2014 Helix Syrah

Happy Sunday!  I've heard there's some sort of awards program on television tonight, but I can't be bothered with that when there is wonderful Washington wine to drink!  All day we've had these tremendous winds, so even though it's not nearly as cold as it was at the end of January, you just feel colder hearing the wind howling outside your windows.  So when it's cold, what could be better than a nice Syrah?  Tonight I've opened a bottle from a recent wine club shipment from Reininger, the 2014 Helix Syrah, a 100% Syrah from the Phinney Hill Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. So let's see if this wine can warm me up this evening!

The wine is a beautiful deep inky color, with a garnet hue along the edges.  The nose is a lovely combination of earthy peat, smoke and a bit of mushroom over some ripe black fruit and a touch of lilac.  The taste is just divine, with a rush of ripe blackberry and blueberry that rushes over your palate as the thick, chewy mouthfeel just washes over you.  This is the type of wine you just want to ruminate over for a while, as the ripe black fruit flavors subside, giving rise to some white pepper spice and a reprice of blueberry and cassis.  The tannins are expertly crafted to provide a thick and hearty feel of the wine as you enjoy the long, smooth finish that just lingers on your palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it has to be one of my favorite examples of the varietal, and in fact, might by my favorite Helix wine ever!  This wine is perfect for a wintry evening and would be ideal with a broad range of dishes, from pizza to barbecue to steaks, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic winter comfort dinner of tuna noodle casserole, just like my mom used to make.  Cheers!

2015 Reininger Walla Walla Valley Merlot

Happy Friday!  It's been a long week and I am surely ready for the weekend, and what better way to kick it off than with a bottle of wine from one of my favorite Washington wine makers, Chuck Reininger.  Tonight I've opened a bottle that came in a recent shipment, the 2015 Reininger Walla Walla Valley Merlot, a blend of Merlot (96%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (4%) from the Pepper Bridge, Seven Hills and XL Vineyards.  I was in Walla Walla in August 2015, just as harvest was starting - one of the earliest harvests on record, so it's nice to finally taste the product I saw being harvested a little over three years ago.  Let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a lovely, deep ruby color in the glass, classic for a nice Merlot.  The nose presents wonderful aromas of ripe dark fruit intermingled with leather, oak and a touch of floral undertones.  The taste is a rush of fruit, to say this is fruit forward is an understatement as notes of black plum, boysenberry and cassis envelop your palate before transitioning gracefully to flavors of cocoa powder and sandalwood midpalate.  The round tannins and bright acidity make for a vibrant foundation for a long, smooth and very dry finish that seems to linger for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as this is a perennial favorite Merlot, and this vintage is a bright one.  This wine would be perfect with a big grilled steak, pasta, pizza or nearly anything grilled, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a simple dinner of linguine tossed with some broccoli rabe sauteed in garlic and olive oil.  Cheers!

2013 Woodward Canyon Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Wine Wednesday!  Tonight I’ve decided to dig a bit in the cellar and open one of my favorite Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon, the Woodward Canyon Artist Series!  This is the 2013 vintage, which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (87%), Petit Verdot (11%) and Cabernet Franc (2%) from the Columbia Valley of Washington.  I think this vintage was a fairly solid effort, so let’s see what this one has to offer!

The wine is a deep, inky purple in the glass, with some garnet along the edges.  The nose is chock full of earthy goodness, with some leather, tobacco and smoke intermingled with ripe fig, blackberry and a hint of green grass.  The taste is a rush of cherry cola, mocha and dark chocolate that just sings beautifully together before transitioning to some caramel and spice midpalate.  The tannins are expertly integrated, providing some wonderful structure to the long, smooth and exceptionally dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it’s just a fine example of the great Cabernet being produced in Walla Walla.  This wine would pair well with many hearty winter dishes, from beef stew to grilled steak to pasta dishes.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a cajun rubbed New York Strip along with some grilled broccoli rabe and a big baked potato.  Cheers!

2016 Forgeron Barbera

Happy Sunday!  I'll admit it's been a busy weekend with a lot of chores around the house and catching up on work, so I've been neglecting my wine blogging duties.  So with my Sunday dinner tonight, I've decided to open up a bottle of a recent wine club shipment from Forgeron Cellars, the 2016 Barbera.  This wine is a 100% Barbera from the Sagemoor Vineyard in the Columbia Valley AVA, so let's see how it tastes!

The wine is a lovely deep garnet color in the glass, with great clarity.  The nose is a wonderful combination of leather, oak, smoke and hints of white floral.  The taste is an intense rush of ripe red fruit, cherry, raspberry and currant that transitions almost imperceptibly to some notes of vanilla bean midpalate.  The tannins are nicely integrated, providing a bit of backbone for this normally softer varietal, leading to a wonderfully long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as the Columbia Valley has been producing some wonderful Barbera for a while, and Forgeron produces what I consider to be consistently great examples of this varietal.  This wine would pair well with a variety of dishes, from pasta with red sauce to pork tenderloin to hearty winter casseroles, but tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a perfect hearty Polish winter dinner of kielbasa with sweet kraut and pierogis with sauteed onions.  Cheers!

2014 Two Vines Columbia Valley Merlot - Cabernet

Happy Sunday!  Today I saw what I thought were early signs of spring, as a lone chipmunk emerged from his den and sat on the deck, but by this evening with several inches of fresh new snow, that little critter likely wished he'd stayed in bed!  So tonight I've decided to open a bottle of super bargain wine I found at my local supermarket yesterday, the 2014 Two Vines Columbia Valley Merlot - Cabernet.  Now from what I understand, Two Vines is a value positioned brand from Columbia Crest, and this particular wine is a blend of Merlot (50%), Cabernet Franc (49%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (1%).  So let's see how this bargain basement wine tastes!

