2012 Forgeron Columbia Valley Zinfandel

Happy Sunday!  It finally rained today, my lawn has been in terrible need of rain, and of course that meant I couldn't do many outdoor chores today.  So instead I spend the afternoon doing laundry and picking up around the house, so mostly just relaxing!  And now it's getting to be Sunday supper time, which means it's about time to open a bottle of wine.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2012 Forgeron Columbia Valley Zinfandel, a wine I've had in the cellar for a little while, and since Marie Eve and the folks at Forgeron do such a nice job with Zinfandel and Primativo, I can't wait to try it.

The wine is a lovely deep garnet color in the glass, classic for a nice Zinfandel.  The nose is filled with leather, smoke and an edge of earthiness.  The taste is just perfect, with a rush of ripe black fruit up front, blackberry and plum, with a hint of fig that blankets your palate.  The flavors transition nicely to some rustic mineral notes and hints of mocha and mint midpalate.  The finish is lively, with some spice at the end and wonderfully integrated tannins supporting the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it's been a while since I've had a Zinfandel this nice and sophisticated, as opposed to a jammy fruit bomb.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic pairing with Kansas City barbecued baby back ribs, grilled corn on the cob and fresh cole slaw.  Zinfandel is so yummy with barbecue and it just seems like summer has come early.  Cheers!

2013 DaMa Walla Walla Valley Merlot

Happy Saturday!  I hope it's been a pleasant one for you, I was at a conference today and now I'm home and ready to relax with a nice dinner.  For wine, I've decided to open a bottle of a recent wine club shipment from Walla Walla that arrived last week, the 2013 DaMa Walla Walla Valley Merlot! This wine is 100% Merlot from the Golden Ridge Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley.  It turned cooler here recently, so perfect weather for a nice Merlot, and you know how I love me some Merlot!

The wine is a wonderful bright ruby color with great clarity, reminiscent of some great old world Merlot.  The nose is a great combination of green grass and ripe black fruit, for a perfect springtime red wine.  The taste is quite nice, with some nice blackberry and raspberry flavors up front that transitions to some lovely green spice notes of tarragon midpalate (if only I'd made some Bearnaise for my steak tonight!).  The tannins are still pretty tight, but the finish is long and very dry, with a bit of crispness at the end, an ideal spring Merlot!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a lovely and refreshingly different Merlot.  This wine would be great with a variety of meat and pasta dishes, but tonight I'm enjoying this with a rare grilled New York strip along with grilled purple carrots and leeks and a baked potato with sour cream and chives.  Cheers!

2016 Seven Hills Dry Rose

Happy Wine Wednesday!  Today it was unseasonably warm, 83 degrees, which felt remarkably summer like, which means it was a perfect day to chill some rose!  And tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2016 Seven Hills Dry Rose, a bottle I got a few months ago and I've been hankering to try once the weather warmed up.  Well tonight's the night!

The wine is a lovely peach color in the glass.  The nose presents aromas of peach, orange blossom and a hint of basalt.  The taste is crisp and refreshing, with some interesting Chardonnay like notes of buttery fruit, peach, grapefruit and papaya that transition nicely to some lovely mineral notes midpalate.  A rose like this, made primarily from Cabernet Franc has somewhat mellow acidity and a smooth, bone dry finish, similar to the classic dry rose wines of France.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it's an ideal wine for summer, perfect for salads, lighter meals or just sipping on the deck.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a wonderful dinner of bucatini tossed with broccoli rabe sauteed in olive oil and garlic and topped with a bit of shaved parmesan.  And after dinner I'll finish enjoying this lovely rose on the deck as it should be!  Cheers!

2013 Edwards & Chaffey Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

All right, I made it home from work, filled the bird feeder and pulled a few dandelions, so now it's time to relax with a glass of wine.  Tonight I've decided to open up another bottle I bought from the Wines Till Sold Out Napa Valley Marathon a few weeks ago, the 2013 Edwards & Chaffey Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (98%) mainly from the Oakville and Mount Veeder AVAs, balanced with a bit of Petite Sirah and Cabernet Franc.  So let's see how it tastes!

