2018 Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Pinot Noir

Well, this is a post I've been anxious to write, since I recently became a shareholder in this winery!  There are very few publicly traded wineries, but Willamette Valley Vineyards is one of them.  I recently bought some of their preferred stock (and by no means is this to be considered investment advice, please consult your own investment professional!) which has a lot of benefits for being a shareholder, including wine discounts, special events at the wineries, and a bonus of you choose to receive your preferred stock dividend as a wine credit!  

So since I'm now a proud shareholder, I searched around and finally found a bottle of wine to taste tonigh, the 2018 Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Pinot Noir, so let's see if my investment is paying off!

The wine is a brilliant ruby color in the glass, with nice clarity, just as you would expect from a nice pinot noir from Oregon.  The nose is a pleasant rendering of lovely floral and herb notes, lavender, lilac and hints of orange blossom and mint with earthy undertones.  The taste is a rush of lovely red fruit, cherry, plum and lingonberry washing over your palate before transitioning to some wonderful earthy notes of tar and tobacco midpalate, with a bit of white pepper spice at the end.  The tannins are expertly structured to provide a wonderfully smooth, dry finish that lingers with w bit of fruit.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as this Pinot noir falls into the category that I like, lighter but full of great flavor (a Pinot that us Cabernet lovers can get behind!) and it was also a darn good value at just $22 here locally.  This wine would pair well with the classic Oregon fare, salmon, Dungeness crab and fantastic Thai food, and tonight I've gone one of those routes.  I'm enjoying this wine with a nice Alder planked wild Alaskan sockeye served with some mango, pineapple and jalapeno salsa and some black beans and rice.  Cheers! 

2018 Raymond Reserve Selection Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

 Happy Saturday!  I know I've been completely slacking on my blog posts, but this has been a busy week for me, so I hope you can forgive my lack of wine sharing.  In any case, today was a day filled with errands, which of course meant a trip to Costco where I found tonight's wine, the 2018 Raymond Reserve Selection Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  Having visited Raymond in Napa Valley and seeing the somewhat eclectic decor, it wasn't a surprise when they somehow came up with a way to do a label on this reserve wine that feels like red velvet!  In any case, let's see how this one tastes.

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with an inky center, just as you might expect from a hearty cabernet.  The nose is a trip down the yellow brick road, with aromas of black fruit then some leather, then some violets and lavender, that somehow all work together.  The taste is classic big Napa Cabernet, with a rush of ripe blackberry, cherry and currant that washes over your palate, before careening toward some notes of mocha and the faintest hint of black pepper midpalate.  The tannins are supple and smooth, providing for a wonderfully smooth dry finish without the sharpness that you can often find in a big Cabernet.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a pleasure to sip, and at $28, it's one that you can sip regularly without breaking the bank.  This wine would of course pair well with a nice steak, but this would also do well with some lamb chops, braised short ribs or classic pasta, all good options now that the fall weather is in full effect.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime ribcap, big baked potato with sour cream and chives, and bacon roasted Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2018 Stolen Horse Syrah

Happy Sunday!  It's been cold and rainy here today, so I've been holed up in my house doing some laundry and preparing for the class I'm teaching starting on Tuesday.  So this past week, I received a couple of wine club shipments, including one from the Bledsoe Family Winery, which had some 2018 Stolen Horse Syrah.  I am a fan of Syrah generally since it's such a versatile, food friendly wine, which comes in handy when you have an eclectic taste in cuisine like I do!  This particular wine is primarily Syrah (96%) co-fermented with Viognier (4%) from the Lefore, Kenny Hill and Loess Vineyards in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep garnet color in the glass, ideal for a Syrah.  The nose presents aromas of blackberry and kirsch with a good bit of smoky, earthy goodness.  The taste is a rush of blueberry, blackberry and cherry, that transition easily to some notes of smoked meat and just a hint of menthol midpalate.  The tannins are smooth and well integrated, providing for a warm dry finish that hits you with a reprise of black fruit and mint.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as this is a classic Walla Walla Syrah that seems to get better with each passing vintage.  This wine would pair well with a broad range of dishes, from lamb to sausage, barbecue to wild mushroom risotto.  Tonight I am once again taking things off the beaten path and enjoying this wine with a classic chili con carne, with cornbread and all the trimmings, an ideal dinner to take the chill from a cold rainy fall day.  Cheers!

