Week End...Thank Goodness!

What a week I have had. I feel like work kicked into overdrive this week, leaving me working all hours of the day and night. In addition, my internship is gaining momentum, and my son was the proud recipient of a stomach virus during the first 3 days of the week, and then has smoothly transitioned into being severely affected by an ear infection, which he now has medicine to help battle through. I know things are outrageously busy when I don't have the time or energy to think about wine, which is exactly what happened this week. As I drove home from work today I made plans to open a mini bottle of port my parents got for me when they toured Portugal a couple years back. I was excited to taste and post about this port, but when the time came when I could sit down and sip a glass of port I didn't have the energy to go there. I am too tired to drink wine, port, or anything other than water. I hope to have the energy to try the port tomorrow. Here's to hoping my son doesn't cry off and on for hours throughout the night!

But I do have a wine I have been wanting to post about for almost a week now. Last Saturday afternoon Jessi and I went to my new favorite wine shop for their regular Saturday afternoon tasting. They billed it as a Northwest wine tasting, so I was going hoping to taste a variety of different Washington wine producer. What we got was a tasting of Columbia Crest, Chateau Ste. Michelle, and Col Solare wines. I have to admit that once I saw the producers my excitement waned to some extent. So I feel obligated to state that, overall, these wines were significantly better than I anticipated they would be. When it was time for Jessi and I to leave we had the pleasant problem of choosing between a few very solid choices for a party we were attending later that evening. In the end we decided to go with Chateau Ste. Michelle's 2005 Indian Wells Cab Sav. The most noticeable feature of this wine was definitely its' color. WOW. This wine exhibited one of the darkest hues of inky black/purple I have ever seen. The color alone kept me captivated as I drank a couple glasses of this wine. The color was not the only characteristic worthy of note with this wine. The nose smelled of rich blueberry, and the mouth feel can only be described as interestingly weighty; 30 weight motor oil came to mind (although I don't recommend doing a taste comparison which includes motor oil of any kind)! The flavor was solid, with hints of dark chocolate on the edges. This wine was moderately dry with solid tannins, which felt appropriate for the amount of fruit this wine brought to the table. I need to let you know, this wine isn't a crowd pleaser. It is like that socially awkward uncle who most of the family works hard to avoid, but who has a lot to offer for those who take the time to engage in conversation with him. At 14 dollars I don't suggest running out and getting a case, (and if are an acquaintance of mine there is a good chance you haven't bought a case of anything other than coke, pepsi, or Alaskan Amber in your life), but if you want to see one of the most intriguingly colored wines I have laid eyes on then grab a bottle to ponder the next time you plan on sitting down with a few close friends and contemplating anti-matter, black holes, theological paradoxes, or old baseball statistics.