Broke Ass Red Wine 2009: Wine Review

This red wine is from Argentina and is a blend of 50% Malbec and 50% of Syrah. The taste is not all that bad. There is a tart blackberry and black currant profile mixing in with a smoky earth quality. The mouthfeel is a little jammy. It is nothing special of course – as it says on the bottle, ‘no frills great value wine.’ While it is only ??? Damn I don’t remember how much I paid – it may have been $8.00, I don’t know if I would call it a great value. Great value has to have the right price and good taste. The taste here is ‘not bad,’ which is not good but not poor either.

Just a fun wine to pick up because of the name and since I just paid for a new roof, two new doors, $1,300 on the car, $400 on doggie vet visits, and bought some new clothes here in the past two weeks – I feel broke! So, the wine is fitting.

Double T 2006 Red Wine: Review

The Wine
Double T 2006
Trefethen Family Vineyards
Napa, California, USA
TREFETHEN.com

Here is what they have on the bottle: “…Cabernet Sauvignon gives depth and structure: Merlot adds a lively spiciness, Cabernet Franc floral fruit, Petit Verdot intense color, and Malbec a silky softness.”

This is my last bottle of this wine. I bought a six pack a couple of years ago and I have to say I have always enjoyed this wine. This wine should be paired with game, steak, filet mignon, lamb, and other hearty fare. This wine is also deserving of a bold cigar as an after dinner treat.

Appearance: Deep purple body with deep ruby edges.
Aroma: Big berry, light spice; it is just terrific with each sip.
Taste: Big bold dark berry profile; the blackberry and black currant notes are thick; good spice and earthy notes to fill the palate; the earthy notes to me seem to include a portabella mushroom and forest floor like quality. The dry soil just adds to the texture of this bold red wine. An undertone of floral comes into play; it is just a hint of violet. The dryness of the mouthfeel along with all these wonderful flavors mingle together and make me think of a rich 87% dark chocolate.
Mouthfeel: The feel is full bodied. The berry profile makes it a little jammy; the earthy qualities coats the tongue. There is a long aftertaste of these two on palate.

Tonight I am going to give this wine an 8 on My Strength Rating Scale. Big bold flavors, jammy mouthfeel, dry texture, earthy notes coat the palate for a long aftertaste.

A Wine Review: Schioppettino 2008 Villa Rubini

Colli Orientali del Friuli

The Fruili district is located on Italy’s Northeastern border. The Schioppettino grape is a thick skinned grape that can have some Syrah-like qualities. This grape is very hard to come by because it has been slowly replaced by Merlot and Tocai grapes.
This wine is aged for 12 months in chestnut casks.
Villarubini.net


Aroma: a mixture of red and black berries with a firm herbal-spice nose.
Appearance: with my glass full it has a deep purple body with some good ruby red edges.
Taste: A good dark berry presences blends well with a hint of floral and a touch of herb and a mixture of peppercorns. To me this is that peppermill that is filled with pink, white, and green peppercorns. I really like the pepper profile in this wine.
The mouthfeel is soft. Look at my description, a touch of this and a hint of that, and the pepper style is that of a soft pepper. It is this peppery style that lingers on the palate and the other tasting notes are on the back of the palate. There is a pleasing herbal dryness.
This is one tasty wine.

Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2006 - Wine Review

This 13% abv Italian Red Dry Wine has a deep ruby color. When I first opened the bottle the alcohol aroma was overpowering. Hoping that nothing was wrong here I set the glass of wine to the side to let it breathe a little. Came back to it in 15 minutes and the alcohol level was relaxing. Swirled the glass awhile and then came back to in a few minutes and the aroma was starting to open up. A light earthy note with some fresh dark berry notes. The tasting notes cover black licorice, red and black currant, and some nice dry herbal spice. The dryness of the mouthfeel makes me think of a strong woody-earthy quality and the tart bite of blackberries. The very thick earthiness just coats the palate for a long lasting jammy aftertaste.

Bogle Petite Sirah 2007



This little wine is bold

 This well price bottle of red wine comes from Graton, California. In Michigan it will cost you around $12.00 for a 750ml bottle. Bogle started their business back in 1978 and the Petite Sirah grape is their bread and butter.

