N.V. Gruet Brut Rosé

**N.V. Gruet Brut Rosé (USA, New Mexico)** The nose had strawberry and yeast, a little citrus, and a hint of stone towards the end. The palate was dominated by yeast with strawberry undertones. There was also stone and a little citrus. It finished with a good cherry flavor. (87 pts.)

2007 Bird in Hand Shiraz Two in the Bush

**2007 Bird in Hand Shiraz Two in the Bush (Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide Hills)** The nose had black currant and cherry, pepper, floral notes, and a bit of tar and mocha at the end. The palate was soft and juicy, with black currant, pepper, tar, mocha, and a pleasant cherry finish. (90 pts.)

2007 Toad Hollow Chardonnay Unoaked Francine's Selection Mendocino County

**2007 Toad Hollow Chardonnay Unoaked Francine's Selection Mendocino County (USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County)** The nose had pear, citrus, and some floral notes. The palate was crisp, with a lot of floral notes, plus some citrus and apple. The finish was a little bitter. (79 pts.)

2008 Glaetzer Shiraz Amon-Ra Barossa Valley

**2008 Glaetzer Shiraz Amon-Ra Barossa Valley (Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley)** The nose had cherry, grilled meat, dried berries, coffee, and a little licorice at the end. The palate was soft and rich, with blueberry, cherry, roasted meat, licorice, and a smoky finish. (93 pts.)

2007 Chappellet Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Signature

**2007 Chappellet Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Signature (USA, California, Napa Valley)** The nose had spicy chocolate, blackberry, cherry, smoke, and vanilla. The palate was soft and rich. with espresso, blackberry, cherry, smoke, and a spicy finish. (93 pts.)

2007 Viña Cobos Cabernet Sauvignon Bramare

**2007 Viña Cobos Cabernet Sauvignon Bramare (Argentina, Mendoza, Lujan de Cuyo)** The nose had smoke, earth, blackberry, black currant, and some floral notes toward the end. The palate was rich and thick, with blackberry, black currant, spice, smoke, and an earthy finish. (92 pts.)

2005 Terra Valentine Cabernet Sauvignon Wurtele

**2005 Terra Valentine Cabernet Sauvignon Wurtele (USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District)** The nose had a load of milk chocolate and plum. The palate had loads of chocolate, some plum, and a floral finish. (89 pts.)

2006 Piping Shrike Shiraz

**2006 Piping Shrike Shiraz (Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley)** The nose was very smoky, with tar, bacon, and blueberry. The palate was rich and juicy, with blueberry, tar, smoke, and a finish of bacon fat. (90 pts.)

2008 d'Arenberg Shiraz The Stump Jump

**2008 d'Arenberg Shiraz The Stump Jump (Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale)** The nose was a bit tight, but I did get a little spice, some floral notes, and a hint of blueberry. The palate was very fruity, with blueberry, cherry, and raspberry. It finished with spice, and lavender. (87 pts.)

2005 Gravity Hills Syrah Base Camp

**2005 Gravity Hills Syrah Base Camp (USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles)** The nose had spice and red fruit, some leather, and a peppery finish. The palate was soft and fruity, with strawberry, cherry, and blueberry. It also had leather, spice, pepper, and some licorice on the finish. (88 pts.)

Boeuf Bourguignon

Tonight I made Boeuf Bourguignon for dinner.

SUMMARY:

Traditionally, this dish is cooked entirely in red wine. And that's fine, just fine. But if you listened to me earlier, and keep a stash of good, strong demi-glace kicking around in your freezer, a couple of spoonfuls give the sauce a nice flavor boost. This is one of the easiest dishes in the book, and also one of the best.

INGREDIENTS:

- 2 lbs paleron, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 cup red Burgundy
- 6 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 bouquet garni
- a little chopped parsley


METHOD:

STAGE ONE
Season the meat with salt and pepper. In the Dutch oven, heat the oil over high heat until it is almost smoking. Add the meat, in batches - NOT ALL AT ONCE! - and sear on all sides until it is well browned (not gray). You dump too much meat in the pot at the same time and you'll overcrowd it; cool the thing down and you won't get good color. Sear the meat a little at a time, removing it and setting it aside as it finishes. When all the meat is a nice, dark brown color and has been set aside, add the onions to the pot. Lower the heat to medium high until the onions are soft and golden brown (about 10 minutes). Sprinkle the flour over them. Continue to cook for about 4 or 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the red wine. Naturally, you want to scrape up all that really good fond from the botton of the pot with your wooden spoon. Bring the wine to a boil.

STAGE TWO
Return the meat to the pot and add the carrots, garlic, and bouquet garni. Add just enough water (and two big spoonfuls of demi-glace, if you have it) so that the liquid covers the meat by one third - meaning you want a ratio of 3 parts liquid to 2 parts meat. This is stew, so you want plenty of liquid, even after it cooks down and reduces. Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, and let cook for about 2 hours, or until the meat is tender (break-apart-with-a-fork tender).

You should pay attention to the dish, meaning check it every 15 to 20 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot to make sure the meat is not sticking or, God forbid, scorching. You should also skim off any foam or scum or oil collecting on the surface, using a large spoon or ladle. When done, remove and discard the bouquet garni, add the chopped parsley to the pot, and serve.

NOTES:

This dish is much better the second day. Just cool the stew down in an ice bath, or on your countertop (the Health Department is unlikely to raid your kitchen). Refrigerate overnight. When time, heat and serve. Goes well with a few boiled potatoes. But goes really well with a bottle of Côte de Nuit Villages Pommard.

2008 Mud House Wines Pinot Noir

**2008 Mud House Wines Pinot Noir (New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough)** The nose had cherry and raspberry, cola, earth, spice, and vanilla. The palate had a load of sour cherry, some forest floor and cola, and a spicy raspberry finish. (85 pts.)

N.V. Barefoot Cellars Pinot Grigio

**N.V. Barefoot Cellars Pinot Grigio (USA, California)** The nose had citrus, floral notes, apple, and spice. The palate was slightly sweet, with citrus, apple, floral notes, and a very spicy finish. (84 pts.)

2006 The Lane Vineyard Shiraz Off the Leash Max

**2006 The Lane Vineyard Shiraz Off the Leash Max (Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide Hills)** The nose had a lot of pepper, along with black currant and cherry. It also had some floral undertones at the end. The palate was fairly smooth, with the same pepper, black currant and cherry flavors as the nose. It finished with some nice floral notes. (87 pts.)

N.V. Barefoot Cellars Chardonnay

**N.V. Barefoot Cellars Chardonnay (USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley)** The nose had tropical fruit and apple, a little stone, and some floral notes. The palate had more residual sugar than I was expecting. It also had tropical fruit, apple, and a slightly spice finish. (84 pts.)

2007 Roar Syrah Garys' Vineyard

**2007 Roar Syrah Garys' Vineyard (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands)** The nose had black currant and cherry, pepper, tar, smoke, cake spice, and a touch of vanilla and flowers. The palate was soft and juicy, and had pepper, tar, cherry, black currant, spice, and a very nice oak and floral finish. (93 pts.)

2007 Bonneau Chardonnay Catherine's

**2007 Bonneau Chardonnay Catherine's (USA, California, Sonoma County, Carneros)** The nose had pineapple, tropical fruit, and roasted nuts. The palate had tropical fruit and butter, pineapple, citrus, and a hazelnut finish. (84 pts.)

2004 Castelgiocondo (Marchesi de' Frescobaldi) Brunello di Montalcino

**2004 Castelgiocondo (Marchesi de' Frescobaldi) Brunello di Montalcino (Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino)** The nose had blackberry, leather, and vanilla. The palate was soft and had cedar, blackberry, and spice. (90 pts.)

2006 Quilceda Creek Red Wine Columbia Valley

**2006 Quilceda Creek Red Wine Columbia Valley (USA, Washington, Columbia Valley)** The nose had graphite, raspberry, floral notes, and some licorice at the end. The palate was smooth, and had black currant, tobacco, pencil shavings, spice, and a licorice finish. (91 pts.)

2007 Coho Headwaters

**2007 Coho Headwaters (USA, California, Napa Valley)** The nose had blackberry, cherry, and a little spice. The palate was very soft, and had blackberry, cherry, currant, spice, and a slightly oaky finish. (89 pts.)

2004 Reynoso Cabernet Sauvignon

**2004 Reynoso Cabernet Sauvignon (USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley)** The nose had cherry, cocoa powder, and a little dirt. The palate was smooth and had a lot of chocolate. It also had cherry, herbs, and a spicy finish. (90 pts.)

2006 Conn Creek Cabernet Franc Limited Release

**2006 Conn Creek Cabernet Franc Limited Release (USA, California, Napa Valley)** The nose had chocolate, cherry, red currant, and some vanilla towards the end. The palate was very soft, and had blackberry, chocolate, spice, and a nutmeg finish. (90 pts.)

2007 Ferraton Père & Fils Crozes-Hermitage Le Grand Courtil

**2007 Ferraton Père & Fils Crozes-Hermitage Le Grand Courtil (France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage)** The nose had black currant, sausage, sage and rosemary, and some smoke at the end. The palate was very tart, and had stone, black currant, smoke, tar, and an herb finish. (92 pts.)

2007 Trimbach Riesling

**2007 Trimbach Riesling (France, Alsace, Alsace AOC)** The nose had peach and citrus, a little spice, and some stone. The palate was tart and crisp, with lemon, peach, stone, and a spicy finish. (89 pts.)

2005 Bonneau Zinfandel

**2005 Bonneau Zinfandel (USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Shenandoah Valley)** The nose had black currant and cherry, a little pepper and spice, and some floral notes toward the end. The palate was very soft and juicy, with lots of pepper, some cherry, raspberry, and black currant, and a spicy floral finish. (88 pts.)

2009 Isabel Sauvignon Blanc

**2009 Isabel Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough)** The nose had quite of bit of grassiness, mixed with citrus and tropical fruits. It end with a little stone. The palate was very tart, with lemon and tropical fruit, stone, and a nice grassy finish. (88 pts.)

2004 Rivera Castel del Monte Il Falcone Riserva

**2004 Rivera Castel del Monte Il Falcone Riserva (Italy, Puglia, Castel del Monte)** The nose had black currant and eucalyptus, dirt and cherry, and some spicy vanilla at the end. The palate was soft with a lot of berry and dirt. It also had some menthol, and finished with a good hit of spice. (90 pts.)

2006 Spring Valley Vineyard Uriah

**2006 Spring Valley Vineyard Uriah (USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley)** The nose had pickle juice, coffee, cherry, and red currant. The palate was smooth, and had spice, pickle juice, cherry, currant, and an espresso finish. (93 pts.)

2006 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne

**2006 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne (France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru)** The nose had a lot of peach, plus some citrus, floral notes, stone, and a little petrol. The palate was very creamy and floral. It had stone, gasoline, peach, and a pleasant citrus finish. (91 pts.)

2006 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Fontalloro Toscana IGT

**2006 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Fontalloro Toscana IGT (Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT)** The nose had tar, smoke, black currant, cherry, and a little licorice at the end. The palate had herbs, tar, blackberry, black currant, and some licorice on the finish. (93 pts.)

2006 Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon Canoe Ridge Estate Vineyard

**2006 Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon Canoe Ridge Estate Vineyard (USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Horse Heaven Hills)** The nose had blackberry, nutmeg, coffee, black currant, and some rose petals at the end. The palate was very smooth, and had blackberry, black currant, spice, floral notes, and a cedar finish. (91 pts.)

