cat shepard

Thank you for today’s Report & Daily, Rich. Another lovely morning here. The deer have stopping by for breakfast the past few mornings. I lost count at twelve this morning. Bindi is so good with them. Thank goodness. Roy hoping that you have recovered from your boarding ordeal and can start enjoying your cruise. Morning Dailyites! An early Zumba class for me, then a contractor who got rained out this week will come to finish the job. Dinner at my friend’s this evening. We need to finalize some plans for our Alaska trip. Some iconic images from Honolulu… Sunrise over Diamondhead. Arizona memorial at Pearl Harbor This morning’s smile… Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Stay well everyone! ****** Julien Cecillon 2018 Saint Pierre (Cornas) This Rhône Syrah sounds lovely. But it’s superb ratings come with a price outside of my budget. I used the 2018 vintage’s info, but all released vintages share similar ratings and prices. Available from several online distributors with prices starting at $71.99. 97pts Wine Enthusiast It takes just a whiff to know there's something deeply special about this truffly, intensely blackberried Syrah sourced from organic grapes. It's powerfully ripe, bursting at the seams with cassis and black cherry flavors, and sumptuous in texture, but delightfully nuanced too, etched by shards of granite and earth, dried flowers and smoky, meaty charcuterie. Freshly balanced and ethereal in minerality, it's stunning young but should improve well through 2040.

Thank you for today’s Daily, Rich! Happy Canada Day 🇨🇦 to my neighbors to the North! Another lovely morning. Lots of deer out foraging. This year’s fawns spots are fading fast. Thank you for taking care of us Roy! Glad you made it to NYC safely. Bon voyage today! Morning Dailyites. Heading out with some neighbors this morning to line our cul de sac with flags for the 4th. Then off to the gym. Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Stay well everyone! ********** Crios Malbec I used the info from the 2020 vintage of this Malbec, because it might be the easiest to find. But all released vintages share the same excellent ratings and reasonable prices. Readily available with prices starting at $10.99. Winemaker Notes A fresh, pure expression of the variety, this Malbec displays aromas of violets, cherries and spices. Fruity, with balanced acidity on the palate, notes of ripe red fruits and a subtle hint of oak. Pairs well with Grilled red meats, pasta with red sauce, hard cheeses, empanadas, chocolate desserts or dulce de leche. JS92 James Suckling Brightness and energy to this, with sliced cherry, tar, berry and some asphalt. Medium body with light tannins and a fruity finish. Delicious. RP90 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate The juicy 2020 Crios Malbec was produced with grapes from different locations in the Valle de Uco in Mendoza that, in a warm and dry year, shows ripe aromas and a soft texture with integrated acidity and a tender mouthfeel. Forty percent of the wine matured in barrel for eight months, and that gave it an extra degree of complexity.

Brenda Happy Birthday to your DH. May his new year be filled with love, laughter, great health and a cruise or two!

Well by golly! You are correct. I am a huge fan of GSM blends! Thank you.

Happy Birthday to DH, Terry! May his new year be filled with love, laughter, great health & a getaway trip!

Thank you for today’s Report & Daily, Rich. Another gorgeous morning here. A couple contractors coming to fix things this morning. Bon Voyage, Roy! Thank you for even trying to keep up with us - take time to savor the journey. Morning Dailyites. Off to pick up a couple things at the grocery store for my neighborhood gathering on the 3rd. Then back to meet with the contractors. Thank goodness for safety cones! Our grammarians will notice the problem with the following post. Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Stay well everyone! ******** Ego Bodegas 2019 Goru Verde Monastrell (Jumilla) Another grape variety with which I am unfamiliar. But this wine’s very good - excellent ratings and very reasonable price makes me want to try it. Available from several online distributors with prices starting at $8.95. DESCRIPTION Notes "Black cherry with purple violet hues. Clean, fragrant with a bouquet of spices, violets and blueberries. Smooth texture, with savoury red fruits, soft with a round tannins, well-balanced acidity and a pure finish." —winemaker Critical Acclaim "Spicy plum and berry aromas come with a level of roasted wildness that's familiar to well-made Monastrell from Jumilla. This is tight and well-structured, especially for the variety. Roasted, savory black plum and blackberry flavors finish smooth and easy. Drink now." — 90 Wine Enthusiast

Have a wonderful trip!

Safe travels, Roy! Bon Voyage!

Hugs. It is never easy to lose a beloved fur family member. May your wonderful memories of Jaguar bring you some comfort.

