Friday, April 29, 2011

Celebrating One Year with Two Wine Reviews

One year ago this week I kicked off the new format for my blog and set about writing about food, beverages, pairing and all sorts of other adventures. I picked this week because it includes my birthday and I felt it would be good luck for my new blog to be born in the same week.

To celebrate my birthday (today) and the first birthday of my blog I went to the store and picked two bottles of wine I had never had to enjoy and review. Happy Birthday to me!

Cinquante-Cinq Chardonnay 2009
A French Chardonnay seemed like a classy pick for a celebratory review. This wine hails from the Languedoc region in Southeastern France. I detected flavors of white peach, a strong punch of acidity and some citrus on the finish. I also found some minerality, something like sandy or salty dry soil. I didn’t pick up any oak influence at any point. This is a simple presentation of Chardonnay and with the punch of acidity one you need to be prepared to drink. I found it paired really well with my sautéed green beans and curried asparagus for dinner last night.
Cigar Box Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
I am familiar with the Cigar Box label from their Malbec which I have enjoyed several times. I was expecting intense concentration, bold flavors and smooth drinking texture based on my experience. I wasn’t expecting complexity based on the value price point and youth. And I got what I was looking for. With a deep ruby color, lots of red and only a little blue, and powerful red fruit aromas I was sure I was going to enjoy my first sip. I picked up plum, raspberries, vanilla, and spice flavors. I also found some additional wood notes, maybe even cedar. The tannins are present and a little bit coarse. The finish is considerable and extends the enjoyment. I paired it with smoked dark meat turkey and found it to be one of those surprise pairings. I was sad when the turkey was gone!
Cheers!
Jason

5 comments:

Megan @ Pip & Ebby said...

Happy one year!!

Tastemonials said...

Happy birthday, Jason. I hope you have a good one.

Celia said...

Happy double birthday! What a week! Glad you celebrated with some nice wines. That French Chardonnay looks especially lovely - I've been trying to get over my fear of Chardonnay (result of too many cheap oak-y bottles of CA stuff in my youth)...

Le Petit Lapin said...

Happy Birthday! It sounds like you celebrated well with good wine!

Amy said...

It's was my birthday, too, so happy birthday to us both. Thanks for the wine tips, as always!