Tonight’s dinner was Rustichella di Abruzzo Fettucine with rock shrimp sautéed in Meyer lemon-infused olive oil, garlic, SI Salad herbs, & a little SI Spicy Seafood Seasoning and finished with TJ’s red pepper, eggplant & garlic sauce. It was quite tasty with a 2002 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel - little penetration into the cork; dark garnet ruby in color; rich nose and flavors of both black and red fruit, with earthy, spicy undertones; balanced dark fruit mid-palate; and a medium long spicy dark fruit finish.
Then for dessert while watching TiVo’d shows we had a reprise of last night’s dried fruit and nuts; tonight with an interesting 1999 Elyse Late-Harvest Viognier Skellinger Ranch, Napa Valley. This wine we had enjoyed at the winery and bought a six-bottle ‘case’. A couple years later when we tried one, it was lacking in fruit and had a bitter finish. Tonight the bitterness was gone and the secondary fruit and balance were enjoyable with the raisins and nuts. It was a nice surprise.