2006 Château Malmaison Baronne Nadine de Rothschild

**2006 Château Malmaison Baronne Nadine de Rothschild (France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Moulis en Médoc)** The nose had red raspberry and currants, along with a little mocha. The palate was soft, with lots of red berries, a little chocolate, and a good blackberry finish. (90 pts.)

2006 Monte Antico Toscana IGT

**2006 Monte Antico Toscana IGT (Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT)** The nose had bright cherries, plum jam, and some dried flowers at the end. The palate was very gamey, but also had cherry, spice, floral notes, and a slightly oaky finish. (89 pts.)

1999 Argyle Extended Tirage Brut

**1999 Argyle Extended Tirage Brut (USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley)** The nose had honey, orange, bread, and a bit of vanilla spice at the end. The palate was rich and creamy, and had pear, citrus, apple, honey, and vanilla. It finished with some good spice. (94 pts.)

2008 Weingut Steininger Young

**2008 Weingut Steininger Young (Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal)** The nose had tropical fruit and apricot, along with spice and some floral notes. The palate was a little creamy, with stone, tropical fruit, apricot, and spice. It had a good floral finish. (87 pts.)

Chicken with Mushrooms and Marsala

Tonight I made Chicken with Mushrooms and Marsala.

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 whole free-range chicken (3 pounds), cut into 8 pieces
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 bunch fresh thyme
- 2 cups mushrooms cut in half
- 2 shallots, diced
- 1 1/2 cups sweet marsala wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 bunch flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped


METHOD:

Wash the chicken under cold running water then pat dry. Cut into 8 pieces (2 leg-thighs, 2 wings, breast quartered). Season the chicken pieces well with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Take a large roasting dish and set over medium heat. Add a 3-count of olive oil to the pan and brown chicken for about 10 minutes on both sides – ensuring to get good color all over. Remove chicken from pan and set aside on a plate tented with foil. To the pan, add garlic, thyme, diced shallots and cut mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until mushrooms are brown and onions are slightly caramelized. Add marsala wine to deglaze the pan then add chicken stock, scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Take the chicken and nestle it back in the pan making sure each piece has good contact with the bottom of the pan. Dot the top of each chicken piece with butter and cook over low-medium heat for 30 minutes, basting the chicken with the pan juices periodically. When done, season with salt and pepper and finish with a shower of chopped flat-leaf parsley.

Notes:

I used Sherry instead of Marsala wine. Any sweet, fortified wine should work in this recipe.

2005 Rutherford Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon

**2005 Rutherford Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon (USA, California, Napa Valley)** The nose had a lot of black currant and chocolate. There was also some cherry and spice. The palate was full of dark fruit and spice, and had a very pleasant mocha finish. (90 pts.)

2006 DuMOL Syrah Russian River Valley

**2006 DuMOL Syrah Russian River Valley (USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley)** The nose had tar and leather, herbs and black currant. The palate was soft, and had black currant, cherry, and leather. It finished with tar and spice. (92 pts.)

2006 Domaine Marc Roy Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes

**2006 Domaine Marc Roy Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes (France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin)** The nose had red berries and earth. The palate was very ripe. I had raspberry, cherry, and forest floor. (90 pts.)

2007 Bodegas Alto Moncayo Campo de Borja

**2007 Bodegas Alto Moncayo Campo de Borja (Spain, Aragón, Campo de Borja)** The nose had nice combination of flowers and blackberry. It ended with oak and spice. The palate was rich and thick. It had black raspberry and cassis, spice, and a floral finish. (92 pts.)

2007 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills - Sta. Rita Hills

**2007 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills - Sta. Rita Hills (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills - Sta. Rita Hills)** The nose was loaded with forest floor and flowers. It also had cherry and raspberry, and some plum at the end. The palate was extremely smooth, and had earth, spice, flowers, plum, and a great cherry finish. (93 pts.)

2006 Tuck's Ridge Pinot Noir Buckle Vineyard

**2006 Tuck's Ridge Pinot Noir Buckle Vineyard (Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula)** The nose had black plum and black cherry fruit mixed with sassafras, black tea, and spice. The palate was very soft, and had a bunch of tea flavors. There was also dark, black fruit and spice. It finished with some stone flavors. (92 pts.)

2006 Carrick Pinot Noir Unravelled

**2006 Carrick Pinot Noir Unravelled (New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago)** The nose had lots of bright red berries, some spice, and a little mushroom. The palate had forest floor flavors, cherry and raspberry, and a very spicy finish. This wine had a very Old World style to it. (91 pts.)

2006 Domaine Lalande (Dominique Cornin) Mâcon-Chaintré

**2006 Domaine Lalande (Dominique Cornin) Mâcon-Chaintré (France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Mâcon-Chaintré)** The nose had lots of tropical fruit and spice. There was also some chalkiness underneath. The palate was very earthy and spicy. It had good citrus fruit and acidity. It finished with some stone flavors. (88 pts.)

2006 Elkhorn Peak Chardonnay Vineyard Select

**2006 Elkhorn Peak Chardonnay Vineyard Select (USA, California, Napa Valley)** The typical over-oaked chardonnay nose. Apple, butter, spice, and a small amount of floral notes. The palate continued with the same theme. Buttered popcorn, apple, spice, and a pear finish. Not my style. (83 pts.)

2006 Pax Syrah Griffin's Lair

**2006 Pax Syrah Griffin's Lair (USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast)** There was a bunch of tar, roasted meat, and smoke on the nose. There was also black currant, black cherry, pepper, and a slight hint of oak. The palate was rich and thick, and had a boat load of tar and black fruit. Underneath that was pepper, meat juice, and smoke. It was fairly tannic, but not unpleasantly so. (92 pts.)

Filet of Beef, Sauce Porto with Roasted Shallots

Tonight I made Filet of Beef, Sauce Porto with Roasted Shallots. If you have Anthony Bourdain’s “Les Halles” Cookbook: Classic Bistro Cooking, the recipe is on pages 136 – 137 (Hardcover).

INGREDIENTS:

- 12 shallots, peeled whole
- 1 shallot, peeled, thinly sliced
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 4 8-ounce beef filets
- salt and freshly cracked peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon flour
- 3 ounces port
- 1 cup strong dark veal stock, (again, a tiny spoon of demi-glace would really boost this sauce)


METHOD:

PREP
Preheat the oven to 325ºF/170ºC. Place the peeled whole shallots in the small ovenproof sauté pan, throw in 2 tablespoons/28 g of the butter, cover with foil, and put in the oven. Cook low and slow, gently turning the shallots every once in a while, until they are brown and soft and slightly limp, but still recognizable and intact - about 45 minutes to an hour. Remove and keep warm.

COOK
Jack the oven up to 375ºF/190ºC. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in the large sauté pan over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon/14 g of the butter, let it foam, and allow it to subside. Sear the meat on all sides, using the tongs to turn the filets. Make sure the sides are seared, too. Transfer the meat to the roasting pan and place in the oven. Roast for about 7 minutes for rare, 10 minutes for medium rare.

Discard the fat from the large sauté pan and add 1 tablespoon/14 g of the butter. Heat over medium flame and, when hot, add the sliced shallot. Cook for 4 minutes, sprinkle in the flour, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the port and deglaze, scraping with the wooden spoon. Reduce the wine by half, then add the stock (and your demi-glace, I hope), bring to a boil, and reduce by half again, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Adjust the seasoning and strain through the fine strainer into a small saucepan. Bring the sauce back to a boil, remove from the heat, and whisk in the remaining tablespoon of butter.

SERVE
Remove the filets from the oven, rest them a few moments, and arrange on the platter. Artfully nestle 3 of the cooked whole shallots next to each filet and spoon over the sauce.

2005 Kaesler Shiraz The Bogan

**2005 Kaesler Shiraz The Bogan (Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley)** The nose had cassis, wet leaves, blackberry, toast, and cherries. The palate was juicy and rich, and had blackberry, toast, earth, and a cherry finish. (92 pts.)

2008 Two Hands Shiraz Angels Share

**2008 Two Hands Shiraz Angels Share (Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale)** The nose had plum, chocolate, dirt, and licorice. The palate was very soft, and had black currant, plum, mocha, and a good coffee finish. (91 pts.)

2008 Mollydooker Shiraz The Boxer

**2008 Mollydooker Shiraz The Boxer (Australia, South Australia, McLaren Vale / Padthaway)** The nose had cherry, spice, and blackberry. The palate was thick and rich, and had blackberry, tar, cherry, spice, and a pomegranate finish. (91 pts.)

2005 The Colonial Estate Shiraz Explorateur

**2005 The Colonial Estate Shiraz Explorateur (Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley)** The nose was toasty, with tar, blackberry, and blueberry. The palate was thick and rich, and had tar, blackberry, blueberry, and a smoky finish. (90 pts.)

2005 Maxwell Four Roads

**2005 Maxwell Four Roads** (Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale)** The nose had pencil lead, smoke, cherry, blueberry, and licorice. The palate was ripe and juicy, and had black cherry, licorice, smoke, blueberry, ans a good tar finish. (91 pts.)

2006 The Australian Premium Wine Collection Grenache Tir Na N'og

**2006 The Australian Premium Wine Collection Grenache Tir Na N'og (Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale)** The nose was very perfumed. It also had spice, cherry, and a little oak. The palate was juicy, and had black cherry, cedar, spice, and a pleasant floral finish. (90 pts.)

2008 Pacifico Sur Pinot Noir Reserve

**2008 Pacifico Sur Pinot Noir Reserve (Chile, Central Valley, Curico Valley)** The nose had cherry and forest floor, raspberry, vanilla, and a little spice at the end. The palate was a bit tannic and green, but had sour cherry, mushroom, spice, and an oaky finish. (84 pts.)

2007 Schmitt Söhne Piesporter Michelsberg

**2007 Schmitt Söhne Piesporter Michelsberg (Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer)** The nose didn't really have a lot going on. It had a little citrus and stone, but not much else. The palate was a little sweet and had stone and tropical fruit. It finished with pear and a little cream. (80 pts.)

2007 Bloom Riesling

**2007 Bloom Riesling (Germany, Rheinhessen)** There was apple, citrus, spice, and vanilla on the the nose. The palate was slightly sweet, and had apple, pear, citrus, stone, and a little spice on the finish. (84 pts.)

Southern Indian Lamb Curry

I made Southern Indian Lamb Curry for dinner tonight.

INGREDIENTS:

- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cloves
- 1 1/2 tablespoon cumin seed
- 11/2 tablespoon fennel seed
- 1 1/2 tablespoon coriander seed
- 1 1/2 tablespoons turmeric
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 10 fresh curry leaves
- 3 lbs. boned shoulder lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 fresh red chili
- 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 5 large fresh tomatoes
- 1/2 cup plain unsweetened natural yogurt
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 scallion, cut into strips


METHOD:

Begin by setting a large, heavy-based pot over medium heat. Grind the cloves, fennel, cumin, coriander, and turmeric in a spice grinder. Add oil to the hot pot and pour in the spices. Throw in cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, curry leaves, and chilli. Toast for 2-3 minutes until golden and aromatic - be careful, the leaves will splatter a little. While they are toasting, add onion, garlic and ginger to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped.

