EYEtalian

It was a lazy Sunday and I was looking for some action in the wine closet.  The spicy meatball that caught my sights was a 2004 Brunello Di Montalcino by Citille Di Sopra.  I had yet to reach down the road of rigatoni with this type of wine, so I did what I had set out to do; uncork it and take it down.  With the age, I decided to decant and let the wine open up to give it the old gondola try.  I had a taste when I opened it and it was pure hell at the boot tip of Italy.  It was a spicy, nasty, old rotting mozzarella wrapped in grape leaves.  With the initial defeat I wanted to upchuck wobbly, but I came back to Rome and waited for the decanter to do its magic.  After some time I went back for round two and with this attempt I became a gladiator about to paint the Sistine Chapel.  The remarkable flavors ran wild and it proved to be a great wine after the initial poison taste I thought I was taking.  What I learned from this bottle is that sometimes you have to slow down and enjoy the experience because if you rush into it you may miss that the sculpture you have been looking at has both male and female parts.

Until the end of the next bottle....

Bill

Wine Weekend Part 2

Day two brought sunny skies and a wide range of flavors both liquid and game.  When the bounty was collected the consumption began.  The menu consisted of Seared Ahi Tuna and eggplant bruscetta for starters, followed by fresh halibut from Point Loma.  The first taste on our journey down liquid highway was a recommendation from Rasta Man Mikel from San Diego Wine Co.  This hairy bean bag thought a 2007 Guarachi Cabernet from Napa would be comparable to the Caymus....that man spent too much time living with the Kebbler Elves.  The flavor was not as smooth and did not posses the greatness of its competition.  The content level was the only thing that went above Caymus standing in at 15.2%, making it a great start to the evening.  Needless to say we crushed that bottle to make our way to the next one, Red Wine from Orin Swift called The Prisoner.  The 15.2% content and smooth flavors had me chained to the wall like the time at Madame Molly's house of Pleasure with a leather mask, nipple clamps and hot wax.  This bottle was awesome and "swiftly" took top honors for the day (thanks for the memories).  After having my butt smacked by a studded paddle we needed something to bring us back to reality.  Trefethen 2006 Cabernet was just the wine to calm our blood.  The flavors seemed great and the content was soso complementing the other choices.  This being said I have no remembering of the last wine and I would love to give it a fair chance in the future. 

to be continued....

Bill

Wine Weekend part 1

I am about to fill you in on a little action that happened on this long ass weekend with the 'rents.  There was so much action so there will be several steps on the road to recovery.  I could have to fill a bathtub with the amount of wine consumed, but that would be a waste of taste and weird for my parents to see me in a bathtub.  So I'm going to give you some of the weekend selections we dabbled in... try not to wet yourselves.  Thursday was touchdown day for the 'rents an we did not waste time.  We hit Greystone in the gaslamp for the welcome dinner.  The  food was great, but the booze was the cooze.  The bash brothers of Silver Oak and Caymus escorted us to dinner like two porn stars on our arms(one male, one female to cover all sides).  The Caymus fluffed us up on some very strong content with an amazingly smooth feel.  The finish of every sip was better than the last making me turn Japanese.  For documentation purposes Caymus 2007, 15% of pure destruction; smashed and mixed in Nappa.  As if that wasn't enough we hollowed the Oak with purpose.  It was a nice Silver Oak 2004 giving us a sensual back rub after our down and dirty Caymus sesh.  The Oak was on the dry side with a good bite on the finish making my mouth glued to the glass forcing me to have wine vision.  This was an awesome start to a great weekend ahead.

to be continued..........

Bill

ROOSKI

I went sailing down the red river with my woolie hat and saber tooth tiger fang necklace.  There was no need for a life preserver because the river was booze.  Merriam Vineyards 2005 Merlot was the choice.  This was one of the finer Merlots that I have had to date.  The flavors were well balanced and I was able to feel the fruit.  The 14.2% action made for high seas and blurred vision, perfect conditions for the Russian River.  I have yet to go to Russia, but if the country was as good as this wine with the word Russia on it then I'm in.  For the mean time I will just dress how I think Russians dress and drink in their honor.

