Zombie Kid Likes Turtles

Part I of a 3 part series...

I Like Turtles rap video remix check it outtt!!

Pt. II - The Rap Video

I LIKE TURTLES

Pt. III (Epilogue)

CA wines that AGE (not including Cab) pt. II: Look for the Bobcat

Rarely will you find a CA winery whose wines consistently show the sense of style, restraint, elegance and balance of the wines of Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard winery. As far as I'm concerned, Jeff Emery is fashioning some of the most interesting wines in all of the Golden State. Some of these include Durif (Petite Syrah), Tempranillo, Cabernet and Pinot Noir. There is also acreage devoted to a few different Portuguese grape varieties. One thing that all of these wines share is an incredibly reasonable alcohol content - 12.5%. Another common trait is the ageability of these wines: there are library offerings dating back to the '70's, and I have heard that many of these bottlings are absolutely 25+ year wines. Decide for yourself, though. Try a bottle (might I suggest the Durif or Estate PN), and let me know what you think.

CA wines that AGE (not including Cab) pt. I

We all know that California Cabernet Sauvignon, from good producers, ages incredibly well. At least it used to, when it was made properly. What I did not know (at least from tasting) until recently is that California used to produce some incredibly age-worthy wines, most notably from Pinot Noir, Zinfandel and very occasionally Chardonnay. Then of course there is always Charbono....

The 1981 Cronin Pinot Noir was something of a revelation. 26 year-old Pinot Noir, from humble Monterey County, and it was SERIOUSLY TASTY. Like in the way a good Gran Reserva Rioja is tasty. Or an aged Burgundy...let me say it again so all of you can understand: I drank a 26 year old CA Pinot Noir and loved every sip. My brief tasting notes:

Light ruby color, with a slight amber tinge. Delicate strawberry fruit on the palate, with hints of spice reminiscent of Gran Reserva Rioja.

A separate Cronin post will follow with a bio of the man and some tasting notes of his wines.

Good night.

The Doobie Brothers - What a fool believes

1978 - a year of great Doobies and Moulis

'What a Fool Believes,' is such an amazing, funky song. Though I have been familiar with it for a while, having heard it here and there over the years, the first time I truly appreciated just how soulful the song is was a few years ago - listening to WPGC 95.5 in Washington, DC. An amazing mix show DJ (imo one of hip-hop's best ever on-air DJ's) named DJ Ceelo (aka Funk regulator Ceelo) spun this tune in the middle of a great, eclectic set. Very few DJ's have such a depth of pop music knowledge coupled with the incredible turntable skills of Funk Regulator DJ Ceelo.

Anyway, 1978 was the year in which the Doobies released 'What a Fool Believes.' I'm not sure when this concert footage was taken, but I think it sounds terrific. Cornelius Bumpus, the dude on synth, is also a great sax player who toured with Steely Dan as well. He also played shows with my co-worker and drummer extraordinaire Jimmy C (there's your shout-out Shanty...)

Another piece of 1978 I'd like to share with you is the 1978 Poujeaux (Moulis-en-medoc) I recently enjoyed at a Bordeaux tasting. It was still super fresh, almost racy with bright red fruits leading the way, and a really soft texture. I thought the wine was 10 years younger than it is. If you like most St. Estephe (not including Cos or Calon Segur) and lighter, more old school styled Bordeaux, this is the wine for you.