2008 Old Zin Vines Lodi Zinfandel

Yay!  It's the 4th of July and hot as all get out!  So that presents a bit of a challenge for the red wine lover, what to drink on a hot day with lots of old fashioned American food?  Do you wimp out for a chilled rose?  Or do you go for the gusto?  Well, I chose the latter with a wonderful old vine zinfandel from Lodi, the 2008 Old Zin Vines (OZV) old vine zinfandel!

Now I love a good zin and everyone knows the best zins come from Lodi so how could I miss with this one?  This wine is a lovely deep purple in the glass, with a good bit of opacity.  The nose is a treat, with hints of ripe plum, anise, leather and cedar, with just the faintest bit of a floral smell, the kind of nose that tells your taste buds, "get ready, cause this is gonna be good!"  There is a good bit of fruit on the front end, with tastes of ripe berries and cassis, giving way to a wonderful cedar smokiness midpalate leading to a wonderfully smooth, dry finish.  Very much what you'd expect from the old vines of Lodi!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's just a great overall zin, which is even more impressive given the price at only $11 at the local World Market!  This wine would be a great one to sip at sunset, or enjoy with a variety of cuisines, from spicy Mediterranean to a rare grilled T-bone, to lovely fish tacos, but tonight I am enjoying it with the most American of fare, hot dogs!  Yes indeed, I am having some lovely grilled hot dogs served up Chicago style, with mustard, relish, diced onions, tomato, pickle, celery salt and sport peppers (don't ask how we get all that on a single bun!), along with some lovely baked beans and freshly made coleslaw, a perfectly American summer meal! 

2010 Parducci Small Lot Blend Pinot Noir

So tonight I am hearkening back to my time in the Pacific Northwest, where spring salmon season was always accompanied by a raft of lovely pinot noir from the Willamette Valley.  Unfortunately, I now live 2,000 miles from the northwest and I have to make certain, shall we say, sacrifices.

So tonight, for a wine on the lighter side of this horrifically hot and humid evening, I've decided to open a bottle of 2010 Parducci Small Lot Blend Pinot Noir from Mendocino County, Calif.  And it's certainly a lighter wine, with a bright ruby color in the glass.  The nose is very interesting, with hints of cedar, tart cherry, grass and a tiny bit of pepper.  The taste is somewhat fruity at the outset, giving way to a floral taste midpalate and finishing with a good bit of tart fruit that reminds me of firm strawberries that just haven't quite ripened, but then it quickly transitions to a taste of strawberry jam.

Overall, I would rate this wine at about 6.5, perhaps it's too young, or perhaps I've been spoiled by Oregon pinots, but it just doesn't carry a lot of body, or even some lighter sophistication that would make up for it.  At least it was pretty inexpensive, I think I picked this one from Wineshopper.com for only $8!  Thank goodness I found some more Copper River sockeye to enjoy with this, tonight I've prepared it on an Alder plank, with some curried couscous and steamed purple asparagus.  The richness of the salmon really does pair well with the tart fruit of this wine, and given it's so light on its feet it's not a killer on a hot summer evening!

2005 Château Belle-Vue Haut Médoc

Tonight is a celebration, not only of wine and food, but of my 100th blog post!  Now to celebrate such an auspicious occasion, I need a special wine, and what better than a nice example of a wonderful vintage, the 2005 Bordeaux!  So tonight I've opened a bottle of the 2005 Château Belle-Vue Haut Médoc, a rather interesting blend containing Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Merlot (27%), Petit Verdot (20%) and Carmenere (3%), and of course it's the bit of Carmenere that makes this one interesting! 

Now I've said before that the 2005 Bordeaux vintage was exceptional (see here: http://allaloneonaplanetfullofpeople.blogspot.com/2011/04/2005-chateau-la-tour-de-bessan-margaux.html) but unfortunately it's been overshadowed by the hype over 2009 and 2010, which is a shame since many of the 2005s are drinking very nicely right now, including this one.

The 2005 Château Belle-Vue Haut Médoc presents a deep, inky red color in the glass, with some brightness around the edges.  The nose is quintessential Bordeaux, with hints of vanilla, spice, leather and cedar.  There's also a hint of smoke that seems to tie everything together.  The taste presents some early hints of ripe fruit which quickly gives way to a gravel and a bit of jamminess midpalate.  The tannins are somewhat sharp still providing for a long, dry and satisfying finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, with some potential to improve over the next few years, and the price was a bargain from Wines Till Sold Out at only $18!  Tonight I am enjoying it with some teriyaki glazed grilled pork tenderloin, white rice and steamed veggies, but this wine would go well with most grilled meats or, dare I say it, a 4th of July barbecue!  Bon appetite!