Friday, November 23, 2007

Two Brief Thanksgiving Tasting Notes

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving at my brother's house in Boston. I was too busy chatting with family and friends to do a thorough tasting, but I did make a few mental notes on the wines that my parents brought to dinner:

2005 La Crema Chardonnay: An easy-drinking California Chardonnay, although I prefer Chardonnays with more oak. Nonetheless, this was nice to sip before Thanksgiving dinner-- lemon was the prevailing flavor in this wine. I enjoyed the wine, but once I saw the $19 price tag attached to the bottle, I did not like it quite as much. I have had Chardonnays that I like more for several dollars less.

2004 Sebastiani Vineyards and Winery Cabernet Sauvignon: I drank this wine with the delicious meal that my brother and his wife cooked. Initially, I was very put off by the wine, as all I tasted was alcohol. I only took a few sips over the course of the meal. However, by the time dinner was over, the wine had become much smoother and full of roasted fruit. At $18, this is a good Cabernet at a great price. I would definitely buy it again and remember to decant a couple of hours before serving.

As I stated in my previous post, Thanksgiving is all about who you spend it with, and not necessarily what you drink. While neither of these wines blew me away, they were great for Thanksgiving because I could just enjoy them, and therefore enjoy wonderful day with my family, without worrying too much about what was in my glass.

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