Chances are, dear readers, that I will not be posting anytime soon. This is on account of law school finals, upon which–like a red wheelbarrow–so much depends. But, I fully expect to post with more regularity after April 30, a date which happens not only to be the day of my last final but also the day of my birth, 26 years prior.
This post won’t be one of my long narrative spiels but rather a placemarker for a few wines I feel I should record for perpetuity. The first I purchased for the occasion of James’s (of The Eaten Path fame) visit to DC: the 2006 Mas de Daumas Gassac from the Languedoc ($49.99). This wine is billed as “The Grand Cru of the Languedoc” and contains merlot, cabernet franc, tannat and pinot noir, as well as a collection of Italian grapes (nebbiolo, barbera and dolcetto), chardonnay, viognier, chenin blanc, petit manseng, marsanne, roussanne, sercial, muscat and more. It’s a crazy wine, and I was aching to try it.
I decanted it for about half an hour and eagerly took a sip. Honestly, I would like to say that the wine was stellar–given the price–but I don’t know if I’d pay $49.99 for the bottle again. Granted, it was very young–the label said it could age for 7-25 years!–but I was expecting a bit more oomph. The nose was bigger than the, er, bite, smelling of huge dark fruit and berries. It was a pale color and a bit thin, though it had good acidity and roundness. I feel compelled to buy another bottle to keep around for a few years.
There was a superb Nero d’Avola, the 2006 Morgante ($16.99). This was well-balanced with great acidity that matched perfectly with roasted vegetable and goat cheese pizza. It was a wine that, though not the most complex, was incredibly pleasing. It might be the best Nero d’Avola I’ve ever had, and might even be a better Italian food wine than my beloved Casanova di Neri Rosso di Montalcino: it’s cheaper by about $10, too.
Lastly, a few nights ago Ian was kind enough to bring over a solid, affordable California cab: the 2006 Cannonball cabernet, made from grapes sourced from three different vineyards in the Bear Flag State.
It was full of fruit, moderate tannins, and subtle vanilla. It’s an easy-drinking wine, unpretentious, and would be great for casual evenings with friends. A steal at $11.99!
With that: farewell till the next time I’m free to write!
Vinicultured: A Wine Blog 
Good luck on the finals. I hope you open something really awesome when you are done!