Memorial Day 2011 - Honoring Those Who Gave the Ultimate Sacrifice and Those Who Risk Their Lives Today
2008 Trimbach RIESLING Reserve (Alsace, France)
I LOVE this style of Riesling -- fragrant, lean, so crisp as to be zingy, bone dry yet with wonderfully ripe Riesling fruit. Very much in the classic Trimbach style.Very pale bright gold. Classic Alsace Riesling nose of piercing green apple, tea, and powdered granite, it features crisp, bracing, intense flavors of fresh-crushed green apple juice poured over lemon drenched stones. Very tight now, this wine will age effortlessly for another 4 years or so. Not as full and ripe a style as a lot of Alsace producers are now trending toward, this really is a classic wine. A. I got this on sale from Zachys.com for $20.
2007 Eric Texier COTES DU RHONE "Brezeme" (Southern France)
A good, rustic, old-fashioned style of Cotes du Rhone. Lean, earthy, spicy, and nowhere near the more direct, fruity style that is much more prevalent today.Dark ruby garnet. Intensely earthy with a pleasantly barnyardy component on the first day, on day 2 the barnyard was gone, replaced with a tart, spiced cherry and raspberry fruitiness, pungent rock dust, and a hint of sweat. Tight and lean in the mouth, with bone-dry cherry liqueur/mineral flavors, morphing into a darkly-minerally finish with a slight bitter edge. Good acidity. A wine that requires rustic rich food as an accompaniment. Not a cocktail party red. B. Was $23 at Houston Wine Merchant, it's imported by Louis/Dressner Selections.
2008 Chono CARMENERE Reserva (Maipo Valley, Chile)
A very classically Bordeaux-styled wine from the New World -- pretty rare. It was very good: elegant, some complexity, not a fruit bomb.Saturated dark ruby/mulberry color. Gorgeous nose of cedar, ripe, dark berries, smoky stones, and chocolate powder. Concentrated, focused, and balanced, with medium-full body. Mouthcoating (but not heavy) flavors of low-toned berries, accented with minerally sandstone and bitter milk chocolate. Reminds me of a high-quality, old-school Margaux but at a fraction of the price. If the finish were a bit longer I would have given it an A, but as is it's an A-. Imported by North Berkeley Imports, I think I got this for around $13 at Whole Foods on Bellaire.
Sarah Palin: Obama Waivers in Pelosi's Congressional District is Crony Capitalism
Host Eirc Bolling points out that Pelosi's District, which represents less than 1% of the population received 20% of the waivers to ObamaCare.
2007 Trinitas OLD VINE CUVEE (Mendocino County, Cal.)
This is very good and a good value, but neither the label nor the Internet discloses what varietals make up this wine. There's obviously a lot of Zinfandel, but beyond that I'd only be guessing.
Nearly saturated blackish ruby with some violet. Gorgeous nose of sandstone, baking spices, sweet cream, and ripe black raspberries. Dense, ripe fruit coats the palate in a soft-textured blast. Fills the mouth quickly with fruit, then displays loads of sweet, spiced gravel notes, and ends texturally with a fair amount of soft tannin. My only quibble is that there's some (barely) perceptible residual sugar in the finish. Very nice. B+/A- (depending whether you can deal with the bit of residual sugar). Was $14 at Spec's on Smith.
Nearly saturated blackish ruby with some violet. Gorgeous nose of sandstone, baking spices, sweet cream, and ripe black raspberries. Dense, ripe fruit coats the palate in a soft-textured blast. Fills the mouth quickly with fruit, then displays loads of sweet, spiced gravel notes, and ends texturally with a fair amount of soft tannin. My only quibble is that there's some (barely) perceptible residual sugar in the finish. Very nice. B+/A- (depending whether you can deal with the bit of residual sugar). Was $14 at Spec's on Smith.
2007 Ridge "Dusi Ranch" ZINFANDEL (Paso Robles, Cal.)
Notes from memory here, as I had this at a dinner with friends at Harris' Steakhouse in San Francisco last week.Short version: one of the best Zins I've ever had. Longer impressions: Ripe and fragrant, with great minerality. Perfect balance, ripe and full but with nice balancing acidity. No jamminess. No heat in the finish. Absolutely stunning texture. Plush but firm. A+.
2008 Planeta CERASUOLO DI VITTORIA (Sicily)
This blend of Nero d'Avola and Frappatto was pretty decent on its own, but would probably be even better accompanying pasta with meat sauce.Medium-light ruby garnet. Intensely metallic-minerally, sour cherry nose, with spiced lemon notes. Cherry, pine resin, and charcoal flavors on entry, quickly molting into very clingy, cherry/mineral flavors. Good acidity, and a good finish. Medium-full bodied. B. Was $22 at Spec's on Smith.
