Wine Spectator only gives this an 87, Wine Enthusiast, however, gives this a 91. I, being a Chardonnay FREAK, agree with WE. The minerality and creaminess of this Chardonnay are capable of transforming me to a more enjoyable place, if only temporarily.

Last weekend, following weeks of end-of-year stress (8th grade graduation, confirmation, dance, town tornado, death of my grandmother) I looked for solace and peace overlooking the ocean at my MIL's summer place. However, my middle child fell off the see-saw on the beach playground and broke her arm in less than 24 hours of being there and the weekend turned into a bust financially, stress-wise, and everything inbetween. Resigned to all I can't control, I went out and splurged on one of my favorite Chardonnay stand-bys: the Sonoma-Cutrer 2008 Chardonnay. I went back to the cottage, sat on the deck in the late afternoon sun overlooking Fisher's Island Sound, and opened my Keith Richards book and sipped for all of 30 minutes before something else needed my attention. But it was a blissful 30 minutes.

My grandmother is forever on my mind. I realize my last post was hardly a budget wine (and this one isn't particularly ""budget" either)- it was the day she died and I turned to my uncle's gifts for a wee bit of solace in remembrance of a truly lovely lady. Her memorial service and burial is next week and I am to speak. I am feeling nervous and sad and anxious and am beginning to doubt my capabilities. As usual. I miss her terribly, and the way of life she provided me. I feel I am blindly wandering through my life lately. Time goes by too fast. Friends who were, disappear. Loved ones move on. I am still searching . . . for what I don't know.




Did I say that I need you?
Did I say that I want you?
Oh, if I didn't I'm a fool you see
No one knows this more than me
As I come clean

Nothing you would take
Everything you gave
Hold me 'till I die
Meet you on the other side

Pearl Jam, Just Breathe

8.25 out of 10
$24 / 750 ml. bottle

Kistler Cuvee Natalie Pinot Noir

2008
Pinot Noir
Silver Belt Vineyard
Sonoma County



Many thanks to my dear uncle for providing me with the ammo I would need tonight a couple of years ago. It is most likely advisable that I should have saved this wine a couple more years. However, today was one of those days that call for something out of the ordinary. The world looks different tonight. A light has gone out in my corner of the planet. My wonderful, supportive, unconditional-love-giving grandmother died today.

This velvety, silky, heavy-bodied cherry in the woods wearing a leather jacket was just what the doctor ordered. I've no regrets. Life is too short. I've enjoyed every last drop and am . . . comfortably numb.





Come on, come on down,
I hear you’re feeling down.
Well I can ease your pain,
Get you on your feet again.

Relax, relax, relax
I need some information first.
Just the basic facts.
Can you show me where it hurts?

There is no pain, you are receding.
A distant ship's smoke on the horizon.
You are only coming through in waves.
Your lips move, but I can’t hear what you’re saying.

I have become comfortably numb.

Pink Floyd, Comfortably Numb


9.0 out of 10
14.1% alc. by vol.
$145 / 750 ml. bottle

Wrangler Red

REVISIT (See my April 12, 2011 review as paired with chicken pot pie.)
Shannon Ridge
2008
Lake County, CA

I have already reviewed this wine and was going to review Monte Oton Garnacha but had to comment on the Shannon Ridge Wrangler Red when paired with a curried dish. My rating goes up .25 points with a change of food.

I went in to the wine shop last night to purchase another (cheap) bottle of Montepulciano D'Abruzzo which I really wanted to try with my home made pizza. I previously had it with good company, a warm fire, and Spanish dark chocolate. As it is an Italian wine, I thought I would mesh it with some oregano and crushed tomatoes and basil and fresh mozzarella and Italian bread crust. However, upon entering the wine shop and telling the owner that I didn't see the Montepulciano I was looking for (I could only find the $13.99 bottle), he told me I needed to look to the "cheap" table. At that same time, my hand danced across a bottle of Tres Picos Garnacha. As he pulled the $5.99 bottle of Motepulciano and went to hand it to me, I bit my lip and gave him an apologetic look and told him my desire was quickly focusing on the Tres Picos. He told me that he and his wife had just recently had the wine located to the left of my Tres Picos at a local favorite restaurant of mine. And it was half of the price of the Tres Picos, but it was also a Garnacha and he had been very impressed with its taste. So, I decided to try something new and grabbed the Monte Oton in lieu of the cheap Italian, and took it home to sample. The Monte Oton review is to follow in a day or two.

However, tonight, I made brown rice and sauteed tofu, organic sweet onions, garlic, Curry and Turmeric Root. I topped the dish with fresh organic avocado. I finished the Monte Oton as I cooked. Meanwhile, the CS Guy decided to finish the Shannon Ridge he brought home again the other night. He offered me a sip just after I had a bite of my brown rice concoction. The wine was SO GOOD - it took on a silky spiciness and the curry in the dish totally came flying to the front of all other flavors. I just had to re-review the Shannon Ridge Wranger Red as an accompaniment to curry flavored meals - I highly recommend it.

