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Mark West 2009 Pinot Noir

This one is usually a favorite but tonight something is off. The wine smells funky, to the point where I switched glasses initially–thinking my glass smelled like an old sponge. It’s actually the wine.
It’s a shame too, because we were having this bottle as we embraced the holiday spirit by sorting through gifts, watching Christmas Vacation, and sampling some delicious shrimp cocktail and little neck clams. Throw in a crusty, warm, buttery hunk of wheat bread (yes I said wheat bread) and we were all set for good wine. Not in the cards for tonight, though.

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Les Vignes de Bila Haut 2010 Cotes du Roussillon

We are totally hooked on the 2010 Cotes du Roussillon Les Vignes de Bila-Haut, a French wine from the Lanquedoc Rousillon region.  Again, I credit the folks at Bottle King for drawing our attention to this wine.  They were having a tasting this fall, including several other reds and this white (all from Michel Chapoutier), and I thought this one the baddest of the bunch and grabbed up several.  Here’s how the big shots from the Wine Advocate describe it (at 90 points):

“A strikingly colorful aromatic display features pink grapefruit, peony, honeysuckle, and golden raspberry, all of which combine on a juicy, mouthwateringly saline palate, finishing with superb refreshment and length. What a fine introduction to Roussillon whites and terrifically versatile accompaniment at table this will make over the next 2-3 years if not beyond!”

2010 Cotes du Roussillon Les Vignes de Bila-Haut

Regrettably I cannot remember what we first ate with this–perhaps some Rosarios Italian pasta dishes?–but it’s become a favorite so it will surely get more play herein in the future.  I’m just too much a neophyte to know if I should call this a Grenache Blanc or what?

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Leaping Lizard 2006 Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Leaping Lizard Grand Reserve Cab

Leaping Lizard 2006 Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

This Napa Valley Cab was fun and fruity–the pour itself was crazy pungent and a dark purple that was filled with promise.  Big bellied glasses helped this breathe and, though we probably tasted too soon, we enjoyed this cab on a Friday evening (11/18/11) after a long work week.  This was a perfect cab to accompany a rich, pan-cooked filet mignon, asparagus (again with an amazing burnt butter and lemon!), and baby potatoes. Here’s what the purported experts report:

“This Cabernet Sauvignon is a full-bodied and fruit-driven wine that has all the hallmarks of a classic Napa Cab. Concentrated aromas of plum are complemented by notes of dark chocolate and vanilla. The wine was aged for 16 months in both French and American Oak barrels. The palate shows flavors of cassis, plum and ripe red berries. This is a wine to savor and may be aged for 5 to 7 years.”

It was fun saving this one for a while, but even more fun to crack it open and enjoy it together.

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Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio

Trouble with a blog about wine is that (at least in our house) you often have it after the end of a long day and, if you don’t write down right away what you’d had, you look up a week later and have to try to remember what it was.  This is one of those times.  We’re pretty sure we had this light pinot on Tuesday (11/15/11) along with a chicken and pasta dish–tossed with feta cheese, spinach, and lemon.

It was our second bottle of this Ecco; we had the first a few weeks ago and knew we liked it and thought a repeat would be great.  I guess additional details will have to wait for our next tasting.

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Perneta Tinto Lisboa 2010

This port blend, apparently from the Lisboa region of Portugal, we enjoyed on Friday night (11/11/11) with steak, roasted potatoes, and an amazing asparagus with burnt butter and lemon sauce.  The wine big shots offer the following:

Perneta Tinto Lisboa 2010

Perneta 2010 - Vinho Regional Alentejano, Tinto, Red

“Lively aromas of pepper and berries. Plenty of spice behind the plum and red berry flavors that lingers into a long, soft finish. Medium bodied with rich texture and fresh acidity.”

I read that the Lisboa region–just north west of Lisbon in Portgual–is apparently mild and conducive to wine production.  Though once known for producing low-quality wines, it has been restored with new grape varieties that today are regarded for their relative quality and price.  We purchased from Bottle King in Ramsey, N.J.

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2003 Jewel Merlot

Okay, this is an interesting experiment – I just unearthed some VERY old tasting notes that mark this oenophile’s first real foray into the world of wine. The comments are unrefined, the palate even more so…but there are some good wines from this period and it’ll be a pleasure to share those remarks with you here. I’ve dated as originally chronicled in my wine journal and have kept all the original remarks even if adding a few recent additions to help inform anyone reading here. Just bear in mind this is probably 300 bottles ago!

The 2003 Jewel Merlot hails from the Lodi AVA in the Central Valley region of California. Purchased from Wine & Spirit World for $12, I thought the wine was a rich red, with a “deep & earthy” bouquet. Since my thoughts on its taste (“nice aftertaste; smooth”) don’t really share any meaningful information with you, I’m making a quick detour to the professionals from wine.com and their tasting notes: “This distinct Merlot has a rich garnet color that is filled with aromas of toasted oak and cherry complimented by flavors of black cherry and plum. Soft vanilla oak and delicate tannins add richness to the finish.”

Yes, always been a fan of cherry and plum if not the vanilla noted in that summary. At the time, I commented “Nicer than recent California and Australian Merlots we’ve had recently” and rated the 2003 Jewel as a 7 of possible 10. Becca and I split this bottle over dinner as iTunes played in the background of our Midland Park kitchen. “I would buy again – nice result.”