Netanyahu to Obama: Peace based on illusions will crash on the rocks of Middle East reality.
The Prime Minister of Israel gives the President of the United States a brief lesson in Middle East History.
Once introduced, Benjamin Netanyahu takes over the Press Op at the White House. "The only peace that will endure is ones that are based on reality...unshakable facts." Bini informed his host.
Continuing with the lesson Netanyahu outlined for the 44th President of the United States, the experiences of the Jewish people, "We’ve been around for almost 4,000 years. We have experienced struggle and suffering like no other people. We’ve gone through expulsions and pogroms and massacres and the murder of millions.
...even at the nadir of the valley of death, we never lost hope and we never lost our dream of re-establishing a sovereign state in our ancient homeland, the land of Israel. And now it falls on my shoulders as the prime minister of Israel at a time of extraordinary instability and uncertainty in the Middle East to work with you to fashion a peace that will ensure Israel’s security and will not jeopardize its survival.
I take this responsibility with pride but with great humility, because, as I told you in our conversation, we don’t have a lot of margin for error and because, Mr. President, history will not give the Jewish people another chance."
Once introduced, Benjamin Netanyahu takes over the Press Op at the White House. "The only peace that will endure is ones that are based on reality...unshakable facts." Bini informed his host.
Continuing with the lesson Netanyahu outlined for the 44th President of the United States, the experiences of the Jewish people, "We’ve been around for almost 4,000 years. We have experienced struggle and suffering like no other people. We’ve gone through expulsions and pogroms and massacres and the murder of millions.
...even at the nadir of the valley of death, we never lost hope and we never lost our dream of re-establishing a sovereign state in our ancient homeland, the land of Israel. And now it falls on my shoulders as the prime minister of Israel at a time of extraordinary instability and uncertainty in the Middle East to work with you to fashion a peace that will ensure Israel’s security and will not jeopardize its survival.
I take this responsibility with pride but with great humility, because, as I told you in our conversation, we don’t have a lot of margin for error and because, Mr. President, history will not give the Jewish people another chance."
Gene Simmons: Obama Has No F---ing Idea What The World Is Like
About Obama, the Doctor of love says, "What I voted for was an ideal. What I didn't realize was that I was getting an idealist."....About the prospect of returning to living in a country with indefensible borders Simmons says to Obama, "For a President to be sitting in Washington D.C. and saying 'go back to your '67 borders,' in Israel, how about you live there and try defending an indefensible border; 9 miles wide!" "On one side you have hundreds of millions of people who hate your guts, on the other side you've got the Mediterranean...."When you grow up you find, life isn't the way you imagined it....President Obama has no F---ing idea what the world is like, because he doesn't have to live there."
Obama to Israel: You Should Go Back to Your 1967 Borders
Yesterday marked a stunning departure from decades of American foreign policy toward Israel. President Obama called upon the tiny nation of Israel to shrink back to the indefensable lines it shared with hostile neighbors, who still seek its complete destruction. Obama's message was clearly timed to provoke Israel's Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu before a scheduled meeting of the two men to discuss peace in the Middle East.
In an address delivered at the State Department today Obama said, "The United States believes that negotiations should result in two states, with permanent Palestinian borders with Israel, Jordan and Egypt, and permanent Israeli borders with Palestine. The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states. The Palestinian people must have the right to govern themselves, and reach their potential, in a sovereign and contiguous state."
The sharp veer to the left by the Chief Executive of the land drew a sharp and prompt rebuke from Israel's Prime Minister, telling Obama to take back his statements. “Israel believes that for peace to endure between Israelis and Palestinians, the viability of a Palestinian state cannot come at the expense of the viability of the one and only Jewish state. The communique continued, That is why Prime Minister Netanyahu expects to hear a reaffirmation from President Obama of U.S. commitments made to Israel in 2004, which were overwhelmingly supported by both Houses of Congress. Among other things, those commitments relate to Israel not having to withdraw to the 1967 lines which are both indefensible and which would leave major Israeli population centers in Judea and Samaria beyond those lines.” The Israeli leader added, “Without a solution to the Palestinian refugee problem outside the borders of Israel, no territorial concession will bring peace.”
It is unbelievable that any American President would ask the tiny democratic nation, that has been a loyal friend to the United States and has been under constant attack from the beginning of its modern existance to commit virtual suicide by pulling back to the borders it had that insured its vulnerability before its hostile neighbors.