I was driving in a bit of a fog yesterday to visit my grandmother who has been in failing health and mental capacity for a little over a year now and, this time, they say it is for real that she is on her way out. She has pneumonia, she is on O2, and she is receiving regular doses of Morphine. My little one and I haven't seen her since Easter due to severe time constraints, and I must confess on my part, also due to a sadness that she has no twinkle in her eye anymore upon seeing us. When I received the call from my mother that the nursing staff feel "this is it", I decided not to go into work. I stayed home long enough to get my little one on the bus and then I was going to leave. However, upon learning where I was headed, my daughter insisted on accompanying me. She was "torn" she said as she knew she shouldn't miss school, but she didn't want to miss seeing her "nana" maybe one more time. And I couldn't argue with that sentiment. So, with my 9 year old in the back seat silently thinking, and me driving in the front deep in my own thoughts, and the radio playing quietly on a station I don't remember putting on, this song came up and I just cried because it immediately made me think of Nana.

I am not a Lionel Ritchie fan by any means. And the following lyrics are to a "silly love song" I actually never did like. That said, as I was on my way to see my wonderful, beautiful grandmother for possibly the last time, and the darn song came on the radio, tears welled up in my eyes and I could only think of one lady:

Thanks for the times
That you've given me
The memories are all in my mind
And now that we've come
To the end of our rainbow
There's something
I must say out loud
You're once, twice
Three times a lady . . .

Lionel Ritchie, Three Times A Lady

I love you forever and ever, Nana.




8.25 out of 10 (as paired with CURRY!!!!!!!!! YUM.)
14.2% alc. by vol.
$19.99? / 750 ml. bottle

Montepulciano D'Abruzzo

2008
Italian Red Wine


My friends invited me to their house to sit by the fire pit and drink some wine with dark chocolate from Spain. They brought out this CHEAP wine and wanted to know my opinion. It was actually pretty good. I mean, it is $6.00. $6.00!

It wasn't heavy bodied like I prefer, but I really had no expectations. It had a mini kick of fruity dryness. I enjoyed saying the name over and over. I even recorded it, but can't get any help from the CS Guy other than to get an audio widget, which I tried but failed to embed.

Maybe it was the company, or the music, or the flames dancing before my eyes and warming my bare feet, or perhaps, the dark chocolate flown home from Spain, I may never know, but it was good for the price.


Your the one that I wanted to find
And anyone who tried to deny you
Must be out of their minds

Honey you are the sea
Upon which I float
And I came here to talk
I think you should know

Cold Play, "Green Eyes"

7.75 out of 8.0
$6 / 750 ml. bottle (that is not a typo)
12.5% alc. by vol.

LAN Rioja

2006 Crianza
Spain

Wine Spectator gave this a 90.

I have not been a fan of Rioja and just figure it's because I haven't found a good one yet. But once I saw the higher WS rating, and the cheaper price, I thought I'd give this a try.

It's good, just not standout. Dry, heavy cherry flavor, medium-bodied, it is recommended with pasta and cheese, or alone. I enjoyed it alone. But I did have a headache a couple of hours later. It wasn't like I overindulged - I only had two small glasses. The headache adversely affected my rating, although I DO realize a plethura of environmental or other influences could have caused the headache.

Look at all my trials and tribulations
Sinking in a gentle pool of wine
Don't disturb me now, I can see the answers
Til this evening is this morning, life is fine

The Last Supper, Jesus Christ Superstar


7.75 out of 10
13.5% alc. by vol.
$11 / 750 ml. bottle

Barbaresco Valgrande

2003
CA' Del Baio
Treiso - Italy

As this was enjoyed over Easter, and I am just now getting around to its review, all I can say is plain and simple: it was really good. It had full flavor and a nice, soft finish. It tasted good on its own and good with pork roast and potatoes. I would definitely love to have it again.

My brother took me wine shopping and asked me to pick. I so LOVE when that happens!

I must say, part of a "past" life that I miss the most is the fantastic food and accompanying wine. Along with the likes of Billie Holiday playing while we ate dinner. Some of my most favorite things came from a relationship that is now in the past that sometimes makes me sad to reminisce about, mostly because my children do not remember a side of their family. That said, I have come a long way on my own, with a limited income, in deciding what I like. I enjoy cooking and deciding what wine will accompany the meal. However, my mother has filled a huge void that was left from the past with her fantastic gourmet meals. Coupled with my brother's shared love of wine, and no-strings-attached-paycheck, I get to sometimes revisit some of my favorite memories. All that is missing on those occasions, is the fantastic jazz-blues greats of years gone by. Unless of course we are entertaining at my house. :)

OH! This song! It is amazing. It is me, sadly.

I've lost my sense of right and wrong
Well-justified my soul to carry on
It feels so damn good to write off the rules
But when a new day breaks
I'm left a fool
I'm such a fool.
Pain takes my heart's place . . .

Erin McCarley, Pitter Pat




8.25 out of 10
14% alc. by vol.
$29 / 750 ml. bottle