Daddy Winebucks

On an evening filled with debates and the elimination of my home town Dodgers to those pesky Phillies (frankly I couldn’t care less – though it would have been fun to see Manny play against the Red Sox – who most likely won’t make it to the Series either) I opened a wine that you could safely call a ringer.

You know, like that 16 year-old kid who pitched three no-hitters in the Little League World Series a few years ago – when everyone else was 12.

Casillero del Diablo (The Devil’s Locker) – whatever that means…

The wine I drank last night was already a Trader Joe’s favorite, but what caught my eye and why I included it was the little sticker that said, “2007 Historic Vintage – the best Premium Red Wine Vintage“.   I’ve liked most red wine from Chile and while they’ve mostly been Cabs, this was a Carmenere, which I’ve only tried from these guys.  But a Historic Vintage?  How very French of the Chileans…

Note: And from the looks of the winery’s fancy website I’d say they’re doing very well with it…

The wine hits the glass like dark, purple, oil and I was reminded of Capt. Quinn’s explanation of a shark’s look, “Lifeless eyes, like a doll’s eyes.”  The nose offers nice blackberry and spice and the palate gets touched by mellow fruit, certainly not as dramatic as I expected given how heavy it hangs in the glass.

I was struck a bit by the heat on the finish, which tells me the wine may be a bit young and should/might benefit from a little time in the cellar.  Not five years or anything but maybe 1-2.

At $7.99 this is considered a splurge at the Joe, the equivalent of spending $20.00 at a wine shop.

This one is like a line drive into the right field corner (as a switch hitter I smacked this from the left) that gets away from the outfielder and skids along the wall almost to center field.  I chug around second and don’t hesitate, turning on the jets and sliding head first into third safely.

TRIPLE