Thank you for today’s Daily, Rich! A lovely morning here, though the humidity is creeping in too. Thank you for keeping our lists Roy! Morning Dailyites. Need to get my act together and get the trash & recycling out, so this will be a quick post. Prayers for all who need our support. Special prayers for Ron, Curt, Tana, Buddy, Jack’s DB. Jacqui praying you get to board & get home today. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Stay well everyone! ************ Legado del Moncayo 2019 Garnacha This wine shares very good reviews from both critics and consumers. I would love to taste this one. A bit elusive I found a few online distributors with prices starting at $12.99 & shipping. Distributor notes There aren’t many wine-producing countries of this world which can hold a candle to Spain. The sun-soaked southern European country produces the kinds of wines we can’t help but get excited about - full-flavoured, passionately produced wines of thrilling variety, we love wines that manage to capture everything special about this country in the bottle. Legado del Moncayo is pretty much spot-on in this regard - it is the passion project of the young and ambitious winemaker Isaac Fernandez. Isaac works in a number of regions across Spain, and with several varieties, but his standout wines to date come from the old Garnacha (the Spanish name for Grenache!) bush vines of Campo de Borja, the so-called ‘empire of Garnacha’ which is famed throughout the country (and increasingly, the wider world) for the sheer quality of the red wines it produces. Isaac has an experimental approach, bringing together the old world of tradition and finesse with an in-your-face attitude of innovation, and thinking outside the box. Classic formula here - old gnarly bush vines, a talented young winemaker, take a somewhat overlooked wine region....add hard work, grit and determination, and with this wine, we're seeing some incredible results. Dark but upfront fruit, with a wafting perfume of rose and small red berries. There's plenty of savoury grit here, backed up by ginger and cinnamon spices, and the power of those old vines really shines through. The wine is well balanced however, with natural acid freshness, and spends just 7 months in French oak, which partially accounts for the spiciness! A lacquered and sweet fruited, confected Grenache you can smash. A delight of a wine. Tasting notes DRY/SWEET DRYMediumSweet BODY LightMediumFULL ACIDITY LowMEDIUMHigh TANNINS LowMEDIUMHigh ALCOHOL Low (9-11%)Medium (12-13%)HIGH (14%+) OAK NoneSOMELots FRUITS StrawberryRaspberryCherry FLAVOURS CinnamonPepperSpice CELLAR This will improve over the next few years, but don't be afraid to open it today!

Jacqui, hoping you at least are starting to board by now.

May I suggest a lovely streak of Northern Lights? Purple or green would be lovely.

7B031F00-49D1-4327-8E9E-8DA244FEBC06.MOV My post from July, 2021. We only ate supper in Akureyri, we spent the morning driving from Reykjavik to Dalvik. Dalvik is North of Akureyri, but on the same fjord. We did a whale watching excursion. No clue why the full video posted twice, but I can not delete it for some reason. The Icelandic saga continues… The 14 of us hit the road early - 7:30 a.m. We drove along the West coast bordered by magnificent mountains. We drove through endless farmlands whose fields were covered with white, pale green and pale yellow giant marshmallows! Ok, they were really bales of hay, shrink wrapped so the hay would last through the long winter, but they looked like marshmallows. Our mini-bus had USB ports, adjustable vents and lights. But other than the driver, I was the only one with adequate leg room. Only the two shortest folk (both shorter than 5 feet) on the tour could sit across from me. How tall is the average Icelander, or visitor we pondered?🤔 We stopped for a snack at a WaWa/7-11 kind of place - I believe it was named something like Nesti. But talk about an amazing variety of food offerings. The folk who opted for a hot dog said it was as good as the one they had in Reykjavik! I got some Skyr (yogurt) and an amazing chocolate covered wafer bar. Around 2:30 p.m. we pulled in to Arctic Adventures’ parking lot in Dalvik - a bit North of Akureyri on the same fjord. Across the street was a restaurant famous for their delicious fish soup. But they had lots of different things to tempt anyone not wanting fish. I had a hard time turning away from the dessert displays, but I did. Their soup was every bit as good as we were told it would be. I had two helpings. 😎 The pic below comes from Trip Advisor, since I had not figured out how to juggle two crutches and my phone - yet. We gathered back at Arctic Adventures and were given “onesies” to wear for our whale watch adventure. These onesies were waterproof, thermal suits that we zipped ourselves into. Then we used Velcro straps to tighten the ankle and wrist edges. I needed help with mine. I have freakishly long arms which were really coming in handy, but even they could not do it by themselves. We walked across the street and down to the dock to board our boat. Let’s just say mine was not the most graceful boarding, but withhelp from the Captain, his mate and François, I made it. It was a partly cloudy day, though at times we were sure it was going to rain. It got windy and cold, once we picked up speed. We were happy to have our gloves, scarves and hoodies. We had a sea bird fly really close to us for quite some time. Clearly it knew it was being videoed. 7B031F00-49D1-4327-8E9E-8DA244FEBC06.MOV We saw a couple of whales, though some of us suspected it was the same one playing with us. 2DA7FE8A-4F9E-4145-9BB4-B2607CF9E646.MOV Four hours after leaving the dock, we headed back. We were treated to hot chocolate and their version of Panama buns. Perhaps they call them Arctic buns? Back on shore we left our onesies and Dalvik behind and headed to Akureyri. François said our hotel could not manage dinner for our group that night, so he gave us a mini-tour of the town - pointing out dinner options as he drove. My group opted for the rooftop restaurant of a local hotel, because it was the closest to where we parked (I was tired), and it had pictures of different wine on a sidewalk sign. 😎 Clearly it was calling to us. It was too cold and windy to eat outside, but we had a great window view. We opted for a lovely red blend wine from France. And my cheeseburger was just amazing. It was accompanied by the best sweet potato fries I have eaten. Seriously. I never made it to dessert. Back to our mini-bus by 9:30, and off to our hotel on the opposite side of the fjord. François went in, came out with our keys and we were off to our rooms. Another early morning awaited us, so I opted to shower before bed. In a pinch, a waterproof jacket makes a great shower covering for a cast! I discovered that I was one of the lucky folk who could sleep, even when there are only two hours of total darkness - and the curtains are not totally room darkening.

