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2008 Expo Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Last tasting of the 2008 Expo Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (at least for now).  After sampling a glass mid-week after work, I polished off this delicious cab on Friday evening on the porch.  My best friend was in town from California (he lives in wine country, actually) and we traded war stories as the evening came on.  The Expo kept me warm as the temperatures fell, and it went just fine with casual Friday food–chiefly a bun-free burger with all the fixings and French Fries.

The wine today was less about taste and more about relaxation–and it measured on both accounts.  I originally ordered this via http://www.WTSO.com and will keep my eyes peeled for future such offers.  This one was worthwhile for sure.

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La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2011

Another great treat for a milestone birthday, the La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2011 was gifted to me by my cousins and their significant others.  Becca and I had occasion to laugh and share an evening with the four of them and the rest of the Heuseveldt family last month, and I’ve been holding onto this lovely red for about four weeks waiting for my birthday so I could finally give it a shot.

La Crema Pinot Noir 2011, Sonoma Coast, California, USA.

La Crema Pinot Noir 2011, Sonoma Coast, California, USA.

So easy.  I knew from the first pour, as I saw the lights from our kitchen bleeding all warm and cozy through our stemless Riedel glass, that this Pinot was going to be something special.  Light, fruity, and a smooth finish.  It perfectly accompanied a light flank steak, steamed veggies, and a couple lightly seasoned baby potatoes.

Here some [edited] notes from the talented winemaker: “This 2011 opens with lovely, vibrant aromas of cherry pie and sassafras, supported by subtle earth tones and hints of rose petal and vanilla.  Vibrant pomegranate and cranberry join in on the palate, with notes of black licorice, espresso bean, sweet pipe tobacco and cherry cola.  With elegant structure, the juicy mid-palate leads to a lingering finish of sweet spice.”

That’s obviously way more technical than I could taste (I’d have to simply nod and grunt out, “Yeah, red berries.“), but I can say it was ready for business, and business was good!  Thanks to you all, Erik, Laura, Adam, and Bekah!

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Blue Rock Baby Blue 2010 Red Blend

Hard to know how to title this wine–the bottle reads simply Baby Blue but the winemaker’s website calls it Baby Blue Cabernet.  Or Baby Blue Estate Red Blend.  Whatever it’s called, it is fantastic.  My wife picked out this crazy winner and gifted it to me for my 40th birthday.  It was part of a great weekend, and we polished it off on Sunday night with a perfectly grilled steak, some delicious tater tot crowns, and grilled asparagus.  Perfect pairing, in all the ways that matter to me–obvious and subtle both.

Blue Rock, Baby Blue 2010 Red Blend. Alexander Valley, USA

Blue Rock, Baby Blue 2010 Red Blend. Alexander Valley, USA

At the moment, red blends are very much vogue for this gent.  Here’s the makeup of the Blue Rock:

  • Cabernet Sauvignon 52%
  • Merlot 25%
  • Cabernet Franc 13%
  • Syrah 10%

The winemaker remarks further, “The wine spent 16 months in French Oak (once used) and has been bottled unfined. As a result, Baby Blue is delicious on release and is intended for mid-term cellaring.”  Fans of this blog know that’s a bunch of high-falutin’ language but in the end it means one important thing–the wine is great.  I’m ready for my next glass already.

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Clarendelle 2005 Red Bordeaux, Clarence Dillon

Last night my wife and I finished off an enjoyable bottle of the Clarendelle 2005 Red Bordeaux from Clarence Dillon.  Must confess that I had a “sneak preview” glass on Wednesday night, but the final polish came last night as we celebrated the early end to the work week.  This Bordeaux accompanied shell steaks, grilled to taste, and a delicious salad of field greens, baby potatoes, blue cheese–and bacon!
Most times, a dinner glass of wine is about the taste, or a combination of tastes.  Yesterday, though, it was about celebrations instead.  With that spirit in mind, I sampled this rich red from a great birthday gift mug during the dinner hour and afterwards as I packed up all my black and orange for Opening Day at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.  Helped kick off a fun weekend!

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Wente Vineyards Morning Fog 2011 Chardonnay

If you remember our last post about Wente, you know we’re fans and were looking to echo the success of our last bottle with another of the finest from this Livermore Valley vineyard.  We anticipated sharing this one with good friends–originally from Park Slope in Brooklyn and now in Yonkers–for the Easter weekend.  My wife’s dear friend is a professional chef, and this light, nearly sweet Chardonnay was intended to accompany a mushroom lasagna and other festive plans we had in mind.

Wente Vineyards 2011 Morning Fog Chardonnay, Livermore, California, USA.

Wente Vineyards 2011 Morning Fog Chardonnay, Livermore, California, USA.

Unfortunately, our plans fell through and Becca and I were left with nearly two dozen eggs to color ourselves, a pile of delicious snacks, and a Paas kit ready to go.  Thankfully, we’re creative folks, and we do love our eats.  Makes for a powerful combination!

