It was quite a kick off to the weekend. I spent the better part of yesterday in NYC, enjoying the hustle bustle, eating at a French bistro and catching up with a friend. By the time I arrived home, I only had a few hours to take care of mundane business before quickly transforming myself for the evening. And, I do believe that I hold the record for quick changes! Although the weather was a little nippy, we dined outside around a large fire pit which kept me warm and toasty. Dinner was cooked on the grill and of course, wine was opened. We drank 2005 Faust Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. This was a big and hearty wine. It is aged in French oak barrels for 18 months and also contains 18% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. The color was deep ruby with dark fruit on the nose, including cherry and vanilla. On the palate were lots of berry flavors, spice, plum and hints of cherry tobacco. The finish was long and smooth. I was delighted that we had a few bottles to go around. The second bottle was decanted for about an hour. It was definitely more robust than the first “un-decanted” bottle. Delicious! http://www.faustwine.com Have a great Saturday! Enjoy the Kentucky Derby! Cheers! Penina After a grueling day, I was rewarded last evening with a very special bottle of wine from a friend’s cellar. Thankfully, I had made a great dinner to complement the wine! It was a 1997 Seavey Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Fourteen hundred cases were produced and I am so happy that one of the bottles graced my dinner table! The wine was made from 98% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot and was heavenly! The color was deep purple with an earthy aroma that also included hints of dark jams, black cherry and spice. The aromas carried over to the palate and as the evening progressed, the characteristics of the wine became more pronounced with spice, dark fruit and a hint of chocolate. Soft tannins and a long finish were the added bonus. This was a full bodied, rich and delicious wine! Yum! http://www.seaveyvineyard.com Only one more day until the weekend starts. What will you be uncorking? Happy Thursday! Cheers! Penina Friday and Saturday slipped through my fingers and I’m trying to catch up. Between the snowstorm on Friday and a non-stop day yesterday, I was ready for a night out! So, last evening a friend and I joined a few people for a beautifully prepared meal at their home. We dined on Vichyssoise Soup, miniature crab cakes, grilled halibut and assorted vegetables. It was scrumptious! We drank 2011 Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, a perfect accompaniment to the food. This ruby colored Cab is a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec and aged for 18 months in French oak. It had aromas of dark plum, cherry, spices and cocoa. It was a beautiful balance of flavors and silky tannins. We tasted black cherry, raspberry, herbs, a hint of pepper and cherry tobacco. It was a long finish and a sigh was heard from all. http://www.robertcraigwine.com The sun is shining today and I’m a happy camper! Enjoy your Sunday!
Cheers! Penina I’m sneaking in a moment of a rather crazy day to give a shout out…again, to a wine I had last evening. Although it was a stressful and long day, I managed to rustle together a lovely meal. As I flew around the kitchen, I gave my dinner guest carte blanche to my “wine cellar”. He came back with a wine that I reviewed on 1/29/15, Day 194. It was a 2008 D'Isanto & D'Isanto I Balzini White Label Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT. The wine is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Sangiovese. The last time I reviewed it, we had decanted the wine and let it sit for an hour. This time, we poured right from the bottle, let it sit in the glass for about 20 minutes and then enjoyed the experience. My review of the wine is the same as before. “The color was deep garnet with an incredible bouquet of dark fruits, earth and spices. It was rich in flavor with dark plum, blackberries, pepper and herbs. The finish was long and smooth.” Check out their website: http://www.ibalzini.it And now it’s back to work.
Happy Thursday! Cheers! Penina It seemed as though the day would never end. It was non-stop work yesterday. Just as I was about to pour a little shot of vodka to celebrate the onset of evening, my phone rang. It was an impromptu invitation to join a friend for dinner. I love serendipity, so I accepted, changed clothes and flew out the door. The evening did not disappoint! We shared a nice meal and a great wine. It was a 2009 Jessup Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa. It was dark ruby in color with heady aromas of blackberry, plum, fig and a hint of clove. The wine had a silky feel in the mouth with flavors of dark fruits, licorice, earth and hints of oak. The finish was smooth and long with a nice “jammy” feel to it. The longer it sat, the more intense the flavors became. I loved it! jessupcellars.com I have another crazy day ahead of me. Is it really only Tuesday? Have a good one!
