Pallid Strawberries - Sables D’Azur 2007
You’ve tasted them. They’re those tiny seed specked orange & pale patchwork fruits that simply weren’t left on the vine long enough to develop the sweet vibrant red that is the lovely RIPE strawberry. That’s exactly what the Sables D’Azur reminds me of. An under-ripe strawberry. The acidity is so strong that it faught heartily with the lemon juice, yogurt and curry dressing of the salad I made for dinner tonight… and it wasn’t a terribly pleasant pairing. Let’s blame that on my gamble of a selection, though! I was looking for something that would compliment the spicy, Indian flavors of the meal I was cooking and I thought a nice pink rose would do just fine - especially since this gorgeous 80 degree weather requires a nice chilled wine. I can’t imagine sweating profusely and sipping on a thick red right now. But yet again, I digress! The Sables D’ Azur 2007 (product of France - Cotes De Provence) caught my eye at the Ballard Market in their giant Rose display due to its distinctive bottle shape. Absolutely gorgeous color, too - a luminous peach pink that would make sunsets envious, to be ridiculously hyperbolic. I just can’t get over the fact that it smells and tastes like under-ripe strawberries! This wine, despite the fact that it is pink, is decidedly on the acidic side with no hint of sweetness. This can be great if you need balancing of something fatty or sweet, but definitely not the versatile wine I was looking for. The other thought that entered my mind was that it was a little like a flat brut champagne. If that is what you are in the market for folks, be my guest - but if not, consider yourself warned! A link to the delicious chickpea curry salad I made tonight gets all of my accolades: http://opineyourmouth.com/delicious-summer-chickpea-curry-salad/
Filed under Wine | Comment (1)You’re An Alcoholic! Cavatappi Sangiovese 2006
The Cavatappi Sangiovese 2006 is too alcoholic for my delicate palate. And if anyone knows me, my palate loves alcohol (and knows as well that ’delicate’ isn’t particularly apt to describe anything about me!). That being said, I opened this bottle and tried it at several stages throughout my dinner making and dinner consuming, and it was still overwhelmingly dominated by the alcohol factor. I simply wasn’t able to discern any unique flavors because of the strong bite of alcohol with every sip. At 14.5%, it’s definitely up there - but after drinking the Excelsior Cab at 14.5% and barely noticing the bite - I think there is something amiss. After deciding I didn’t much care for it and that it will indeed languish half-drunk and take up counterspace (though I thought maybe if I was eating something SUPER rich it would provide itself useful) - a week or so later I noticed its distinctive (and quite attractive) label at Lola, and upon brief internet search, it appears on the menu at Chez Shea as well. I cheerfully concede that these two restaurants are MUCH more wine savvy than I, so I beg you buy the Cavatappi Sangiovese (or perhaps order a glass!) and make your own assessment of the situation. After all, who am I to assert alcohol as a bad thing! Ha!!
Cavatappi Sangiovese 2006 - Ballard Market - approx. $10.00 (I promise to start paying more attention to prices - $10/per bottle is my typical price point!)
Filed under Wine | Comment (0)An Excel-lent Wine - Excelsior Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Despite the terrible pun, Excelsior Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 is honestly an excellent wine - I was absolutely blown away by its easy drinkability! This bottle was consumed with what I can only call reckless (lush) abandon. There are bottles of wine that I open while making dinner and only manage to get through one glass… the rest of the bottle languishes corked on the counter for days until it slowly evolves into something I won’t even classify as vinegar. Not this bottle! This was consumed by the end of the evening, approximately 2.45 hours after it was initially corked. An amazingly full-bodied wine with delightful juicy/berry flavors… and despite the high alcohol content of 14.5%, there is no strong backlash burning your mouth, nose, or stomach. The alcohol is cloaked in the intense flavor of the wine, something I long for in every bottle I open, no matter what grape! This wine I would definitely recommend as very versatile, I could see drinking it not only on its own (most definitely!), and equally as lovely with a meal. Although the alcohol is hidden, it definitely helps cut through strong flavors and I could see it accompanying strong cheese as well. I happened to try this wine with a spicy marinara pasta dish and caprese salad and loved it.
The Excelsior Cabernet Sauvignon is from South Africa, and the back label describes it as “Brimming with abundant blackcurrant aromas, this full-bodied wine is a mouthful of juicy plum flavors. Delightfully versatile, it makes a delicious partner to a wide variety of foods, including chicken, red meats, game or rich pastas.” Now after reading the back label, it appears that I have “borrowed” several terms, but what can I say? Great minds think alike.
Excelsior Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 - Ballard Market - Approx. $10.00
Filed under Wine | Comment (1)Chocolate Cherries - Barnard & Griffin Cabernet Merlot
Yay! My first “real” post!!
Chocolate cherries are my inspiration. No, not the actual chocolate covered cherries ubiquitously pushed at the corner drug and grocery store every Valentine’s day -oh no! We’re talking the description of the latest bottle of wine I bought at Ballard Market (affectionately called “Bal-Mar”, which also happens to be the name of a local bar on Ballard Ave…but I digress!).
As sad as it is, my method of picking wine is much the same as picking out books; the method being a complex formula in which I rate the attractiveness of the cover/label and divide it by the blurb on the back (cover/label) and come up with the overall impression which can often times be finalized by the price/value… I’m sure it’s a bit too complicated for most of you, so I’ll try not to obfuscate my message by delving any deeper into its mysteries.
BUT - back to the wine! It’s the Barnard & Griffin Cabernet Merlot (Cab Sauv. 53%/Merlot 44%/Cab Franc 3%) and it was described as tasting like chocolate and cherries. Now, I am a big fan of the Cherry Garcia - how could I go wrong with a ten dollar bottle of it? I know you’ve seen the Barnard Griffin family of wines at your local grocery store - it’s the label with the photograph of the frilly tulips - and yep, it’s local. Richland, WA. The back label considers it a good pair with red meat, richly sauced pasta dishes or spicy Cajun cuisine. Although their statement may be spot-on, I chose to drink it after dinner solo. And absolutely loved it. I really *could* taste the cherry and chocolate notes, with the barest hint of sweet and dry countering each other. I have to say that although I feel I own the basic terminology and understanding of wines and their many, many facets… I cannot necessarily tell if that really is a note of blackberry, raspberry or plum (pencil shavings, tobacco, dirt, so on and so forth). It was refreshing to actually discern these two fabulous complementary notes… Chocolate. Cherry. ‘Nuff said. Oh, and did I mention this is a “bottom shelf” wine? It’s a good value, people - not to mention, I can guarantee your significant other will be enourmously pleased when the “chocolate cherries” you purchase this year for Valentine’s Day turn out to be in a bottle, and not in a box.
Barnard & Griffin Cabernet Merlot - Ballard Market - Approx. $10.00
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