2018 Wente Wetmore Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Well today was a fairly relaxing day, I was planning to have some folks over for a cookout, but unfortunately we had to cancel it - perhaps next weekend might work.  So that left me with some options for dinner, and of course picking a wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of 2018 Wente Cabernet Sauvignon single vineyard wine sourced from the Charles Wetmore Vineyard in the Livermore Valley AVA of California.  So, let's see what this wine has to offer.

The wine is an inky black at the center with bright ruby along the edges, for a classic Cabernet look.  A gentle swirl in the glass releases aromas of black cherry, currant and blackberry intermingled with earthy notes of leather and oak.  Take a sip and a rich cascade of ripe black fruit envelops your palate, blackberry, cherry and plum which easily transition to some notes of dusty limestone midpalate.  The tannins are subdued, but still provide some structure to the velvety dry finish that lingers on the palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a very pleasant drinking Cabernet, and at a price of $17 at Costco, this wine would be an ideal everyday drinker.  This wine would pair well with a variety of dishes, from steaks and lamb, to pizza and barbecue.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some beef bulgogi that I also picked up at Costco, atop some steamed jasmine rice and garnished with scallions and sesame seeds.  Cheers!

2016 Pambrun Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  I admit I've taken the opportunity to relax a bit today, outside of doing a bit of laundry and grocery shopping, I've just taken it easy today.  Which of course means that I have extra energy for cooking and enjoying a bit of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle from a winery that I have an indirect ownership interest in, as it's owned by Willamette Valley Vineyards, which I bought and brought home from Walla Walla on my vacation a little over a month ago (wow time flies!).  This wine is full Cabernet sourced from two of my favorite vineyards, the Seven Hills Vineyard and the Summit View Vineyard in the Walla Walla Vallet.  The 2016 Pambrun Cabernet Sauvignon is crafted by Jon Meuret, the founder of Maison Bleue, who I've been a fan of since I visited back in 2014 or 2015.  It also has a connection to Jim Bernau, founder of Willamette Valley Vineyards, who traces his ancestors back to the early settlements of eastern Washingron back in the 1830s, so this is a nice crossroads of serendipity in wine!  So, let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine has a classic Cabernet looks, with deep inky black and bright ruby along the edges.  A quick swirl releases aromas of blackberry, black cherry and cassis with undertones of minerality, including graphite, earthy loam and hints of dried herbs.  Take a sip and and a rush of black fruit envelops the palate with black cherry, blackberry and black currant that takes a bow and surrenders the stage to some anise and smoky flavors with hints of black pepper spice.  The tannins are supple and well structured, providing an ideal backdrop for the velvety smooth, lingering dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just perfect for sipping on the patio (though maybe not on a hot and humid night like tonight) or enjoying with a hearty dinner.  This wine would pair well with lamb, hearty roast beef, or an earthy mushroom risotto.  Tonight I have taken the direct approach and am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled ribeye, along with grilled leeks an peppers, along with some Italian green beans from the farmers market and some Boursin cream pasta with sun dried tomatoes.  Cheers!

2019 In Sheep's Clothing Cabernet Sauvignon

So today I ventured out to Costco to pick up some steaks and I was a bit stunned by the prices, which are up on average 25% over just the past few months.  But what can you do, I'm clearly not a typical consumer as viewed by the Federal Reserve Board or any other number of idiot economists, so I'm not going to substitute prime steaks for hot dogs or chicken, but I digress.  At least I found an interesting wine there from the Columbia Valley of Washington, the 2019 In Sheep's Clothing Cabernet Sauvignon, which was only $14.  So let's see what this wine has to offer.

The wine is an inky black at the center, with deep ruby along the edges, just as you might expect from a nice Cabernet.  A swirl of the glass releases aromas of blackberry, blueberry and currant with hints of thyme and lavender beneath the surface.  A first sip reveals an unpretentious everyday drinking Cabernet with a rush of ripe black fruit intermingled with caramel that easily transitions to some notes of smoke and dried herbs midpalate.  The tannins are well structured, with a bit of acidity at the finish that makes this wine an easy dinner wine during the week.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's nothing spectacular, but you might be well served with a case of this wine to reach for during the week when your glamorous instragram food gives way to days of leftovers.  This wine would pair well with everything from burgers and pizza to pasta and steaks.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with one of the aforementioned expensive steaks, in this case a prime ribcap grilled rare with grilled leeks and roasted peppers, smashed purple potatoes with parsley (aka Joker potatoes) and some steamed asparagus with Hollandaise. Cheers!

