Arkel Malbec (2008)

It is Wednesday evening and I am back from an out-of-town trip for my job. It is good to be home, having a glass of wine, reading the paper with dinner on the stove, and music on the Bose.

Tom opened this bottle for us tonight. This is an Argentinian Malbec from the Mendoza region. According to Karen MacNeil, “. . .the wines made from Mendoza malbec have a grip, structure, and density rarely found in wines made from malbec in Bordeaux.” I would say this is an accurate description of this Arkel malbec. Full of berry flavors, this wine has a deep red color. The taste, in addition to berries, is dry and earthy. We both agree this is our kind of wine. It will go well with the pot of chili I prepared. I also purchased a loaf of sourdough bread and some sharp cheddar for our meal tonight.

It is great to be home; cheers!

Catena Cabernet Sauvignon (2003)

I am finishing the bottle from last night of this Catena Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 from Argentina (that we opened last night for “Open That Bottle” night).  I have been cooking all day and everything smells savoury and delicious.

I started barbecue ribs at noon today and they are in the final stage of preparation. (I start by making a spicy rub which I apply to the ribs and let sit at room temperature for an hour.) Then, into a low-temperature oven (covered in foil) for 2 hours. Then, I take the foil off and bake for another 90 minutes. After that, I brush on a generous amount of barbecue sauce and bake another 90 additional minutes. Finally, I wrap the ribs in foil and place in a paper bag, wrap the bag tightly and let the ribs rest for another hour. It’s a long, slow process and worth every bite. These are fall-off-the-bone tender, but without the grease. . .and, because I had the oven going, I also baked an acorn squash and a loaf of bread. And, for dessert, I made a double batch of brown rice pudding. Meanwhile, I have hash browns cooking in a skillet. Yes, a big dinner, but one that will be comforting and delicious. Our son, Tommy and his girlfriend, Amanda, will join us shortly for a hearty feast.

Meanwhile, this wine is even better tonight than it was last night (see yesterday’s post). Full of ripe berries with touches of tobacco and graphite. This is a keeper. Cheers!