2014 Seven Hills Summit View Vineyard Clone 191 Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Wine Wednesday!  My favorite weekday, just ahead of Taco Tuesday, so what's on the menu tonight?  Well it's a very limited production wine from one of my all-time favorite wineries in Walla Walla, Seven Hills!  This is reported to be a big, bad Cabernet Sauvignon from the Clone 191 block of the Summit View Vineyard.  There were only 57 cases produced, so let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is just a deep, inky black color at the center with a tint of bright ruby along the edges, just as you'd expect from a larger-than-life Cabernet.  The nose is surprisingly subdued, with modest notes of leather, black currant and a hint of sweet vanilla.  The taste is interesting, with some ripe black fruit up front, blackberry, currant and a bit of cherry, that transitions to some some warm spice notes midpalate.  The tannins are young, but show good structure as they shape the long, smooth and exceptionally dry finish that offers a reprise of black pepper spice at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, understanding that it's still quite young and will no doubt improve with some time in the cellar (I'm likely to put the rest of my bottles away and revisit this one sometime after 2020).  This would be a great steak wine, but it would also go well with some hard cheeses out on the patio (you know summer is just around the corner!).  Tonight I'm enjoying this one with a simple grilled steak, some grilled Brussels sprouts and a baked potato.  Cheers!

2012 Concha y Toro Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon

Ok, I confess, I've been on a weekend run on wines from Chile, from last night's edition from the Maipo Valley, I've decided to open another Costco bottle tonight, the 2012 Concha y Toro Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon from the Marchigue region of Chile.  So let's see how this one stacks up!

The wine is a somewhat lighter color, with some deep purple transitioning to bright ruby along the edges.  The nose is somewhat of an old world sort of blend of blackberry, cassis, intermingled with dried herbs and spice. The taste is a dichotomy of rich black fruit married against some fairly tart acidity, so that based on the aromas, you expect some dark fruit but are quickly flipped around by the acidity, before relaxing into some dark chocolate notes.  The tannins are tightly wound, leading to a more modest but very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a very pleasant Cabernet, and a good value, as I think I recall paying something around $15 for this one.  This wine would be great with steaks, roasts or lamb, but tonight I'm enjoying this with a little bucatini with spicy red sauce.  Cheers!

2014 Perez Cruz Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva

Well it was a classic Saturday where I went over to Mishawaka to Costco to pick up a few things, including some wine.  I tend to find some interesting and value priced wines over there and tonight I have an interesting one from the Maipo Valley in Chile, the 2014 Perez Cruz Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva.  South America offers a nice variety of wines, perhaps the most famous being the Malbecs of Argentina, but I've found that Chile produces some very high quality Cabernet Sauvignon, so let's see how this one stacks up!

The wine is a deep purple at the center with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose is a rich combination of leather, oak, green grass and a hint of rosemary over subdued note of ripe black fruit.  The taste a rush of ripe, jammy fruit, blackberry, cherry and currant this at first is more reminiscent of a Zinfandel.  The fruit transitions nicely to some wonderful earthy mineral notes of tar and graphite midpalate. The tannins, while young are quite subdued, but still provide nice structure to the long, smooth, dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's drinking nicely now and might improve a bit over a few years, but it was also a great value at just $12!  This wine would be good with steak (as I'm proving tonight) but would also be great with barbecue, tacos, or a nice pasta dish.  Tonight I'm enjoying it with a prime sirloin grilled rare, with some grilled veggies and potatoes.  Cheers!

2014 Seven Hills Pepper Bridge Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Friday!  It's been a busy week of travel, but at least the highlight of the week was that I received three cases of wine from one of my favorite Walla Walla wineries, Seven Hills!  And although there were a number of different wines in those cases that we'll explore over the coming months, tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2014 Seven Hills Pepper Bridge Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.  This one is special to me as I recall first trying a Cabernet from the Pepper Bridge Vineyard back in 2003 when I was living in Seattle, so let's see how this one stacks up!

