2015 Dona Paula Estate Malbec

Happy Wine Wednesday!  Tonight I’ve decided to open a nice Malbec from one of my favorite Argentine peoducers, Dona Paula Estate.  I’m feeling a bit lazy tonight and I’m hankering for some Thai food, so it seems that a 2015 Dona Paula Malbec from the Uco Valley in Mendoza just might do the trick!  So let’s see if I was right.

The wine is a deep, inky purple color in the glass. The nose presents aromas of ripe red fruit, cherry, plum and currant intermingled with green herbs and a touch of mint.  The taste is classic Malbec with a rush of red fruit mixed with green herbs, black pepper spice and earthy undertones that are just what you’d expect from a nice Malbec from Mendoza.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it’s a nice example of a classic Malbec and a terrific value for around $12. This wine would pair well with a variety of dishes beyond the classic steak, and tonight I am enjoying this wine with some Pad Kee Mao Thai take out, it’s always a challenge to pair wine with Thai food, but I’ve found a good Malbec is usually a solid choice. Cheers!

2015 Mark Ryan Winery "The Dissident"

Happy Taco Tuesday!  I bet you'll never guess what's for dinner tonight!  But at least the wine is settled, as I've decided to open a bottle of a wine club shipment from Mark Ryan Winery.  I'll admit to being a more recent convert to these wines (what was it 2012?), but I was hooked once I realized where the wines got their names.  And despite letting me reminisce about my grunge days, they are also terrific wine.  The 2015 Mark Ryan Winery "The Dissident" is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (55%), Merlot (27%), Cabernet Franc (16%) and Petit Verdot (1%) all from some of the best vineyards in the Columbia Valley of Washington.  So let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is the color and consistency you'd expect from a blend so heavily weighted toward Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  The nose is an earthy rush of smoke, oak and dried herbs intermingled with ripe black fruit, blackberry, cherry and cassis.  The taste is at once a rush of heavy black fruit, blackberry, cherry and a hint of prune that transitions smoothly to some notes of dusty limestone and white pepper midpalate.  The finish is delightful, with nicely polished tannins supporting the long, smooth and voluptuous finish that seems to linger more than a minute.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a great example of the quality of Bordeaux style blends being produced in the Columbia Valley, but I thought this vintage was just below the 2011 vintage that I last reviewed (see here).  And of course I'm enjoying this wine with some chorizo tacos, though it would pair well with anything from steak to salmon to lamb, or just sipping by itself.  Cheers!

2014 Justin Justification

Happy Sunday!  It's been a busy week, what with all the turkey and shopping and such, so today we decided to take it a bit easy with a leisurely brunch and a late dinner with a nice bottle of wine.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2014 Justin Justification, a blend of Cabernet Franc (55%) and Merlot (45%) from Paso Robles.  I recently found this wine at Costco, so let's see how it tastes!

The wine is a deep, inky purple in the glass with bright garnet at the edges, just as you'd expect with such a Merlot concentration in the blend.  The nose is a cascade of ripe black fruit, blackberry to cherry to plum, all with an overlay of leather and earthy peat.  The taste is a rush of blackberry and cherry at the outset, that transitions to some lovely notes of fresh herbs and a hint of mint midpalate.  The finish is quite nice, with well integrated tannins providing the framing to a long, smooth and seductively dry finish that treats you to a reprise of black fruit at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a solid, well-structured wine that tastes a lot more expensive than it's $34 price tag.  This wine would pair well with salmon, roast duck, lamb or steak, quite versatile as we hit the winter months.   Tonight, we are enjoying this wine with grilled filet mignon, baked potato and butter braised Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

Fruit Hills Winery “Two Shades of Red”

Happy Thanksgiving!  With all of the turkey and trimmings for the typical Thanksgiving feast it’s always a challenge to think of wine pairings. Many will go with a standard white wine, perhaps a Chardonnay or Pinot Gris, but it’s always a more interesting challenge to pair a red wine. Many will opt for a nice Pinot Noir or perhaps a Rhône blend, but today I’ve gone for a local Indiana wine, the non-vintage Fruit Hills Winery “Two Shades of Red” which is a blend primarily of Cabernet Franc that’s a bit lighter so as not to overpower the star of the feast.  This wine is one of the few that Fruit Hills produces from local grapes, in this case from southwest Michigan near the coast, so let’s see how this one tastes!