Thank you for today’s Daily, Rich. Another lovely morning, though a bit humid. We had more storms up yesterday afternoon, so at least I don’t have to add water to the pool. Thank you for keeping our lists, Roy. Morning Dailyites. Off to an early class. Will hunt for my Akureyri posting from last year, when I get home. Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Stay well everyone. *********** chateau ste. michelle mimi chardonnay All released vintages of this wine share the same very good - excellent reviews and reasonable price, so pick up whichever one you come across. Available from several online distributors with prices starting at $11.98. Winemaker Notes Discover Mimi, a delicious Chardonnay sourced from the Horse Heaven Hills, including Chateau Ste. Michelle’s Canoe Ridge Estate Vineyard. Mimi is crafted in a lightly oaked, fresh style which allows the bright, elegant fruit to shine through. Pair with salmon, crab cakes, and poultry. W&S90 Wine & Spirits This is crisp and lemony, with a forward juicy-apple note that’s light, fresh and firm. With its nervy acidity, it’s suitable for chilling down to serve as an aperitif. WE90 Wine Enthusiast Mimi Chardonnay (Horse Heaven Hills). Cream, spice and roasted squash aromas draw you into the glass. The palate is graceful and elegant, with impeccable balance to the stone fruit and pumpkin flavors throughout, along with a pretty sense of texture. A lingering finish caps it off. It walks the tightrope perfectly.

Two sunsets… Key Largo Somewhere East of Akureyri, Iceland, just about Midnight…

Lenda, how is DH doing?

Thank you for today’s Daily, Rich. Another lovely morning here. All the dogs at my end of the street were out for their morning walk at the same time. Quite the parade. Thank you for keeping our lists, Roy. Morning Dailyites! Off to the gym early, then if this weather holds, Bindi will get a nice long walk in. Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Stay well everyone! ********** Big Basin 2018 Wirz Vineyard Old Vine Carignan This wine is a bit elusive, and I am not familiar with this grape variety as a stand alone wine. I suspect it has been in one or two red blends I have enjoyed. It has a superb rating from one critic and I found one online distributor offering it for $41.00. I would definitely love to taste this one. Winemaker notes The Wirz Vineyard is located in the Cienega Valley - part of the San Andreas Rift zone. This high valley is located at about 1,000 ft elevation on the East side of the Gabilan Mountains. The valley is filled with alluvial deposits of granite and limestone from the mountains. This high valley traps the cold mountain air at night, so large diurnal swings in temperature are the norm. We have been working with the beautiful old vine vineyard for years and the Carignane has been an important component of our Homestead. Typically, we had been splitting the Carignane with another winery, but I had told Pat Wirz that we would be interested in getting all of it should it become available. Sure enough, in 2017 he offered all of the Carignane to us and hence, we were able to make enough to make both a single vineyard bottling, and have a substantial portion be whole cluster pressed for our rosé. We have also made a few vintages of the Wirz Riesling as well and have been very impressed with the quality of fruit from this vineyard. Vintage Notes: This is our second vintage making a 100% Wirz Vineyard Old Vine Carignan. These 90+ year old vines are growing in the granitic and limestone soils of the Cienega Valley. This valley is located on the East side of the Gabilan Mountains at about 1000 ft elevation. With this vintage, we feel we really nailed the pick date with the grapes having awesome color and physiological ripeness, but at a low sugar level (alcohol is only 13.3). It is really a stylistic decision as the 2017 which was picked significantly riper is also a beautiful and balanced wine. Wine Notes: One big difference between vintages is in the aromatics with the 2018 really singing with perfumed dark fruit, crushed rocks and crushed flowers with a hint of sweetness like Jasmine. On the palate, the tannins are superfine (as is often the case with old vines) and the fruit is exuberant and expressive. There is a cornucopia of wild berry fruit in this wine. Sometimes Carignan can be awkward, but somehow we avoided that fate and this wine is silky, pretty and delicious. We used 87% whole clusters, so pretty darn near 100%, and it worked beautifully in this wine. I sincerely hope we can nail it this beautifully in follow on vintages as this wine has me hooked on Wirz Carignan. Don’t miss this beautiful gem of a wine! Matt Kettman, Wine Enthusiast. 95 Points & Editor’s Choice

Happy Birthday, Carol! May your new year be filled with laughter, love, great health - for you & Sam!

