2012 Doubleback Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon

Well this weekend just flew by!  The weather was near perfect for early spring, so I had a chance to do a little yard work and a few projects around the hours and now it's time to wind down before starting the work week tomorrow.  And tonight I've decided to go big as we near the end of Walla Walla Valley Wine Month, and open up a bottle of 2012 Doubleback Cabernet Sauvignon.  This wine has really become a favorite for the more old-world style of Washington Cabernet, produced by Drew  and Maura Bledsoe and their chief winemaker Josh McDaniels, which I had the chance to taste on a trip to Walla Walla back in 2015 (see Tasting at Doubleback) before they moved their tasting room out to their new and fancier digs.  So let's see how this stellar vintage has evolved over the five years since I first tasted it.

The wine is a brooding, inky black affair at the center, with bright ruby along the edges, suggestive of a bigger wine.  The nose is classically old world, with aromas of blackberry, prune, leather, lavender and just a hint of Bordeaux-style funk.  The taste is just magical, with a rush of ripe black fruit dancing with hints of floral, before transitioning to some notes of dark chocolate and sage midpalate.  The tannins are velvety smooth, supporting a long and luxurious dry finish with a reprise of sweet cherry at the back end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9.5, as it's probably one of the finest examples of this stellar vintage of Walla Walla Cabernet that I could imagine.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty dishes, but let's be serious, this wine screams to be sipped with a big steak!  And as luck would have it, I have one available!  Tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a prime New York strip grilled rare, along with grilled asparagus and cipollini onions (man those are a pain to peel!) and a big baked potato.  Cheers!

2017 Reininger Walla Walla Valley Carmenere

Happy Saturday!  Well I got a some shopping done today since it was raining for much of the day, so I made a trip to Costco just for the halibut (Waka Waka!) which you can see more of below.  So what wine could I pair with my favorite fish?  I've decided on a recent wine club selection from Reininger, the 2017 Reininger Walla Walla Valley Carmenere.  This wine is a 100% Carmenere from the Seven Hills Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley AVA of Washington, so let's see how it tastes!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass with a bit of dark indigo at the center.  The nose is an interesting combination of black currant, peppery spice and a bit of earthy peat..  The taste is a rush of tart cherry, raspberry, currant and a good portion of white pepper spice that transition to some lovely notes of cherry cola, cocoa and the barest hint of mint.  The tannins are very fine with a balance of acidity that brings a velvety dry finish that has you reaching for another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a really wonderful example of the "lost Bordeaux varietal."  This wine would pair very well with a broad range of rich dishes, from a cheese risotto to hearty pasta with cream sauce, roast lamb to a casual barbecue.  Tonight I am going a bit off the beaten path and enjoying this wine with a pan seared halibut filet along with some farro and oven roasted rainbow carrots, for a dinner that is both light and hearty.  Cheers!

2012 Chappellet Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Thank goodness it's Friday!  I am certainly ready for the weekend, as it's been a long week (does it seem like every week is full of Mondays during a pandemic?!?) and now I'm ready for a glass of wine before my virtual happy hour with some fraternity brothers in a couple hours.  I haven't seen many of them in decades, so I'm looking forward to it as well as tonight's wine, the 2012 Chappellet Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  This is from one of Napa's recent great vintages, and it's been waiting in my cellar for at least 6 years, so I thought tonight I would open it.

The wine is a deep inky indigo at the center with a bit of fuchsia along the edges, somewhat classic for a Napa Cabernet.  The nose presents aromas of ripe blackberry, currant and prune with a bit of oak and mint over the top.  The taste is much cooler than the nose suggest, with a rush of ripe black cherry, plum, and cherry cola that swirls around before giving way to some decidedly Bordeaux-esque flavors of tar, tobacco and spice box midpalate.  The tannins are supple, but firm, providing a nice base to the voluptuous dry finish that just lingers for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, perhaps even a 9.5 as this wine is really coming into its own nearly eight years from harvest.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty dishes but like many big Napa Cabernets, this one practically begs to be paired with a nice steak.  So, it's a good thing I'm enjoy this wine with a prime ribcap grilled rare on a bed of grilled leeks and topped with some horseradish, with grilled asparagus and a loaded baked potato.  Cheers!

