THE LATEST AND GREATEST

Time flies when you're having fun... and drinking (good) wine. I'm happy to say the last several weeks have been full of both. I've been having fun at Central Market, watching the TCU Horned Frogs bid for a national title, and spending time with my wife and family. And the following wines have played a role.

2004 Cedarville Syrah, El Dorado, CA
~2004 was a stellar vintage for California Syrah, and this wine seems to be hitting it's peak. It is complex, thick and full-bodied with delicious layered flavors blackberry, chocolate, earth and pepper spice. It is velvety smooth and possesses a long finish. The co-fermentation with a touch of Viognier adds elegance and grace to an otherwise powerhouse of a wine. Loved it!

2007 Seghesio Zinfandel, Sonoma, CA
~This is not the first time I've commented on this wine. In fact, it appeared in my very first post. But, I recently and reluctantly finished my last bottle of this beauty. And it was outstanding. It still showed that luscious boysenberry/blueberry fruit, white pepper and juicy tannins I remembered, but it also seemed a bit more refined now; the velvet mouth-feel had turned to silk.

2002 Yalumba, "The Octavius", Old Vine Shiraz, Barossa Valley, Australia
~I had heard and read so many incredible reviews of this wine (96 points from the Wine Advocate, for one) that I have been wanting to come up with an excuse to open it. I figured TCU's wine over Utah was as good a reason as any, so that's what I did. And it was an appropriate wine to have... purple and awesome! This was a blockbuster of a wine with tremendous blackberry fruit, chocolate, cassis, with suggestions of game meats. It had huge concentration and extraction, and an absolutely phenomenal finish. This one was a wine to savor.

(Note: "Old Vine" is just that; grapes that have been sourced from older vines. While there is no set age or agreement as to what constitutes "old vine", you can usually count on them being at least 3o years old, although most are likely over 50 years of age. The vines produce smaller yields that lead to more concentrated and intense wines).

2006 Evergreen Vineyards, "HK-1", Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OR
~This was one of our Thanksgiving wines, and it was a perfect match for turkey (both white and dark meat) and all the fixings. It showed lovely cherry and cranberry, accompanied by campfire smoke (you know it when you smell it!), cola and wet stone. The balanced acidity went hand and hand with the delicious flavors. I first tasted this wine at the London Wine Fair, and was thrilled when I saw it at Central Market.

Conserve water. Drink wine!

"A man cannot make him laugh - but that's no marvel; he drinks no wine."
~WM. SHAKESPEARE, Henry IV Part 2