2023 Seven Hills McClellan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Wine Wednesday!  After all the holiday hullabaloo, I thought it might be time to relax midweek with a nice glass of wine.  Tonight, I have opened a bottle from a recent wine club shipment from one of the early pioneers of Walla Walla wine, Seven Hills.  The 2023 Seven Hills McClellan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the McClellan Estate Vineyard in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  Let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is an inky black complexion at the center with bright ruby along the edges, classic for a nice Cabernet.  The nose presents aromas of black cherry, currant and floral notes of violets and rosehips with the faintest hint of vanilla.  The first sip is an intriguing combination of tart cherry intermingled with sweet blueberry that transitions nicely to some earthy mineral notes amid vanilla caramel notes midpalate. The tannins are well structured, providing for a long, smooth dry finish that seems to linger for a minute or more.

I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a very pleasant drinking wine with the quality that befits its heritage.  This wine would pair well with a range of hearty dishes, from braised short ribs to grilled lamb, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a grilled bone-in ribeye covered with sautéed onions and mushrooms along with pan fried potatoes and steamed Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2023 Reininger Carmenere

Happy Sunday!  Tonight marks the end of my weekend of All-American meals, so let's make it a good one!  What a fantastic semiqincentennial weekend, with great food, wine and fireworks to celebrate the greatest nation on earth!  For the last celebratory night, I've opened a bottle from a perennial favorite Washington producer (see, we can't celebrate the founding without Washington!), Chuck Reininger.  The 2023 Reininger Carmenere is a 100% Carmenere completely sourced from the Seven Hills Vineyard in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  Let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby in the glass, sparking like a gem.  The nose presents aromas of dusty limestone, black cherry, green grass and blackberry, beckoning you to take a sip.  That first taste is a rush of ripe, rustic berries, black cherry, marionberry and currant, with a good bit of tartness before transitioning to some notes of vanilla bean and oak midpalate.  The tannins are well integrated and subdued, bringing nice structure to the long, smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this a solid 9, as Chuck has seemingly mastered the craft of this lost Bordreaux varietal.  This wine would pair well with a range of summer favorites, from burgers and brats to steaks and tenderloin.  Tonight, I am taking a classic approach and enjoying this wine with barbecue, but not just any barbecue.  I am enjoying this with slow cooked barbecued baby back ribs with Yankee black strap molasses barbecue sauce, coleslaw and fresh corn on the cob.  Cheers!

2011 Mastrojanni Brunello di Montelcino

Well this is truly an occasion as Cellar Saturday, that first Saturday of the month also happens to be Independence Day and more significantly, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  With this in mind, I have gone back to my roots on my mother's father's side and have gone totally Italian.  With the melting pot, we will celebrate with a 2011 Mastrojanni Brunello di Montelcino, a wine that should be hitting its stride and one that's been in my cellar for at least a decade (more likely since at least 2012!).  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

A gentle swirl reveals aromas that will have you reminiscing of an old Italian grocery, with notes of mint, charred oak, dried spices and hints of anise.  The first sip is the heart of Tuscany, with a rush of strawberry, cherry and blackberry that smack you in the face as it to wake you from a nap before easing into some earthy tar and charred oak.  The tannins are well structured and perfectly integrated to lead you into a smooth, dry finish with a hint of tart cherry and oak at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a wonderful Brunello that is just hitting its stride.  This wine would pair well with a range of Italian dishes from the Tuscan classics of toast with fava beans to Bisteca Fiorentina!  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a more subdued Italian American classic of hot Italian sausage (after all, you can't spell sausage without USA!) sautéed with onions and peppers along with linguine tossed with garlic scapes, asparagus and broccoli rabe sautéed in garlic and olive oil and topped with shaved parmesan.  Cheers!