2010 Helix Stillwater Creek Merlot

Happy Wine Wednesday!  Tonight I was looking around for a bottle of wine to open with dinner, and I stumbled upon a nice Washington Merlot that I forgot I had, the 2010 Helix Stillwater Creek Merlot, a 100% Merlot from the Columbia Valley of Washington.  Helix is the second label of Reininger, which is a perennial favorite for me, so let's see what this one has to offer!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with nice clarity, somewhat lighter than your typical Merlot.  The nose is a wonderfully subtle combination of rose petals, ripe cherry and strawberry over hints of vanilla bean.  The taste is just singing 6 years after release, with a nice bit of fruit up front, plum, black currant and a bit of blueberry that transitions wonderfully to some elegant floral notes midpalate, with a velvety mouthfeel that just completely envelops you.  The tannins are somewhat subdued giving rise to a voluptuous and dry finish that seems to linger on.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a new favorite for Columbia Valley Merlot!  This wine would pair very well with a broad range of dishes, from classic summer barbecue to salmon to steak.  Of course tonight I've chosen the latter and am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled petit Angus New York Strip with grilled leeks and asparagus and some corn on the cob!  Summer must be getting close, cheers!

2015 Kivelstadt Cellars Father's Watch Red Blend

Tonight has been a remarkably warm evening, and since I just got back from the gym, I feel as though I need a glass of wine and a nice dinner.  For the wine, I've decided to open a bottle of 2015 Kivelstadt Cellars Father's Watch Red Blend, a blend of Syrah (35%), Carignan (30%), Grenache (35%) and Mourvedre (10%) from the North Coast of California.  Given that I'm having a little Asian inspired seafood for dinner, I thought a lighter red blend might be appropriate, so let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a bright ruby color in the glass, with great clarity.  The nose is a wonderful combination of spring floral aromas intermingled with ripe cherry and plum over some mild note of fresh cut grass.  The taste is a rush of tart cherry and blackberry that transitions easily to come earthy mineral and notes of peat midpalate.  The finish is quite dry, with rather tight tannins that seem to cut the finish a bit short.

Overall, I would rare this wine a solid 7.5, as it's pleasant drinking and food friendly, but it somewhat lacks that wow factor.  This wine would pair well with a variety of Mediterranean dishes, seafood or even summer fare of barbecue or hamburgers.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a sesame crusted Ahi tuna filet along with sauteed baby bok choy and steamed jasmine rice.  Cheers!

2014 Gilbert Cellars Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Saturday!  I know I missed national wine day, well I guess I was alive yesterday so I didn't actually miss the day, I just didn't have a blog post to celebrate.  Today was one of those Murphy's Law sort of days, so after that, I'm ready for a nice dinner and a nice glass of wine, and tonight I've opened a bottle of wine from the Columbia Valley, a little west of where I normally imbibe, this being a wine from Yakima!  The 2014 Gilbert Cellars Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, I found at the House of Pure Vin in Detroit (the folks there were wonderful and they had a surprisingly robust selection of Washington wines.  So, back to the wine, let's see how this one tastes!

This was one of those wines where just opening it you get a solid whiff of something delicious and you can sense right away that this is going to be good.  The nose is a wonderful combination of leather, black cherry, cassis, layered with some light floral notes.  The taste was a rush of ripe fruit that was bright at first, but left me somewhat flat in the end.  Midpalate, there are some lingering fruit notes intermingled with earthy elements of peat and dusty limestone.  The tannins are somewhat robust, bringing you back a bit for the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it was a good cabernet, but honestly I thought there was going to be a bit more to this.  Still, it would be a very good steak wine, and tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime ribcap topped with a fried egg and sriracha (because I said so!), with grilled leeks and asparagus.  And of course, after dinner, I'll be sure to enjoy another glass on the patio, cheers!

2015 Forgeron Barbera

Happy Tuesday!  It's been a busy week so far and it doesn't look like it will let up any before the holiday weekend, so I may as well enjoy a bottle of good wine.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of the recent wine club shipment from Forgeron Cellars, the 2015 Forgeron Barbera, a 100% Barbera from the Sagemoor Vineyard in the Columbia Valley of Washington.  I picked this wine for an easy pairing with dinner, so let's see how I did!

