Saturday, June 30, 2018

2015 Oberon Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, it's been incredibly hot and humid here today, so I've spend much of the day indoors as I am not so good with excessive heat.  In that light, I've opened up what I hope will be a good wine with the dinner I have planned, the 2015 Oberon Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  This wine a product of Michael Mondavi, a family that has done so much to elevate American and Napa Valley wine over the years, so I'm looking forward to this one. 


The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, somewhat lighter than the big, bold Cabernet you typically see from Napa Valley.  The nose presents aromas of leather, green grass and black fruit, with an overwhelming sense of freshness, almost like a breath of spring air.  The taste is a delightful rush of ripe black fruit, black cherry, plum and blueberry that just completely envelops the palate before transitioning to some light mineral notes intermingled with a hint of vanilla bean midpalate.  The tannins are soft but well integrated, making for a long, velvety smooth and dry finish.


Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as I must admit my expectations weren't that high for a sub-$20 Napa Cabernet from Costco.  This wine is perfect for everyday drinking and would pair well with the classics for Cabernet, a big, hearty steak, which of course you know I have, so tonight I'm enjoying this one with a rare grilled thick Angus T-bone on a bed of grilled leeks along with mashed potatoes and chives and some steamed broccoli.  Cheers!

Friday, June 29, 2018

2015 Spoken Barrel Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Friday!  Tonight I've opened another bottle of wine that I bought last weekend at my local supermarket's 15% off wine sale, the 2015 Spoken Barrel Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  This one had an interesting look, I'm a sucker for painted labels, so I thought I'd give it a try.  Plus it was pretty inexpensive, so what do I have to lose?


The wine is a deep inky color in the glass with some nice garnet along the edges, just as you'd expect from a Cabernet.  The nose is fairly standard Cabernet, with some aromas of leather, cherry, smoke and oak.  The taste is a brief rush of black fruit, which transitions to some notes of cassis and vanilla midpalate.  The tannins are somewhat subdued, but still supportive of the smooth dry finish.


Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's a quite pleasant drinking wine, but not spectacular (though it was a pretty good value at just $17).  This would be an easy sipper for a weeknight house red wine and would pair well with a broad range of foods, from pasta or burgers, to steak or barbecue.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic steak dinner, rare prime bone-in ribeye with tater tots and grilled asparagus!  Cheers!

Sunday, June 24, 2018

2015 House Wine Red Blend

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, my local supermarket was having a sale on all wines, 15% off, so I decided to pick up a bunch of wines that I likely wouldn't have bought otherwise.  So tonight I've twisted off the cap on a bottle of 2015 House Wine red blend, originally a creation of Charles Smith in Walla Walla, this value priced wine has evolved to include wine sourced from Washington, California and Idaho, making this a true "American" blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Petit Verdot, and other red varietals.  So let's see if this one makes it in my house!


The wine is a lighter body, with bright garnet color in the glass.  The nose is somewhat subdued, with notes of leather, smoke, blackberry and cassis.  The taste is somewhat fruit forward, with a blast of blackberry jam that transitions to some hints of mint and peppery spice midpalate.  That tannins are a bit sharp, but the finish is nice and dry with a lingering of black fruit.


Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7, it's nothing spectacular, but it's a decent drinking red table wine that was a bargain at just $8.  This wine would be good with a variety of hearty dishes, from steaks and burgers, to barbecue and pizza, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with pasta on the patio, some three cheese tortelini with a tomato cream sauce.  Cheers!

Saturday, June 23, 2018

2015 Stave and Steel Cabernet Sauvignon

So today I went to my local supermarket for my usual grocery shopping endeavor, and to my surprise they were having a special on wine with all bottles 15% off, so although I seldom shop for wine at the supermarket this gave me a motivation to explore.  I ended up finding five bottles, two were Charles Shaw wines from Washington, which are usually a good bet for supermarket wine, but then I saw this 2015 Stave and Steel Cabernet Sauvignon from California and I was fascinated, as it it was "bourbon barrel aged."  Now apparently aging alcoholic beverages in used bourbon barrels is all the rage right now, with beer makers doing it, and now apparently wine makers as well.  To be fair, the wine was aged in these barrels for just four months, so it wasn't like they spent years in there, but I'm willing to give it a try, so let's see how it tastes!


