2018 Helix So Rhô

Happy Memorial Day!  This is a day that we honor those who gave their lives in service to our country.  It's a day that I spend each year heading to the cemetery to plant flowers on the graves of my family members.  But in addition to the more somber aspects of this holiday, it's also a time for parades and spending time with family and friends enjoying the first cookouts of the summer.  Today I am definitely participating in the food aspects, and to set the mood I've opened a bottle of 2018 Helix So Rhô, a southern Rhône style blend of Mourvèdre (42%), Cinsault (30%) and Grenache (28%) from the Stone Tree Vineyard in the Wahluke Slope AVA of Washington.  So let's see how this one is tasting.

The wine is a beautiful garnet color in the glass, with nice clarity.  Raise the glass and you're greeted by aromas of black raspberry, currant and strawberry intermingled with an intriguing blend of dried herbs that hint at the adventure that awaits.  Take a sip and your palate is awash in ripe red fruit flavors, cherry, strawberry, plum and currant that take a easy detour to some notes of dark chocolate and black pepper spice midpalate.  The fine grain tannins make an ideal base for the long, smooth dry finish with just a slight kick of acidity at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5 as it's just another stellar vintage in a long line of successful Rhône style blends the Chuck and his team have produced.  This wine would pair well with some hard to pair dishes, like Indian curry, Moroccan dishes or even barbecue.  Which is fortunate as tonight I've made some South Carolina style barbecued chicken breasts, with a tangy mustard barbecue sauce, along with corn on the cob, pasta salad and Sriracha cole slaw.  Cheers!

2020 Healy Rose

Well, it's officially the first holiday weekend of summer, and I can confirm that I really needed this!  So, on the first day of the three day weekend, I've taken advantage of a sale at my local market which spurred a bit of a challenge for an appropriate wine pairing.  Fortunately, I received my Bledsoe Family Wine spring club shipment not long ago, which had an ideal solution in the 2020 Healy Rose.  Although the blend is proprietary, the fruit was sourced from some solid vineyards in the the Walla Walla Valley AVA of Washington.  So let's see how this first taste of summer is tasting!

The wine is a lovely peach color in the glass, almost welcoming summer, though around here we've had several false starts, with the lows reaching the 30s just a couple days ago!  A modest swirl in the glass releases a load of citrus notes, grapefruit, lemon and a hint of blood orange, that eases into some lovely herb notes.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a lovely mix of citrus, ripe melon and persimmon that transition easily to some earthy mineral notes with bright acidity throughout.  On the finish, we the texture and acidity continue for a crisp dry finish that just screams summer.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a super pleasant and easy drinking rose that I could see myself enjoying on the patio all summer long.  This wine would pair well with a fresh caprese salad, a warm orzo with fresh herbs or a wide range of seafood.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a steamed live Maine lobster (thanks to my local market for only $9.99!) and some fresh corn on the cob with lots of butter and some Srirach cole slaw.  Here's to summer!

2019 Forgeron Cellars Estate Cabernet Franc

Happy Sunday!  I spend a good portion of the afternoon volunteering to package meals for food insecure youth in the three counties surrounding where I live at Cultivate Culinary Food Rescue.  It was two hours of hard work to pack over a thousand meals, so at least there is that!  So now I'm ready for Sunday dinner and a bottle of wine, and I guess I'll make it a complete weekend of wines from Forgeron Cellars, as tonight I've opened the second wine from the recent wine club shipment, the 2019 Estate Cabernet Franc, which is sourced from the Equinox Ridge Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley.  This is the first wine I've had from this vineyard, so let's see what it has to offer!

The wine has a deep inky center with deep ruby along the edges, as you might expect from the varietal.  A swirl of the glass releases aromas of blackberry and leather, with floral undertones of rose petals and lavender.  Take a sip and blackberry, plum, black cherry and currant wash over your palate, a scintillating combination of black fruit sweetness, that gives way to notes of charred oak and bright acidity midpalate.  The tannins are well structured to the long, smooth dry finish that will have you reaching for another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a really well executed expression of this often overlooked varietal.  This wine would pair well with a broad range of hearty dishes, from lamb chops to steaks, roast beef to hearty vegetable stew.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled bone-in ribeye with some bacon roasted Brussels sprouts.  Cheers! 

