Cabernet Franc itch is scratched!

So tonight we decided to scratch John's Cab Franc itch, and we had it with marinated and grilled tri-tip and grilled asparagus. We drank the Andrew Rich 2004 Cabernet Franc, and our tasting notes are below.

John P: A simple and not complex or deep, multi-level wine. Pepper is dominant on the palate, along with the dark cherry and/or blackberry that is common in red wines. It is a medium bodied red, and I'd consider it a light-medium bodied wine overall. Its light on the tannins, so its a wine thats easy to drink, and it would be a wine that you'd want to drink sooner than later. Overall, I'd say its a 7/10. Its a good wine, especially for an everyday kind of drinker. You don't need a special occasion to drink this. A Thursday night BBQ is reason enough, especially when you're not in the mood for a delicate Pinot Noir or a big, bold Cabernet Sauvignon.

Sirpa P: Nice acidity, which might not always be noticed in a red wine... luscious, chocolate/blackberry nose... maybe a touch of mocha, if you really take it in. Perhaps the greatest part of this wine is the way that it could easily pair with a wide array of things, but happened to go particularly well with marinated and charcoal grilled tri-tip. What I really want to put out there, overall: if you see this wine, check it out. Cab franc is typically a blending wine, and having the opportunity to taste the wine on its own is incredible... I would also put my vote in for trying petite verdot on it's own as well, but that's another page in the book. :)

Overall.... definitely will have to do this one again!

Then, because we were still in the mood for more wine as we were watching The Office, we decided to drink an endcap special from the local grocer. Wow, what a bomb of tannics, acid, and alcohol. There was almost no fruit to be found. It was the exact opposite of Boones Farm wines, which are sweet and fruity. You can definitely tell the difference between a winemaker who cares about his craft (Andrew Rich) and one that just doesn't care. This wine was really hard to drink, even as a second bottle of the night.

Link to Andrew Rich

A Cab and a Chard, all in the same night.

Yesterday, I was really in the mood for a Cabernet Franc. I'm not sure why I was in the mood for this, but it just sounded really tasty. Unfortunately, what we had for dinner (chicken and rice) didn't really pair well with red, so we decided to drink a 2000 Cristom Chardonnay. We don't really have Chardonnay very often, and the 2000 Cristom is about all we have in inventory right now. Cristom only has 4.5 acres out of their 65 acres planted with Chardonnay, so its a very minor part of their wine selection. Their Pinot Noirs are very big (for a Pinot) and the ones we have are going to be stored for a while. The Cristom Pinot Gris is one of the best I've had, and was one of the first wines I drank that I really enjoyed. I think the Cristom Pinot Gris and the King Estate Domaine Pinot Gris are the wines that got me into wine.

But I digress, so back to last night. The Chardonnay was a good drinker. It wasn't overly complex, and not very oaky, so it was a really great Tuesday night wine with dinner. I'm not usually a fan of Chardonnay, as they are usually to oaky and big. The way most Oregon Chardonnays are made though, they are lighter and usually fermented in stainless steel. The Cristom is oak-fermented, but it is still a good example of how I would make Chardonnay.

After dinner, and friend came over and we had a bottle of 2005 Erin Glenn Cabernet Sauvignon. I'm not usually a fan of Cab due to the high tannins, but Erin Glenn makes a Cab that is easy to drink, even for a guy like me with a "delicate" palate. This wine is definitely on the lighter end of the Cab spectrum, which I appreciate. It was a wine that was easy to drink on its own, and did not need food to go with it. Again, it wasn't a super complex wine, but a very drinkable, and very good wine overall.

Sometimes you don't have to have the most complex and superb wine to enjoy a dinner and nice evening with friends. A good bottle (or 2), good food, and good friends are all you need.

Link to Cristom

Link to Erin Glenn