Estancia Pinot Noir Pinnacles Ranches 2005

Estancia Pinot Noir Pinnacles Ranches 2005 (Paid $10.62) Light Strawberry colored, clean and crisp. Instead of the typical Chianti, I decided to bring this with us on our weekly visit to DeLorenzo's. While it was a bit too light for the Sausage and Garlic pizza, it was very drinkable. Not being a big white wine drinker, I'm always looking for a nice red to serve with light-fare meals. This would have gone very well with a Peach Glazed Tuna Steak or Lemon Grilled Swordfish.
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Casa Lapostolle Cuvee Alexandre Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

For some time now, I've been enjoying a reasonably priced Chilean Cabernet from Casa Lapostolle. I recently picked up several bottles of the Casa Lapostolle Cuvee Alexandre Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (Paid $17.32) and was, as usual, rewarded with a luscious, smooth-yet-bold Cabernet. This Chilean monster is big, bold and full-bodied with plenty of spicy notes and plum flavors to stand up to any meal. Its finish was wonderful with a solid tannin base.

It's obvious that the folks making this wine know what they are doing. For those that are unfamiliar with the winery, Casa Lapostolle was started in 1994 by Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle, great, great grand-daughter of Louis Alexander Marnier Lapostolle, creator of Grand Marnier. She brought on several experienced French winemakers and has been blazing her way through the Chilean landscape ever since. Definitely a "Must Buy".
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My Wine cellar

Well.. Its finally done. At long last I finally have the wine cellar - or "The Man Cave" as the wife calls it - finished. The final capacity is about 550 bottles with two overstuffed chairs, and direct-to-outside ventilation to whisk away the cigar smoke. The folks at Grottocellars.com where a tremendous help, adjusting the plans as needed and making some key suggestions that truly show the years of experience they have. A local winery supplied me with a gorgeous barrel that sprung a leak after one vintage, and after a quick trip to the glass cutter, it stands as a wonderful table holding all of our mementos from the various tastings we attend. The cellar is in my basement, and is 'Au Naturale', with no air conditioning at all. It stays between 60-65 degrees year-round, but varies in humidity from 65% to over 80% in the summer. This is definitely a cellar made for the short term enjoyment rather than long term investments. With the exception of some 40 year old ports, most of the wines are 10 years old or less, so I'm not overly concerned about the temperature/humidity of the room. I will admit that I did have the air conditioner framed out when it was built, so if I ever do change my mind, it will be simply having the A/C installed.

Greg Norman Estate Limestone Coast Shiraz 2004

Greg Norman Estate Limestone Coast Shiraz 2004 (Paid $13.29) displays very nice Black Cherry notes with a firm structure. Somewhat tart at first, the flavors opened up within a few minutes of opening the bottle. We drank it with a London Broil we threw on the grill tonight, and it matched well, but may have been just a bit light to stand up to the steak. All in all, a nice wine for the price that I'd happily serve my friends.
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Solaris 2001 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Wonderfully deep red, the Solaris 2001 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Retail $18.99, Paid $16.99) is a very nice semi-full bodied California Cab. It's not quite as big as the BV, but definitely has a fuller feel than the Twin Fin. Wonderful Dark Cherry overtones which finishes nicely. I was a little concerned that it would overpower the baked spicy chicken my wife made for dinner, but the heat from the hot peppers held their own, making the wine a nice choice. Although a little higher in price, well worth it. I'm going to keep an eye out for the Reserve bottling to see how much they differ.
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