The appearance is a very deep purple wine that just looks so delicious when it is poured into the glass. The aroma has a very good dark berry, plum, and spice profile. If you like blackberries well this is your wine. This wine covers all the tasting range of a blackberry. That sweet berry taste is underneath the bold dark and tart blackberry bit that sits on your palate with each sip.

While the nice spice and oak dance across the tongue the smoky-earthy quality just coats the palate with a thick lasting aftertaste. Between the heavy texture, jammy mouthfeel, big blackberry taste along with some nice spice and a solid oak note, I will have to give this wine a 9 on my strength rating.

This is the first bottle of this wine that I have ever had, but I will be buy more because this is right up my alley. This would be very good with a lamb dinner and/or a quality cigar.

Visit their web site to learn more about this wine and the winery
Boglewinery.com

Terre di Ger Cabernet Franc 2007

This Italian red wine has a lovely nose of ripe red fruits and spice. The taste profile has a great peppery style. To me it is the pepper mill that has all the different peppercorns: black, green, white, and pink pepper. This wine would be great to pair with a soup or salad and you would not have to add any pepper to the soup just drink the wine. There is also a tasty red currant note swirling around behind that peppery profile.

Pairings: Portabella Mushroom Soup, Portabella Mushroom Cap, Venison Steaks, Porterhouse.

Jackson-Triggs 2006 Meritage

Proprietor’s Grand Reserve
12.7% abv
Has the three classic Bordeaux grapes: Merlot 55%, Cabernet Sauvignon 27%, and Cabernet Franc 18%.

Jackson-Triggs Winery is located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada. The last time I visited the winery had to be around 8 to 10 years ago. This region has some great wineries and this bottle was one of my favorites back then. I did not buy this bottle at the winery; I got it at the duty free store at the border of Canada. I personally don’t like to buy wine from the duty free stores because they have those blazing hot spot light beaming on the wine bottles 24 hours a day. I want to go back to Niagara-on-the-Lake sooo bad.

Back to the wine. On the bottle it reads: “…aromas of black currant, ripe raspberries and plums underscored with vanilla, cedar and spicy black pepper.” “…flavors of berries, chocolate, coffee and clove…”

Back in the 90’s when I use to visit there they had some very good vintages. I am looking forward to trying this wine. I wish I still had my computer from then – I would have my tasting notes about this wine.

The appearance is a deep ruby color. The aroma is of dark fruit with a nice raspberry presence. There is also a good spicy style to the smell as well.

The plum to me is on the taste not the nose to me. When I taste this I think of biting into a plum. There is also a blackberry and black currant bite along with a red berry called raspberry that adds some character to this flavorful wine. The fine black pepper notes are on the aftertaste along with a nice earthy coating on my palate. There is also a dusting of 85% dark chocolate that lingers on the palate. This is a fuller bodied red wine.

Okay, the first weekend of November I am heading to this winery. No I am not - I just put a new roof on and put in two new doors on the house.  Next year!

If you like wine this is a must go to location!!!

Cranberry Maple Pecan Encrusted Veal Chops

In a small frying pan melt about three tablespoons of unsalted butter and add Cranberry Maple rub

then toss in the chopped pecans

Once the pecans are glazed well with the rub cover the veal chops with the pecans. Bake in the oven till ready.

Genesis 2007 Meritage

14.4% abv
The Hogue Cellars
Prosser, Washington, USA

This Meritage covers four different grapes from the Columbia Valley region: Merlot 49%, Cabernet Sauvignon 44%, Malbec 6%, Cabernet Franc 1%

The bottle reads, “…juicy berry, cherry and plum flavors and oak, spice and cocoa on the finish.”

I am opening this bottle of wine tonight (11:00pm) to taste it and see if it will be a good match with my filet mignon dinner that I am planning tomorrow.

The first sip seems to have a bite. Little bigger sample and it seems too astringent. This wine needs to breath before sampling. So, I aerate the next sample and swirl it in the glass a little longer and it is still on the harsh side. Maybe, I should have waited another year before opening this bottle – too late, it’s open.