Here is candidate Obama in 2008 telling AIPAC that Jerusalem must remain undivided.
Now that he feels that he doesn't need the Jewish vote anymore, Obama can easily toss that campaign pledge under the same bus with Jeremiah Wright.
In an address delivered at the State Department today Obama said, "The United States believes that negotiations should result in two states, with permanent Palestinian borders with Israel, Jordan and Egypt, and permanent Israeli borders with Palestine. The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states. The Palestinian people must have the right to govern themselves, and reach their potential, in a sovereign and contiguous state."
The sharp veer to the left by the Chief Executive of the land drew a sharp and prompt rebuke from Israel's Prime Minister, telling Obama to take back his statements. “Israel believes that for peace to endure between Israelis and Palestinians, the viability of a Palestinian state cannot come at the expense of the viability of the one and only Jewish state. The communique continued, That is why Prime Minister Netanyahu expects to hear a reaffirmation from President Obama of U.S. commitments made to Israel in 2004, which were overwhelmingly supported by both Houses of Congress. Among other things, those commitments relate to Israel not having to withdraw to the 1967 lines which are both indefensible and which would leave major Israeli population centers in Judea and Samaria beyond those lines.” The Israeli leader added, “Without a solution to the Palestinian refugee problem outside the borders of Israel, no territorial concession will bring peace.”
It is unbelievable that any American President would ask the tiny democratic nation, that has been a loyal friend to the United States and has been under constant attack from the beginning of its modern existance to commit virtual suicide by pulling back to the borders it had that insured its vulnerability before its hostile neighbors.
Here is candidate Obama in 2008 telling AIPAC that Jerusalem must remain undivided.
Now that he feels that he doesn't need the Jewish vote anymore, Obama can easily toss that campaign pledge under the same bus with Jeremiah Wright.
Newt Gingrich attacks Paul Ryan on "radical plan" to fix Medicare
The Newt took an opportunity to make political hay for himself by slamming Paul Ryan before the national press. Gingrich criticized Ryan's plan to reform Medicare and at the same time advocated an "individual mandate" requiring people to carry medical insurance. Congressman Ryan shot back, "With allies like that, who needs the left?"
Gingrich got more blowback during a presidential campaign stop. An Iowa voter told the Clinton era Speaker of the House, "What you just did to Paul Ryan was unforgivable...You're an embarassment to the party. Why don't you get out before you make a bigger fool of yourself!"
Just taking a little time to shake hands and make a few friends along the way, right Newt?
Herman Cain: The Objective of liberals is to destroy this country
...the objective of the liberals is to destroy this country, the objective of liberals is to make it mediocre like every everybody else that aspires to be like America, that's their objective....They have just three tactics, SIN; they shift the subject, they ignore the facts, and they name call.
2009 Hippolyte-Reverdy SANCERRE ROSÉ and a Recipe
Pasta with artichoke hearts and Italian tuna belly
1 lb. pasta (like penne or rotini)
1 can artichoke hearts in water
1 jar Italian tuna belly (ventresca*) packed in olive oil, drained
¼ cup finely chopped onion
¼ cup finely chopped celery
¼ cup finely chopped carrot
¼ cup good olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup dry white wine (maybe a splash more. . . I didn't measure)
Salt
Pepper
A bit of chopped parsley
Get a pot of salted water boiling for the pasta.
In 12” sauté pan, heat 1/8 cup olive oil and then soften onion, carrot, and celery for 5 minutes over medium low heat.
While they’re softening, drain artichoke hearts. Cut into quarters, and squeeze out excess water with paper towels.
When onions, carrots, and celery are softened (not browned), add artichokes. Toss for a few minutes. Add the white wine, and turn up the heat to get the wine boiling and reduce it a bit. Add the lemon juice and the rest of the olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, stir around, then turn the heat off until the pasta is almost done.
Just before draining the cooked pasta, turn up the heat on the sauce and add the tuna, trying not to shred the tuna as you stir it in. Turn off the heat as soon as the tuna is stirred in (cooking it makes it taste bitter and crappy).
known to man.
* Ventresca is like basic tuna packed in olive oil, except it's from the best part of the tuna, and has a really refined taste.
2007 Mazzocco "West Dry Creek" ZINFANDEL Reserve (Cal.)
A luxurious wine. No other way to say it.
