2012 Dixie Flyer Vineyards "The Brakeman" Cabernet Sauvignon

Could you imagine my astonishment when I was walking through the Costco wine department and saw this label, the 2012 Dixie Flyer Vineyards "The Brakeman" Cabernet Sauvignon, combining two of my favorite things, wine and trains!  It's a rare occurrence, and this one was even more special as the Dixie Flyer was one of the named passenger trains operated by the Chicago & Eastern Illinois railroad which ran behind my house when I was growing up!  The train and railroad are long gone, but the wine is still here, so let's taste!

The Cabernet is from Paso Robles, which in my experience usually has somewhat lighter color and body, with a somewhat more approachable fruit forward taste than your typical big, bold Cabernets.  This characteristic is certainly true of this wine, with a lighter, garnet color with great clarity.  The nose is a playful combination of green grass, blackberry and cotton candy.  The taste is quite nice, some black fruit up front, blackberry and candied plum, that transitions nicely to some mocha and dark chocolate notes midpalate.  The finish is brief, with some very mellow tannins supporting a last bit of fruit that rounds out to be quite dry in the end.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's a pleasant, easy drinking everyday wine at a value price (I think I paid around $12 for this at Costco).  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a very un-Cabernet sort of pairing, some baked cod with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed asparagus!  With all the fish on sale for lent, I've suddenly found the urge to eat more fish, at least the fruit in this wine really doesn't overpower the more subtle flavors of white fish.  Cheers!

2011 Fontanafredda Nebbiolo

Well, it's been a busy week with some travel and a lot of work, but thankfully the week is winding down so we may as well enjoy a nice bottle of wine with Thursday dinner.  Tonight, I've decided to open a bottle of 2011 Fontanafredda Nebbiolo, a wine made from the same grape that gives the lovely Barolo wines of the Piedmont their fantastic, earthy character.

The wine has a bright ruby color in the glass with great clarity.  The nose is remarkable in its young complexity with aromas of tar, licorice, dried flowers and an almost cotton candy note.  The taste is quite nice, with notes of berries and plum that transition to some earthy notes of peat midpalate.  The finish is quite pleasant as the young, yet very well structured tannins support a long, dry and velvety finish that lingers.  A pleasant wine today that, given the character of the grape, will likely improve with some time in the bottle.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a pleasant drinking wine and solid example of the varietal, but it was screaming bargain as well!  I bought this one about six months ago from Wines Till Sold Out for only $10!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a traditional Italian dinner of spinach and ricotta ravioli with some spicy marinara and Italian sausage.  The earthy flavors are just the perfect foil to the spicy acidity of the sauce.  Tutti a tavola a mangiare!

2009 Chateau Guillou Montagne Saint-Emilion

So tonight I've decided to go on a bit of a culinary adventure, what with it being the start of the weekend and all.  In any case I've decided to try my hand at a bit of French cooking, and what better to go with French food than a nice French wine?  So tonight I've opened a bottle of the 2009 Chateau Guillou Montagne Saint-Emilion, from a great Bordeaux vintage.

The wine is a lovely ruby color in the glass with great clarity. The nose is very nice with a bit of ripe fruit, pomegranate, ripe plum, and a good bit of barnyard around a base of oak and smoke. The taste is very interesting with a bit of sweet cherry and a hint of cotton candy up front that effortlessly transitions to some oak, leather and dusty limestone mid palate. The finish is quite nice with a bit of pepper and lovely tannins supporting a long, dry finish. 

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8 as it's a great example of the wine and the vintage that I found at a value price of just $18!  Tonight I'm enjoying this with some Moules Marinieres, a delicious dish of mussels in a white wine sauce seasoned with shallots, tarragon and thyme, along with some wonderful croutons to maximize your enjoyment of the sauce!  So warm and delicious for such a bitter cold evening!