2017 Seven Hills SHW Founding Vineyard Merlot

Happy Thursday!  I'll admit I'm a bit forlorn coming to the end of Walla Walla Valley Wine Month, but at least I'm enjoying some great wine!  Tonight's wine sort of kills two birds with one stone, as it's a great Walla Walla Valley wine, but it's also a Merlot so it meets my requirement for Sean Sullivan's Washington Merlot Challenge this month.  Tonight I am enjoying a bottle from one of my favorite wine makers, the 2017 Seven Hills SHW Founding Vineyard Merlot.  This wine is the 30th vintage from the wines originally planted by winemaker Casey McClellan and his father back in 1982, so let's dive into this treat of a wine!

The wine is an inky black with bright garnet along the edges, just as you might expect from a classic Merlot.  The nose is a rich combination of leather, oak, blackberry and spice, with a bit of dusty granite over the top.  The taste is a rush of cool ripe fruit with blueberry cobbler, blackberry and vanilla swirling in your palate before transitioning to some black pepper spice and savory herbs midpalate.  The tannins are nicely integrated with a reprise of sweet fruit on the long, smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as its just a pleasant sipping wine which I could definitely enjoy as dessert after a hearty dinner!  This wine would pair well with a lot of hearty dishes, from grilled prime steaks and rare lamb chops to hearty pasta or risotto.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a simple dinner of linguine tossed with sauteed garlic and broccoli rabe in olive oil and topped with shaved parmesan.  Cheers!

2017 L'Ecole No. 41 Estate Ferguson

Happy Sunday!  It was a surprisingly productive day thanks to the weather forecasters doing their usual job of being wrong.  It was supposed to rain today, but instead it's been sunny and in the mid-50s all day, so I had a chance to clear up some branches and do my first lawn mowing of the year.  It's been six months since I last started the mower, so needless to say it took a bit of coaxing to get her started but once she got moving she ran like a champ!  I also did a little work and laundry, so now I feel like I deserve a nice glass of wine.  Tonight's wine is the latest wine club shipment from L'Ecole No. 41, the 2017 Estate Ferguson.  I've been a fan of this wine since I had the good fortune to visit the vineyard nearly seven years ago (see Tour of the Seven Hills and Ferguson Vineyards), and it's been a favorite wine ever since.  The 2017 vintage is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (28%), Cabernet Franc (7%) and Malbec (5%) from the aforementioned vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley.  So let's see how the new vintage stacks up!

The wine is a deep, inky black at the center with bright garnet along the edges, just as you'd expect from such a Cabernet heavy blend.  The nose is classic Ferguson, with leather, green grass, black cherry and a hint of mint over perfect mineral undertones.  The taste is delightfully fruit forward with a rush of tart cherry, black currant and plum that transitions to subtle notes of sage, vanilla bean and basalt midpalate.  The tannins are a bit tight, which can be expected in such a young wine, but they provide nice support for the long and exceedingly dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a continued solid effort from L'Ecole and this vineyard.  This wine would pair nicely with a big grilled ribeye, hearty pasta or barbecue, but tonight I'm going a different route as usual.  I went to the market yesterday to pick up some produce and I happened to notice they had leftover Smithfield smoked hams on sale for just 89 cents a pound, so how could I resist making an Easter ham a week late?  So tonight this great wine is being enjoyed with a rich, smoky ham, along with some corn bread, a baked potato and some cherry wood smoked bacon roasted asparagus.  Cheers!

