2000 Yalumba Bush Vine Barossa Grenache

[Drew]

Celebrating Memorial Day with the usual fare of burgers, cole slaw, potato salad and baked beans with jalapeno peppers.
Clear dark ruby. Spicy plum and cherry scents. Flavors of black cherry, plum, dark chocolate and pepper spice. Medium weight in the mouth with a long finish that's a little hot. Not as good as the '97 but almost. 14%Alc/vol. $12. The first bottle was returned to Coastal Wine and Spirits due to the mouth of the bottle being out of round which caused the cork to allow air into the bottle causing oxidation. Sally, the owner, exchanged without hesitation. She's a friendly woman, who loves to talk, and runs a nice wine shop. Visit her if you're in the area. 12 miles north of Rehobeth Beach, Del. on Rt.1. Nice selection of hard to find Oz wines, Bordeaux and California Cabs.

Drew

[This message has been edited by Drew (edited 05-27-2002).]

[Innkeeper]

Another Yalumba. 1999 Yalumba, Barossa, Shiraz ($13.99 Southern Hemisphere Wines). Weighs in at 14% alcohol. Absolutely fantantasic shiraz from Oz. A very well balanced wine that shows a blast of fruit including blackberries and plums on the nose and the front of the tongue. On the palate you get more fruit, lots of spice, a nice shot of oak, and smooth tannin across the palate. The finish is four alarm. Mother wanted me to trash all our other shiraz/syrahs. I wouldn't of course, but the point is well taken.

Matched it with oven broiled lamb loin chops with salad. Couldn't grill them as it was cool and damp outside. Understand it was 110 in Phoenix today. Anyway it was a great match. Try it, you'll like it.

[This message has been edited by Innkeeper (edited 06-16-2002).]

[winoweenie]

It's A DRY Heat!!! WW [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img]

[Innkeeper]

Popped the second bottle of the shiraz last night with mint mayonnaise marinated lamb leg cutlets. The wine married perfectly. It is an incredible wine for fourteen bucks. Will definitely put it on the list for future purchases.

Incidentally had to broil the lamb, even though we had chips soaked for grilling. It was too cold and damp again!!!!! Hopefully will be able to grill Father's Day steak tonight.

[winoweenie]

Put 4 slabs of gorgus short-ribs on the smoker and then transferred to the grill to finish.Made a 1/2 gallon of my famous (limited to the 1700 block of Lawrence Lane ) sauce and dug in. Had yesterday with some Corona Lights, BUT just opened my last bottle of 97 Hendry Block 7 Napa Zin for todays repast. Don't mistake that large glow in the west with the setting sun,,,,That's the weeners smile from gettin' offn' that @$#%&))^%$ Sabbatical. Life is Good. WW [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img]

[hotwine]

IK, I've gotta ask - how can it get so cold and wet that you can't cook outside? A little rain doesn't hurt, and a little wind just keeps the fire ventilated. Guess I've gotten so spoiled by South Texas weather that I take it for granted that it's possible to cook any ol' time we feel like it. Got a little shower while I was grillin' the burgers last night, and they didn't mind at all. It gets kinda sporting in a real downpour, but we don't get many of those. Cooked once last year during a tropical storm, or maybe it was the year before. We don't mind, we're saying thanks for every drop. But I am thinking about being real optimistic about the prospects for heavy rain this year, and building a pavillion over the barbecue pit.

[Innkeeper]

Well, when it's been in the 50'sF all day, and pouring rain at the same time, it is no time to grill in Maine. We did manage to scrape away all the soggy remains of charcoal ash and grill away tonight.