The beat goes on my friends and for this selection I went tone def.  The action on this Santa Ema Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 was something to be put in jail next to the pedophiles.  I chose this one thinking the Chile meant cool but I was wrong.  The flavor profile was something the the Welch's grape juice girl could have put together.  I think that this wine needed to stay on the shelf until it became legal age.   If you happen to have this wine or get it as a present save it until your two bottle deep so you don't have the disappointment I had.

Until the end of the next bottle...

Bill

Hidden Cellars

Let me tell you about a little story called School Night Sessions.  The head liner of this story Hidden Cellars 2006 from Mendocino County.  It's a tail of a tall, dark, rich, loooooong legged minx and its mysterious dance of the empty bottle.  The dance that I thought I was familiar with until now.  The liquid to lips action was something to be desired.  The fruit flavor ran through my body ruining my shirt with lactation.  I was unable to control my intake.  I am a (zin)FAN(del) but don't let me put a roman war helmet on you, the little content of 14.5% made sure I was going to lose the feeling in my knee caps. 

Saving Willie

I'm back!  Sorry for the downtime between scribbles, but I was taken down by the devil also known as BEER.  I have been held by the cornhole for a few weeks, until Charlie St. Wine  stepped in and took me back to the fluffy clouds. I wanted to share this great bottle that brought me from the barley ashes and back into the delicious love liquid. I needed something that I have not done before so I chose Beauzeaux Red Wine.  I was drawn to this choice for two reasons the name BOOZOE and the straight hate content of 14+%.  I was unsure what to expect I usually go for distinct flavors but the orgy of fruits and flavors made sweet love in my mouth.  Needless to say by the end of this bottle I felt like the label. This was an awesome rebirth back into the greatness that is WINE.  Be ready for more.

Until the end of the next bottle...

Bill

It's a celbration!!!!

Let's get to it folks... this time the drinks were plentiful and the food was prepared by others. So Amy and I bought a house and we had some serious celebrating to do! The itinerary consisted of going downtown and making it happen. The only scheduled event was the reservation at Asti on 5th. We made our way down dressed in Tuesday night’s best and smiles (that was lame) but we looked GOOOOOOD. The night was young and we were empty so we wanted to grab a little snack. We passed Jimmy Loves and were persuaded to come in for appetizers and happy hour drinks. Little did we know that the little troll at the door put us in the dinner section and pulled the plastic slowly over our heads. When we asked for the happy hour specials the waitress went blank as if we had asked why she decided to eat a whole turkey for breakfast this morning. As you can guess we walked out. With our tanks empty and confused about what the F just happened, we strolled over to Croce's. This establishment knew what we wanted....liquid appies! Amy went Champagnie and I went with Carmel Road Pinot Noir 2007. The flavors were awesome, very smooth, and sexy. I may have been diluted with the mere lack of fluids, but it didn't stop me from grabbing another glass. After a couple drinks we wanted to try one more blood bank before our fancy dinner that was set up by our friend Jason. Greystone provided us with our final juice before dinner. The wine was delicious and we were more excited than ever for dinner.   Now it's time for the foods. The apperizamer was an unbelievable buffalo Mutz and Procuitto that melted in our mouths. The fruit that washed it down was a nice Ladera Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, which provided high content, smooth flavor, and lasting compliments to the delicious food. The main courses Scratch Lasagna and a ginormous Ozzo Buco over risotto. This was the perfect celebration meal for the both of us. It was a night to remember, until we has the dessert of coffee with Frangelica and Bailey's which I am renaming the HOT BILL-I-AM drink.

Bill

Snack attack

What it is yall! I have a little more food than booze to share with you for a change. This could be the first time in 10 years that I consumed more food than liquid. So let me hit you with my backshot and tell you what you're looking at. After pounding out a solid Little Italy run, Amers and I whet prosciutto crazy. After the simple prosciutto rapped breadsticks, I constructed some mini heaven open faced sandos. Toasted bread rounds with a pesto rub as the base topped with a slice of prosciutto, roasted red pepper and mozzarella. This combo placed me in a Roma Coma. With all the goodness gracias foodas on the table I had a great bottle of wine to make sure it went down smooth, Ubaldo Syrah 2007 from Cardanini Vineyards. In my efforts to balance my food and booze consumption I decanted the bottle and threw the cork away so I would have to go the distance. The Syrah had a sassy alcohol content enough for me to capitalize on the experience. This was an awesome appetizer afternoon.




