Sexy Wine

Okay it's summer and you're drinking light white wines. And maybe you're drinking some lighter reds when you're grilling out. But you've abandoned big reds. Rethink that. Because there are few things more blood churning than a rich, red, big-legged Cabernet. When it's steamy outside, crank up your internal steam. Larkmead 2006. Trust me. This wine will take ten years off your life. Here's what Mr. Parker has to say:

"The 4,400-case cuvee of 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (96% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot and Cabernet Franc) is brilliant. It would probably be hard to find a Cabernet Sauvignon of this quality with this production level, all estate fruit, and such impeccable viticulture and winemaking. This wine reminded me of a great vintage of Pontet Canet in Pauillac, Bordeaux. The deep creme de cassis flavors intermixed with charcoal and lead pencil shavings soar from the glass. Its full body, stunning ripeness, sweet tannin, and substantial flavor authority make for a brilliant Cabernet Sauvignon to drink over the next two decades. "94 Pts.

Beach Wine and Peanuts

Sweaty, sandy, the surf's crashing, do I pop open a brew? No, I do not. I want a frosty glass of pink and some Low Country boiled peanuts. Yes peanuts. The rosé in question is unlike any other I've had. It's a 2007 Kamen rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon. This is not some delicate flower of a wine. It's rich, bold and loaded with mouth-watering fruit, but still dry and crisp. Think Provence rosé on steroids. And the goobers? A sack of boiled peanuts from Barefoot Farms out here on the South Carolina coast. Your fingers will get all sticky from digging those goobers out of the shells, which you will not litter the beach with please, and then you'll get fingerprints all over your glass. And it won't matter. Read more about Kamen wines at their site. http://www.kamenwines.com/ Robert Kamen, the owner, is the guy who wrote "The Karate Kid." Remember that one? "Wax on, Wax off." Amen.

Oh and if there's anything left in the bottle...a Low Country Boil is in my future. Perfect.

Friday Night Splurge Wines

If you want to part with some of your hard-earned cash here's a couple of options. We sampled two wines that were worth lingering over. First, the 2007 Château Boswell Russian River Valley Chardonnay, from the Dutton Ranch Morelli Vineyard. It was Kettle Corn. Kettle Corn and Lemon Icebox Pie, you know the kind with the graham cracker crust ...but dry. So rich you just want to take tiny sips and maybe nibble on a handful of Marcona almonds. http://www.chateauboswellwinery.com/

But before you even start with the Boswell, open up a Dominus from Napa Valley, decant it, and give it some time. We had the 2006 because, well, it's what we had. The '06 could really use some time to relax, but even with that in mind it is a luscious, heady waft of black raspberry and black cherry jam. The tannins were of the sweaters-on-the-teeth quality but that was offset by the richness of the fruit. We ran it through a Venturi aerator into the decanter first. Shook it around a while. But in retrospect I would have liked to let it set a spell. This wine is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. There's a reason Robert Parker gave this wine 96 points. http://www.dominusestate.com/