Strong Arms Shiraz 2006

Gorgeous Aussie Shiraz

I will definitely buy this wine again. For $11.99 (at Fountainview Liquors in Houston), this wine is an excellent value. It was smooth and easy going but definitely meant business. The deep and dark liquid definitely provided some purple lips but they were worth every sip. Those nearest and dearest to me affectionately refer to this as “Mandee Mouth”. This big-bodied beauty from South Australia’s McLaren Vale was heavily laden with flavors of smoky cedar and blue and black fruit which then led to a rich chocolate finish. We drank this wine after dinner with a warm dark chocolate brownie topped with vanilla ice cream. It was an ideal match. One bite followed by one sip. It was absolutely delicious. This wine tastes much more expensive than it is. It was awarded 91 points by Robert Parker and deserves it. It’s sophisticated but still has fun. The quirky art on the label is an example of this. The 2006 vintage will be released with six different labels, starting with the Ms. Strong Arms, which was on the bottle I selected. Strong Arms is produced by R Wines. You can find out more about this and other Aussie wines at the Grateful Palate Imports website. I highly recommend trying this one… I think you’ll be glad you did.

 

New from Roots Run Deep

Educated Guess Pinot Noir!

I have it on good authority (from Mark Albrecht, owner of Roots Run Deep winery) that there is an Educated Guess Pinot Noir on the way to Houston! So far we have only been able to savor the elusive Cabernet but that is soon to change! Mr. Albrecht emailed me yesterday and said, “Mandee, I just wanted to update you and let you know that our distributor in Texas has just ordered some of our Pinot Noir, so in the next month or two you will begin seeing it in your local retailers and restaurants.  You certainly can help move it along by requesting it at Specs or Central Markets, etc…” So there you have it from the man himself. I plan on asking for it the next time I go to Spec’s and hopefully they will order some. I’m dying to try it! If you find any please let me know where. Until then I’ll be on the lookout!

 

Screw Kappa Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Silly Name… Serious Wine

I used to see this wine on the shelves at the grocery store and crack up laughing. I thought the name of it, Screw Kappa Napa, was so funny that it couldn’t possibly be anything actually drinkable. It wasn’t until one day when I was playing around on the Sebastiani website that I realized that this silly sounding wine was actually one of theirs… Sebastiani has a division called Three Loose Screws and under that label they have several wines, one being the Screw Kappa Napa. Once I realized that this wine did in fact come from a reputable place my curiosity got the best of me and I bought my first bottle of SKN Cabernet Sauvignon. Lo and behold the wine was great! It’s somewhat similar to its cousin (see previous post) the Sebastiani Cabernet but a little less aggressive. The regular Sebastiani Cab is one I go to when I’m looking for something serious… a big, bold wine that doesn’t mess around. The SKN has just as much to offer but is a little bit more mellow. It offers the same smoky tobacco aromas and is dark ruby in color. It tastes of blackberries and black pepper. This would be a great wine to enjoy with a steak dinner but also gets the job done as an after work cocktail! So don’t let the funny name throw you… this wine means business.

 

Cycles Gladiator Cabernet Sauvignon

If You Like Licorice…

Very rarely (and I mean rarely) do I meet a wine that I absolutely just can not drink. I didn’t even make it through half a glass of this and neither did Andrew (my boyfriend and wine drinking partner). Although there are times when we say, “Eh… this is alright,” we still drink it. We poured this down the sink. The first thing that I noticed was how dark the wine was. It was almost black in the glass and it smelled a little bit like tar. That should have been my first clue. I let it sit for a while because I thought that this might be one that needed some air. Obviously I didn’t give it enough. I’m not saying that this is a bottle that no one would enjoy. The flavors were just all flavors I really dislike. It tasted like a mix of rasperry liqueur (think Chambord) and black licorice (think Jagermeister). I literally shivered. This is not a bottle I will buy again. The best part about this bottle is the pretty label.

 

Sebastiani Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Smooth & Sultry From Sonoma

What a sexy little bottle this was. It was complex and alluring and definitely got my attention. This was a wine that actually made me sit down and evaluate what was going on with it. This Sonoma County Cabernet has something to say. “Drink me.” Sebastiani used grapes from three different sub-appelations to create this California beauty: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma Valley and Alexander Valley. While it is 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, it also features small amounts of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot. This blend adds to the astounding complexity that this wine offers.

What first struck me was the depth of the garnet color as I poured it into my glass. I’d forgotten how dark a Cab can be. Before I even lifted the glass I was getting whiffs of rich black cherry and cedar (cigar box as the winery notes called it). I could tell that this was a wine I would need to let breathe for a bit. It was worth the wait. Firm in tannins and structure, it was a teensy bit tart on the tongue giving off flavors of black cherry and even a little bit of hazlenut from the oak but had a smooth and creamy finish. It also had flavors of smoke and black tea. So many wines I’m just indifferent about… this was not one of them. This was a wine that really made me think. My boyfriend and I enjoyed it so much and would definitely buy it again. I bought this one at Spec’s in Houston (Old Farm location) for around $16. This would be a perfect wine for a night when you felt like grilling steaks. It could definitely hold its own against hearty food but I think it would be just as enjoyable with a salad dressed with balsamic vinegar. Great… now I want a steak.