The wine is somewhat lighter in color, similar to a Pinot Noir.  The nose is a pleasant combination of leather, green grass, strawberry and blackberry.  The taste is a lovely rush of fruit up front, black cherry, blackberry and plum that transitions to some notes of tobacco, floral and strawberry midpalate.  The finish is quite nice, with soft tannins providing for a short, but very smooth and dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it’s quite pleasant particularly given that Indiana isn’t exactly a hot bed of red wine production.  This wine is very nice with Thanksgiving turkey, with a nice balance of fruit and dryness to compliment a classic turkey dinner with all the trimmings.  Cheers!

2013 Woodward Canyon Estate Dolcetto

Happy Wine Wednesday!  Of course it's also Thanksgiving eve, so we can throw that in there too.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of wine from Woodward Canyon, one of the first wineries I visited on that fabled first visit to Walla Walla nearly two decades ago.  Tonight it's the 2013 Estate Dolcetto from the Walla Walla Valley.  I reviewed the 2012 vintage here, so let's see how this one is faring!

The wine is a lovely deep ruby color in the glass.  The nose is chock full of leather, green grass and blackberry fruit that just beckons you to take a sip.  And the taste is just lovely, with a rush of cherry cola, blackberry and plum flavors that envelope the palate, while lush mineral notes combine with dark chocolate and prune midpalate.  The tannins are wonderfully structured providing a nice foundation to the long, lush and very dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just another wonderful example of the great quality of Dolcetto being produced in the Walla Walla Valley.  This is an exceptionally food friendly wine as I could see this pairing well with holiday turkey or ham, wonderful salmon dishes or a beautiful cheese course, but tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a rare grilled New York strip with sauteed onions and peppers and a big baked potato with sour cream and chives.  Cheers!

2014 L'Ecole No. 41 Ferguson

Happy Sunday!  It got a bit chilly today, so a perfect day to enjoy a nice Walla Walla red blend!  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of the 2014 L'Ecole No. 41 Ferguson red wine, a classic Bordeaux style blend from the Walla Walla AVA in Washington.  This wine is also a special treat as I had the chance to visit the Ferguson Vineyard back in 2013 (you can read about that here).  This particular vintage is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (56%), Merlot (32%), Cabernet Franc (6%) and Malbec (6%), so let's see how this wine is shaping up!

The wine is a deep, inky purple in the glass.  The nose is a beautiful combination of leather, blackberry and dusty mineral aromas that really speak to the terroir at Ferguson.  The taste is a rush of ripe fruit up front, black cherry, blackberry and plum that transition to some lovely mineral and smoky notes midpalate.  The finish is near perfect, with well structured tannins providing the backbone and just a hint of spice and characteristic Bordeaux "funk" coming in at the end of the long, smooth, and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, it's a pleasant drinking wine right now, but I'm confident it will get better with some time in the cellar.  This wine would pair well with a variety of dishes, from firmer cheeses to roast beef, to wild Pacific salmon, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a Thai chili rubbed New York strip with grilled broccoli rabe and mini peppers and a baked potato.  A perfect Sunday dinner, cheers!

2014 Seven Hills Pentad

Happy Saturday!  It's been a dreary and rainy day here, so I thought I'd brighten the mood a bit with a nice bottle of wine.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle from one of my favorite wineries, Seven Hills and specifically a wine that's not produced every year, the Pentad!  This Bordeaux style blend is only produced when conditions are right, so although we have seen the release of a 2014 and just recently a 2015 vintage, prior to that we only saw the Pentad released in 2012, then earlier in 2009 and 2007, so in all, we have seen only 10 vintages released with the 2015.  The 2014 Vintage is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (61%), Petit Verdot (19%), Malbec (9%), Cabernet Franc (7%) and Merlot (4%) from the Walla Walla Valley AVA, so let's see how last year's wine if faring!

The wine is a deep inky color with bright ruby along the edges, suggestive of the heavy presence of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend.  The nose is a lovely combination of leather, blackberry, clove and dried spice that welcomes you to take a sip.  The taste is wonderfully smooth and balanced, with casual notes of ripe black fruit intermingled with mocha and dark chocolate that transitions to some lovely green herb notes just before the finish.  And the finish is lovely, with chewy tannins that make for a long, firm and exceptionally dry finish that lasts a minute or more.

