2016 Stolen Horse Syrah

Happy Sunday!  I spent the afternoon reading and doing laundry after a day of yard work yesterday, so now I'm ready to relax with a nice glass of wine.  Tonight I'm opening a recent wine club selection from the Bledsoe Family Winery, the 2016 Stolen Horse Syrah.  I've been a fan of this Syrah for a while so I'm looking forward to seeing what the latest vintage has to offer.  This wine is a Syrah (93%) that was co-fermented with viognier (7%) from the Loess and Lefore Vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley.  So let's see how it tastes!

The wine is a deep violet color in the glass, with a bright fuchsia along the edges.  The nose is a lovely combination of blackberry, blueberry and plum, intermingled with some wonderful dusty mineral and smoke.  The taste is a rush of fruit up front, blueberry cobbler, blackberry and plum that transitions wonderfully to some earthy notes of leather, dusty limestone and a hint of mint midpalate.  The tannins are well developed, but youthful, providing a solid base for the long, smooth dry finish which features just a bit of black pepper spice at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it's drinking well now, but it will likely improve considerably with a year or two in the bottle.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty dishes, from steak to barbecue to tacos, but tonight I am going in a completely different direction.  I am enjoying this wine with an alder planked coho salmon filet with lemon and dill, some oven roasted candy stripe beets and a four cheese risotto.  The earthy flavors of the wine really complement the salmon, while the rich fruit and acidity are perfect foils for the richness of the risotto.  Cheers!

2014 Glenelly Glass Collection Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Wine Wednesday!  It was another busy day, but tonight I have a chance to enjoy a new wine and a mainly Costco dinner.  The wine is also from Costco, purchased last weekend, the 2014 Glenelly Glass Collection Cabernet Sauvignon from the Stellenbosch region of South Africa.  I have to admit I haven't tried many South African wines, though I've heard some good things, so let's give this one a try!

The wine is deep inky indigo at the center, with bright garnet along the edges, classic for the varietal.  The nose is an interesting combination of green grass, mint, blackberry and currant.  The taste is a pleasant surprise, with a rush of cherry cola and dark chocolate up front which transitions to some tobacco and spice notes midpalate.  The tannins are nicely structured, providing for a long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's very mass produced (11,000 cases), but it doesn't taste mass produced (that's saying a lot).  It's also a solid value as I think this one was $10 at Costco.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty beef and lamb dishes, ideal for fall.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a mostly Costco meal of prime sirloin cap steak with green Thai curry seasoning, mashed potatoes and gravy and haricots verts almondine. Cheers!

2015 Catena Malbec

Hooray for Taco Tuesday!  I bet you'll never guess what I'm having for dinner, so to go with that marvelous food, I've opened a bottle of 2015 Catena Malbec that I bought at Costco last weekend.  Catena is a well regarded Malbec producer in Mendoza, Argentina, and this particular wine is sourced from the family vineyard in the foothills of the Andes.  So let's see how this one tastes.

The wine is an inky black at the center with bright garnet along the edges.  The nose is a wonderful combination of earthy leather, black cherry, mocha and dark chocolate with just a hint of lavender over the top.  The taste is a rush of ripe black fruit up front, blackberry and cherry that transition almost imperceptibly to some coarse mineral notes of dusty limestone midpalate.  There is a hint of tart cherry on the finish, as the well developed tannins provide the base for the long, smooth 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 a remarkably smooth Malbec that meets my taste (I'm not a big Malbec fan so that's a big deal!) and it's a solid value at about $16.  This wine would pair with a variety of steaks, beef short ribs, or just about anything you can imagine a gaucho eating.  But given the day, I am enjoying this wine tonight with some chorizo and bean tacos with all the trimmings.  Cheers!

2016 Flying B Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon

So today as I was about to head out and run some errands, the UPS guy showed up with my Bledsoe Family Wines fall wine club shipment!  Woo hoo!  What a way to head into the weekend!  So I've decided to open a bottle of the 2016 Flying B Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon and see how the second vintage is tasting (I reviewed the first vintage here).  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (85%) and Syrah (15%) from the Bob Healy, Lefore, Loess and Seven Hills Vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley.  I had a chance to meet the winemaker, Josh McDaniels last spring and I was impressed, so let's see how he's done with this wine!

The wine is a deep inky purple at the center with bright garnet along the edges, just as you might expect from a quality Cabernet.  The nose is chock full of blueberry, raspberry and green cedar aromas that give you a strong sense of what you're about to experience.  The taste is just a showstopper, much beyond what the aromas had me expecting.  A harmony of earthy green grass overlaid with floral hints, that reach higher to notes of dark chocolate and tobacco amid the full and velvety mouthfeel.  The tannins are silky smooth as the dry finish just marks the apex of a tasting experience that should rightfully last an entire afternoon.

