Return, Semler 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Saddle Rock-Malibu

So I make my return to the blogging world, because of a wine from a winery that is just a few hours away from my house.  Malibu.

Now I know many are thinking beaches, piers, and overpriced housing.  Yet tucked away in the hills is a wonderful place called Malibu Family Wines.  We discovered this winery by complete chance when we stumbled upon a Groupon offer to visit the winery for tasting flights and a free bottle.  So my wife and I made the venture taking along my cousin and his wife for a taste of these wines.  The flights were wonderful and the I truly enjoyed the quality of the wines.  The wine that i finally chose as the bottle I would take home was the 2005 Cab.  At the time I was enamored by the complexity and  boldness of the wine. So if this happened a few months ago, why didn't I write about it then?  Mostly because life had taken over for a bit.

I'm sure the next question that will be asked is why now are you writing about this wine?  Well last Friday we took to a night out to our favorite local wine bar The Parlour and on their Cab flight, there it was the 2005 Semler.  Well I took that first sip and remembered exactly why I picked that one to take home with me.  The aroma took me back to Malibu and  the taste took me back to that very first sip from the tasting flight.

If you are looking for great local Cabernet Sauvignon look no further than Semler. 2005 being on of the best of the vintages but all of the years have a lot of character.

Where have you been Mr. Wine?

It has been a good while since my last post, and my apologies go out to my loyal and casual readers.  I just want everyone to know I have not given up.  I plan to come up with some good finds and some good content coming up in the future.  So this will only be a short hiatus and there will be a new, wine related post coming soon.

Thank you to all

Cheers

Napa Rose.

There are very few restaurants in life that have the ability to absolutely impress time and time again.  With a seasonally changing menu and an ever changing Prix fixe menu called the "The Vintners Table", the Napa Rose shows that impressive style of fresh and elegant cuisine that makes one say: "What will the come up with next?" Truly a classic in Souther California, I suggest that everyone make it a point to go at least once.

Just imagine 4 star quality service and at the Disney touch and one gets probably the most unforgeable dinning experience.  The knowledge of the staff is unquestionably superb and the the food is masterpiece of cuisine.  Of course, staying with the theme of this blog, they have a wine list that would make a novice wine lover fall off their chair.  Everything from $2,500  Bordeaux's to $30 bottles of great California wines populate this seemingly endless wine list.

The one great adventure of this resturant is "The Vintners Table", a  4 course prix fixe menu with the offer of wine pairings for each course.  This experience comes at a price, but be assured that it is well worth every penny.  The menu changes constantly so what we had a few nights ago might not be there again.  We have made the pilgrimage about a hadfull of times, and each new experience left us with the feeling of wanting to get back there ass soon as possible.

I hope everyone will go and share their experience with my on what i think is one of the finest restaurants in the Southern California area

The First Bordeaux. Château Lanessan 2005

Flying in blind is a difficult thing when it comes to wine.  I could do all the reading about appellations, the AOC, and other strange conventions and it still wouldn't bring me closer to understanding a Bordeaux.  So how does one pick a wine when on is still in a state of confusion over the whole concept.  Well one could walk into the wine store pick a region that sounds nice,  see a good price, and notice that the wine has a 90+ rating from a respected wine publication. So what does one come up with; the Château Lanessan 2005 Haut- Medoc.

I will be honest about this wine, it is everything it advertised.  A beautiful mellow red with some good complexity.  Very bold flavors and smooth tannins.  It shows what a little age does to a quality wine makes it a very pleasant experience.

I did wish that I could have also pick up the Bordeaux glasses from Reidel but couldn't quite aford them yet.  So keep watching for my experiment. Does a Bordeaux truly taste better in the Bordeaux glass? (Yes i know its been done before, but i just want to see for myself).

Wine Journey: Introduction.

From the humble beginnings of my blog, I have noticed my posts have lacked a focus that was it's original intent.  I am an armature in the wine world, only having tasted a few wines.  How am I to understand an rate wines if I haven't had the experience than many others have had?  How can I presume my opinion on wine is accurate with out trying a little wine from everywhere in the world? How do I go about trying wines from all around the world?  The answer is simple: Have a Focus.

My future posts will be a chronicle of my journey around the world.  Of course monetary constraints prohibit me from doing a lot of actual travel, I will make it mostly a virtual trip through the glory of wine.  It is said that good wines bring one the flavors and ideas of the regions that they are produced.  I hope to taste the essence of these wines and share what I discover.  It will be a long journey, but it will hopefully enlighten me on what is out there in wine. Maybe I will find some new favorites, maybe I will have the opportunity to try some of the finest wines every created, maybe I will only be able to afford the table wine genre from each region.  One fact that is certain, I will be drinking wine. 

I have decided to start the journey in a country that is synonymous with wine.  A country were the idea of fine wine became an undying legacy.  France.  I will be exploring the country by regions starting with one of the most famous; Bordeaux. 

Wine world here I come.  

Tuesday Night/Meatloaf Night ft. 2009 Lunacy Merlot

Continuing with a journey through some staff favorites from Barclay's Wine.  Even though the movie Sideways destroyed Merlot for many I decided not to blindly follow the ravings of an indie movie and try the Merlot.

This is a good, non assuming wine, that goes well with meat.  Rich fruit flavors dominate with a hint of spice.  Smooth, mild tannins and a fair finish.  This is excatcly what it says it is a good Merlot, and at less than $16 its a good value. 82pts

Best of the Wine Web: A "Cool" Tasting

I realize I can't fit the entire wine world into this little blog, so every now and again I will be bringing you the best of wine on the web.  This ongoing series will feture winery websites, articles, and videos from around the world of wine.

Now this first one is just plain fun. Check out this video of a wine tasting in Helsinki. (WARNING: There is some strong language.) : A "Cool" Tasting