Thank you for today’s Daily, Rich! Our lovely early mornings have returned. Lots of birds singing this morning. Thank you for keeping our lists, Roy! Morning Dailyites. Just a routine day here. Gym, groceries, family visits. A dip in the pool. Bindi’s boyfriends are both younger men. 🤔 Does that make her a Canine cougar? Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Stay well everyone! ********** Il Marroneto 2016 Madonna delle Grazie This is a wine for the books. Ultra-superb ratings and a price to match. If I could afford a sip, I would love to try it. This wine can be yours for a mere $419.99! Winemaker Notes The northern zone of Montalcino is characterized by high elevation, steep slopes, and cool temperatures. These conditions are idea for creating Brunellos of significant ageing potential, showing complexity, increased aromatics, classic tannic structure and nervy acidity. Madonna delle Grazie displays elaborate florality interplayed with aromas of earth underfoot. Bright cherry, leathery-tones, and pulsating acidity offer the backbeat to the complex perfumes. Expect a precise and pure example of Sangiovese. Sangiovese’s high natural acidity and complex tannic structure make it an admirable ally to a range of hearty meat or game dishes. Go the traditional route with braised short ribs or Osso Bucco, but don’t be hesitant. Brunello benefits from a straightforward pairing, no artifice – as the Tuscans prefer. Bean and kale soup, papparedelle, or an aged pecorino, are resoundingly local choices. RP100 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate There it is: that Il Marroneto magic. To my palate, Alessandro Mori's 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Madonna delle Grazie best captures the soaring spirit and ambition of Brunello, made in its purest and most naked form. This vintage is a twin sibling to the 2010 that I awarded a perfect score. Whereas that wine surprised me, appearing with so much unexpected radiance and brilliance, this wine won me over in a more careful, less emotional and more contemplative manner. Having now tasted the 2010 vintage multiple times, I better know what to expect in terms of the near-term aging evolution of the 2016. I know that the laser-sharp purity of the fruit will soften, leading to more nuanced and finessed tones of underbrush, lilac, iron ore and candied orange peel over the next five years. This wine unfolds to show deep complexity up front with buoyant and jovial red fruit at its core. It vibrates with electric energy and charm. WE100 Wine Enthusiast This dazzling wine is for Sangiovese purists and fans of extreme finesse. Opening with tantalizing aromas of rose, violet, berry, tilled earth and new leather, it’s youthfully intense but already a classic. Focused, structured and radiant, the chiseled palate delivers cherry, raspberry, licorice and crushed mint before a tobacco close. Taut, refined tannins and bright acidity keep it perfectly balanced. Cellar Selection D98 Decanter Trying Il Marroneto’s various lots from cask is a fascinating exercise. They are all similarly located at high altitude, on coarse sand of marine origin and predominantly north facing. While they demonstrate subtle differences, Madonna delle Grazie’s distinct character often merits a separate bottling - as evidenced by the 2016. Aromas take on the darkest, most heady purple flowers tangled up in allspice and smoky incense. It is muscular in frame with firm tannins that stick and grip and don't let go, although it's never brawny, heavy or hard-edged. Currently a mouthful of stones, it reveals a balsamic core and tangy salted plum on the finish. W&S98 Wine & Spirits The temperate 2016 growing season has generated much antici-pation among devotees of Brunello di Mon-talcino, and the vintage lives up to its hype with exciting wines like Alessandro Mori’s Brunello from the Madonna delle Grazie vineyard. Il Marroneto lies on the northern side of the village of Montalcino, where cool evening temperatures infused the grapes with electric acidity. That acidity pulses through intensely concentrated dark cherry flavors, the wine slowly revealing scents of lavender and violets as it opens with expo- sure to air. It layers rich fruit tones with notes of licorice, iodine and warm spice that lin-ger on an incredibly long and heady finish. This is a wine that demands some patience but will be worth the wait.

Congrats on your AC. Mine is set at 78 - unless there is something unique going on. Then I might lower it.

Welcome aboard Nickelpenny. Think of us as a family vs a clique.

Welcome aboard, Karen!

Ann praying that Pat gets the help he need asap & gets on the road to recovery.

@smitty34877 Terry, I can just feel the love when I look at that pic of Camilla & her Grandpa! Thank you for sharing.

Woo hoo!