The wine is a deep, inky purple at the center, with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose is a magnetic chorus of leather, cedar, boysenberry and a hint of white pepper that combine to suggest something really special is about to happen to your palate.  The taste is an eye opening rush of fruit, with pronounced black cherry that settles in to some more subtle notes of mocha and dark chocolate.  The tannins are still young but remarkably smooth and well integrated, providing the perfect backdrop for the long, voluptuous and very dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9.5, with some modest room for improvement with time in the cellar - it's drinking very nicely now, I can only imagine what it will be like in the early 2020s.  This is a classic big steak sort of wine, which is a good thing since tonight it's 74 degrees and time to grill a nice big Angus New York Strip, along with some grilled asparagus and a baked potato.  It's springtime and this is a perfect way to welcome the warm weather!  Cheers!

2014 Maison Bleue Coureur des Bois

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  No green beer for me thanks, but I can still open a nice bottle of wine to enjoy with my traditional meal.  Tonight I've decided to open a wine club selection that I just received today, the 2014 Maison Bleue Courer des Bois, a classic Columbia Valley blend of Mourvedre (40%), Syrah (40%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (20%), which provides a bit more heft than the standard GSM blend.  So let's see how she tastes!

The wine is a bit darker in color than your typical GSM blend, but still vibrant garnet.  The nose is a wonderful blend of leather, tart cherry and green cedar.  The taste is quite nice, with a more subdued bit of ripe fruit up front, that transitions to some lovely earthy mineral notes midpalate.  The tannins are well integrated and smooth, providing an excellent foundation for the long, luxurious dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as I think it's drinking nicely now, but could certainly improve with a few years in the cellar.  As for the pairing, it would be wonderful with a variety of hearty meat dishes, from roasts to lamb chops, but today is St. Patrick's Day, so I'm enjoying this wine with a traditional dinner of corned beef and cabbage with some oven roasted red potatoes and  carrots and some traditional soda bread.  Cheers!

2014 Forgeron Zinfandel

Happy Selection Sunday!  Now that all the NCAA seeding is complete, we can get down to business, and enjoy a bottle of wine!  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2014 Forgeron Zinfandel, a 100% Zinfandel from the Alder Ridge Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills.  This was a recent delivery from the Forgeron wine club so let's see how it is!

The wine is a lovely, bright ruby color in the glass.  The nose is a wonderful combination of leather, spice, boysenberry jam and clove with just a bit of earthiness.  The taste is a rush of ripe black fruit up front, blackberry and boysenberry, that transitions nicely to some notes of dark chocolate, tobacco and pepper spice.  The finish is very nice, with balanced tannins providing a nice base for the long, dry and very smooth finish that leaves you thinking about your next sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a really nice example of a varietal that can be difficult.  This Zinfandel would pair well with a variety of dishes, from a London broil to a smoky barbecue, but tonight I am going a different route.  My local market had red, yellow, green and orange peppers on sale today for 2 for $1 so I decided to make my mom's old recipe for stuffed peppers!  The richness of the peppers with a bit of spice in the sauce and creamy mozzarella melted on top makes an ideal pairing for this wine.  Cheers!

2009 Tero Estates Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Saturday!  It's been a long day of running errands and now it's finally time to relax for a little while before I head out for an evening at the Elkhart Civic Theater.  So I've decided to open a bottle that's been in my cellar for a few years, the 2009 Tero Estates Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Red Mountain AVA of the Columbia Valley.  This was a fairly limited run with just 120 cases produced, so let's see how this one has matured!

The wine is a deep, inky purple in the glass, with a subdued garnet tint along the edges.  The nose is just a dream, wonderful notes of leather, cedar, a hint of peat and some peppery spice notes, just the ideal combination of aromas that I've come to love in a good Washington wine.  The taste is a rush of rich fruit, sweet cherry, black plum and a hint of fig that transitions nicely to some mineral notes midpalate. The finish is soft and voluptuous but still quite dry as the tannins are elegant, not the big, brash, in your face tannins you see on so many Cabernets today.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a really solid example of a high-quality Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon.  And since it's a Cabernet, what better to enjoy it with than a nice steak, and tonight it's a marinaded New York strip, with some grilled asparagus and a big steak house baked potato.  Cheers!

