One of the fun things for me about going out to new restaurants is studying and tasting through the wine list. It is very often how I discover wines that become part of our wine inventory and occasionally on our “favorites” list.
Such was the case this past weekend when we were treated to a dinner out at a local restaurant. We got there and didn’t have a reservation, so we happily waited in the bar. A nice wine and drink menu always passes the time quickly don’t you think? Scott chose the Tobin James “Notorious” Cab, which was excellent, while Courtnay started with a dirty martini. (Which I was envying once the bartender poured it into the chilled glass with some blue cheese stuffed olives.) I decided to go with the 2006 Bridlewood Syrah. Great choice!
Many years ago – before I was really into red wines, I visited the Bridlewood winery when I was in Santa Barbera/Santa Ynez valley. In fact, I still have the tasting glass, and that was how I decided to try the Syrah the other night. I knew back then, if I had tried the syrah, I certainly wouldn’t have known it from any other red wine, so I thought it might be fun to “try” it again.
The wine opened with a lot of rich berry, which I love! I think I also tasted a little bit of chocolate, and while it had some oak, it wasn’t overly so. It had a smooth and long finish that just hinted of pepper, and was just what I was looking for. Interestingly, when I looked up this wine it is 94% syrah, 3% petite syrah, and 1% viognier, with 2 % “other”. I let Courtnay taste it, and she was won over as well, so we both enjoyed another glass for round two, aka dinner.
I will certainly be on the lookout in my retail wine shops to add this smooth sipper to our wine refrigerator.
What has been your favorite recent wine find?
2 comments:
That sounds really good! Thanks for your comment :) The Bridlewood chardonnay is my absolute favorite chard as of yet, and I'm not usually a chard drinker. I love the buttery chards. It surrounded the mouth with a buttery fullness, but was still nice and fresh with juicy fruit. I will definitely get this one again! And I can't wait to try the syrah!
Oooh that's a toughy. I recently bought a bottle of Red Rex that I really enjoyed. I also have a nice bottle of sparkling cabernet that I've been meaning to open for a special occasion.
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