2012 Seven Hills McClellan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

HAPPY HALLOWINE!!!  Ok, so I left work and got right home to carve a pumpkin and get ready for all the ghosts and goblins to come asking for candy from 6-8 pm, and the pumpkin is carved, seeds are in the oven and now it's time for a glass of wine before the chaos begins!  And tonight I've opened a bottle of my most recent wine club selection from Seven Hills Winery in Walla Walla (one of my favorites!), the 2012 McClellan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon!

The wine is a lovely deep violet in the glass with great clarity.  The nose is quite nice, with aromas of leather over some ripe boysenberry and cherry notes and just a hint of dried herbs.  The taste is just wonderful, with a rather subdued bit of fruit up front, berries and cherry that quickly gives way to some lovely mineral notes midpalate, dusty limestone and basalt and a bit of peppercorn.  The tannins are young but very well integrated, lending a bit of spice and velvelty mouthfeel for the long, smooth dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, with plenty of room to improve with some time in the cellar.  It was also a lot less expensive than I expected, with a list price of $45 and with my wine club discount it was only $38!  Maybe not an everyday wine, but for a special occasion like Hallowine, it's ideal!  Tonight I'm just having a glass with handing-out-candy duty, but it would be ideal with a nice steak or a hearty Italian meal, but for tonight, considering the kids are coming soon and it just started snowing (SNOWING?!?!?) it's just fine by itself.  Cheers!

2012 Herringbone Napa Valley Red Wine

Well, it's midweek, no time to relax, no time to cook, but there's always time for wine!  And tonight midst the mid-week boredom I've decided to open a bottle of Napa Valley red wine that I recently bought from Wines Till Sold Out, this one from the rumored to be fantastic 2012 vintage, the 2012 Herringbone Napa Valley Red Wine, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which should be enough to get me through the evening!

The wine has a nice deep purple color in the glass, with a nice ring of bright ruby along the edges.  The nose is a pleasant combination of leather, blackberry and plum accented with a hint of vanilla bean.  The taste is actually quite nice, a good amount of ripe fruit up front, blackberry, plum and cherry cola that transitions nicely to some mineral notes of dusty limestone and basalt midpalate, quite characteristic of a Bordeaux style blend of these two varietals.  The tannins are young but firm, providing some structure to the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's a very easy drinking and food friendly red that was also a terrific value at only $12!  Tonight I am pairing this wine with everyone's favorite midweek dinner, leftovers!  A bit of marinaded London Broil, some roasted purple potatoes and an Asian kale and cabbage salad, and of course the wine is perfect for pairing with some big red meat, cheers!

2012 Woodward Canyon Barbera

About a decade or so ago, I stopped at Woodward Canyon in Walla Walla and tried some of their wonderful Barbera, and I must admit I've been a fan ever since.  So tonight I am going to treat myself and open a bottle of the most recent vintage, the 2012 Woodward Canyon Estate Barbera from Walla Walla!

The wine is a deep inky purple in the glass with some brighter ruby along the edges.  The nose is an adventure in decadent aromas, raspberry, blackberry and cassis along with a good bit of leather, graphite and forest floor.  The taste is just a treat, with a blast of ripe fruit at the outset, ripe berries, plum and raisin that reminds you a bit of a nice Amarone.  The fruit transitions flawlessly to some wonderfully spicy notes of white pepper, vanilla and dark chocolate midpalate.  The finish, is smooth, dry and voluptuous, as the smooth tannins are integrated seamlessly, creating a wine that's a pleasure to drink from the first sip to the last glass.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a great example of the varietal and one of my personal favorites.  At a price of $29 from the winery, it's worth every penny in my opinion.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rather unusual dinner for a northern Italian varietal, medium rare grilled London broil, with some cheesy potatoes and steamed asparagus, as the fruit and acidity are perfect with what can be a tougher cut of beef.  Cheers!

2011 Reininger Malbec

Well, it was a busy day of leaf collection, thankfully it seems we are nearing the end of it, or perhaps just entering the middle of it, oh forget it, I just confused myself!  At any rate, after a long day of raking and leaf blowing, I figure it's time for a nice glass of wine and a nice dinner before I head out to the Elkhart Civic Theater to see Young Frankenstein this evening!  And tonight's wine is the 2011 Reininger Malbec, and for those who know, I'm not the biggest Malbec fan but in the case of Reininger's limited production (only 56 cases!) I always make an exception!

