2012 The Vincent Columbia Valley Red Wine

Happy Sunday!  Tonight I am taking it a bit easy, so I thought I'd open a bottle of nice Columbia Valley red wine I picked up a couple weeks ago in Grand Rapids, 2012 "The Vincent" red wine from Mark Ryan Winery's Board Track Racer label.  This particular vintage was a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (47%), Merlot (40%) and Malbec (13%).

The wine is a lovely dark garnet color in the glass, with nice clarity.  The nose presents aromas of rad fruit, cherry, raspberry and plum along with some earthy notes of peat, morel and a hint of leather.  The taste is nice blast of ripe fruit, cherries, raspberries and a hint of dark chocolate at the outset, which then transitions nicely to some coarse minerality midpalate.  The tannins are nicely structured, providing a good foundation to the long, smooth and exceptionally dry finish.

Overall, I'd rate this wine a solid 8, it's a terrific everyday wine and a solid value at $20.  Tonight I am enjoying this one with some old fashioned Midwestern comfort food, stuffed bell peppers!  The rich fruit and bright tannins make this an ideal complement to the rustic spice of the peppers, tomato sauce, beef and rice in the peppers, but it would also be ideal with many hearty fall dishes (after all, Autumn officially began last week!).  Cheers!

2012 Chimney Rock Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon

So today as I was doing my regular grocery shopping, I decided to check out the wine section at my local Meijer to see if they had any good wines on sale, and I was in luck!  They had the 2012 Chimney Rock Stags Leap District Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon on sales for $20 off, so needless to say I stocked up!  And since I like new things, I thought it appropriate to open up my newest wine for dinner tonight!

The wine is a beautiful deep ruby color at the edges, almost an inky black at the center just as you'd expect on a high quality Cabernet.  The nose presents aromas of smoke, dried flowers, blackberries and cherries, with just the faintest hint of mint.  The taste is soft and supple at the outset, so different from so many of the big Cabernets on the market today.  Black fruit flavors of blackberry, plum and cassis transition effortlessly to some lovely mineral and spice notes midpalate.  Though young, the tannins as beautifully integrated, creating a long, lush and very dry finish that leaves you asking for more.  It strikes me that whenever someone talks about a great Napa Valley Cabernet, this is what they mean.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 9, it's drinking beautifully right now (maybe because I'm thirsty!) but it will no doubt improve with a few years in the cellar.  Tonight I am enjoying this with an ideal Napa Cabernet dinner, a rare prime Filet Mignon that I recently received from Allen Brothers in Chicago, a baked potato with butter and sour cream and some fresh steamed broccoli I bought from my Amish farmer neighbors this morning.  Could there be anything better?

2012 Spring Valley Vineyard Nina Lee Syrah

Happy Saturday!  It's been a fun filled day with all sorts of football to watch, and I get to go out to the Elkhart Civic Theater for a performance tonight, so what could be better?  How about a glass of nice wine from the Walla Walla Valley?  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2012 Spring Valley Vineyard Nina Lee Syrah, a pure 100% Syrah from the Spring Valley Estate Vineyard, named after the wife of Frederick Corkrum, the son of the patriarch of Spring Valley, Uriah Corkrum, for whom other Spring Valley wines have been named.

The wine is a bright garnet color in the glass, with great clarity.  The nose presents some wonderful earthy notes of leather, blackberry and a hint of violet that exudes a certain richness.  The taste is just divine, with some mild ripe fruit up front, blackberry, plum and cassis which transition seamlessly to some lovely mineral notes midpalate.  The tannins are smooth and integrated, despite their youth, making for a long, smooth and elegant dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, it is drinking so well now and compares well to many more expensive Syrahs I've tried.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with something a bit more Autumnal, a wonderful wasabi marinated grilled pork tenderloin accented with some grilled plums that were from my friends Shani and Karen's tree up in Grand Rapids, where I visited last weekend, along with some green beans and a baked potato.  Yum, the richness of the pork and plums and the spice of the wasabi make for a lovely war of flavors that can only be settled by this wonderful wine.  Cheers!

