Charles Krug Cab Sav

Have you ever had a really good cabernet sauvignon? One that just melts in your mouth its so smooth and just gets better as it breathes. The color of these cab savs are an amazing deep red like gazing into a ruby. And probably as precious as that ruby. I haven't done a lot of experimenting with cab savs. I know that a really good one is worth its weight in those rubies. I also know there are a lot of bad ones out there.

Charles Krug cab sav which is part of the Peter Mondavi family wines is one of those really good cabs. I would never have picked it out myself, with the bland label and I've seen the price range from $24 (what I paid) to $30 a bottle. It was actually recommended to me by a fellow vino lover who has similar wine tastes to me. I threw it in my cart next to my cigar zin and palo alto and left a happy camper.

This is the first and only wine drank at our lil slumber party that I can review. It had the perfect amount of oakiness, a small bite that smoothed out as the air hit it. The flavors where strong and complex. This is not a light berryish wine. I would drink this wine with a big meal or while nibbling on dark chocolate. Or by itself. I give it 5 stars, a lip licking good wine. I'll have to get it again just to see if another bottle will bring as much satisfaction.

Testaroassa Palazzio 2006 Pinot Noir

About a year and a half ago I discovered the wine shop in Naperville I mentioned in the last post. They had recently bought out a wine shop that had been there since I'd met my hubby. At first I was a bit hesitant since I tend to be loyal to the shops I enjoy. But then I discovered first their huge variety of wines, and second the glorious sale they have every year around my birthday. Every year they have a huge sale, a buy one bottle get another for a penny. Any bottle as long as you buy two of the same. The owner happened to be there when I discovered the sale and was wonderfully lost and overwhelmed in a sea of wine trying to figure out what to buy.
He steered me to some wines that were higher priced and I hadn't heard of before. We chatted about what we enjoyed to drink and he told me about how his wife had the daunting task of tasting all the wines and figuring out what they should sell/stock. She happened to particularly like the Testarosa 2006 Palazzio Pinot Noir. They were priced at thirty something dollars a bottle but with the sale I figured that was reasonable and I wanted to try something new and exciting.
I opened the first bottle not long after I purchased them and found it to be strong and very bitey for a pinot noir. This was probably the first pinot noir priced over $12 that I'd ever drank, and so I was not used to needing to let a pinot noir breath. Of course at the time I didn't realize this and figured it was kinda a eh wine. More of what I would expect from a cab sav, which was not what I was wanting then. The second bottle was put on the rack and forgotten about. And then I got pregnant.
It took until the babe was near 9mo old and my wine supply freakishly low before I thought about opening this second bottle. This time I let it breath. I poured it into my decanter and then poured a glass and let it all sit in the air for at least an hour. The first sip is still sorta bitey for a pinot noir but that bite goes away after the second sip. And then by the third it turns into a sigh of contentment. Not many wines let me make yummy noises w/ every sip, this one does/did. It's a beautiful crimson red wine with complex flavors. I can't pin point the fruit in it and that makes me happy. And its oh so smooth, how air does wonders for some wines. Or maybe maturity of my pallet but this wine is definitely 5 stars, lip licking good, and won't be forgotten for quite some time. You definitely can't just a wine by its label or even its first taste in this case.

Hayes Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Peterson Wine Cellars is an awesome wine store in Naperville IL, only about 5min from my inlaws house. I visit this shop almost every time we're in town. C enjoys their beer selection and I always find different wines here. They have some fun and amazing sales. They have a top sellers area where they show the top 10 bottles that sold the best that week or month. I bought their number one to see how the tastes of Napervillians compare to my own. So I got their number one sold bottle, Hayes Ranch In the Saddle Cabernet Sauvignon.

I let this bottle breath a half hour to an hour in my decanter. It's really a yummy wine. You can taste berries in front and then you get a bit of the oak and the sauvignon bite at the end. It's a nice bite, not too much. And then I got sick, a cold which turned into the flu, and I was out of commission for a while. 2 and a half weeks later feeling better and craving a little wine I poured a glass of the remaining wine. It's still a decent wine! A little bit more of a bite than when fresh but it was definitely still drinkable and delicious. I give this wine 5 stars, lip licking good, both fresh and two weeks later.

Spanish Wines - "Mederano" and "Navarrsotillo"

Apposite to my previous entry with the partly Spanish quote, I would like to bring Spanish wines to your attention. My long-term favourite has been the Spanish Mederano Tinto (Freixenet). At a price of about 4 Euros, it is a reasonably priced wine and nice for this price (I would rate it 4 stars). Recently, I have made the experience that red wines below 4 Euros are usually kind of awful.

On Friday, we ran errands at the local organic grocery store. At a special price, I bought "Navarrsotillo Joven 2009 Rioja Noemus".
http://www.navarrsotillo.com/en/index2.html
(For a picture, click products - see products - Vino Doc Rioja Joven - Tinto)
Special price was about €5.50, regular price should be about €7.00 - 8.00.
And boy, was it tasty. It was fruity and slightly sparkling from the beginning and it was just as good the next evening. Well, I am not so good at wine tasting/testing. The website says:
"A young Rioja wine, balanced and with body, obtained from a skilful mixture of varieties. It has an attractive cherry red colour with violet glints, very clean, with a medium to high robe. It has a sound, whole nose wrapped in spicy clove and vanilla tones. It has the typical acidity of the grapes used, giving it freshness and good persistent finish, and a meaty, tannic mouth feel.
Noemus: The Israeli patriarch Noah, said to be the first man to get drunk on wine."
I would love to drink this one again. For the time being, I would rate it 5 stars but then I am rather unexperienced. So do not take this too seriously. ;)

I cannot wait to try other Spanish wines as well as Greek ones.