2013 Helix Columbia Valley Syrah

Well, that was a week!  It seems like time moves much quicker, the older you get and so far this year is flying by.  So I guess I better enjoy some wine while I can, and tonight it's a bottle I just happened to find as I was looking through the cellar for something to pair with tonight's dinner, the 2013 Helix Columbia Valley Syrah from the Phinny Hill Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA of Washington.  So let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a deep ruby color with a lot of substance, almost more Merlot like.  The nose is a classic Syrah, with aromas of black cherry, currant and vanilla bean, overlaid with a hint of lavender that tempt you to take a sip.  The taste is a rush of rich black fruit, blackberry, cherry, plum and currant that envelop the palate before embarking on a journey to a bit of anise and white pepper spice midpalate.  The tannins are smooth, with some vibrant acidity that playfully develop a long and very smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as I get the feeling this wine is just starting to come into its own.  This wine is an excellent everyday wine that's a pleasure to sip, but would assume a solid supporting role for a variety of dishes, from steaks to pizza to seafood.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some pan seared sea scallops, on a bed of spinach and baby arugula along with some pasta with garlic and olive oil and steamed Brussels sprouts.  The fruit and acidity really play well with the richness of the scallops.  Cheers!

2016 Forgeron Cellars Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Tuesday!  It's been a bit since I've posted (usually weekends are prime blog posting times) but I had a medical test yesterday that prevented my normal eating and drinking over the weekend, but now I'm back in the saddle!  Tonight I'm celebrating with a wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon from Forgeron Cellars in Walla Walla.  The 2016 Forgeron Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon is a 100% Cabernet from the Birch Creek, Minnick Hills and Seven Hills Vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley AVA.  So let's see how this one is developing!

The wine is a deep, inky black at the center with bright ruby along the edges, classic for Cabernet.  The nose is chock full of black cherry, currant and spice box, with a hint of strawberry over the top.  The taste is a rush of candied fruit, cherries, currant and plum that rush over your palate before transitioning easily to some warm spice and white pepper notes midpalate.  The tannins are quite smooth and well integrated, providing for a velvety smooth and lingering dry finish. 

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a delightful and pleasant drinking wine.  This wine would pair well with a broad range of dishes from prime rib to barbecue, lamb to grilled pork tenderloin.  Tonight I am pairing this with a classic, rare grilled prime New York strip, grilled asparagus and oven-roasted fingerling potatoes.  The ample fruit and peppery spice of this wine are ideal to complement a big hearty steak.  Cheers!

2015 Heitz Cellar Napa Valley Zinfandel

Happy Friday!  It's been a busy week, so I am definitely looking forward to some relaxation this weekend (though I have a bunch of things happening so this may be my only post for the weekend!).  In any case, it's time to open a nice bottle of wine, and pairing with my dinner was a bit of a challenge, but I decided upon a nice Zinfandel, the food friendly wine!  Tonight, I'm enjoying a 2015 Heitz Cellar Napa Valley Zinfandel that I recently purchased from Wines Till Sold Out, so let's see how this one is shaping up!

The wine is a lovely ruby color in the glass, with great clarity.  The nose presents aromas of earthy mineral notes under some jammy fruit notes of cherry, plum and strawberry.  The taste is somewhat Bordeaux-esque with a bit of funk hanging around, but the fruit is quite vibrant with flavors of cherry and strawberry up front that transitions to some notes of tar and basalt midpalate. The finish features a bit of tart cherry over some tightly wound tannins providing for a long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a very nice Zinfandel, but in my view not quite to the level of a Lodi Zin.  As always, this varietal is exceptionally food friendly and would pair well with anything from pizza to ribs, tacos to steak.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a bit more challenging dinner of grilled Spanish octopus with some grilled asparagus and white truffle butter orzo with shaved Parmesan.  I"m not sure I could have packed any more flavors on that plate!  Cheers!

2017 Forgeron Zinfandel

Today was Washington's Birthday, but unlike many government workers, I and many others like me had to work today, so it's time to relax and enjoy a nice dinner and a glass of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of the latest wine club shipment from Forgeron Cellars, the 2017 Zinfandel.  This wine is a 100% Zinfandel from the Alder Ridge Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA of Washington.  The 2017 vintage was a challenge given the record cold winter in Eastern Washington that year, so let's see how this food-friendly wine is shaping up!

The wine is a lovely ruby color in the glass, just as you might expect from the varietal.  The nose offers and intriguing blend of earthiness and refined fruit notes, smoke, oak and candied cherries get your attention quickly.  The taste is classically Zinfandel, with a rush of ripe cherry, blackberry and blueberry up front that gives way to some notes of vanilla bean midpalate with a hint of white pepper spice as you approach the finish.  The fine tannins are ideal as a base for the long and elegant dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it is a solid contender to challenge the quality of a classic Lodi Zinfandel.  This wine would pair well with a broad range of weekday dishes, from barbecue to burgers, steaks to pizza and tacos.  Tonight I am taking a cue from the Italian connection of this varietal and enjoying this wine with some slow cooked braciole with linguine and topped with shaved Parmesan and fresh basil.  Cheers!

