Summer

Pleasant day here yesterday for the first day of summer, 81 degrees and little humidity. Last night the temperature was in the upper 50 degree range so the air conditioner was off except for about an hour or so in the evening.

The local market had excellent, dry aged ribeye steaks on sale so I fired up the grill, rubbed the steak with a anchovy paste, sprinkled it with fresh pepper and tossed it on the grill. There was some leftover pasta and a small salad.

The wine was a pleasant surprise, a Chateau des Capitans 2005 Julienas. It was medium in color and at the stage where it is going from Beaujolais purple to more of a garnet. The fruit was a little more mature than the up front grape tastes so there were some dark cherries in the mix as well. All that carried over into the taste, along with good acidity and just a touch of ripe tannin and earth. There was a wonderful light finish and feel to the wine, making it a perfect summer red. It was great with the steak and with the 12.5% alcohol I could have more than a glass. I actualy had three.

It was a surprise becaue it is distributed by Georges Dubouef, though it was made and bottled at the chateau. Duboeuf sells some sound, solid wines but this seemed a step above what I am used to from him. For $14 a very god wine.