WELCOME BACK TO THE K & J SESSIONS! We're back--as promised--to review the wine we wished we had last week. It would be nice to say that all wine is good wine because it's still wine, but that reasoning doesn't work in this case. Not every bottle can be the Mas Belles eau Les Coteaux:
Which we're out of. For obvious reasons.
THIS WEEK'S WINE: 2006 MEDALLA REAL SANTA RITA CABERNET SAUVIGNON
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K: I'm in a much better mood tonight. Just the scent of that cork is enough.
J: I am SO SORRY...I started without you. I couldn't help it.
K: Blasphemy! Fine, go ahead--at least give me your impression of the scents before I get to taste it.
J: This is going to sound weird, but it smells like smoky oak campfire in a pine forest.
K: Not weird at all. I think it smells like the inside of a cedar chest. And fresh spices; like the woody part of a sprig of rosemary. Actually, an Asian food sweetness jumps out too--like a sweet soy.
J: I'm not getting any berries at all.
K: Nope.
FIRST SIP (or, at least K's first sip)
K: It actively tastes like the inside of the cedar chest, too. Don't get me wrong--this is a good thing. It makes my mouth water so much, I can't nail anything else down at the moment.
J: It's just every kind of wood. Still no berries. It is velvety in a completely different way--it's the texture AND the scent of it. Like dusty, luxurious fabric. Think of finding a velveteen Christmas dress from when you were little--
K: In a cedar chest!
J: That's it exactly!
K: Lots of exclamation points tonight. I also get a little graphite on the finish--and now, two glasses in--a tiny bit of blueberry added to that. Despite our little girl party dress reference, I think this wine is very masculine.
J: There's lots of juicy acidity in it, but I think it works so well with the smoky oak and cedar. It's like a handsome man in an overcoat and cashmere scarf.
K: It's a Don Draper of a wine. It's suave and seductive upfront, but as the wine opens up, there are untold nuances and layers and flavors coming out. Even now, it's still changing--the oak has become a little sweet, the tannin is softer.
J: I would drink this wine with some sort of nutty cheese. Actually Spanish cheese--and more specifically, Manchego. And a hot baguette.
K: Or the Murcia al Vino--the "drunken goat" cheese. It's goat cheese that has been soaked in red wine. It's so unbelievably good.
J: You mentioned "Asian" scents, would you pair this with Asian food?
K: Yup. Noodles. Teriyaki steak. Damn near anything off the menu at Sushi House. Which seems contradictory, because I like white with Japanese food--Pinot Blanc, Gewurztraminer, off-dry Riesling.
J: So this is an all-around recommendation from us. I understand why this was #57 on the Wine Spectator top wines of 2009.
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Our Wine Spectator AND K&J recommended Chilean Cabernet is under $20...come pick up a bottle before everyone else figures out how good it is.
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