The wine is a deep, inky purple in the glass, with bright ruby along the edges, somewhat more reminiscent of a Cabernet than a Barbera.  The nose exudes quality, with rich leather, clove and ripe black fruit, with just a bit of floral undertones.  The taste is a rush of cool, ripe blackberry and cherry up front that transitions nicely to some subtle white pepper spice notes midpalate.  The tannins on this wine are almost not to be found, leading to a lush finish that's dry, yet not as abrupt as you might find in a Cabernet.

I decided to take a photo as I was cooking tonight, just to show that I do actually cook!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's just a pleasant, easy drinking and food friendly wine.  This wine would pair well with a broad array of dishes, as it's just easy to please.  I would enjoy this wine with anything from steak to pizza to barbecue, but tonight I've decided to go Italian, with some chicken Italian sausage with onions and peppers and some pasta tossed with garlic and olive oil.  The fruit and low acidity in this wine are perfect with some spicy sausage.  Cheers!

2015 Peju Napa Valley Cabernet Franc

Happy Saturday!  I spent the day working around the house, and even though they were calling for rain all day, it was just gray and cool, so I was able to get some stuff done.  And now it's time for a bit of relaxation before dinner, and unsurprisingly, I'm relaxing with a glass of wine.  Tonight it's a bottle that my old boss gave me, the 2015 Peju Napa Valley Cabernet Franc.  Apparently he and his wife aren't fans of Cab Franc, so he gave me a couple bottles, which I thought was very nice of him.  So let's see how this wine tastes!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with a dark center.  The nose is classic Cab Franc, with layers of ripe blackberry, black currant and plum over earthy aromas of leather and peat.  The taste is wonderfully fruit forward, with a rush of currant and plum that transitions nicely to some mineral notes of dusty limestone midpalate.  The youthful tannins are still a bit sharp, providing a solid backing for the long, smooth and exceptionally dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it's a very nice Cabernet Franc that I think will soften a bit with some time in the cellar.  This wine would be ideal with a variety of steaks, chops, roasts and stews and tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled porterhouse with grilled leeks and fresh local asparagus with a big baked potato with butter, sour cream and chives.  The sharp tannins in this wine a perfect for cutting through such a rich meal.  Cheers!

2017 DaMa Wines Rose of Cabernet Franc

Well, rose season is starting to kick into high gear, as the weather has been warm and sunny, all of my trees have leaves so suddenly my yard is under a complete canopy, making for stunning evenings on the patio.  So on this Wine Wednesday, I've decided to open a new rose I received in a wine club shipment from DaMa Wines a week or so ago (caveat on this rose season, I'll be drinking a lot of it, but writing little as I have such a surplus yet from last year!).  So let's see how this wine is preparing me for summer!

The wine is a very pale peach color in the glass, as the nose emits aromas of spring flowers, sweet strawberry and mango that shifts decidedly to a more citrus bent with some grapefruit aromas as it opens up.  The taste is just sublime, with some lovely spring floral and earthy mineral notes at the outset that throws you a bit off your game, but then it brings you right back with some wonderful citrus and tropical fruit notes intermingled with such light floral notes that it really is like sipping Spring!  The finish is crisp and clean and very dry, perfect for summer.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it is really a favorite for rose season.  This wine could pair well with a variety of seafood and salads, but I think it would pair the best with an afternoon on the patio!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some seared sea scallops on a bed of fresh picked arugula, along with some garlic and Parmesan orzo and steamed broccoli.  The crispness of this wine is just wonderful with the richness of the scallops.  Cheers!

A Long Weekend in Walla Walla - Part III: The After-Party!

After the pre-party (aka winemaker dinner at Pepper Bridge) and the main event (the Reveal Walla Walla wine auction) it was now time for the after-party!  In my case I had a wonderful lunch and reserve tasting at Seven Hills Winery (thank you Julie, Casey, Danielle and Bobby!) and then I was off on a new adventure with Cia, who works at Reininger.  Other than my various adventures at Pepper Bridge, I really haven't spent much time at the wineries on the south side of town, so now was the time to rectify that!  We first stopped at Isenhower Cellars where we tasted some wonderful GSM blends and I ordered a half case of wine for a friend back home. 

The next stop was a place I've been wanting to visit for more than a year since Julie Titus recommended their Psychedelic Syrah, yes, we went to Sleight of Hand Cellars! 