Season cubed lamb with salt and pepper then add to the pot of oil and spices. Brown all over, about 5-7 minutes.Add onion puree and sweat a little to remove some of the moisture - about 8 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon as you go. Now add fresh tomatoes and cover slightly with lid. Reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes until the lamb is tender. Remove the lid and skim fat off the surface. Fold in the yogurt and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and scallions.

NOTES:

I made a few changes to the recipe because I couldn't find everything. I couldn't find fresh bay leaves and fresh curry leaves. Instead I used dried bay leaves and a tablespoon of green curry paste. I also cut the spices down to 1 1/2 teaspoons of each instead of 1 1/2 tablespoons. It seemed like too much spice. I also couldn't find a fresh red chili so I used a dried one.

2003 Dow Porto Vintage

**2003 Dow Porto Vintage (Portugal, Douro, Porto)** The nose had figs, chocolate, oak, cherry, and dried flowers. The palate had figs, prunes, chocolate, blackberry, cherry, spice, and a molasses finish. (95 pts.)

2004 Costers del Siurana Priorat Clos de L'Obac

**2004 Costers del Siurana Priorat Clos de L'Obac (Spain, Catalunya, Priorat)** The nose had a lot of spice, cherry pie, black currant, and some minerals at the end. The palate had spice box, black currant, cherry, and a stony finish. (91 pts.)

2004 Bodegas y Viñedos Maurodos Toro Viña San Román

**2004 Bodegas y Viñedos Maurodos Toro Viña San Román (Spain, Castilla y León, Toro)** The nose had a bunch of blackberry, along with toast, spice, violets, and cherry. The palate was rich and thick, with blackberry, spice, stone, violets, and a toasted oak finish. (92 pts.)

2002 Cellers Fuentes Priorat Finca El Puig

**2002 Cellers Fuentes Priorat Finca El Puig (Spain, Catalunya, Priorat)** The nose had soy sauce, raspberry, and floral notes. The palate was very smooth, and had soy sauce, black currant, and a citrus finish. (90 pts.)

2007 Bodegas Olivares Monastrell Altos de la Hoya Finca Hoya De Santa Ana

**2007 Bodegas Olivares Monastrell Altos de la Hoya Finca Hoya De Santa Ana (Spain, Murcia, Jumilla)** The nose had raspberry and mocha, rose petals, and curry spice. The palate had blackberry, cherry, chocolate, and a rose petal finish. (91 pts.)

2007 Bodegas y Viñedos Maurodos Toro Prima

**2007 Bodegas y Viñedos Maurodos Toro Prima (Spain, Castilla y León, Toro)** The nose was very intense. It had smoke, tobacco, blackberry, pencil shavings, cherry, and a little vanilla at the end. The palate was soft, and had blackberry, tobacco, smoke, graphite, and a cherry finish. (91 pts.)

2007 Bodegas Dos Victorias Verdejo Rueda José Pariente

**2007 Bodegas Dos Victorias Verdejo Rueda José Pariente (Spain, Castilla y León, Rueda)** The nose had orange and lemon, stone, and some floral notes. The palate was very crisp with lots of acidity. There was lemon-lime, stone, orange, and a floral finish. (90 pts.)

2006 Andrew Murray Viognier

**2006 Andrew Murray Viognier (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley)** There was a lot of tropical fruit and lychee on the nose. There was also stone and floral notes, and some vanilla towards the end. The palate was rich and creamy, and had tropical fruit, dried flowers, and vanilla. The finish had a lot of minerality. (86 pts.)

2007 Roar Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard

**2007 Roar Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands)** The nose had cherry pie and cinnamon, a little mushroom, and some wood at the end. The palate was smooth and rich, with nice acidity. It had cherry and spice, a little earth, and a good vanilla finish. (92 pts.)

2007 Roar Syrah Rosella's Vineyard

**2007 Roar Syrah Rosella's Vineyard (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands)** The nose had a bunch of tar and dirt. It also had blueberry pie, black cherry, pepper, and vanilla. The palate thick and juicy, and had tar and pepper, dirt, cherry pie, blueberry, and a pleasant oaky finish. (92 pts.)

Chicken Cacciatore

I made Chicken Cacciatore for dinner.

INGREDIENTS:

- Olive oil, as needed
- 1 (4 to 5-pound) chicken, cut into 8 to 10 pieces
- Kosher salt
- 2 large onions, sliced
- Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed and finely chopped
- 1 red pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 1 yellow pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 1 lb. cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 2 cups dry white wine
- 2 (28-ounce) cans Italian plum tomatoes, passed through the food mill or pureed
- 1 bundle thyme
- 3 bay leaves


METHOD:

Coat a large, wide pot with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Season the chicken with salt and brown in the hot oil, working in batches, if needed. Once all the chicken is brown, remove to a plate and discard most of the excess fat.

If needed to coat the bottom of the pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onions and crushed red pepper, season with salt, and sweat over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sweat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the peppers and cook until they are soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and cook until they are soft. Add the white wine and reduce by half.

Return the chicken to the pan and add the tomatoes; taste for seasoning. Add the thyme bundle and bay leaves. Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Partially cover the pot and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Check the level of the sauce periodically during the cooking process and replenish it with water as needed; the level of liquid should be about even with the chicken.

Remove the chicken from the pot and place it on a pretty serving platter. Taste the sauce for seasoning, adjust if needed. Skim the surface of the sauce if excessively greasy. Spoon the sauce over the chicken. Tastes like chicken!

2005 Byron Pinot Blanc

**2005 Byron Pinot Blanc (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley)** The nose was a little tight. I did get a little pear and tropical fruit, plus some floral notes toward the end. The palate was crisp and clean, with good acidity. It had loads of tropical fruit, some pear and spice, and a nice floral finish. (86 pts.)

2007 Plumpjack Merlot Napa Valley

**2007 Plumpjack Merlot Napa Valley (USA, California, Napa Valley)** The nose had fish sauce, chocolate, cherry, plum, and vanilla. The palate had blackberry, chocolate, cherry, plum, and a vanilla finish. (92 pts.)

2004 Rolf Binder/Veritas Shiraz Hanisch

**2004 Rolf Binder/Veritas Shiraz Hanisch (Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley)** The nose had blueberry, floral notes, sausage, and minerals. The palate was soft and thick, and had blueberry, meat, floral notes, and a cassis finish. (92 pts.)

2007 Outpost Zinfandel

**2007 Outpost Zinfandel (USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain)** The nose had a tremendous amount of fresh black pepper, fresh ginger, and floral notes. There was also a small amount of raspberry and spice. The palate was very juicy, with pepper, ginger, spice, raspberry, and a good floral finish. (93 pts.)

2005 Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon

**2005 Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon (USA, California, Napa Valley)** The nose had black currant, mocha, raspberry, spice, and a little cedar at the end. The palate was very soft, with loads of dark fruit, chocolate, spice, and a cedar finish. (91 pts.)

2004 Château de Launay

**2004 Château de Launay (France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur)** The nose had cherry, clay, cooked vegetables, ans a little spice at the end. The palate had a lot of vegetable flavors, some cherry and spice, and a good forest floor finish. (90 pts.)

2001 José Maria da Fonseca & Van Zeller Douro Domini Plus

**2001 José Maria da Fonseca & Van Zeller Douro Domini Plus (Portugal, Douro)** The nose had plum and black cherry, dirt, pepper, meat, and spice. The palate was smooth and juicy, with plum, black cherry, earth, pepper, meat, and a spicy finish, (92 pts.)

2003 Maison Henry Bouachon Vacqueyras Pierrelongue

**2003 Maison Henry Bouachon Vacqueyras Pierrelongue (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Vacqueyras)** The nose had cherry, spice, and a little chocolate. The palate had cherry, chocolate, and a spicy finish. (88 pts.)

2006 Coudert Fleurie Clos de la Roilette

**2006 Coudert Fleurie Clos de la Roilette (France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie)** The nose had leather, cherry, earth, raspberry, and some oak at the end. The was very juicy, with a lot of extracted red fruit, some stone flavors, and a good earthy finish. (88 pts.)

2007 Rôtie Cellars Northern Blend

**2007 Rôtie Cellars Northern Blend (USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley)** The nose was very creamy and floral. It also had quite a bit of tar and smoke mixed with dark fruit. It ended with pepper and spice. The palate was very rich with black currant and black cherry. The tar and pepper was very prominent on the mid-palate, and it finished with a spicy floral note. (90 pts.)

Pot-au-feu

Tonight I made Pot-au-feu. If you have Anthony Bourdain’s “Les Halles” Cookbook: Classic Bistro Cooking, the recipe is on pages 204 – 205 (Hardcover).

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 lb tender beef shoulder or brisket
- 6 pieces of oxtail, cut 1½ inches thick
- 6 beef short ribs
- 1 veal shank, on the bone
- 8 whole cloves
- 2 onions, cut in half
- 6 leeks, white part only
- 2 small celery roots, cut into quarters
- 4 carrots, cut into 4-inch lengths
- 1 bouquet garni
- salt and pepper
- 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in half
- 1 head of cabbage, cored and cut into 6 to 8 wedges
- 1/2 lb cornichons
- 1 cup large-grained sea salt
- 1 cup hot prepared mustard


METHOD:

COOK
In a huge pot, combine the beef, oxtail, short ribs, and veal shank, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, and as soon as the water comes to a boil, remove from the heat. Set the meat aside and throw out the water. Clean the pot. Seriously, do it. Then put the meat right back inside. Push 2 cloves into each onion half and add the onions to the pot, along with the leeks, celery roots, carrots, and bouquet garni. Season with salt and pepper and cover with cold water.

Bring the pot to a slow simmer, gradually, and let cook over medium-low heat for around 2½ hours, or until the meat is tender. Skim the cooking liquid with a ladle periodically to remove scum and foam. Add the potatoes and cabbage and cook for an additional 30 minutes, until soft. You want to maintain the structural integrity of the meat and vegetables. Adjust the seasoning as needed.

SERVE
Put the cornichons, sea salt, and hot mustard into separate ramekins and set on the table. Remove the beef from the pot and cut into 6 pieces. Remove the veal shank from the pot and cut the meat off the bone, again into 6 to 8 pieces. Using a marrow spoon, dig out all that lovely marrow from the inside of the veal bone. Arrange the oxtails, the meats, the marrow, and the vegetables in an attractively disheveled fashion on the serving platter and spoon some of the cooking liquid over and around it. Serve the rest of the liquid in a soup terrine.

Alternatively, you can arrange the meats uncarved, with the vegetables around them, swimming in broth in a big, beautiful pile in a deep serving platter, and let your friends just tear at it like the savage animals they are. (I’m getting hungry just writing this recipe.)

2005 Trentadue Winery Old Patch Red

**2005 Trentadue Winery Old Patch Red (USA, California, Sonoma County)** The nose had gobs of black currant and pepper, with notes of cherry, chocolate, spice, and vanilla. The palate was very smooth, with some nice powdered chocolate, pepper, black currant, cherry, and a tasty spicy vanilla finish. It did have a touch of heat at the end, but not a lot. (88 pts.)

2003 Giuseppe Lonardi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

**2003 Giuseppe Lonardi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico (Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico)** The nose had chocolate and Ricola, cherries, and figs. The palate was smooth and had prunes, mocha, mint, spice, and a good cherry finish. (91 pts.)

2001 Icardi Barolo Parej

**2001 Icardi Barolo Parej (Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo)** The nose had a load of stone and tar. It also had herbs, cherry, and raspberry. The palate was soft and had lots of red fruit and earth, with a mineral finish. (89 pts.)

