Bourassa 2005 Zinfandel Napa Valley

So about 1 1/2 hours ago, I was agonizing over if I should open a bottle of Bourassa we picked up on our Napa trip, or go for the cheap-o, pee-on-the-floor Borsao (which, by the way still has my mind spinning about the secret to making dirt cheap not-so-bad wine)...

AND also beating myself up, wondering why didn't I go to Cost Plus / World Market and pick up some wine before 9pm?

It's Friday night people, and this is the highlight of our night. Which wine we should drink when we struggle for a solid 2 hrs. putting our kids down and trying to do some work well into the night.

So clearly we went with the Bourassa.

And all I can think right now is WHY in the heck would I ever not drink the best bottle in the house? SERIOUSLY - this wine is so good. Totally different than my normal style - I'd say it's pretty California, but in a good way.

PLUS, as I'll get to some day, the people at Bourassa are awesome.

http://www.bourassavineyards.com/

We had the Zinfandel - $28/bottle. So totally awesome.

2005 Zinfandel Napa Valley

BTW, this is 1 of the 3 winery clubs we joined on our trip to Napa...

[This image is obviously from the Bourassa website, I will get my own as soon as I'm sober enough to operate my camera. JK.]

Voga Italia - a no-go, but seriously check out their website

I would say this is the best of the whites from the trip to Sendik's when[the other] Kevin picked out wines for me... but still it tastes a little too dry or something. I kept tasting something that Brady would probably say "bites his tongue". But he usually says that with reds. The whole thing is a bit confusing.

Voga Italia
with its "I'm trying too hard bottle concept" AND their "trying too hard website"... see below
Pinot Grigio delle Venezie

P.S. I have nothing against Venice.

OMG! Visit their website. I'm dying. Especially about the girl at the end of the flash sequence that is sporting a dress that only Amy would wear to a barbeque. No offense Amy. Well, a little:), but I love you!

www.vogaitalia.com
$10.99 at Sendik's

Borsao - On Sale at Cost Plus (where Elle peed on the floor)

Just saw it this week on sale for $5.99 - seriously - at Cost Plus / World Market.

OH yeah, and Elle peed on the floor at the checkout. My bad, totally. See, she has this thing where she goes to the bathroom just to get a treat. So I end up running around through retail stores, leaving all my belongings behind, for her to squeeze out a little pee to get some m&m's.

Since she had already found the gummy worms (which I had opened in the store to let her eat while I shopped for wine - which just KILLS Brady - I can't open food in stores before I've purchased it when he's around... but anyway) ... and I told her she couldn't have anymore (I know! I'm so mean!), I figured her saying she needed to go to the bathroom was her ploy to get more worms out of me.

FYI: It wasn't. She actually had to go pee. My bad.

Anyway, another lesson in parenting.

OH, and the Borsao was really on sale for $5.99.

Los Vascos - RESERVE a bottle for me... with a little cheese.

Yeah, that was supposed to be "cheesy".

But really, a GOOD wine. Those Vascos brothers sure do know how to make a kick butt Colchagua Valley 14% bottle of good stuff.

I can not remember exactly what I liked about it, but I do remember being surprised. I'll find the receipt soon and post the price. And where I got it. I guess it would help if I actually had gathered this info prior to sitting down to write my wine blog. Ha. I work for no one! Whooo hoo! At least on this blog.

According to the back label, Los Vascos is one of Chile's oldest wine estates, and was taken over by Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) in the 80s. It is technically in the Caneten (with a tilde over the N) valley of the Colchagua province.

The rest of the label talks about how this wine is for "connaisseurs" ... really? I'll forgive them because I'm sure it's reasonably priced (I'll check) and it tastes good.

Note: $14.99 at Cost Plus / World Market.

Ring Bolt - I keep forgetting.

This label is so awesome I keep forgetting I don't really dig the wine. But I keep buying it thinking, I must like it...

Ring Bolt
2005
Cabernet Sauvignon
Margaret River
Australia

Cost Plus / World Market $11.99

Paso Creek Paso Robles- should be good but...

not my bag, baby (wink).

How many times can I get away with that "review"?

I am getting sort of disheartened... If a wine is from Paso Robles, I just assume I'll love it. But, maybe it's the double whammy. "Paso" in the name and being from "Paso Robles" should have made me think twice... trying too hard?

Kind of cute from the front label... but is this really a tagline that should sell me? Especially when I really think about it...

"Bold character derived from stubborn patience."

It's almost like they didn't want to make the wine.

Kind of cheesy from the back label: "... This richly flavored Cabernet Sauvignon is best paired with big food and spirited conversation."

I wonder how much "stubborn patience" it took for them to come up with that.

OK now I'm being mean. For no reason. It's really not that bad. It's just:

not my bag, baby (wink)

Paso Creek

Cabernet Sauvignon

Paso Robles (but vinted and bottled in Sonoma)

2005

$17.99 from Sendik's in Franklin. On shopping trip with the "other" Kevin.

Macon La Roche Vineuse Chardonnay - Pour Le Kir Parfait

Always the quest to find good Creme de Cassis, and ANY Blanc Aligote from Bourgogne in order to make a Kir.

While I have yet to find either in the U.S., I was able to make a decent Kir with the Macon La Roche Vineuse Chardonnay. I think with a better Creme de Cassis I will have nailed the art of making a Kir in Milwaukee.

The vineyard has limestone-rich soils... So I am interested to try this without the cassis mixed in next time.

Vin de Bourgogne 2005

Alain Normand

Vina Robles RED to the power of 4?

I screwed off the cap (yep, it's a screw top, my fave for convenience sake) and took one sip, and put the cap back on. I took it back to Sendik's because I thought there must be something wrong with the bottle because it was THAT bad. I guess sending a bottle back at the grocery store is not as acceptable as at a restaurant. Not that I really do that either, but good to know. In any case, they did let me switch it for another one. It was much better the 2nd time around, however, still not my thing.

From the same maker as the Rose I previously "reviewed" [in quotes], Vina Robles Rose, that I wasn't able to really judge because I am just not a white/pink wine person. I feel like I can't really "review" [in quotes, again] this one either because it's made for someone whose pallette is wildly different than mine.

Someone taste it and tell me what they think. I swear it's not bad, it's just:

'not my bag, baby (wink)'

Thanks Amy for helping me out with how to properly say that.

Anyway:

Vina Robles RED 4 2006
Huerhuero Paso Robles
Petite Syrah 53%
Syrah 38%
Tannat 7%
Touriga 2%
Vina Robles, San Miguel

The Stump Jump - Cool name, cool grapes.

The Stump Jump: Cool name, cool grapes (including one of my faves, Mourvedre), cool label... can't go wrong bringing this one to a party. A boldly cool choice especially since it tastes great.

$10.99 at Cost Plus / World Market. One of the 2 wines I tend to stock up on (the other being Pillar Box Red).

d'Arenberg
The Stump Jump
2006
McLaren Vale
Grenache 46%
Shiraz 34%
Mourvedre 20%

Do you think they played the rounding game in allocating these percents? Just wondering.

From the back label:

"Land for many of the region's old vineyards was originally cleared using the 'Stump Jump' plough, a South Australian invention which enabled the ploughshare to jump over the gnarly roots of 'mallee' Eucalyptus trees, saving valuable time and resources."

Another note: The Osborn family has been making wine since 1927 at d'Arenberg, their winery in the McLaren Vale.