Wine as an event; (PB) celebrates 35 years

On the occasion of the 35th year with my high school sweet heart, girl friend, lover and mother of my children, my wife arranged a wine tasting with some very special people. (Billy) the technical genius of this blog and our son flew in from Minneapolis and and our favorite in-laws from Chicago all showed up as a huge surprise.

Son-in-law (NW) of this blog, supplied 6 wines which were bagged and tasted.

Wine #1 (the ringer) Numanthia Termes 2005 had a bouquet of big sweet fruit with plums, black cherry and chocolate in the nose. The palate was lusty with bold fruit, layers of different dark berries and finish of cocoa. This was clearly the favorite of the tasting and I think everyone selected it as the "ringer." ($25)

Wine #2 was a Cinsault (pronounced sin-SO) which is the grape variety and a rare find since Cinsault is normally a blending grape and not a varietal.
It has a light bouquet of anise with a sweet palate of bready fruit. It wasn't an enjoyable wine for the most part. ($?)

Wine #3 was provided out of my cellar and was 2005 Chateau Gobert. I purchased it on the vintage and nothing else. It was a dissappointment with very little bouquet of sour cherry.
Int he mouth there was a touch of licroice but not much there in the way of falvor. The finish was its best attribute. Not a good offering for the famed vintage. ($13)

Wine # 4 was a Barbera D'Alba 2006 at the $20 price point. It presented well with an intense hue and a bouquet of cherry, and pepper.
Int he mouth it brimmed of chocolate covered cherries, roses but the base was a bit tannic and the finish short lived. So-So.

Wine #5 was Chateau De Charmes Gamay Noir 2004--This was to be sure the most unique wine of the bunch but in this case "unique" was not a good attribute. Never having had a Gamay Noir (NW) selected this for that reason. This is a Canadian effort that had an unbelievably strong grapefruit bouquet and white pepper in the nose. Grapefruit is not an aroma one normally assiociates with a red wine...
The palate contiued the grapfruit theme and light cherry flavor. Everyone dissed this wine.

Wine #6 was an Argentinian Bonarda which is the grape type. This Mendoza creation of JJ Lurton 2007 had grape hints and sour notes that reminded me of Malbec. It had a nice mouth feel with toast, thin flavors and a licorice note. Not much goinfg for it.

All in all--this was a memorable celebration all the way around and the wonderful aspect of wine used for such festivities is that years from now, if we still have our senses, we will remember the event because of the wine, of course because of the surprise of loved ones, and unfrotunately we will all remember the wierd "grapefruit" wine (red no less) from Canada. We raised glass after glass, enjoyed each other and the temperate climate of a Maine Summer night on our porch blessed to be alive, healthy, prosperous and most of all, "saved by God's grace." Raise a glass!