cat shepard

Thank you for starting us off, Sandi. Rich, thank you for giving Sandi the foundation that makes her task a bit easier! Vanessa, thank you for taking care of our lists. It is another gorgeous morning in the neighborhood. Our amazing Easterly breezes/winds have made the hot temps enjoyable and really helped keep the humidity down. That probably means they have kept the much needed rain away. Just Zumba, Bindi walks, and chores for me today. My neighbors and I are starting to plan our Spring block party. We are going to celebrate our “piece” of the planet on Earth Day. 🤞🏻 Hoping for good weather. Prayers for all who need our support. Thinking of you @kazu, Jacqui. Cheers to all who are celebrating. Get well & stay well everyone. ********** Calera Pinot Noir Mount Harlan Jensen Vineyard 2019 This California Pinot Noir sounds amazing. But it comes with a price tag that takes it outside of my budget. Available from quite a few online distributors with prices starting at $94.89. Winemaker Notes #92 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2022 At more than 40 years old, the coveted old vines of Jensen Vineyard have produced a stunning wine that offers depth, elegance and layered complexity. On the nose, aromas of ripe plum and persimmon flirt with more dramatic black fruit undertones. The palate is lush and mouth-filling, striking a seamless balance between energetic red berry flavors and deeper flavors of black cherry and blackberry that glide to a long, resonant finish. JS95 James Suckling A medium-bodied red with very poised and fine fleshy texture, with strawberries, orange peel and hints of hazelnut. Fruit tea. Juicy, long and flavorful, yet always reserved and focused. Refined and polished. WE94 Wine Enthusiast Rugged cherry aromas meet with earth herbs, star anise and gamy charcuterie on the nose of this bottling, which was grown in true limestone at 2,200 feet. That rugged character rolls through the palate, featuring wild plums, salted meat, bay leaf and wood oil, with enough texture and acidity to last awhile. WS93 Wine Spectator Very fresh, featuring raspberry, blood orange and mulberry fruit that's well-defined and backed by mouthwatering acidity. Offers rose petal and savory notes along the way. A nice piercing minerality extends the finish. Best from 2023 through 2032.

Thank you for starting our day, Sandi! Loved the pictures of Ren scoring & the celebration with his teammates! Rich, thank you for setting things up, so we can keep going. Vanessa, thank you for capturing & sharing our happenings. A really dense fog this morning. Seems to be moving in from the shore. Heading to another nursery this morning to hunt for the rest of the plants on my list. Then Bindi walks, chores and my HIIT class. Prayers for all who need our support. Thinking of you @kazu Jacqui. Cheers to all who are celebrating. Get well & stay well everyone! ******* Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec Le Haut-Lieu 2021 This Loire wine sounds perfect for a hot, humid day! Light, dry and not too sweet! And fairly easy to find! Lots of consumer and critic fans. Quite a few online distributors with prices starting at $31.99. Winemaker Notes #83 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2022 The original Huët vineyard is nearly 9 hA. It has the richest soils of the domaine’s three crus - a deep limestone-clay - and the wines are generally the estate’s most approachable. In some vintages, small quantities from nearby estate parcels may be added to Le Haut-Lieu. V94 Vinous This is a very fine, fragrant and floral Le Haut Lieu Sec. While delicate, the 2021 fills the mouth with a cloud of pure fruit reminiscent of violets, apple and nectarine skin. There's a fine sinew that pulls the wine through on the finish. It can be approached in its youth but will go on and on. JS93 James Suckling A wealth of sliced-pear, white-peach and citrus-zest aromas with a hint of honeycomb makes this dry Vouvray very appealing. Abundant succulence in spite of the rather sleek palate. Long, very silky finish with impeccable balance. From bio dynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold. WS91 Wine Spectator An elegant white with beautiful fruit purity, featuring freshly juiced apple, fleshy lychee and baking spice notes that build in intensity on the palate. Shows salty acidity that's nicely set against a buttercream note, with salted caramel marking the crackling finish.

@NextOne Edi, may your new year be filled with love, laughter, joy, great health and a cruise - or two!

We can always start a “Go Fund Me” campaign to raise bail money for you. 😎

Dixie, that is good news. Still hard to hear.

Carolyn, what wonderful news! 🥳 Hope DH’s bout with COVID is mild.