The wine is a beautiful garnet color in the glass leading to an almost inky hue at the center.  The nose is quite nice, ripe black fruit, rich blackberry, plum and currant easing into notes of leather, graphite and a hint of rose petal.  The taste is quite refined, with a rush of ripe fruit that quickly subsides, leaving you with some woody notes and a hint of spice midpalate.  The tannins are quite smooth, lending a nice foundation to the long, smooth, sultry finish that leaves you practically begging for another sip.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, and at $45 with my wine club discount this is a premium bottle but well worth it!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic dinner that hearkens back the the Andean origins of modern Malbec, a thick rare Angus ribeye along with a big baked potato and some grilled leeks and Brussels sprouts, really a last gasp of summer before the Autumn really kicks in!  Cheers!

2011 Encantado Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Friday!  It's been a long week and I just need to relax a bit and I figure I deserve it, after all I went to the gym after work and now that I'm home I should be able to enjoy a nice glass of wine before dinner.  Tonight it's the 2011 Encantado Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, and for those who recall my review of the 2012 Encantado Cabernet Sauvignon that night I totally blew off the gym, so I am getting more disciplined at least!

The wine is a deep ruby in the glass with nice legs.  The nose is classic Cabernet, with rich black and red fruit notes along with some nice toasted oak and spice notes.  The taste is lusciously fruit forward, with blackberry and plum bursting forth, then a smooth transition to some warm spice notes of vanilla, cocoa powder and a hint of anise.  The tannins are well integrated and provide a nice backbone for the long, dry and velvety finish that seems to last until you take another sip.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's drinking quite nicely now, but could definitely mature over time, and at $25 from Wines Till Sold Out, I'm having a tough time deciding which of these wines I like better!  Tonight I am enjoying this with a simple meal of grilled New York Strip, some steamed jasmine rice and some asparagus, as this Cabernet is a perfect grilled steak sort of wine.  Cheers!

2011 Fontanafredda Nebbiolo

Well, it's been a busy week with some travel and a lot of work, but thankfully the week is winding down so we may as well enjoy a nice bottle of wine with Thursday dinner.  Tonight, I've decided to open a bottle of 2011 Fontanafredda Nebbiolo, a wine made from the same grape that gives the lovely Barolo wines of the Piedmont their fantastic, earthy character.

The wine has a bright ruby color in the glass with great clarity.  The nose is remarkable in its young complexity with aromas of tar, licorice, dried flowers and an almost cotton candy note.  The taste is quite nice, with notes of berries and plum that transition to some earthy notes of peat midpalate.  The finish is quite pleasant as the young, yet very well structured tannins support a long, dry and velvety finish that lingers.  A pleasant wine today that, given the character of the grape, will likely improve with some time in the bottle.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a pleasant drinking wine and solid example of the varietal, but it was screaming bargain as well!  I bought this one about six months ago from Wines Till Sold Out for only $10!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a traditional Italian dinner of spinach and ricotta ravioli with some spicy marinara and Italian sausage.  The earthy flavors are just the perfect foil to the spicy acidity of the sauce.  Tutti a tavola a mangiare!

2009 Mansion Creek Cellars Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon

Well it's a bit of a rainy Saturday in October, perfect weather for football and a big red wine like a Cabernet!  Today I ran a lot of errands ahead of a short trip to Canada, so I figure I deserve to open something nice for dinner.  So tonight I've opened a bottle that I picked up on my last trip to Walla Walla about 18 months ago, the 2009 Mansion Creek Cellars Waldheim Cabernet Sauvignon!

The wine is a beautiful inky black and ruby color in the glass.  The nose is quite nice, a bit of ripe fruit, blackberries and plum, with some lovely herb notes, that make for a very interesting combination of sweet and tart aromas.  The taste is quite nice, we get a blast of fruit and tart, it really does remind me of SweeTARTS candy, which transitions nicely to some smoky mineral notes midpalate.  The tannins are very nicely structured, providing a velvety, long dry finish that seems to last more than a minute.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's really a very nice example of a Walla Walla Cabernet at a modest price (I think this one was about $32 when I bought it).  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with the monster cowboy cut ribeye you see above, along with some wild rice and fresh steamed asparagus.  This is a great wine with a big ol' steak, the fruit and mineral notes just make a great balance with charred beef.  Cheers!

