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28-11-2009, 04:22 PM
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TN: Santa Ema Reserve Merlot 2004
Santa Ema Reserve Merlot Maipo Valley 2004
In recent years, my responsibilities as a 25 hour a day caregiver to a semi-invalid have obviated my indulging in much wine pleasures. Last night, I bent the rules and pulled something out of my little cellar to accompany a USDA Prime rib steak that I unearthed in my freezer. This morning, I looked at my wine spreadsheet/database and discovered that the last new entry was in July of this year! When I first tasted this wine, one of my notes stated that this was one of the most complete Merlots in recent memory. Getting it out of the bottle proved an unexpected challenge. My Leverpull type opener shredded the cork into a jagged half remaining in the neck. Next, I tried to remove the remains with a two bladed wine tool. It was of no avail, and the only alternative was to push downward, sending a small shower of cork bits where they were not wanted. On my top shelf, I retrieved a decanter, which required some fast scrubbing before it could do service. Fortunately, I knew the whereabouts of some cheesecloth, having utilized it to wrap a Bouquet Garni the previous week. Wine filtered and breathing, I heaved a quick sigh of relief. Maybe I will live long enough to see most wine producers switch to sturdier synthetic corks or quality screw caps instead of the traditional but troublesome bark of a certain species of Oak tree. Maybe. Tasting it at half hour intervals for one and a half hours before serving time, my previous notes still stand. The primary overtone was of ripe Blackberries, with a little earthiness and still present rounded Tannins. The body was full and syrupy, and the sensations lingered until I was finished scrubbing pots and headed for dreamland. My most recent kitchen acquisition did double duty. It is a digital thermometer with a metal wire shielded stainless pointed probe. Inserted into one baking potato in the 375F oven, it rang at precisely the moment the the internal temperature reached 210F. Off to the warming drawer the potatoes went, while I increased the oven temperature to 425F. A quick browning of the steak in some Olive Oil in a cast iron skillet, was followed by inserting the probe, now set to ring at 140F when the skillet with steak went into the oven. While the steak was reaching the desired internal temperature, I quickly sautéed some sliced almonds in butter and added the fine young Haricot Verts that I had blanched for five minutes earlier in the day. A most successful dinner. Godzilla |
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