Saying Good-bye to January, The Month with 74 Days

 

I saw this meme around the 24th of January and thought it was very fitting.  Is it just me or does January feel like the longest month of the year.   Some people were talking of having a dry January, and I was thinking, ‘I don’t think so’.  You took away my shiny lights, my pretty Christmas tree, all my decorations, but you are not taking away my wine.  I did find some pretty good wines, which was the highlight of the month.

This came close to being the wine of the week.  It was an awesome Reserve Chianti Classico from Castello di Gabbiano and I got to enjoy the 2014 vintage which is 95% Sangiovese and 5% Merlot.  It’s full-bodied and luscious with notes of tobacco and leather.  Because it spent some time on oak, but only 10% new oak, the flavors were subtle, not oaky.  A great wine to accompany a steak, or prime rib or any big hearty meal of your favorite comfort food.  It’s $24.99 a bottle and a great wine.

I almost didn’t open this, because I wanted to save it to share with my friend Mair, who loves French Malbec.   And low and behold, what did her and her roommate Sharon bring down to our gathering last night, this particular wine!  The Le Gouleyant Malbec from the Cahors region of France is a spectacular buy, and on sale currently here in Nova Scotia for just $15.99 a bottle.  A great time to stock up on this very nice wine.  The Vigouroux family has been a pioneering force in Cahors, making wine there since 1887.  This easy to drink fruit-driven wine is easy on the palate, soft tannins, and nice lasting finish. Since Argentina has adopted Malbec as its official grape, I still love to try a French Malbec now and again, and this one didn’t disappoint.

And now for my wine of the week….

My friend Amber at the NSLC hit it out of the ballpark when she recommended this wine.  It’s a new listing to the Port of Wines section at the NSLC and it’s fantastic! I love a GSM and this particular one is from Spain.  GSM stands for Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, unless it’s from Spain, when its called Garnacha, Syrah and Monastrell.  It’s my new favorite and I’m telling everyone about it.  It has such a rich deep color, when you look at the inky  purple you would almost think it was a Malbec.   Gorgeous flavours of red plum, licorice, and berries combined with good structure but soft on the pallet, makes it my most enjoyable wine of the week.

Hello February, I’m glad you’re here.  And for all my wine drinking friends that are going to enjoy the big sporting event tomorrow, have fun

Till next week, cheers

Darlene