Until the end of the next bottle...



Bill

Sunday

It was another gorgeous day in San Diego. Chef Bill was the headliner again and this time I had some Italian flair in my underoos. After some outdoor activity consisting of coffee which I don’t drink and driving to Pt. Loma for some steamed mussels and clams on the water I was ready to get to business. Our friendly postman brought us a special package of booze again and this time it was Wilson Creek Merlot 2006. I was excited for the package even though the content was only 13.6% forcing me to think I may need a backup plan. The flavors were full and exciting holding the flavors all the way down the hatch. The menu consisted of grilled artichokes with a lemon mustard dipping sauce of which I took a stab in the dark with and let me say I should be in jail because I murdered it. The main course was chicken parmesan over bowtie pasta. Just look at the picture because that speaks for itself. The menu went great with the wine selection, I look forward to more moose blood from Wilson Creek they did not disappoint.




Until the end of the next bottle...



Bill

Easter Shakedown

Easter was another day for the books. I enjoyed sleeping in alone in the beed waiting for Amy to land from her trip home thinking of what delicious foods I was to prepare and what wonderful blood of Christ I will choose to wash it down with. I hit the grorow with a small game plan and huge dreams. The handy cart filled fast with all kinds of delicious treats. I had a master menu in my mind that Tyler Florence would call the Ultimate Easter Feast! This Easter dinner would be so go it would make the ground shake. Sooo lets me get to the rabbit legs and poached eggs of the story. After I groped Amy at the airport the day began. First things first, the "shredded mimosa," which is me squeezing oranges and adding them to champagne, real food channel type stuff. The champagne was nothing to write home about, it was the standard Korbel Extra Dry. The appetizer was the donkey in the jungle, sautéed brocolini and garlic with pan seared scallops. This was so flipping good mother earth had chills, and by chills I mean earthquake. Mother Nature was so excited she almost spilled our shredded mimosa while we stood in door ways. At that point I knew the body and blood was going to be out of this world. After the shake down and champagne we moved to the real deal, wine. The Main course Pietra Santa Sangiovese 2006. A lovely choice for such a beautiful day, the veins on this mofo were suicidal. The 14.7% content went straight to mi Corazon. The flavors ran strong and paired like Russell Crowe in Master and Commander, stiff, long, and strong. The roasted rack of lamb with a spicy mustard peppercorn breadcrumb crust, gorgonzola mash and oven roasted asparagus kicked the crap out of any dinner I have prepared in the past. The day was complete and satisfying. This was a great day for the rising.




Until the end of the next bottle...



Bill

Silver Oak Birthday

I hit the 29 mark recently and to celebrate, my lady friend and I went downtown for some shenanigans and good times. We checked into the Hardrock Hotel around lunch time, then hit the downtown scene like the paparazzi in search of some good celeb watching. First stop was Maloney’s where we were the only ones there. Not to worry, we had the help of a 24oz beer and a cheese dip appetizer to grab our attention. Next stop was Henry's, an outdoor spot perfect for people watching. With cocktails in hand and the saddest looking bunch of Brady boys at the table next to us, the watching began. People of all shapes and sizes were running, rolling, and looking dumb as we watched and laughed at their situations. We also had the chance to play a game called, can you finish your beer before this dumb idiot can parallel park her lifted wrangler on 5th, which we won.

