Stuff I drank Recently - or the good the bad and the Candidato

I have had very mixed results in my latest quaffings but some highlights, and low lights, are listed below.

Jumilla Juan Gill GOS Monastrell 2004 - big fruit bomb from a Parker fave, this wine will get more play in my house during summer grilling season but certainly worth having a couple of bottles kicking around now - BCLDB #195834 $12.99

Jumilla - Hijo de Juan Gill 2003 - the big brother of the above wine and it is huge - tastes like they crammed 2 bottles into one, huge red fruits but good length and carries robust food well. Might be a tad overpriced at $24.99 but still worth the buy, a drink or hold wine. BCLDB #195859.

Jumilla - Panarroz 2003 - made by the famous Bodegas Olivares this is another Parker fave, with lots of silky fruit and soft tannins, of course it's a Parker fave because it retails for less than $7-9 in the US, at $15.90 here I'm on the fence for value but it is a beautifully crafted "New World" red. BCLDB #198879.

3 good Spanish Reds so I pressed my luck on

Candidato Bodegas Martin Bujandez Tinto Oro 2002 - awful, stinky no fruit and we couldn't even finish the bottle. One week later I saw that it had been reduced in price to $7.99 but even at that price it isn't worth it. BCLDB #523811

Speaking of price reductions the benevolent MotherShip has done a few 25% mark downs this month but for the most part they aren't really worth the money even after discount ( see comments for more buyer beware) but a couple of wines worth buying are:

Ribiero del Duero Crianza 2001 - Legaris - this boutique end of the giant Codornui company produces lovely "New World" Tinta Fina and is on sale for $18.99. BCLDB #114108

Douro Esteva - Ferreira 2001 - nice soft tannins and black fruits make this a very nice everyday quaffer on sale for $9.49. BCLDB #537126

And for the big ticket:

Rioja Gran Reserva - Marques de Riscal 1998 - from one of Rioja's great estates this wine is drinking superbly now and will hold nicely for another 2 years (but better now I think), complex aromas of cedar, spice and ripe red fruits with a still evident backbone of American Oak and a long, almost dusty finish. This wine cries out for grilled meats or Sunday roast and is a steal at $39.99 ( I hardly ever call $39.99 a steal). BCLDB #476523.

On another interesting sidenote I recently drank white wine with dinner, Raclette which deserves its' own post:

Pfaffenheim Riesling 2003 - 2003 was the record hot weather vintage in Europe and this riesling is a good example of bone dry Alsatian white. Lemon peel and vaseline on the nose this wine has excellent weight and lovely minerally, smoky, apple-lime flavours. It was great with the raclette and would also be great with roast poultry or spicy Asian dishes.

Enough for now, I have to phone Pete's daughter to have her tell me where "Daddy hid the Note Bene" before Sunday.

Election Day Dream

It is federal election day here in Canada and a dark cloud looms over the land. The forces of Sauron, oops I mean the Conservative party, appear poised to rip power away from the old King and turn Paul Martin into this generation's John Turner.

The stench of corruption from the Gomery report seems to outweigh relative prosperity, a balanced budget, and the fact that many of the Conservative candidates wear hooded white robes to late night party meetings. It seems certain to me that we will soon be lead by a man whose major political move in the campaign was to wear a turtleneck - but I have a dream.

In my dream the Tory minority must rely on the vote from a single independent MP on a non confidence vote. Playing the role of Chuck Cadman in this scenario will be Svend Robinson. Svend, having triumphed over Hedy Fry by a single vote because Hedy and her secretary forgot to vote while shoe shopping, has left the NDP caucus because Jack Layton has insisted in changing the party name to "The Pirates of the Caribbean" and taking to referring to himself as Cap'n Jack aaargh.

Oh to be a fly on the wall in that meeting.

I'll post about wine a little later this week.

Word of the day

Occasionally words just sing out to me so once in a while I will post a word of the day.

From dictionary.com today's word is:

shill - One who poses as a satisfied customer, or an enthusiastic gambler, to dupe bystanders into participating in a swindle.