Wily Jack 2007 Zinfandel

I know, I know. It's been a long time. Believe me, I missed you, too. But the good news is that I have a pretty good wine to recommend. (See left)

Monica came in town this weekend for a job interview, so I decided to throw a modest dinner party in honor of her arrival on Friday night. On the menu were Greek salad, a baked potato bar, kabocha spinach soup, spicy chicken skewers, curried avocado and tofu salad, my signature hummus, and for dessert, warm poached prunes over vanilla ice cream. The prune recipe called for a dry red wine, so I pulled this Wily Jack off the rack. The bottle cost around $7.99. While the fruit was simmering, Caitlin and I enjoyed a glass of the remaining wine.

The grapes for this Zin are grown in Sonoma and aged in French oak, but I couldn't find much else about the wine making process. Despite the lack of information about the wine itself, the back label did offer Chapter Three of Wily Jack's adventures. A young winemaker, Jason Becker, has done quite a clever job creating a story to sell his product. He hired Michael Schwab, a celebrated graphic artist with work on display at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, to create the character behind the label. Schwab came up with Wily Jack, the cowboy-esque silhouette who represents the brand. Wily Jack makes three wines - Zinfandel, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon - each with a slightly different image of Jack on the front and a new chapter of his story on the back. Interestingly, the Wily Jack Cab Sauv just won a silver medal and the Chardonnay a gold medal in the 2010 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. I'll have to try those next. You'll have to pick up a bottle (or all three) to read
Wily Jack's story.

This Zinfandel turned out to be a perfect fit for the poached prunes, and rather enjoyable on its own. It was wildly fruity up front, with plenty of berries and an arguably pruney flavor. After the yummy entrance, it revealed its dry side with full oaky body and a bit of pucker on the finish. It was quite a wily mouthful, and while I found it a very interesting zinfandel, the tannins were a little strong for my taste. Despite being personally overwhelmed, I think this is a really fun wine and recommend it to anyone who's not afraid of a wily ride.

Chateau de Castelneau 2006 Reserve Merlot Bordeaux

I had just finished a loaded baked potato and opened Intro to Law & Economics - there was a knock at the door. Strange on a Wednesday eve at The Irene, unless it was Bob from the 12th floor, and he hasn't stopped by in months. I still haven't figured out if our door has a peep hole (there is a weird plastic box thing where a peep hole might be), so I just opened the door. There stood Jaime with a brown paper bag and a tired smile. Awesome surprise.

Jaime loves wines from Bordeaux, so of course he brought a 100% Merlot from the region. Merlot is the prominent grape grown in Bordeaux, but it is rare to find a pure merlot; usually it is blended with other varietals. It was an interesting change for me, because I almost never drink merlot. The most striking aspect was its dryness. It almost felt transparent, like it was just sweeping through in a gossamer wave and taking all my mouth's moisture on its way out. On the inhale, it had a smoky flavor with very little fruit. Actually, I find it kind of hard to describe, because this merlot was so different from the wines I usually choose. It had a whole new set of characteristics I haven't learned to articulate yet. New goal: drink diverse.

We enjoyed it for sure. A gluttonous Wednesday eve.