2017 Forgeron Anvil Boushey Vineyard Syrah

Happy Saturday!  It's been a long week and I'm happy to have a day to catch up around the house.  It was sunny and 55 degrees here today, ideal for the first lawn mowing of the year, but unfortunately the snow (!) didn't fully melt until this afternoon.  So instead I cleaned the gutters, another day in the life!  So tonight I'm planning a casual dinner with a nice bottle of wine, a recent wine club selection from Forgeron Cellars.  The 2017 Anvil Boushey Vineyard Syrah is a 100% Syrah from the Birdhouse Block of the Boushey Vineyard in the Yakima Valley of Washington.  This particular block has a thin layer of topsoil resulting in the vine roots reaching directly into a layer of basalt which provides some interesting character to the fruit.  So let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep, inky purple in the glass, with bright ruby along the edges, a bit darker than some examples of the varietal.  The nose is a rich combination of leather, intertwined with green grass and tart cherry.  The taste is just a classic syrah, with a rush of ripe black fruit up front, cherry, blackberry and currant that transitions to some interesting warm spice notes midpalate, white pepper, oak and some stark minerality on the finish.  The tannins are well structured, and fully supportive of the lingering and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's near the top, if not at the top of the 2017 Syrahs I've had the pleasure to taste.  This wine would be fairly food friendly, pairing well with anything from barbecue and steaks, to salmon, pasta or tacos.  Tonight I am hankering for summer, so I'm enjoying this wine with a classic cheeseburger with some sweet potato fries.  Cheers!

2013 Cougar Crest Estate Walla Walla Cabernet Franc

Happy Easter!  I have to admit this has been such a strange time that my normal Easter dinner plans of ham and a banquet of comfort food has been tossed aside .  But at least we still have some wine, and tonight's is one that I recently ordered from Cougar Crest winery for a future wine club selection, the 2013 Cougar Crest Estate Walla Walla Cabernet Franc.  What better way to continue celebrating Walla Walla Valley Wine month with an underappreciated Bordeaux varietal, so let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a bright ruby color in the glass, with great clarity, somewhat reminiscent of a Pinot Noir.  The nose presents aromas of red currant, pomegranate, lavender and a bit of strawberry, plenty of ripe red fruit to arouse your interest.  The taste is a rush of cherry, currant and red raspberry that transitions to some wonderfully earthy notes of tar and tobacco, with undertones of vanilla and caramel midpalate.  The tannins are well behaved and nicely integrated, providing for a long, dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's just a pleasant drinking wine that would pair well with a broad range of hard to pair dishes, like Thai green curry, lighter fish dishes, or Indian food, which is what I'm pairing this wine with tonight, as I'm enjoying it with some chicken and vegetable Biryani over jasmine rice (I realized today I was out of basmati rice, so what else can you do during a pandemic?).  Cheers!

2019 Bledsoe Family Winery Healy Rose

Well, this past week featured some remarkably early summer like days, with highs in the mid- to upper-70s and lots of sun, which had me yearning for rose season, but alas today it was cloudy and windy with a high of 42.  But that's not stopping me, I am tasting some rose, and tonight it's the 2019 Bledsoe Family Winery Healy Rose, a lovely rose from the Walla Walla Valley that just arrived with a wine club shipment last week.  So let's see how this preview of summer is tasting!

The wine is a lovely pale peach color in the glass.  The nose is a basket of summer fruit, peach, watermelon and citrus all dancing around, beckoning you to take a sip.  The taste is just a mouthful of summer, with a rush of ripe peach, honeydew, pink grapefruit and strawberry that just dance around your palate before transitioning to some mineral and herb notes of thyme and lavender midpalate.  The acidity is quite pronounced leading to a wonderfully vibrant yet dry finish that lingers like a long summer evening.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's my first taste of rose season and it's already got me wanting more!  This wine would pair well with summer salads, barbecue or pasta.  Tonight, since it's still chilly, I am pairing this with a recipe I saw from one of my favorite food bloggers Chris of Don't Go Bacon My Heart (you really should check him out on Instagram or his site: https://www.dontgobaconmyheart.co.uk/ a wonderful Gorgonzola pasta with pancetta, leeks and mushrooms (you can find the recipe here: https://www.dontgobaconmyheart.co.uk/gorgonzola-pasta/) and this rose is just perfect with that hearty pasta dish.  Cheers!