The day was moving along so we went back to the room to get ready for dinner. When we got to the room there was a bottle of champagne waiting on ice, just what we needed to keep the blood flowing especially since I almost killed Amy with the exploding cork. All this excitement before the finale of wine, wine, and dinner was a  lot to consume. We went to Croce's for a happy hour couple and some music, but there was no music just some old ass Barbie using a stool for her purse. The wine was good but, I forgot what flavors we had becasue I was using the point and pour method. So here comes the crown jewels, and I'm not talking about my parts and faculties. THE DINNERS!!!! We gots the special treatment when our table choice was ready, the party in front of us had to wait for us to be seated, making us look like high society. Then the awesome bottle of Silver Oak was ready to be cracked. The waiter wet himself when he saw the BYOB selection; I saw the puddle next to the table. The content was only 13.5%, making it a great choice after the 4 beers, a bottle of champagne, and four glasses of wine we had for appetizers. The flavor worked great with the escarGO, Cesar salad, and main courses of Tuna and Filet we had. The flavors of the Oak were marvelous and savory. The wine held its own against the Great wall of China... I mean food. This wine and experience was definitely one for the books.

Until the end of the next bottle....

Bill

Getting my taste buds back

Yes folks I am still alive.  This Lent thing is really putting a cramp into my daily consumption.  Lets get to it on the rocks or just the standard wine glass.  I had a great date up in the Temecula region of California.  The location was Leonesse Cellars, a very delightful setting for a man date.  The guzzling happened in the barrel room of the winery and was just breath taking.  We had an "in"  so the glasses never went dry.  I focused on one type of wine, RED.  The list was about ten deep and the shakes went away very quickly.  The choices blended together so I cannot give you a quailty critique of the wines for the meer fact that I did not spit any of them out.  I will say this my favorite part of wine, the legs,  made me want to put out my hands, stick out my tush, put my hands on my hips and give them a push.... You figure out where that came from.  The whole experience was topped off by the awesome 2008 Chevy Uplander that provided us with sober ride home.

Thw Main Course

So it was dinner time. My dinner consisted mostly of liquid. The lucky choices were Coastline Cabernet 2008 and Daglia Canyon 2006. The appetizer was a good wine for going the distance. The Coastline provided a decent taste and low content making it a nice social wine. This was the choice for the arrival of guests and watching the train wrecks that were going to a 40th birthday party on the other side of the room. The flavor was nothing great and the legs were like the 300 pound Elvira looking lady that walked in for the Bday party, something you never want to see naked. After a good laugh the food was coming out and it was time to get to business. I switched to Daglia which provided a strong content more appealing to my tastes or lack there of after social hour. The flavor complimented the array of italian foods and the legs were long, dark, and smooth. Dinner was great and the good times rolled through the night heading over to the local watering hole for an amazing after dinner drink, LOUIS XIII. The lighting was not in my favor but, the flavor and experience was the jumblies. It was a great way to end an awesome night!



Until the end of the next bottle….



Bill

Pre party

So my brown eye landed at JFK 630am on Saturday morning. This was Amy and my weekend to hangout with family and friends on the East coast. Once we made it home my energy went into hibernation. I was able to open the refridgerator on the way to the couch for a nap. Upon waking up for my monkey nap on the biggest couch I have ever put my keyster in, it was time to get ready for a sushi lunch. With high hopes for Sake bombs and sashimi before an awesome family dinner to celebrate our nuptials, I was knocked on my tush with a BYOB sushi joint in town. The sushi was delightful and tasty and complimented my side of water. Upon return to the original Horne dome I found a new wine for the list, Volker Eisele Cabernet 2005. The wine had a spicy flavor that gave me an initial eyebrow raise of excitement for an awesome time ahead. The 14.8% content made for additional points of goodness. Unfortunately the flavor was minimal and too dry for my taste. This wine will not be on my double up list. There is no need to talk about legs. I was weary of where the night was heading......

