It was great to finally try this 2005 " Century Cellars " BEAULIEU Cabernet Sauvignon ( $6.99 Vinted & Bottled by 13.3 % alcohol , founded 1900, thus the name Century Cellars ) California dry red that I have been meaning to open and enjoy for quite some time now over my two-day weekend! I would have opened a white wine : my wife prefers white wines almost every time. However, we have no white wine in the house! Oops.
I was just marinating some chicken thighs and getting ready to grill them outside on our grill in the dark in really frigid temperatures. Brrr. I looked down to my side and saw the sample of B.V. " Century " 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon sitting there and ready to be tasted. I figured it was a good choice for this meal of the reds that I had. It should be a bit lighter and fruit-forward and balanced I hoped. I wished for a whole lot at this modest price, really I did!
The day before at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 2008 sales@clevelandparkwine.com www.clevelandparkwine.com 202-363-4265 ) where I manage the wine department in Washington D.C. we had just tried the " Century " 2007 Chardonnay ( $6.99 ) and people had really liked it and we sold quite a bit of it, too. This was a good prelude I felt and I just had to get my wife to try the Cabernet and enjoy it!
When I told her that I would be pouring her a glass of red wine she sort of grumbled under her breath and now it was up to the BEAULIEU to do it's work. She was ready to enjoy a glass of wine after having worked all Sunday on a visual presentation that she would have to give at class on Tuesday evening. It was an exhausting task and so multi-faceted that she needed a break badly and the wine coupled with the meal I was making for the two of us and our son ( as well as watching the final episode of " The Amazing Race " later ) were to be the highlights/rewards of such hard, applied and constant efforts all day on this presentation. The stakes were high! Would the B.V. measure up?!? Would it do it's part to make the finish of this Sunday ( Pearl Harbour Memorial Day ) the success that it needed to be?
My wife tried it, and a few minutes later asked me what it was that she was drinking? When I told her she said she liked it! Yes! That's what I wanted to hear. I smiled inwardly upon hearing this. We were now officially off to a good start to the rest of our evening.
So, you might wonder, why would I write about this famous vineyard's " $7 bottle of 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon after almost thirty years of experience in this wonderful wine trade/business / educating the customers, too? Just because of that : it's really nice, affordable everyday value and I'd rather see our customers enjoying wine everyday if they would like to. Why have them wait for a special-enough occasion to open a more expensive bottle? What's the logic in that if it can bring to others the pleasure that it afforded both my wife and I last night after almost thirty years of enjoying wine together? We started in Paris, France where we first met. It's been a wonderful ride together and last night continued in the tradition of enjoying some wine with our meal.
My evaluation of this 2005 BEAULIEU Vineyard's 2005 Century Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon took place in parts as the wine opened and revealed it's full charm and warm, open, bright-cherry personality that was fruity but still balanced and very pleasing. It started off a bit edgy/nervous/choppy? I did not think the parts all fit together so well. There was just something at first unsettled in the balance of the components. I reserved further judgement as I prepared our meal.
When the meal was ready and I could take a momentary break I sat on our couch in our living room and took another sip. It had flowered, so to speak. It was fuller, rounder, brighter and all the edginess that I had originally had a problem with was now gone. It was so pleasing to sip, medium-bodied, balanced, bright roasted cherry and hints of chocolate flavors : and for just $7 a bottle?!? I liked this.
I ended up grilling both chicken thighs and Italian sweet sausages outside and served them along with the shrimp that was already cooked and ready to serve. I served myself a bit of all three and had a tasty " surf 'n turf " meal and the Cabernet Sauvignon worked just fine. B.V. to the rescue and we both were happy and smiling at the end of our meal as we headed downstairs to enjoy the season finale of " The Amazing Race " where the brother-sister team won.
I took some pictures of the bottle and my wine INAO wineglass to show the color/viscosity, too. I also played around with the two and tried as usual to create some more artsy/atmospheric photos that transcend the ordinary and help elevate the whole experience and flesh-it-out so to speak. I will download them onto this blog tomorrow at work.
A couple other quick points : it was just a coincidence that we drank this last night on the anniversary of the Pearl Harbour invasion. I remembered this later and drank a toast to all those men and women who died then as well as the ones that are overseas now. It made me think, too that we all wish for a speedy return for them as well as they are now in danger and so far away from their families as the holidays approach quickly.
I also stayed years ago ( 1996-1997? ) I can't remember exactly now ) in the Tapestry Room of the B.V. ranch years ago with my fellow colleague ( of Forman Brothers distributing company then ) Chris Blethen and we had a blast there with the rest of our sales teams of the Estates and the Vintages divisions of Fine-Wines. Thanks B.V. I know we won the trip but you guys ( everyone at B.V. and at the ranch house ) gave 120 % plus and it did not go unnoticed by me. I'll never forget those couple of days and nights there looking up at a whole sky filled with sparkling stars as we ate, drank ( B.V. ) and later smoked cigars out on the terrace feeling like a million dollars! Cheers.
I'm writing this blog and posting it now on my day-off, Monday, December 8th, 2008 at 12:29 PM. Have a great holiday and drink some of this great everyday B.V. Century Cellars 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. I think you will be quite surprised and pleased. Cheers, TONY
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