They really love old vinyl records and Pearl Jam (who doesn't?) and their tasting room always has something playing.  The wines we tasted were some of the best Syrah I've had in the Valley, and so of course I ordered a bunch to be shipped home.

I saw Trey earlier in the day at the Reveal Barrel Tasting, but I can only imagine how fun a tasting at Sleight of Hand would be if he were there!

Next we were off to Doubleback's new winery and tasting room and I have to admit I was incredibly impressed!  The winery has the overall look and feel you'd expect give what Drew Bledsoe has done with his wines over the past decade.

The winery is set amid wonderful vineyards with the beautiful valley scenery surrounding you.  I can't imagine having a bad day here!

The tasting room is just stunning, with fantastic views and that's just the beginning.  There is a rooftop deck up above that's perfect for summer tastings.

We had a nice tour of the barrel room (I am sill drooling!) including some barrels of the next reserve vintage (I need to get some next year).

Then back upstairs for some tasting of Doubleback Cabernet and Healy Rose.  I had a chance to meet and talk a bit with Josh McDaniels, the winemaker at Doubleback and he even shared a bottle of 2010 Pomerol from he personal cellar.

The next morning I was back on the road, heading to Portland for my flight back to Midway, which of course meant another drive through the Columbia Gorge.  This time I got to stop and Multnomah Falls.

As the drive for one last photo op couldn't be denied, I took a slight detour up to the top of the Gorge to get a great photo of Crown Point.  And alas my long weekend really was too short.  Cheers!

A Long Weekend in Walla Walla - Part II: The Main Event!

Having enjoyed a wonderful winemaker dinner at Pepper Bridge Winery the night before, it was time to get up early and head over to Corliss Estate's tasting room for barrel tasting of the wine lots in the auction.  A big thanks to them for hosting this great event, and they have such a beautiful tasting room, it's worth the trip all by itself!

The Main Event at Corliss Estate!

It was so much fun to taste these unique wines and talk with some of my favorite winemakers in Walla Walla!  Here are a few of the folks at the tasting and some comments on their wine lots:

Trey Busch is such an interesting winemaker.  I follow him on Instagram just to see where in the world he is at the moment and what awesome thing he's doing.  We chatted a bit about his recent trip to Wisconsin last winter and how cold it was, but there is never a dull moment with him (you should see his tasting room in Part III tomorrow)!  Here he is holding a bottle of the 2016 Psychedelic Syrah that was in the auction and a rock from the Stoney Vine Vineyard in the Rocks District where I think some of the best Syrah in the valley comes from.  I tasted this wine and is was stunning, certainly better than the 2015 vintage and perhaps better than the 2014!

Bobby and Danielle from Seven Hills Winery.  Bobby is the assistant winemaker and his work with Casey McClellan has resulted in some of my very favorite wines over the past few years.  The Seven Hills lot was from the 2016 Summit View Cabernet Sauvignon, which I loved, I've barrel tasted it earlier and it is certainly on par with the 2014 and 2015 vintages.  Unfortunately I am a novice at wine auctions and since this was the first lot it went for an insane price, but lesson learned, next year I won't be fooled again!

Chuck Reininger is one of my favorite folks to visit when I'm in Walla Walla.  This visit I didn't have time to visit the tasting room on old US 12, but at least I got to say hello to Chuck and LynLee, the wine club manager.  And the wine, Oh my!  Chuck had the 2016 Cabernet Franc from the XL vineyard, a 100% Cabernet Franc that was just stunning.  I bid aggressively for this lot but alas I was the underbidder so I'll have to wait and hope I get some next year!

Mary Derby from DaMa Wines wines is such a treat, I remember the first time I met her a few years ago when I stumbled into her tasting room on Main Street.  I have been a big fan of her wines ever since and this lot was no exception.  The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon blend was made of Cabernet Sauvignon (90%) and Merlot (10%) from the Heather Hill and Seven Hills Vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley.  This was a solid Cabernet that stood toe to toe with some of the big names in Cabernet in the room!

Jean-Francois Pellet, or JF is a wonderful winemaker at Pepper Bridge Winery, and always a pleasure to talk to or just enjoy a glass of wine with. I met him at a winemaker dinner in Walla Walla last year and was very impressed, as he has a wonderfully French approach to making some fantastic wines at Pepper Bridge.  Their lot was the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, which I found very approachable despite its youth, so I am excited to get some of this wine next year!

