Wines of this Week

I haven't been nearly as consistent at this as I had hoped, but this week we had three wonderful wines.  It was also a good week for eating - steak, not once, but twice; Louise's wonderful Lasagna; and some great oven baked chicken with a "gravy" with Thyme, garlic, and onions.

With the steak and Lasagna we had a deep purple 2008 D'Arenberg Stump Jump Shiraz.  It tasted of dark berries and, as Louise said, "yumminess."  At $9.99 it was also a true value!

With the oven-baked chicken I struggled over what to drink.  In searching I noticed just how one-dimensional my red wine collection had become.  Almost all of my reds are now Rhone varietals (Syrah/Shiraz, Grenache, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah) or Bordeaux/Cabernet.  I have NO Pinot Noirs!  I'll have to rectify that this week.  So, I went to my wine collection and picked out what I thought would be a "throwaway" Chardonnay from Bogle.  Boy, was I wrong.  It was a wonderful value wine with vanilla, pear, and oak notes.  Louise and I both really enjoyed it, and, thankfully, I know I can get it in town!

Finally, tonight with our second steak night of the week, I served a wine that I've been holding on to for years - a 2000 Gary Farrell Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley.  Back in 2004, Louise and I traveled to Sonoma for our friends' wedding (Thanks, Mark and Pinata!).  While there, ALL the tour books were saying that we just HAD to try Gary Farrell, but tours and tastings were by appointment only.  So, we forewent a trip to Gary Farrell, but I made a mental note.   A couple of years later I picked up this bottle of Zinfandel and decided tonight to open it.  It was excellent, with (I know this sounds strange, but maybe its just my lack of a palate) apple, chocolate and caramel flavors.  It was truly wonderful, if a little on the strong side (alcohol-wise).  Worth the wait - just wish I could get more (and that it was cheaper).  Hopefully not another month until my next post!

2004 D'Arenberg "Laughing Magpie"

Sorry for the long delay in writing another post - the whole family has been sick and, well, we haven't been drinking much wine since I, at least, wouldn't have been able to taste it anyway.  Finally, my wife and I were both feeling better, just in time for Valentine's Day, so we put the kids to bed and she cooked up a couple of Delmonico's and some baked potatoes - about my favorite meal in the world.  I picked out a special bottle I've had around for a while, and boy, was it worth the wait.

It was the title wine a 2004 D'Arenberg "Laughing Magpie" from McLaren Vale in Australia, a blend of Shiraz (~95% in 2004) and Viognier.  I tasted cherries and maybe plums, with a slight touch of pepper, and a rich, luscious, slightly chocolatey finish.  It was a dark, deep, and wonderful wine.