Cheers! Penina Well, I certainly didn’t have to worry about all the bread I baked going to waste. I packed up a little care package for one friend yesterday afternoon and a package for another friend in the early evening. I’m bringing the rest to my office as a “sweet” treat for everyone! I want to share my thoughts on a very good wine I tasted not too long ago. It was a 2008 D'Isanto & D'Isanto I Balzini White Label Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT. The wine is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Sangiovese. The color was deep garnet with an incredible bouquet of dark fruits, earth and spices. It drank better after decanting for about an hour due to strong tannins. It was rich in flavor with dark plum, blackberries, pepper and herbs. The finish was long and smooth. I reviewed their 2009 Red Label on 9/22/14. The White Label is superb and I’m happy that I have another bottle in my wine rack! http://www.ibalzini.it Have a great Thursday!
Cheers! Penina Well, I was all psyched to go to “ski country” yesterday morning. I wasn’t going to do downhill skiing…just snowshoeing and cross-country. However, my friend (and ride) had to end up working. So I unpacked and switched gears. I attacked my ever-growing punch list and knocked off a few items, including renewing my passport. I am optimistic that I will be traveling to some wonderful vineyards soon! In the meantime, I brought the vineyards of South Africa to me last night. The wine was a 2005 Rustenberg Peter Barlow Cabernet Sauvignon from Stellenbosch. It was a deep ruby color with lively aromas of black cherry, licorice, cassis, spices and a hint of mocha. On the palate, the wine was layered with black fruit, tobacco, cassis and spice. The finish was long with a hint of pepper and vanilla. It was amazing! http://www.rustenberg.co.za Have a great Saturday!
Cheers! Penina Although I didn’t knit anything yesterday, I was on a roll with cooking. I think the cold weather motivated me to fill my home with the aromas of soup simmering on the stove and baking bread. I made two large vats of tomato vegetable soup and a hearty loaf of peasant bread. I think that I have enough food to feed many friends over the course of this week! The delicious smells emanating from my kitchen brought a friend to the door. Soup, bread, sautéed scallops and wine were served. I previously reviewed the wine back in August. It was as good as I remembered! If you want to know what it is, then check out my post "Day 67". So, who will be next to knock at my door for soup and bread? Don’t forget to bring the wine! Happy Tuesday!
Cheers! Penina I was looking forward to relaxing on Saturday. However, it turned into a very busy day with unexpected business to attend to. As a result, I never got to post anything. I got home just in time to bake a delicious peasant bread to bring to a friend’s home for dinner. To my surprise, he had baked two breads, along with a fabulous dinner that included homemade pasta. I was impressed! He served a very nice wine as well. We had a 2011 St. Francis Cabernet from Sonoma. It had the usual aromas of dark currant, cassis and black cherry. On the palate it was the same, with flavors of currant, cranberry, a hint of tobacco, and vanilla. Hearty tannins and spice gave way to a long finish. http://www.stfranciswinery.com Happy Sunday!
Cheers! Penina The last 24 hours has brought some crazy weather. From a gentle snowfall yesterday, we segued into mild temps, rain and pea soup fog today. And speaking of “24”… When you think of Charles Woodson, who now plays safety for the Oakland Raiders, you might not think of wine at the same time. Think again! He is the proprietor for TwentyFour Wines in Napa Valley. Woodson teamed up with Gustavo Gonzalez, winemaker and Rick Ruiz to produce some outstanding wines. I had one of these fabulous wines over the holiday. It was a 2010 TwentyFour Cabernet Sauvignon. OMG! The aromas were heady with lush dark berries, licorice and spice. The wine was so rich that it would have been a perfect dessert. The flavors of black cherry, spice and licorice continued on the palate. Hard tannins and lingering spices gave this full-bodied wine a long and delicious finish! http://www.twentyfourwines.com Have a great Sunday!
Cheers! Penina |
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