2007 Almira "Los Dos" "Old Vines" 85% Grenache, 15% Syrah (Campo de Borja, Spain)

This was a ridiculous buy! I forgot where I got the damn thing, but I know it was around $10.

Bright medium cherry/ruby. Ridiculously juicy nose ripe, tangy reduction of raspberries and pungent hot stones. Dense, lively fruit attacks the palate with loads of juicy raspberries and clean stones. Long, warm, totally pure-tasting finish with very good acidity, and no tannin to speak of. Very food-friendly. 89. Imported by Winebow.

Speaking of Zins . . .

Had two very good and very different Zins at Abe & Louie's in Boston last week. The 2007 Storybook Mountain "Mayacamas Range" was more forward than I expect from this winery, which made its reputation making crisp, tight Zins that needed bottle age to round out. It had very bright, focused, and pure Zinfandel fruit (ripe cherry and blackberry), but was very soft and drinkable, with a bit of residual sugar noticeable. The 2007 Ridge Geyserville was more subdued and low-toned, with more complexity and a no residual sugar by contrast. Both very good. Not sure which I preferred. I would probably rate both in the upper 80s.

My strip steak was just a bit beyond the medium rare I asked for, but was still flavorful and juicy.

2006 Chateau Montelena ZINFANDEL "The Montelena Estate" (Napa Valley, Cal.)

This was a very good, but somewhat atypical Zin. I thought it seemed more like a large-scaled, rich Bordeaux from Margaux or Pessac (Graves).

Laid-back darkish ruby color. Complex nose of smoky gravel, dark fruitcake, rich, ripe plums, and a bit of blackberry. Soft, deep, and low-toned flavors of baker's chocolate, really ripe plums, sandstone, and smoky minerals. Very full-bodied, with a bit of peppery heat from the alcohol (label says 14.4%), and some chewy tannin in the finish. Definitely at its peak. It was very good, and I'm certainly no winemaker, but it seems to me this would have be ridiculously great if the grapes were picked just a tad earlier, and the wine had a bit less heat and a bit more acidity to focus it. As it is, I'd say it's an 89. Was $26 at Spec's, I believe.

Chris Christie Rocks Again!!

The Democrat-controlled New Jersey legislature is very fond of raising taxes. So much so they have 115 tax increases over the past 8 years.

That was fine when Jon Corzine was in charge. But there's a new sheriff in town.

Gov. Chris Christie took over a state that was in serious financial trouble, thanks to years of Democrat spending. Christie is a no-nonsense, all common sense conservative. He is plainspoken and has made it known that he intends to reign in out-of-control spending.

Someone should have explained that to the New Jersey legislature in very simple, remedial terms. They passed A-10, called the "millionaire tax," which would raise taxes on successful businesses and individuals. Typical liberal wealth redistribution.

When A-10 arrived on Gov. Christie's desk, not only did he veto it, he sent a message back to the legislature saying he would not repeat the failed, irresponsible, unsustainable fiscal policies of the past.

Bravo Gov. Christie! Keep it up and you might see the White House from the Oval Office some day.

Ray Stevens On Illegal Immigration (And ACORN)

H/T: Big Hollywood

Congressman To President Calderon: Mind Your Own Business

Do the leaders of third world countries think they can come here and tell us how to run our country? That is the sign of a lot of gall or a lot of arrogance.

Take Mexican President Felipe Calderon for example. He wants to lecture the United States on civil rights and immigration policy? What a joke!!

Well, one Republican wasn't amused. Tom McClintock, R-CA, had this to say in response.



Rep. McClintock, you are our Hero Of The Day.

2008 Comte Lafon MACON (White Burgundy)

Another winner from this upscale producer. Classic Macon nose, flavors, and minerality.

Very light gold with light greenish glints. Fantastic nose of crisp white grapes, powdered stones, sweet minerals -- and I could swear there's the barest hint a hint of cinnamon back in there too. Crisp, yet full-bodied, with lots of body and a decent dollop of tangy acidity. Loads of lemony, green apple fruit, good weight and balance too. Not the most complex white burgundy, but a lovely and textbook example of what Macon should be (it should be a poor man's Chablis). 88. Imported by Becky Wasserman Selections. Was $19 (and worth it) at Spec's on Richmond.

