Trefethen 'Dragon's Tooth' 2013 Red Wine

Trefethen 'Dragon's Tooth' 2013 Red Wine, $45,89-$53.99, 92 points, poured a deep dark purple/red grading ruby toward the transparent wine ring and stained-legged glass wall.
Aromas were lavish and profuse, steeped with cedar, clove, toasty blackberry jam, and fresh laundered linen.
Full-bodied with mouthwatering acidity and firm grainy tannins which managed to smoothly deliver the aromas onto the palate with hints of violets and plums.
Finished long, a bit austere, but with exciting warm spices, lingonberry jam, and a well-balanced 14.5% alcohol.
Varietals were a Bordeaux-styled 52% Malbec, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12% Petit Verdot.

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Tenshen Santa Barbara County 2014 Red Wine

 Santa Barbara County 2014 Red Wine, $14.99-$27.99, 88+ points, poured opaque grading dark ruby and ending maroon/red at the clear wine ring and heavily tearing glass bowl.
Aromas began with a jammy red raspberry and warmed to a better cinnamon-spiced fruitcake.
Full-bodied with good acidity and a firm underlayment of tannin managed some zippy flavors of spearmint, red raspberry, plum, and other enigmatic flavors too tightly tied together for me to unlock.
Finished long on a 15.5% alcohol inspirited spice, an accelerating grainy rendition of the softer earlier tannin, and an interesting fig flavor.

Varietals were a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Merlot, and Petite Sirah.
Paired fine with my spice-rubbed rare Angus rib-eye.

 

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Quinta De Foz De Arouce Vinho Regional Beira Atlântico 2012 Red Wine (Portugal)

Quinta De Foz De Arouce Vinho Regional Beira Atlântico 2012 Red Wine (Portugal), $16.99-$19.99, 89 points, was a deep garnet red with a broad clear wine ring.
The shy aromas of red fruit jam, tobacco, and coffee with a floral vibe needed a bit of teasing, but were good.
It's been some time since I've had a Tannat wine, but if I had to guess what I was drinking, Tannat would have been the one; not a round full body, but a lean near full body, wooly tannins, good acidity, flavors mirroring the aromas, and I would imagine too austere for many, but as a red table wine paired with my spicy cheese enchiladas, sour cream, and chunky guacamole, this Portuguese red wine excelled.
Varietals were 80% Baga and 20% Tourig Nacional.

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Chappellet 2014 Mountain Cuvée Proprietor's Blend Red Wine

 
Chappellet 2014 Mountain Cuvée Proprietor's Blend Red Wine, $25.49-$32.99, 91 points, poured core black quickly grading to purple/red toward the clear wine ring.
Aromatic with a touch of cinnamon, an earthy red raspberry, hints of black pepper, soft lavender, and damson plum.
Near full-bodied with good acidity, a grainy underlayment of fine tannin, balanced complex flavor profile of red and black fruits, subtle cooking spices, and a bit of oak culminating in a very long finish of plum accented by an easy spiciness, and a potent, though not overwhelming 14.9% alcohol which demanded a gestalt perspective, because it really didn't pair as well as I'd hoped with my hot chili.
This Bordeaux-styled Red Wine consisted of 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 12% Malbec, 11% Petit Verdot, and 5% Cabernet Franc.

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Red Wine, How I Neglect Thee!

 

Red Wine, How I Neglect Thee!

 

 

 

  I tend to be varietal-specific (Bordeaux is the main exception) when choosing a wine to purchase, but I have been accumulating several interesting red wines, so my New Year's resolution is to taste at least some of them before I forget them in the cellar or spring gets me thinking 2016 Rosé wines from Provence.

  Most of you will know that Red Wines require more work, and a unique gift for the art of 'blending', thus they are usually more expensive, and maybe I have a subconscious attitude which thinks 'bang for my buck' is with straight up Merlot, Cabernet, etcetera, even though many of these have some blending as well. Remember: In the USA a varietal specific wine needs to be at least 75% of what the label says it is, implying that a Merlot may have 25% Cabernet Sauvignon in it.

  Let's see if I keep my New Year's resolution to taste more red wines.

 

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Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut champagne

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut champagne,
$35.99-$42.99, 91 points, poured a furious onslaught of medium-sized bubbles, settling-down to a consistent and energetic speedy bottom to top flow; the color was a lovely light brass.
Aromatically a bit shy, but soft pome notes with fresh baked French bread smells were delightful.
Light, crisp (excellent fizz throughout the early palate), stony, and with flavors reflective of the aromas with just a hint of crème brûlée proved, to me, that my Conseiller, vin-insanity, pointed me in the right direction.
Finished long on the trailing palate, quince, melon rind, quite dry without being wizened, and a perfect 12% alcohol.


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Happy New Year

Happy New Year

Especially to all my blogging friends around the world!

С новым годом!
新年快乐！新年快樂！
Bonne année!
Frohes neues Jahr!
Gott nytt år!
明けましておめでとうございます！
Щасливого Нового року!
Felice anno nuovo!
Ευτυχισμένο το νέο έτος!
Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku!
¡Feliz año Nuevo!
Feliz Ano Novo!
Godt nytt år!
Hyvää uutta vuotta!
새해 복 많이 받으세요!
Sretna Nova godina!
Godt nytår!
हैप्पी न्यू ईयर!
שנה טובה!

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