Thank God or Baccus that it was raining again tonight. It was raining last Thursday after work when I went to a Scotch tasting at the Sigel's Liquor Store near my office so the 25 mph crawl north in heavy traffic was about my speed, and again tonight when I started at Sigel's with a Steele Vineyards wine tasting and finished up at Parker Wine Cellars for Jeff's weekly offering.
The Steele wines included an outstanding pinot noir (Steele Pinot Noir Santa Barbara '07) and syrah (Shooting Star Syrah '08) at very reasonable prices. There was also an intriguing sparkling wine called Black Bubbles made with syrah that tasted like a dry kir, and a lovely syrah port.
Thus fortified and accompanied by my Ultimate Santana CD (my favorite until I got "Guitar Heaven," which is arguably his best album EVER), I drifted slowly up North Central Expressway to Parker Wine Cellars and the wines of Turkey Flat, from the land down under. And in case you're wondering, my husband Chris is on the left and Jeff is on the right in the photo above that does not contain wine bottles.
We sampled:
2008 BUTCHERS BLOCK WHITE~~ The 2008 Butchers Block White is a blend of 58% Marsanne 28% Viognier and 14% Roussanne that all seem to fit together wonderfully. Marsanne & Roussane are premium varieties originating from the Northern Rhone in France where they are the dominant white grape varieties used in making the great white wines of Hermitage. Viognier also has it's origins in the Northern Rhone, where it is used to make rich and aromatic white wines in Condrieu, or to soften and add complexity to the Syrah wines of Cote Rotie. Using partial barrel fermentation and extended contact on the lees, this Aussie aims to please wine lovers no matter where you're from. This blend offers a complex nose of lemon and toasted oats, fresh apricots, and citrus peel with lifted aromas of orange blossom showing nutmeg and toasted barrel nuances. The palate is rewarded with a rich, medium bodied white, intertwining flavors of honey, pear and green apple that all are enhanced from time on oak. The finish is lengthy and quite satisfying and definetly will show well on a Dinner table. (MY NOTE: At the Steele wine tasting we sampled Writer's Block Roussane '09, which impressed me with its fresh floral notes UNTIL I tasted this wine. While the 100% Roussane made for a nice flavor, the combination of Roussane, Viognier and Marsanne added a complexity to the wine that was far superior, in my opinion.)
2008 ROSE~~ I've always been a fan of the overlooked and neglected 'True' Rosé. In this case, a true 'pink' wine that ignores all the trappings of being the same color as something completely different than expected. Using a blend of Grenache (63%), Shiraz (18%), Cabernet Sauvignon (13%), Dolcetto (6%) this pure pink beauty tantalizes with its look and delivers on its taste. The color is rose petal pink with a plethora of red fruit flavors such as strawberries, cherries and red and black currants. Fresh and vibrant on the palate, the bright fruit shines through to a crisp finish where the fruit characters linger; tapered out with subtle tannins giving the wine enough body to complete this serious rosé. Surprise your guest with what some pink wines can do. (MY NOTE: I'm a sucker for rosé, and this one was lovely.)
2006 "THE TURK"~~ With plenty of bottle time this blend is made from 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Shiraz, 24 % Mourvèdre and 18% Grenache that all seem to enjoy each others company. Deep red to purple in the glass, the nose wafts with blueberry, cherry and allspice that hits the palate full force with gobs of black currant, ripe plum, black cherry and cinnamon. Here, they all seem to mingle on your tongue before a big finish of soft tannins and a wonderfully balanced structure that defines enjoyment. This one is really drinking well now, and would do just fine with a partner in food, or your partner and a DVD. (MY NOTE: You'd expect this to be a heavy wine, but it really wasn't. It reminded me a little of a Super Texan. Great flavor!)
No cooking for me tonight -- thank you, Chick-Fil-A and Kung Pow Diner!
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