(Sorry, 2007 shown.)

2006 Rancho Zabaco "Monte Rosso Vineyard" ZINFANDEL (Sonoma County, Cal.)

Disappointing for a wine from this vaunted plot of land. As I picked this out, one of the guys at Spec's on Bissonnet off-handed commented to me that the "wine guy" wasn't too impressed with this, but I blew off the comment, since I usually don't listen to random wine store employee recommendations. In this case, that was a mistake. It was decent, but not near worth 30 smackeroos.

Rich, violet-tinged dark ruby. Animated, deep and sweet nose of almost overripe, oozing blackberries and raspberries, with a barest whiff of sandstone. Broad, fat, low-acid flavors of simple dark raspberries that immediately coated the palate, faded a bit, and then re-appeared in a fairly long, metallic/minerally, slightly hot finish. Good, with lots of flavor, but a little flabby and simple. I expect Zins from Monte Rosso to have great structure and lots of minerally complexity. This tasted like it came from very ripe fruit grown on young vines. 86. Was $31 at Spec's on Bissonnet.

2008 Benaza MENCIA (Monterrei, Spain)

I don't believe I have ever had a wine made from the Mencia varietal, but if this is any indication of how they taste, I will look for more. A fruity, weighty, smooth good value.

Dark ruby with purply highlights. Fragrant and fruity, this wine's nose oozes rich berry sap scents, along with a scorched earth note. Enters the mouth with wonderful softness and weight, with a tight core of minerality and loads of ripe berry fruit. Full bodied, with a long, clingy finish. A wee bit o' tannin too. Mineral "tang" at the very end. Not super complex, but a satisfying mouthful. 88. Was $13 and change at Spec's on Richmond. Imported by Jose Pastor Selections (an up-and-coming Spanish importer).

Old West Spirit Lives In Arizona

It is said that everything is bigger in Texas but in Arizona, the cojones are getting bigger. (No offense to my friends in Texas. You guys are awesome but Arizona is just kicking butt and taking names right now.)

Names like Governor Jan Brewer, Senator Russell Pearce, and Sheriff Joe Arpaio have become household names for simply doing their jobs and standing up for the rights of their citizens. This has meant flying in the face of liberal political correctness. The City of Los Angeles even voted to boycott Arizona by cancelling contracts and travel.

You can add the name Gary Pierce to that list. Pierce is the commissioner of the Arizona Corporations Commission which regulates the state's utilities. It seems that utilities in Arizona generate about 25 percent of the electricity used in the city of Los Angeles.

Commissioner Pierce sent a letter to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Here is an excerpt:

If an economic boycott is truly what you desire, I will be happy to encourage Arizona utilities to renegotiate your power agreements so Los Angeles no longer receives any power from Arizona-based generation. I am confident that Arizona’s utilities would be happy to take those electrons off your hands. If, however, you find that the City Council lacks the strength of its convictions to turn off the lights in Los Angeles and boycott Arizona power, please reconsider the wisdom of attempting to harm Arizona’s economy. People of goodwill can disagree over the merits of SB 1070. A statewide economic boycott of Arizona is not a message sent in goodwill.

Heh, heh, heh. Short-sightedness isn't a desirable quality, is it Mayor Villaraigosa?

H/T: HotAir

Election 2010: Incumbents, Duck And Cover [UPDATED]

I try not to put much stock in polls but I am seeing a pretty clear trend in them this election cycle. Moderate Republican and Democrat incumbents are not fairing well at all. This explains why so many Democrats have bailed out. Better to go out quietly than to be thrown out.

A CBS/NYT poll showed that only 8 percent (that's not a typo, it says 8) of adults would reelect incumbent politicians. That is the lowest rating since the poll began in 1992. 81 percent would say "hasta la vista" to their elected officials. The 3 percent margin of error is irrelevant.

In Pennsylvania, 53 percent of Pennsylvanians and 66 percent of Republican Pennsylvanians want Sen. Arlen Specter replaced. Specter jumped from the Republican party to the Democrat party after the 2008 election. Rasmussen has Toomey up by 12 points over Specter. Some people say Toomey is "too conservative" for the liberal Northeast. We'll see.

