2016 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Syrah

So yesterday was Black Friday and I have to admit, I didn't partake in all the shopping mania, though I did get in to the Christmas spirit.  I slept in, did some yard work and did my best Clark W. Griswold impersonation in putting up the garland and lights on the fence and by the front window.  And today, building on the spirit, I went up to Owosso, Michigan to ride on the North Pole Express, behind the Pere Marquette 1225 locomotive that was the locomotive behind the "Polar Express" movie.  So now that I'm fully immersed in holiday joy, I thought it was appropriate to open up a bottle of a recent wine club selection from L'Ecole No. 41, the 2016 Walla Walla Syrah, from the Seven Hills Vineyard.  So, let's have a taste!

The wine s a deep ruby color in the glass with nice clarity.  The nose is an interesting combination of earthy notes along with some rich fruit notes, olive, black pepper and violets intermingle with notes of ripe blackberry and currant.  The taste is more classic old world syrah, with a rush of blackberry, cherry and smoky oak that eases into some notes of dark chocolate and classic peppery spice midpalate.  The tannins are velvety smooth, providing nice balance for the long, dry finish.  This syrah seems more the classic variety, and less avant guard than some of the heavy mineral examples coming from the Rocks district of late, and for me that's a good thing, as I think it makes this wine more approachable and food friendly.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as this is an easy drinking wine that I could enjoy with a broad range of dishes, from pizza and tacos, to seared tuna or hearty steak.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a simple dinner of grilled Zahtar seasoned Angus chuck eye steak with some grilled asparagus and oven roasted purple potatoes.  Cheers!

2016 L'Ecole No. 41 Apogee

Well, I think I may have finally come to an end of leaf blowing season at my house, and it couldn't come too soon as I have 100 feed of garland and Christmas lights to hang next weekend!  After the final day of blowing, raking and piling at the front of my yard, it's time for a nice glass of wine to make my dinner and evening more enjoyable.  Tonight I've opened a recent wine club shipment from one of my favorite Walla Walla wineries, L'Ecole No. 41!  The 2016 Apogee is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (25%), Malbec (11%) and Cabernet Franc (4%) from the Pepper Bridge Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley AVA of Washington.  So let's see how this vintage is shaping up!

The wine is a deep garnet color in the glass, a testament to the heavy blend of Cabernet.  The nose is wonderful deep breath of leather, fresh herbs and a bit of black licorice over the top.  The taste is a rush of ripe berry fruit at the outset, blackberry, currant and blueberry that transitions nicely to some notes of dark chocolate and hints of baking spice midpalate.  The fine grain tannins amplify the smoothness on the finish, with a reprise of blackberry on the long, velvety dry finish that lingers on the palate.

Overall, I would easily rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a bit better than some previous vintages of Apogee (those who know me know my preference for the Perigee blend of the two signature Bordeaux style blends that L'Ecole produces).  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty fall and holiday dishes, from prime rib roast, to cedar planked salmon to Christmas ham.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled petite Angus porterhouse with Bearnaise sauce, oven roasted purple potatoes and grilled asparagus.  Cheers!

2016 Seven Hills Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Wine Wednesday!  It's been a while since I've posted on Wednesday, so I figured it would be a good idea to open a nice bottle from one of my favorite Washington producers before I head out to my play rehearsal (have I mentioned I'm playing Ebeneezer Scrooge in the Elkhart Civic Theatre production of A Christmas Carol as a radio play?).  Tonight I've opened a bottle of 2016 Seven Hill Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon, a 100% Cabernet sourced from the Seven Hills Vineyard.  So let's see how this one tastes.

The wine is an inky black at the center with bright garnet along the edges, just as you'd expect for a nice Cabernet.  The nose presents aromas of leather, oak, balckberry and plum with just a hint of floral notes over the top.  The taste is a rush of black cherry at the outset that envelopes the palate before transitioning to some notes of dark chocolate, cassis and eucalyptus midpalate.  The tannins are velvety, and wonderfully integrated to support the long, voluptuous dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a marvelously structured, but approachable big red wine.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty dishes, from steaks and chops to stews and pastas.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with an old school homestyle favorite comfort food, swiss steak with stewed tomatoes along with some roasted garlic mashed potatoes.  Cheers!

2017 DaMa Winery Tempranillo

Happy Sunday!  I had the best of intentions today, with plans to get some work done, go to the gym, and...well at least I started making dinner!  Tonight I've decided to pair my upcoming feast with a recent wine club selection from DaMa wines, the 2017 Tempranillo, a 100% Tempranillo from the Alder Ridge Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA of Washington.  I think the producers in the Columbia Valley are doing some wonderful things with some Spanish varietals like Tempranillo, so I'm excited to see how this one tastes. 

The wine is a bright ruby in the glass, somewhat darker at the center than I might have expected.  The nose is a lovely old world breath of fresh air loaded with ripe berry fruit, blackberry, cherry and currant, intermingled with notes of tobacco and dried sage and a hint of leather over the top.  The taste is a refreshing rush of rip fruit up front, cherries, blackberries and strawberries that evoke a bit of sweetness before transitioning on to more rustic notes of green cedar and dark chocolate midpalate.  The tannins are sturdy, providing for a robust yet velvety smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a lovely example of an old world varietal taking root in the new.  This wine would be ideal for a broad range of dishes, from paella to taco Tuesday, from pizza to steaks.  But tonight, after the snowstorm earlier in the week, I needed a reprise of summer, with some barbecued beef back ribs, red skin potato salad, cole slaw and corn muffins.  Cheers!

