2020 Col Solare Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  It's been a somewhat relaxing day of doing chores and preparing for classes tomorrow, but now it's time for a nice glass of wine with my Sunday dinner.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle of wine that just arrived from a mystery box at Wines Till Sold Out (and you know how I love surprise wines!).  The 2020 Col Solare Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Quintessence Vineyard (57%), Shaw 32 Vineyard (28.5%) and Col Solare Estate Vineyard (14.5%).  For those who are unaware, Col Solare is a partnership between Marchesi Antinori of Tuscany and Chateau Ste. Michelle of Washington, so let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, classic for a Red Mountain Cabernet.  The nose presents aromas of earthy leather and graphite, intermingled with hints of cherry and red currant amid undertones of peppery spice.  The first sip is a remarkable departure from what your nose was expecting, with a rush of tart cherry, blackberry and currant that eases into some oak and dusty limestone midpalate, before heading back to some nice acidity at the finish.  The tannins are well structured for the long, smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a lovely example of the height of Red Mountain Cabernet.  This wine would pair well with a range of winter dishes, from hearty pasta and stews, braised short ribs or hearty mushroom risotto.  Tonight, I am pairing this wine with a classic Sunday dinner of slow cooked pot roast with lots of vegetables and gravy.  Cheers!

2022 Justin Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Saturday!  It's bitterly cold here today as I witnessed our high temp of the day of just 7 degrees mid-afternoon, and now we are headed back to zero!  This is a perfect day to stay indoors with a bottle of big Cabernet Sauvignon, and that's what I'm doing, with a bottle that I just picked up from my local market today.  The 2022 Justin Cabernet Sauvignon is a long-time favorite from Paso Robles (see my reviews of the 2013, 2015 and 2017), consistently a solid wine at a very reasonable price.  Let's see what this vintage has to offer.

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, perhaps a bit lighter bodied than you might expect.  The nose presents aromas of leather, oak and cassis that will have you imagining being transported to a nineteenth century library complete with smoking room.  The first sip is a rather surprising combination of earthy notes and ripe fruit, roasted hazelnuts, black cherry, dusty limestone and toasted oak that transition easily to some hints of green grass and peppery spice midpalate.  The tannins are rather subdued, but still supportive of the long, smooth dry finish that lingers with oak on your palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it's a lovely Cabernet, but perhaps a bit too heavy on the oak for some tastes (though I find it delightful when sitting by the fireplace).  This wine would pair well with a range of winter dishes, from hearty beef stew to baked lasagna, braised short ribs to Yankee pot roast.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a pan seared bone-in ribeye over a bed of sautéed onions and mushrooms, with a big baked potato.  Cheers!

2021 Reininger Walla Walla Valley Syrah

Happy Sunday!  I have the day off tomorrow so I've been doing more than my share of relaxing today!  In any case, we eventually come to a time to start making dinner and enjoying a nice glass of wine.  Given my eclectic dining preferences, I've decided to select the wine before diving headlong into dinner.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle of a wine club shipment (I can't say if it is recent!) from one of my favorite Walla Walla producers, Reininger Winery!  The 2021 Reininger Walla Walla Valley Syrah is a 100% Syrah sourced evenly from the Seven Hills and Pepper Bridge Vineyards in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

With an approachable deep ruby color in the glass, this wine presents aromas of leather, bing cherry, lilac and plum enticing you to take a sip and get this party started!  That first sip is a plunge into sophistication and nuance, within a fun party atmosphere.  Floral notes and hints of baking spice and luxurious leather and basalt that easily surrender to ripe red fruit notes of cherry, raspberry and currant.  The tannins are expertly structured to provide the ideal backbone for a long, smooth dry finish that lingers on your palate for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's one of my favorite Syrah's from the Walla Walla Valley.  This wine is a perfect accompaniment for a range of tough-to-pair dishes, from barbecue to any number of pork dishes, Thai to Indian and tonight I am taking this wine to task and enjoying it with some chicken and vegetables in a Filipino Caldereta tomato sauce served over steamed basmati rice.  The bright fruit and earthiness of the wine is a perfect foil to the richness of this dish.  Cheers!