Here we go again.  So I had a red eye flight back to New Jersey for a 43 hour stint with the lady.  What better way to pregame our trip than to go out for a schmoke and a pancake, or an appetizer and a bottle.  With our bags packed we set off to the land of Little Italy.  We were repeat offenders of the same wine bar from a while ago for which I do not remember the name.  For the sole purpose of relaxing and reaching our zen, the mud pie of Calistoga Cellars Merlot 2005 was written on our tablet.  Straight up 14.1% content was there on my shoulder wispering soft beatiful night time stories.  The drip on the label was from me unable to wait for a glass and taking the juice straight from the bottle infront of the waitress.   Life was looking good for Amy and me until a table of neighbors arrived.  The traveling pants party with the ya ya sister hood was sitting next to us with megaphones on their voice boxes and hate in their hearts.  We were lucky that we were sitting outside because it muffled the cackling band of parrots.  In the spirst of the DoDo birds nexts to us, the wine was extra primo good.  The legs were like pink triangles set to 180 degrees of perfection.  The flavors were aboundant and complimented the choice appetizers.  Needless to say we were ready for the open sky.  Peace be the journey...

Until the end of the next bottle...

Bill

The six step program

Getting back to business I have a bunch of new tastes to share.  I was on a tasting frenzy and the above wines were part of my six step program.  Let me start with the Crane Brothers Syrah 2004 from Nappa Valley.  I really enjoyed the flavor of this one, the 15.5% content was what I needed to keep me warm from the cold and rainy weather outside.  Crane had a heavy flavor and deep color with an orgy of legs running down the sides of the glass. 
Keeping with the Syrah the next taste was Ballentine Petite Syrah 2006 from Nappa Valley.  This was my first Petite Syrah and I was anxious to see the differences.  This wine had a 90 point rating so I wondered if my tastes would be altered by a sticker, it wasn't.  The smell was vacant but had a spicy taste to the lips.  The color was lighter than Syrah, almost baby like.  There was nothing that made this wine stand out from the others in the past.  I would drink this one again with a meat or something heavy. 
Frei Brothers Zinfandel and Syrah both from 2007.  I have not been one to try the same make of any wine so far but something about men and their strong legs got my attention.  They both had 15% content and that always gives me a warm feeling inside.  The flavors were strong and fruitful and the legs of these guys reminded me of mens water polo, constently moving.
Lets get off..the men and talk about the Sangiovese 2008.  What I have noticed so far about this wine is that the content varies.  I have had every rang from Clydesdale to Shetland.  This particular Sany was a Shetland, holding hard at a 13% content but, I wasn't scared.  The wine setting was the night before heading to New Jersey for a short weekend with family.  So I was looking for a nice relaxing evening with the wife.  To me this wine was a simple, easy, and flavorful wine.  I might make a move from my Syrah kick to a Sangiovese crane kick(karate kid style).  So what I am trying to say is that I approve this bottle and raise a case.
Last bottle on this tour de horne is the Pozzan Zinfandel 2007.  I initially grabbed this wine because of prior experience with this maker.  Standing in at 14.9% The combination of the label and the content gave me hope.  Then the lead singer of live came over and sang "lighting crashes."  Thats about all I have to say about this wine.

Until the end of the next bottle...

Bill

Shakes be gone

Went to Vegas this past weekend. After a great weekend of hanging out, gambling, boozing, and people watching I find myself relaxing at home after a 4 hour drive. The relaxing took some work due to the shakes after that Vegas vacation. I read in a magazine claiming the way to get rid of the vegas liquor shakes is to drink a Merlot on sale. Low and behold, Big William's stars were aligned. The shakes-be-gone bottle of love, Magistrate 2007 from Nappa. It was a solid cheapy Merlot that definetly made me feel normal again. With only a 13.5% content this wine had my name all over it. After the Vegas crazyiness the legs of a toddler worked great. The wine had a dry taste with a hint of fruit, what fruit I had no idea, but I sensed fruit...grapes perhaps? The label was simple with nothing that jumped out at me. The only reason I went with this wine was that the bottle was orgininally 20 bones and I got it for 10. There are better Merlots out there, but I would recommened it in this situation and this situation only.

Until the end of the next bottle...

