Gumbo and Grenache

Late this afternoon we went to Susan’s for a nice tasting of d’Arenberg wines from Australia - we tried first two whites: Stump Jump White, a blend of Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Roussane, and Marsanne that was quite tasty and had better acidity than most Oz whites; then The Hermit Crab, a blend of Viognier and Marsanne, which gets its name from the calcareous soils formed by the remains of crustacean, it also was tasty and balanced. Then on to the reds - first the Stump Jump Red, a GSM (Grenache, Shiraz & Mourvedre) blend - that was tasty and not over-done like a lot of Oz wines; next was The Custodian Grenache - 100% McClaren Vale slightly spritzy on first taste, but with good fruit; next was the High Trellis Cabernet, a 100% McClaren Vale wine, from some of the first vineyards to be trellised above knee height in the late 19th century, it had more fruit and less herbal notes than most Cabs; we finished with The Laughing Magpie, a blend of Shiraz and 6% Viognier, tasty but not as rich or good as the Ridge (13% viognier) that we had last night. That could well have been because of the age difference.

Then we came back home and had a nice chicken, oyster, and okra gumbo with a 1999 Ridge Grenache (17% Zinfandel) Lytton Estate - fill just below the capsule; bright, clear dark ruby in color; rich nose and flavors of spicy red and black fruit; rich fruity mid-palate with good balanced acidity; and a medium long dark fruit finish; very tasty with the gumbo. Then for dessert we had Chaumes, Cravanzina, Robiola, and Affinois goat brie with mixed nuts and TJ’s Jumbo Raisin Medley. Dessert wine was a 1998 Ferrari-Carano ‘El Dorado Gold’ a 50/50 blend of late harvest Semillion and Sauvignon Blanc from Dry Creek Valley - dark yellow gold in color; no real signs of oxidization; rich candied white fruits in nose and flavors; rich, fruity mid-palate with good acidity; and a medium long fruity finish; it was surprisingly nice with the cheeses and accompaniments.

I wanna be Dick Krueger when I grow up.

Dick Krueger never grew up.

OR got tall