Spent an hour of my day at a Rodney Strong tasting (details to follow on the On the Road with the Grape Guy blog), where we did some blending from their 2009 vintage (more on that in a minute) ... then it was off to the Old Mill to listen to Peter Appleyard (vibes) and Dick Hyman (piano) as part of the FM91 jazz concert series ... these two octogenarians put on quite the show. Dinner was a nice piece of panko crusted cheese stuffed chicken and I decided to order a bottle of Chilean Merlot to pair with it. The Vina La Rosa 2009 La Palma Merlot was just what the doctor ordered, simple yet satisfying: the nose was blackberry with a touch of mint; the palate proved to be very juicy, full of black fruit (black cherry) and soft tannins - a good match for the chicken.
Upon my arrival home I poured a glass from a half bottle of the blend I made this afternoon from the Rodney Strong 2009 fruit; my approximate blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 10% Malbec and 5% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot seems to be hitting the right spot so late in the evening. The chocolate notes from the Cab Sauv meld well with the raspberry and spice ... granted, maybe I have a little too much tannin on the finish, making the wine a little angular, but the nose and mid-palate are lovely. It's the first ever Grape Guy blend - and probably the last. Now it's time for bed ...
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