Castelli Romani Rosso (2006)

This Castelli Romani Rosso 2006, an Italian red table wine, is a blend of Sangiovese, Merlot, and Montepulciano grapes. The color is a deep red and purple. The nose is green vines and cloves. On the palate is violets and wood. In some ways, it is a familiar-tasting Italian table wine — except that it is not as austere as most. The feel in the mouth is soft and velvety.

This is an adequate mid-week quaff and a good value. It is not a special-occasion wine, in my opinion; yet it is a perfectly adequate wine and better than most boxed wines that I have tasted. Tonight, I have chicken in the oven. I browned it in my cast-iron skillet, baked it for an hour, then added broth to simmer even longer. I will serve it with green beans and mashed potatoes. Comfort food for a middle-of-the-demanding-work-week evening! Cheers!

Barrio La Boca Malbec (2005)

This Barrio La Boca Malbec 2005 is a medium purple in the glass and a fresh and spicy nose. It is a dry and tannic red with a smooth feel on the palate. The taste is plums, vanilla and cherries. The finish is chocolate-covered cherries.

This is a great value (Tom purchased this wine at Trader Joe’s for under $5). I chose this wine because it is Tuesday (and I wanted to have a good value versus an expensive wine)! We will drink this wine with our dinner of fresh-grilled kielbasa, sauerkraut, potatoes, and salad.

Trapiche Malbec (2006)

This Trapiche Malbec 2006 is purple and medium bodied. Tom purchased it today at Trader Joe’s. (He also purchased 17 other bottles – yay! And, our wine club box of four bottles also arrived so we are happy to have some wine in stock again!)

This medium-bodied red has a round and supple feel on the palate. This is a fruit-forward wine with plenty of cherry and plummy fruits but I like it because it is not syrupy and it has grippy tannins to offset the fruitiness.

I am reheating our leftover soup because I had a big, big day. This will go well with the beef-barley soup and wheat bread. Cheers!

Montecillo Crianza Rioja (2003)

We are having this Montecillo Crianza Rioja 2003, a Spanish red made with Tempranillo grapes, on this lovely, autumn Sunday evening. I am typing with my arms over Trigger as she is stretched out on my lap. I have made a big kettle of beef-barley soup, which smells delicious and I just took a loaf of homemade wheat bread out of the oven.

We had so much fun today visiting with our two sons and Leena Karsan, who is visiting from the University of South Carolina. Leena was the reigning homecoming queen and came back this weekend to Eastern Michigan University to crown the new queen!

It was a fun homecoming game and then Tom and I left to go to dinner at the home of Mike and Denise Long. Agatha and Tim were there and fun was had by all! We drank lots of wine and enjoyed a delicious dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, sauteed green beans, and a delicious salad. Then for dessert Denise served cream puffs with ice cream and hot fudge! Wow!

But back to tonight. This Montecillo Crianza Rioja 2003 wine is simply wonderful. I have already asked Tom to buy more. It is fruity with a good dose of tannicity. This is a well-balanced red that, while very fruity, is not your typical New World fruit-forward wine. This is Old World, dry and delicious. Yum, yum, yum. Definitely on the “buy more” list!

Clos du Bois Cabernet Sauvignon (2004)

I am finishing this California Cabernet Sauvignon, which we opened a night or two ago. It is delicious. The color is a a dark, ruby red. There is a fruity, licorice and spice taste. Yummy, smooth tannins are noticeable on the back palate and a taste of plum and cloves is evident on the finish.

Hurray! It is Friday night. We are reading the paper; Trigger is cuddling on Tom’s lap. I am simmering a pork loin in a cream sauce but we are in no big hurry to end cocktails and have dinner. Friday night cocktail hours are ALWAYS extra long! Cheers!

Casillero del Diablo Carmenere (2005)

This Casillero del Diablo Carmenere 2005 is quite a find. Tom bought it tonight at our local grocery store, Polly’s Country Market. My first whiff of this Chilean wine is of white pepper. This Carménère is a rich and luscious red. Tom bought it on sale for $7.

It is full bodied, with bacon, oak, and soy sauce (flavors) along with plum and berry (aromas). On the palate is a round, juicy, and fresh mouth feel with a long, slightly dry, and bitter finish. Fabulous! If you can find it, buy it. If you like a big, dry red, I am confident you will like this one. We will have this with garlic encrusted roast beef, potatoes, carrots and onions, and a fresh, green salad.

Chateau Andrea Cabernet Sauvignon (2005)

I am tasting this Chateau Andrea Cabernet for the third or forth time and I am in love with this wine! This California beauty is full-bodied, rich and fruity. The color is deep and dark. The nose is black cherries. The tannins are aggressive and the finish is long.

I am roasting a stuffed chicken breast and I have a casserole of au gratin potatoes. I am steaming some broccoli, too. This wine is spectacular and will go well with our dinner. I love it!

Clos du Bois Cabernet Sauvignon (2004)

I chose this Clos du Bois Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 for two reasons: one, a reader reminded me about the smoothness of the Clos du Bois wine; and two, I decided to make a pot roast for dinner and I was confident this would go well with roast beef.

The Clos du Bois Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 has a black, deep-ruby red color. On the nose is mature, plump blackberries. The blackberry is followed by concentrated black cherries with a succulent and rich palate. The intensity of the ripe berries meld with a subtle spice and black licorice. Velvety tannins are evident on the back palate and a taste of plum endures throughout a lingering and delicious finish.

(“Clos du bois” means “enclosed in the woods.”)

Sleeping Bear Winery Cabernet Sauvignon

We are enjoying this bottle of Sleeping Bear Winery Cabernet Sauvignon from Cherry Creek Cellars. This Cabernet is complex. On the nose is a bit of red licorice and chocolate. On the palate is raspberries and green grass. The finish is bursting with cherries. It is medium body and fairly dry. Delicious!

I have made a pot of chili for dinner. I picked about 10 tomatoes this morning from my garden and decided to use them for a pot of soup. So I cooked ground beef, garlic, and onions, and then added a very large bowlful of chopped, fresh tomatoes, black beans, cannelli beans, and lots of spices. I also baked a loaf of whole wheat bread. It smells yummy! This wine will go well with the chili.

Tom: This Sleeping Bear Winery Cabernet Sauvignon is very nice, with a nose of dark chocolate and cherries. It is medium bodied with medium tannicity. A pleasant, tasty, and unique version of a cabernet.

La Cour Pavillon Bordeaux Superieur (2005)

We have had this La Cour Pavillion Bordeaux Superieur 2005 before and we will have it again. It is a delicious red wine. The color is dark red, the nose is rich berries — perhaps raspberries and cherries. On the palate is fruit – perhaps a bit of syrup, yet it has a smooth texture and good tannicity. The finish is chocolate-covered cherries – but emphasis on the chocolate, not the cherries, in case you are worried this is too sweet. It is not. The balance is less sweet than dry. Yumm.