Be true to the Zin.....Truett Hurst Old Vine 3 Vineyards

What a lucky person am I.  Last night I enjoyed one of the most spectacular zins, a 2012 Truett Hurst Old Vine 3 Vineyards. 
Have you heard of the color purple....just sayin.
The nose sent out aromas of dark cherry, plum, and very aromatic flowers...violets.
The mouth erupted with so many flavors...bursting on the scene first..cherry, followed quickly by raspberry, then plum.  All of that followed with bits of cedar?, then pepper and finally tannins that reach into the depths of your soul begging for more.
I enjoyed this immensely.  So much so that I was inspired to cook a perfect steak with a side of spinach.  The steak was perfectly broiled to a medium rare. The spinach was sautéed with onion, bacon, and garlic.  A little a jus poured over the top of all for that maximum flavor.
Mouthwatering good
Enjoy

Yes it was DELICIOUS

also mouthwatering 

Experience,....Ch Bel Air l'Esperance 2012

Always looking for a bargain? Well I am, and I found it.  Ch Bel Air l'Esperance  is quite the bargain.  Under 10 dollars and full of fruit.  This Bordeaux blend ,a striking combination of cabernet, merlot and cab franc, is quite the little gem. 
The nose gives off hues of violets and raspberry.  Putting the glass to your lips you get the overwhelming  sense of rich ripe fruit as the fragrance continues to hit your nose.
The mouth is nice and fruity.  Not a lot of structure but a decent well balanced drinking now wine.  Soft and elegant and very easy to drink.  Pair it with roasted meats, or even heavy chicken dinners.  Also, just a thought roasted veggies.  So not a big lusty   wine, but definitely  a go to every day porch rockin   kinda   wine.
Enjoy

Homework

Ugly icy day. Everything closed. So I decided to do some homework .  Where should I start

Ooo LA LA.......Gassier Syrah Les Piliers

Once again I approach one of favorite winemakers; Michele Gassier.
Holding court in the Southern Rhone he continually produces one fine wine after another.  Cabernet les Piliers, Ch. De   Nage, a viognier and tonight  I give you.....Gassier Syrah Les Piliers.

When you open the bottle you are immediately inundated  with the most powerful aromas.  Floral scents of violets and roses. Dark red berries, like a summer basket full of ripe cherries, dewberries (yes I am showing my southern side). 
Once you pour the wine into your mouth you are tested again.  So much depth and so many flavors.  Again the dark fruits, lots of fruit. Then you get all of the layers, fruit, then spices; cinnamon, pepper, a hint wood to think about. Tannins so supple, your mouth is now begging for more. The flavors are complex and many.  What a wine. 
You must try this to believe.
Tonight I had the added privelege.  My daughter HR   cooked.  Making a wonderful   steak dinner  with delicious sides. She is becoming quite the gourmet.  And, the perfect companion to the wine. Sorry you cannot enjoy the steak, but you must try the wine.
Enjoy.

Look at that..beauty in a bottle...and glass

I know you wish you had this meal.

Oh My Friends....My Amici...

A few words about the wine maker, Joel Aiken. A true "wine star".  After spending almost 30 years at BV, guiding that company into one of the most respected in the world, he branched out on his own.  Aiken wines, Amici cellars and a consulting company keep him very busy.
No Curfew is his red blend and what a fabulous effort.  A blend of Zinfandel, Syrah,and Petite Syrah.
The nose is just inviting to say the least. Blackberry and cherry taunt you.  As you swirl the glass you see the beauty in the color,rich deep red ruby.
Flowing into your mouth it coats the tongue and cheeks with lots of fruit.  Intense combinations of fruit.  Cherry, blackberry, coffee and chocolate caress the inner sanctums.  Followed by spice cinnamon and pepper with the slightest   hint is wood.  Just a little oak to add to the complexity. 
Structured and complex, a definite win.  A long finish that leaves you begging for more.
Enjoy.

Tobin James Ballistic 2011

Have you seen anything like that lately. 

Tonights wine of choice: the Tobin James Zinfandel; Ballistic 2011.

The actual winery started in 1993, The winemakers are Tobin James and Lance Silver. 

The partnership has  garnered many awards right from the start. 

As soon as you open the bottle you know you are in for a fruit bomb.  The nose exudes dark ripe red fruits: plum, currant and a finishing hint of rose.  A floral boquet that reminds you of the big robust rose blooms of summer. 

The mouth is lush and fruit forward, as it is with many Paso Robles wines.  

The dark ripe red fruits hit you first right at the beginning.  Full bodied, plum is the dominant flavor.  

The wine coats your mouth with layers of flavor.  Each one peeling off slowly and showing the complexity of the wine.  Just enough spice at the end to mark it Zin. The flavor never really ends.  Just slowly fades and just as you think you are done, low and behold you realize it is still there.  The soft tannins are there to make your mouth water and beg for a little more, just  a little more and before you know it the bottle is done.  

Wow I really need some schezuan right now. 

Enjoy

Let's start the New Year....Monistrol Cava

Let's start the New Year off right.  I spend so much time working that sometimes  I forget to have fun and just enjoy life.  My life is filled with what alot of people would think is fun.  Travel, wine tasting etc.  But so much goes on behind the scenes and it is alot of work.  The sales part of my job is time consuming, 14 hour days or more is common.  So the little time I have after the holidays I like to spend with family doing nothing. 
But at times I do get a surprise.  My lovely wife surprised  me with a brunch from heaven. 
Crab benedicts.  Yes you heard it crab benedicts. Toasted walnut bread topped with a mountain  of fresh crab meat. Then homemade, you got it ...homemade,  hollandaise sauce.
I added a little sumpin  to finish it off. 
A delicious mimosa with fresh orange juice and Monistrol Cava.  Monistrol is under 10 dollars. A freaky good sparking wine.  Lots of fruity notes exude from this wine. I like a Cava for cocktails.   They tend to be more fruity and soft than traditional champagne and not as sweet as prosecco.  There are many sparkling  wines I enjoy but usually by themselves.  This Cava is great to mix with or even for a nice sparkler to finish  the night.
Here's to a great New Year and lots of great wine.
Enjoy