2018 Forgeron Zinfandel

Happy Saturday!  I apologize for the lack of posting last week as I had to be in Charlotte for work, so I     had no time for blogging (though I did have time for a few instagram posts).  So I'm back at it today, and just in time for summer to arrive.  After the arctic blast that had our lows at freezing or below over the past few weeks, this week we reached the upper 80s and I have been sweating nonstop for the past two days!  But at least with the heat it seems that it's finally time to barbecue, and what's better with barbecue than Zinfandel?  Tonight I've opened a bottle of a recent wine club shipment from Forgeron Cellars, the 2018 Forgeron Zinfandel, which is a pure varietal from the Alter Ridge Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA of Washington.  Let's see if this one is rib ready!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you might expect from a nice Zinfandel.  A swirl of the glass and you slowly inhale to reveal aromas of boysenberry, raspberry and leather with undertones of dark chocolate.  Raise the glass and take a sip to have a rush of candied plum and cherries wash over your palate before easing into some earthy mineral notes and a touch of graphite at the finish.  The tannins are well structured providing for an added textural component to the long, smooth dry finish that will have you quickly reaching for another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's one of the nicest Zinfandels I've had in quite some time.  This wine would pair exceptionally well with barbecue, from ribs and chicken to pulled pork and brisket, this one would do well.  Tonight I am taking a bit of a detour from our traditional rich midwest barbecue and enjoying this wine with some smoked baby back ribs finished with some South Carolina mustard barbecue sauce, along with some coleslaw and baked beans.  Memorial Day is next weekend, but I couldn't resist starting a week early!

2019 DaMa Wines Columbia Valley GSM

Happy Wine Wednesday!  I just finished mowing since I couldn't do it on Sunday since it was raining, and now I'm ready for a nice glass of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of a recent wine club shipment from DaMa Wines, the 2019 Columbia Valley GSM, because who doesn't like a nice GSM?  This wine is a blend of Grenache (46%), Syrah (39%) and Mourvèdre (15%) from the Columbia Valley of Washington.  So, let's see how this wine is shaping up!

The wine is a beautiful garnet color in the glass, with a somewhat lighter weight and great clarity.  Swirl the glass and take a whiff and you're greeted by classic aromas of strawberry, red currant and hibiscus with undertones of earthy minerals.  Take a sip and the rush of red fruit washed over your palate, with flavors of raspberry, strawberry and sweet cherry that transition nicely to some earthy mineral notes midpalate.  The tannins are soft, but just the right base for a long dry finish, with some bright acidity right at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as this is a really fruit forward, easy drinking blend, just what makes a GSM so great.  Casual sipping or enjoying with dinner, this food friendly wine would pair well with a broad range of dishes, from wild mushroom risotto, to steaks, to barbecued ribs.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled Bison New York Strip along with oven roasted baby potatoes and asparagus with hollandaise.  Cheers!

2016 Château L’Escadre Grande Réserve Bordeaux

Happy Sunday!  It's been another frigid, rainy spring day here in Indiana and I just wish it would get to being spring like in weather! So, needless to say I didn't get any of the yard work I had hoped to finish today, but at least there is wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of 2016 Château L’Escadre Grande Réserve Bordeaux, it's been a while since I've opened a nice Bordeaux and I happened upon this one at Costco yesterday at an unbelievable price.  This wine is a class blend of Merlot (70%), Cabernet Sauvignon (20%) and Malbec (10%), so let's see how it tastes!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with nice clarity.  The nose exudes classic old world aromas of leather, blackberry, currant and plum with hints of tarragon and cedar.  The taste is classic Bordeaux, with a rush of ripe black cherry intermingled with hints of anise and spice box, before retreating into some earthy notes of tar and tobacco midpalate.  The tannins are barely noticeable, as you would expect from a wine that grew up in the Gironde, which leaves you with the classic dry Bordeaux finish that lingers but isn't in your face.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, and I thought of rating it higher, but as I pondered, I might just like this wine because I haven't indulged in a nice Bordeaux in a while.  This wine was also an incredible value at just $8.50 at Costco!  This wine would pair well with beef, lamb or hearty heavily creamed sauce dishes.  Tonight I am mixing continental cultures and enjoying this wine with some Italian sausage with onions and peppers along with some spaghetti tossed in garlic and olive oil with cherry tomatoes and parsley.  I suppose I'm following in the footsteps of my grandfather who was Italian and French with this dinner, cheers!