Praying that the news is good!

Welcome to the Daily! Hope to “see” more from you!

Thank you for getting us started Sandi! Rich thank you for setting up the program that allows us to continue! Vanessa, thank you for caring enough to capture and share all our events and happenings. @Mr. Boston thank you for that great shot of the city that you shared yesterday. I was born in Massachusetts about 30 minutes North of the city and spent my formative years there. Lots of fun trips into the “Big City”. And every now and then I drop an “r” or two. Another lovely morning here. Just chores, Bindi walks, one gym class and yard work. My local food bank asked me to change my morning to Wednesday, so things are a bit less hectic today. Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Get well & stay well everyone! ************ Trinity Hill Cabernet Sauvignon Hawkes Bay Prison Block 2020 Another elusive New Zealand wine. It sounds amazing, though pricey. I couldn’t find a distributor that would ship to me. But if I could, the price would be about $75/bottle + shipping. Definitely outside of my budget. Raymond Chan review "Full, deep, inky ruby-red, slightly lighter on the rim. The bouquet is full, immediately pleasing, enticing aromas of cedar and cocoa entwined with cassis, blackberry, menthol and an amalgam of spice. Full-bodied, concentrated aromas of cassis and blackberry interweave fragrant black tea, menthol, clove and nutmeg, cedar and cocoa lend a dry, savoury, long finish. The mouthfeel is dense and dry with a fine-grained structure, extended by meaty, savoury nuances. Effortless, balanced acidity supported through the layers and an exceedingly long finish. This well-structured Cabernet Sauvignon possesses a powerful, dense palate with multilayers and an extremely long finish. Match with tomahawk and braised short rib over the next 15 years. Fruit from Gimblett Gravels, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, handpicked, destemmed, 100% whole berries, fermented in a large closed top-fermenter to 14.5% alc, 15 days on skins, aged in new 225-litre French oak barriques for 19 months. No fining, minimal filtration." - 19/20, Raymond Chan Wine Reviews

Fred, safe travels & Bon Voyage to you & Mitzi.

Thank you for starting us off, Sandi! And never missing a beat with your Port of the Day info and pictures! Rich, thank you for ensuring the Report & Daily can continue while you tour the World! Vanessa, thank you for capturing & sharing our events! We are a busy group. It was 70 with a slight breeze when Bindi and I headed out earlier. And there was quite a marine layer, that is just now beginning to burn off. Just sitting down with coffee outside and the birds are singing up a storm! The deer are starting to wander through for a drink. Mom & the twins just visited my back yard. Bindi is so good not to move or bark, even when they wander close to check her out. 😎 Gym, Bindi walks, chores will fill my day. I could see @RedneckBob using this joke! Easter is coming… Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Get well & stay well everyone! *********** Los Vascos Chardonnay, Colchagua Valley, Chile I used the 2022 vintage info, since I actually found a review for this one! Doesn’t sound too oaky, and it is widely available. Numerous distributors with prices starting at $7.95. Wine Enthusiast Review This refreshing everyday Chardonnay offers notes of grapefruit and peach followed by hints of smoke. Vibrant acidity makes the wine easy to drink on a hot summer day.

Thank you Sandi & Rich for making the Report & Daily happen! Thank you Vanessa for keeping track of all of us. Dawn is just starting to lighten the Eastern sky. It is already 69. Gym, Aldi, Bindi walks and maybe some pool time. I love sitting out on the deck in the evening, because it is Fawn Season! Last evening I saw this year’s twins skipping & hopping after Mom as she walked through my back yard. Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating. Get well & stay well everyone! ********* Laboure-Roi Chablis 1er Cru, Burgundy, France Another elusive wine, but this one is from France! I used the 2018 vintage info, but could find no critic reviews of recent vintages. Consumers rate it very good - excellent. I couldn’t find any local distributors, but there were several European distributors with prices starting at $35.95. If I could convince them to ship to me, I suspect the shipping costs would double my cost. Distributor notes Pale yellow in the glass. Aromatic with a classic Chardonnay note and fine minerality. Wonderfully vinous and round with delicate honey notes and a spicy finish.