2005 Vietti Barolo Castiglione

**2005 Vietti Barolo Castiglione (Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo)** The nose had leather ,violets, cherry, and earth. The palate had sour cherry, earth, and a nice floral finish, (91 pts.)

2003 Eugenio Bocchino Langhe Suo Di Giacomo

**2003 Eugenio Bocchino Langhe Suo Di Giacomo (Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC)** The nose had cherry, raspberry, herbs, spice, and vanilla. The palate was pretty extracted, and had cherry, cedar, spice, and a very sour finish, which I liked. (88 pts.)

2006 Forte Canto Salice Salentino

**2006 Forte Canto Salice Salentino (Italy, Puglia, Salice Salentino)** The nose had very bright cherry aromas, berries a,nd some dried fruit at the end. The palate had cherry, wild berry, and a herbal finish. (88 pts.)

2004 Lungarotti Sagrantino di Montefalco Sagrantino di Montefalco

**2004 Lungarotti Sagrantino di Montefalco Sagrantino di Montefalco (Italy, Umbria, Montefalco, Sagrantino di Montefalco)** The nose was very herbaceous and earthy. There was also some blackberry and black currant. The palate was soft and had lots of dark fruit and herbs. It finished with some good earth. (90 pts.)

2003 Tormaresca Negroamaro Masseria Maìme Salento IGT

**2003 Tormaresca Negroamaro Masseria Maìme Salento IGT (Italy, Puglia, Salento IGT)** The nose had an overpowering aroma of tar and game. Underneath was blackberry and plum, followed by spice and oak. The palate was very rich and smooth. It had the same fruit as the nose, and finished with tar and game. (91 pts.)

2000 Cálem Porto Vintage

**2000 Cálem Porto Vintage** (Portugal, Douro, Porto)** The nose had graphite and licorice, blackberry and black currant. The palate was very smooth, and had raisin, blackberry, pencil lead. (96 pts.)

N.V. Niepoort Porto 10 Year Old Tawny

**N.V. Niepoort Porto 10 Year Old Tawny (Portugal, Douro, Porto)** The nose had raisin, fig, caramel, and a little honey at the end. The palate was rich and had loads of raisin, caramel, and honey. (95 pts.)

2003 Roquette e Cazes Douro Xisto

**2003 Roquette e Cazes Douro Xisto (Portugal, Douro)** The nose had lots of mocha and tar, black currant, and spice. The palate was soft and smooth, with lots of cream. chocolate, and black fruit. (91 pts.)

2006 Quinta do Portal Douro Grande Reserva

**2006 Quinta do Portal Douro Grande Reserva (Portugal, Douro)** The nose had espresso, cream, blueberry, blackberry, spice. The palate was soft and rich, with chocolate, blackberry, spice, and oak. (92 pts.)

2006 Niepoort Douro Vertente

**2006 Niepoort Douro Vertente (Portugal, Douro)** The nose was very milky, and had blueberry, raspberry, vanilla, and a slight hint of spice. The palate was rich and creamy, and had raspberry, cherry, spice, and an oaky finish. (91 pts.)

2006 Alves de Sousa Douro Estação

**2006 Alves de Sousa Douro Estação (Portugal, Douro)** The nose had lavendar and raspberry, dirt, spice, and a touch of vanilla. The palate was a bit tannic, but it had good red berry fruit, floral notes, and a spicy finish. (86 pts.)

2007 Quinta do Casal Branco Ribatejo

**2007 Quinta do Casal Branco Ribatejo (Portugal, Ribatejano, Ribatejo)** The nose had raspberry and chocolate, with small; amounts of cherry and spice. The palate was soft and spicy, with lots of red fruit. It finished a little hot, but not enough to bother me. (88 pts.)

2007 Casa Santos Lima Alenquer Quinta de Bons Ventos

**2007 Casa Santos Lima Alenquer Quinta de Bons Ventos (Portugal, Estremadura, Alenquer)** The nose was very light, but had a lot of good aromas. It had strawberry, raspberry, and a little earthiness. It ended with a hint of spice. The palate was smooth and fruity, with a good attack of strawberry, a bit of spice, some raspberry, and a pleasant earthy finish. (87 pts.)

2007 Salcheto Rosso di Montepulciano

**2007 Salcheto Rosso di Montepulciano (Italy, Tuscany, Montepulciano, Rosso di Montepulciano)** The nose had raspberry, black currant, and spice. The palate was sweet and tannic, with raspberry and spice. (88 pts.)

2007 Mollydooker Shiraz Blue Eyed Boy

**2007 Mollydooker Shiraz Blue Eyed Boy (Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale)** The nose was more complex than I was expecting. There was blueberry, tobacco, cedar, raspberry, and some stone at the end. The palate was slightly sweet, and had blueberry, cedar, tobacco, and a spicy finish. (93 pts.)

2006 Vietti Barbera d'Alba Tre Vigne

**2006 Vietti Barbera d'Alba Tre Vigne (Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d'Alba)** The nose had black currant, tar, smoke, and toasted oak. The palate was soft, and had tar, smoke, black currant, and a slightly oaky finish. (89 pts.)

2002 Artadi Rioja Viñas de Gain

**2002 Artadi Rioja Viñas de Gain (Spain, La Rioja, Rioja)** The nose was fairly light, but I did get cherry, licorice, and raspberry. The palate was a bit tannic, and had raspberry, licorice, and a cherry finish. (88 pts.)

2005 Janzen Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

**2005 Janzen Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (USA, California, Napa Valley)** The nose reminded me of an Australian fruit bomb. It had loads of blueberry and licorice. It also had cedar and sage. The palate was very rich, and had blueberry, spice, licorice, and a nice herbal finish. (90 pts.)

Roast Chicken with Herbed Mushrooms

Tonight I made [Roast Chicken with Herbed Mushrooms](http://www.foodnetwork.com/tylers-ultimate/ultimate-roast-chicken/index.html).

Here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 (3 pound) organic free-range chicken
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 red onion, quartered
- 1/2 lemon, cut into 4 pieces
- 1/2 head garlic, about 6 cloves, smashed
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1/2 lb. sliced bacon, cut in 1/2
- 3 lbs. whole cremini mushrooms, wiped clean with a damp towel


METHOD:

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season the cavity with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl combine the onion, lemon, garlic, half the thyme, and 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper and mix it well. Stuff the bird with the mixture. Using 2 (3-foot) pieces of kitchen twine, tie up the chicken: Tuck the wing tips between the wings and the body. Put the midpoint of the twine under the chicken, bring the ends up and around the wings, and pull them tight against the body. Bring the ends of the twine up underneath the legs, wrap the string around them, pull the legs together, and tie them tightly. Place the chicken, breast side up in a roasting pan, and layer the strips of bacon up breast until covered. Scatter over the remaining thyme, drizzle over some more olive oil and season everything with salt and pepper.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours; arrange the mushrooms around the chicken 45 minutes after roasting. Baste with the pan juices every 20 minutes. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (the legs should wiggle easily in their sockets.)

Remove the chicken from the pan, cover with foil, and let stand for 10 minutes to rest. Serve the chicken with the roasted mushrooms and pan juices.

2004 Château Lassègue

**2004 Château Lassègue (France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion)** A very fruity nose of currant, plum, and cherry, with undertones of leather, pepper, and mocha. The palate was very earthy, with pepper and dark fruit, leather, and a very good espresso finish. (91 pts.)

2007 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon

**2007 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon (USA, California, Napa Valley)** The nose is an explosion of chocolate and coffee. There was also a lot of berries - raspberry, blackberry, and currants. The palate was extremely smooth, with lots of chocolate and coffee. It also had dark berries, and an oaky finish. (93 pts.)

2006 Arietta Quartet

2006 Arietta Quartet (USA, California, Napa Valley)**** The nose had quite a bit of stone and flowers. It also had raspberry, blueberry, and cherry. The palate was a little too tannic, but it did have nice fruit, There was raspberry, blueberry, and cherry. It finished with a lot of minerality. (91 pts.)

2007 Lioco Pinot Noir Michaud

**2007 Lioco Pinot Noir Michaud (USA, California, Central Coast, Chalone)** The nose had dried rose petals, cherry, orange zest, and rhubarb. The palate was extremely smooth, and had rhubarb, cherry, and orange peel. It had a nice floral finish. (94 pts.)

2006 Mitolo Shiraz Reiver

**2006 Mitolo Shiraz Reiver (Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley)** The nose had blueberry and mushroom, leather, smoke, and a little pepper at the end. The palate was very rich, and slightly tannic. It had great fruit - blueberry, blackberry, and a bit of cherry. There was also toast, and earth, and it finished with a lot of pepper. (92 pts.)

2006 R Wines Grenache Chateau Chateau Chateau

**2006 R Wines Grenache Chateau Chateau Chateau (Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley)** The nose had cherry pie and currant, a little herbs, and some forest floor. The palate was very smooth. It had loads of blue fruit, earth, and a great herb finish. (91 pts.)

2005 Clos Pegase Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

**2005 Clos Pegase Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (USA, California, Napa Valley)** The nose had a lot of mocha and blackberry. It also had chocolate, and a bit of cherry at the end. The palate was big and tannic. I got cedar and blackberry, coffee, and a little cassis. It had a good cherry finish. (91 pts.)

2005 Spring Valley Vineyard Frederick

**(USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley)** The nose had a massive amount of black currant and graphite. I also got some floral notes and blackberry in the middle. The palate was slightly tannic. There was a bunch of black fruit, some floral notes, and a bit of pencil lead on the finish. (90 pts.)

2005 Woodinville Wine Cellars Ausonius

**2005 Woodinville Wine Cellars Ausonius (USA, Washington)** The nose had a plum and pepper mix that was rounded out by some dried herbs. The palate was pretty soft, and had currant, pepper, and spice. The finish had a very good plum flavor. (90 pts.)

Onglet Gascon

Tonight I made Onglet Gascon for dinner. If you have Anthony Bourdain's "Les Halles" Cookbook: Classic Bistro Cooking, the recipe is on pages 127 - 128 (Hardcover).

This recipe calls for bone marrow, one of God's great gifts to serious eaters. The easiest strategy here is to ask your butcher to put a nice fat leg bone of veal on a bandsaw and saw you off four 2- to 3-inch/5- 8-cm pieces. When you get home, soak the bones in cold water for a while and then, using your thumb, push the marrow through and out the other side of the bone. Hold in ice water until ready to use.

INGREDIENTS:

- 4 6 oz onglet steaks
- salt and freshly cracked peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- marrow from 4 beef bones
- 2 ounces white wine
- 1/2 cup strong, dark veal stock, (nice to have a little demi-glace here, too)
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- course sea salt
- 2 sprigs flat leaf parsley, chopped


METHOD:

COOK THE STEAK AND THE MARROW

Preheat the oven to 375ºF/190ºC. Season the steaks with salt and pepper. Put the oil in the sauté pan and heat over high heat. When hot, add 1 tablespoon/14 g of the butter. When it has foamed and subsided, add the steaks, working in batches, as you don't want to overcrowd (and hence cool down)the pan. Using the tongs, turn the steaks, cooking about 2 minutes on each side. Put the pan aside without washing it.

Transfer the steaks to the small roasting pan and add the bone marrow. Place in the oven and cook for 5 minutes (maybe 8 for medium rare). Remove the meat from the pan, but leave in the marrow for seven additional minutes, until it is cooked through - meaning no pink, white, or red color remains. Place the steaks on the plate to rest.

