After a very late night of driving to and from Nacogdoches and then some unwind time, it was about 2 a.m. before we hit the hay and as we’ve noted previously, with dogs, they have one schedule . . . potty around 5:30 followed by breakfast followed by potty.  Under normal circumstances, it’s really not a big deal to get up and take care of what they need and then go back to sleep.  Today was tough because we’d only been ‘asleep’ for about 3 hours before their schedule kicked in.   Well, it’s one of the ‘things’ we signed up for when we decided to have dogs in the house.  A mostly cloudy, misty day gave way to some mid-afternoon sunshine; the clouds rolled back in around 3:30 and stayed that way until dark.  After a quick visit to Kerrville to check on the house, get the haircut and have a lunch with L&P and D&B, we were ready to come home and chill out.  It is always great to visit and catch up with good friends.

Tonight, we went to a familiar vineyard for our tasting.  Having previously tasted and blogged about wines from the Nick Goldschmidt family, we picked up a 2009 Hilary Goldschmidt Cabernet Sauvignon when it was on sale at Twin Liquors.  This turned out to be a spectacular bottle of wine.  From our friends at vinoshipper.com, “Named for Nick Goldschmidt’s youngest of five children. Charming Creek offers the signature taste of Napa Valley and shows unusual concentration for the price. With its long sunny days and porous, free-draining soils, Napa Valley has the perfect growing conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon vines and Charming Creek consistently yields bold, well-structured wines that are complex and rich in flavor. This wine will easily stand beside Cabernets far more expensive. Drink now through 2017. Only 1000 cases made.” 

We can tell you that this wine was superb . . . from the nose to the initial tasting . . . the palate and the finish . . . absolutely magnificent as in A ++++.  Clearly, Mr. Goldschmidt is a master at fine wine making and now that we’ve tried three of his products, we are convinced – if you appreciate really good Cabernet at reasonable prices-especially given where they’re made-then you need to get on the Goldschmidt bandwagon! Dark ruby-garnet color, aromas of red plum and black cherry.  Classic characteristics including flavors of blackberry and cassis on the palate.  Beautifully structured, it finishes with long, silky tannins and a taste that keeps on going.  One thing is certain, we we make our way back to Napa, we WILL be hooking up with Mr. Goldschmidt!!!

As Saturdays go, it was relaxing, fun but a bit tiring, so we’re posting short and sweet tonight – plus we lose an hour of precious time tonight.  Fortunately, the wine maker’s previous ventures helped us, but the wine stands on its own and is a great deal if you can get it for under $25 a bottle.  Truth is, we’d probably be willing to spend a little more for this wine knowing what we know now!  Hopefully, your day was a good one and you’re looking forward to a great Sunday.  We are – and we hope that you’ll pass on this blog to your friends and family–especially if you’ve already tried Goldschmidt wines!

Remember to enjoy your favorite wine responsibly and recycle whenever possible.