2020 Le Piazze Rosso Toscana

Happy Saturday!  It's been a busy week, but I survived and now I am ready to do some cooking this weekend and enjoy some wine!  Before heading out to the theatre tonight, I am opening up a bottle that I bought from Wines Till Sold Out last year, the 2020 Le Piazze Rosso Toscana.  This wine is a classic super Tuscan blend of Sangiovese (70%), Cabernet Sauvignon (25%) and Petit Verdot (5%), so let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with a seemingly heavier body given the impact of the Cabernet in the blend.  The nose presents aromas of leather, strawberry, ripe plum and a hint of dried herbs, classic for a Sangiovese heavy blend.  Take a sip and you're treated to a rush of ripe red fruit, strawberry, cherry and plum that east into some earthy notes of dusty limestone and charred oak midpalate.  The tannins are well integrated, providing a base for a smooth dry finish with a hint of acidity and peppery spice at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a 7.5, as it's a pleasant wine at a value price, but it was not anything to knock your socks off.  This wine would pair with a range of classic Italian dishes, from risotto and pasta, to Tuscan toast.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with something completely different, a rotisserie chicken with mashed potatoes and bacon roasted Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2022 Mount Veeder Winery Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, after a break of spring-like weather, we were back to shoveling snow today!  That's all right, at least now we get to enjoy some wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of wine from Mount Veeder Winery that I recently picked up at my local market on clearance sale for only $30!  I have enjoyed wines from this producer for a while (see my reviews of the 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2016 vintages), so I've been looking forward to this one.  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (82%) and Merlot (18%) from a number of Vineyards in Napa Valley.  Let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a deep, inky black at the center with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose presents aromas of ripe plum, cedar and baking spice with just a hint of floral undertones.  The first sip bursts forth with ample red fruit, cherry, currant and plum that ease into some smoky notes of charred oak and hints of dark chocolate midpalate. The tannins are rather supple, making for a delightfully smooth, dry finish that seems to linger for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a pleasant drinking wine that at the price is an ideal everyday sipper.  This wine would pair well with a range of hearty dishes, from lasagna to mushroom risotto, braised short ribs to classic steak.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with my Sunday dinner of a tomahawk ribeye grilled Pittsburgh rare, oven roasted purple potatoes and steamed sugar snap peas.  Cheers!

2022 Mark Ryan Long Haul Columbia Valley Red Wine

Happy Saturday!  I admit, I am finally catching up on some older wine club shipments, this time from 2024 (and no worries, I am sure I have some in the cellar lingering since 2016 or so!).  The 2022 Mark Ryan Long Haul Columbia Valley Red Wine is a blend of Merlot (70%), Cabernet Sauvignon (21%), Cabernet Franc (8%) and Petit Verdot (1%) from the Quintessence, Red Willow and Ciel du Cheval Vineyards in the Columbia Valley AVA of Washington.  Let's see how this wine is tasting a few years on!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with a bit of darkness at the center.  The nose presents aromas of black cherry, leather and hints of green grass.  The first sip is a surprising rush of tart cherry that eases into some flavors of vanilla bean, savory herbs and toasted oak midpalate.  The tannins are somewhat subdued, but still provide enough backbone for a wonderfully smooth dry finish that lingers for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a classic expression of the great Bordeaux style blends coming from Washington.  This wine would pair well with hard cheeses and charcuterie, beef  bourguignon, or a classic grilled steak.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a pan seared Angus New York Strip over a bed of sautéed onions and mushrooms, steamed asparagus and a big baked potato.  Cheers!