THE SAUCE

Return the sauté pan to the heat and stir in the wine with the wooden spoon. You know this by now, right? Or did you just jump to this recipe? Okay. Fine. Make sure to scrape up the nice brown stuff with the spoon as you deglaze with the wine. Reduce the wine by half. stir in your stock (and now's the time to sneak in a little of our demi-glace stash). Reduce by half. Got any juices leaking out of your resting meat? I'll bet you do. Put that in the sauce, too. Whisk in the remaining butter (that's called monter au beurre if you wanted to know) and remove from heat. Off the heat, whisk in the mustard and adjust the seasonings.

SERVE

Arrange the meat on the platter with the marrow around it. Spoon the mustard sauce over the steaks. Sprinkle the sea salt over the marrow. Sprinkle the parsley over everything.

2008 Terra Andina Carménère

**2008 Terra Andina Carménère (Chile, Central Valley)** A nice mix of black currant and dirt on the nose, plus a little cedar and pepper thrown in. The palate was a bit tannic and green, probably because the wine is so young, but it did have nice fruit and earthiness, which I liked. It also had a tasty pepper finish. (86 pts.)

2005 Cave Vinicole de Hunawihr Riesling Secret Valley

**2005 Cave Vinicole de Hunawihr Riesling Secret Valley (France, Alsace, Alsace AOC)** The nose had a good citrus aroma that was pretty evenly split between orange and lemon. There was also some crushed rocks in the middle, and a faint pie spice smell at the end. The palate was extremely fruity, with the orange flavors a little more dominate than the lemon. It finished with a very chalky stone taste. Crisp and tart, it was a fairly decent drink. (88 pts.)

2005 Rusden Shiraz Black Guts

**2005 Rusden Shiraz Black Guts (Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley)** The nose was loaded with wild game and bacon, smoke, and a little blueberry at the end. The palate was over the top and extremely extracted. It had a ton of blueberry and a small amount of smoke, stone, and game. (91 pts.)

2006 Premiere Napa Valley Bonded Winery #9 Ghost Block Cabernet Sauvignon

**2006 Premiere Napa Valley Bonded Winery #9 Ghost Block Cabernet Sauvignon (USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville)** The nose had mocha upfront along with chocolate covered cherries. There was also blackberries and spice, and some dried rose petals at the end. The palate was very over the top. It had extracted blackberry, mocha, and cherry flavors. It finished with spicy toffee. (92 pts.)

2007 Tait The Ball Buster

**2007 Tait The Ball Buster (Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley)** The nose was mainly leather and cedar, with small amounts of blueberry and pepper thrown in. the palate was a lot smoother than I was expecting, with loads of blueberry, leather and spice, and a finish of cedar and pepper. (90 pts.)

2006 Cameron Hughes Zinfandel Lot 88

**2006 Cameron Hughes Zinfandel Lot 88 (USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Amador County)** The nose was dusty and brambly, with pepper, sweet red raspberry and blackberry. The palate was smooth and spicy, with the same sweet raspberry and blackberry. It finished with forest floor flavors. (90 pts.)

2005 Familia Zuccardi Tempranillo Q

**2005 Familia Zuccardi Tempranillo Q (Argentina, Mendoza, Santa Rosa)** The nose had a whole bunch of milk chocolate, a little leather, and a mix of various red berries. The palate had some sweetness to it. It started with blackberry and plum, and then moved to leather and tobacco. It finished with a chili infused chocolate flavor. (91 pts.)

2004 Bodegas LAN Rioja Reserva

**2004 Bodegas LAN Rioja Reserva (Spain, La Rioja, Rioja)** The nose started with a lot of tar and smoke. Underneath that was licorice, and a small amount of floral aromas. There was a little plum at the end. The palate was very juicy, was strong flavors of smoke mixed with plum. The finish had floral notes and licorice. (90 pts.)

2007 Columbia Crest Chardonnay H3

**2007 Columbia Crest Chardonnay H3 (USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Horse Heaven Hills)** The nose started with a spicy pear aroma. It had creamy undertones, and a little citrus on the back-end. The palate was very explosive, and had loads of citrus, pear, and cream, and an incredibly spicy finish. (90 pts.)

Pork Shoulder "Pernil" with Cilantro-Citrus Adobo

Tonight I made [Pork Shoulder "Pernil" with Cilantro-Citrus Adobo](http://www.foodnetwork.com/tylers-ultimate/ultimate-pernil/index.html). This has to be one of the best pork roast recipes I have ever tasted. It had a crunchy exterior, with a juicy, melt in your mouth center. Luckily there are leftovers!

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 boneless pork shoulder (about 4 pounds), skin on
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 handful fresh oregano
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, plus chopped cilantro, for garnish
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Kosher salt and fresh coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 limes, juiced, plus wedges for serving
- 2 oranges, juiced
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil


METHOD:

Place the pork, fat side up, in a roasting pan fitted with a rack insert, and using a sharp knife, score the surface of the meat with small slits. Prepare the adobo: In a food processor, add the garlic, oregano, cilantro, cumin, salt, and pepper. Add lime juice and orange juice. Drizzle in olive oil and pulse until you have a nice puree. Rub the marinade all over the pork, being sure to get into the incisions so the salt can penetrate the meat and pull out the moisture - this will help form a crust on the outside when cooked.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Roast the pork for 3 hours, uncovered, until the skin is crispy-brown. Let the meat rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before slicing, covered lightly with aluminum foil. Drizzle with lime juice and garnish with cilantro.

2006 Pax Syrah Cuvée Keltie

**2006 Pax Syrah Cuvée Keltie (USA, California, North Coast)** A nice floral and tar filled nose, with subtle undertones of blueberry pie, black currant, pepper, smoke, and baking spice. In the mouth it is rich and juicy, with heavy floral flavors, plus tar and smoke. The mid-palate has loads of dark fruit, and it finishes with a good bit of spicy oak. The tannins were firm, but did not overpower the wine. (93 pts.)

"Second Place Isn't Always Bad" Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc

Here's the [wines](http://www.cellartracker.com//event.asp?iEvent=8723) I tasted today:

* **2005 Château La Fleur de Lescours - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru** The nose is a major fruit bomb! There was a lot of black cherry and black currant, but also some spicy cedar, and earth. The palate was also very fruity, with a nice herbaceous characteristic. It finished with a good forest floor flavor. (91 pts.)
* **2007 Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc - USA, California, Napa Valley** The nose started with quite a bit of fig, followed by melon, honey, and just a touch of grapefruit at the end. The initial attack on the palate was all honey. That gave way to ripe fig, and citrus. It finished with an interesting floral and petrol flavor. (91 pts.)
* **2005 Veraison Merlot Krupp Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Atlas Peak** The nose started off with blueberry and olives, and transitioned to herbs, raspberry, and mushrooms. The palate was very smooth, and had raspberry and blueberry, earth, herbs, and a pretty good cedar finish. (90 pts.)
* **2006 Chappellet Vineyard Merlot - USA, California, Napa Valley** The nose had a lot of pepper, mixed with raspberry and cherry. The palate had a lot of sweet, dark fruit. This was followed by smoke, and a good licorice finish. (89 pts.)
* **2007 Château de la Roche Touraine - France, Loire Valley, Touraine** The nose had more honey than I was expecting. It also had a lot of ripe citrus and tropical fruit. At the end was just the slightest bit of grass. The palate did not have the honey that the nose did, but it had great sour citrus, grass, and a nice stone finish. (89 pts.)
* **2003 Vérité La Muse - USA, California, Sonoma County** The nose on this smells like my morning cup of coffee. It also had dark chocolate, red berries, and a little bit of smoked meat on the end. The palate was very rich. It had mocha, smoke, chocolate, red berries, and a finish that was full of incense. (92 pts.)
* **2006 Pascal Jolivet Sancerre Sauvage - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre** The nose had a whole bunch of lime, a little honey, some stone, and a slightly grassy finish. The palate was very crisp, and had a lot of minerals. The mid-palate exploded with lime, and it finished with a little grassiness. (89 pts.)

A Failure Of Imagination

I'm watching Real Time with Bill Maher tonight and can't believe what I'm hearing. He's talking to Michael Moore about his new movie and he says that if we don't have capitalism the only other option is communism. In other words, we either keep what we have now or we switch to what they had in the old Soviet Union. Are you serious? Is this the best we can come up with in the 21st century? Two equally bad alternatives?

2006 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Peay Vineyard

**2006 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Peay Vineyard (USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast)** The nose had a very candied fruit aspect - mainly cherry and raspberry. Underneath the fruit was a little cola and earthiness, which transitioned to spice and just the faintest hint of vanilla. The palate also had the same candied fruit as the nose, and a good grip. The mid-palate had a mushroom and cola mix that was quite pleasant, and it finished with a spicy oak flavor. (92 pts.)

Mussels with Coconut Green Curry and Lime

Tonight I made [Mussels with Coconut Green Curry and Lime](http://www.tylerflorence.com/blog/?p=674).

Here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

- 3 lbs. mussels
- 1 (15oz) can coconut cream
- 2 tablespoons Thai green curry paste
- 1/2 lime, juice only
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- Kosher salt
- 2 shallots, finely sliced
- 1/4 cup flour
- Vegetable oil for shallow frying
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
- Fresh cilantro, for garnish


METHOD:

Rinse the mussels under cold running water while scrubbing with a brush. Remove the stringy mussel beards with your thumb and index finger as you wash them. Discard any mussels with broken shells.

Combine lime juice, curry paste, cilantro and 2 tablespoons of coconut cream in a blender. Process until smooth and you have a bright green puree. Set aside.

Set a large pot over high heat. Once it is hot dump in the mussels then add the plain coconut cream. Cover and boil for 10 minutes until the mussels open. When done remove the lid, add the green curry puree and mix well.

While the mussels are steaming prepare the shallot garnish. Slice shallot into thin circles. Toss in seasoned flour to lightly coat then shallow fry in oil until crispy. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle on top of the mussels just before serving.

NOTES:

I left out the shallot garnish, so didn't use the shallots, flour, and vegetable oil.

Ceviche

Tonight I made [Ceviche](http://www.marksdailyapple.com/halibut-snapper-and-shrimp-ceviche/). I did, however, use different fish then the recipe called for. Instead of halibut, snapper, and shrimp, I used scallops, ahi tuna, and tiger shark. But other then that, the recipe is the same.

Here's the original recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

- 1/3 lb. Pacific halibut
- 1/3 lb. Yellowtail snapper
- 1/3 lb. cocktail shrimp
- 1/2 cup lime juice (about 4-5 limes)
- 1/2 cup lemon juice (about 4-5 lemons)
- 1 avocado, finely chopped
- 1 red pepper, finely chopped
- 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno, finely chopped (remember, the seeds and inner membrane are the spiciest parts. Discard them if you don’t like food too spicy)
- salt to taste


METHOD:

Cut the fish into 1/2-inch squares, removing all skin and bones. Lightly salt the fish. Bring a few cups of lightly salted water to boil. Add peeled and cleaned shrimp for 1 minute. Immediately put shrimp in a bowl of ice and water to chill. Cut the cooled shrimp into 1/2 inch pieces (it will still be fairly raw inside). Combine fish and shrimp with lime and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate for two hours.

When you cut into a piece of the fish or shrimp, it should be “cooked” through, meaning the shrimp will be light pink and the fish will be white, not grayish or translucent. However, if you prefer more of a raw texture (as some sushi lovers do) you might want to marinate the seafood for less than two hours.

