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2006 John Anthony Cabernet at the BRC Gastropub

     Last week, we went with some friends to the BRC Gastropub which is located on Shephard south of Washington Avenue. They had a full house so we went to the bar. Everyone was pretty set on some kind of beef entree so we started with a bottle of the 2006 John Anthony Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. 
     This wine is 100% Cabernet, reasonably priced on their menu and truly delicious. It had intense aromas of ripe blackberries with some vanilla and a bit of dried herb. The blackberry/ black cherry flavors were dominant but didn't overpower. It was well-balanced with 14.5% abv, medium+ acidity and heavy tannins ending is a mineral-laced long dry finish.
     We were seated pretty quickly considering the crowd. We started with the Pickle Jar appetizer and the Blue Crab Beignets (fried crab fritters). My entree was the boneless short rib with blue cheese potato salad, my husband had the chicken-fried steak sandwich (which is potato chip crusted pan-fried tenderloin) and sour cream mashed potatoes and both of our friends got the Pub burger with cheddar (with which you can never go wrong). The service was excellent. Everyone felt the wine was an exceptional complement to their meal so we ended up getting a second bottle.
     A great weekday evening; good wine, good food and good friends!
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