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@ger_77 What a wonderful way to welcome that young couple to their new home, Gerry! Perhaps they can now believe the light at the end of the tunnel is a good thing. Bless you and your community. Ann

Amelia, you are gorgeous! But you probably already know this! 🐈

Thank you for starting us off, Sandi! Rich, thank you for making sure the Report & Daily continue each day! Another lovely morning sky. Last night’s dinner with the salmon & strawberry basil relish was a smash! I doubled the basil amount, and probably would have enjoyed even more. Thank you for hunting that down, Debbie! Vanessa, thank you for taking such great care of us & tracking our events. I have an early visit from my handyman to replace my pool enclosure door closing mechanisms. Both went caput in the same week and I had to detach them from the doors, so I could close them. I sense a conspiracy. 🤔. Then I am joining friends for a brunch at a local restaurant. Bindi walks and going out with my Sister & her Grandson for dinner will round out my day. I usually don’t eat two meals out on the same day, unless I am on vacation. Words to live by… The winners or the Guinness Book of World Records for # of cats in one box! Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Get well & stay well everyone! ********* Cambridge Road Martinborough Dovetail 2020 Well this NZ Pinot noir - Syrah blend is another elusive wine, except for @erewhon I hope she & DH are trying the ones that sound good to them. There are no distributors that ship to me. If I visited New Zealand, I would spend the equivalent of $49.46 for a bottle. Winemaker notes Cambridge Road Vineyard is a small family farmed estate established in 1986. We focus our time and energy on perfecting and beautifying our land and cultivating it according to natural biodynamic and eco-farming principles. We believe in minimal intervention winemaking, low yields, and healthy living wines. We seek purity of voice in all our wines with a respect for the taste of place. We source organic fruit from other vineyards within the region and occasionally further afield to offer a wider selection of taste. A fascinating blend of Syrah and Pinot Noir. This has the beautiful ripe red currants and cherries that you'd expect from the Pinot Noir but it opens up to give a range of lovely licorice, clove spice and other earthy tones.

Thank you for our last March Report & Daily, Sandi! How can that be?Rich, thank you for setting things up so we can continue while you are enjoying your cruise. It is slightly warmer this morning, and there is a lovely pale Orange sherbet tint to the Eastern sky. Vanessa, thank you for scouring our posts and capturing & sharing all important events. A busy day for me. Off to the gym, selecting & scheduling my gas fireplace replacement, yard work, Bindi walks and getting everything ready for dinner with my friends tonight. Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Get well & stay well everyone! ********** Mudbrick Vineyard Waiheke Island Velvet 2020 Another elusive New Zealand wine! This one is calling my name. I love a great red blend. I found one review, but none of the online distributors ship to me. It is also outside of my price range, but I’d love a taste. If you live in New Zealand online distributor prices start at $90.88 + shipping. Cameron Douglas’ review Aromas of dark berries and cassis, dark chocolate baked green bell-pepper, hay and baking spices, Doris plum and iron filings. Complex, very youthful and compelling. Full-bodied, a velvet texture with myriad tannins and back bone of acidity. Inky flavours paint the palate with flavours of dark berries and toasy barrel spices. A totally delicious wine with a complex and lengthy finish. Please pop this wine into your cellar and leave it there till 2026 then try again. best drinking likely from 2028 through 2040+. 96 Points Outstanding

Thank you Sandi, for making sure our gathering place is posted each day! Rich, thank you for gathering the info and setting it up so it is easy to share. About 10 degrees cooler this morning, but it looks to be a gorgeous day! Vanessa, thank you for keeping track of us so carefully. Thank you Dailyites for making this such a great place to visit, share and contribute. @Suslor Susan & @cruzn single Mary Kay - hope your new years are filled with laughter, love, great health and a cruise or two! @USN59-79 Ray & Sara Happy 60th! I had a huge success at my garden center and left with just four small areas to fill. I know what I want, but the center was either out of them, or I wasn’t sure about something. Anyone in the Garden Club have experience with crape myrtles? I am looking for one with deep red flowers and found three options. Each claims to be the deepest, darkest red 🤔. They are Dallas, Dynamite and Red Hot. Online pictures do not help. And the garden center had Red Hot trees, but they weren’t in bloom & the picture on the tag showed orange/red flowers. Not what I want. Just Zumba, Bindi walks, planting and salad prep. I am hosting dinner tomorrow and am making the salmon with strawberry relish dish. @ger_77 Gerry, thank you for the tip about adding more basil. I like basil, too. Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Get well & stay well everyone! ********** Dry River Pinot Noir Martinborough 2021 Another elusive New Zealand wine. I could not find any critic reviews of this vintage, but consumers really enjoy it. The average Vivino rating is 4.2 out of 5. Lots of mentions of blueberry and plum. The consensus indicates it is dry and on the light side. Definitely a favorite wine. I also could not find any online distributors that ship to me - for this vintage. But there were several that offered the 2018 vintage with prices starting at $75.19 + shipping.