Overall, this wine is really the gold standard in Walla Walla Bordeaux Style blends and I'd rate this one an easy 9, perhaps even a 9.5 with another couple years in the cellar.  This wine is very food friendly, and best enjoyed with a nice family dinner or some cheese and charcuterie with friends.  This wine would pair well with a variety of steaks and chops, heavier Italian pastas or beautiful autumn stews, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled New York strip along with some bucatini tossed with garlic, olive oil and broccoli rabe.  The wine really stands up well to beef, cheers!

DaMa Cowgirl Blanc

Happy Sunday!  It's been a good day to stay indoors and watch old movies, as it's been cold and snowing/sleeting all afternoon.  And given the melancholy weather, it also seems appropriate to enjoy a little comfort food for dinner, which is what I plan for tonight.  But what wine to enjoy with this particular comfort food was a challenge, but one that I was up to when I got out a bottle of a recent wine club shipment from DaMa Wines, the non-vintage Cowgirl Blanc.  This wine is a blend of Chardonnay (65%) and Viognier (35%) from both the Mill Creek and Sagemoor Vineyards in the Columbia and Walla Walla Valley AVAs of Washington.  So let's see how this unusual evening of white wine progresses!

The wine has pleasant aromas of rich tropical fruit, mango, passion fruit and some apricot notes with some mineral notes over the top.  The taste is more subdued tropical fruit on the outset, which seems more dominated by citrus notes and bright acidity, which easily transitions into some earthy mineral notes midpalate.  The tropical fruit makes another appearance on the crisp refreshing finish, which is surprisingly long for a white wine.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as you know, white wines are really not my thing, but I could easily see this wine as a Thanksgiving favorite.  Tonight I am enjoying this one with my Mom's recipe for classic tuna noodle casserole, creamy goodness that of course is topped with crumbled potato chips, it doesn't get more comfortable than that.  Cheers!

2014 L'Ecole No. 41 Perigee

What a day, full of gathering leaves and getting them up to the street for the city to take in a few weeks.  This is the time of year when we work outside in the cold, then come in to a nice warm meal and a glass of wine.  Tonight I've decided to open up a bottle from one of my long-time favorite wineries in Walla Walla, L'Ecole No. 41, and in particular, one of my perennial favorite blends, the Perigee.  The 2014 vintage is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (20%), Cabernet Franc (12%), Petit Verdot (5%) and Malbec (3%).  I brought this bottle back with me from my trip to Walla Walla back in August, so let's see how it tastes!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with nice clarity.  The nose is an elegant blend of leather, blueberry and smoky oak, that exudes richness and thoughtfulness in the blending.  The taste is a rush of ripe black fruit, blackberry and plum that evolve into dark chocolate and tobacco.  The tannins are youthful but refined providing an ideal base for the long, smooth and well structured finish that seems to last a minute or more.

Overall, I'd rate this wine a solid 9, as the Perigee is still one of my all time favorites.  This wine would be fairly versatile with food, but it really deserves to be paired with a nice steak, whether a prime filet mignon or as I'm enjoying tonight, an Angus Porterhouse with baked potato and grilled leeks.  Cheers!

2013 Chateau Buena Vista Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Friday! I've been working in the yard gathering leaves all afternoon, so it's definitely time to have a glass of wine!  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2013 Chateau Buena Vista Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that I got at Costco just a few weeks ago, so let's see how this wine tastes!

The wine is lovely deep ruby color in the glass, just as you'd expect from a quality Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The nose is a rush of smoke, leather, blackberry and cherry that just exudes ripe Napa Cabernet.  The taste is a rush of ripe black fruit and warm spice, blackberry, plum and cassis overlaid with white pepper spice and kirsch.  The tannins are beautifully structured providing for the backbone of a long, smooth, voluptuous finish that seems to last more than a minute.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just what you'd expect from a Napa  Cabernet.  This wine practically screams to be paired with a big honkin' steak, and it just so happens I have a thick, Angus porterhouse to enjoy with this wine tonight, grilled rare with some grilled leeks, Brussels sprouts and a big baked potato with some sour cream and  chives. A perfect finish to a long week, cheers!

