Last night we were both too tired to cook and too tired to eat out. It had been a long, frustrating day. We’ve all had those kinds of days. We had a couple of those thick juicy hamburgers that we had purchased at Costco. I quickly washed two potatoes and used the microwave to cook them. A quick salad was tossed together and then we added a bottle of wine from our wine cellar.

The wine was produced by Stuart Cellars in Temecula, California. It was a 2004 Temecula Valley Long Valley Red, Limited Estate Reserve. This wine is a Meritage blend of five Bordeaux grapes – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec It is unfiltered with an alcohol level of 14.1 percent.

After Terry tasted the wine, he commented, “This is the kind of wine I want to make.” We are making a barrel of Cabernet Sauvignon during October and have been searching for examples of wines similar to what we want to craft.

This red/purple opaque wine paired perfectly with the grilled hamburgers. The bouquet was of dark fruit jam with a very fruity, complex taste. The wine finished with mild tannins.

If you are wondering about the name Long Valley, according to the back label the Long Valley trail was used by settlers to cross the desert into California. I love to read the back labels of wine bottles. Numerous times one can obtain interesting information about the wine, winery, vineyard or tasting notes. 

Cheers, Kathy