Food and wine often have strong associations with people and places, memories and old forgotten longings. One taste of a favorite dish or wine can transport me to another place and time, washing away the day's cares and worries in an instant. Last night, we opened an almost-forgotten bottle in our cellar, from the days when we belonged to St. Supery's wine club, one of the first clubs we joined after moving to California. St. Supery's winery is an elegant and friendly place, with very knowledgeable pourers who make you feel welcome and as though they want you to stay awhile and learn to appreciate the finer qualities of their wines. Somehow, I think because of a canceled credit card, we were dropped from St. Supery's club, and I have missed their wines with a longing akin to a lost first love.
What we drank:
St. Supery Lot 2006, Napa Valley Red Wine, 2004
This fun wine was the result of a blending party by wine club members in 2006, where the members (we were not present, sadly) determined the final blend of the wines. I was a bit fearful - some blends are pretty muddy - and was delighfully surprised. The nose practically leapt out of the glass, grabbed my hand and pulled me in, and as Bill put it, sang "CHERRY!" I also got a pleasing balance of cinnamon, oak and briar. In this well-balanced and smooth wine, the front was that lovely pop of red cherry, yellow plum, and oak, the mid-palate bringing in the cinnamon and briar, with a hint of leather. The finish was long and smooth, with lingering cinnamon. It only wanted for a little more body mid-palate and in the finish to be perfect. I gave it 9 out of 10 points.
We need to go back to St. Supery to see what they've been doing the past few years, and reacquaint ourselves with their wonderful wines. Can't wait to try the Lot 2007 waiting in the cellar.
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