Temps are in the 40's and we have rain most days now, but nonetheless we've got a new shtick for safe winter entertaining we're calling the Parka Happy Hour. 'Parka' as in "Dress warmly and come parka yo' ass by our firepit for an hour." No dinner, just a snack and a bottle of wine. For our first Parka Happy Hour, we invited Donna and Layne.
I opened with a wine food combo I fell in love with in Spain: Rioja with seared foie gras on toast (a 'tostada'). Unfortunately the wine wasn't up to snuff:
2012 La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Alberdi Reserva Tempranillo
As another CTer observed: medium acid, medium tannins, 13.5% ABV, medium body, short finish. VERY short finish. Did not decant and was unhappy throughout as it lacked fruit and overall personality. Hope it's just napping.
Then Layne opened this:
2015 Township 7 Black Dog Okanagan Valley VQA Red Blend
Layne's. Layne's in the T7 club so I've tasted quite a few T7 products over the years and have found them pretty inconsistent and rarely loveable, but this one impressed. Complex and rustic with blackberry, black cherry, mint, dust, cedar and unlit maduro cigar notes. A perfect pop n' pour for a cold night at the firepit.
Nobody had frozen to death yet and so we stuck it out for another hour, finishing off this bottle we'd opened the night before:
2011 Gemstone Estate Red Yountville Red Bordeaux Blend
Though another bottle was a dud earlier this year, this bottle was delightful. Bright berry and tobacco flavors, and good concentration and relaxed tannins made for a supple, elegant mouthfeel. One of the few California '11s I've had recently that didn't disappoint.