Sublime Wine

You’re gonna love this…

Riddle me this, Batman. What do you get when you harvest grapes that just miss making the cut for a $500 bottle of Chateau Lafite Rothschild?

You get Barons de Rothschild Lafite Réserve Pauillac 2003, an amazing Bordeaux which is simply off the hook.

I was NOT expecting this in a $25 dollar bottle of Bordeaux. This wine was made during the heatwave 2003 year – an amazing vintage and one of the best years ever for Pauillac. This is a classic Claret Bordeaux, blended from 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot and a little Cabernet Franc.

This is smooth, rich, and fully structured Pauillac, nicely concentrated claret with velvety tannins and a never-ending liquorice finish. You’ll taste melting ripe cassis and black cherry fruit. Pair it with grilled steak, grilled breast of duck, or firm cheeses. Did I mention I loved it?

So what’s the deal?

How did this become such a big wine for such a little price?

Did you know “Rosebud” was a sled, because I thought… but I digress…

The story of why this wine is so awe-inspiring starts with the vines. The grapes were mostly sourced from Châteaux Lafite and Duhart-Milon. That’s right, the same vineyards where they grow the grapes for Chateaux Lafite Rothschild. And that’s exactly how you can get a taste of Grand Cru Bordeaux at a less than a tenth of the price. Told you you were gonna love this.

The Pauillac 411

Guess what. Most experts consider Pauillac as the best appellation of Bordeaux because it has three premiers Grands Crus classés (1st great growth) out of 5. Pauillac also has a totle of 18 grands crus classes.

The big Three of Pauillac are Château Lafite, Château Latour and Château Mouton-Rothschild. If you don’t know why this is important don’t sweat it, we’re going to cover this all in future posts, so stay tuned.

Pauillac wines are known to have a lot of body, and like most French reds they are tannic and acidity when they’re young… meaning they’re designed to age ten to fifteen years. Remember, when you are patient enough to age them properly Pauillac wines reward you with a whirlwind of aromas of blackcurrant and cedar that are, well… sublime.

Okay, party people, so now you know what to get me for my birthday. That’s right, a couple of cases of Barons de Rothschild Lafite Réserve Pauillac 2003.

Hey, did I mention I’ll be you bff?

Suz

OK Party People-
Forgive me for not posting in a while, but I promise this post will be worth the wait! I have got one great bottle for you to run out and get-but you have to put your leathers on, first. I am talking about Fetish Wines 2005 Barossa Valley Shiraz!

I found it at Costco, it was rated 91 points by Wine Spectator, and it was $14.99. It’s rich, delicious, and dammit-I only bought one bottle! Now I have to go get more. Do not let the twist top scare you away. The winemaker, Rolf Binder, is a genius!
Bring Out The Gimp!
Suzanne

It is 230 degrees outside. At 11:30 PM. For real.

I need something delicious and delightful, and served well chilled. I look in my fridge, and lo and behold, I see a bottle of Lillet with SERVE WELL CHILLED stamped across the label.

I don’t usually drink aperitifs, but this really hit the spot tonight. It has been around since 1887, so apparently it has hit the spot for a lot of other people, too. Lillet is made in Podensac, which is 20 miles south of Bordeaux. It is a blend of white wines, which is then blended with herbs and fruits. Ok, I don’t taste the herbs but I do taste the fruit-it’s as fruity as Ted Haggard in a massage parlor!

Besides being tasty, I love the label on the back. It reads: It is perfect for those special times when day turns to evening and evening turns to night! I think that is that is their way of saying politely “It is tacky to drink this before noon.”

I’m not going to lie to you. Lillet is OLD SCHOOL. I don’t think they are running out of it at Skybar anytime soon. But it is different, and it’s nice to have an aperitif every once in a while. So get yourself a bottle, stash it in your fridge, and enjoy! (But not for breakfast).
Cheers old school style,
Suzanne

Keep an eye (and an ear!) out for the next podcast coming your way…Suzanne and Kelly interview Danny Mantle, the National Sales Manager of Santino and Renwood Wineries. Danny explains why Zin is in, why their Zin is so delicioso, and he throws in a couple of great stories, to boot! So stay tuned…
Cheers!
Suzanne

Ok Party People,
If you haven’t listened to our last two podcasts on Sublime Wine Radio
you must go and listen RIGHT NOW! Kelly went to the Wine Cellar at the Rio in Las Vegas, and I was so jealous I decided to make a trip myself.

WOW. Kelly wasn’t kidding-this place is awesome! Although you are in the middle of a casino, you completely lose yourself as you descend down the stairs into a beautiful, cool, QUIET, and calm wine cellar. The high energy and stress of the casino melt away as you take a seat and begin pouring over the wine menu. (No pun intended.)

I was greeted by Peter Keegan, a wonderful, knowlegeable, and funny guy who knows his stuff when it comes to wine. Instead of ordering off the menu, I asked Peter if he would be so kind as to give us his own ideas of a great tasting. He set up our glasses and started pouring. Our favorite of all time (I bought a bottle) was an amazing bottle-D.R. Stephens 2003 Moose Valley Vineyard Cabernet from Napa Valley. It retails for around $110.00 a bottle, and boy is it worth every penny. This cabernet is smooth and chocolately with a little bit of berry at the end…sigh…as one of my guests that came with me said, “This is a F&#@! nice glass of wine!”
After you check out the winery’s website, be sure and check out their link to find where you can find their wines in your area.

