Drinking alone.... no fun!

So, a couple of months ago -- the Big Dubya got sick.... I mean really, really sick.

After spending the better part of a week in the hospital, he was sent home with some strict orders.... the harshest of which.... no alcohol for 6-8 weeks.

He told me to go ahead and indulge... he certainly did during while I abstained during all three of my pregnancies... but I've come to the conclusion -- I just don't like drinking alone.

Well, last night -- I got home after a really rough week.....dropped into the middle of a rough couple of months and well, I wanted a nice glass of wine and I'm thrilled to report that I got one!

2007 Trilogie de Fabre Montmayou Lujan De Cuyo Mendoza -- it's a red wine out of Argentina.

I can't find much on the internets about this wine... and I have no idea where I picked it up, I found it on the wine rack and it was either a gift..... or I bought it myself, in which case I know I wouldn't have spent more than $10-$12 on it.

It's a 70% Malbec, 15% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon.

The bottle says

"The owner of the winery, born in Bordeaux-France, crated this typical 'assemblage' where the Malbec combined with the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon gives to this very elegant wine a great complexity. To be enjoyed every day!"

I can honestly say that the thing that struck me was it's smooth quality -- it was soft and simple, yet the underlying flavor was complex and deep.

I wish I knew where I picked this one up..... I'd happily buy it again!

Buen Vino de la Argentina - Si!

So, now that we're on Twitter, I figure it's probably a good time to get back in here and do some reviews.  It's been a while since I wrote about any wines we've enjoyed (or not), but I'm not alone - look at that list of contributors - seen any of them lately?  No, neither have I.  I hope they know I'm just kidding.  I am you know.  Really.  Anyway.

Last week we decided to give another Malbec a try.  In the rack we had a Bodega Norton Malbec 2007 (you'll excuse me if I hear Jackie Gleason's voice in my head right now) that we decided would be a good match for some pasta we were having.  I opened the bottle, poured two glasses and let them sit for bit.  I took a sip a few minutes later and was a bit overwhelmed by tannins and some acidity.  I'll admit, I was more than a little nervous that this a poor choice.  However, after letting it sit a while longer, eating some dinner, I picked up the glass again and was pleasantly surprised by how it had mellowed and accented the pasta quite well.  It is a fairly fruity wine with plum and cherry accents and a hint of currant.  It should definitely be given ample breathing time to bring out its more subtle notes and allow its character to develop.

It lists anywhere between $7.29 and $9.99 and is quite a good bargain.  Quick story: I went into a closet where we have more wine stored (the rack is full) looking for another bottle for this evening and grabbed another bottle of the very same Norton 2007.  This was bought two weeks ago and about five days before we enjoyed the reviewed bottle.  Apparently the wine gods influenced this purchase knowing we would find one we would like.

Polo, Nazis and Malbec

Since Big Dubya used the Evita reference in his review of an Argentine Malbec, I figured I'd throw everything else I knew about Argentina into the title of this review. Except before buying a 2005 Doña Paula Los Cardos Malbec from the Mendoza province, I didn't know anything about Argentine wines. (I also didn't know that los cardos means the thistles, which are pictured on the bottle.)

To be honest, we chose the wine because we thought we'd be different. We had heard of Chilean wines and thought that other people would buy those. To be more honest, I'm not sure if we've even had a Chilean or any South American wine before this. But, I learned that Argentine wines are becoming more popular, and we did like this one.

The label describes the wine as "a spice wine with a touch of dried herbs that are well combined with mature fruits as dry plums and black cherries." (I know it seems like there's a word missing in that quote, but, even though I'm typing this right after we've drunk the wine, I've checked twice and it's like that on the bottle.) The wine also describes itself as having a hint of mint.

Sue and I both liked this wine. It was slighty spicy, dry and fruity as the label suggested, but we didn't get the hint of mint. I'm sure it would be great paired with steaks or any heavier South American or Mediterranean food. We didn't have it with a meal though; we had it with some bread and gorgonzola dip from a local bakery that we bought downtown at the farmers' market today. (That reference is mostly for the Dubyas.)

So, we've found another wine that we'd buy again. But, since we're usually not knocking back that many bottles a month, our next purchase will probably be July's assignment instead. That's the beauty of this project—that we're trying wines that we probably wouldn't have otherwise.

Vino del pais de Evita

I'm not one to claim that I have a refined palate. To put it bluntly, I'm the type of guy who would go to a poetry reading and offer up some naughty limericks or some Andrew "Dice" Clay takes on some nursery rhymes. For years I abused my taste buds with "Wines of the Fenway" - MD 20/20, (What's the word?) Thunderbird!, Wild Irish Rose, Boone's - you know, stuff that will take off paint.

But, as I've aged and matured, so has my appreciation for better tasting wines. I'm not able to discern all the distinct flavors of any given wine, but I can recognize some things. And, at the very least, I recognize when I like a bottle or not. Mrs. Big Dubya sent me out last weekend to pick up some things for the bar and also asked me to pick up a bottle of wine from South America and a local vineyard. Not being familiar with the wines of S.A. - I know something about California, Australia, Italy - I just looked at bottles and any descriptions the liquor store provided. I settled on a Malbec from (Don't Cry for Me) Argentina (sorry, I just had to). I grabbed the $11.99 bottle of Punto Final Malbec 2006 which comes from Bodegas Renacer located in Perdiel in the Mendoza region of Argentina. Malbec is planted all over Argentina, but the Mendoza region is widely regarded as the best.

We opened the bottle Monday night to complement our pasta dinner that evening.Mrs. Big Dubya used a little bit of it in the sauce prior to anyone even taking the first sip. She was hesitant at first, having read on the label that "This wine is unfiltered in order to preserve its distinct varietals qualities." "Does that mean chunks," she asked. I was intrigued by the "unfiltered" quality -- I am a huge fan of unfiltered wheat beers -- and I replied, "Yep, floaties." I poured us each a glass; let it breathe for a moment or two; gave it a nice deep sniff and took a sip. I must say I was pleasantly surprised. It was very, very mellow and left barely any aftertaste. There was a slight tannin quality to it but nothing that would be off-putting. Mrs. Big Dubya, a little overwhelmed by the initial "nose," found it to be a nice, refreshing wine -- not as heavy or as bold as some reds can be.

The bottle went very well with the pasta we had that evening, bringing forth the flavors of the tomatoes, garlic, onions and Italian seasoned turkey. It was another bottle Mrs. Big Dubya wished I had bought two of.

All in all, a very nice buy. Fruity and refreshing and I think the unfiltered quality only added to its complexity. (Do I sound remotely like I know what I'm talking about? Maybe just a little?) Definitely a buy again.

The Problem With The South American Wine Thing

I had several problems (all of them personal - not like I won't share them with you, but like I am a moron problems) with the South American wine assignment.

1) I thought we were supposed to pick a South African wine at first. I'm just bad at reading. But seriously, South Africa has great wines, we should do that sometime.

2) I drank the bottle of wine and forgot to write down what it was.

Judging from this wonderful picture that I took with my cell phone it is a 2005 Malbec. I'm pretty sure it $12.99 and from Argentina. Also judging from this picture I am pretty sloppy when it comes to pouring.

I think I liked it. I think we drank it with some sort of chicken tacos. I'm pretty sure that I enjoyed it and it was spicy, and I am certain that I caught a nice buzz off of it and then threw away the bottle without writing anything down.

Next time I'll try to be more specific.

- Sarah