Bill

Malbec

I wanted to prep for our Vegas vacation and what better way than to drink some wine to gain some tolerance. The choice, a Malbec No Bull Red 2009 from Argentina. I went with this choice because I was feeling crazy and in the mood for something new. I haven't tried this type of wine so I was not sure how I would react. The label was subtle and funny with a giant bull on it. The content was a lite 13.5% not providing anything exciting. The label was my first fun label in a while and I wanted to keep my streak of greatness alive. The flavor of the wine was spicy, perfect for the night before a Vegas run. The wine was very young which was to a surprise I have yet to see a wine from 2009 in 2009. The color was dark red, my guess was it was a newer wine. I didn't find anything special about this wine that separated it from the others. The legs on the wine were spread apart and bow legged as if they rode a horse or bull of some type all night long, all night, all night long.... This was probably the closest to bull riding I will get and I'm ok with it.

Until the end of the next bottle...

Bill

With dedication and hard work I was unable to keep you all in suspense regarding a valid comparision of another Syrah. So this is my story, my car broke down right infront of the Mission Valley Bevmo and while waiting for a tow I stopped in and found a nice Syrah. For the sake of education I went one step further and found a ten dollar Syrah with another plain label. The Syrah ready for consumption was Michael Pozzan 2006. After I made the purchase I decided to try my car one more time and walla breakfast, my car started. So lets skip to the hard work. Amy was out for the night so I was home alone with nothing to do. Looking in the fridge I had a left over classic, home made peas and macaroni, vonderbar! I uncorked the evenings work to let it breath while I settled into the couch. I poured the first glass and opened my mind. First off, the Pozzan has a 15.5% content that was a great surprise. Let me tell you about the legs(my favorite), they reminded me of the cunning Carla and long limbs Lenor together as one superhuman sex pot. The Pozzan was similar in color as the prior post, but the flavor lasted longer. Syrah could be my new favorite type of wine.

Until the end of the next bottle....

Bill

Sunday Hanging

Sunday started with a little work, but quickly turned into play time. Amy and I made our way down to World Famous for some brunch. It looked like summer time with the amount of people getting their food on. We were lucky and got a nice spot at the bar with a little bottle of champagne and forks in the ready position. Amy had a carne asada Caesar salad and I went for something new and tried the prime rib hash which was unreal.
The next move on the day of fun was a trip to the gro row. Amy saw this neat little bottle of wine for ten dollars. The hidden gem, Castoro Cellars Syrah 2006. The wine was grown in Paso Robles and had a nice 15% alcohol content. I have yet to have extensive knowledge of this type of wine, but no time like the present. The wine was a nice full red color and for some reason I was getting loose fast. It could have been the combination with the champagne, either way I could do no wrong. The legs were running fast, tight, and thick with no room for cream cheese. The label clean and unexciting. The wine had a less filling feel with an interesting flavor unlike the other wines I have tried. I am looking forward to comparing other Syrah's in the near future.

Until the end of the next bottle...

Bill

Little Italy

After work on Saturday the wife and I made our way down to little Italy. We wanted to get some dinner and have a nice low key night out. Nothing better than grabbing a bottle of wine at a sidewalk wine bar watching the crop roll by. The wine, Calistoga Cellars Cabernet 2005. It was a Nappa Valley wine French Oak barreled for 18 months and harvested in October 2005. I have made it, I have officially taught my self how to understand wine....by reading the label on the back. On a serious note Amy had visited this winery and that's what made us decide. The wine was a strong 14.9% and was as relaxing as having a mud bath while watching porn. The porn being the funny people walking around in little Italy. Just so happens that the label was a "mature" label and provided another great experience.
During dinner we had a decent Zinfandel, Sextant 2007. Our table came with its own tray for mints because we sat right next to the door. The zin was not as good as the meal. We had an unbelievable eggplant parm type appetizer which was to die for. Then we had two great pasta dishes one with little hats and the other with a sweet meat sauce. The wine was a nice strong Zin, but the food over powered the flavor of the wine. I would definitely try this wine again to give it another chance, but since I am on a quest to try all wines I probably wont see it again.

Until the end of the next bottle...

