Sunday was lovely, just the right kind of a day for a birthday party of a hound. Lucy is 12, and invited some friends over to play. Barking and tail wagging ensued. The people sampled the 2007 Mulderbosch Faithful Hound, a Bordeaux-style blend from Stellenbosch SA.. There's a bit of a glossy oak sheen that I don't remember, and some fruit forward styling that I do. Cassis and a little bell pepper, vanilla. Pleasant enough, and though I wouldn't seek it out on its own, it's the only wine I'll buy a bottle a year for the name.B-

Dinner was rosemary/garlic tuna steaks, eggplant in a balsamic marinade, & salad. Wine was the 2013 Occhipinti SP68 red. Spicy, red plums, a slight hint of barnyard, good mouthwatering acids. B+/B

Cheesey barley with mustard green and tomatoes, a Caprese salad, grilled eggplant, and green salad with pears. The barley was cooked with the 2013 Chidaine Touraine Sauvignon Blanc. I am a big Chidaine fan, but felt first couple vintages of this negoce wine were a slight disappointment. But this I think is a fine value- light, fresh, good acids, citrus, just a tiny hint of grass. B

Dinner wine was the 2013 Baudry Chinon Rose. Nice, structured for rose, cranberry and red cherry fruit, rocky finish. Plays well with others (or at least the wide variety of dishes). B+

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C drinkable. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice.Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.

In message >
DaleW > wrote:

> Sunday was lovely, just the right kind of a day for a birthday party
> of a hound. Lucy is 12, and invited some friends over to play. Barking
> and tail wagging ensued. The people sampled the 2007 Mulderbosch
> Faithful Hound, a Bordeaux-style blend from Stellenbosch SA.. There's
> a bit of a glossy oak sheen that I don't remember, and some fruit
> forward styling that I do. Cassis and a little bell pepper, vanilla.
> Pleasant enough, and though I wouldn't seek it out on its own, it's
> the only wine I'll buy a bottle a year for the name.B-

> Dinner was rosemary/garlic tuna steaks, eggplant in a balsamic
> marinade, & salad. Wine was the 2013 Occhipinti SP68 red. Spicy, red
> plums, a slight hint of barnyard, good mouthwatering acids. B+/B

> Cheesey barley with mustard green and tomatoes, a Caprese salad,
> grilled eggplant, and green salad with pears. The barley was cooked
> with the 2013 Chidaine Touraine Sauvignon Blanc. I am a big Chidaine
> fan, but felt first couple vintages of this negoce wine were a slight
> disappointment. But this I think is a fine value- light, fresh, good
> acids, citrus, just a tiny hint of grass. B

> Dinner wine was the 2013 Baudry Chinon Rose. Nice, structured for
> rose, cranberry and red cherry fruit, rocky finish. Plays well with
> others (or at least the wide variety of dishes). B+

> Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent
> wine, B a good wine, C drinkable. Anything below C means I wouldn't
> drink at a party where it was only choice.Furthermore, I offer no
> promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.

Happy Birthday to Lucy. I'm delighted somebody else has birthday
parties for their dogs - we wondered if we were a bit unusual!
Our Airedales have always had a "birthday cake" of a pork pie with a
candle in it - sadly our last one, Noah, died last year and we have
not yet had the heart to get a puppy, though we shall soon.

Tim Hartley