2012 Cougar Crest Dedication Ten Red Wine

Happy Wine Wednesday!  Tonight I am enjoying a lovely bottle of wine that I brought back from my vacation in Walla Walla a month ago, wow how time flies!  Anyway, the 2012 Cougar Crest Dedication 10 Red Wine is a blend of Syrah (55%), Cabernet Franc (20%), Merlot (17%) and Petit Verdot (8%) from the Walla Walla Valley.  This wine also has a special story, in that a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the wine are donated to Doernbecker Children's Hospital in Portland, Ore. whose doctors and nurses were instrumental in the recovery of the winemakers' daughter from life threatening injuries.  So let's see how this wine tastes!

The wine is a deep purple color in the glass.  The nose is a lovely combination of leather, lush ripe black fruit, tart cherry and a bit of fresh green herbs.  The taste is a rush of ripe black fruit with an overlay of tart cherry that transitions nicely to some notes of dark chocolate and mocha midpalate.  The finish is quite nice, with well integrated tannins that provide for a long, smooth and very dry finish, with a reprise of vanilla bean as the Syrah makes its presence felt.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's an extremely pleasant and easy drinking wine, that not only supports a good cause, it's also arguably one of the best values in Walla Walla wine today, priced at just $20!  With this sort of blend, this wine would pair nicely with a variety of dishes, from salmon to grilled chicken to steaks and chops, but of course I opted for steak!  Tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime ribcap, baked Yukon gold potato and grilled asparagus.  Cheers!