2018 Valdemar Estates Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Wine Wednesday!  So a few weeks ago, the Reveal Walla Walla Charity Auction was held.  I was last at this great event back in 2018 (you can see my post on the auction here) and although it was a lot of fun, I was not a winner.  This year the event was held virtually and the folks did a terrific job of organizing and running the auction, but without the chance to browse the event and meet the wine makers and sample the wines it wasn't quite the same.  I'll give the organizers credit though, as they were willing to send some samples out, depending on the winery, and I was fortunate enough to receive two samples of the 6 lots I bid on, and tonight I'm going to review the 2018 Valdemar Estates Cabernet Sauvignon from the Stone Valley Vineyard in the Rocks District AVA of the Walla Walla Valley.  I was interested in this wine as Marie-Eve Gilla, formerly of Forgeron Cellars, is now the winemaker at Valdemar.  So let's see how this young wine is shaping up!

The wine is a deep, inky color at the center with bright ruby along the edges, just as a classic Cabernet should look.  The nose is am old-world style layered affair, with some hints of violet and black plum intermingled with some mineral notes graphite and undertones of sage and mint.  The taste is a rush of black fruit, with some cherry, blackberry and fig, that transitions nicely to some cocoa powder midpalate.  The tannins are expertly structured, making for a very Bordeaux-esque exceptionally dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a pleasant Cabernet that is a real example of the best of the old world and the new.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty dishes, from steaks and roasts, to earthy mushroom risotto.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some zhatar seasoned lamb loin chops served with bucatini tossed in a mint and basil pesto with peas.  Cheers!

2017 Nelms Road Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  It's been raining most of the day, so I've just been taking it easy, at least until the sun came out for a while and I decided to go for a bike ride, at which point it started to rain again, but now I'm home and ready for Sunday dinner and wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of wine I ordered over the summer, but due to heat restrictions on ground shipping, I had them hold it until it was safe to ship and so it arrived last week.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of 2017 Nelms Road Cabernet Sauvignon, which is the second label from Woodward Canyon Winery in Lowden, Washington.  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (76%), Cabernet Franc (19%), Petit Verdot (2%), Mourvèdre (1%), Merlot (1%) and Dolcetto (1%) from the Champoux, Spring Creek and Woodward Canyon Estate Vineyards.  So let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with a modestly dark center.  The nose is a cluster of cherry, currant and earthy aromas of graphite and tobacco, with undertones of pleasant spice.  The taste is a rush of cool fruit, cherry, blackberry and currant that envelop the palate before transitioning to some notes of olive and black pepper spice midpalate.  The tannins are quite smooth for such a young wine, providing for a velvety dry finish with just a bit of sharpness on the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a pleasant drinking Cabernet at a very approachable price of just $25.  This wine would pair very well with a variety of grilled dishes, from steaks and lamb chops to weeknight pizza or pasta dinners.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a USDA Prime ribeye, grilled rare, with some grilled leeks, bacon roasted Brussels sprouts and a baked potato with sour cream and chives.  Cheers! 

2009 Helix Columbia Valley Syrah

 So this has been one of my classic days without even a smidge of organization whatsoever!  I thought I was doing well, taking advantage of the one non-rainy day this weekend to get my yard work done, and I thought I was doing well as I was putting the leaf blower away at 6:45, when my phone alarm went off, telling me I have theater tickets and the performance starts in 45 minutes!  So, instead of dinner and wine, I raced to the theater to enjoy a marvelous performance of Silent Sky and now I'm back for dinner and wine!  Sure, it's 10 pm, but there are still two hours left of Cellar Saturday, that first Saturday of the month where I open a bottle at least a decade in the making, and tonight it's a good one, the 2009 Helix Columbia Valley Syrah!  So let's see how this wine is shaping up.

The wine is a beautiful, deep ruby color in the glass, just as you might expect from a nice Syrah.  The nose is a cavalcade of lovely fruit aromas that seems to scream autumn, blackberry, currant, cherry with undertones of earthy tar, pepper and sage.  The taste is a rush of ripe, jammy blackberry, plum and mulberry, that transitions easily to some notes of dusty limestone and peat midpalate, with a reprise of vanilla bean.  The tannins are smooth and well integrated, providing for a wonderfully smooth dry finish that lingers on the palate for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it is likely at its peak, but still providing a food friendly approach that is full of fall flavors.  This wine would pair well with a variety of dished from lamb, to eggplant Parmesan to a wonderful slow cooked chili with cornbread.  Tonight I am enjoying this with a wild autumn meal of rare grilled elk strip steak, with a Blue Smoke Game Changer rub that is spiced with clove and juniper, along with some oven roasted fingerling sweet potatoes and grilled asparagus.  Cheers!