It's hard to describe this wine without superlatives, so I would happily rate this wine a solid 9.5, perhaps one of the best wines I've tasted this year and such a big leap beyond the first vintage (though I really liked that one too!).  This wine practically begs to be paired with a big, rich, prime steak grilled to perfection, but I could also just see myself sipping this one on the porch tonight!  I am enjoying this wine with a marinaded tagliata steak along with a loaded baked potato and grilled Brussels sprouts, but none of that seems very important to me right now.  Cheers!

2012 Koyle Gran Reserva Carmenere

Happy Thursday!  I've been on the road this week and just got home.  I really need a nice steak and a nice glass of wine, and of course I'm in luck since I'm home!  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of a future office wine club selection and one I recently purchased from Wines Till Sold Out, the 2012 Koyle Gran Reserva Carmenere from the Alto Colchagua Valley of Chile.  This wine is a blend of Carmenere (86.5%), Malbec (8%), Cabernet Franc (3%) and Petit Verdot (2.5%).  So let's see how this one tastes.

The wine is a lovely deep garnet color in the glass.  The nose presents aromas of green grass, tart cherry and spice box, typical of a nice Carmenere.  The taste is a rush of rich black fruit up front, blackberry and currant with a overlay of fig that transitions nicely to some mocha and dark chocolate notes midpalate with a peppery spice reprise.  The tannins are nicely structured, providing a wonderful backbone for the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's drinking very nicely now, but likely has just about reached it's peak.  This wine was also a very nice value for just $12!  It would pair well with a variety of hearty dishes, from big steaks to chili to rich pasta.  Tonight I'm enjoying it with a rare grilled prime porterhouse that I bought at Eataly in Chicago earlier in the week along with some steamed broccoli and a big baked potato.  Cheers!

2017 Alamos Malbec

Ah, what a busy day spent in Chicago for a meeting, but the good news is that I had a chance to visit Eataly while I was there!  I love Eataly and especially in early fall when they have a big sale on so many things from limoncello to proscuitto to buffalo mozzarella, it was outstanding!  So tonight I arrived back late on the train, what with the hour time change and all, so I'm working on dinner feverishly, but still need some time for a wine decompression, and tonight it's with a relatively young wine, the 2017 Alamos Malbec from Mendoza Argentina.  Now given the different seasons down there, with harvest coming around the same time we have bud break, the '17 vintage is really more like a '16 vintage for northern hemisphere wines, which just helps me over the psychological barrier of drinking a red wine a year old!  So let's see how this one tastes.

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass.  The nose presents aromas of warm spice, green grass, blackberry and cherry.  The taste is quite a departure from the aromas, as you are hit with a rush of black cherry and blackberry right up front which transitions nicely to some warm spice and notes of mocha and caramel midpalate.  The finish is somewhat subdued as the youthful tannins are somewhat erratic but supportive of a smooth dry finish, that's a bit brief.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's not the most spectacular Malbec I've had, but it's a great everyday wine, and a good value.  I bought this bottle at Trader Joe's for about $10 if I remember correctly.  So the wine tonight is clearly in a supporting role with my dinner of a nice pan seared veal loin chop with some roasted giant mutant Brussels sprouts and a loaded baked potato (yes I didn't plate it perfectly, but give me a break I was starving!).  Cheers!

2015 Chateau Vieux Robin Medoc

Happy Saturday!  I have to admit, I've been battling a cold all week long, so I've been hesitant to taste any new wines figuring if I can't smell that might impact my view of the wines.  But I'm now well on the road to recovery, so I've decided to open a bottle of 2015 Chateau Vieux Robin Medoc.  I am a big fan of Medoc, and I found this one at Costco for under $15 (so this could well be a future wine club selection for my office mates).  So let's see how this one tastes.

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass just as you'd expect from a nice left bank Bordeaux with heavy concentrations of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  The nose is classic Bordeaux, with wonderfully earthy notes of leather and peat intermingled with ripe black fruit, plum, fig and just a hint of floral overtones.  The taste is fruit forward, with some notes of black plum, blackberry and currant that shift to a bit of tart cherry and caramel midpalate.  The tannins are still a bit tight, providing a nice base for the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a very nice example of a quality Medoc at a very attractive price point.  This wine would pair well with a lot of hearty fall dishes, from braised short ribs to beef stew.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime cowboy cut ribeye (also from Costco) over a bed of grilled leeks with some grilled broccoli rabe and a baked potato with all the fixin's.  Cheers!