Anyway, we set up the kitchen table–cups for dunking, pens, crayons, and rubber bands, and this delicious white.  Perfect way to celebrate Easter!  You can see in the accompanying photo both our empty bottle as well as the colored treasures we created ourselves.  The wine was great, the occasion sound, and the company best of all.

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2008 Expo Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

2008 Expo Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California, USA. Featuring the artwork of Carol Schinkel of Fort Collins, CO.

2008 Expo Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California, USA. Featuring artwork by Carol Schinkel of Fort Collins, CO.

Second tasting of the 2008 Expo Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. I’m really a fan of this Cab and trying to think of a way to explain in simple terms: On a day where you are reluctant to break out a proven superstar but are looking for some grapes that bring it, the Expo is a great option. It’s not a home run, but it’s a solid double into the gap and you’re looking to advance. The Expo kind of has a boutique feel to it and was paired last night with a killer green salad and pan-seared steaks. The fresh ground pepper on the salad, combined with the red meat, seemed to bring out some of the flavors (dark reds, spices) of this great cuvee.

Since I cheated a glass from this bottle earlier in the week (a great, heart-healthy after-work drink, incidentally), I was about one short last night but am already looking forward to the next taste.

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Buena Vista 2009 Ramal Vineyard Cardonnay Musque Clone

A delicous-smelling mushroom beef risotto is going to accompany this last glass of the Buena Vista Musque Clone Chardonnay 2009 tonight. The Chardonnay–my first white in some time–is a really nice, sweet Californian. Buena Vista always rings true for me, and this bottle is no exception. It’s got a great scent about it; some yellow fruits that I can’t quite pinpoint but surely enjoy on the nose and the tongue.
In addition to their usual language about the boutique approach, Buena Vista writes of this Sonoma beauty, “This Musque Clone selection showcases our most aromatic expression of Carneros Chardonnay with aromas of honeysuckle, orange blossum, and floral notes. The aromatic fruit and muscat-like characters carry through with a rich, oily texture that pairs well with intensely flavored foods and is also enjoyable on its own.”
Even now I’m just sipping the glass, drawing out the inevitable conclusion to a fun bottle. Wish they didn’t all come to an end, but all good things, right?

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Gascon Malbec 2009

We’ll call this a “birthday wine”, because we opened while celebrating a milestone for Ma.  I’ve seen it shelved and/or displayed in NJ wine stores and must be a relatively mass-produced Argentinian red because it was all over Rochester too.  The Malbec followed a Tormaresca that we had gifted (and written about) previously, and that’s one of the fun things about having more people enjoying a bottle together–with the portions divided, you get to open more bottles and do more sampling at a given sitting.  In any case, we uncorked the Gascon Malbec 2009 to accompany an Asian green salad, grilled asparagus, twice-baked potatoes, and perfectly cooked Wegman’s steaks.  It must have worked well in this capacity, because it was long gone by the time we got around to some fantastic desserts.

Gascon 2009, Argentina.

Gascon 2009, Argentina.

Here’s the usual run-down from the winemaker: “Don Miguel Gascón Malbec is a full-bodied wine with a deep violet color, showcasing flavors and aromas of blackberry, blueberry, plum, dark cherry, and a hint of mocha. The wine is elegant and rich in texture, with soft, round tannins and a long velvety finish.”

Apparently the growing season in 2009 had some crazy temperatures that resulted in variations to the grapes–their thickness, acidity, vibrancy, freshness, concentration–a host of factors far beyond my taste.  I was just glad it was such a welcome addition to the glad event.

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Petizos Malbec 2007

Have wanted to revisit a Malbec for some time and the 2007 Petizos was good company this evening.  This nice Argentian red is named for a breed of South American horse that is descended from Persian warrior horses now devoted to the sport of polo (the term “pulu”, the Tibetin word for ball, is part of the word’s origin).  I’m sure it is not really intended to accompany shellfish–we did have crabcakes, scallops, and shrimp with the Petizos (along with some spicy chicken strips and baked macaroni and cheese)–but this grape did work better than expected.  This rich, fragrant red wine better accompanied the pepperoni pizza we had too while wishing our friend and neighbor a happy birthday.

The red underpinnings of the Petizos made themselves known and were very enjoyable to this casual consumer.  A portion of the proceeds from this Malbec will help make a “better life for animals near and far”.  Not the reason I’d flagged this wine originally, but a welcome benefit nonetheless.  Looking forward to the next bottle soon!

 

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2008 Expo Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Okay, now we’re getting somewhere.  Started this bottle Friday evening, and polished it off Sunday night with a delicious dinner of steak (perfectly done), asparagus, and baked potato.  Believe me, it took a crazy amount of restraint not to down the entire bottle in one sitting because it is flat-out excellent.  We have several bottles of this Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon on hand, so Notes will have a photo in subsequent posts–the Expo’s artwork (contributed by Colorado artist Carol Schinkel) is also great.

Know that the 2008 Expo is striking.  It has been grown and produced by Alison Crowe and reminded me of several recent Bordeauxs we’ve been lucky enough to try…will break out additional tasting thoughts in our next sampling but first recommendation is that you put your hands on one right now.  You’ll thank me.