When the seafood had finished marinating, drain and discard the lime and lemon juice. Combine the seafood with the rest of the ingredients. Add salt to taste.

2004 Fiddlehead Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Hunnysuckle

**2004 Fiddlehead Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Hunnysuckle (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley)** The nose was very grassy. It also had citrus and tropical fruit, and some creamy vanilla at the end. The palate was fairly rich for a Sauvignon Blanc, and had a bunch of citrus upfront. The mid-palate was nice and grassy, and it finished with a mix of pineapple and papaya. (90 pts.)

Tuscan Treasures

Here are the [wines](http://www.cellartracker.com/event.asp?iEvent=8645) I tasted today:

* **2005 Ca' Marcanda (Gaja) Magari Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT**
The nose had a lot of perfume and manure smells on the front end. A very strange, but interesting combination. There was also blackberry, currant, and spice. The palate was soft and juicy. It had quite a bit of grilled meat that was mixed with black fruit and floral notes. It finished with a nice hit of spice. (93 pts.)
* **2006 Montepeloso Eneo Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT**
The nose was very jammy. It had blackberry, cherry, pencil lead, and eucalyptus. The palate was very minty, but also had blackberry, cherry, and a lot of tar on the finish. (93 pts.)
* **2004 Brancaia Chianti Classico - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico**
The nose was dark and dirty. It had black cherry, black licorice, and wet leaves. It also had a dollop of vanilla at the end. The palate was soft and had a bunch of earthiness up front. The middle had dark cherry and licorice, and it finished with a healthy bit of oak (but not enough to bother me). (91 pts.)
* **2006 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico**
The nose had a good mix of fruit and flowers. There was cherry, plum, and violets. The palate was a little tannic, but had a lot of floral notes. It also had plum and a cherry finish. (90 pts.)
* **2006 Luce La Vite Lucente Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT**
The nose had aromas of toast and smoke, with small amounts of cherry. The palate was very fruity and smoky. There was cherry, and black currant, and it finished with some good tar flavors. (89 pts.)
* **2001 Tornesi Brunello di Montalcino Le Benducce - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino**
The nose was very gamey, but also had plum, leather, and tobacco. The palate was very soft. It had tobacco, stone, plum, and a leathery finish. (92 pts.)
* **2006 Tenuta Sette Ponti Oreno Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT**
The nose had cherry and leather, smoke, mint, and licorice. The palate was a little tannic, but had tar, smoke, cherry, and leather finish. (92 pts.)

2007 Thomas Halby Cabernet Sauvignon

**2007 Thomas Halby Cabernet Sauvignon (USA, California, Napa Valley)** The nose was very dirty, with a nice center of black currant, chocolate, and cherry. Towards the end it had some toasty oak. The palate was little green, but not in an entirely unpleasant way. Like the nose, there was a lot of earthiness at the beginning, with chocolate and dark fruit on the mid-palate. The finish had a good mix of cherry and toasty oak. (89 pts.)

Why The iTunes 9 App Organizer Is Practically Useless

I was really looking forward to the app organizer in iTunes 9. I didn't do a lot of organizing on the phone itself because it is such a pain to move apps around one at a time. So I was excited to hear that iTunes 9 was adding that ability. Unfortunately, things aren't much better in iTunes.

Let me just say that maybe the problem is all me. But as a long time Mac user, I expect to be able to do things without RTFM. So here's my biggest gripe.

If I download a new app, it puts it on the last screen. Okay. That makes sense. But if I then move it to another screen, say screen 2, it takes the last app on screen 2 and makes a new page 3 with that app and them moves everything down to the next screen. So now I have to manually go through and move every app in every page after that up to fill in the space. This is stupid. On the phone it does this for me.

Am I missing something?

2007 Olson Ogden Syrah Unti Vineyard

**2007 Olson Ogden Syrah Unti Vineyard (USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley)** The nose was very earthy with lots of tar and smoke. These smells surrounded a core of black currant and cherry. It ended with a tiny amount of pepper and vanilla. The palate was very rich, with quite a tannic bite. The fruit was a bit more prominent, with the earthy flavors underneath. It finished with a bunch of pepper and just a touch of oak. (92 pts.)

Pinots, Pinots, and Pinots!

Here are the [wines](http://www.cellartracker.com/event.asp?iEvent=8583) I tasted today:

* **2007 Roessler Pinot Noir La Brisa - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast**
This nose was very jammy, with a preponderance of blackberry, black currant, ad black cherry. It ended with smoked meats, licorice, and forest floor. The palate had great grip, with earthy flavors, blackberry, cherry, and a smoky finish. (91 pts.)
* **2007 Roessler Pinot Noir Bluejay - USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley**
The nose had a strong aroma of pancetta. Underneath was blueberry, raspberry, smoke, and vanilla. The palate was extremely soft and fruity. There was cherry and raspberry, bacon fat, and a strong licorice finish. (91 pts.)
* **N.V. Montaudon Champagne Grande Rosé Brut - France, Champagne**
The nose was extremely earthy - rotting bark, worms, and bramble. It also had a hint of cherry, and a bunch of yeast at the end. The palate was very lively, with a good amount of cherry fruit at the beginning that transitioned to a bread flavor, finally ending with wet stone finish. (90 pts.)
* **2007 King Estate Pinot Gris Oregon - USA, Oregon**
The nose was heavy with tropical fruits - pineapple, and papaya mainly. There was also some pear, and a slight hint of crushed rock. The palate was almost the opposite on the nose. Mainly stone and pear upfront, with some very subtle tropical notes on the finish. (89 pts.)
* **2007 Borgo Magredo Friuli Pinot Nero Grave - Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Friuli**
The nose had a really subtle aspect where the aromas seemed to slowly reveal themselves. First came some cherry and blackberry. Then some spice and earth. Finally, there was an old oak smell. The palate was not as good as the nose. It was very green and bitter. It had the same fruit as the nose, but it was completely overwhelmed by the bitter flavors. (78 pts.)
* **2007 Ken Wright Pinot Noir Nysa Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley**
The nose started with a toasty oak aroma, then added cherry, and ended with a slightly spicy smell. The palate was slightly tannic, but had nice cherry fruit. It also had cassis and spice, but the finish that was a little too oaky for my taste. (89 pts.)
* **2006 Bouchard Père et Fils Corton-Le Corton - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru**
The nose had a strong venison aroma, along with raspberry, parsley, and forest floor. The palate was very green, and to be honest, way to young to drink. It has nice fruit, but it is little disjointed. I think it was some potential, so I'm not even going to try and give it a score.

2007 Keith Tulloch Sémillon

**2007 Keith Tulloch Sémillon (Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley)** The nose had spice, citrus, peach, apple, and stone. The palate was very heavy, and had stone, citrus, spice, peach, and a granny smith apple finish. (88 pts.)

Veal Piccata with Lemon, Capers and Parsley-Butter Sauce

Tonight I made [Veal Piccata with Lemon, Capers and Parsley-Butter Sauce](http://www.tylerflorence.com/blog/?p=191).

Here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

- 4 (8oz) veal cutlets
- 1/2 cup flour
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 lemon, juice
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons capers, washed and drained
- 1 lb. spaghetti


METHOD:

Cook spaghetti in salted boiling water until just cooked. Drain and set aside.

Set a large sauté pan over medium heat and add a 3-count of olive oil. Season flour with salt and pepper and lightly coat cutlets. Beat eggs in a bowl, season and add 1 tablespoon of water. Dip cutlets in egg wash and then place straight into the hot pan. Cook the veal about 2 minutes per side until golden brown. Set veal cutlets aside on a plate. Deglaze pan with white wine and reduce by half. Add lemon juice, capers, and half the parsley then gradually add the cold butter cubes as you whisk to thicken up the sauce. Taste and give it a final season.

Serve veal over pasta topped with capers and parsley butter sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley.

NOTES:

I have included the full recipe here, but I made a few changes. First, I left out the spaghetti. Second, I replaced the wheat flour with coconut flour. It doesn't really use a lot of flour, so I don't think it's a big deal. I just happened to have coconut flour since I don't really use wheat flour. One thing to be careful of with this recipe, or any recipe using an egg wash, is make sure the pan is nice and hot before you put the meat in. If it isn't hot enough, the egg wash will fall off the meat and stick to the pan.

2005 Brutocao Zinfandel Estate Bottled Port Hopland Ranches

**2005 Brutocao Zinfandel Estate Bottled Port Hopland Ranches (USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino)** The nose had black cherry, raisins, dark chocolate, and spicy black currant. The palate was sweet and spicy, and had chocolate, black currant, and a good cherry finish. (87 pts.)

Syrah

Here are the [wines](http://www.cellartracker.com/event.asp?iEvent=8522) I tasted at Tivoli Wines:

* **2006 Writer's Block Petite Sirah - USA, California, North Coast, Red Hills Lake County**
The nose had cherry, floral notes, orange peel, and vanilla. The palate was soft, with cherry, blackberry, spice, coffee and a toasty oak finish. (90 pts.)
* **2006 Barrel 27 Wine Company Syrah Head Honcho - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County**
The nose had plum, tar, raspberry, and spice. The palate was soft and sweet, and had raspberry, plum, spice, and tar with a slightly hot finish. (90 pts.)
* **2007 Charles Smith Chardonnay Eve - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley**
The nose had apple, honey, and chalk. The palate was crisp, and had apple and minerals. (88 pts.)
* **2007 Frankland Estate Shiraz - Viognier Rocky Gully - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Frankland River**
The nose had black currant, blackberry, floral notes, and pepper. The palate was soft, and had blackberry, black currant, pepper. and spice. (88 pts.)
* **2006 Nine North Wine Company Ten Mile "The Broken Road" - USA, California**
The nose had blackberry, cream, and cherry. The palate was soft and creamy, and had blackberry, and pepper. (88 pts.)

Barbeque Wines

Here are the [wines](http://www.cellartracker.com/event.asp?iEvent=8521) I tasted today at Farpointe Cellar:

* **2007 Oakville Winery Zinfandel - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville**
The nose had blackberry and cassis, pepper, and a little spice. The palate was soft, and had blackberry, pepper, spice, and a cassis finish. (92 pts.)
* **2006 Girard Petite Sirah - USA, California, Napa Valley**
The nose had blackberry, blueberry, earth, mushroom, and a little bit of violets at the end. The palate was very smooth, and had blueberry, blackberry, truffles, and a nice floral finish. (92 pts.)
* **2007 Laird Family Estate Pinot Noir Ghost Ranch - USA, California, Napa Valley, Carneros**
The nose had strawberry, cherry, tree bark, spice, and vanilla. The palate was super smooth, and had cherry, strawberry, vanilla, forest floor, and a spicy finish. (91 pts.)
* **2005 Pascal Jolivet Pouilly-Fumé Les Griottes - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Pouilly-Fumé**
The nose had lemon, grass, and stone. The palate was crisp and slightly sweet, and had citrus, minerals, and a tropical finish. (90 pts.)
* **2006 Four Vines Zinfandel Maverick - USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Amador County**
The nose had a bunch of clove and dried leaves, along with a little bit of blackberry. The palate was soft and juicy, and had blackberry, clove, and and a spicy finish. (89 pts.)
* **2007 Copain Viognier Tous Ensemble - USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County**
The nose had loads of honey and citrus, with a small amount of peach towards the end. The palate was very sweet, and had apricot, citrus, and a peach finish. (89 pts.)
* **2007 Surh Luchtel Zinfandel - USA, California, Napa Valley**
The nose had blackberry, a little tobacco leaf, chocolate, and some vanilla at the end. The palate was smooth, and had blackberry, chocolate, tobacco, and a spicy finish. (88 pts.)
* **2007 Doña Paula Malbec Estate - Argentina, Mendoza, Lujan de Cuyo**
The nose had raspberry, cedar, vanilla, and a tiny bit of spice. The palate was soft with a firm backbone, and had raspberry, black currant, spice, and a vanilla finish. (88 pts.)
* **2006 Lamborn Family Vineyards Zinfandel Serendipity Vintage - USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain**
The nose was very chocolatey, and also had blackberry, spice, and a touch of vanilla. The palate was soft, and had blackberry, chocolate, spice, and a slightly oaky finish. (93 pts.)
* **2007 Orin Swift Zinfandel Saldo - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley**
The nose had a bunch of boysenberry, a little pepper, and some baking spice. The palate was smooth, and had boysenberry, tobacco, plum, and a spicy finish. (91 pts.)
* **2006 Robert Biale Petite Sirah Royal Punishers - USA, California, Napa Valley**
The nose had a load of violets and incense, along with blackberry and vanilla. The palate was smooth, and had blackberry, floral notes, spice, and a rich finish. (90 pts.)