Dark, sedate black ruby color. Rich, voluptuous, sexy nose of sweet, smoky balsa wood and oodles of ripe, oozing blackberries, along with warm, baking spice-inflected sandstone. Richly-fruited, dense, full, and velvety soft in the mouth, with mouth-filling, deep-toned berry fruit and a deep-toned minerality in the back half of the palate. Loads of very soft tannin buried underneath. Very hedonistic. A. Drink this over the next one to two years. My brother and sister-in-law got this direct from the winery and gave it to me, so I didn't have to pay the high-price tag this commands. Thanks, guys.
Dark, sedate black ruby color. Rich, voluptuous, sexy nose of sweet, smoky balsa wood and oodles of ripe, oozing blackberries, along with warm, baking spice-inflected sandstone. Richly-fruited, dense, full, and velvety soft in the mouth, with mouth-filling, deep-toned berry fruit and a deep-toned minerality in the back half of the palate. Loads of very soft tannin buried underneath. Very hedonistic. A. Drink this over the next one to two years. My brother and sister-in-law got this direct from the winery and gave it to me, so I didn't have to pay the high-price tag this commands. Thanks, guys.
2009 Falletto (Bruno Giacosa) DOLCETTO D'ALBA (Piemonte, Italy)
Vibrant dark ruby color. Nose of scorched earth, dried leaves and piney underbrush, along with some bone dry blackberry extract. Intensely dry, but fruity extract in the mouth, juxtaposing fruit and bitterness -- scorched, inky fruit but in a soft-textured package. Finishes with a clean, low-toned bitter edge. Just a teeny bit of tannin. Interesting. B. Can't remember where I got it. I think it was around $20.
2009 Punta Crena PETTIROSSO Rose (Liguria, Italy)
This unusual rose, made from the Rossese grape, was fizzy and a little earthier than the typical roses I drink, but it was good.Beautiful watermelon/salmon color. Very fizzy when poured, the extremely tiny bubbles lent a pleasantly prickly feel to the wine. Intense, earthy passionfruit and pomegranate nose. Clean, slightly fizzy flavors of bone dry, stony/earthy fresh grapes. Clean, fruity, and with a refreshing texture that would be welcome for light meals on very hot days. B. Imported by Kermit Lynch, I got this for $18 from B-21 Wines in Florida.
2009 Domaine Chignard FLEURIE "Les Moriers" (Beaujolais, France)
A very lively, zingy wine that will jolt your palate awake.Dark ruby with magenta highlights. Intense and zesty nose of ripe, crunchy berries and extroverted, almost overwhelming melted stone minerals. Assertive and very youthful in the mouth, with ripe but zesty, high-toned berry fruit, along with crisip acidity, some tannin, and a clean, minerally, refreshing finish. Very distinctive, this wine will pair nicely with simple, assertive foods. B+. Was $27.99 at Houston Wine Merchant. Imported by Kermit Lynch.
2007 Bodegas Mustigiullo MESTIZAJE (Tierra el Terrarazo, Spain)
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Bobal, Garnacha, Syrah, Tempranillo, and Merlot. Tastes like a middle of the road new style, fruity, oaky Bordeaux. Well made but not my style.Dark blackish ruby. Very Bordeaux-like nose of dark chocolate, smoky oak, with dark berry fruit underneath. Lots of chocolaty berry fruit accosts the palate and then fades quickly, as I would expect from a wine that discloses that it's made from young vines. A bland example of the "international style" of technologically unflawed wine but completely lacking in any soul. B-. An Eric Solomon selection, this was about $14 at Spec's.
2009 L'Ameillaud COTES DU RHONE (Southern France)
A well-made if unexciting red. Very dark violet-tinged ruby. Direct, very clean nose of tangy blackberry fruit, stony minerals, and sweet cream. Richly fruity, with gobs of dark berry fruit with a slight dark chocolatey component. Lots of fine-grained tannin. Good clean finish. If this description sounds good, then I guess my lack of enthusiasm is that this wine simply lacked a sense of place; there certainly was nothing wrong with it. B. Imported by Douglas Skopp Selections. Was about $14 at Spec's.
Herman Cain - 2012 Republican Debate
Herman Cain is a breath of fresh air on the political landscape.
Congressman Allen West: Re-Evaluate Our Relationship with Pakistan
The U.S. gave 18.6 Billion Dollars in Economic and Military aid to Pakistan.
U.S. Navy Midshipmen Celebrate News of Bin Laden's Death
Give 'Em Hell Navy! U.S. Navy Midshipmen celebrate news of the death of Bin Laden. The speaker tells the assembled crowd his reaction after learning the Twin Towers were hit by Osama Bin Laden and his evil disciples of terror. "I don't know when, and I don't know how, but someday we're going to get that son of a bitch!" he tells the jubilant throng.