The wine is a bright ruby color in the glass, a little lighter in color than you might expect from the varietals.  The nose is a pleasant combination of leather, green grass and a bit of cherry.  The taste is fruit forward with a rush of black cherry and blackberry that transitions to some notes of black pepper and peat midpalate.  The tannins are pretty flat, making the finish dry but rather abrupt.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7, it's nothing spectacular by any stretch, but since I found this wine for only $2.99, how could I complain?  It's the type of wine that an easy one to drink or use in a marinade and you don't feel bad in either case.  This wine is ideal for those inexpensive, casual meals that you have no idea what wine to pair it with, like tonight, I'm enjoying this wine with some tacos!  Cheers!

2016 Robert Storey Cellars Grand Reserve Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, it's been another busy week and after doing some work for the class I'm teaching at a local college, I figure it's time to relax with a nice bottle of wine with dinner.  Tonight I'm opening a bottle I purchased last month from Wines Till Sold Out, the 2016 Robert Storey Cellars Grand Reserve Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  This nice little Cabernet from the Sonoma Valley should be a nice wine to enjoy on a chilly evening, so let's see what it has to offer.

The wine is a deep garnet color in the glass, somewhat lighter than a typical big Cabernet.  The nose is chock full of earthy aromas of leather, peat and tobacco overlaying some subdued fruit notes of cherry and currant.  The taste is an interesting combination of smoke and fruit up front, with some underlying flavors of blackberry and cherry that transition to some caramel and white pepper spice midpalate.  The tannins are young and somewhat underdeveloped, though the finish is still smooth and dry, with a lingering presence.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a good quality everyday Cabernet at a good price of just under $19.  This wine would pair well with a broad range of everyday cuisine, from pizza and tacos to hearty beef dishes and barbecue.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with the king of steak, a rare grilled Prime ribcap, with some steamed asparagus and a big honkin' baked potato with sour cream and scallions.  Cheers!

2016 DaMa Grenache

Happy Wine Wednesday!  I can't remember the last time I posted on a Wednesday so we should enjoy it while it lasts.  Tonight I've opened up a wine that I thought would pair well with my dinner, a very Pacific Northwest themed evening overall, so I've opened the 2016 Grenache from my recent DaMa Wine Club shipment.  This wine is a 100% Grenache from the Lonesome Spring Vineyard in the Columbia Valley of Washington.  So let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a lighter bright garnet color with great clarity, just as you'd expect from a pure Grenache.  The nose is a pleasant combination of bright red fruit intermingled with perfumed floral notes, strawberry, raspberry and some lavender and rose petals.  The taste is a burst of cherry, strawberry and red currant up front that transitions nicely to some notes of cocoa powder, tobacco and mineral notes midpalate.  The tannins are soft, but well integrated, for a wonderfully long, smooth and dry finish that lingers a bit.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a pleasant, easy drinking wine that would pair well with a variety of dishes, from venison to seafood.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic Pacific Northwest dinner of Alder planked wild Coho salmon, with some rice and oven roasted baby bok choi.  The fruit and aromatics of this wine are just wonderful to counter the rich fattiness of the salmon.  Cheers!

2009 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  I know I was supposed to post my Cellar Saturday selection yesterday, but I forgot that I had made dinner plans with a friend, so I deferred it to a Cellar Sunday for this month.  And this one is a special one, as it's been sitting in the cellar for a good six years, the 2009 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Alexander Valley in Sonoma County.  Well, since I'm already a day late and a buck short, let's get to tasting this wine!

The wine is a deep, inky purple color in the glass, with bright ruby tint throughout, classic for a Sonoma Cabernet.  The nose presents aromas of leather, tobacco, blackberry and kirsch, beckoning you to take a sip.  The taste is somewhat subdued at the outset, with some mellow black fruit up front, blackberry, cherry and plum that break to some notes of caramel, graphite and dark chocolate midpalate.  The tannins are elegantly structured, providing for a long, smooth and very dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, it's certainly very age worthy and would likely improve even more over the next decade.  This wine is a classic big Cabernet, worthy of a nice thick steak, and I'm in luck!  Tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a rare grilled Prime ribcap along with some grilled asparagus and a big baked potato.  Cheers!

2013 D'Angelo Sacravite Rosso Basilicata

Happy Friday!  It's been a bitterly cold week and I am ready for the springlike temperatures in the 30s projected for this weekend!  We were smack in the middle of the Polar Vortex this week, with highs below zero for much of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, reaching a new record low of -22, so today it seemed almost balmy getting up near 20 degrees!  And with such a heat wave, it's time to open a nice bottle of wine, and tonight it's the wine for the February wine club selection, the 2013 D'Angelo Sacravite Rosso Basilicata, a 100% Aglianico from the Basilicata region of Southern Italy.  I've had a variety of experiences with Aglianico, from lighter floral wines to heartier, earthier wines, so let's see where this one lies.

The wine is a bright ruby color in the glass, with great clarity.  The nose presents aromas of ripe black fruit, plum, cherry and boysenberry with undertones of lavender and rose.  The taste is wonderfully approachable, with a rush of ripe berry that just screams Italian, before settling into some notes of dark chocolate and mocha midpalate.  The tannins are robust but well integrated, giving wonderful structure to the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a very easy going and food friendly red wine and a terrific value at just $10.  This wine would pair well with a broad array of dishes, from steaks and barbecued ribs, to pasta and pizza.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic Friday night dinner of steak and tots, with a rare grilled prime New York strip over a bed of grilled leeks and some classic tater tots.  Cheers!