Flatiron Steak with Herb Butter

Tonight I made Flatiron Steak with Herb Butter from Thomas Keller's [Bouchon](http://www.amazon.com/Bouchon-Thomas-Keller/dp/1579652395). The recipe is on page 207 of the book if you're keeping score.

This has to be one of the best steaks I have every made. The combination of the butter, shallots, and thyme gave the steak a juicy and rich flavor that is hard to beat. Plus, it was so simple to make. It took less than 30 minutes from start to finish.

2006 Soos Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Champoux Vineyard

**2006 Soos Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Champoux Vineyard (USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Horse Heaven Hills)** The nose had dark chocolate and dirt, black currant and cherry, and just a hint of vanilla. The palate was rich and thick, and had chocolate, black currant, espresso, cherry, and a pleasant oak finish. (92 pts.)

Clams with Chorizo and Citrus

Tonight I made [Clams with Chorizo and Citrus](http://www.tylerflorence.com/blog/?p=250).

Here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 links of Spanish chorizo, ground up in the food processor
- 2 cloves of garlic,
- 2 slices of orange
- 1/2 cup of Albarino wine
- 2 dozen littleneck clams, cleaned and scrubbed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Flat leaf parsley for garnish


METHOD:

Begin by grinding up chorizo in food processor. Set a large, heavy-based pan over medium heat and add a 2-count of extra-virgin olive oil. Dump in garlic and orange peel followed by ground chorizo. Gently sauté until fragrant and fat begins to render. Add clams followed by wine. Season, then cover and steam for 12-15 minutes until clams are opened. To finish, remove lid and spoon 1/4 cup of saffron aioli over the top. Toss to combine and coat the clams. Serve in a large bowl garnished with flat-leaf parsley.

2006 Domaine Georges Vernay Condrieu Coteau de Vernon

**2006 Domaine Georges Vernay Condrieu Coteau de Vernon (France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu)** The nose had loads of honey and floral notes, plus apricot, peach, apple, spice, and a little vanilla. The palate was rich and floral, with lemon, peach, spice, and a orange finish (95 pts.)

The Big Two: Cabs and Chards

Here are the [wines](http://www.cellartracker.com/event.asp?iEvent=8460) I tasted today along with [photos](http://mmurry.posterous.com/farpointe-tasting-8292009):

* **2006 Forchini Cabernet Sauvignon Proprietor's Reserve - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley**
The nose had boysenberry, chocolate,cherry, spice, and vanilla. The palate is rich and juicy, with cherry, cassis, chocolate, spice, and a vanilla finish. (91 pts.)
* **2005 Ramey Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley - USA, California, Napa Valley**
The nose had currant, chocolate, tar, and some smoke at the end. The palate was rich and thick, and had chocolate, black currant, cedar, and a tar finish. (91 pts.)
* **2006 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay Prelude - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River**
The nose had toast, mango, papaya, and a bit of spice. The palate was crisp, and had apple, tropical fruit, spice, and a toasty finish. (89 pts.)
* **2005 Three Rivers Winery Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley**
The nose had cherry, dark chocolate, and spice. The palate was soft, and had cedar, spice, chocolate, and a cherry finish. (87 pts.)
* **2006 Summers Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Andriana's Cuvée - USA, California, Napa Valley**
The nose had raspberry, mocha, a little cedar and spice, and a vanilla finish. The palate was rich and thick, and had raspberry, espresso, cedar, and a slightly oaky finish. (87 pts.)
* **2006 Chalk Hill Chardonnay Estate Bottled - USA, California, Sonoma County, Chalk Hill**
The nose had spice, citrus, and a buttery finish. The palate is super buttery, with apple, and spice. (84 pts.)
* **2005 Roberts + Rogers Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain - USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain**
The nose had blueberry, plum, stone, currant, and some raspberry at the end. The palate was thick, and had raspberry, spice, currant, and a spicy finish. (93 pts.)
* **2006 Ramey Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley**
The nose was overloaded with butter, but also had a little spice and apple. The palate was crisp, and had apple, butter, spice, and vanilla. (89 pts.)

Bistro-Style Short Ribs

Tonight I made the [Ultimate Short Ribs](http://www.foodnetwork.com/tylers-ultimate/ultimate-short-ribs/index.html).

Here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 lbs. short ribs, in 1 long piece or at least in pairs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 large tomato, quartered
- 3 ribs celery
- 1/2 head garlic, peeled
- 1/4 bunch fresh thyme
- 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
- 2 cups low-sodium, organic beef stock
- 4 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley


METHOD:

Preheat a cast iron grill or outdoor grill.

Season the short ribs with salt and pepper, drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil, and brown on all sides.

Place the onion, garlic, celery, carrot, and tomato into a food processor and blend until you reach a consistent, smooth pulp.

Take a large Dutch oven and place over medium-high heat. Add a 3-count of extra-virgin olive oil and add the thyme to infuse the oil. Next add the vegetable pulp, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and cook for about 10 minutes. Pour in the red wine and stock and bring it to a boil. Using tongs take the ribs and nestle them into the braising mix; the liquid should just about cover the meat. Place the lid loosely on top, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the meat is very tender, approximately 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

When the ribs are about finished, remove about 1 to 2 cups of liquid and strain into a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat the sauce until slightly reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes.

NOTES:

I did a few things different then the directions called for. First, I browned the short ribs in the Dutch oven instead of a grill. It means that you have one less thing to clean, and you don't waste those wonderful brown bits. Just add the vegetable pulp to the Dutch oven after you brown the ribs and use that to deglaze the pot. Second, I used veal stock instead of the beef stock. I did this because I make veal stock 3 or 4 times a year, so I always have some on hand. It is also 100x better than any store bought stock. If you want to raise your food to the next level, veal stock is the key. Just do a Google search to see what I mean.

2006 Domaine de Cassan Côtes du Rhône Villages Beaumes-de-Venise Tradition

**2006 Domaine de Cassan Côtes du Rhône Villages Beaumes-de-Venise Tradition (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages Beaumes-de-Venise)** The nose had sweet raspberry mixed with cedar, along with a little earth and vanilla, and a cherry finish. The palate was a little tannic, but had some sweet red fruit, vanilla, cedar, and a nice earthy finish. (88 pts.)

The South of France

Here are the [wines](http://www.cellartracker.com/event.asp?iEvent=8420) I tasted today:

* **2005 Calvet Thunevin Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes Cuvée Constance - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes**
The nose had pencil lead, coffee, chocolate, raspberry jam, and cassis liqueur. The palate was rich, and had pencil lead, raspberry, cassis, chocolate, and a coffee finish. (92 pts.)
* **2007 Domaine les Grands Bois Côtes du Rhône Cuvée les Trois Soeurs - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône**
The nose had black cherry, black currant, pepper, tar, and a little cinnamon at the end. The palate was rich and juicy, and had pepper, tar, smoke, black currant, and a cherry finish. (91 pts.)
* **2005 M. Chapoutier Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Bernardine - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape**
The nose had loads of blackberry jam, a little pepper, and some licorice. The palate was juicy, and had dirt, licorice, blackberry, and a nice stone finish. (91 pts.)
* **2005 Domaine Tempier Bandol - France, Provence, Bandol**
The nose had manure, leather, and blackberry. The palate had a lot of herbs, along with blackberry, leather, and an earthy finish. (91 pts.)
* **2007 Château de Saint-Cosme Gigondas - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Gigondas**
The nose was somewhat tight, but had blackberry, spice, and a little cassis. The palate was soft, and had blackberry, pepper, and cassis. (90 pts.)
* **2004 Domaine Gayda Vin de Pays d'Oc Chemin du Moscou - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Vin de Pays d'Oc**
The nose had raspberry, rocks, cherry, mocha, and a bit of vanilla. The palate was slightly tannic, and had raspberry, minerals, chocolate, cherry, and a nice oak finish. (90 pts.)
* **2007 Prieure de Montezargues Tavel Rosé - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Tavel**
The nose had strawberry, cherry, and a little stone. The palate was crisp and clean, and had dirt, strawberry, and an herbal tea finish. (88 pts.)
* **2007 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape**
The nose had eucalyptus, blackberry, pepper, cassis, grilled meat, and a little tar. The palate was super smooth, and had pepper, blackberry, tar, cassis, and a meaty finish. (95 pts.)
* **2006 Tardieu-Laurent Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape**
The nose had loads of meat, some blackberry, a little spice, and some saddle leather. The palate was thick and rich, and had blackberry, spice, meat, and a leather finish. (93 pts.)

Only In Texas

[This story](http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/aug2009/texa-a22.shtml) illustrates everything that is wrong with the justice system in the US. We are more interested in the letter of the law then we are in the spirit of the law.

2006 Luigi Bosca Malbec Reserva

**2006 Luigi Bosca Malbec Reserva (Argentina, Mendoza, Lujan de Cuyo)** The nose had black currant and pepper, some cranberry and vanilla, and a nice earthy aroma at the end. The palate was rich and juicy, and had pepper, black currant, cranberry, vanilla, earth, and a pleasant spicy finish. (90 pts.)

Two Shrimp Dishes

I made two shrimp dishes tonight. They were both quick and easy, so I decided to make enough stuff to have left overs for a few days.
Here are the two dished I made with links to the recipes:

* [Shrimp Scampi](http://www.foodnetwork.com/tylers-ultimate/ultimate-shrimp-scampi/index.html)
* [Teamed Shrimp with Lager, Lemon and Thyme](http://www.tylerflorence.com/blog/?p=300)

Here are pictures of the finished meals:

Shrimp Scampi

I didn't include the Linguini, for obvious reasons, but the shrimp was so good by itself that I didn't even miss it.

Teamed Shrimp with Lager, Lemon and Thyme

The market didn't have any head on shrimp that looked good, so I got some without the head, but with the shells. The recipe called for a teaspoon of sugar. You can leave that out if you want, but it helps to bring out the flavors in the other ingredients, and the stock gets dumped anyway.

I had a glass of [2007 Pretty Sally Sauvignon Blanc Estate](http://blog.michaelmurry.org/2009/08/16/2007-pretty-sally-sauvignon-blanc-estate/) that went perfect with the shrimp.

