Justin Isoceles '04

Country: USA
Region: California
Thoughts: It was a night of experimentation, as I took the plunge with not one, but two reds; unlike the last foray, this one had better results. I started off the night with one of the bottles we brought with us, the Drouhin Chard from France. That's always a favorite, as evidenced by the grade, but I wasn't feeling it tonight. So I moved on to a pre-dinner cocktail (OK, so it was just Jack on the rocks) and the steak dinner was offered with a choice of a straight cabernet sauvignon or a red blend. Knowing that I'd fared well with white blends, I went that route, the safe route. That led me to the Isoceles, which was intriguing enough alone. I was struck by the hint of mint in the nose; knowing little about reds, I was surprised to find such an aroma there. The taste was sturdy but not off-putting; there was none of the metallic taste (my guess would be the tannins) that doomed the cab I'd tried before. So it was a success, I made it through a good glass. After dinner and dessert (which included a vidal), we ventured outside and found an increasingly chilly atmosphere. But that was not enough to deter us from a round of cigars and some wonderful conversation. I can always count on Aaron to pick out a good smoke from his collection, and he gave me a wonderful mellow Avo 80th (though sadly, there's no reference to them on the website). We also threw back a decanter full of port, which seemed to be a red pinot grigio. It was fruity and a little heavier than your typical pinot, but one I'd definitely consider having again - though I never did get the vintner or the vintage. I don't think it's one I could do on a frequent basis, but I'd certainly be down for a do-over.
Ingredients: 79 percent cabernet sauvignon, 11 percent cabernet franc, 10 percent merlot
Do-over? N/A
Final Grade: N/A