This past weekend we were laying low and were recouping from the crazy Passover that was. I was in for some basic comfort food and so I made a batch of my usual tomato braised meatballs, though without a panade this time. I find that most kosher ground meat, from beef, comes very solid and requires the need to soften the mixture – not harden it. So, while panade is useful for more than just firming up a meatball recipe, its main outcome is still the firming up of meat, which in this case would have ben bad. I threw in a bunch of shredded (and then squeezed) vegetables and 2 eggs and the mixture was still very stiff. I decided that adding in a panade at this time – would have meant cement meatballs – so I passed.

Other than the meatballs, we had simple rice and a green salad. Nothing earthshaking, but a nice comfort meal all the same.

I chose a wine that I was looking at for sometime to enjoy with this meal – the 2007 Carmel Petite Sirah. We last wrote-up about Petite Sirah here and here, a few months ago, and as I continue to drink through my PS, I always am sure to update the situation. This time, I really liked what Carmel had to offer – a wine that was ripe yet controlled. I have had the opportunity to try the 2009 vintage a few times and I still have not come to appreciate it – solely because of all of the overripe and sweet fruit, the date and raisin flavors continue to throw me. The 2009 vintage for Israel, on the whole, is overly sweet and overripe, because it was a crazy hot summer, but many great wineries have find ways to manage the vintage and create lovely wines. The Carmel appellation wines, of that vintage, have not shown well in the past few tastings, but who knows.

The previous vintages of the Carmel Appellation Petite Sirah – have always been very fun and bold wines, so I was really happy to enjoy this 2007 vintage as well. It is clearly on its way down, and it is a wine that is throwing a bit of sediment, but nothing that is out of control. Be careful with the wine and open it when you are ready to enjoy it and drink it up within the hour. This is a bottle I bought directly from the wine store and enjoyed within the month or so.

The meatballs and the spice, along with the wide and engulfing mouth of the wine, really paired well together. The wine has enough backbone and acid to keep up with the meatballs, while also allowing them to shine equally – a real fun pairing.

The wine note follows below:

2007 Carmel Petite Sirah, Appellation, Regional Series – Score: B+ to A-
This is a wine that is in drink up mode, drink NOW and it is throwing crazy sediment – so be on the lookout. The nose starts off with lovely wood, blackberry, rich bacon, great tobacco, and a hint of floral notes. The mouth on this full bodied wine is rich and layered with black plum, black cherry, sweet ripe forest fruit, sweet cedar, and lovely mouth coating tannin. The finish is long and sweet with lovely loamy earth, mineral, charcoal, licorice, cinnamon, and allspice. With time the wine shows a distinct char and toast that really goes well with the wine. However, an hour later – the wine becomes highly uni-dimensional with a clear bent towards tobacco, leather, and spice. This is a wine that needs to be drunk NOW and the more air you give it the more you kill it – Drink up and drink fast.