2007 Pretty Sally Sauvignon Blanc Estate

**2007 Pretty Sally Sauvignon Blanc Estate (Australia, Victoria)** The nose had apple, peach, minerals, and pear. The palate was sweet and tangy, and had melon, peach, and pear. (89 pts.)

Old World Vs. New World

Here are the [wines](http://www.cellartracker.com/event.asp?iEvent=8356) I tasted today:

* **2006 Smith & Hook Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands**
The nose had black currant, cherry, chocolate, spice, and vanilla. The palate was soft, rich, and juicy, and had black currant, spice, chocolate, and a nice clove finish. (91 pts.)
* **2004 Garretson Wine Company Syrah The Aisling - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles**
The nose had musty earth, raspberry, cherry, pepper, and spice. The palate was soft and slightly sweet, and had raspberry, smoke, earth, spice, and a good cherry finish. (91 pts.)
* **2006 Ferraton Père & Fils St. Joseph La Source - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph**
The nose had raspberry, cherry, and earth. The palate was smooth, and had stone, raspberry, cherry, and a dirty finish. (90 pts.)
* **2006 Château Clerc Milon - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac**
The nose had chocolate, creme brulee, black currant, and vanilla. The palate was smooth, and had cedar, black currant, and a chocolate finish. (90 pts.)
* **2006 Mount Eden Vineyards Pinot Noir Saratoga Cuvée - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains**
The nose had raspberry, blueberry, strawberry, and raw cookie dough. The palate was soft and had raspberry, blueberry, spice, forest floor, and a good vanilla finish. (89 pts.)
* **2005 Château Saint-André Corbin - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Georges-St. Émilion**
The nose had lots of toast and oak, leather, earth, and dark berries. The palate was smooth and had leather, earth, oak, raspberry, and a toasty finish. (88 pts.)
* **2006 Summers Winery Merlot Reserve - USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley**
The nose had wet leaves, bitter sweet chocolate, and raspberry. The palate was juicy, and had raspberry, earth, and a chocolate finish. (87 pts.)
* **2004 Surh Luchtel Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley**
The nose had manure, plum, raspberry, and a smoky finish. The palate was soft, and had smoke, barnyard, raspberry, and a good plum finish. (91 pts.)
* **2006 Château Clerc Milon - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac**
The nose had chocolate, creme brulee, black currant, and vanilla. The palate was smooth, and had cedar, black currant, and a chocolate finish. (90 pts.)

2006 Viña Calina Carménère Alcance

**2006 Viña Calina Carménère Alcance (Chile, Central Valley, Maule Valley)** The nose was earthy and fruity, with nice dark berries, a touch of pumpkin pie spice, and some vanilla. The palate was soft and spicy, and had lots of black raspberry and black cherry, and finished with a dirty oak flavor. (88 pts.)

2003 Domaine La Florane Côtes du Rhone Villages Visan Terre Pourpre

**2003 Domaine La Florane Côtes du Rhone Villages Visan Terre Pourpre (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhone Villages Visan)** The nose had cloves and dirt, some cherry and black currant, and a touch of oak on the back-end. The palate soft and juicy, and had dirt, cloves, cherry, black currant, vanilla, and a peppery finish. (89 pts.)

2006 Soos Creek Artist's Series #6

**2006 Soos Creek Artist's Series #6 (USA, Washington, Columbia Valley)** The nose had lots of chocolate covered raspberry, a bit of dirt, and some vanilla at the end. The palate rich and jammy, and had raspberry, chocolate, vanilla, and a nice earthy finish. (92 pts.)

Other Reds and Whites

Here are the [wines](http://www.cellartracker.com/event.asp?iEvent=8310) I tasted today:

* **2005 Robert Sinskey Vineyards Cabernet Franc Vandal Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Carneros**
The nose had lots of bramble, herbs, raspberry, and vanilla. The palate was smooth, and had dirt, herbs, raspberry, and a floral finish. (91 pts.)
* **2007 Terra Andina Carménère - Chile, Central Valley**
The nose had black currant, blackberry, peppercorns, and a little dirt at the end. The palate was rich and juicy, and had blackberry, black currant, and a peppery finish. (89 pts.)
* **2008 Mollydooker Verdelho The Violinist - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale**
The nose had honey, cantaloupe, cinnamon, and some floral notes at the end. The palate rich and creamy, and had peach, melon, spice, and a slight honey finish. (89 pts.)
* **2004 Bunan Bandol Moulin des Costes - France, Provence, Bandol**
The nose had berries, and a little vanilla. The palate was sodt, and had blackberry, spice, dirt, and peppery finish. (87 pts.)
* **2005 Cantine Due Palme Squinzano - Italy, Puglia, Squinzano**
The nose had plum, earth, and a little blackberry. The palate was slightly sweet, and had plum, dirt, spice, and a blackberry finish. (85 pts.)
* **2006 Poderi Luigi Einaudi Dolcetto di Dogliani - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Dolcetto di Dogliani**
The nose had black currant, vanilla, raspberry, and a little spice. The palate was a bit tart, and had black currant, oak, spice, and an earthy finish. (85 pts.)
* **2003 Conterno Fantino Barolo Sorì Ginestra - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo**
The nose had grilled tomatoes, smoked wood, cherry, plum, and a dirty finish. The palate was very tart, and had toasted oak, cherry, plum, herbs, and a spicy finish. (92 pts.)
* **2007 Robert Foley Pinot Blanc - USA, California, Napa Valley**
The nose had peach, floral notes, and some floral notes. The palate was crisp and clean, and had floral notes, peach, and a stony finish. (90 pts.)

2006 Fiddlehead Cellars Pinot Noir Seven Twenty Eight Fiddlestix

**2006 Fiddlehead Cellars Pinot Noir Seven Twenty Eight Fiddlestix (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills - Sta. Rita Hills)** The nose had cherry, nutmeg, raspberry, thyme, and vanilla. The palate was soft and juicy, with cherry, forest floor, spice, and a good raspberry and oak finish. (90 pts.)

California vs. Washington

Here are the [wines](http://www.cellartracker.com/event.asp?iEvent=8241) I tasted today:

* **2006 Two Angels Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley**
The nose had black currant, spice, cherry, and a little earth at the end. The palate was soft, and had black currant, spice, cherry, and a cedar finish. (91 pts.)
* **2005 Saint-Laurent Syrah mrachek vineyards - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Wahluke Slope**
The nose had black cherry, black currant, and espresso. The palate was soft and juicy, and had mocha, mint, black cherry, and black currant. (90 pts.)
* **2007 Shannon Ridge Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, North Coast, Lake County**
The nose had cherry, blueberry, and vanilla bean. The palate was rich and juicy, and had blueberry, spice, vanilla, and a cherry finish. (90 pts.)
* **2007 L'Ecole No. 41 Recess Red - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley**
The nose had had plum, toast, cherry, and a little dirt at the end. The palate was juicy and rich, and had spice, cherry, raspberry, and a tobacco finish. (89 pts.)
* **2007 Sunset Road Merlot Independent Producers - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley**
The nose had black currant, cherry, and a bit of dirt and oak and the end. The palate was a bit tannic, but good, and had black currant, earth, plum, and a cherry and oak finish. (87 pts.)
* **2004 Long Shadows Wineries Chester-Kidder - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley*
The nose had leather, cedar, graphite, blackberry, and some coffee at the end. The palate was soft and rich, and had blackberry, mocha, pencil lead, leather, and some cedar on the finish. (94 pts.)
* **2005 Ristow Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Quinta de Pedras - USA, California, Napa Valley**
The nose had blackberry, plum, cherry, and oak. The palate was rich and had espresso, blackberry, cherry, and a great chocolate finish. (94 pts.)

How The Ruling Class Works For Dummies

If you want a concise primer on how the ruling class functions, [this article](http://socialistworker.org/2009/07/29/who-does-obama-answer-to) will tell you everything you need to know.

>The Russian revolutionary Lenin nailed the real nature of this kind of "democracy" in his short book State and Revolution: "To decide once every few years which member of the ruling class is to repress and oppress the people through parliament--this is the real essence of bourgeois parliamentarism."

2003 Destino Cabernet Sauvignon

**2003 Destino Cabernet Sauvignon (USA, California, Napa Valley)** The nose had black currant and cherry, a little espresso, and some earth and vanilla at the end. The palate was rich and juicy, and had earth, black currant, oak, chocolate, and a good cherry finish. (90 pts.)

Spain vs. Portugal

Here are the [wines](http://www.cellartracker.com/event.asp?iEvent=8185) I tasted today:

* **N.V. Emilio Lustau Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Capataz Andres DeLuxe Cream Solera Reserva - Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry**
The nose had raisins, dates, and figs. The palate was sweet and smooth, and had dates, fig, and a raisin finish. (95 pts.)
* **2006 Niepoort Douro Vertente - Portugal, Douro**
The nose had raspberry, plum, cherry, and licorice. The palate was smooth, and had raspberry, plum, cherry, and a licorice finish. (92 pts.)
* **2004 Celler Marti Fabra Empordà Masia Carreras - Spain, Catalunya, Empordà**
The nose had smoke, leather, cherry, and raspberry. The palate was soft, and had cherry, wood, stone, and a raspberry finish. (90 pts.)
* **2007 Xarmant Arabako Txakolina - Spain, País Vasco, Arabako Txakolina**
The nose had orange, stone, and a little lemon zest. The palate had good acidity with lots of citrus fruit, and a mineral finish. (89 pts.)
* **2005 Bodegas Pintia (Vega-Sicilia) Toro Pintia - Spain, Castilla y León, Toro**
The nose had smoked meat, spice, cherry, and blackberry. The palate was soft, and had blackberry, meat, cherry, and a spicy finish. (93 pts.)
* **2003 Quinta do Portal Douro Grande Reserva - Portugal, Douro**
The nose had blackberry, cherry, plum, and cedar. The palate had dark chocolate and espresso, blackberry, and a dark cherry finish. (91 pts.)

2006 Soos Creek Ciel du Cheval Vineyard

**2006 Soos Creek Ciel du Cheval Vineyard (USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain)** The nose had black currant and cherry, a little chocolate, and a toasty oak finish. The palate was rich and thick, and had cherry, black currant, mocha, and a finish of pure vanilla. It was a little hot, but not enough to bother me. (92 pts.)

2006 Argyle Pinot Noir Reserve

**2006 Argyle Pinot Noir Reserve (USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley)** The nose had black cherry and forest floor, a touch of vanilla, and some woodsy herbs at the end. The palate was smooth, with a slight hint of sweetness, and had black cherry, a little raspberry and earth, and a good herbaceous finish. (87 pts.)

2005 Destino Chardonnay Russian River Valley

**2005 Destino Chardonnay Russian River Valley (USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley)** I used most of this bottle for cooking, but I did have a glass left over to taste. The nose was overloaded with butter and oak. It covered every other aroma there was, mainly stone and apple. The palate was a little better than the nose, as far as over the top oak and butter were concerned. It was crisp and clean, with apple and stone, and a light background of oak and butter. (87 pts.)

Blaming The Victim

Once again, the ruling class blames us for all the [trouble](http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/jul2009/pers-j18.shtml) this country is in.

> “Government programs alone won’t get our children to the Promised Land,” Obama declared. In other words, black workers can expect no significant social assistance from the Obama administration. Instead, Obama claimed that what is needed is “a new mind set, a new set of attitudes.”