Great night for a BBQ

Last night was a great night for a BBQ with friends. Something about it being daylight savings time, the smell of fresh cut grass, and the above average temperatures... So, that is exactly what I did.

A group of four of us all met up at a my friend Mike's house to enjoy the perfect weather that we are currently having. We started things off with a couple bottles of cool and refreshing white wines. The '08 Brander Cuvee Nicolas** was bright but the small percentage of Semillon gave it a slightly spicy richness remeniscent of Gewurztraminer or Riesling. There was also a bottle of '08 Jaffurs Viognier** open that was wonderfully floral and delicate. Those were accompanied with a french baguette, manchego, and scamorza.

Mike grilled up some pork chops and polenta that really hit the spot. With the quality grub we enjoy a '06 Terry Hoage The Pick** which had a slight bit of funkiness on the nose, but not necessarily in a bad way and didn't overpower the red fruit, leather, and spice. I was a little disappointed in this wine, but it was still pretty enjoyable. There was also a bottle of '06 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir from Bien Nacido** that was good as usual, but still a little young. We moved onto some big boys next. '07 Booker My Favorite Neighbor** was big and tannic but showed nicer balance than I expected, dark fruit, and graphite. The last wine of the night was the '07 Jaffurs Bien Nacido Syrah***. It was really nice to check in on this wine and see how it is doing. The thing that stuck out most was the wonderful acidity, I think that this wine could be built to age. Give this one some time, but I think it will be a special wine.

Great night of food, wine, and hanging out with friends.

Happy St. Paddy's day!

0 Stars - No rating
1 Star (*)- Not of significant quality or interest
2 Stars (**)- A notable wine of legitimate interest
3 Stars (***)- Great wine that is worth searching out
4 Stars (****)- Fantastic wine that should not be missed
5 Stars (*****)- An absolutely mind-bending wine - beg, borrow, or steal to get your hands on some of this amazing juice!

Disclaimer: This rating is based on my palate and at the given time when tasted and may differ from yours. Also, I may catch a bottle in a dumb phase or it just may not speak to me at that particular time.