In Kentucky, Rand Paul (son of Ron Paul) has a 20-point lead over the moderate Republican incumbent, Trey Grayson.

In Utah, Sen. Bob Bennett was not renominated by the Republican Convention due to his support of the TARP bill and for being moderate.

In Florida, Gov. Charlie Crist had to ditch his GOP campaign for U.S. Senate to run as an independent because he saw the writing on the wall. Marco Rubio, the more conservative candidate, was all but assured a victory in the primary.

In Arkansas, Sen. Blanche Lincoln, who voted for Obamacare, is on her way out. Against EVERY GOP candidate running (there are six), she loses.

This is going to be an interesting election. Don't count the Dems out though. They will put out every nasty trick they can dredge up to try to keep their majorities.

UPDATES:

Rand Paul, considered an ultra-conservative, defeated his moderate Republican opponent.

Specter is gone. Defeated in the Democratic primary.

Lincoln is in a runoff with ultra-liberal Bill Halter. This one is going to be very interesting. In either case, the winner loses to Republican John Boozman according to a recent Rasmussen poll.

Arizona's Right To Sovereignty

Federal Government Border Security = Epic Fail

One of the few responsibilities given to the federal government is protection and defense. That includes securing our borders at which they are failing miserably.

Arizona (and every other state) has a right to protect itself and govern itself as it sees fit. The federal government has very limited authority within the state of Arizona.

What needs to happen now is other states need to pass their own versions of Arizona SB1070. Let California boycott all of those states. Look, California is in a huge mess. They may get to the point where they aren't paying their bills anyway.

The illegal immigration problem has gotten way out of control and it is not going to be fixed in a day. But Arizona has taken the first step and we must join with them to take the second step.

Leggo My Eggo (And My Money)

We should all be proud that Charlie Crist was a Republican. Fortunately for us, the key word is "was."

Charlie has firmly ensconced himself among the greatest wafflers of our time, i.e., John Kerry. In just the past few weeks, Charlie has flip-flopped on his promise not to run as an independent, on his returning of campaign donations after the flip-flop, and it appears he may flip-flop on an offshore drilling ban.

I say, good riddance. All political parties need a good bowel movement every now and then to get rid of the, uh, waste.

I Told You So

The CBO now says the Obamacare bill will cost $115 billion more than originally projected. Wait. Look at the enormous surprise on my face.

This is supposedly due to administrative costs for the federal bureaucracy that will be created by this bill. Did they not know this before? I'll cut the CBO some slack. They can only report based on what they are given and I'm sure the liberal snakes who crafted this piece of junk intentionally left this out so they couldn't include it.

ABC News Report

Ugh! I really have an intense dislike for the people who are running our government. It's time for some positive change. Expect further Obamacare cost projections to be adjusted upward. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

H/T: DrewM. at Ace

RSC Endorsement: Lieutenant Governor Arkansas

Two Democrats and a Republican. Hmmm. Let's see. I think I'll endorse...

Mark Darr is the man. He's a successful businessman who holds traditional, conservative values. And for Pete's sake the guy makes pizza! How could you not like that?

RSC Endorsement: U.S. Representative Arkansas District 1

Call me unconventional. Call me a "maverick." Call me a "reformer." Call me anything as long as it means "conservative."

I will always support the true conservative in an election. In the race for U.S. Representative Arkansas District 1, that true conservative is Princella Smith. I know she's unproven. I know she's young. But I am sick and tired of politicians who are nothing more than a body that conforms to the way things have always been. I am ready for positive change

Best wishes Princella. Never lose focus of why you ran in the first place.

2008 Palama "Arcangelo" SALICE SALENTINO (Puglia, Southern Italy)

Salice Salentino is an appellation in the heel of Italy's boot that has long produced well-balanced, well-fruited reds at reasonable prices. This is one of the best -- if not the best -- I've had.

Sultry dark ruby. Incredibly sweet, ripe nose, featuring oozing blackberries and super-ripe plums, baking spices, and sweetly-smoky embers. Round and soft in the mouth, with very good concentration, but also with nice balance. Fairly full bodied. Not completely dry, with just a touch of sweetness (although those used to drinking California Chardonnays will think it equally dry). Ever-so-lightly-pruney flavors of blackberry syrup, and dry, gravelly minerals. The finish features some significant, but soft, tannins, and a very small bit of peppery heat.

