Canta Perdices Tempranillo 2008

*What??? It's cute and it took a long time to put up!

Well the Holidays are For-Real over now. Come on, it's mid-January, people! Time to return everything that doesn't fit, get creative with leftovers, and take down the lights... * note to self.

Did you make any resolutions for 2013? I did. I resolved not to make any resolutions. And as such...I'm not up to branching out the CWT blog at the moment, and I'm gonna go right back to the Spanish Reds that I so adore-- don't worry, it can't last forever. But for today, it's Canta Perdices 2008 Tempranillo.




In Spanish, Canta Perdices means "the little bird (or more specifically, the partridge) sings." It's a cute little name for a wine, and the bottle is reflective of it, with its row of music-note birds right on the label.

And, as the label suggests, this wine does indeed sing. Bold in the glass, the Canta Perdices is a deep inky purple. You'll notice some interesting smells, wood smoke, licorice, and dark fruits-- perhaps cherry, as the bottle suggests.The flavor is powerful, with a noticable bite of tannic acid that lingers long after the sip.

Singing birds with my wings!

This wine is definitely not what I would consider a "sipper"-- one to curl up on the couch with while you watch Masterpiece Theater. Nopers, this one's best with food. Bar food even. Meat and cheese platters are a good go to for the Canta Perdices, so you might want to serve it with appetizers. And a good tip from our friend and PWC employee Ben is that the acid in the wine is tempered nicely by BBQ wings. Yum! I think I know what I am doing for dinner.

Price: $

My Rating: B+

Embocadero Tempranillo 2009

Oh my god, I'm so LATE!! The holiday season just caught up to me folks, and I've spent the day in a scramble of present wrapping, clothes laundering and fancy cheese buying. Which has all left me very little time for wine drinking. And so here it is, 4:30, and I'm just now cracking open a bottle to tell you about. On the plus side, this is the first Tasting Tuesday that hasn't started before noon in I'm-embarrassed-to-tell-you how long.

This week, I'm drinking the 2009 Embocadero Tempranillo*, a very flavorful Spanish red, and great sipper for this time of year.

In the glass the Embocadero Tempranillo is a deep red, nearly purple, and it does not cling to the side of the glass when swirled. When you first open the bottle, you'll notice a sweet, grapey smell that is a bit misleading. Let it air for a bit, and you'll get some floral scents in there, which are more accurate to the flavor.

The sip packs a punch of dark fruit and vanilla, with some oak, smoke and baking spices (think spice of the nutmeg/clove variety, not peppers). It's really nice to drink on its own, but I am considering pairing this with some of the hors d'oeuvres (I can NEVER spell that without google) I have planned for our holiday meal. I'm thinking prosciutto and smoked mozzarella would be happy companions to this wine.

just because my leg broke off
doesn't mean I'm not delicious.

For today, since I'm running so far behind, I had the Embocadero with...reject Christmas cookies. Other than that being a truly sorry excuse for an afternoon snack, I rather enjoyed the combination.

Price: $

My Rating: B+

*Spellcheck sez this should actually read: Embroider Temporary.


As a side note: Next Tuesday is Christmas, so I won't be posting a blog. Maybe if I'm feeling some particular gusto about whatever we have with our Christmas dinner I'll put something together for Wednesday or Thursday. More than likely though, I will return afresh in 2013. Happy Holidays to all!

The Aftermath...

This is a really good picture of me...

Wow, what a weekend! It's Tuesday and I am still thoroughly exhausted from the madness of the PWC One Year Anniversary Extravaganza. Lots of people stopped by, but there was so much going on for such a long span of time that it would have been nearly impossible to catch it all. So here's a run down of the awesome day we had:

PWC's Chef in Residence Hillary whipped up some awesome cheese fondue with bread and veggie dippers, then put together a decadent brandy-soaked strawberry trifle.

Yup, these were a hot-ticket item.

John Randazzo from Via Fresca in Guilderland made a scrumptious chicken cacciatore that also made the store smell fantastic for the rest of the day.

We gave away a ton of merchandise...for some reason the Hpnotiq emery boards were the big winner, and we ran out of those first (I would not have ever in a million years seen THAT coming).

Most importantly, we sampled some great wines from around the world:

From Spain:
Casajus Vendimia Seleccionada
Abad Dom Bueno Mencia
Abad Dome Bueno Godello
Cellar Bellsum Red Blend

You may recall my fondness
for the Sassy Bitch Sauvignon
Blanc...

Monta Hiniesta Tinta de Toro-- which is this week's Thirsty Thursday selection, though I don't have time to try it beforehand...

