New Years Eve

This New Years Eve was very different from years past.  We spent a quiet evening at home and both our kids decided to go out.  It was the first New Years Eve that we weren't all together. We decided to have a late dinner and my son showed up to join us and ate the Filet Mignon wrapped in bacon for himself and his sisters.

To begin the evening Paul and I opened a 1997 Chateau St. Jean Merlot.  We purchased this wine back in 2001 when we visited the winery.  I can't believe we actually kept it this long.

We decanted the wine for 2 hours and it opened up nicely.  On the nose I got cocoa with a hint of plum.

The taste....full of fruit.  What stood out the most was the black cherry and plum with hints of vanilla. The wine was very well balanced.
We served this with bacon wrapped Filet Mignons with a Gorgonzola Sauce, Green Beans and Mushrooms with a red wine and brandy reduction.  In case you are wondering, no I didn't use the Merlot in the green beans.

Now to bring in the New Year. It's the NYE to see what's in the wine cellar.  Paul pulled out a 2006 Whitecliff Sparkling Wine. This was made with a blend of Chardonnay and Seyval.   I remember tasting this wine in 2008 and I wasn't to thrilled with it. It was very sharp and had a zing to it. The Seyval really stood out.

The cork was popped a few minutes before midnight so we all had the glass of bubbly in our hands for the countdown.  I took the first sip of the new year and WOW!  I was surprised, the sparkling wine was tasting mighty good.  It was well balanced and there was no bitterness or zing. The flavors all blended well together. The Seyval blended in nicely with the Chardonnay tasting the  Chardonnay up front with the hint of Seyval mid palate.  Aging in in our cellar did wonders for this bottle.