Dry Creek Vineyard Meritage '05. Opened Tuesday for beef stroganoff. Blew me away. Again this evening with spaghetti. Blew me away. Best wine I've had in months. Dark, fresh color, dark, fresh taste, enough tannin to have some muscle, a complex mixture of berry and something like cherry and some white pepper and a hint of a spice similar to cloves but not. Bought at the winery in September '08 for $22.40. 3 times as good as most wines 3 times the price. 14.5% alcohol 50% Merlot, 36% Cab Sauvignon, 6% Malbec, 4% Cab Franc, 4% Petit Verdot
David Coffaro Grenache '11. A spaghetti wine, and for a spaghetti lover like me, that's no knock. Lots of tart raspberry-like fruit. comes in smooth and slow and just grows. Long even finish. Surpassed by the Meritage but not by a whole lot. This was one of Dave's wines that was aged for 16 months rather than his usual 11 months. In this case, I suspect it helped. Bought in April '13 for $20. 14.8% alcohol, 100% Grenache from the estate.
Joseph Swan Saralee's Vineyard Pinot Noir '07. I took this one to my cousin's for Thanksgiving and was delightfully surprised with it. Light color, like a dark strawberry rose, but not a rose at all. Even my numb nose caught the pinot aroma. It's hard to taste and remember a whole lot at a family party, but this wine Fit The Bill. The mix of cherry and strawberry flavor, with an undercurrent of something herbal, was perfect for the turkey. It didn't last very long in a group of wonderful people of whom I'm the only wino. Bought December '12 at the winery for $32.40 after discount. 13% alcohol.
David Coffaro Sauvignon Blanc '13. I had it with petrale sole last Friday and finished it with rock cod yesterday evening. Dave didn't make SB for a few years, and I know it isn't one of his personal favorites, but it's totally a favorite of mine. It's similar to the Dry Creek Vineyards SB's but Dave uses neutral oak to age it and that, and possibly the fact that his block is down next to the creek in the upper valley while DCV's is benchland, makes a difference. Richer than DCV, more reminiscent of Sancerre (allowing for ripeness) than New Zealand. Very lemony, only a bit of "cat pee" and no grassyness at all. Great food wine. Not a hint of sweetness. It's even better with seared scallops (when I want to blow the wad) than with regular white fish. Too delicate for halibut. Bought August '14 for $11.00 with club discounts. 14.4% alcohol, 100 cases produced. What's not to like?