Big Guy Red 2005 California Red blend

Hello!! I am now in Quebec, Canada and enjoying some truly beautiful scenery! Everyone here has been very kind, in spite of the fact that my French is pretty much non-existent. Tonight we arrived at our little condo and feasted on cheese, bread, apples and pears. The wine was pretty good with the aged goat cheese (a local product, reminiscent of a Spanish Manchego, but a little less sharp). This wine was a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Savignon, and Syrah. It was deep garnet in color, almost purple, and very dark. The nose was of red cherry, and oaky vanilla. The palate was much like the nose. This was an inoffensive, simple wine, with a rather simple flavor profile. I really was hoping for more. It was a 2005, so it had a little time to age, and I bought it on the recommendation of a friend whose palate I trust. Maybe it was me? Maybe it was the picnic type pairings? This wine just really didn't do anything special for either myself or Al. Having said that, I think it would be a nice wine to serve with beef or a pork tenderloin to guests who aren't big wine drinkers. It would be good with burgers. It had soft tannins and not too much acid and was fairly well balanced with an ok finish. I paid a little over $15 (maybe as much as $18?) at Campbell Station Wines. It just lacked complexity. I feel that in this price range, I can do better.

Cartlidge and Browne 2008 California Pinot Noir

We enjoyed this wine a few nights ago with a classic pork roast served with rice and salad. It was very nice with the pork roast but would also be good with turkey or a nice savory roast chicken. The color was a lovely rich plum. It had aromas of plum, blueberry, spice and a little tar. The flavor was true to the nose and it had soft tannins, medium acidity and a silky mouth-feel. It was very nicely balanced and had a lingering finish of blueberry and spice (Al noticed a little ginger). Interestingly, I noticed the finish mainly on the mid-palate, an area that is weak in many wines. I bought this wine at Bob's for $12. I went in and asked for an everyday pinot noir in a Burgundian style. Indeed, it was very Burgundian with the complexity of flavors and a fairly light style. What I like about these wines is that they are so very food friendly. They are perfect for meals where you might feel like reaching for a heavier, oakier white. Nothing wrong with that. But sometimes it's just nice to have a red. That's the perfect time to try a Burgundian Pinot Noir. This wine does have that Burgundian style, although I have had lighter Burgundian Pinot Noirs. This wine is a very nice middle ground Pinot (not too light and not too heavy) and I thought it was very enjoyable. At $12, it was really a find.

2008 Abbona Dogliani Dolchetto

Hello!! I've just tried my first Dolcetto and I have to say, it was very nice! Dolcetto is from the Langhe zone in Italy. It is an everyday wine of that region and is commonly enjoyed with the lighter appetizer course, but also with everyday meat or vegetable dishes. It is very food friendly and pairs with foods much as a pinot noir or Cotes du Rhone would. It's a light to medium bodied Italian red with light acid and fairly firm tannins. This wine had a very nice nose of cherry with a little vanilla. The flavor profile was similar to the nose with lots of cherry and a nice bit of toasty vanilla oak. It was a very smooth, somewhat silky wine which hit the entire palate, although it was lighter on the back of the palate. Still, it had a nice finish. Overall, very pleasant, but not very complex. I could see this as a very nice everyday wine which would pair well with a variety of foods. Here's the downside. This varietal is very popular in Italy, especially in the Langhe region, but not a lot is exported. Consequently, it's a little pricey. I paid $27 at Ashes for this wine. This particular wine is supposed to be a very good example of the varietal. Would I buy it again? Yes, I will pick up another bottle soon (while they still have it). It is just so food friendly and so yummy, to us. It you do a lot of casual Italian cooking a couple of times a week, like I do, you may want to keep one or two in your wine rack.

2003 Gattavecchi Riserva dei Padri Serviti Montepulciano Nobile

Hello!! We had this delightful Italian wine with steaks and polenta. It was a deep brick red and had a big, full nose. It had aromas of plum, plum, plum with some vanilla and a little cherry. On the palate it was very smooth with soft acids and well integrated tannins. The flavor was plum, cherry, raisin and vanilla with a distinctive touch of root beer. It covered the entire palate and had a lingering finish. It hit the entire palate and was overall smooth and elegant. This wine came from Total Wines in Atlanta and was $25 a bottle. The '04 vintage is also available, and is supposed to be an even better vintage. The '04 is rated at 91 points by Wine Spectator. These wines are particular favorites of myself and Al. Years ago, we ordered a bottle at a restaurant on a whim and were blown away. It really turned us on to wine in a whole new way. It's become a standard for us. Montepulciano had suffered in reputation since then, but there have always been excellent examples available, if you just take the time to find them. After all, it was these wines and these winemakers that gave rise to the Super Tuscans. But there are still winemakers in Italy producing excellent Nobiles. I'm picking up a couple more bottles.

2007 Louis Jadot Pinot Noir Bourgogne

Hello everyone!! Last night we had roast chicken with snow peas, garlic and aromatic vegetables. It was delicious! We had this French Bourgogne with it. It was light cranberry in color, and fairly transparent. It was somewhat aromatically challenged with bits of raspberry, current and strawberry on the nose, with maybe a hint of smokiness. On the palate red current and raspberry with a little mulchy, earthiness. The tannins were soft, but present, and the acidity was very light. Not one of my favorite wines but a nice light red that went very well with the chicken. This is a French burgundian style pinot noir as opposed to the much bigger and bolder new world style pinot noirs. Like rose wines I find that although some of these very light reds are not my favorite sipping wines, they are pleasant and very nice with lighter foods, especially when you just don't want to have a white wine. Because of that they do have a home in my wine rack. This wine is fairly simple for a pinot noir and lacks the complexity of other French pinot noirs that I've had in the past. That being said, it it what it is. It's a pleasant (under $15 a bottle) burgundian style French pinot noir. Would I buy it again? Maybe. Or maybe I'll try something different. It would be a good wine for Thanksgiving dinner. I would by far perfer this wine to a nouveau beaujolais (very grapey!) with my turkey.