Another great bottle we tried was Corte Riva ‘04 Merlot from St. Helena. At $50.00 a bottle, this would make a great gift (for me) or just something really awesome to have with a steak. Their website describes it as “It opens with a dense aroma of cedar cassis, black cherry and blackberry with a long powerful finish of coffee and dark chocolate. This huge expressive Merlot has good structure, supple integrated oak and great balance. ”

I couldn’t have worded it better. That is why I copied their description. Also, it was rated a 91 by Wine Advocate. Get your hands on a bottle and enjoy!

PLEASE get your butt down to the Wine Cellar ASAP and ask for Peter. He can answer any questions you may have about the wine you are drinking, and will turn you on to some fabulous new wines that you would have never experienced otherwise.
After you go to the Wine Cellar, let me know how much you loved it!
Cheers!
Suz

Ok, Party People, I am officially TWISTED! I am OBSESSED!
I AM IN LOVE WITH TWISTED OAK WINERY!

It is Sublime Wine’s Soul Mate…cursing, joking, GREAT WINE, rubber chickens…and did I mention great wine?

Yesterday SublimeWineRadio went to the LA WineFest and met one of the Great Ones, Boy Brainard. He is the OFFICIAL Wine Pimp of Twisted Oak Winery.
Keep checking the blog and our podcast for the most awesome interview ever. Twisted Oak is as fun as their wine is delicious. Also, check out their blog it will kick your ass!

Speaking of ass kicking, (or kissing, in my case) if you love PIRATES as much as I do, here is the link to their Pirate Party on August 18th-Kelly and I are going to try our best to get on our pirate outfits and get up there to be a part of this crazy event.

Back to their wines…we sampled their Verdelho, a crisp, delicious, nasty little white wine that will make you want more. Their reds kick ass, but you will have to listen to the podcast to hear about those…because I could go on for days. But in the meantime, if you want to get to your HAPPY PLACE , check out all the amazing award winning wines they have to offer. I promise, you will love them as much as I do!

Glug Glug and ARRRRGGHHHH!
Suzanne

As I was strolling the grounds of the Getty today, I stopped by a little cafe that sold sandwiches and salads and beer and wine. “Wine would be perfect right now!” I thought. It was a beautiful afternoon, and a little glass of Chardonnay would really hit the spot.

I chose the 2006 Blackstone Chardonnay, and let me tell ya, people, it was really good! Crisp and citrusy, this was really an enjoyable glass. I made a mental note to look it up when I got home.

This bottle retails for under ten bucks! What a score! If you are a white wine drinker and looking for something very reasonably priced, go for this Chardonnay-you won’t be disappointed!

Blackstone is in Monterey (I feel a road trip coming on!) and you can check out their website online at www.blackstonewinery.com.
Their ‘05 Chardonnay won the Bronze at the 2006 California State Fair Wine Competition-so grab a bottle of that one if you can, too!

As the summer temperatures soar, you can bet your sweet ass I’ll be stocking up on this myself!

Glug Glug,
Suz

Sublime Wine Radio, our new wine Podcast is finally here. You can find it at www.SublimeWineRadio.com along with links so you can subscribe to the upcoming shows.

The first episode is all about The Wine Art of Rose, and includes an incredible interview with wine guru, “Dan The Man.”

Upcoming wine podcasts are “Wine Gadgets,” a two-part interview with the General Manager of “The Wine Cellar at The Rio Hotel and Casino,” and a great show with Nick Palumbo of “The Palumbo Family Winery.”

You can also get the Sublime Wine podcast at iTunes,Podcast Alley, or your favorite podcast directory.

Also — MOST IMPORTANT — we want to do shows that you want to listen to… so PLEASE comment and let us know what wine 411 you want. Please let us know how you like the show - our goal is to have fun while we all learn a little more about wine.

Cheers,

Suzanne & Kelly

Hi Party People!
Hold on to your britches (and bitches)! Because Sublime Wine Radio is going to the LA Wine Fest this Sunday, July 1st at the beautiful Queen Mary in Long Beach California. You can check out this event and get your tickets at LA Wine Fest.

This may come as a shock, but we will be drinking, interviewing different wineries and vendors, and hopefully terrorizing all the snobby wine drinkers as we podcast our way through four hours of wine tasting. Show notes will be found with the podcast at Sublime Wine Radio.

If you are already planning on going to the LA Wine Fest, stop by our table and say Hi!

My son is finishing preschool in two days. This afternoon we went to a pool party to celebrate the class “Graduation.” The lovely Mom who hosted the party confided in me that she totally lost it at school today and scared one of the kids because she was crying so hard. She told me she went home and had a glass of wine (ok, two) and then she felt much better.

I thought, how great is that? First, I loved that she could share that with me. Second, who HASN’T needed a glass of wine before 5 at some point or another? Speaking of which, it’s 3:30 and I could use one myself right now. Family can do that to you, sometimes.

My point is that we all need a break now and then. Sometimes an afternoon glass of wine can get us through the 27th game of Go Fish or Monopoly. When the water heater breaks down, the kids are fighting over which side of the couch they get to sit on, or the dog craps all over the carpet, take a deep breath. Pour yourself a little glass of wine. Don’t be hard on yourself, just enjoy it.

I have a feeling that on Friday, when my little guy walks away from his preschool for the last time, I will be a blubbering mess. I am going to take my new friend’s advice, and pour me a glass of something fabulous when I get home. Then I will challenge my little dude to a game of Go Fish.

Glug Glug,
Suz