2016 L'Ecole No. 41 Perigee

Happy Wine Wednesday!  Since I heard we had a Perigee moon last night and of course with a round of thunderstorms I couldn't see it, I figured I would celebrate it tonight with a bottle of one of my favorite wine blends from the Walla Walla Valley AVA of Washington, the 2016 L'Ecole No. 41 Perigee!  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (52%), Merlot (21%), Cabernet Franc (11%), Petit Verdot (9%) and Malbec (7%) from the Seven Hills Estate Vineyard.  So let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a deep garnet color in the glass, with beautiful darkness at the center.  The nose presents aromas of mint, green grass, blackberry and plum, somewhat of a subdued Bordeaux. The taste is a rush of cool, dark fruit, with ripe black cherry, blackberry and blueberry up front that transitions easily to some lovely earthy notes of tar, tobacco and cocoa midpalate.  The dusty tannins provide shapely structure to support the long, smooth and exceptionally dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as the Perigee is one of the most consistent, classic Bordeaux style blends produced in the Walla Walla Valley today.  This wine would be excellent with classic hearty dishes, from lamb to steak, pork tenderloin to steelhead filet.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a prime ribcap grilled rare atop some grilled leeks with some grilled asparagus and pureed potatoes with a Merlot reduction.  Cheers!

2017 Seven Hills Klipsun Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, it's a beautiful Tuesday, it's sunny and about 75 degrees outside so it seems like springtime has arrived in earnest!  And tonight I've opened a bottle of a recent wine club shipment from one of my favorite Walla Walla wine makers, Casey McClellan and the 2017 Seven Hills Klipsun Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.  I'm anxious to go sit out on my porch and enjoy a sunset with this wine so let's get to it!

The wine is a deep inky black at the center with bright garnet along the edges, classic for a great Cabernet.  The nose is a very Bordeaux-esque affair with lots of ripe cherry, dried herbs, oak and tobacco that just dare you to take a sip.  The taste is a rush of black cherry and plum up front that transitions easily to some notes of savory herbs and dark chocolate midpalate.  The dusty tannins mark a pleasurable surrounding for such a wonderfully full, structured dry finish that lingers for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a pleasure to drink right now, but would like improve even more with some time in the cellar.  With a limited production of just 149 cases, this is a wine to grab while you can!  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty dishes, from lamb to mushroom risotto to hearty pasta, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled porterhouse with some of the biggest bacon roasted Brussels sprouts I've seen!  Cheers!

2010 Rotie Swordfight

Happy Saturday!  After a beautiful day yesterday, today was cold and rainy, I guess you just can't win them all.  But at least it's Saturday, and not only that, it's the first Saturday of the month, which makes it Cellar Saturday!  It's that lovely day when I reach deep into the cellar for something at least a decade in the making, and tonight it's a real treat, from Rotie Cellars, one of the best makers of Rhone style blends in the Walla Walla Valley.  The 2010 Swordfight is a blend of Syrah (75%) and Mourvedre (25%) from Washington state.  So let's see how this wine has matured!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, typical of the heavy hand of Syrah in the blend.  The nose presents aromas of tart cherry, green grass  and a hint of cassis, all combining to create an expectation of a rich taste experience.  The taste is a rush of cool, rich, ripe fruit, with a rush of blackberry, plum and marionberry that envelops the palate before transitioning to some wonderful earthy notes of tar and tobacco midpalate.  The tannins are vibrant and seductive, ushering you in to a wonderfully smooth dry finish with a reprise of tart cherry at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9.5, as it just confirms what experts the winemakers at Rotie are at making the blends of southern France.  This wine would pair well with a variety of Mediterranean dishes, from pasta and lighter fish, to heartier steaks and chops.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled porterhouse with some bacon roasted white asparagus and cipollini onions.  Cheers!