Wine & DVD - Sarah's Vineyard Merlot and "Bedazzled"

Sarah's Vineyard Merlot Des Grandes Hommes 2003 - from the Santa Clara Valley of California. We picked up this absolutely terrific bargain of a wine when we visited some friends last September. Beautiful raspberries and vanilla aromas that follow through on the palate. Rich, smooth and luscious. Regularly $25.00 per bottle, it was on special for a mere $10.00 per bottle! Of course there is no more to be had at the vineyard, but we still have a few more bottles squirreled away :-D

"Bedazzled" - this was not the newer version with Brendan Frasier and Elizabeth Hurley. This was the 1967 version set in England with Dudley Moore and Peter Cook. There were some similarities with the two, but the older version was, expectedly, very dated. Dudley Moore played Stanley Moon, a shy cook at a Wimpy's burger restaurant. He lusted after Margaret Spencer, who pretty much didn't know he existed. Enter Peter Cook as George Spiggot, aka the Devil. Stanley sold his soul to George for even wishes, which George promptly sabotages. If you've seen the new Bedazzled, then you can probably figure out how the older one ended.

All in all, I preferred the newer version. Elizabeth Hurley as the Devil was just brilliant casting. Don't get me wrong. Peter Cook was good, but he just couldn't pull of "despicable" like Liz!

I forgot to mention...we watched this movie on out new Roku Netflix player and it was pretty cool. I have over 100 movies queued up, so there will be no shortage of movies to review :-D

Wine & DVD - Marquis Philips Sarah's Blend & "Charulata"

Marquis Philips Sarah's Blend 2006 - a blend of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot clocking in at 15% alcohol (no wonder I was a bit loopy!). Rich, full of delicious dark fruit. Even at that level of alcohol, it was still smooth and very succulent. Great QPR. We got it on sale for $11.99 per bottle and bought a case.

"Charulata" - (in black & white) released in 1964 and set in 1870's India, it's about a young wife (Charu) whose husband is too concerned with his newspaper to give her any consideration. Her loneliness is evident and he asks his brother (in-law?) to keep her company. Can you say "love triangle"?

I have several problems, not with the movie itself, but with the production:
The DVD looked like it was copied from a poor quality videotape
The contrast was super-high making watching the film difficult, especially with subtitles
The subtitles seemed to be a poor translation of what the characters were saying. At times the subtitles lingered far too long, at other times they moved too quickly.
The sound quality was pretty bad (pops, static, etc)
As the movie progressed, the picture got darker and darker, making it difficult to distinguish who was speaking.

So it's impossible to give a good review of the film itself since we were so distracted by the poor quality.

But...we DID see a terrific Bollywood film the previous night - "Saawariya", another love triangle theme. Released in 2007, this was the first Bollywood film to be produced and released by a Hollywood production company (Columbia TriStar), and the first Indian/Bollywood film to be released on BluRay disc.

The scenes were lavish - gorgeous cinematography, rich colors. Based on Dostoevsky's "White Nights", it was a story about Ranbir Raj who meets the lovely Sakina who is waiting for the return of Imaan. The acting was wonderful, the singing and dancing were great, the costumes...wow! This film was a visual feast. I enjoyed it so much I'd like to purchase the BluRay disc so I can watch it again (and again).

Beaucanon Merlot Jacques de Coninck 1999

photo © Linda Blakely 2008

This wine is one that we acquired when we closed our store last June. I've been looking forward to opening it since it is a slightly older vintage. I wanted to see if it's held up. It has!

The color is a beautiful deep russet/ruby red. The nose is full of dark fruits (raspberry, plum) and just a little bit of tobacco. The palate is where this wine shines. Full-bodied with oak notes, lots of fruit and a good dose of tannins. It's nicely balanced with a good long finish.

I think we could have even held onto this wine for another year or two. But why wait? It was good now!

Page Wine Cellars Le Petit Page Metlot 2004

photo © Linda Blakely 2008

The movie "Sideways" really put a hamper on Merlot sales after the movie was released. That's really sad, because there are some terrific Merlots out there. And this is definitely one of them!

Dark red-violet in color. Aromas of oak, dark berries, spices and saddle leather, with the vaguest hint of eucalyptus. This is a hefty Merlot, one that could easily be mistaken for a Cabernet Sauvignon, but just a little more delicate. Notes of tobacco and dark berries on the palate, it just seems to coat the tongue. Well-balanced with soft tannins and a lengthy finish.

I've also had two of winemaker Bryan Page's other wines: the Napa Red Blend and The Stash, both of which are incredible. He also makes a Cabernet Franc called The Fury. I'll be getting some of that soon and will review it as soon as I taste it. I know it will be good. In my mind, Bryan Page can do no wrong!

Kendall Jackson Taylor Peak Merlot 2003

photo © Linda Blakely 2008

Tom and I had tried this wine at a wine dinner a year or so ago and had bought a bottle and put it aside for a bit. We took it to dinner last night and were reminded why we purchased it.

It had a beautiful, lush nose of dark fruits and vanilla with a hint of tobacco. Ample-bodied with soft tannins, it was nicely restrained. This Merlot was well-balanced with a good lengthy finish.