2019 Willamette Valley Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir

Happy Sunday!  I apologize for not posting in over a week, but we had some thunderstorms roll through midweek, and although all my big trees survived, my home computer, printer and modem did not (the modem survived but now I only have wifi access to the web, no wired access).  But now everything is back online, so it's an ideal time to open up a nice bottle of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle from Willamette Valley Vineyards, of which I am an owner, so I am very enthused to taste the 2019 Willamette Valley Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir.  This wine is sourced from the three estate vineyards, including the original vineyard in the Salem Hills, the Tualatin Estate and the Elton Vineyard.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a pale garnet color in the glass with great clarity, just as you might expect from this varietal.  A gentle swirl in the glass releases aromas of ripe berries, blackberry, currant and raspberry intermingled with dried herbs and a bit of minerality.  The first sip reveals a rush of sweet berry fruit that eases into some anise and a hint of spice midpalate.  The tannins are nicely structured providing some backbone to the velvety dry finish that lingers for a bit.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's the type of Pinot Noir that I enjoy sipping, vibrant fruit and minerality that is not overpowered by any sort of funk.  This wine would pair well with salmon, lamb or earthy mushroom dishes, or even a classic truffle mac and cheese.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a pretzel crusted chicken breast along with a saffron potato puree and some bacon roasted Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2010 Syzygy Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, it's the first Saturday of August, which means it's Cellar Saturday, that magical day when I raid the cellar for something developing for at least a decade.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle of wine that's over a decade old, though it's only been in my cellar for a month!  On my recent Walla Walla vacation, I had the chance to meet with Syzygy proprietor and wine maker, Zach Brettler at his tasting room by the airport on my way out of town, and I was impressed with the wines.  He had taken a bit if a hiatus from winemaking for nearly a decade and has been selling some of the last of his 2009 and 2010 vintages, which are a treat.  The 2010 Syzygy Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a 100% Cabernet from the Conner Lee, Sagemoor and Klipsun Vineyards grown during a year that featured a solar eclipse.  So, let's see what this wine has to offer.

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with garnet along the edges.  The nose practically screams mature cabernet that is just hitting its stride, with aromas of leather, oak and earthy peat intermingled with notes of blackberry, cherry and plum that brings back memories of so many barrel rooms.  Take a sip and you are greeted by unexpected bright fruit flavors, strawberry, black cherry and plum that dance around your palate before giving way to some lovely black pepper spice midpalate.  The tannins are nicely structured and expertly integrated for the velvety smooth, dry finish that lingers on for what seems like several minutes.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a wonderfully built Cabernet that is just singing right now.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty dishes, from pasta and steaks, to lamb and smoked brisket.  Tonight, I am taking a page from my summer growing up, as it was very common when it was hot (with no central air conditioning) and very humid in the Midwest that my mom would routinely serve corn and tomatoes for dinner during the summer.  It was simple, but delicious with sweet corn and tomatoes in season.  Given that I did a lot of work around my uncle's house today and I seemed to have yet to stop sweating, I am enjoying some corn on the cob and sliced tomatoes for dinner, though unlike my mom, I've decided to add a rare grilled New York strip as well.  Cheers!

2020 Helix Rose of Sangiovese

Happy Friday!  It's been a busy week, and I am more than ready for the weekend, so tonight I've opened a nice summer rose, since the weather has been heating up again.  It's also Washington Wine Month (though I confess, reading on Twitter, it seems as though Washington Wine Month happens at least three or four times a year), so I've opened a bottle that I brought back from my vacation to Walla Walla last month.  The 2020 Helix Rose of Sangiovese is a wonderful rose wine based on Sangiovese sourced from the Royal Slope AVA of Washington (the Royal Slope was designated as an AVA in 2020, with a south facing slope that's much cooler than the Wahluke Slope to the south).  So, let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a lovely, light peach color in the glass, in line with many recent Washington roses.  A swirl of the glass reveals aromas of peach, citrus and green grass that seem like a breath of summer to be inhaled.  Take a sip and you're greeted by a rush of crisp summer flavors, bright citrus, wild berry and vibrant herbs with hints of melon and apple.  The tannins are wonderfully integrated for a delightfully crisp, dry finish that lingers on the palate more than you might expect from a rose.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a wonderful summer sipping wine that I will enjoy on the patio later this evening.  This wine would pair well with summer salads, lettuce wraps of Thai chicken, and of course seafood.  Tonight I am taking the classic approach and enjoying this wine with some herb crusted wild cod loins, along with some farro and steamed asparagus.  Cheers!

2020 Seven Hills Dry Rose

Happy Sunday!  It's been somewhat quiet here today, as I had the chance to do some chores around the house and just returned from a bike ride, but now it's time for a glass of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of wine from one of my favorite Washington wine makers, that I brought back from my vacation to Walla Walla, the 2020 Seven Hills Dry Rose from the Columbia Valley of Washington.  It certainly is rose season, so let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a lovely peach color in the glass, with a hint of pink at the edges, just what you might expect from a nice rose.  A quick swirl in the glass releases aromas of honeysuckle, soft citrus notes, and some nice mineral notes.  Take a sip and you are greeted with a taste of summer, with wonderful strawberry notes intermingled with grapefruit and watermelon, that will have you pining for the days of your childhood enjoying sweet, juicy fruits of summer in the back yard.  The tannins are soft and well structured for the crisp, dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it just speaks to me as an ideal summer rose all around, and at $20 it's a terrific value as well.  This wine would pair well with a variety of summer dishes, from burgers and hot dogs, to classic barbecue, to light summer salads.  Tonight I am taking a different approach and enjoying this wine with another dinner on the patio, a creole spiced veal loin chop, along with some blistered Campari tomatoes and linguine tossed with asparagus and garlic scapes sautéed in olive oil and topped with shaved parmesan.  Cheers!