2008 Round Hill Cabernet Sauvignon

Have you ever had one of those really crappy weeks where everything seemed to just go wrong?  Where the end of the week came and you had to go through a critical thinking exercise to convince yourself not to drive headlong into a bridge abutment at 80 miles an hour?  Well, that's the week I just had (and it's not even over yet!!!).  So to take the edge off, I just wanted to drink tonight, now granted, I should be addressing this in a vodka or grain alcohol blog, but alas I settled for a bottle of wine tonight (though I must admit, all I could think of on the way home from the office just before 8:00 pm on a Friday night was the scene from the movie "Airplane!" where Robert Stack as Rex Kramer kept upping the ante, with "looks like I picked the wrong week to stop smoking/drinking/taking amphetamines/sniffing glue" as that described my work life this week!).

So I made it home, and bless you G.B. Russo's for hooking me up with a case of 2008 Round Hill California Cabernet Sauvignon!  This wine is nothing too special, but you know what?  It's a great, easy drinking cab, with mild aromas of rich red fruit (cherries, blackberries, etc.) along with some leather and tobacco.  The taste is mildly fruity, with a nice clean finish that just says, "you've had a tough day, let me help you take the edge off."  And that is certainly can do, since I got this wine on close out from Russo's.  Apparently they designed a new label (this is it in the photos) and it looks absolutely horrific, so they decided to trash all the old/new labeled bottles and make room for the not so loud and graphically challenged labels to come.  As a result, I picked this one up for only $4 a bottle!  I can't afford not to drink this!  Sure, it's not an awesome 94-point WS big bold Napa cab, but for that price, I could drink this one all summer long!  As a result of the terrific value offset by the horrific label, I give this one a solid 7!  Enjoy and here's to hoping I make it through the next week of work!

Whoops!  The phone just rang, time to get back to work!

2007 Heavyweight Red - A fun Bordeaux blend!

Ok, I'll have to admit I opened this one yesterday, but am enjoying a glass tonight.  You know I love wines with fun labels or quirky names, so what better wine than the "Heavyweight Red"?  This one is quirky and it has a fun label with the "champs" Giant Jess and Bob the Bruiser about to square off.  This one bills itself as a "luscious, big-tasting red" and it lives up to the promise.  A blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% syrah and 10% Zinfandel hailing from Lodi, Calif., this wine is big and luscious!

The nose of this wine gives an impression of leather and canvas, not unlike the mat you might be going down on after a slug from Bob the Bruiser, but then it gives way to hints of black cherry and ripe fruit.  The taste is fruit forward as the playfulness of a Lodi zin softens the hard California Cab exterior.  The smooth taste dances on your palette and ends the party with a long, graceful finish.  This wine would feel at home with a variety of dishes, from grilled steaks to kielbasa and pierogis (guess what's for dinner!), or just relaxing on the patio of a cool spring evening.  This one was also a wonderful bargain as I picked up a bottle locally for just $10.99!  Overally, I like the quality, especially at the price, so I'd rate this one a comfortably 7.5, enjoy!

2007 Ancient Peaks Cabernet

What a wonderful day off, wish it could last a week, but alas work calls!  Today I tried a nice bottle of 2007 Anceint Peaks Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles.  Now normally, I really like the Zins from Paso Robles, and seldom have I tried the Cabs, but this one was very nice.

It was quote fruity, with a nose of blackberry, cherry and black currant, and a taste that reminded me of some of the finer cabs from Napa Valley.  The taste was refined, with hints of berry, leather and tobacco, and a long, smooth finish.  Overall, a very pleasant wine, particularly given the price at just $14.  I had this one tonight with a halibut steak (it's amazing how little halibut resembles fish!), baked potato and some fresh steamed asparagus.  Such a wonderful meal, and a wine that I continue to enjoy even after the meal.  Overall, I would rate this one a solid 7.5, it's not spectacular, but for the price it's a nice everyday wine.  Salut!