Into the flood again...

The first new Alice in Chains album (Black Gives Way to Blue) since the death of Layne Staley was released recently, and it's good....really good....much better than I figured it would be. I should have had higher expectations given the fact that Jerry Cantrell really is the driving force and the creative genious behind the band. But everyone knows that Layne was the face of the band and the voice of the band. That being said, he's gone, and the band shouldn't be criticized for continuing on without him. Jerry, Sean, and Mike have consistently honored his memory and haven't rushed to get a new album out the door just to make a quick buck.



Back to the album....Most of the songs are very good, but a few are excellent. "A Looking in View" has the classic AIC feel and harmonies, "Your Decision" is as good as any song from Jar of Flies, and "Private Hell" is incredible and holds up well against anything the band has ever done. It would fit in nicely on the greatest album of all-time, Dirt.

It seems that the band made a conscious decision to ease new "lead" singer William Duvall into the band slowly. Jerry Cantrell sings the lead on the majority of the songs and does a great job, as usual. As a result, many of the songs have more of a solo Jerry feel to them, like songs that could have been on the amazing Degradation Trip. I have a feeling that William will be featured more heavily on the band's next release. Until then, I'm extremely happy with the new album. It's so great to have new music from my favorite band, especially when I was beginning to think it would never happen.







"Lay down
Black gives way to blue
Lay down
I'll remember you"

The Crusher Petite Sirah

Name: The Crusher
Color: Red
Varietal: Petite Sirah
Vintage: 2008
Country/State: California
Region: Clarksburg
Price: $14
Stars: 4 (out of 5)


The Crusher Petite Sirah was really good. We had it last night with pizza and continued with it after dinner. It had a really good fruit forward taste, with a big nose and long finish. It was a dark purple in the glass and tasted like blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Nice, full, big body and taste. Krista and I really can't go wrong with a good Petite Sirah.

This wine capped off a great fall day in Safety Harbor. We went to Jackson's baseball game earlier in the day, watched football, picked out some pumpkins with the boys at the pumpkin patch, and really enjoyed the first day of cool weather this year. I don't know how long it will last, but we'll take it!!

To top it all off, UK beat Auburn for the first time since the 1960's...especially amazing since we had to rely on our two backup quarterbacks...Luckily, we still have Randall Cobb. That guy's a beast.

Hugues Beaulieu Picpoul de Pinet

Name: Hugues Beaulieu Picpoul de Pinet
Color: White
Varietal: Picpoul
Vintage: 2007
Country/State: France
Region: Languedoc
Price: $10
Stars: 4.5 (out of 5)


We had our first wine made from the Picpoul grape last night and loved it!! It went excellently with our dinner of mahi fish fillets. The color was a pale gold. The body was light to medium with great acidity. It was very refreshing, delicious, and came at a great price ($10) at Total Wines. The Hugues Beaulieu Picpoul de Pinet reminded me of a combination of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and an Albarino from Spain. It tasted more like an Albarino, but had the great acidity and liveliness of a Sauvignon Blanc. The taste was mostly lime, lemon, grapefruit, with some peach. It was also great on its own after dinner.

I would highly recommend this wine and will definitely be buying more in the future.

Talon Winery Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Talon Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
Color: Red
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2005
Country/State: Kentucky
Region: Lexington
Price: $22
Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)

Last night we had the Cabernet Sauvignon that we picked up at the Talon Winery in Lexington, Kentucky. At first this wine was a little tight or closed up, but after about an hour in the decanter, it really got smoother and more mellow. The dominant aroma and taste was black currants and cherry, but it also had an indescribable taste that was neither good nor bad...It was just different compared to most Cabs we've had in the past. We drank this wine last night with steaks and mushrooms that were seasoned and grilled. The wine was better with the food than without. All in all, it was nice to drink a wine that reminded us of our summer trip to Kentucky!! Plus, it's always fun to try new wines from outside of the common wine producing states.