2018 Pepper Bridge Vineyard Red Wine

Happy Saturday!  It's still a bit chilly here, though we made it into the 50s today at least, so I just spent my Saturday going to Costco and getting my grocery shopping done, as well as spending some time with friends.  And now it's time for a nice glass of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of the recent wine club shipment from Pepper Bridge Winery, the 2018 Pepper Bridge Vineyard red wine!  This wine is a blend of Merlot (38%), Malbec (31%), Cabernet Sauvignon (22%) and Petit Verdot (9%) from the Pepper Bridge Vineyard in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  So let's see how it's tasting!

The wine is a deep, inky black at the center, with bright garnet along the edges, just as you might expect from this blend of varietals.  A quick swirl releases aromas of blackberry, cherry and boysenberry, with undertones of leather and a hint of lilac.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of black cherry intermingled with dusty limestone, that transitions easily to notes of vanilla and caramel midpalate.  The tannins are well structured, providing a nice backbone for the long, smooth and very dry finish, with a bit of blueberry at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a very pleasant drinking blend that would be great with food or just sipping on the patio.  This wine would pair well with a big steak, grilled lamb or hearty Italian sausage, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled tomahawk ribeye along with some grilled leeks and white carrots.  The Malbec in the blend really stands up well to a rare steak.  Cheers!

2016 DaMa Collage

Happy Sunday!  I've been working much of the day and now it's time for me to put down the laptop and open a nice bottle of wine!   Tonight I've opened a bottle of a recent wine club shipment from DaMa Wines, the 2016 Collage, a blend of Merlot (71%), Cabernet Sauvignon (21%) and Cabernet Franc (5%), and yes, there is a typo since theyonle add up to 97%, but all I had to go on was what was printed on the label!  In any case, let's see what this Walla Walla blend has to offer.

The wine is a beautiful deep ruby color in the glass with nice clarity, a testament to the heavy Merlot influence in the blend.  A modest swirl in the glass releases aromas of leather, oak, blackberry and a hint of lilac.  Take a sip and you are greeted with a rush of ripe black cherry that washes over your palate before transitioning to some earthy notes of dusty limestone midpalate.  The tannins are expertly structured to provide a solid base for a long, smooth dry finish with a nice bit of acidity at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a really pleasant sipping wine, which I will likely do on the porch once I publish this!  This wine would pair well with pasta, pizza or barbecue, for a casual affair, or you can pick it up a notch and enjoy this with a classic rack of lamb.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled porterhouse with a baked potato and some steamed sugar snap peas.  Cheers!

1997 Reininger Columbia Valley Merlot

Well, it's the first Saturday of May, which means it's Cellar Saturday!  That magical day when I raid the cellar for something at least a decade in the making.  Tonight I've opened a special bottle that has only been in my cellar since last year, as I was fortunate enough to buy one of the last remaining bottles of Chuck's first vintage of Merlot.  I have no technical specifications for this wine, so we may as well just taste it!

The wine is a lovely ruby color in the glass, with just the faintest tint of amber along the edges.  The nose is still fresh and vibrant, with aromas of ripe red fruit, cherry, plum and raspberry with undertones of oak and eucalyptus.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of ripe cherry and plum that transitions easily to some notes of mocha and toasted oak midpalate.  The tannins are still fairly pronounced, providing a foundation for a delightfully long, dry finish that lingers awaiting your next sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's held up remarkably well for a Columbia Valley wine over more than two decades!  This wine would be welcome beside a big steak, prime rib or grilled stuffed Portobello caps.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some grilled picanha with chimichurri along with oven roasted baby potatoes and Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!