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 I’m nursing a big “boo boo” on my leg, so I’m in down time mode for a few days. Fortunately, my friends have been popping over to entertain me! After a restful day yesterday, a friend stopped by in the late afternoon for a quick hello and good-bye. About an hour later another friend came over with food, a bottle of wine and positive energy. Now, that’s what I’m talking about! He cheered me up in no time!  We opened a bottle of 2011 Jean-Paul Picard Cuvée Prestige Sauvignon Blanc, from Sancerre, Loire Valley. The wine was light straw with stone fruit and floral aromas. The palate was a mixture of pear, apple, a hint of lemon zest and quite rich! The long finish was quite satisfying and paired well with the salmon, salad and grilled asparagus. Sancerre is a small wine district located in central France. They are famous for their high quality white wines made from Sauvignon Blanc. Sancerre is also known for its high quality goat cheese. I would love to try some of that!  Don’t forget to watch the Stanley Cup game tonight. I’m looking forward to a fun evening!
Happy Saturday! Cheers! Penina  Santa Claus made a surprise visit yesterday with a small selection of wines to taste and review. He also brought some cool weather with him that deterred me from taking a dip in the pool.  However, it is beautiful and warm today. After my work commitments this morning, I am definitely going to jump in the pool later for some laps and aerobics.  I was invited to a friend’s home for dinner last night, so I grabbed one of my “Santa Claus” bottles of wine to start off the evening. It was a 2012 Chateau Mourgues du Gres Les Galets Rosés Costieres de Nimes Rosé from the Languedoc-Roussillon region. It is mostly Syrah with a touch of Grenache. The color was very dark pink, with wild berries, cherries and floral fragrance. The fruit flavors, especially raspberry, were intense with an interesting spice kick and orange zest on the palate. The finish was long with spice lingering on. Thumbs up on this Rosé! http://www.mourguesdugres.com I’ll be back on Tuesday…Happy Sunday!
Cheers! Penina  It was a beautiful Sunday filled with lots of activity. Between a quick walk, visiting with friends, watching the Stanley Cup and cooking, it was no wonder that I blissfully crawled under the covers last night for a much-needed sleep.  One of the highlights of yesterday was a delightful afternoon lunch with a friend. We popped open a 2014 Whispering Angel Rosé from Chateau d’Esclans Coted de Provence. This southern Rhone blend was made from Grenache, Rolle, Cinsault, Syrah and Mourvedre grapes. The color was a delicate pale salmon with aromas of strawberry, peach, and tropical fruits. It was crisp, filled with fruit flavors and a touch of spice. This was a fabulous Rosé with flavors that lingered for a long finish. http://esclans.com  I have included a photograph of the back label. I love the quote!  Have a great Monday and don’t forget to watch the NY Rangers tonight! Cheers!
Penina  The year was 1969. It was the year of love, Woodstock and the Beatles “Revolver” album. Nixon was inaugurated 37th president of the US. The movies Midnight Cowboy, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Easy Rider were released. Neil Armstrong & Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the moon.  And then…. there was 1969 Petrus.  I shared this amazing wine last evening with a fellow oenophile. The wine was released from 46 years of resting in the bottle and gently decanted. The color was brick red with very subtle aromas of dried berries and faint spice. A quick sip told me that we were in for a treat. We allowed the Petrus time to open up. Over the course of an hour or two, we enjoyed tasting the very delicate but undefined flavors of fruit and earth. However, I did detect a hint of plum. It was a 1969 love fest. And…I have one more bottle that I’m saving for a special occasion. The winery is located in the eastern portion of Pomerol in the Bordeaux region of France. The vineyard’s location is in the highest point of Pomerol and is made up of iron-rich clay soil, resulting in fruit with excellent mineral balance and aging potential. It is interesting to note that although Pomerol has never been granted “growth” classification status, Petrus is widely considered on par with other First Growth wines. I'll drink to that! http://www.moueix.com Enjoy your Saturday…the Stanley Cup and The Preakness!
Cheers! Penina  It was glorious to sleep with the windows open last night. I think it is safe to say that spring is here to stay!  I realize my blog of late has the “knitter” missing in it. I am in the process of setting up a “knitting room”, a long overdue project. I hope to have it completed in the next two weeks…and then I will resume making art wear.  Last evening my friend and I lined up three vintage bottles of wine, two of which obviously had leakage and evaporation. Can you guess which bottle was drinkable? We started with the 1969 Chateau Haut-Bailly Grand Cru Classe from the appellation Graves, Pessac Leognan in Médoc. Both bottles had flattened out, but surprisingly had not turned to vinegar. There was still a hint of grape on the palate and had a musty but not unpleasant aroma. I will probably try to make homemade vinegar with them. The winner of the evening was the 1976 Chateau Beychevelle Grand Vin Saint-Julien. Not only was it drinkable, but rather enjoyable! It had certainly lost all the nuances of a Bordeaux wine, but still possessed a lovely fragrance. It was both sweet and soft on the palate with a hint now and then of what it used to be. The wine improved as it opened and two hours later we were drinking the last drop! It was a lot of fun! 