The wine is a lovely garnet color in the glass, with nice clarity, somewhat lighter than you might expect from a big California Cabernet.  The nose is quite nice, with sophisticated aromas of leather, tobacco, dried herbs, certainly the nose portrays a wine of quality well beyond the price I paid.  The taste is a rush of ripe blueberries, cherry and plum at the outset, that evolves into an almost prune or raisin flavor mixed with vanilla and smoky pepper spice midpalate.  In many ways the wine reminded me a lot of a nice Amarone with the flavor profile.  The tannins were refined, yet somewhat soft, leading to a long, smooth and dry finish.


Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as the bourbon barrel aging certainly adds something to this wine as it's tasting well beyond its weight class for a wine I just bought for $19!  This is certainly an interesting one, and not your traditional big fruit bomb Cabernet, but more like an old world Cabernet, or as I mentioned an Amarone with the fruit and spice concentration.  In any case, this wine is practically begging to be paired with a nice big steak or some barbecue.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled coffee-rubbed prime filet mignon over a bed of grilled leeks, with some Brussels sprouts grilled with bacon and corn on the cob.  Cheers!

Thursday, June 21, 2018

2013 Gramercy Cellars Lower East Columbia Valley Syrah

It's been raining quite a bit here over the past few days, so I've suddenly found myself in a Pacific Northwest sort of mood for some odd reason... At any rate, tonight I've decided to finally try a bottle of Syrah from Gramercy Cellars, a producer about whom I've heard many great things, but unfortunately I've only had the opportunity to try by the glass with dinner in Walla Walla.  So tonight I've opened a bottle of 2013 Lower East Columbia Valley Syrah, so let's see how it tastes!


The wine is a beautiful garnet color in the glass and the nose provides a rather pleasant combination of wonderful earthy aromas of green grass, dried flowers and some peppery spice that adds to the intrigue.  The taste is wonderfully fruit forward, with a rush of blueberry, cherry and strawberry with just a hint of sweetness that transitions to some notes of white pepper spice and tobacco midpalate.  The tannins are supple and provide a nice kick to the long, smooth and very dry finish.  I was noting with some friends the other night that Syrah can be a very challenging varietal that may exhibit a variety of taste profiles, some with more fruit, some with more spice and some with great funk.  This one clearly is on the fruit and spice end of the spectrum, making it ideal with food in my view.


Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a really nice example of the varietal that's drinking quite nicely five years in.  This wine would be great with a variety of Mediterranean cuisine but I couldn't resist pairing this with a classic Northwest salmon.  Tonight I'm enjoying it with an Alder planked wild sockeye with some cilantro lime rice and fresh green beans almondine.  The lovely dark fruit is just ideal with the richness of salmon, cheers!

Saturday, June 16, 2018

2014 Spring Valley Vineyard "Muleskinner" Merlot

So I keep reading in different places that this is Merlot month or something like that, so I figured since I'm always late to the party it might be good to open one of these wines of the month.  So tonight I've opened up a bottle that's been in my cellar for a year or two, the 2014 Spring Valley Vineyard "Muleskinner" Merlot. This particular wine is 100% Merlot from the Spring Valley Estate Vineyard in the Walla Walla AVA.  2014 was a somewhat warmer vintage, but not as warm as the following two vintages, so let's see how this wine tastes.


The wine is a deep inky purple at the center, with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose is very inviting, with aromas of leather and ripe black fruit, blackberry jam, plum and currant over a hint of dusty limestone.  The taste is rich, ripe and wonderfully smooth, with a rush of ripe fruit up front, black cherry, plum and current that transitions to some notes of green herbs and minerals midpalate. The tannins are quite subdued, leading to a lush, ripe and velvety dry finish that just beckons you to take another sip.

A little pre-cooked image tonight!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it's really a wonderful example of a quality Merlot with some nice aging potential.  This wine would be great with hard cheeses, steak, chops or barbecue, but tonight I am totally going Fred Flintstone and enjoying this wine with a big bone-in, USDA Prime ribeye that was on sale at Costco today, along with some grilled asparagus and corn on the cob.  It's been really hot out the past two days, so it seems appropriate to have a mid-summer dinner tonight, cheers!

