First up: the Murphy-Goode "All In" 2005 Claret. A "claret" (pronounced with a hard 't') is a British term for Bordeaux red wine, so this is a Cabernet Sauvignon (59%), Merlot (28%) and Petit Verdot blend. Poured in my glass, I can smell this beast a foot away, all dark red fruit and wood. After a while, the wood becomes more pronounced, and that overused phrase "toasty oak" feels apropos. (Mind you, the smell is competing with my wife's dinner of urad dal, but it seems to hold its own against even Indian food.) At the rim, it's a deep brick red color, deepening to an inky purple inside. It's a big, full wine in the mouth with a soft texture, notes of vanilla and berry on the tongue, finishing with a bit of peppery spice at the back of the throat. Maybe it's just ghosts of meals past (in particular, at the now-closed Meritage restaurant in Chicago), but this wine makes me think of venison loin with a sour cherry sauce. I think it would be great with a big gourmet burger too. Even though it's so soft, the heft of this wine demands food. I'm drinking it as a "cocktail", but it's making me hungry. For meat. Goode stuff, guys. Maybe tomorrow I'll get myself a big old Carson's burger for dinner with my next six ounces.
