A Brander Christmas Eve

For Christmas Eve my partner and I were fortunate enough to have dinner with two friends Efrain and Sarah at Martinis Above Fourth. While we did have some lovely cocktails I brought along a couple of bottles from my private stash of wines. Interestingly enough both were from Brander, my favorite for Sauvignon Blanc in the Central coast as well a fine purveyor of Bordeaux reds. I brought two very special wines of theirs for the four of us to try with our dinners:

First up was the popular 2007 Au Naturel Sauvignon Blanc (which was recently rated a 91 by Wine Enthusiast magazine... ya Brander!). This is their flagship unoaked offering and provided a lovely lemony, limey, green appley nose, a citrusy taste with excellent acidity and a long finish that made it a delightful opener.

For a red I brought along their 2006 Bouchet. "Bouchet" is another name for a Cab Franc but from the good folks at Brander this wine is a blend of the traditional Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon but to keep it from being a traditional "Bordeaux style" blend they add just a touch of Syrah. Their use of new French oak adds a touch of spiciness to this wine, this full-bodied, fruit-forward wine was excellent! Loads of black cherry and cassis with just a hint of cocoa that was perfect with our entrees.

Wines reviewed in 2009: 223