Thursday, June 14, 2018

2014 Napa Underground Oakville Red Wine

Well, today I received a shipment of wine from Wines Till Sold Out, by far my favorite online wine seller.  I saw this wine on offer for $20 and figured it was worth a try, the 2014 Napa Underground Oakville Red Wine.  Although my view is that Washington does the best Bordeaux style blends, Napa has done some nice ones in the past so why not give this one a try.  This wine is a blend of Merlot (59%), Cabernet Sauvignon (32%), Cabernet Franc (4%), Petit Verdot (3%) and Malbec (2%), so this one should have a bit more of a right bank feel to it.  So let's see if this was worth the investment of s double sawbuck!


The wine is a lovely garnet color in the glass, expressing the dominance of Merlot in the blend.  The nose presents aromas of black raspberry, plum overlaid with hints of dried herbs.  The taste is somewhat surprising with a rush of rather sweet fruit up front that transitions to some notes of mocha and dark chocolate midpalate.  The tannins are still fairly tight but provide some nice backbone for the long, smooth dry finish.

Yeah I may have been a little too aggressive on the Brussels sprouts!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8 as this would make a very nice, solid quality everyday red wine.  This would pair well with a broad array of hearty dishes, as nothing delicate would stand up to this wine, given the big, bold Napa character.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled boneless ribeye, grilled Brussels sprouts and a baked potato with sour cream and chives.  Cheers!

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

2016 Seven Hills Walla Walla Carmenere

Happy Wine Wednesday!  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle from a recent wine club (I think?) shipment from one of my favorite Walla Walla producers of one of my favorite varietals, the 2016 Seven Hills Walla Walla Carmenere!  Carmenere is one of those often overlooked varietals, which is unfortunate as it's an exceptionally food friends and easy drinking wine that everyone should enjoy!  So let's see how this latest vintage stacks up!


The wine is a beautiful garnet color in the glass.  The nose presents aromas of wonderfully ripe black fruit, blackberry, plum and currant over aromas of green herbs and light floral notes.  The taste us just a pleasure to behold, with a rush of ripe blackberry, plum and currant up front that transitions gracefully to notes of green herbs and a hint of white pepper midpalate.  The tannins are youthful but well developed, providing for a smooth, velvety dry finish with a reprise of tart cherry at the end.


Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a pleasant drinking wine that would be good with just about anything, or even plain!  This would pair well with Italian, steak, barbecue, tacos, tapas, literally about anything, but tonight I'm enjoying this wine with some hot Italian sausage with onions and peppers and some spaghetti with garlic and olive oil, perfect combination of fruit from the wine with the spice of the dish.  Cheers!

Sunday, June 10, 2018

2015 Justin Justification

Happy Sunday!  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of wine from Justin, a producer I've admired since I was introduced to them on the Napa Valley Wine train a few years ago.  I am opening a bottle of 2015 Justin Justification, a wonderful right bank inspired blend of Cabernet Franc (52%) and Merlot (48%) from Paso Robles, just slightly different than the 2014 vintage (which you can read about here).  I picked this one up last week at Costco, so let's see how this wine stacks up!


The wine is a lovely deep ruby color in the glass, just as you'd expect from these two varietals.  The nose is a wonderful combination of rich leather, fig and smoke, the kind of aromas that really get my mouth watering.  The taste is wonderfully old world, with a rush of ripe fruit, blackberry, cherry and currant that transitions nicely to some green grass and dusty limestone midpalate.  The tannins are youthful and a bit sharp, but the finish is long and very dry, with a reprise of tart cherry and Bordeaux like funk at the end.


Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a pleasant drinking wine with a truly old-world style.  This wine would pair very well with steak, ribs, chops or a nice charcuterie plate, but tonight I am enjoying this one with a rare grilled bone-in ribeye with some grilled asparagus and corn on the cob, what a wonderful Sunday dinner!  Cheers!

