Patrick kindly organized a happy hour while we were visiting for our first night in town at the Healdsburg Bar and Grill. This made me extremely happy as I still couldn’t get their truffle oil parmesan cheese fries off my mind. So GOOD. Matt and I ate two baskets and I got to have the very adult mac and cheese. I love mac and cheese very much and never miss a chance to have it….as I seem to be incapable of making it myself for some reason.
Over the course of the evening, quite a crowd came by to say hello and socialize for a bit. We saw Patrick, Genevieve, Penny, Chris, Jeremy, Shana, Robert, and others. Penny and Chris both brought wines to try (yay!) which I happily did.
From Penny, barrel samples of her newest Tempranillos….she’s going to make two for 2008!
2008 Coral Mustang Vista Creek Tempranillo: Dark, berries, vanilla, spice, jam, plum, currants, grat dark fruit. Looks to be a good one, though it clearly won’t be released for a little while!
2008 Coral Mustang Tres Palmeras Tempranillo: I slightly preferred this one. It was lighter in color and flavor. I found spice, red currants, red fruit, cedar, nice structure, nice acidity, raspberries. This one will make a fabulous food wine.
Chris brought along a bottle from a new line they will be releasing that will retail for around $14-$15.
2007 Healdsburg Ranches Cabernet Sauvignon. Screw cap, Sonoma County, 13.9% alcohol. Mint, leather, herbs, spice, herbal, black currants, anise, black fruit, some red fruit around the edges, nicely done for a $14ish Cabernet!
All in all, a lovely evening catching up with old friends and making some new ones. It’s always great to meet new people, and I love the feeling that when we go out to CA we have so many folks to visit, yet we aren’t even from Northern California (though Matt is from Southern California….).
Posted in C. Donatiello, Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Coral Mustang, Iridesse, Tempranillo, Wine