2014 Forgeron Malbec

Happy Wine Wednesday!  It's been a lovely day so why not end it with a wonderful dinner and a nice bottle of wine?  Yes on both counts!  Tonight I've decided to open a recent wine club bottle from Forgeron Cellars in Walla Walla.  I've been a fan of Marie Eve and her wines since I visited there in 2012, or maybe it was 2010, in any case, they have been doing some wonderful things with some less explored varietals in the region, including Malbec.  This particular wine is 100% Malbec from the Stone Tree Vineyard (89%) on the Wahluke Slope in Washington's Columbia Valley with the remainder from the Minnick Hills Vineyard (11%) in the Walla Walla Valley.  So let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a stunning, deep purple color in the glass, picture perfect for Malbec.  The nose is a symphony of aromas that bring you to images of gauchos in the Andes of Argentina, leather, smoke, black cherry and hints of white pepper spice and mocha over the top.  The taste is refined and complex, pretty much the opposite of a big, gut punching Cabernet that's so popular among so many today.  There is a rush of ripe fruit up front, cherry, pomegranate and currant that transition effortlessly to some notes of peppery dark chocolate midpalate.  The finish is just the best part of this wine, with incredibly polished tannins supporting a velvety smooth finish that seems to last the better part of five minutes.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, maybe even a 9.5 as this has to be one of the best Malbecs I've had.  This wine practically begs to be paired with a big hunk of beef, and it would certainly be delicious with a prime ribeye, but tonight I am going off the rails again, pairing this wine with a lovely grilled mango marinaded pork tenderloin with grilled peppers and Brussels sprouts.  The wine just brings out the richness of pork while the complex fruit just makes the perfect complement.  Cheers!

2006 Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino

Happy Sunday!  I have to admit, I've been a total slacker when it comes to Cellar Saturday, I totally missed in last month, and I totally forgot about it yesterday too!  So I'll make up for it today, as I have a delayed Cellar Saturday blamed entirely on Daylight Savings Time!  So instead of yesterday, tonight I've decided to raid the cellar for a bottle that's been at least a decade in the making, and tonight it's the 2006 Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino!  I am a big fan of Brunello, and like a good Barolo, I remain convinced they need at least a decade to show their true potential, so tonight this one has a chance to shine.  Keep in mind, I've decanted this wine and let if breathe for about an hour, so let's see how it tastes!

The wine is a lovely bright garnet color in the glass, with great clarity, just as you'd expect from a nice Sangiovese.  The nose is classic Brunello, with strong notes of smoke, leather, dried Italian herbs and some floral notes of lavender and rose.  The tastes is a rush of ripe fruit, strawberry, raspberry and cherry that transitions nicely to some notes of dried herbs, cardamom and peat midpalate.  The finish is quite nice, as the tannins are robust and support the long, smooth and very dry finish that treats to a reprise of red fruit at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's not the best Brunello I've had, but it's quite good, particularly 11 years on in its life.  This wine would pair well with bistecca alla fiorentina or a variety of Italian dishes, but tonight I've gone rogue and I'm enjoying this wine with some pan seared lake perch topped with pineapple jalapeno salsa, roasted baby potatoes and grilled baby bok choy.  The bright red fruit of this wine really compliment the lighter flavor of the fish.  Cheers!

2014 DaMa Collage

Happy Wine Wednesday and Happy November!  Today the UPS man was kind enough to drop off my fall wine club shipment from DaMa Wines, so it seemed appropriate to open a bottle this evening!  I've decided to open a bottle that caught my eye, the 2014 Collage, a blend of Merlot (69%), Cabernet Sauvignon (26%) and Cabernet Franc (5%) from the Golden Ridge Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley of Washington.  So let's see how this Wine Wednesday is shaping up!

The wine is a bright ruby in the glass, with nice clarity.  The nose is a beautiful cascade of leather, strawberry, black cherry and smoke that just screams Autumn.  The taste is a rush of black fruit, blackberry, cassis and cherry cola that swirl around to some notes of dusty limestone, dried herbs and sweet cherry midpalate.  The finish is very well structured with smooth tannins surrounding the velvety smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5 as this Merlot blend is just a fun wine to sip.  This wine would pair well with a variety of steaks and chops, as well as pasta and hearty fall soups, but tonight I'm enjoying this wine with some barbecued pulled pork, baked beans and Asian slaw.  The fruit in this wine and lovely herb notes really set nicely with smoky, sweet barbecue.  Cheers!