Saturday, January 7, 2017

Remarkable

It is very cold and snowy here with temperatures near 0 degrees Fahrenheit yesterday evening.  I think we found a way to ease the cold a wee bit. 

It started with a pot of braised lamb shanks with lemons, olives and oregano; earthy, fragrant, warm, comforting and filling stuff that filled the house with wonderful, exotic  aromas for three hours plus.  Add in in a bottle of 2006 Corison Kronos Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley and the experience was much more than satisfying.

The wine was decanted for half an hour, but even during that time in the decanter it was smelling great.  Dark fruit, a bit of cedar, and some cinnamon were a wonderful combination.  The flavors were fully ripe without being over ripe.  They were supported by the spices, the tannin and wonderful acidity.  The length of the finish was a full 30 seconds.  This was a remarkable pairing with the lamb because the acid and tannin in the wine cut the richness of the meat while the olives and lemons picked up the fruitiness in the wine.  It's an experience that needs to be repeated, and since there is one more bottle of this great stuff in the cellar it probably will be repeated. 

Corison 2006 Kronos Vineyard, Napa Valley.  13.8% alcohol and roughly $100. 

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