Wine Life - Houston

     More Mer-love! The 2007 Luna Vineyards Howell Mountain Napa Valley Merlot is an outstanding example of just how good Merlot can be.      In the glass, the wine is a clear, dark ruby color with medium-intense aromas of ripe dark fruit, both blackberries and black plums, with vanilla and baking spices. On the palate, it is perfectly balanced with a medium+ body, medium+ smooth, ripe tannins and medium acidity with 14.7% abv. The flavor mostly mirrors the aromas but with a more concentrated blackberry note and a bit of chocolate in the long finish.      Truly fantastic! Related postings: 2007 Luna Sangiovese Reserve 2007 Luna Vineyards Napa Valley Red Wine 2005 & 2006 Luna Cabernet Reserve

     I applied to participate in the 2nd annual Ruinart Champagne Challenge . The Guild of Sommeliers and Ruinart Champagne were hosting the event in five US cities. They were choosing 100 wine professionals nationwide with 20 contestants at each competition. The locations were in New York, Las Vegas, Chicago, San Francisco, and Houston. Each city's winner would win a trip to Champagne, France and a $1000 scholarship with the Guild of Sommeliers and the runners-up would each receive a magnum of Ruinart Blancs de Blancs.      My application was accepted and I was invited to compete in the Houston challenge held at Brennan's-Houston restaurant. Participants arrived at 11:00 AM to compete in a blind tasting of sparkling wines. After 40 minutes, contestants turned in their tasting notes and were engaged in a short lecture from Frederic Panaiotis, Ruinart Cellars' Master, on the "Physics behind the Fizz" with a question and answer period. We then adjourned to anoth

2009 Pere Anselme Cotes de Provence Appearance: Clear, pale pink Nose: Medium intense aromas of red berries, rosewater, apple  Palate: Dry, medium body and acidity, light tannins; Tart strawberry, saline minerality Finish: short Quality:  good-very good       Price: $10 2009 Domaine du Paternal "Couronne de Charlemagne" Cassis Blanc Appearance: Clear, pale lemon Nose: Light intensity aromas of dried herbs, white flowers and kerosene Palate: Dry, medium body, medium+ acidity; citrus & dried hebs, slight saline minerality Finish: short Quality:  acceptable-good        Price: $18 2008 Vordy-Mayrannes "Old Carignan" Rouge Appearance: Clear, medium ruby Nose: Medium intense aromas of black cherries & red berries, forest floor, smoke Palate: Dry, medium body, medium+ tannins and acidity; Dark berries, dried herbs and black tea Finish: medium Quality: good-very good         Price: $15 2009 Maison L'Aiglon Grand Reserve Saint Chinian Appear

     Last night, we went to Truluck's  on Westheimer for dinner and we had a great experience. We had a reservation and we were seated immediately at that time upon our arrival. They have over one hundred wine options by the taste, glass or bottle with a good price range. We decided to start with the Roederer Estate Brut.       It is Florida Stone Crab season so we added more of that to the cold seafood tower to begin our meal. The tower consists of Connecticut Blue Point oysters, jumbo boiled shrimp, the stone crab claws and Alaskan King crab cocktail. Everything was very fresh tasting and so good with the sparkling wine that we ended up adding a shrimp cocktail to get more of the jumbo shrimp. Next, we each ordered the Crab & Corn Chowder which was definitely the best that I have ever had. We followed that with steamed Alaskan King Crab legs with drawn butter. We had planned on adding the blue crab mac & cheese but decided that we were just getting too full at that point

2008 Domaine Mucyn Crozes Hermitage Blanc (100% Marsanne) Appearance: Clear, light gold Nose: Pronounced aromas of ripe honeydew melon, floral-lavender, herbal-garrigue Palate: Dry, medium body, -medium acidity; Melon flavor with minerality Length: medium Quality: Very Good    Price: $17 2007 Domaine Rabasse Charavin Cote du Rhone Blanc "Laure" (Grenache blanc / Bourboulenc) Appearance: Clear, medium lemon Nose: Light floral aromas with pear Palate: Dry, medium body, medium acidity; Tart citrus and green apple Length: short Quality: Good+    Price: $11 2007 Domaine de Font Sane Gigondas "Tradition" Appearance: Clear, medium ruby Nose: Medium intense aromas of raspberry, blackberry, black tea, dried leaves Palate: Dry, medium body, tannins and acidity; Sage, raspberry with a hint of tar Length: Medium+ Quality: Very good    Price: $24 2006 Rabasse Charavin Cotes du Rhone Villages "Les Cailloux" Appearance: Clear, medium ruby Nose: Me