2013 Predator Old Vine Zinfandel

Happy Friday!  Tonight I'm opting for the lowest maintenance dinner I could find, but what wine to pair with it?  I think I know, so I'm opening a bottle of 2013 Predator Old Vine Zinfandel from Lodi, one of my favorite AVAs for Zinfandel!

The wine is a nice bright ruby color in the glass, with nice clarity.  The nose presents aromas of strawberry, blackberry, smoky bacon and cocoa powder.  The taste is classic Lodi old vine Zinfandel with flavors of ripe fruit up front, blackberry, cassis and cherry that transitions to some lovely notes of smoky oak and black pepper midpalate.  The tannins are somewhat rustic, supporting the long, smooth and smoky finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's not a knock your socks off sort of wine, but it's a solid example of the varietal and a solid value at $13!  This was an office wine club selection, and I've had a number of people tell me they taste a lot of bacon in this one, I will admit it's quite smoky, perhaps with some pork in there, but that's what makes a nice Lodi Zinfandel perfect for barbecue!  Alas, my low maintenance dinner tonight isn't barbecue, but pizza!  Again, some folks find it tough to pair a wine with barbecue or pizza, but for me I just reach for a nice Zin!  Cheers!

2012 Chappellet Mountain Cuvee

I'm finally getting back to the swing of things after my horrific travel week last week, so tonight I've decided to open a bottle I picked up last weekend in Grand Rapids, the 2012 Chappellet Mountain Cuvee.  This Napa County wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (39%), Merlot (35%), Malbec (12%), Petit Verdot (8%), Cabernet Franc (3%) and Syrah (3%), so pretty much every Bordeaux blending varietal and then some!

The wine is a lovely deep ruby in the glass with nice clarity.  The nose presents aromas of blackberry, cherry and cassis, overlaid with just a hint of toasted oak.  The taste is quite nice, with a blast of cherry cola up front that transitions to some earthy notes of cedar and baking spice midpalate.  The tannins are nicely balanced, supporting a velvety mouthfeel and long, voluptuous and very dry finish.  It's really a nice everyday wine that drinks like wines that are twice the price.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, particularly at the bargain price I found this one, just $25!  The wine is from the highly regarded 2012 Napa vintage, and while it could be ageworthy it's really drinking nicely now.  Tonight I am enjoying this with a classic pairing of bacon-wrapped petit filet mignon, baked potato and grilled asparagus.  This nice bold wine it ideal with a nice steak.  Cheers!

2012 Maison Bleue Metis

Well, this past week or so has just been a whirlwind of activity, between my normal travel schedule and some amazingly bad luck with flight delays, I've had no time for blog posts of any sort (though rest assured, I still had time to drink some wine!).  So I'll make up for it tonight, as for my 500th  blog post, I've opened a bottle of 2012 Maison Bleue Metis, a lovely blend of Syrah (70%), Grenache (25%) and Mourvedre (5%) that I picked up on my vacation in Walla Walla.

The wine is a lovely, deep ruby color in the glass with great clarity.  The nose exhibits an intriguing combination of ripe berries, smoke and floral notes that really urges you to take a sip.  The taste is classic GSM, heavy on the S, with flavors of blackberry and pomegranate bursting forth, only to ease back into some herbs and smoky, earthy notes midpalate.  The tannins are somewhat rustic, but form a perfect foundation to under gird the long, smooth and very dry finish that leaves you wanting more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a great example of the fine Rhone blends coming out of Walla Walla now, and since I received a wine club discount, this one was a super bargain (even though it's worth every penny of the regular price).  Although this wine will pair well with the classics, lamb, beef and wild game, tonight I'm enjoying this with a baked chicken breast topped with some prosciutto and smoked provolone along with a bit of linguine with garlic and olive oil and some steamed haricots verts.  Cheers!

