I had the pleasure of tasting this wine with a small group of good friends. It was my birthday celebration and they took me to a restaurant named Fatty’s, in Eagle Rock. The wine selection included this 2004 Syrah from Niner Estates. The wine is rich and full, dark fruits and chocolate on the palate, light vanilla on the nose. To say the least the wine is good - if big is the style you like. But the memories associated with this wine - the place, the friends, the good food - make the wine, to me, taste a lot better. When I want to go back and remember good times, I will definitely pop open a bottle of this one.
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It’s summer, warm and muggy. Time for a good white wine. Castoro Cellars 2008 Fume Blanc, with its crisp, refreshing taste, delivers good Summer satisfaction. I love the nose of this wine. It is really enjoyable and I hear it can be paired with almost any dish. I had it with a nice and tasty risotto cake dish repared by my lovely girlfriend. The simple, not-too-intense flavors of this Fume Blanc pair well, I believe, with a matching simple flavored dish. This one is very enjoyable and drinkable, which I think is what really matters.
This wine was recommended by our local wine shop guy after we requested Orin Swift’s Papillon blend. Saying that if we liked that one, we would like this one, too. Also, he said that it pairs well with a good piece of steak, or something with bold flavors. We paired it with a bold vegetarian dish: grilled sweet onion, corn-on-the-cob, bell pepper and tofurkey sausages! I must say that I will trust the wine shop guy’s judgement for his next recommendation. Blending Zinfandel, Cabernet, Petit Verdot, and Petite Syrah, this wine comes together to create a delightfully berry-filled, earth-toned, and subtly spiced beauty. This wine would make a good party wine, as it is packed with flavor and goes well with good, simple-yet-bold dishes.
A good California Zinfandel from Napa. Described as being one of their best vintages. I tried it at Salute Wine Bar in Santa Monica. The place is very cool with its wine dispensers, low lighting, and chill environment. After a glass, we got a bottle of this one. Too good to pass up.
While at a cool wine and tapas bar called Barcelona Tapas atop a lively, street-lid Puerto Vallarta City, we order a wine that matches this sleek, bold, and memorable location - Navarro Correas Alegoria Malbec 2006. Intense aromas that leave hints of black cherries, spice, and wood. Medium bodied with a good tannin structure. Dark fruits and traces of vanilla on the palate. A lingering finish. This wine is unforgettable. Available online through such sites as Winerz.com, for about $20 a bottle, I think it’s a sure bet on a great-tasting Malbec.
I was able to try the 2007 zin when wine tasting at Paso Robles last Fall with my girlfriend. And we were impressed at how down-to-earth the vintner and owner of the winery was - not to mention the quality and character of the wine. Smooth and delicately balanced, fruit forward, underlaid by notes of fig and dark chocolate. We fell in love with the personality, flavor, genuineness of this fine wine and its establishment.