Happy Thursday!
Cheers! Penina  What happened to spring? I woke up this morning to 35 degrees and it is supposed to go down to 29 degrees tonight! Seriously? It’s hot toddy weather again.  I have a busy day ahead of me, but before I dash off, I want to tell you about the 2006 Hecht & Bannier Faugères that I had last night to toast my lucky friend who has been traveling in the Languedoc region.  The wine is made from about 70% Syrah and the rest is Mourvèdre. It was a rich garnet color with cherry, violet and pepper on the nose. The palate offered dark plum, berries, spices and a hint of cocoa. The texture was pure velvet with soft tannins and a long finish. It is interesting to note that this is the smallest appellation in the region and only 200 cases are produced per year. I was fortunate to try a bottle! http://hechtbannier.com Enjoy your Friday and stay warm!
Cheers! Penina  It’s another beautiful spring day. Birds are chirping, the peepers are doing their mating calls and I’m running behind on everything!  I should have at least four knitting projects done by now. Nary a one has been started. I can’t seem to find a peaceful block of time these days to knit. And I won’t be able to “put on the brakes” for at least another month.  However, I did put on the brakes last night and had a wonderful dinner, good conversation and a special bottle of wine with a friend. We shared a 2001 Château de Sales Pomerol, compliments of my friend’s wine cellar. This Bordeaux Blend was a deep ruby color. It had a distinct musty aroma along with sweet fruit and plum. The mustiness faded after 10 minutes or so. On the palate, plum, cherry and ripe fruits dominated, with hints of anise and chocolate. Velvety tannins and a long finish carried through to the last drop. It was a very sexy wine! http://www.chateau-de-sales.com An interesting note: Château de Sales is the largest wine estate in the Pomerol appellation in France. Happy Wednesday!
Cheers! Penina  Monday was another jam-packed day. So I was looking forward to having a quick drink with a friend and then veg’ing for the rest of the evening. However, the quick drink turned into dinner and a bottle of wine. And, I’m happy that it did, because the wine was fantastic!  We drank a 2005 Château La Vieille Cure. This Red Bordeaux blend was an intense purple color. It had more earth than fruit on the nose. Dark cherry, spice and rich loam filled the palate. Over the course of two hours, the wine continued to open with flavors of licorice, dark berries and a hint of cocoa. Dark cherry and chocolate lingered in my mouth for a long finish. This full-bodied wine was good to the last drop! http://www.la-vieille-cure.com I must get back to work now!
Happy Tuesday! Cheers! Penina  Although I had a crazy weekend filled with business meetings, organizing and family obligations, I did take a few moments here and there to “stop and smell the roses.”  I joined a friend on Friday evening for a festive meal, dining amongst the “who’s who” crowd. We decided to celebrate spring a little early and ordered one of the restaurant’s signature drinks…Vodka Thyme Lemonade. I wrote about this fantastic drink on my “Day 30” post in July. You can read it at: http://thewineknitter.com/1/post/2014/07/day-30.html To find out more about the drink and restaurant: http://www.jean-georges.com/recipes/cocktails/lemon-thyme-vodka-lemonade/  On Saturday, I took a few moments and stopped in at a local wine tasting to sample a 2012 Domaine du Cayron Gigondas. This is a southern Rhone red blend made from 70% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 14% Syrah and 1% Mourvedre. It was dark red with aromas of red fruit, spice and a hint of pine. On the palate, the red fruit continued with licorice, spice and basil. The wine was rich with medium tannins. Very nice! And now…back to work!
Happy Sunday! Cheers! Penina  Trying to play catch up. After digging out of yet another snowstorm, I’m putting the brakes on for a short spell so that I can tell you about some wines that I tasted on Saturday. The first one we tried was a 2013 Orogeny Pinot Noir, from California’s Russian River Valley. It was a ruby color with cherry and pomegranate on the nose with flavors of cherry, spices and a hint of oak. It was well balanced with a spicy finish. The next wine was a 2012 A to Z Pinot Noir from Oregon. It was a typical Pinot with lots of fruit and flowers on the nose. On the palate the fruit continued with spices and a tangy quality. It had a nice finish. And now, on to France and a 2011 Louis Max Mercurey Vignes du Domaine. It was a lovely Pinot Noir from Burgundy. This garnet colored Pinot had plums and cherry on the nose. It had more of a spice taste than fruit, but was a nice balance with smooth tannins. My last taste was a Pinot Noir from Germany. It was a 2012 Diehl Spatburgunder from Pfalz. This was an interesting wine. Very dark red with cherry and black fruit on the nose. Flavors of spice and earth were nicely balanced with the fruit. It was soft with a medium finish.  My favorite was the Pinot from Burgundy. Must run!
Happy Monday! Cheers! Penina |
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