And Soon it was time for the auction to begin in the barrel room at Corliss.  Again this was such a wonderful venue for this event and I appreciate all the hard work that everyone at the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance put forth to make this such a great event!

I was ready with my auction paddle, but as a wine auction novice I wasn't sure what to expect from the bidding.  There were at least a half dozen lots that I would love to win, but would they go for a few thousand each or $10,000?  These were 60 bottle lots, so for $50 wines that might mean $3,000 and I wasn't ready to commit $18,000 to this adventure, so I stayed conservative and alas I was a loser!  The only bottle of Reveal wine I came home with was a bottle of 2015 Otis Kenyon Merlot that I picked up at the wine bar at the Portland Airport!  Stay tuned for tomorrow's conclusion of my adventure with the after-party!

A Long Weekend in Walla Walla - Part I: The Pre-Party!

Three weeks ago today, I had the pleasure of spending a long weekend in Walla Walla for the Reveal Walla Walla wine auction to help benefit the schools in Walla Walla.  I am so fortunate to be able to spend some time in this fantastic wine region, and occasionally I am able to participate in some wonderful events like Reveal Walla Walla, thanks to my friends in the industry, this time a special thanks goes out to Casey McClellan and Julie Titus from Seven Hills Winery, who were so kind to invite me, I am ever so grateful to them!

The Seven Hills Tasting Room in Walla Walla

I spent a total of three days in town, but since there was a lot of travel involved I'll divide this into three posts, so check for Part II tomorrow and Part III on Monday!  So on with the show!

The Columbia Gorge is one of the most beautiful places on earth!

On this trip rather than flying into Walla Walla I decided to fly Southwest into Portland, mainly because I hate flying out of O'Hare and thankfully Southwest flies from Midway.  But once I arrived in Portland I had a fantastic 4 hour drive through the Columbia Gorge in order to get to Walla Walla.  I actually got off I-84 a bit early and took the scenic route along the river to US 12 before heading into Walla Walla, and although it was a little slower, it was worth it!

This is the Columbia River north of I-84 as you head into Washington.

When I arrived in Walla Walla, just about all the tasting rooms were closed, so I checked into my hotel and had dinner at the Saint and the Sinner (it used to be the Ox and Cart) and they had some wonderful halibut tacos!

Halibut tacos at the Saint & the Sinner, very yummy!

The next day I had the chance to visit a number of tasting rooms including Mark Ryan (I just got a case of wine delivered from them!) and enjoy some lunch at Graze, they do such awesome salads and sandwiches, I highly recommend them!

Had the banh mi sandwich and lemongrass salad at Graze

Then it was off to Pepper Bridge Winery for the winemaker dinner, which was just a wonderful event all around.  It was somewhat dreary weather with some rain showers, but even with gray skies, it's amazing how beautiful Walla Walla is!

The view from Pepper Bridge Winery, even with the clouds it was gorgeous!

We had the chance to meet with many of the wine makers that would be participating in the auction the following day.  Many brought wonderful library selections to taste and it was such fun to talk with the folks that put so much of themselves into the bottles we enjoy every day.

So many wonderful wines to try!

Some of the highlights for me in the reserve tasting were: Doubleback's 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon (just singing at this point!), Dusted Valley's 2008 V.R. Special Cabernet Sauvignon, L'Ecole No. 41's 2007 Perigee (I have a few bottles left of this beautiful blend), Leonetti's 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, Otis Kenyon's 2008 Merlot (I have one bottle in my cellar!), Pepper Bridge's 2007 Reserve Red Blend, Reininger's 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, Seven Hills' 2010 Merlot (I think I have a few bottles of this one, so good!) and Sleight of Hand's 2010 Funkadelic Syrah (this was a sure standout for the Syrah fans!).

Dinner amid the tanks!

And of course there was some wonderful food as well, served family style so we all had the chance to talk and get to know one another.

The nicoise salad, baby beets, fingerling potatoes and quail egg, YUM!

And did I mention the food?  So much delicious food and wine, it's a wonder I made it home...eventually!

 Main course was a sous vide prime tri tip, glazed carrots and horseradish potato pave.

