Monday, April 25, 2011

29 Tricks

Continuing our exploration of Bud Armstrong Cellars (I think my father-in-law owns more wine than many shops do), we had a bottle of red with a bit of age on it the other night.
It was a 1996 Vineyard 29 Cabernet Sauvignon (Grace Family Vineyards, Napa, Calif.), and at first Bud thought it was a bust. He had trouble opening it since the cork was shredding -- usually not a good sign in a wine.
At first taste, it was pretty lifeless. It was also still quite opaque for a 15-year-old -- usually they begin to lighten up a few years in, but this cab was inky. The 29 tasted of dried fruit and had a death grip on its tannins (after 22 months in oak, I can see why). I thought Bud was ready to give up on it, but I held out hope.
And we were rewarded. It was simply gasping for air -- the wine improved dramatically within an hour of being opened. Bud said he thought it got better the longer it aired. It was slightly viscous, medium-bodied (13.6 percent alcohol) and pricey: $75.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Big Pink

The snow is mostly melted, and it seems winter is finally slipping away. The minute I unearth a pair of shorts from my dresser drawer, it's time to start drinking rose.
Tonight it was a 2010 Bieler Pere et Fils (Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence), a glassy, pale pink wine with a strong flavor of watermelon. Not the fruit but the Jolly Rancher candy -- and I'm not being a Mean Girl when I say that. It was a sweet note on what is actually a fairly dry wine (50 percent syrah, 30 percent grenache and 20 percent cabernet sauvignon, and 13.5 percent alcohol).
The wine (about $14) paired well with our dinner of shrimp and vegetables over rice, and I found a pleasant tartness to it when consumed with food.
I could see myself drinking a copious amount of this rose in the next few months. So glad summer is almost here.