The wine does have a nice dark purple body with some nice ruby highlights on the edges. The aroma is of tart cherry.

I’ll cork it and test it tomorrow. I am going to open another to be ready.

Next day’s notes:

The hash notes are down but, this is a full tasting Meritage wine. Dark strong fruit flavors dominate. I don’t pick up any particular spice or pepper notes. There is a heavy soil earth taste. Overall I am not impressed.

A Wine Review: Peninsula Cellars 2006 Merlot

12% abv

Peninsulacellars.com

This Merlot is coming from Traverse City, Michigan. The winery describes this wine as, ‘Plums and currants mingle with roasted coffee and distant pipe tobacco.’

Appearance: a bright ruby red color

Aroma: berry and cherry like

Taste: distant pipe tobacco? – Really now – only about 100 different pipe tobacco blends. I don’t even get a tobacco taste but that is me. I’ll call it a mossy earth style that mingles with a red cherry and red currant taste. Nothing complex here but, it is tasty.

My Strength Rating: 4

Solaire Pinot Noir 2008 and Red Snapper Smoothered in Black Bean Salsa

Solaire Pinot Noir is from Robert Mondavi. I picked this bottle up at a fundraiser when Waggin Tails Dog Rescue had a wine tasting night. This is a pretty simple Pinot. The aroma is pretty much like the taste. It has a big sweet red cherry taste and a light raspberry note. This is a good wine for lighter fare foods and a milder cigar. This bottle is usually under $15.00 a bottle.

Bruce’s Black Bean Salsa on Red Snapper

Make enough for four filets

¼ cup chopped onion
¼ cup black beans
¼ cup yellow corn
¼ cup chopped green or orange bell pepper
¼ cup chopped tomatoes
2 teaspoons of minced garlic
Tablespoon of olive oil
3 teaspoons of Worchester sauce
3 teaspoons of red wine vinegar
Sprinkle in some dry basil
Grind in some black pepper to taste
Add hot sauce to taste

Warm in a sauce pan

Pour basil olive oil in a frying pan and add red snapper filets. Cook till done.

With a slotted spoon place salsa mixture on top of the snapper filets, then with a spoon pour on the desired amount of liquid from the salsa on top of the fish. Pour Sansonetti’s hot sauce over the salsa.

Layer Cake Shiraz 2008

South Australia
14.9% abv

Here are the tasting notes from their web site: “Dark, dense and creamy, complex aromas of black plum, Bing cherry, blackberry and pepper merge with licorice, tobacco, mocha and dark chocolate. This is one inky Shiraz; an explosion of dark, super ripe, wild blackberry, with a touch of cigar box finishing with a mélange of exotic spices. A pure fruit bomb…complete from attack through a long, lingering finish.”

When I think of inky I think of Zinfandels. I could see how one may describe it that way but, I would call it a strong earthy quality. The blackberry and other dark fruits just coat the palate for a thick mouthfeel. The spices are tasty and the dark chocolate just add to this complex Shiraz. This is a must buy. Plan to pair this with game meats, a big porterhouse steak or other full flavored meals. I truly enjoyed this wine.

Trinchero Cabernet Sauvignon 2007: Tasting

Napa Valley Cloud’s Nest Vineyard

On the bottle it describes the taste as, ‘tobacco and tea.’ This is not your everyday Cabernet with that big dark berry taste. The herbal tea like flavors mingle with the tobacco, smoke and portabella mushroom earthy notes. This is delicious. I had this wine at diner at one of my favorite restaurants.

I will be looking for this bottle at my wine store now. A must try.

Villa Rubini 2008 Cabernet Franc

Colli Orientali del Friuli

This 13% abv Cabernet Franc is a true pepper experience. The fine grind pepper profile is the main dish here. There is a solid earthy quality with a nice dark cherry and black current notes to back up the pepper. My overall impression for My Strength Rating: 5.5.  Pretty much a medium bodied wine.  This wine is pretty simple in its taste. Being a Cabernet Franc lover I like to try as many different Francs as I can. While this is not complex I still like this wine because of the peppery experience.

For those of you who are not familiar with the Cabernet Franc grape – well you should be. It is known as the parent grape to Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc.

See the Cigar Pairing