Trapiche Malbec (2006)

It is a blizzardy weekend in Michigan. Tom and I ventured out this afternoon to attend a sporting event only to be forced to turn around. The visability was nearly zero and the roads were extremely slippery. We were glad to get back home. It has been snowing, and snowing hard, for over 24 hours.

So, here we are, Saturday night, listening to Kenny G on the Bose and hunkering down for a cozy night at home. I have a pot of chili on the stove and a loaf of whole wheat bread in the oven. We just finished a crossword puzzle.

I chose this Trapiche Malbec 2006 because I knew it would hold up to our spicy dinner. If I remember correctly, Tom bought this wine at Trader Joe’s in Ann Arbor for a very reasonable price. In the glass this wine is a deep purple with a nose of leather and burnt fruit. The taste is earthy. I think the best is yet to come, as I have a hunch this wine would benefit from decanting. I’ll keep swirling in my glass and see. . .yet, even without time to breathe, this is quite delicious; a long and pleasant finish. A great choice for a cold night!

Tubul Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot (2007)

We already blogged about this wine last night but we are finishing the  bottle tonight. It is Monday night after our break and it is a back-to-work week. It was a hectic but productive day at the office.

This wine is delicious and because I blogged about it last night I won’t go into great detail except to say that it is a full-bodied and fruity with a long finish.

For dinner, I browned boneless pork loin chops in my cast-iron skillet and then added a thickened sauce of chicken broth and mushrooms. It will simmer for about 90 minutes until very tender. I am going to serve this with mashed potatoes and green beans. Should be a pretty yummy meal to start our busy week.  Cheers and welcome to 2009.

Tubul Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot (2007)

We are having a bottle of this Tubul Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2007, a Chilean blend, for our Sunday night cocktail hour.  It has been an icy day in Michigan, with gray skies and slippery footing.  Tom & I did some major grocery shopping today — really stocking up on meats for the freezer and other groceries.

So, I spent several hours in the kitchen repackaging foods. Then, I got a little carried away and cleaned out cupboards and drawers in the kitchen. I also got rid of old, tupperware cannisters that I have had for years, putting my flour, sugar, etc., into clear, Rubbermaid containers. Now, they take up less room and I can see what I have. Oh, the joy of having clean cupboards and drawers in my kitchen! I can’t wait to get out there and make dinner!

I am going to make what I call a chicken stir fry for dinner tonight with cut-up chicken breasts, vegetables and pasta. As such, Tom suggested a Merlot for our wine but I must have made a discouraging sound because he put that back and got this one instead. This is delicious. Everything is right about this wine. . .the color is violet in the glass;  the nose is grassy; the taste is burnt toast, chocolate and dried apricots. And, finally, the tannins are firm, making this a big and beautiful end-of-the-weekend quaff.  Back to work tomorrow after a lovely, lengthy holiday break. . .

Ramirez De Velazco Malbec (2008)

We are finishing this bottle of Ramirez De Velazco Malbec  2008 from Argentina tonight after opening last night. A beautiful color: intense ruby and violet. Interestingly, the last time we had this wine I was not particularly enthralled because I found the finish to be sweet — like vanilla taffy. However tonight is different because this wine has been opened and has been breathing. Tonight the aroma is spice and blackberries. The taste is plums along with a woody thicket covered in chocolate! The finish is chocolate-covered cherries with hints of oak.

We had a fun and productive Saturday. We both went for short 3-mile runs and did errands and things around the house (including taking the Christmas tree and decorations down and cleaning up the pine needles). Now we are listening to a “Phantom of the Opera” CD and reading the Wall Street Journal. Dinner is in the oven . . . life is good.

Deepwater Point Zinfandel (2007)

This Deepwater Point Zinfandel 2007 from California is a triple-repeat wine for us. We really enjoy it. Tonight, on this second night of 2009, we are cozying up for a wintery Friday night in the bitter cold. I have a pot of chili on the stove (simmering, in honor of my father-in-law Joe), and I have a loaf of whole-wheat bread rising and almost ready to bake. We are reading two nights worth of newspapers because we didn’t realize that we had a paper last night sitting in our mailbox! The Christmas tree is still decorated and lit, but we will probably take down the decorations tomorrow.

This wine has an aroma of blackberry jam and fennel. On the palate is anise, green pepper, and strawberries. The finish is long with a taste of black pepper.

Tom and I are going to watch a movie tonight and get cozy. Cheers!