The wine is a deep, brooding indigo in the glass, with nice garnet around the edges.  The nose is a classic Napa Valley Cabernet with aromas of leather, blackberry, mocha and baking spice.  The taste is quite nice, with a rush of black fruit up front, blackberry, cherry and a bit of blueberry that transitions nicely to some mocha and spice notes midpalate.  The finish is lovely, with well integrated tannins supporting the long, smooth dry finish that surprises you with a bit of cherry cola at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a really pleasant drinking Cabernet at a value price of just $20.  This would be another classic Napa steak wine, and tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a grilled London broil made from a coffee rubbed flank steak I picked up this weekend at Trader Joe's, along with some wild rice and green beans with sliced almonds.  The wine just perfectly accents the rich flavors of the meat, cheers!

2013 Napa Bridge Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  I had a rather relaxing Sunday afternoon, pulling dandelions (they are my nemesis!) fertilizing, taking down some dead branches, feeding the ducks, and now it's time to relax with a bit of wine.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of Napa Cabernet that I bought in the recent Wines Till Sold Out Napa Valley Marathon, the 2013 Napa Bridge Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, so let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is an inky black at the center with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose is a pleasant combination of rich leather, graphite and blackberry, sort of a welcome party in anticipation of the lovely wine you're about to taste.  And the taste, it's a rich combination of ripe black fruit, blackberries, plum and cherries, that linger on the tongue before transitioning to some flavors of baking spice, dark chocolate and tobacco midpalate.  The finish is classic, big bold Cabernet, with still rather tightly wound tannins providing the punchy backdrop for the long, and exceptionally dry finish, that seems to linger for several minutes.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just starting to come into its own.  The wine was a pretty good value for this vintage of Napa Valley Cabernets at just $27.  This wine is destined to be a good steak wine, which is a good thing since my Sunday dinner is a rare grilled Prime Ribcap with some grilled asparagus and broccoli rabe along with a baked potato with sour cream and scallions.  What a delicious wine with the dry acidity really complementing the richness of the steak.  Cheers!

2012 Chateau de Pitray Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux

Happy Friday!  I admit, after a busy week, I'm looking forward to relaxing a bit this weekend, so why not start with a nice glass of wine?  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2012 Chateau de Pitray Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux that I recently picked up at Costco, so you know it was probably a bargain!  So let's see what she has to offer.

The wine is a nice deep ruby color in the glass, classic coloring for the blend.  The nose presents aromas of leather, oak and a bit of dusty limestone over a hint of green grass and mint.  The taste is somewhat fruit forward with a rush of blackberry and currant up front that transitions nicely to some mineral notes midpalate.  The finish is smooth and very dry, with modest acidity providing a bit of lift at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a pleasant drinking, everyday sort of wine, particularly at just $10 from Costco!  This wine would pair well with steaks, chops, roasts or some hearty pasta dishes, but tonight I've gone a bit off the beaten track with some pineapple and bacon smoked sausage with sweet sour kraut and cheddar pierogies!  Polish people drink French wine too!  Cheers!

2010 Long Meadow Ranch Bootstrap Napa Valley Red Wine

Happy Wine Wednesday!  Hump day is always a reason to celebrate and when you bring a bottle of wine even more so!   Tonight I've decided to open a bottle I recently purchased from Wines Till Sold Out on their Napa Valley marathon, what's not to like about red wine from Napa?  The 2010 Long Meadow Ranch Bootstrap Napa Valley Red Wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (62%), Sangiovese (21%) and Petite Sirah (17%), so let's see what this one has to offer!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, somewhat lighter than the typical Cabernet which isn't surprising given the addition of Sangiovese.  The nose is a rush of minerality, with some notes of dusty limestone and leather intermingled with some ripe cherry and notes of green pepper.  The taste is a rush of ripe berries and cherry cola that linger on the tongue, followed by some mineral and spice notes midpalate.  The finish is quite nice, with well structured tannins providing for a long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a very pleasant drinking wine at a decent price of just $25.  This wine would pair will with a variety of hearty Italian dishes, from linguine with mussels to a classic baked ziti, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a simple dinner of prime ribeye grilled rare with some grilled Brussels sprouts and organic rainbow carrots.  The wine really complements the richness of the carrots and the heartiness of the steak.  Cheers!

