(no subject)
I've been expanding my imbibers palate of late with wine and whiskeys. This week I had been in the mood for some smashed grapes so I sampled a couple recent purchases.
Big Dog Rating Scale:
FG = Fucking Good
G = Good
Meh = Meh, neither here nor there
S = Shite
FS = Fucking Shite
The scale allows for mutiples of Good or Shite (ie; FFFFG or FFFFS).
Hogue 2003 Genesis Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, WA)
77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Syrah, 7% Lemberger, 5% Merlot
Aged 21 months in American Oak, 35% new barrels.
Sampled 2007-02-16
Right out of the bottle this perked up my senses. Lots of ripe, lush fruit (dark cherry, blackberry, cassis), some anise, a wee bit of tobacco-like earth, and bold enough to stand up to the oaking. Mildly dry with tannins and peppercorn spice at the end. This wine is begging to be enjoyed with a ribeye or tri-tip char grilled medium rare followed by some decadently rich chocolate cake drizzled in a raspberry or cherry reduction.
Big Dog Rating = FG
A fucking deal at $12.99 at wine.com this weekend (Presidents weekend sale with 1 cent shipping). I'm ordering more!
'04 Ferrari-Carano Sienna out of Sonoma, CA.
84% Sangiovese and small amounts of Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon (73% Alexander Valley; 25% Dry Creek Valley; 2% Napa Valley) - 16 months on French Oak.
Sampled 2007-02-14
Popped the cork and poured a glass. Perhaps a bit chilled since it was rather cold today and this had been sitting in the bottom of the closet. The initial nose was very earthy and the taste was a tad harsher than expected. Very tannic, tarred oak, black cherry, licorice, and a chalky finish. Kind of a "Meh" leaning towards "nah".
I gave it time to breathe and come to more of a room temperature over 30 minutes and revisited the glass.
Much better! Grape skins, black-cherry soda, Oak on the nose. The fruit now shows up on the palate with ripe cherries and juicy raspberries. Finishes with a bite of acid and tannins and leaves a dry lingering spice. Probably better with food than as a solo act. A big plate of sausage with peppers, onions and tomato would have been nice addition. Decant it and give it some time to catch its breath.
Big Dog Rating = G
I believe I grabbed this one at Costco for around $16? I dont quite remember but I know it was under $20.
Big Dog Rating Scale:
FG = Fucking Good
G = Good
Meh = Meh, neither here nor there
S = Shite
FS = Fucking Shite
The scale allows for mutiples of Good or Shite (ie; FFFFG or FFFFS).
Hogue 2003 Genesis Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, WA)
77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Syrah, 7% Lemberger, 5% Merlot
Aged 21 months in American Oak, 35% new barrels.
Sampled 2007-02-16
Right out of the bottle this perked up my senses. Lots of ripe, lush fruit (dark cherry, blackberry, cassis), some anise, a wee bit of tobacco-like earth, and bold enough to stand up to the oaking. Mildly dry with tannins and peppercorn spice at the end. This wine is begging to be enjoyed with a ribeye or tri-tip char grilled medium rare followed by some decadently rich chocolate cake drizzled in a raspberry or cherry reduction.
Big Dog Rating = FG
A fucking deal at $12.99 at wine.com this weekend (Presidents weekend sale with 1 cent shipping). I'm ordering more!
'04 Ferrari-Carano Sienna out of Sonoma, CA.
84% Sangiovese and small amounts of Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon (73% Alexander Valley; 25% Dry Creek Valley; 2% Napa Valley) - 16 months on French Oak.
Sampled 2007-02-14
Popped the cork and poured a glass. Perhaps a bit chilled since it was rather cold today and this had been sitting in the bottom of the closet. The initial nose was very earthy and the taste was a tad harsher than expected. Very tannic, tarred oak, black cherry, licorice, and a chalky finish. Kind of a "Meh" leaning towards "nah".
I gave it time to breathe and come to more of a room temperature over 30 minutes and revisited the glass.
Much better! Grape skins, black-cherry soda, Oak on the nose. The fruit now shows up on the palate with ripe cherries and juicy raspberries. Finishes with a bite of acid and tannins and leaves a dry lingering spice. Probably better with food than as a solo act. A big plate of sausage with peppers, onions and tomato would have been nice addition. Decant it and give it some time to catch its breath.
Big Dog Rating = G
I believe I grabbed this one at Costco for around $16? I dont quite remember but I know it was under $20.