2009 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon

I tried this Hall cab while at the Westin Napa. It was their featured wine in the Bank Cafe & Bar, which had tasty tuna lollipops.

It has a beautiful dark cherry color with dark red fruits on the nose. Really mellow aroma, and no sting of a high alcohol content.

Nice jammy flavor, especially cherry. The tannins are strong but smooth, a really nice grab on the tongue, and lingering pepper and spice. Nice minerals and woodsiness, too. Truly wonderful, lingering cab.

Almost makes up for the valet crunching the side mirror.

Pepperwood Grove Viognier

First of all, I have to thank Alaska/Horizon for the complimentary wine. It makes screaming toddlers a little more bearable. A little. Very little.

Normally, I'd have chosen the red, but alas, they were out of (or didn't stock) the Radius Merlot on my flight. Maybe on the way home from Cali...

Pepperwood's viognier is a warm amber color.
Faint apricot on the nose, along with bright green grass and a little wood.
Tastes of peach with a slightly spicy, peppery note. Not sweet, even with the apricot favors. Instead, it's surprisingly crisp.

Probably not something I'd buy, but I could see pairing it with pork chops and a nice apple sauce or chutney.

2005 Porter Creek Syrah

This lovely syrah comes from the Russian River Valley, which is one of my favorite areas for earthy reds.

The Porter Creek syrah has a nice dark cherry color. Aromas hint of hay and grass. We didn't decant this 2005, and the result was a tad disappointing. High acidity and very little fruit on the palate. This is definitely one to let breathe.

The tannins were full, and it felt warm and velvety with a woodsy scent. We found this syrah really brought out the pepper in our Beecher's cheese and also brought out the creaminess in our herbal Boursin.

Next time, we're decanting this baby!

Meloza Añejo Tequila review

I bought a bottle of Meloza Añejo Tequila the other week on a lark. I had never heard of it, but the price was ok and the bottle looked interesting.  Well, I was fairly impressed; Meloza has a nice smooth finish, and pleasant taste.   

The tequila itself is a light gold amber. It does not have the smell of raw alcohol, which is common of less pure tequilas.  Meloza has scents of earth and aloe, with slight hints of the barrel.  The taste is light and sweet building to a spicy burn that really feels good.  Down the throat, it reminds me of a good smooth bourbon in the even, light burn it gives.   

 

This tequila would go well with some lamb, or wild game stew.  Overall, an excellent addition to the fine tequilas at the middle of the price range.