What a day!  We were blessed with an abundance of much needed rain overnight, and while it didn’t cause the creek behind us to overflow its banks, it did help “flush” the system and provide moisture to a parched earth that is trying to survive in these parts.

We had what one would call “a lazy” day.  Other than having to play with the grand dog much more than our good for nuthin’ three, we managed to get done the things done that needed to be done, and then spend part of the afternoon soaking up the sun and just chillin’ on the deck.  As a result of our shopping trip to HEB, we enjoyed a snack of various cheeses and crackers – and a gift from the West Coast.  Through a friend of a friend, Jean was given a bottle of Rubissow 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon – WOW, Barbara – this is one terrific wine!  Barbara works for the winery and has the coveted title of “Director of Merriment” – ok, just want to go on the record as saying – – this is the job we were born for!  There is no doubt in our minds that we could be over the top in this role!  Gonna have to do some research and find out how to not only apply, but to secure this job!

Let’s talk about the wine . . . it’s BIG!  It’s big like a Cab should be . . . but, this one is different.  We sniffed it; we tasted it, and still we couldn’t put our fingers on why it was so BIG.  Naturally, reading the label on the bottle should have given us some clues, but other than seeing where it’s from (REALLY good area of Napa) and the source of the grapes . . . we were left scratching our heads.  It wasn’t until we peeled through the layers that we realized the wine was blended with Malbec.  Cabernet grapes are small and extremely flavorful, and when you add Malbec grapes that are a little larger and really bursting with juice and flavor. . .you have a dynamite combination!  Here’s what we like about the notes, “The Malbec is a game changer here.  Dark blue-tinged red in color: Bright acidity.  Massive, brooding flavors of blueberry, cassis, maraschino cherry, intense blackberry, fall leaf, beef bouillon and pomegranate, finishing with cherry and cocoa nib. Gorgeous violet, clove and blackberry aromatics linger long, sweet and wild.”  From our perspective, the wine was spectacular from the minute the cork was pulled.  A beautiful array of crush awaited our first pour and the cork gave up hints of what we were about to enjoy!  This was a full-bodied Cab with gorgeous color and lots of structure.  Because the wine is unfined and unfiltered, we really got the essence of the wine and you can tell when you taste this wine that it was made to be enjoyed . . . now or in the future!  The tasting notes suggested a short amount of air time, which we did – and WOW – WOW – WOW, it was SOOOOOO worth the wait.  When you realize that this wine spent 20 months in the barrel, you realize how smooth and flavorful it’s going to be!

We completely enjoyed this wine – with the aforementioned selection of fresh cheeses and crackers – and with our fish tacos for dinner – the combination along with a sunny day and a date on the deck – made for a great way to enjoy a Sunday afternoon.  We’ve since learned that these wines are typically rated at or above 90 points.  We’ve also learned that their wine maker, Timothy Milos is bordering on ‘genius’ when it comes to great wine making.  According to nexternal.com, “The 2008 season produced smooth, rich, soft dark fruit flavors in our Cabernet, while in the Malbec, massive, brooding, hedonistic fruit was the powerful result. In keeping with our tradition of making wines that express the true essence of the Rubissow estate, Winemaker Timothy Milos took full advantage of nature’s work in the 2008 vintage and blended a substantial amount of the robust Malbec into the smooth Cabernet to create a singular wine of phenomenal power and lush richness.” When media starts comparing newer vintages with older vintages, there is a GOOD product being made!  There is no doubt in our minds that on our next trip to Napa we will stop in a visit Rubissow – and in the meantime, will try and find some local places to purchase this wine – it’s a Winner!!!  Thank you again to Barbara for getting a bottle into our hands – you are welcome anytime!!!

Sunday was the perfect day to enjoy this wine and we hope that you find a way to track down a bottle.  Hopefully some time this weekend you found a good reason to enjoy your favorite wine.  Tell us what your favorite wine is and we’ll add it to our list of blog wines . . . with a little less than half of a year left in our goal, each time we visit our favorite wine shops, the number of wines we have to choose from gets smaller and smaller.  Your help will help keep the wine flowing and blog growing!

Between now and then, please enjoy your favorite wine responsibly and remember to recycle whenever possible.