2012 Dois Irmaos Winery Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

Happy Friday!  I worked a little late tonight and just got back from the gym, so I figure I've earned a glass of wine or two, and for tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2012 Dois Irmaos Winery Willamette Valley Pinot Noir that I just received today from Wines Till Sold Out!  Now those who know me realize that I'm not a huge Pinot fan, even though I lived in the Raleigh Hills area of Portland in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but there are always opportunities to try a Pinot and see if I like it.  You see, I was introduced to red wine through Bordeaux rather than Burgundy, so my tastes lean much more towards Cabernet and Merlot than Pinot, but since this was billed as a Pinot for Cab lovers I figured I'd give it a shot.

The wine is a little darker in the glass than a typical Pinot, with a nice violet color and great clarity.  The nose is fairly classic Pinot, with some tart fruit notes of cherry and a hint of strawberry amid the slightest hints of green grass and tar.  The taste is rather pleasant with great fruit up front, strawberry, tart cherry and plum that transitions to some nice smoky mineral notes midpalate.  The tannins though young support a long, lovely finish with some great acidity.  Though certainly a far cry from Cabernet, this wine is really quite pleasant.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's very nicely structure and it was a great value at just $16!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with the classic pairing of cedar planked wild Alaskan sockeye filet, some wild mushroom risotto and some steamed asparagus.  The acidity in the wine really cuts through the richness of the salmon and risotto, providing the perfect foil.  Cheers!

2012 Canoe Ridge Vineyards The Expedition Cabernet Sauvignon

Well I am sure glad the world didn't end with the Mayan calendar, as there are a number of really nice 2012 vintage wines coming out now that we all would have missed!  Tonight's is one such vintage, the 2012 Canoe Ridge Vineyards "The Expedition" Cabernet Sauvignon from the Horse Heaven Hills.  I've tried a few different wines from Canoe Ridge, and they seldom disappoint, so we'll see how this one goes.

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, certainly appropriate for a Cabernet from the Columbia Valley.  The nose is quite pleasant with some lovely floral notes atop some rich, ripe fruit notes of plum and red currant and just a bit of smokiness.  The taste is really quite nice, very fruit forward, with flavors of ripe raspberry, blackberry and currant that blast into your psyche.  The rich fruit transitions nicely to some smoky, mineral notes midpalate.  The tannins are remarkably well developed for a wine this young, supporting a long, smooth, very dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's really drinking well and it was a terrific bargain as I found this one at G.B. Russo's in Grand Rapids for just $15!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a fall classic dinner of grilled teriyaki pork tenderloin with some cheddar bacon potato casserole and some steamed green beans.  The sweet ripe fruit in this wine is just perfect with a rich pork dish while the acidity offers a nice balance to the cheesy potato casserole, man I have to eat!  Cheers!

2012 Waterbrook Icon Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

I cannot even begin to describe how exhausted I am!  I started the day with a nice breakfast, an Asiago and spinach omelette with some bacon and hash browns, then I ran a whole bunch of errands, bank, store, etc. and then I finally got home around 3:00 and decided it would be a good idea to rake the leaves from my yard so I could then mow one last time before the grass stops growing for winter (if that sounds like a ridiculously stupid idea, you are correct!),  Needless to say, I made it to 15,034 steps doing this and now I definitely need a glass of wine!  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2012 Waterbrook Icon Reserve Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

The wine is a bright ruby color in the glass, a little lighter than I normally expect from a Cabernet.  The nose displays ample black fruit, plum, currant and cassis over a bit of toasted oak and vanilla.  The taste is very nice, with some ripe fruit up front and a bit of jammy sweetness that reminds me more of a Zinfandel than a Cabernet.  Midpalate, the takes transitions to some warm spice and floral notes, while the young, yet smooth tannins support a long, warm, dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, as it's young and not quite up to the level of some other Walla Walla Cabernets, but it was an outstanding value, as I bought this one from Wines Till Sold Out for just $15!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a lovely grilled bone-in ribeye, baked potato and some steamed green beans, a perfect autumn dinner after raking leaves!

