Mmmm... vino

Perhaps my tastes have grown more sophisticated as I've grown older. Perhaps I've just killed enough taste buds with whiskey to not care. But recently I have developed the ability to appreciate Scots whisky, someI never really did before. I now see what they're talking about when they ramble on about the complexities of a fine single malt.

Likewise, with wine, I've finally moved past the white zinfandel stage, I guess. I find myself tonight enjoying a glass of wine from a bottle I opened and first tasted a glass from last night. I have no idea if it is considered a good wine or not: it's average cost here. But it is a cabernet sauvignon, something which the enjoyment of has always eluded me in the past. I can see some of the complexities, though this particular cab sauv seems a bit fruitier than I remember them being.

Hayes Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, Livermore, CA, 2001.

Thank you California, in some ways you are still quite a credit to the Union.

{Edited to add:}

That one was quite nice, and led to a second bottle, this time of French derivation. "Louis Eschenauer, Syrah- vin de pays d'oc" 2004. ("Eschenauer is French? I guess since WWII...)

Described in French (of course), English and Deutch as "Red wine from the south of France, produced from the Syrah grape variety. Drink at 15-16°C with red meat and cheese.

Mighty nice of them to explain what should go with red wine for us barbarians.

Not too bad. A bit blander (I must confess liking Australian Shiraz much more) and a quite off-putting bit of gritty, distasteful sediment (seedy, actually) at the end of the bottle, despite the natural cork stopper...

Tag: Patriot's Journey (with JimK, Scott, Lil, Doug, Moorewatch and our fearless leader Drumwaster)