2016 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Saturday!  Thanks to the snow this past week, my yard is full of snow topped with leaves still, which meant I got a break from leaf blowing and raking today!  So instead I did a bunch of errands around town, and am now ready for a relaxing evening.  And what better way to relax than opening a nice bottle of wine to enjoy, tonight it's a recent wine club selection from L'Ecole No. 41 in Washington.  The 2016 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon is a 100% Cabernet from five different vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley AVA, including the Estate Ferguson, Pepper Bridge, Seven Hills, Summit View and Stone Valley Vineyards.  So let's see how this classic Cabernet is shaping up!

The wine is a deep indigo at the center with bright garnet along the edges.  The nose is a beckoning array of blue and black fruit, intermingled with lavender and a a bit of cocoa powder.  The taste is an interesting balance of new world and old world styles, with a new world rush of ripe fruit at the outset, blueberry, blackberry, plum and cherry that break through the door, followed by distinct mineral notes of basalt mixed with tobacco and dark chocolate.  The tannins are nicely polished providing an ideal backing for the long, smooth and exceptionally dry finish that reminds me of a classic Bordeaux.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, it's a great example of the varietal and truly highlights the differences between the more elevated Cabernet of Walla Walla compared to the more aggressive, in your face Cabernets of Napa.  This wine is an ideal one for fall, pairing nicely with a broad range of dishes from beef short ribs to pasta, steaks and chops to hearty stews.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime New York strip, topped with Bearnaise sauce, some grilled asparagus and a big baked potato.  Cheers!

2016 DaMa Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, it's been a crazy busy Saturday, as I spent the entire day in the yard doing my best to recreate the giant pile of leaves that filled two dump trucks yesterday when the city came to pick them up and now the pile is back!  And the worst part is I didn't finish by dark, so now I'll have to do it again tomorrow!  Well at least there is wine before I head out to the theater tonight (see I told you this was a crazy busy day!), so I've opened a bottle of the latest wine club shipment from DaMa Wines, the 2016 DaMa Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon, a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Walla Walla Valley of Washington.  So let's see how this wine is shaping up!

The wine is an inky black at the center with bright ruby along the edges, just as you'd expect from a pure Cabernet.  The nose exudes class with notes of dark chocolate, cassis, ripe black fruit and rich leather and spice.  The taste is a rush of ripe blackberry, plum and cherry that transition nicely to notes of cocoa powder and a hint of white pepper spice.  The robust tannins are the ideal foundation for a smooth and voluptuous finish that lingers on the palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as Mary and crew have done a fine job crafting this Cabernet that's just perfect for fall.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty dishes, from roast prime rib to chili to lamb, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime New York strip with some red beet farrow and grilled leeks and romanesco.  Cheers!

2017 Pepper Bridge Winery Seven Hills Vineyard Blend

Happy Monday!  Yeah, I feel the same way, I rarely get excited by Mondays unless they are coming to an end, which this one is!  And to cap it off I've decided to open up a bottle of a recent wine club shipment from the Pepper Bridge Winery in Walla Walla, the 2017 Seven Hills Blend!  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (55%), Cabernet Franc (19%), Merlot (11%), Malbec (11%) and Petit Verdot (4%) all sourced from the Seven Hills Vineyard in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington. So let's see how this vintage is shaping up!

The wine is a vibrant garnet color in the glass, somewhat lighter than a full Cabernet.  As you raise your glass, you're greeted by an array of earthy aromas, sage, tobacco and dusty limestone underlying aromas of cassis, raspberry and a hint of dark chocolate.  The first taste is a rush of raspberry, currant and cranberry that transition almost unnoticed to notes of dark chocolate and a hint of white pepper spice midpalate.  The bright acidity and balanced tannins make for a lovely combination on the long, and wonderfully dry finish that lingers on the tongue.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it seems to be a bit of a step up from the 2016 vintage (see here).  This is a classic Bordeaux style blend that would pair well with a variety of hearty fall dishes, from shepherd's pie to lamb chops to alder planked salmon.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a grass fed New York strip grilled rare with some grilled romanesco and steamed red potatoes with butter and parsley.  Cheers!

2006 Raymond Merlo Estate Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Well it's the first Saturday of November, which means it's Cellar Saturday!  That magical time when I dig into the cellar for a wine that's been waiting to be tasted for a decade or more.  Tonight, after spending nearly seven hours working in the yard blowing and raking leaves, I could use a nice dinner and glass of wine to relax, maybe I'll even have a fire tonight!  Tonight's Cellar Saturday wine is the 2006 Raymond Merlo Estate Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, from the Oak Knoll district of Napa Valley.  So let's see what we've been waiting for!

The wine is a deep, inky color at the center, with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose is an interesting combination of smoke, candied plum and a hint of lavender over the top.  The taste is quite interesting, with a rush of blueberry and currant, that transitions nicely to some notes of vanilla bean midpalate.  The tannins are silky smooth, providing for a soft, voluptuous and very dry finish.  With the sweet fruit notes and vanilla, this wine is just perfect for fall, ass at least it will help balance out all the pumpkin spice!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a wonderfully structured wine that's so very different from the typical, big and bold Cabernets from Napa Valley.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty fall dishes, from mushroom risotto to chili and stew.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled New York strip with some Bearnaise sauce, grilled leeks, steamed Brussels sprouts and a baked potato.  Cheers!