Bill

No sanctimonious stories about the genius of rock stars today. I was falling behind and I just wanted to tell you about another bottle of wine I took down. Madrone Knoll 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon a nice treat for a new years eve dinner. The wine I chose was yet another plain Gary label for which had put me on a hot streak. I need to have a bad experience so I can change my pattern. This Cabernet was a good 14.2% content with sultry legs perfect for a midnight kiss, although I was unable to wait that long. Madrone had a long silky taste that held the flavors through my consumption. The color was a light red unlike some of the other 2006 wines I have had. I have nothing bad to say, but I will say that my wife made some unreal Gorgonzola mash potatoes that night. Sorry for the short and sweet but, I need to get to the next bottle.

Until the end of the next bottle....

Bill

New Jersey Part 2

Day two started after a nice deep sleep. The morning brought shopping and funny people watching in New York. I forgot what cold felt like but was reminded real quick that winter in the North East requires a jacket. After shopping we had some nice steak sandys for lunch and lounged around. Digesting subsided and my tums was hungry for some liquid fun...wine tasting time was upon me.
The start to the tasting was something I have never had before, a Bordeaux by the name of Chateauneuf Du Pape 2007. The bottle looked great with raised glass and a nice label with French words that meant nothing to me. With this in mind the only way to comprehend the label was to drink. The cork was opened and the glass was poured. The color of the red was nice and deep. The legs looked like they had a bite to them, but it could have been hair since it is a French wine. Either way the 14.5% made them very tasty in my head. I want to note that the consistency of the weekend was normal "grown up" labels.
The second tasting of the night was yet another first for me. The oldest bottle of wine to date. The wine was Renaissance 1999, a Cabernet Sauvignon I was excited to see if I would be able to tell differences based on age. The differences I noticed once I got into the new bottle was a lighter color red with sediment in the bottle. The taste was a little dry at first unlike anything I have tasted before. The flavor was not as full from start to finish and the legs were close and quick like a Jack-o-Lantern. I will be interested in the future to compare this wine with others close to that year. I will say I feel my preference leans toward heavier alcohol wines. This being said there was a whole wine closet that needed attention.
Next up Barlow 2005 Cabernet. This wine brought me back to what I was used to strong flavor, deep color, and a 15.1% tag on the front. The flavor on this particular wine seemed short and did not last all the way through. It could have been because I was two bottles deep, but I liked to think that it made for a deeper analysis. Looking into the color of the wine I saw a middle of the road red. The legs were those of a floozy- long, strong, and rimmed with red lipstick. No sediment was present and the label as you can see was "grown up". My streak of mild labels continues on. With that in mind I made my way for what I remember to be the final tasting...
...Beaulieu Vinyards Tapestry 2005. The glue on the label seemed to be fresh because it would not stay in place long enough for me to read it. The first thing I came across was the cork which had crystals on the bottom. At first I was a little nervous so I looked on line to explore what that meant. Then I realized I didn't care what it meant and I was there to try it all. The conclusion I came to was it was a form a sediment. So while the bottle was left to breathe I had some other wine that was laying around. This wine was a mixture of a few differnet varieties of grapes. This is why the varietal(could be wrong usage) was Tapestry, instead of Caberney or Merlot. I was interesting in flavor, but my pour was weak and some sediment went in my cup. I think this was also the reason my teeth were red and I had a red mustache. I found this to be the trademark of a solid wine tasting experience. This was the final night of tasting in New Jersey. Let me tell you that I was impressed with the Horne Cellars and anxiously await my next trip.

New Jersey Part 1

Sorry for the lack of posts let me assure you I am still hard at work. Last weekend I was able to go back to New Jersey for a couple days to see the last Giant game at Giant Stadium along with wine tasting at the original Horne Dome. The wine came after the back door punishment I got from watching the GMEN. The first taste was the Caymus 2007. The Caymus was a great start to the second part of my weekend. The content, a strong 15% alcohol which was a perfect start to numbing the pain in my rear. The heavy content did not have a strong alcohol taste, but a clean fullbodied flavor that held through the drinking experience. I really enjoyed this wine even after my eyes wouldn't work. My eyes were shutting down because of the red eye I took the night prior and had no sleep. Needles to say this was the one and only bottle of the day. Don't be scared there was a whole cellar for tasting and one more long day to go.