I had a weekend to remember on the wine front.  I will start with my first bottle that came from my inlaws.  A 1999 Stags Leap Cabernet from the FAY Vineyard.

WOW! It was a good one.

The clarity was striking.  Dark and heavy in the glass and shouting purity.  I would say that the nose was nice.  Good aromas of dark cherry and blackberry moving into a floral bouquet.  It was something to sense it move from one to the other and back.  The mouth had a heavy but not too heavy viscosity that allowed for it to coat the palate and make for an interesting study.  To me it portrayed an earthy yet calming fruit that balanced nicely.  Even though the acidity calmed down over the course of the bottle; it always maintained nice crispsness to it.  There was a cocoa coming out on the finish that was unexpected.

I can't decide if it is better, worse or a tie with the 1998 S.L.V. that I had.  I will say however that I will drink both again.

On to the next: a 2006 Badia a Passignano Chianti Classico Riserva.

This one was a little different and definitely should have been consumed before the Stags Leap.

Having a strong presence in the glass it held its own.  Not holding on to the sides it had a bit more dryness to it.  The nose to me had some vanilla, cherry and raspberries.  It did not run around in circles.  The mouth showed a decent amount herb and earth to it, not to mention some acidity. The finish had a bold vanilla longevity to it.  One might say that it is a little austere, but I wouldn't go that far. I think it came out quite nicely. 

Then what did I have on Saturday? Oh, that's right a 2006 Siduri Pinot Noir.

Now, compared to the others I have had so far this weekend this one was a fruit bomb.  I refuse to truly label it that way because I was judging off some heavier and earthier examples.  This was a great wine, but not what I normally expect from a Willamette Valley Pinot.  Pretty in the glass and held its own when it come to clarity.  It has strong light fruit flavors on the nose but they seem to carry a bit more heavily in the mouth.  The finish had a bit of the earthiness I was looking for.  If I had to drink it I wouldn't complain, but I do like other Oregon Pinots better.

So, now we pull up to the last day of the weekend.  Which coincidently is Valentines Day.  I know, I know everyone must be thinking I pulled out the big guns early. However, my wife loves a Carignane.

Particularly a 2006 Cline Carignane.

Most people know that this is one of the most widely planted grapes out there.  Generally it is used as a blending grape to bring better color and balance (acidity and tannins) to other wines.  However, I must say that Cline does a fantastic job with this one.

With all the attributes it has it of course sits well in a glass.  Looks gorgeous quite honestly.  The nose shows a great terroir that can put you in the vineyard itself.  The nose offered up a bouquet of what was to come. In the mouth it showed a nice depth in body but not too strong.  My palate was able to pull out some dirty cherry with a hint of other light fruits.  The finish held on strong and went perfectly with my grilled kebobs.  I highly recommend this one.