Stags' Leap 2013 Petite Syrah (revisited)

Stags' Leap 2013 Petite Syrah (revisited), $33.94-$46.99, 92 points, poured broadly black with 'holidays' and a penumbra of Shiraz-purple/red, a thin clear wine ring, and stained drapes.
Aromas of soft floral notes, a hint of funk, cedar, Crayola crayon, and ripe sun-warmed blackberries were interesting if not outstanding.
Full-bodied red wine with good acidity and firm, but tamed, grainy tannins delivered a dramatic burst of black fruit flavors escorted deep into the long finish accompanied with warm red pepper, a complementary oak, rich savory beef juice, and a well-balanced 14.1% alcohol.

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Ridge Geyserville 2016 Red Wine

Ridge Geyserville 2016 Red Wine, $35.69-$41.99, 94 points, poured deep purple/reds with a broad bleeding wine ring and thick stained legs.
Aromas of coffee tinged wild blackberries with a floral vibe were excellent.
The medium-plus bodied Zinfandel red wine was chock-full of red and black fruits and nuanced with lovely subtle sweet cooking herbs.
A rather sleek wine with bright acidity and soft supportive tannins scored a smooth mouth-feel.
Finished very long on the trailing palate with a bit of loam, easy pepper spices, plum, a tangy red raspberry, and a spot-on 14.5% alcohol.

Varietals were 73% Zinfandel, 17% Carignane, 7% Petite Sirah, and 3% Alicante Bouschet.

Look for this wine to drink well, fruity, and delicious now, but will age beautifully over fifteen years.

Paired perfectly with my cheese enchiladas.

Ridge, why it's a "go to" winery
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Château Laubarit Grand Vin 2006 Bordeaux Red Wine

Château Laubarit Grand Vin 2006 Bordeaux Red Wine, average price: $7.99. My score (high QPR) was 89 points.
The color was ruby red at the core, but graded to copper red and finally blended to form a brown penumbra before the clear wine ring filled with debris, while the bowl showed moderate clear draping.
Aromatic black tea and juniper were pleasant.
Medium-bodied, medium acidity, mild and smooth residual tannins with interesting flavors of earth, oak, iron, cola, and lovely pepper spices carried well into the soft-landing finish nuanced by a 12.5% alcohol.

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Domaine Séguinot-Bordet 2017 Chablis

Domaine Séguinot-Bordet 2017 Chablis, $18.69-$27.99, 91 points, poured an unusual pale greyish/green turning quiet grey at the glass edge.
Smelled of a heavenly honeysuckle and a trailing tangerine nuanced with subtle apricot and pear; the more I sniffed, the more I seemed to find.
Light-bodied (who else makes light-bodied Chardonnays?), perfect complementary acidity, and righteously aroma reflective flavors.
Finished long on the trailing palate, but tart and tangy and mustered enough ginger to compete with them. Alcohol was a well-balanced 12.5%.
Paired well with my broiled Icelandic Cod.

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Château Grand-Pontet St. Émilion Grand Cru Classé 2015 Bordeaux Red Wine

Château Grand-Pontet St. Émilion Grand Cru Classé 2015 Bordeaux Red Wine, $29.32-$34.49, 93 points, poured core black grading deep purple/reds with a bright blood red penumbra, broad clear meniscus, and dense hanging legs.
First pour was of the loveliest Bordeaux lilies followed by cedar, spearmint, and red currant jam.
The velvety full-bodied red wine showed good acidity and firm grainy tannins.
Delicious cherry cola, violets, truffles, and plum flavors impressed me.
Finished very long, but a bit anti-climatically on the fading palate, soft pepper spices, and a warm 15% alcohol. 
Varietals were 81% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Bordeaux Red Wine Vintage 2015

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Wine closures and screw the twist-off caps!

Wine closures and screw the twist-off caps!

This post is really about my first Ardea Seal Wine Stopper.

What wine blogger isn't fascinated with wine enclosures?

If you haven't heard of the Ardea Seal, here is a closer look:

This is a high-tech enclosure by Giala Group (1999), and was designed to compete with cork (we've heard that before).

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Snow Angel Trumps Wine Angel! Did I really say that?

Snow Angel Trumps Wine Angel! Did I really say that?

  Snow has a clean/pure quality to it. Mostly adults rejoice in the stimulated thoughts of cross-country and mountain skiing, ice fishing, and snowmobiling. Children can't wait to skate, engage in the 'soft' violence of snowball-fights, the architecture of snow-forts, snowmen, and snow-angels.
  Among the few detrimental consequences of snow is three feet of ice and snow plowed in front of our cars and truck.
  Well, that happened recently, and after an hour and half of backbreaking heart-attack shoveling, my son Lucas and I finally got to the last and most difficult two feet of the nearly impenetrable barrier in freeing our mechanical horse and carriages.
Suddenly and out of nowhere an unknown good Samaritan with a huge Chevy pickup with a plow smashes away the worst of the ramparts separating us from civilization. Later I discovered our 'snow' angel's name was Luke. So, to make a long story short, I left all I really have to give, a bottle of white and a bottle of red wine on the hood of his truck.
A few days later I met Luke, and then I learned that his wife loves wine, and since they didn't know who left the wine, she labeled me the 'wine angel'.
  A bit of a silly story, but good angels are always welcome, whether in plow-trucks, on wings, or carrying brown paper bags.

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