Ahh Brenda Block how lovely you are......

Murphy-Goode Brenda Block Murphy Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 - Cellared for 6 years (got an amazing close out price on it) and selected to be opened on an ordinary, rainy, stormy Monday night for a quasi celebratory drink. Tasted immediately upon opening with really, really, really tight and acidic. Opened for 3 hours now and showing quite nicely. Very nice ruby color with very little change at rim, still deep color with slight pink rim. On the nose; tobacco, fruit, fruit and more fruit, currant, cherry, raspberry, coffee, coconut, vanilla, cassis, and lavender. The palate perfectly matches the nose with nice sweetness berry flavors, medium tannins, medium alcohol and good acidity with a very long finish. Sadly this was the last bottle in my cellar and it could have aged longer. Wish I would have bought more bottles at the extremely low price that make this a great, inexpensive drink.

Another day - another bottle

Bruno Rocca Barbaresco Rabaja 2001 - cellared for about 3 years. Opened and immediately decanted (into my favorite wine decanter of all time - minus the questionable liquids pictured) and let it set for 1 hour, with great anticipation. Poured two glasses (not both were for me although it has happened before - I did share this time) and noticed the color showed no flaws, as expected. Aromas were very enticing, nice berry notes, with tobacco and cedar and the taste lived up to the press and aromas with cola, vanilla and fruit. Great and pleasing acidity made this pair nicely with Pizza Margherita with some fresh spinach leaves added, just because I wanted. 2 more bottles in the cellar - yay for me!

Ahh Saturday

A trip to the Farmers Market for organic, grass feed hamburger and Costco, for items that I did not even know I needed, I am finally home to begin preparing an excellent dinner. The menu consists of my excellent and famous (if you have never heard of them - well then sorry for you) grilled hamburgers topped with extra sharp, New York cheddar, grilled tomatoes and portabello mushrooms, thick cut kettle chips and sour cream. All of the above will be washed down with the prized, long cellared "The Maiden" 2003. While opening the bottle notice the cork is well seated and really tight, find myself struggling with it. Open the bottle and pour the first splash into wine glass, not just any wine glasses but the ridiculously overpriced, European, leaded, hand-blown, crystal glasses, that are too big to fit into any normal sized cabinet, thereby requiring their own special one, but I digress. At first glance I notice that the wine is a little orangish at the rim - hmm should not be as it is only a 2003 and it has been stored in my temperature controlled cellar, since the winery shipped to me. Nice aromas of currant and berry, first sip lots of tannins (ok it is a Napa Cab blend), than pruned, sour acidity - not going as planned. Pour the glasses, small amounts to allow it to open, and make dinner, return to the wine 30 minutes later, yep still perplexing and if possible more sour acidity. Leave glasses, eat dinner, settle in to watch a movie 2 hours later take a small sip of wine, inexplicable it has got more acidic. Quickly choke down the wine and wonder if I should be disappointed or happy I have 2 more bottles of the 2003 lurking in the cellar!

Typical Tuesday night

Newton Unfiltered 2006 Chardonnay - strong golden color, with buttery and toffee aromas, nice creamy texture, long finish however shows its' 15% alcohol.

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