Hey Folks – It’s another chance for a Fraschilla Family OTBN dinner. One of the few times my son in law was in town and not fighting fires we all had a chance to watch the Yanks and Angels go at it for Baseball’s ALC. Of course we were pulling for the Angels, but no matter what the outcome we knew the dinner, wine, and company would still make for a great evening…
So the night started with a mixed green and veggie salad topped with pancetta, feta, and a light raspberry balsamic dressing. We paired that with 2 nice starters of Estancia Pinot Grigio and Barrel 27 High On The Hog Viognier. The PG was crisp but loaded with nice citrus notes – Not sweet but with a rich fruit component not seen in most PG wines. The Barrel 27 was a lush monster Viognier. Often decadent Viogniers can seem flat or flabby on the finish but this was NOT one of those Viogniers! For the money (under $20) I think this is one of the best Viogniers you can find.
We moved on to our dinner of an American classic of NY Steaks Mesquite grilled medium rare to medium and topped with a peppercorn and red curry sauce. We paired the steaks with a side of roasted Asparagus topped by a dash of citrus cilantro cream sauce. With big red meat we looked for big red wine and we found some good stuff! We opened a 1997 Kenwood Artist Series Cab. Now in the past I have had mixed results from the 97 Cabs I have tried. Once declared the best vintage of the last 25 years many of the wines I tried have not impressed me as they passed 5 years and reached towards their 10 year mark.
My trepidation turned to joy however when we opened this 97 Cab. We were overjoyed to discover that the Kenwood Artist series is standing up beautifully! Rich with dark fruit and full of life this wine still has years left to age. The 2 bottles of the Kenwood 97 also showed better as they spent more time in the glass. I kept saying to myself – This is what a well aged Cab should drink like! Yes the Angels did blow the game for use but it still was another great dinner and wine shared with family – If only every night could be so special…
For those that care I still have this 97 Kenwood Cab left included as part of a 3-year vertical of 96 97 and 98 Cabs. Contact me for pricing. You do not have to wait years to enjoy these great Cabs. they are at their peak and will be all you will want from and aged Cab for at least the next year or two.
So now the question is: When is, and what the hell are you opening at your OTBN dinner???
All the best and remember
In Vino Veritas
Michael Fraschilla
Wine & Spirit Specialist & Partner
24-Pinot Media LLC
(805) 217-4518 Ph
(805) 522-4337 Fax
