Christmas at My Brother's House (California / Australia)
11 Mar 2015- Details
- Category: Uncorked Tonight
(December 25, 2014) ... It's my annual Christmas dinner at my brother's house, we exchange gifts (thanks), quiz my niece on what she got (what are kids interested these days?!?), and eat like we've never seen food ... I also bring over a selection of wines. I went with a completely new world theme this year, for no actual reason other than I could; carrying in 2 Californian and one Australian; starting with a Grace Family Vineyards 2007 Blank. Now I had read somewhere that the Blank is better when young and does not age well; I would have to disagree for the most part here. The nose was loaded with aromas you'd like to wrap your lips around, namely cocoa, cassis, vanilla, and cinnamon; the palate had some lovely dark berries, and black cherry, along with smoke and cedar - sadly the alcohol does show thru a little more than it should, but that was the only detractor on this wine.
Next up was an eleven year old bottle of Jekel Vineyards 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Coast, yes it showed its age, but it also had some real complexity in its own way. Aromas were earthy, dried cherry, and anise notes followed on the palate by dried cherry, raspberry and cedar, finishing with flavours that were earthy and dried fruit-esque. With time it became rather one dimensional: smooth and supple with dried red fruit.
The last bottle was a Peter Lehmann 2008 Layers. I enjoy Lehmann's wines for the most part and this was no different and aptly named. A blend of Shiraz, Mourvedre, Tempranillo, Grenache, and Carignan, the wine is not only layered with flavors and aromas but with grapes too. Nose was blackberry, eucalyptus, and white pepper dominated followed on the palate by white pepper, spice, blackberry, boysenberry, and blueberry. Quite lovely.
(December 24, 2014) ... The Rolling Stones put it best, "you can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you get what you need.". Heading out tonight for a Christmas Eve get-together and I'll be honest, I have no idea what kind of glassware awaits me ... So I go through the wine I received from Virgin Wine Club and find a Chilean Cab among the masses ... The perfect wine to go in a proper glass or a Dixie cup - just might not get all the nuances, but its powerful enough to show itself in whatever you pour it into. The glass I got, well let's just say I would have been better off with a juice glass; but the wine showed as expected: a nice display of dark fruit and limited spice in the glass I was given. Wine 4 of my Virgin Wine Club selections and it performed despite or in-spite of the limitations it was offered.
