Thanksgiving is a holiday that makes us (my Bride) totally organized and totally impressive to all that hear her accomplishments.  This year, two days earlier, she had gone to the post office to mail the out-of-town gifts and the Christmas and Channukah cards.  All the Christmas packages are wrapped and bundled by family and double checked on her checklist.  I think that she got into this habit, because I was in retail, and she wanted to spend some time with me, on those rare days that I had some time off.

One of her girlfriends for a birthday gift, the two of them went and took a charcuterie board class to learn some techniques, so we had a board prepared, among other noshes, because she announced that appetizers were at two, and dinner was at three. One of our grandsons had bought me as a birthday gift, and I saved it, until he was legally able to drink it with us.  He saw it and was intrigued, and he knew that Nick and Nora would appreciate it.  We shared Fratelli Saraceni Blumond Blue Wine Italy NV.  Saraceni Wines is a family-owned wine producer, best known for its Chianti and Prosecco labels. They are also known for their unconventional sparkling wines.  Blumond Blue is a sparkling wine made from the Glera grape (Prosecco if from the proper areas), gently pressed and fermented in Stainless-Steel tanks, with the addition of Blue Curacao liqueur (made from the aromatic peels of the lahara citrus fruit) and peach juice, using the Charmat Method.  This blue sparkling wine with medium-size bubbles offered notes of peaches and raspberries.  On the palate this light-bodied wine with bright acidity displayed tones of peach, citrus, a subtle mousse and ended with a short-count finish of sweetness.  

The first entrée of the meal was of course, a turkey that my Bride cooks in a roasting bag in a roaster, stuffed with root vegetables.  There was her Caesar Salad, her acclaimed stuffing and several assorted vegetable dishes.  I was rather distracted from everything else as I was carving the bird.  Now I must admit that I never enjoyed turkey, until I had my Bride’s interpretation of this bird, as I always thought it was a first cousin to cardboard, but her turkey is very moist, and the meat basically falls off the bones.  We started with Roberts + Rogers Chardonnay Napa Valley 2018.  This is pure Chardonnay that was aged for almost twelve months, with sixty percent in French Oak, and forty percent in Stainless-Steel; and then blended.  A rich golden-colored wine that offered notes of caramel apples, baked pears and a touch of pineapple and white florals.  On the palate, this medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of the green fruits, baking spices, especially vanilla and ended with a medium-count finish of fruit and buttered toast.

After carving the turkey, I proceeded to carving the lamb roast that was also braised with root vegetables, and of course, there was also Armenian Pilaf.  My biggest problem with these big dinners is that I am usually full before dinner is served, because I am constantly nibbling on some tender morsels as I am carving, an excellent benefit from my duties. For this entrée I had opened an hour earlier a bottle of Chateau Haut Marbuzet Saint-Estephe 2000.  The estate was founded in the 18^th century but has received notice since 1952 when it was acquired by Herve Duboscq and is now produced by H. Duboscq et Fils.  The estate is located between Chateau Montrose and Cos d’Estournel and is about forty hectares of gravel, clay and limestone soils with a view of the Gironde, with vines that average about thirty years in age. The property was one of the original Crus Bourgeois names in 1932 and promoted to Crus Grand Bourgeois Exceptionnels in 1978; and confirmed as one of the nine Crus Bourgeois Exceptionnels in 2003, the winery is regarded as being comparable to many of the Cru Classe wines. The wine is a blend of fifty percent Merlot, forty percent Cabernet Sauvignon, five percent Cabernet Franc and five percent Petit Verdot.  The fruit is picked as late as possible, and vinification occurs in large oak vats for Initial Fermentation and for Malolactic Fermentation and then the wine is aged for eighteen months in all new French Oak.  The deep ruby-red wine offered immediate notes of oak and then black cherry and blackberry, hibiscus, chocolate and pepper, spices and minerals.  On the palate this full-bodied, well balanced and creamy textured wine displayed tones of the dark fruits and smokiness and a dash of espresso, blended with still firm tannins culminating to a long count finish of fruit, spices and plenty of terroir.  In hindsight, I should have decanted this bottle after seeing the deposits on the side of the bottle, just below the neck; I shall recall this when I open the other bottles.