2011 Rosso Col D'Orcia

Happy Taco Tuesday!  I bet you'll never guess what I'm having for dinner, but what wine to pair with said tacos?  Well, tonight I've just randomly decided to open a bottle of last month's office wine club selection, the 2011 Rosso Col D'Orcia, an interesting Sangiovese blend from Tuscany.  What makes this one interesting is that it's a blend of select Sangiovese clones, many of which are endangered.  This wine is a result of blending a number of those clones with two native Sangiovese varieties (60%), balanced with Celiegilio (30%) and Foglia Tonda (10%).  So let see how this will work with tacos!

The wine is a lovely garnet color in the glass, classic for a Tuscan blend.  The nose is wonderful rush of leather, black cherry, dried herbs and peppery spice.  The taste is a lovely blast of fruit, an interesting combination of sweet currant and berry offset by some tart cherry notes.  The fruit transitions nicely to some mineral and spice notes midpalate before we experience a reprise or red fruit on the finish.  The tannins are somewhat mellow, leading to a lovely, smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it was a good value at $18 from Wines Till Sold Out, and it's drinking quite nicely right now.  With the red fruit, it would pair very well with a lot of casual dinners, from pizza to barbecue to tacos!  Cheers!

2013 Spring Valley Vineyards Uriah

Happy Sunday!  Today the weather turned a bit nicer, reaching the mid-50s so I decided to go up on the roof and clean out the gutters!  Who ever said home ownership wasn't glamorous?  Well to make up for that, I've decided to open up a nice bottle of wine to celebrate Washington Wine Month, and what better than the 2013 Spring Valley Vineyards Uriah, which I recently found at Costco.  This wine is a blend of Merlot (45%), Cabernet Franc (34%), Petit Verdot (8%), Malbec (8%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (5%), so let see how this one is drinking!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with a nose of leather, black cherry and a hint of mint.  The taste is just lovely, with a rush or ripe fruit up front, blackberry, cherry and plum that transitions effortlessly to some lovely mineral notes of dusty limestone and dried herbs midpalate.  The finish is quite nice, with soft tannins that form a base for the long, smooth and very dry finish that beckons you for more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a wonderful blend with an emphasis on Merlot.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty dishes, but tonight I'm enjoying this one with my classic marinated New York strip, with baked potato and grilled rainbow carrots.  Cheers!

2007 Atlas Peak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Cellar Saturday!  Today is the first Saturday of March, so it's a day where I raid my cellar and open a bottle that's had at least a decade of life, and since it's 2017, that means all those wonderful Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons from the outstanding 2007 vintage are suddenly eligible!  And tonight we have just such a wine, the 2007 Atlas Peak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (90%), Cabernet Franc (3%), Merlot (3%), Malbec (3%) and Petit Verdot (1%) that's been waiting for me to open since at least 2010.  This wine is also interesting in that it blends wine from a number of different mountain appellations, including Atlas Peak, Howell Mountain, Spring Mountain and Mount Veeder, so let's see how this one is drinking now.

The wine is a classic Napa Cabernet, with deep, inky black at the center and bright ruby along the edges.  The nose a fantastic rush of leather, oak, vanilla and ripe dark fruit that practically begs you to take a sip.  The taste is just amazing with a rush of ripe fruit, black cherry, blackberry and blueberry, that lingers a bit as the more complex notes of vanilla, mocha and spice rise up, only to be displaced by some lovely mineral notes with just a hint of mint.  The tannins are remarkably structured, to give the wine a velvety, and full mouthfeel and an incredibly smooth, voluptuous and dry finish that seems to last five minutes.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as this is just a fabulous Cabernet from an outstanding vintage that was well worth the wait.  This wine would pair well with just about anything, but of course Napa Cabs are classic with steak, so tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a rare grilled Angus New York Strip, with a big baked potato with sour cream and chives and some grilled asparagus with olive oil.  Cheers!