The next day would be the big day of course.  As we wake up early (like 9:00) and get to taste the lots of wine that would be the subject of the auction and meet all the wine makers.  Stay tuned for Part II tomorrow and Part III on Monday to see the conclusion of my fabulous weekend in Walla Walla!

2015 Sleight of Hand Cellars "Levitation" Syrah

Happy Friday!  I must admit that things have gotten away from me the past couple weeks.  I've had so much that I planned to get done, including a few blog posts but alas I am a consummate slacker!  So tonight I've decided to open a bottle of Syrah from Sleight of Hand Cellars, one of my new favorite Sytah producers following my introduction to their Psychedelic Syrah last year (see my pose here).  So tonight it's the 2015 "Levitation" Syrah, a 100% Syrah from the Columbia Valley of Washington.  Keep in mind I opened this bottle an hour ago to let it get a bit of air, so let's see how this one stacks up!

The wine is a lovely deep inky purple in the glass with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose is a wonderfully earthy combination of leather, blackberry and a hint of lilac over the top.  The taste is near perfection for the varietal, with a ripe juicy rush of black fruit, blackberry, cherry and cassis that lingers on the palate before easing into some rich mineral, anise and pepper notes midpalate.  The tannins are at first wilting but then stiff, providing the perfect contrast and oomph for the long, smooth and voluptuous dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9.5, as I think it's one of my new favorite Syrah's.  I don't think it's as nice as last year's Psychedelic Syrah, but I think it can give this year's vintage a run for its money!  This wine would be ideal with a broad range of summer dishes, from grilled steaks to barbecue to chicken kabobs, but tonight I am celebrating Cinco de Mayo a week late with some wonderful local chorizo tacos with all the trimmings.  Such a fun wine with food, cheers!

2006 DaMa Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  Happy Cellar Saturday!  What a crazy day, as I bought a new Jeep about a week ago, and today I decided to clean out the garage to see if I could fit my old truck and the new Jeep, and alas success!  It involved tossing a bunch of stuff and making a trip to the Goodwill donation center, but by this afternoon I had both vehicles and everything else in the garage...snug but they all fit.  Then I decided to do the spring yard clean up, picking up big branches and raking the grass to get all the little branches...well I finished the front yard, but now I'm about to collapse, so I'll get to the back yard tomorrow.  But now it's time for a nice glass of wine!  And since it's the first Saturday of the month, it's time to raid the cellar for something harvested at least a decade ago.  I have to admit I didn't have to look far, as the DaMa wine club shipment from last week included a library selection, and in my case it was the 2006 DaMa Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon!

The wine is a lovely deep purple color in the glass.  The nose exudes wonderful Washington Cabernet fruit, with rich blackberry and cassis intermingled with the classic earthy funk that dares you to take a sip.  The taste is remarkably vibrant and fruit forward, with a rush of black cherry, blueberry and blackberry that smoothly transitions to some wonderful warm pepper spice notes midpalate.  The round tannins are the perfect set up for the long, voluptuous dry finish. 

This wine brilliantly shows the aging potential for Washington Cabernet and I can't help but rate this one a solid 9.  This wine would pair well with a variety of steaks, beef Wellington, prime rib or even barbecued ribs, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime Chipotle seasoned New York strip (it is Cinco de Mayo after all!) with a baked potato with sour cream and chives and some roasted purple carrots.  What a way to begin relaxing after a hard day of work, cheers!

2017 Healy Rose

Happy Wine Wednesday!  It's been over 80 degrees here for the past two days, so I am officially declaring this the beginning of rose season!  And since the folks at Bledsoe Family Wines were kind enough to deliver 8 bottles of the most recent vintage, what else could I possibly open tonight but a 2017 Healy Rose?  So let's see what this wine has to offer.

The wine is a lovely peach color in the glass as the nose presents sweet aromas of strawberry, orange zest, cantaloupe and honeydew and floral overtones that just make this wine feel like a spring day.  The taste is crisp and refreshing on the tongue, with wonderful sweet fruit flavors dancing together before some wonderful mineral notes join the party.  The finish is lingering yet crisp, just what you'd want from a nice spring day.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5 as this wine is becoming a perennial favorite to start rose season.  This wine would pair perfectly with a sunny afternoon on the patio, but tonight since we're having a thunderstorm (another side effect of warm humid weather), I am enjoying this wine with some sesame seared ahi tuna, steamed rice and sauteed baby bok choy.  Cheers!