Osama Bin Laden Dead
The President announces his decision to get Osama Bin Laden. U.S. forces neutralized the glowering, evil mastermind of terrorism and America's public enemy number 1 today. Bin Laden's body is in U.S. custody.
Bin Landen was rendered at room temperature in a mansion located in the city of Abbottabad, 150 Km. north of the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. Gateway Pundit reports that the town is home to the Pakistan Military Academy. The President's announcement of pre-empted Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice TV show on the East Coast. West Coast broadcast of the Apprentice was also delayed.
Former President Bush released a statement tonight regarding the long-awaited demise of Bin Laden.
“Earlier this evening, President Obama called to inform me that American forces killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of the al Qaeda network that attacked America on September 11, 2001. I congratulated him and the men and women of our military and intelligence communities who devoted their lives to this mission. They have our everlasting gratitude. This momentous achievement marks a victory for America, for people who seek peace around the world, and for all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001. The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done.”
Here is George W. Bush using a bull-horn to address first responders at ground zero in the wake of the terrorist attack on September 11th 2001. With the ruins of World Trade Center smouldering in the background President Bush announces, "I can hear you, the rest of the world hears you, and the people who knocked these buildings down, will hear all of us soon."
Bin Landen was rendered at room temperature in a mansion located in the city of Abbottabad, 150 Km. north of the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. Gateway Pundit reports that the town is home to the Pakistan Military Academy. The President's announcement of pre-empted Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice TV show on the East Coast. West Coast broadcast of the Apprentice was also delayed.
Former President Bush released a statement tonight regarding the long-awaited demise of Bin Laden.
“Earlier this evening, President Obama called to inform me that American forces killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of the al Qaeda network that attacked America on September 11, 2001. I congratulated him and the men and women of our military and intelligence communities who devoted their lives to this mission. They have our everlasting gratitude. This momentous achievement marks a victory for America, for people who seek peace around the world, and for all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001. The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done.”
Here is George W. Bush using a bull-horn to address first responders at ground zero in the wake of the terrorist attack on September 11th 2001. With the ruins of World Trade Center smouldering in the background President Bush announces, "I can hear you, the rest of the world hears you, and the people who knocked these buildings down, will hear all of us soon."
2007 Falernia SYRAH Reserva (Elqui Valley, Chile)
Another good Syrah from the Elqui Valley. This wine was intense in a very lean, zero body fat way.
Nearly saturated deep mulberry ruby color. Strong nose of intense crushed black peppercorn, deeply-roasted bitter herbs, and sandstone, overlayed with dark blackberry fruit. The first night is was intense, lean, and austere, with very clingy herbal flavors predominating. On night 2, more fruit and roundness emerged. It displayed ripe blackberry fruit and a high-toned, chalky minerality. The herbal stuff decidedly took a back seat for the ride home on night 2. Good acidity to bring liveliness to the clingy flavors. Still some tannin left. This will hold and maybe improve over the next 2 years. Be sure to let it air out well in advance (pour through a Vinturi into a wide decanter if you can). B+. Imported by Meadowbrook Estates (an arm of Neil Empson's company). Can't remember where I got this, but I think it was around $12.
2009 "IA" GARNACHA (Carinena, Spain)
A bright, zesty, tasty inexpensive red that would pair with lots of meals.
Bright, magenta-tinged ruby. Zesty, bright nose of ripe cherry and raspberry fruit, abundant rock dust, and fresh woodsy scents. Lively, zingy and intense in the mouth, with crisp, assertive flavors of winey, spicy raspberry and liquid rock. Very pure-tasting, with fairly full body and a fairly long finish. Very well made at this price point ($9 at Spec's on Richmond). B+. Imported by Hand-Picked Selections.
2009 Reserve des Oliviers CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE Blanc (Southern Rhone, France)
This unique wine had lots of character but may not be everybody's cup of tea. It's a blend of 25% Grenache Blanc, 25% Roussanne, 25% Clairette, and 25% Bourboulenc.
Bright but deep-hued brassy gold. Rich aromas of ripe pear and sweet marzipan, along with a stony minerality. Initially round and ripe in the mouth upon entry, it develops a bitter herbal edge in the finish. Lots of body and length, but very low acidity as well in the clean finish. This is a wine for drinking over the next several months, but don't keep it more than a year. B. Imported by Massanois Imports in DC, I got this for $20 on sale at zachys.com.
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