2016 Pepper Bridge Seven Hills Vineyard Red Wine

Happy Saturday!  I have to admit, it's been a long week as I've been traveling for work and came home just in time for a nice snowstorm and subsequent shoveling of the driveway (to be fair, part of the motivation for shoveling was to clear a spot for the grill so I could make a steak tonight!) so I am all tuckered out.  But at least there is wine, and tonight I've opened a bottle from a recent wine club shipment from Pepper Bridge Winery, the 2016 Seven Hills Vineyard red wine.  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (52%), Cabernet Franc (22%), Merlot (18%), Malbec (4%) and Petit Verdot (4%), all grown in the Seven Hills Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley AVA.  So let's see how this wine tastes!

The wine is a beautiful deep garnet color in the glass.  The nose is chock full of ripe fruit, blackberry, black currant, cherry, blueberry and plum interlaced with leather and a bit of mocha.  The taste is a wonderful expression of the vineyard, with vibrant fruit balanced by earthy flavors and spice, hints of cocoa and tobacco give way to a bit of spice at the finish.  The tannins are very well developed and ideal in providing structure to the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's drinking quite nicely now, but should improve with a few years in the cellar.  This wine is not your typical big steak wine, as I could see this pairing very nicely with a variety of dishes, from lamb to pasta to braised short ribs.  But of course, tonight I'm enjoying this wine with steak, in fact, steak and tots!  A rare grilled New York strip, with grilled asparagus and tots, finished with a touch of horseradish.  Cheers!