Wine Life - Houston

      For my birthday, my husband and I went with some friends to Brasserie 19 , a relatively new restaurant on West Gray in River Oaks. From the moment that we stepped out of the car at the valet stand, we received fantastic service, starting with enthusiastic greetings from the staff working the patio to the instantaneous seating at our reserved time and continued care at the table throughout dinner. The entire restaurant remained full during our time there.      Having eaten many times at the Tony Mandola restaurant that was at this location prior to this restaurant opening, I was pleased to see a new brightness in the decor. A glass window looked into the room where the cold seafood platters were prepared and it all looked delicious. There had been a chef change since we had made our reservation. Chef Michael Gaspard, who we love from the Pappas Wine Dinners had designed the menu but Chef Antoine Ware, formerly of Catalan, was now running the kitchen. The wine list arrived in the

      TGIC Importers hosted a tasting of some of their best wines at The Tasting Room-Uptown on Wednesday evening. On hand were some of the winemakers and winery representatives to answer questions about the various selections. With a line up of over twenty wines, the stand outs for me were the offerings from Montes USA. Winemaker Jorge Gutierrez was pouring tastes of four new wines being produced in Napa Valley and Paso Robles. Originally from Chile, Jorge is now enjoying living in California and was quite passionate about Montes' new wines.       The 2006 Napa Angel Reserve is primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with some Syrah. The grapes were sourced from various vineyards in Yountville, Coombsville and Oak Knoll. The higher end, Napa Angel "Aurelio's Selection" is 100% Cabernet sourced from premium vineyards in Oak Knoll and Yountville.      The two wines from Paso Robles were the 2007 Star Angel which is 100% Syrah and the higher end 2007 Star Angel "Aurelio'

     Another fantastic wine from our dinner party line-up! The 2007 Opus One Napa Valley Red Wine is a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec.      In the glass, the wine was a deep, dark ruby. It had pronounced aromas of mixed blackberries and raspberries, earthy forest floor and a bit of smokiness. It was well-structured with a full body, high acidity and sweet, ripe tannins with flavors of the same mixed berries, licorice and espresso in the long finish.       Another wine that is not on my everyday drinking list at approximately $180 a bottle. However, when you are looking to splurge on a complex drinker, it is an absolutely outstanding wine!

     Over the weekend, I was fortunate enough to enjoy some special Napa Valley wines. I will be posting my tasting notes for each one separately. My absolute favorite was the 2007 Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa Valley Estate Grown Red Wine. This was brought by one of our guests for a dinner party my husband and I hosted. This wine is a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot.      It was a deep purple in the glass and it had pronounced black fruit aromas with violet floral notes and a slight bit of dried herbs. Smooth was my first thought upon tasting it. It was full bodied with high acidity and silky tannins which were  perfectly balanced by the rich flavors of blackberry, creme de cassis and dark chocolate. It had a long, dark fruit finish.      Absolutely outstanding++! At approximately $180 a bottle, it is not your everyday drinker but it is definitely a truly fantastic wine.

     This 2007 Nickel & Nickel 100% Merlot is sourced from the Harris Vineyard which is located in the western Oakville area of Napa Valley. Appearance: Clear, deep, dark ruby Nose: Pronounced aromas of red fruit-raspberries, strawberries and cherries with smokey cedar. Palate: Full body, medium acidity and medium+ sweet, ripe tannins. Concentrated dark berry flavor with vanilla and a bit of nutmeg. Finish: Long Quality: Very Good+ Price: $45 related post: 2006 Nickel & Nickel Kelham Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

My husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary this weekend with a bottle of 2002 Moet & Chandon "Dom Perignon" Champagne. It was spectacular as expected. Appearance: Clear, pale gold with long-lasting pin-point bubbles. Nose: Pronounced floral aromas of jasmine with juicy nectarine and pineapple with a bit of flint. Palate: Dry, full-bodied, crisp acidity with flavors of brioche, peach and honey. Length: Long Quality: Outstanding            Price: $135