Saturday, June 9, 2018

2015 Reininger Walla Walla Malbec

Oh the weekend, so far it's been not incredibly hot, but boy has it been humid!  That said, I've opted against hanging out on the patio tonight (of course we might also be expecting a thunderstorm or two, so instead I'm enjoying the air conditioning and a nice glass of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of my latest wine club shipment from one of my favorite Walla Walla wineries, Reininger!  Chuck Reininger and his team do such a wonderful job with their wines, exploring different varietals and producing exceptional wines that really express the character of the Walla Walla AVA.  So I've opened up a bottle of the 2015 Reininger Walla Walla Malbec, a 100% Malbec from the Pepper Bridge Vineyard, so let's see how this one tastes!


The wines is a deep inky color in the glass, just as you'd expect from a quality Malbec.  The nose is a lovely combination of green grass, vanilla bean, leather and dried herbs, that beckons you to take a sip.  The taste is just a treat, with voluminous black fruit up front, blackberry, plum and currant that just envelop the palate before transitioning to some dusty mineral notes midpalate.  The tannins are velvety smooth, providing the foundation for a wonderfully long, smooth dry finish with a brief reprise of some peppery spice at the end.

Of course you'll recall that I'm not the biggest Malbec fan, but I am a huge fan of this wine!  Chuck really does a fine job with the varietal that could easily make the stoutest Argentine jealous, so I gladly rate this wine a solid 9.  This wine would be perfect with a big steak, roast game, or even barbecue, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with some simple tacos!  The dark fruit and great mineral notes are perfect paired with a bit of spice, cheers!

Thursday, June 7, 2018

2017 St. Sagnol Coteaux Varois en Provence Rose

It was sunny and 86 today, and very humid, which once again reminds me that we are in the heart of rose season!  Tonight I've opened a bottle that I picked up yesterday at Trader Joe's, the 2017 St. Sagnol Coteaux Varois en Provence Rose!  For those unfamiliar with Coteaux Varois en Provence, the area is in a more mountainous region, offering higher elevations and more protection from the impact of the Mediterranean, often resulting in wines with more continental character.  They typical varietals are dominated by Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault, which is to be expected in Provence.  So let's get to the wine!


The wine is a pale pink, almost peach color in the glass.  The nose presents aromas of peach, citrus and a marked floral motif amid hints of limestone minerality.  The taste is a subdued cascade of fruit, with pink grapefruit, hints of passion fruit and melon that gives way to some earthy notes of green grass and stark minerality midpalate.  The finish is crisp and clean, and very dry, a perfect wine for summer!


Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's just a wonderfully crisp and dry rose to enjoy on the patio on those warm summer evenings.  This wine was also a terrific value at just $7!  This wine would pair very well with salad, fresh seafood and even some fresh fruit desserts, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with some fish tacos topped with sriracha slaw on white corn tortillas.  Cheers!

Saturday, June 2, 2018

2008 Saviez Private Reserve Cabernet Franc

Happy Saturday!  It's the first Saturday in June and that means it's cellar Saturday, that magical time when I open a bottle at least 10 years in the making!  Tonight I've opened a bottle of wine I literally found in my cellar a few weeks ago, as I didn't ever remember buying it!  I have a number of Saviez wines, mostly their Zinfandels, but this is a 2008 Private Reserve Cabernet Franc produced from their estate vineyard in Napa Valley.  I've let this wine get some air for about an hour, and I am a big fan of Cabernet Franc, so let's see what this one has to offer.


The wine is a deep, inky purple at the center, with garnet along the edges, very reminiscent of a Cabernet Sauvignon.  The nose is an interesting combination of ripe black fruit, dried Italian spices intermingled with notes of leather and butterscotch.  The taste is remarkably smooth, with lovely cool fruit notes up front, blueberry, cherry and raspberry that dance around some notes of green herbs and rose petals.  The tannins are remarkably vibrant and well structured after a decade, supporting a long, smooth and very dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.


Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a fine example of the varietal and it's proven that it's ageworthy.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty dishes, from steak to barbecued ribs to hearty pasta dishes.  But tonight I am enjoying this wine with some classic tacos, with spicy sauce, tomatoes, avacado, baby greens and sour cream on corn tortillas.  Cheers!