Cogdal Vineyards NV Merlot

Happy Friday!  Tonight will be busy as I have theater tickets and I'm trying a new recipe for dinner, but at least I have some time for wine!  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of Cogdal Vineyards non-vintage Merlot from the shores of Lake Michigan.  I visited this winery located just north of South Haven, Michigan a few years ago and was impressed with a few of their wines.  Although this one is non-vintage, I can confirm that it's been sitting in my cellar for at least 3 years, so let's see how it tastes.

The wine is a lovely garnet color in the glass with nice clarity, just a bit lighter than you'd expect for a Merlot.  The nose is a combination of light floral notes intermingled with hints of leather and tart cherry.  The taste is a rush of cool red fruit, cherry, raspberry and plum that transitions to the faintest hints of vanilla bean before a reprise of tart cherry hits you on the end.  The tannins are evolving, at first subdued and then somewhat sharp as you get the full effect of the pleasant, very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, which is pretty good for a local wine.  This wine is also quite food friendly, as I could see myself enjoying this with anything from burgers and pizza to tacos and steak.  But tonight, the meal is the star of the show as I was recently inspired by a television show about the food trucks of Austin, Texas which featured Chi'Lantro, a Korean-Mexican fusion that came up with Kimchi Fries late night to satisfy their drunk customers exiting the bar scene.  So tonight I've created a slight variation of Kimchi Tots! This was a sort of hybrid creation similar to how Chi'Lantro came up with their creation, combining a lot of what they had left in the food truck at the end of the night.  For me, I made the tots and simmered some leftover braised short ribs that I shredded with the kimchi, put that over the tots, sprinkled some cheese and sriracha and garnished with some Thai basil.  Voila, a new spicy creation!  Cheers!

2014 Rutherford Hill Napa Valley Merlot

Happy Wine Wednesday!  Tonight I've decided to open a nice bottle of Merlot, and a bottle that will likely be a wine club selection soon, the 2014 Rutherford Hill Napa Valley Merlot.  This wine is a Merlot blended with a bit of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon that likely provides a bit of added heft and complexity.  I also selected this wine based on what I'm having for dinner, which I began cooking at lunchtime if that provides you any hints.  So let's see how this wine tastes. 

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass with deep, inky purple at the center.  The nose is a pleasant combination of ripe black fruit, green cedar and some wonderfully subtle floral undertones that exemplify the level of complexity in the wine.  The taste is classic Merlot, with a rush of ripe black fruit, blackberry, cherry and cassis that envelop the palate.  Midpalate, you're treated to some notes of dark chocolate and espresso with a reprise of black cherry before the wonderfully structured tannins provide for the smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a wonderful Merlot that's boosted by the added Bordeaux varietals.  This wine would pair well with a variety of steaks and chops, fresh pasta dishes, or since we are entering the fall months, hearty stews and roasts.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic braised short ribs over mashed potatoes with chives along with some steamed broccoli.  The freshness of the wine and wonderful fruit really brings up the richness of the short ribs.  Cheers!

2007 Girard Napa Valley Old Vine Zinfandel

Happy Labor Day!  I know, I technically missed Cellar Saturday as I was driving through the north woods of Minnesota, but thankfully it's a holiday weekend so this will still count as my Cellar Saturday for September, even though it's Monday.  Tonight I've decided to open an old bottle of 2007 Girard Napa Valley Old Vine Zinfandel, which is a bottle with a somewhat interesting story.  I bought this wine back in 2011 when the famed 1913 Room restaurant at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids was closing.  They were selling a lot of different items, silverware, china and other things (I think I have a couple butter knives) and the contents of their wine cellar.  So I bought this bottle for $18.50 along with a few others that are probably around here somewhere, and it's been in my cellar ever since.  So let's see how this one has aged!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, classic for a nice old vine Zinfandel.  The nose is chock full of sweet cherry, vanilla, oak and peppery spice, just what you might expect from the varietal.  The taste is a rush of cherry, fig and vanilla at the outset, which transitions to come green olive notes midpalate.  The classic Zinfandel peppery spice comes in right at the end, and lingers with the somewhat mellow tannins for the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's still a very nice wine, but my sense is this was just a few years past its peak.  Like most Zindandels, this wine would pair very well with a variety of more casual, end-of-summer cookout fare, which is a good thing as tonight I'm enjoying this wine with some barbecued baby back ribs along with some coleslaw and corn on the cob.  The spice in this wine does wonders against the sweetness of the barbecue sauce.  Cheers!