2013 Seven Hills McClellan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Monday!  I know Mondays can be hard, so let's lighten things up a bit with a nice glass of wine!  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of one of my favorites, the 2013 Seven Hills McClellan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon from the Walla Walla Valley AVA in Washington!  I reviewed the 2012 vintage way back in 2014 (wow how time flies!) which you can see here. So let's see how this one stacks up!

The wine is a deep purple color at the center with a bright ruby along the edges, just what you'd expect from a high-quality Cabernet.  The nose is just a breath of ripe berries and earthy leather and oak, that just brings back memories of autumn (lucky it's still spring, I just checked!).  The taste is a rush of ripe berries, blackberry, marionberry and black cherry that linger on the tongue before transitioning to some wonderful mineral notes of basalt and limestone midpalate.  The finish is divine, with a reprise of black cherry as the wonderfully integrated tannins set up the supple and very dry finish that seems to last several minutes.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's drinking wonderfully now, but could still improve with some time in the cellar.  This would be a great wine with grilled steak or braised short ribs, but tonight I'm enjoying it with a light dinner of bucatini tossed with some broccoli rabe sauteed with garlic and olive oil topped with some shaved parmesan.  Cheers!

2013 Anvil Cabernet Sauvignon Dionysus Vineyard Columbia Valley

Happy Saturday!  I have to apologize as I've been traveling so much for work lately that unfortunately my wine blog has taken somewhat of a backseat, but that's about to change!  My travel schedule is set to ease a bit next month, so I'll have more time to drink wine and share the experience with you!  Today was a wonderful day, a glimpse of summer as it was very sunny and the high reached 80 degrees, so I took the opportunity to get ahead on the yard work, raking up all the twigs and debris and then mowing for the first time this year!  So now I'm ready to relax with a glass of nice wine, in this case Forgeron Cellars 2013 Anvil Cabernet Sauvignon a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (92%) and Petit Verdot (8%) from the Dionysus Vineyard, which has some of the oldest vines in the Columbia Valley.  So let's see how this one stacks up!

The wine is a deep inky black color at the center, with bright ruby along the edges,  The nose is a wonderful combination of ripe blackberries, currants and a hint of violet floral notes intermingled with some defined spice notes of black pepper over a hint of smoke.  The taste is just wonderful with some ripe fruit that submits to some lovely spicy pepper notes at the outset, transitioning nicely to some dark chocolate and dried fruit notes midpalate, as you're set up for a reprise of spicy pepper on the long, smooth and luxurious finish.

Overall, I would rate this one a solid 9, it's not your typical big, bold Cabernet, but it has such an interesting combination of flavors and a sturdy backbone that it would stand up well to a big Cabernet sort of meal.  Tonight I am enjoying it with a rare grilled Prime eye of ribeye with some fresh grilled asparagus and a baked potato with sour cream and chives.  Cheers!

2007 Louis Boillot Volnay 1er Cru Clos de la Chapelle

Happy April Fools Day!  No, I'm not joking on this post, but at least it's the first Saturday of the month, which means it's Cellar Saturday!  That fun day when I open a bottle that's at least a decade old that's been waiting to be tried.  Today was a day of spreading mulch around the yard, so full of earthy aromas, which means it's probably appropriate to enjoy a nice earthy pinot noir from Burgundy tonight!  And for this Cellar Saturday, I've opened a bottle of 2007 Louis Boillot Volnay 1er Cru from Clos de la Chapelle, one of the 30 premier crus from Volnay.  I believe I may have received this wine as a gift from my boss, so let's see how it tastes!

The wine is very light in color, almost appearing like a rose.  The nose is a lovely combination of bright red berries, floral notes and a heaping helping of earthy goodness.  The taste is interesting, as you have a good bit of ripe red fruit, raspberry, cherry, mulberry, that has a nice balance of acidity, before you transition to some wonderful earthy mineral notes.  The finish is quite dry but very elegant, with a reprise of mild acidity from the very well integrated tannins.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a very nice Burgundy, but unfortunately I'm not the biggest fan of pinot noir.  This wine would be fantastic with lamb, mushroom risotto or about any hearty, earthy dish.  Tonight I am enjoying this with some classic comfort food, stuffed cabbage!  I used to love my mom's stuffed cabbage, but I put on a little twist simmering it with some arrabiata sauce and top with a bit of shaved parmesan.  Cheers!