Now that I'm looking at these notes, they really don't reflect how much I enjoyed this wine. Don't be put off by some of the adjectives I used -- just buy a bottle.

89. Was $12.99 at Central Market. Imported by Small Vineyards.

(Sorry -- can't find a photo).

2008 Messmer SPATBURGUNDER TROCKEN (Rheinpfalz, Germany)

German Pinot Noir! German, for Pete's sake! And it was fun and tasty. Not to mention a unique conversation piece. And no, Pinot Noir (a/k/a Spatburgunder) is not something the Germans started growing because they thought Sideways was a cool movie. It's been grown there for many decades. Put a light chill on this 1 Liter bottle and bring it to a cook-out.

Very light ruby garnet. Spritely nose leaps out of the glass with sweet/sour cherries and smoky minerals. You can also almost smell the crisp acidity that follows once you take a sip. Bright, almost prickly mouthfeel. Really nice fruit/acid balance. Soft, tanninless texture, with refreshing cherry fruit and a minerally finish. 87. Was $19.99 for a liter bottle at Central Market (so that makes it "under $15" per hypothetical 750ml). Imported by Terry Thiese (top-flight importer of German wines). Drink this year to enjoy the freshness.

(Sorry, 2006 pictured)

Proof The Left Hates The Tea Party Movement

Since last Saturday's attempted bombing of Times Square in New York, the left has salivated with the completely fabricated thought that the perpetrator might have been a Tea Partier. With absolutely ZERO evidence to corroborate their fantasies, some were so bold as to make the accusation. Take Michael Bloomberg, for instance. What a moron! His speculation was completely without one molecule of evidence. Bloomberg said the bomber may have been:

...a mentally deranged person or somebody with a political agenda that doesn’t like the health-care bill or something.

Hey Mikey! It also could have been your mother. I have as much evidence to support that as you do your ridiculous, biased, hateful nonsense.

Contessa Brewer on MSNBC was "frustrated" because the would-be bomber was a Muslim.

I get frustrated and there was part of me that was hoping this was not going to be anybody with ties to any kind of Islamic country.

Uh, Contessa. What were you hoping? That it would be a racist, homophobic, anti-Obama, Tea Partier? They're all violent anyway, right?

Back in 2009, Newsweek editor Evan Thomas said regarding another Islamic terrorist:

I cringe that he's a Muslim. I mean, because it inflames all the fears. I think he's probably just a nut case.

Okay Evan. Let me ask you a question. If this person had been a Tea Partier, would you have said he was "just a nut case?" No, you would you painted the entire Tea Party movement as this person. They would all have been labeled violent extremists.

I love pointing out hypocrisy and double standards, especially in the media. The funniest this is these morons think they have us fooled.

2006 Tenuta San Antonio VALPOLICELLA SUPERIORE RIPASSO "Monte Garbi" (Veneto, Italy)

A very well-done, full mature Ripasso.

Mature color. Dark garnet with rust highlights. Closed nose at first, but run through a Vinturi it displayed a complex bouquet of roasted meat, macerated dried cherries, licorice, and smoky pecan wood. Rich, low-toned, peppery flavors initially, with brandy-soaked plums; then lightening into earthy cherry/licorice flavors. Long, dry finish. At its apogee right now despite substantial tannin. Very distinctive and nice. Drink before 2010 is up. 89. Was $18 at Spec's on Smith.

2005 Chateau d'Archambeau GRAVES (Bordeaux, France)

A solid, workman-like red Bordeaux at a decent price.

Jet black ruby with the bare beginnings of brick at the rim. Fairly closed nose, even with air time and being poured through a Vinturi. Light intensity aromas of cassis, toasted oak, resin, and scorched earth. Broad mouthfeel, with medium-fine-grained tannins present throughout. Ripe but bone dry flavors: dry, dark blackberry, smoky gravel. Long, interesting, though not particularly soft finish, with a slightly bitter, scorched edge. Elegant is not a word that describes this wine, though it was pretty satisfying in an unpolished way. 85. Was about $15 at Spec's Warehouse on Westheimer and Commonwealth.