2016 Forgeron Cellars Merlot

Well, Sean Sullivan launched the Washington Merlot Challenge last month, which I accepted.  This means I'm committed to enjoying at least one Washington Merlot each month throughout 2020, so tonight is the second installment with the 2016 Forgeron Cellars Merlot, a 100% Merlot from the Minnick Hills Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley AVA of Washington.  This wine was a very limited production of just 181 cases, so let's see how this special wine is shaping up!

The wine is a deep inky black at the center with bright garnet along the edges, more reminiscent of a Cabernet as is somewhat more common for Washington Merlot.  The nose presents earthy aromas of dusty limestone amid luxurious aromas of leather, black raspberry and violets.  The taste is a complex layering of black fruit that builds to a crescendo of black raspberry, cherry and plum before transitioning effortlessly to notes of vanilla bean and a hint of spice midpalate.  The tannins are expertly structured and provide and ideal foundation for the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just an extremely pleasant drinking example of a varietal that's out of favor but still abundantly pleasurable.  This wine would pair well with a broad range of dishes, from classic steaks and roasts to hearty pastas.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a grilled veal loin chop along with oven roasted fingerling potatoes and some bacon roasted Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2016 Century Oak Winery Judy's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  I'll admit, I was tempted to nap the day away, but ended up being far more productive than I expected, doing two loads of laundry, some minor repairs around the house and I even made it to the gym!  So, with all that, I'd say I am quite deserving of a nice dinner and a glass of wine.  Tonight's wine is one I recently bought from an outfit called "Wine Slash" who sends me e-mails every so often, and this one intrigued me enough to purchase, the 2016 Century Oak Winery Judy's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Lodi.  What intrigued me was that the wine maker, Heather Pyle and her husband, have previous connections to Robert Mondavi, where Heather was a wine maker at Mondavi in their Cabernet and Merlot programs and also involved in the Opus One team in 1996, where she met her future husband.  Although semi-retired, they still have a passion for wine makeing and have crafted this wine.  So let's see what it has to offer!

The wine is a deep inky black at the center, with bright ruby along the edges, just as you might expect from a classic Cabernet.  The nose is a somewhat tawny combination of green grass, violets, vanilla beans, and spice notes that reflect a more casual style.  The taste is almost the exact opposite of what I was expecting based on the nose.  I was expecting warm fruit and spice to dominate, but what emerged was a rush of cool black cherry, blueberry and plum that would fit right in with a classic Napa Cabernet.  The black fruit transitions effortlessly to some notes of cedar, pipe tobacco, violet and black pepper spice midpalate.  The tannins are expertly structured and well integrated for the long, smooth and velvety dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's punching way above its weight class, as I only paid $17 for this wine!  This would pair well with a broad range of dishes that you'd pair with a classic Napa Cabernet, steaks and chops, roast game, lamb and classic Italian dishes.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime ribcap topped with some horseradish, grilled asparagus and a big baked potato with all the trimmings.  Cheers!

2011 Fattoria di Travalda Santa Lucia Toscana

Happy Saturday!  I've been relaxing a bit today, visiting with some friends and doing a bit of reading, so nothing too strenuous.  And now it's time for a bit of wine with my dinner.  Tonight I've opened a bottle that I recently bought from Wines Till Sold Out, and a future office wine club selection, the 2011 Fattoria di Travalda Santa Lucia Toscana, a super Tuscan that's has more similarity with a Bordeaux than a traditional wine from Tuscany.  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (30%), Cabernet Franc (30%), Merlot (30%) and Petit Verdot (10%), so let's see how good the Italians are at making French wine!

The wine is a deep, inky black at the center, with bright ruby along the edges, just as you might expect from a Cabernet heavy blend.  The nose is wonderfully Bordeau-esque blend of aromas, leather, smoke, anise, dried herbs and a hint of mint over the top.  The taste is a rush of cool, black fruit, black cherry, boysenberry and plum, that transition to some mineral notes along with black pepper spice midpalate.  The tannins are somewhat tight, but provide for an exceptionally long, dry finish, with a reprise of anise at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's just about reaching its peak potential now, and it was a great value at just $15!  This wine would pair well with a broad range of Mediterranean dishes, steaks, wild game or nice earthy mushroom dishes.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some wild Alaskan pollack filets seasoned with herbs de Provence along with some bacon roasted Brussels sprouts and some farro.  Cheers!

2008 Roger Sabon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Prestige

Well, happy Groundhog Day Eve!  It's the first of February, and the first Saturday of the new month, which means it's Cellar Saturday, that magical time when I raid the cellar for something at least a decade in the making.  Tonight I've opened a classic Rhône blend that's been maturing for a while, the 2008 Roger Sabon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Prestige!  As a Châteauneuf-du-Pape, this wine is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault, so let's see how this one has developed over the last dozen years!

The wine is a deep ruby color, with a hint of amber along the edges, and a bit darker in the center.  The nose presents aromas of kirsch, olive tapenade and a hint of lavender, a very meaty set of aromas.  The taste is surprisingly fruit forward, with lots of ripe cherry and plum that transitions to some flavors of charcoal midpalate.  The tannins are well structured, providing a nice foundation for a long, smooth and very dry finish that lingers.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a bit different than your typical Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and may be somewhat of an acquired taste.  I was worried this wine might be too light, but it's a heavy bugger that's ideal for pairing with lamb or big steaks, which is a good thing, since tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a rare prime ribcap along with some oven roasted rainbow carrots.  Cheers!