The Nine

So, I am going to start posting here and there, and eventually this blog will gain an identity. Last night, we had several bottles of wine. First off, we had the Roederer Estate Brut, because Carrie likes to have some bubbly. Well, a bit of history - Roederer used to be my favorite, but then I started to get heartburn each time, and I eventually went on Prilosec because of it. Since then, we have moved on to other Sparkling wines/Champagnes that I have liked better, so it was interesting to return to it. Well, even though I take Prilosec every day, the same old reaction happened. My face turned pretty red - I looked like Landry. Carrie even had to take a Zantac. So, we stopped and I just cooked with the rest.

Next was the Willamette Valley Pinot Gris. It got like an 88 from WS, and we always like it. Last night, we had put it outside instead of the fridge to get it cold, and accidentally got it too cold. After it warmed up and opened up, it was as solid as always. It went well with the cheese we had, which was some sort of Camembert knockoff from Georgia - we got it at Zingermans. But yeah, if you see it, try a bottle - it isn't as good as the MacMurray Pinot Gris, but still a good time.

Then, so help me, we had our first bottle of the 9. Marquis Phillips. 2003. WS 92. We found it on sale for $29 a couple of weeks back (!), so we figured we would drink it soon since we have had an '03 9 on the rack since Carrie's B-Day last year. Also, half our rack is Australian reds because they are easier to find and cheaper and they get good scores. Fact is, we slowed up on Australian reds because they all have the same story - the first drink makes you say "Wow!" because it is so huge. It pairs great with a steak. It has plenty of fruit, especially plum. Maybe even a hint of chocolate or coffee. And the 9 was no exception (it even paired well with the cheese we get from Whole Foods that is dusted with chocolate.) To have Australian reds with steak all the time is like watching nothing but Spielberg films. They are really entertaining, hit the spot, and are very friendly for the masses. In fact, Australian reds are a great place to start getting into the rest of the wine world, assuming you are starting with California. However, we are just in a place where we are intrigued by the different terroirs of the world. Drinking the 9 was like, hey - this is good crowd pleasing stuff. Plenty of surprises and in-your-face action. But we just think that having a Pauillac with the steak that has had some time in the bottle is more rewarding. Or, pairing braised short ribs with a Spanish Garnacha, or lamb with a French Bandol, that is where we are headed in our wine drinking at this point.

Now, that is not to say that there is anything wrong with big Australian reds. All in all, we really enjoyed the 9, and can't wait to drink our other bottle in 2013 after we send the kids off to Mom's house. It is just, we have had French and California wines from today as well as the seventies and eighties, and finally are getting to a point where we can have some of the bottles we have cellared. We understand the change that happens in the bottle for those wines, and what it means to have a 1987 or a 1997 cab, versus a 2007 cab. With the Australians, we haven't had a red that has been in the bottle for 15 years to say, hey, I really get the Australian terroir and how this developed over time. So we have decided to just let them sit on the rack for a couple of years - let them get that time in the bottle, see what happens. We are excited about it. But, when we cracked open that 9 last night, it reminded us why we are gonna leave the finer Australians alone for now and revisit them in a few years.