3 bottles of wine, a pizza, and a strangely shaved cat

2007 Domaine Les Esperieres Cotes Du Rhone. This is a very nice wine that I got from Vin Vino. I found this wine very refreshing with hints of strawberry and a bit of green herb- thyme I think. A very enjoyable wine that went well with pizza and a variety of cheeses that we had. I feel that it went best with Parmesan and cheddar. I could also see this as a something that would pair well with lamb. This bottle goes for about 50,000 at Vin Vino.

This pizza was made by my generous host, Tracy Stark, and we spent the evening sharing a few bottles of wine and with some cheese. Tracy, who is the editor of Groove Magazine, is a wine connoisseur. Having wine with him is a great experience because you can tell he is not just drinking wine- he is experiencing it. 

This wine was a bit of a dud. It wasn't anything special and it didn't have that robust flavor that Bordeaux is famous for. This one was a bit muddy and it was total a mood killer. I had like 1 glass of it and I had to choke that down. I guess 2006 wasn't a good year, but, honestly, this wine tasted cooked- like it wasn't stored correctly. Be careful on this one: 2006 Chateau Grand Bernin.

This one is a bit expensive (about 90,000 a bottle) but I totally recommend it. It's a 2001 Almaraz Rioja. It tastes like sunshine bottled with a sea breeze. It's delicious and totally worth every penny. This was one of Tracy's special reserve bottles and I was very grateful for the experience. This bottle is an example of how a wine should taste when it is well aged. There was a level maturity that you wouldn't find in a younger wine. The tannins were also very smooth, so it tasted like running your hands over a piece of polished granite. Highly Recommended.

There was also some entertainment. Tracy's cat was on hand to do tricks. Tracy, thanks for the great evening and wine.