Chile:
Sassy Bitch-- all of them.
Santa Carolina Reserva de Familia
Ritual Sauvignon Blanc

Italy:
Dolia Vermentino
Doli Frizante
Villa Fiorita Chardonay
Villa Firorita Pinot Nero
Villa Fiorita Barbera
Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano D'Abruzzo
Cantina Zaccagnini Pinto Grigio (a new favorite!)

California:
Bogle Chardonnay
Bogle Sauvignon Blanc
Bogle Petite Sirah
Bogle Phantom (a luscious red blend)

New York:
Johnson Estate Sparkling Traminette

DEEP BREATH

Not to mention the Chambord. We served that up a few ways:
all on it's own,
on top of the Sparkling Traminette as a delicious spritzer
and in yummy Chambord Vodka French Martinis.

PHEW. That's a lot of tastings.

Back to my regularly scheduled drinking and blogging next week!

Casajus Vendimia Seleccionada 2006

So today, to make things easier, I have a slight CWT adjustment I'd like to announce. Starting with this post, each wine I blog about will be PWC's selection for Thirsty Thursdays. That means on Thursdays from 5:30-9, you can come in to Personal Wine Cellar and try whatever wine I reviewed on the previous Tuesday. How do I know this? Because I'll be the one pouring the samples. Boo-yeah!

This week I have a really nice wine for you. It's a Tempranillo with a great rating (The Wine Advocate gives it 91 points) and some fun facts to boot: Casajus Vendimia Seleccionada 2006.

unless you want this guy
 spitting in your food, I
 would recommend NOT
calling him "Garcon"

Looking at the label, I came up with this whole story (in my head of course) based on a loose translation of what I think "Casajus" would mean in English. That would be either "house juice," as in: "Excuse me, Garcon, but what is your house juice this evening?"
-OR-
"juice house," as in: "Here is the house where we make our juice." (ta-da!)

Neither, surprisingly enough, is the case. Upon doing a little research I discovered that the wine is named for Jose Alberto Casajus, the owner of the Bodega Casajus vineyards where the wine is produced. What's more, Jose Alberto is the only employee of Bodega Casajus AND the town's baker! So he bakes bread until 9:00am, then heads across the street to the Bodega and makes some wines. You cannot make this stuff up.

Ghost approves.

And, as it turns out, Casajus Vendimia Seleccionada is an excellent wine. When you pour a glass, the first thing you'll notice is the heavy color-- deep red, bordering on purple (as Tempranillo tends to be). The scent is very juicy with strong aromas of grape and cherry. The taste is not nearly as fruity as the smell though. There is a pretty high mineral concentration and you can taste and feel it as it travels in your mouth. You can definitely detect the soil where the grapes are grown in the wine (which I think is very cool). There is an earthy quality in the finish that some tasters might be on the fence about, depending on if you like that sort of thing...I do.

I paired the wine with homemade baked mac n' cheese and ham. It wasn't a great match, and I didn't go for a second glass with my meal. I'd recommend pairing the Casajus with something more complex and/or spicy, like jambalaya.

This wine's a little more expensive than many I review here, so all the better if you come in and try it (for free, of course) before you buy it.

Price: $$

Rating: B+

Vega Sindoa Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

If there’s a varietal I prefer to drink, it’s definitely Cabernet, and the 2009 Vega Sindoa doesn’t disappoint.

Dinner at the OG
brings out my creative side...

I gave it a go on "impromptu date night" this past Tuesday, and while I cursed the Olive Garden for not allowing us to BYOB, the Vega is smooth enough that it works as a digestif too. When we got home we curled up on the couch and got down to business: drinking wine.

When you pour yourself a glass the first thing you’ll notice about the Vega is how dark it is; it’s deep purple sticks to the glass when you swirl it around to aerate. The aroma is heavy; rich and earthy, like dirt or dust. I’m told this scent is “red clay” and that the Navarra region of Spain is known for its chalky, mineral-rich soil.

The wine itself is somewhat dry and has a peppery finish. It isn’t the spiciest cab I’ve ever had, but the bite is definitely there. There are also some dark fruit flavors; cherry and blackberry. It reminds me of the wine-based potpourri that’s brewed in crockpots just for the aroma. Only I want to drink this one.

The 2009 Vega Sindoa isn’t as complex or layered as some of my favorite Cabernets, but its smooth finish and deep flavors are very much representative of what I love about them— even if its other more distinctive qualities make the Vega a little bit different from the California Cabs I’m accustomed to.

If you like dry, surprising wines with straightforward flavor, this one’s for you. Try it with a pasta or beef dish. I’m thinking lasagna, YUM!

ahh, relaxing.

Vega Sindoa Cabernet Sauvignon

2009

Navarra, Spain

Price:                  $

My Rating:          B+