1997 L'Ecole No. 41 Columbia Valley Merlot

Well, it's the first Saturday of September, which of course means that it's "Cellar Saturday" that magical time where I raid the recesses of my cellar to open a nice, mature bottle of wine.  Tonight I've raided the cellar for a bottle that I just bought on my recent vacation to Walla Walla, the 1997 L'Ecole No. 41 Columbia Valley Merlot, a blend of Merlot (85%), Cabernet Franc (11%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (4%), which I've decanted about an hour ago.

The color is a nice even purple with some amber around the edges and very nice clarity.  The nose presents a wonderful Bordeaux-esque combination of ripe plum, blackberry and leather, over a good bit of funk, with just a hint of mint and dried herbs.  The taste is just fantastic, with still bright fruit notes of plum and blackberry that burst forth at the outset, transitioning effortlessly to some wonderful mineral notes of basalt and earthy notes of peat and barnyard midpalate.  The finish is just divine, with some hints of sweet fruit as a reprise, while the mellow, yet still remarkably structured tannins provide a framework for the lush, smooth and exceptionally dry finish.  This is a lovely wine that has aged as well as any right bank Bordeaux.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, I'm not sure if this wine has reached it's prime, but I can't imagine it getting much better than what I'm tasting right now!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a monster, 2" thick Angus New York Strip, with some grilled leeks and asparagus.  This wine is just perfect with a big steak, but it would also pair well with hearty pasta, or some nice beef stew, or almost anything you can imagine cooking on an Autumn afternoon (even though it's technically still summer!).  What a fabulous wine for this first Saturday of college football, cheers!

2014 The Vincent Columbia Valley Rose

Summer is apparently having its revenge in the last few weeks it will be around, as it's just been incredibly hot and humid this week.  I sure am glad I had the foresight to bring back ample bottles of nice Washington rose wine to help combat the heat!  Tonight I have opened a bottle of 2014 "The Vincent" Columbia Valley Rose wine from Mark Ryan Winery's Board Track Racer label.  Back in 2013, I reviewed the 2012 vintage which you can see here: Link, so let's see how this one stacks up!

The color strikes me as a bit more orange-pink, but quite deep and vibrant.  I don't have the technical specifications, but my sense is that this one is still a GSM blend, but likely with a bit more emphasis on the Syrah.  The nose presents lovely, earthy aromas of cut grass and iron, intermingled with some floral and citrus notes.  The taste is a vibrant rush of strawberry, grapefruit and lime that eases into some nice mineral notes midpalate.  The finish is just bone dry, a perfect summer refresher for my palate!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, the flavor is all there and the structure is very pleasant, and to top it off, this was a terrific value at about $15!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some maple glazed wild Alaskan Coho on a bed of baby kale and arugula, some steamed wild rice and green beans, a perfect summer dinner.  Cheers!

2014 DaMa Wines Rose of Cabernet Franc

Well now that I've completed all my posts about my fabulous Walla Walla road trip, we will be treated with reviews of the many great wines I brought back from the trip!  First up, as summer seems to be winding down much faster than I'd prefer, I thought I'd enjoy a bottle of rose, particularly since this hot and humid summer has really been the "Summer of Rose!"  Tonight I've opened a bottle of 2014 DaMa Wines Rose of Cabernet Franc that I picked up in the tasting room a week or so ago.

The color on this wine is exceedingly pale, a quick glance and you might actually mistake it for a white wine, but rest assured it's all rose.  The nose presents lovely aromas of strawberries, honeydew and crisp citrus notes, ideal for a summer on the patio.  The taste is a rush of floral, melon and citrus, that takes a bit of a break for some nice mineral notes midpalate.  Surprisingly, the finish recounts some lovely sweet strawberry notes that cap off this beautiful glass of summer.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, simply because it's not quite as dry as I prefer, particularly on the finish.  Tonight I am enjoying this with a classic Pacific Northwest dinner of wild Alaskan Coho salmon filet grilled on a northern white cedar plank, with some steamed wild rice and fresh picked green beans.  The fruit and acidity of this wine make it a perfect foil to the richness of the salmon, and I have to mention that white cedar imparts very different flavors to the fish than your normal red cedar, which go perfectly with this wine!  Cheers!