2012 Robert Storey Cellars Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, it's Friday night after a busy week of travel to the east coast so I need to relax!  And what better way to relax than with a nice bottle of Napa Cabernet?  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2012 Robert Storey Cellars Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from the Rutherford AVA in Napa Valley that I recently purchased.

The color on this wine is deep brooding purple, so typical of a nice Napa Cabernet.  The nose is a lovely combination of ripe black fruit with somewhat of a jammy characteristic along with some leather, oak and cocoa powder.  The taste is nice, with some rich black fruit up front, black cherry, plum and black currant that transitions effortlessly to some wonderful mineral notes midpalate - part of the characteristic "Rutherford dust."  The finish is quite nice, with rather young yet plump tannins providing the foundation for a wonderful long, very dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it could do with a bit of cellaring, but it's a wonderful example of a Rutherford Cabernet at a terrific value - I bought this one from Wines Till Sold Out for just $20!  Tonight I am enjoying this with a lovely autumn dinner of butternut squash ravioli with a creamy alfredo prima vera (what's better than lightly steamed vegetables and cream with pasta?) but it would also pair well with just about any red meat dish, but honestly I didn't feel like cooking tonight!

1998 I Balzini Super Tuscan Blend

Here we are, the first Saturday of October, which of course means it's Cellar Saturday!  And thank goodness for that, since over the past 24 hours it seems like we've gone from summer right into the depths of fall!  It was about 75 and rainy with a lot of humidity, and right now it's 43 and raining, heading to a low of 37 tonight!  Perfect weather for a hearty super Tuscan blend of Sangiovese (50%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (50%)!  This bottle was a part of a vertical that I bought from Wines Till Sold Out that included the 1997 (you can see my review of this one here), 1998, 1999 and 2001.

I opened this bottle a few hours ago and let it breathe a bit rather than decanting.  The wine is a lovely deep ruby color in the glass.  The nose is somewhat rustic, with some aromas of barnyard, leather and cedar intermingled with some ripe berry and plum notes.  The taste is quite nice, with some lovely mint and fruit, blackberry, cherry and raisin, up front that transitions to some iron, mineral and spice notes midpalate.  The finish is rather subdued, with mellow tannins supporting a smooth, very dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, as it just doesn't seem as nice as the '97.  Tonight I am enjoying this one with a wonderful grilled New York strip on a bed of baby kale with an aged white balsamic, a baked potato and some steamed green beans, a perfect fall dinner, with some big flavors that play very nicely with a more mature wine like this one.  Cheers!

2012 Encantado Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Do you know what day it is?  Do you...know what day it is?  That's right, it's hump day, and for me it was an exceedingly long hump day as I didn't leave the office until nearly 7 pm, and although I was supposed to go to the gym tonight, I was just too tired, so I decided to make it a wine Wednesday instead!  And tonight's wine is one that just arrived from Wines Till Sold Out today, the 2012 Encantado Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a cabernet blend from several select blocks in Napa produced by Pine Ridge Vineyards in a 200-acre estate that spans five appellations: Stags Leap, Rutherford, Oakville, Carneros and Howell Mountain.

The wine is a deep, inky purple color in the glass edging toward some lighter ruby.  The nose is rather oak laden with a hint of green cedar, with some dark fruit notes mixed in.  The taste is really quite nice, with a veritable explosion of dark, jammy fruit up front, plum, blackberries and a hint of cocoa that transitions nicely to some dusty limestone midpalate.  The tannins are remarkably mellow for such a young wine, and the velvety, rounded mouthfeel makes for a long, dry and quite pleasant finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8 with room to improve with age, and best of all it was an absolutely spectacular bargain at just $19!  Tonight I am pairing this with a rather low maintenance dinner of heirloom tomato and basil ravioli with some creamy pesto sauce (I highly recommend the Three Bridges Refrigerated Pasta for quick, easy but delicious midweek meals where you really don't feel like cooking, like wine Wednesday!