Ann, I admit to being surprised that the Rotterdam will be allowed to dock at Key West. One of my favorite places to visit, so I hope your weather is great! The other Ann😎

Thank you for making this happen, Sandi! Rich, thank you for laying the foundation! It was 70 when Bindi and I headed out this morning, but the strong breeze made it feel much cooler. Vanessa thank you for keeping track of all our happenings! Today I hope to visit a local garden center, though its proximity to the wildfires means I need to check the wind direction before heading out. I am not sure wearing a mask would keep 100% of the smoke smell out if the wind is blowing that way. Bindi walks, car washing and my HIIT class will round out my day. Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Get well & stay well everyone! ********** Tony Bish Chardonnay Hawkes Bay Skeetfield 2021 You need to either live in New Zealand or Australia to enjoy this Chardonnay. I would love a taste, but the commute would be costly. 😎 I found one online distributor that ships to Australia residents only for $61.21+ shipping. Raymond Chan Review Review Date : 23-Sep-2022 ☆☆☆☆☆ Bright, straw-yellow with depth and a light green sheen, slightly lighter on the rim. The nose is complex and enticing, with aromas of stonefruit, citrus and yellow blossoms entwined with layers of toasty, creamy and spice elements. Medium-full bodied, aromas of peach, apricot, lemon sherbet and pink grapefruit show purity, unveiling toasted brioche, almond, lemon curd and delicate oak spice. The wine is sleek with a seamless acidity flow; it elegantly binds and integrates oak elements and underlines power and structure. Chalky phenolics left a silky, opulent mouthfeel. This sleek Chardonnay possesses pristine fruit with elegant, well-portioned, integrated oak elements on a seamless palate. Match with lemon butter langoustine and hamachi sashimi over the next 8+ years. Dry-farmed Mendoza clone handpicked, whole bunch pressed. 100% barrel-fermented to 14% alc, 60% new Taransaud French oak. 100% MLF, battonage, on lees for 12 months. 19.5/20 pts (98 pts)

Great to see you, Joy!

Welcome & good morning!

Terry, First a huge (((((((hug))))))). I am so sorry to read about your aide’s departure. I pray that you find a wonderful replacement. Fast.

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Thank you for getting us started, Sandi. Rich, thank you for making sure we were taken care of, while you are touring the World. It is 68 here. Rain is expected and it is desperately needed to help put some wildfires out that are just West of me. The smoke from them was so bad I had to put on one of my masks on my way to & from the gym yesterday. I pity all those who have to work outside in those conditions. And I suspect that drivers on I95 had some interesting conditions in the Ormond Beach - Daytona area. Vanessa thank you for keeping track of all our happenings. We are such a busy group. Chores, Bindi walks, online plant hunting, a trip to the gym w/mask, and then gathering at the local wine bar with friends. Not a bad day. I admit this one made me smile & tear up!❤️ Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Get well & stay well everyone! ********* Blank Canvas Syrah Hawkes Bay Gimblett Gravels Element 2019 Another elusive New Zealand wine that sounds interesting. I would love a taste, since I often find Syrahs a bit too much for me to handle. I found a few online distributors, not sure if any ship to me. Prices start at $37.25 + shipping. Distributor notes A powerful bouquet driven by aromas of spices and dark red fleshed fruits, seasoned red meats and there’s layers of barrel and smoke, wood spices and pressed violets. Complex and youthful. Equally powerful on the palate with a firm taut texture from tannins and back bone of acidity; tempering and contrasting core fruit flavours of dark berries and spiced meats layer in complexity and mouthfeel. This wine needs more time, it is delicous already, dry and lengthy. Best drinking from very late 2023 through 2033. 95 Points Outstanding