2018 L'Ecole No. 41 Perigee

Happy Sunday!  I did a little work this afternoon and then went for a bike ride given that the weather was sunny and nearly 80 degrees today.  So, to conclude my weekend I'm having a nice patio dinner and enjoying one of my favorite wines, the 2018 L'Ecole No. 41 Perigee.  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Merlot (16%), Cabernet Franc (16%), Petit Verdot (9%) and Malbec (9%) all sourced from the Seven Hills Vineyard in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  Let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is an inky black at the center of the glass, with bright garnet along the edges, just as you might expect from a heavy Cabernet blend.  A gentle swirl in the glass releases aromas of ripe black fruit, blackberry, cherry and marionberry intermingled with earthy notes of cedar and tobacco.  Take a sip and you are greeted by an amazingly complex and layered combinations of flavors, with blackberry and cherry undertones giving vibrancy to some violet, oak and herbs de Provence before your taste journey transitions to some anise and roast beef notes midpalate.  The tannins are expertly structured, bringing nice body and silkiness to the long, dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9.5, as it just reminds me of being in Walla Walla, barrel tasting some of the great Bordeaux style blends, and this wine just exemplifies that tradition (and it's also perhaps my favorite vintage to date of the Perigee!).  This wine would pair well with a broad range of hearty dishes, from steaks and chops, to rack of lamb or hearty pasta.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled New York strip topped with Béarnaise along with a bounty of oven roasted vegetables, including leeks, broccoli rabe, garlic scapes and blistered yellow cherry tomatoes.  Cheers!

2016 Famiglia Castellani Chianti Classico Riserva

Happy Saturday!  I basically spend the day working around the house and running errands, and with some cooler weather, I'm looking forward to a fire on the patio tonight.  But until then, it's time to open a bottle of wine and enjoy some dinner.  Tonight I've opened a recent purchase from Costco, the 2016 Famiglia Castellani Chianti Classico Riserva.  Who doesn't love a nice Sangiovese based wine, and this one should be just about to hit its stride, so let's have a taste!

The wine is a bright ruby color in the glass, with great clarity, just as you would expect from the varietal.  A gentle swirl in the glass releases aromas of cherry, strawberry, leather and oak with undertones of spicy peppery notes.  Take a sip and your greeted with plenty of ripe red fruit, cherry, strawberry and currant that lingers on the palate before transitioning to earthy notes of dusty limestone and a hint of anise midpalate.  The tannins are soft, creating a wonderfully supply, 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 pleasant drinking example of a Chianti Classico at a value price of just $14 at Costco.  This wine practically begs to be paired with Italian food, and I would enjoy it with a classic bistecca Fiorentina to a risotto alla Milanese, hearty pasta with red sauce or my dinner tonight, some sweet Italian sausage sautéed with onions and peppers along with some linguine tossed with garlic and olive oil and broccoli rabe, topped with shaved Parmesan.  This is the type of dinner that reminds me of the great Italian fests, like for San Gennaro back when I lived in Hoboken in the 1990s.  Cheers!

2018 La Pruladière Lussac Saint-Émilion

Happy Thursday!  It's been a busy time lately, with a lot going on, especially last weekend but now things are opening up a bit in my schedule so I might actually have time to make a few posts.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of Bordeaux that I recently purchased from Wines Till Sold Out, a new wine that I haven't heard of before.  The 2018 La Pruladière Lussac Saint-Émilion is a blend of Merlot (98.5%) and Cabernet Franc (1.5%) from Lussac Saint-Émilion which is to the north of the Saint-Émilion known for clay-limestone soils with moderate climate for grape growing.  So, let's see what this wine has to offer.

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, as you might expect from a heavy Merlot dominance.  A swirl of the glass reveals aromas of leather, violet and oak with bright overtones of blackberry, blueberry and cherry.  A sip reveals ample fruit with a rush of blackberry and currant that transitions easily to some notes of tart cherry and rustic wood notes midpalate.  The tannins are chewy, providing for a smooth dry finish that should hold up well against the heartiest of meals.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's just a pleasant, everyday drinking red, with a hearty appeal.  This wine was also a solid value at just $16, and would pair well with a variety of warm fall dishes, from braised short ribs to mushroom risotto.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled New York strip topped with some béarnaise along with steamed broccoli and a big baked potato topped with sour cream and scallions.  Cheers!

2015 Prodigo Lazio Syrah

Happy Sunday!  Today I got some work done in the yard, despite the heat and humidity, I succeeded in permanently installing the windmill from my uncle's house, I dug up a number of unwanted trees and shrubs and transplanted a small ginkgo sapling.  And now it's time for dinner and a nice glass of wine.  Based on my dinner choice, I opened a bottle of 2015 Prodigo Lazio Syrah, a 100% Syrah from Italy that I purchased from Wines Till Sold Out a few months back.  So let's see how this Italian Syrah is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you might expect from a nice Syrah.  A quick swirl releases ample black fruit aromas, blackberry, blueberry and currant amid undertones of leather, cedar and peppery spice.  A sip reveals wonderfully rich black fruit flavors with just a hint of sweetness before transitioning to some tobacco and earthy mineral notes midpalate.   The tannins are subtle, but still provide a nice structure to the smooth, dry finish that lingers.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's not a spectacular wine, but a nice everyday sipper, and a terrific value for just $10!  I would normally say Zinfandel is the best varietal with barbecue, but recently I've come to the realization that Syrah is also a great wine for barbecue, which is what I'm pairing this wine with tonight, barbecued pork spare ribs along with some mustard baked beans and sriracha slaw, an ideal patio dinner as we near the end of summer.  Cheers!

Eclipse Bourbon Barrel Cabernet Zinfandel

Happy Sunday!  I got a few things accomplished this afternoon, including painting the base coat of the windmill I brought home yesterday as well as smoking a large short rib plate which will be my dinner tonight.  Which brings me to the wine I've opened this evening, the Eclipse Bourbon Barrel Cabernet Zinfandel blend from the Dry Creek Valley of California.  This wine was made by a friend of mine which he does as a hobby, sourcing grapes from California and blending and aging the wine for his friends.  So, given that my dinner will be barbecued tonight, I couldn't think of a better wine than a Zin-Cab blend!

The wine is an inky color with a deep garnet color along the edges, as you might expect from such a blend.  The nose presents aromas of leather and oak, with some undertones of blackberry jam.  Take a sip and you are treated with an evolving series of black fruit, blackberry, blueberry and currant that transition easily to some notes of charred oak and mineral midpalate.  The tannins are somewhat subdued, which opened the door for some pronounced acidity on the dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a 7.5, as it's a solid effort from my friend, but could be a bit more refined in complexity.  As I mentioned, this wine would pair well with barbecue, and it just so happens that I'm enjoying this wine with dinner on the patio, barbecued beef short ribs along with some mustard baked beans and sriracha slaw.  Cheers!

2020 Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Pinot Noir

Well, it was an eventful Saturday, as I got the truck out and traveled to Illinois to move a windmill from my uncle's yard back to mine.  It was rather uneventful, as I prepared for the worst and had it removed and placed in the truck within about 10 minutes!  So, I got back early and had time to go to the hardware store and pick up some spray paint to repaint it before finding a spot to put it in the yard.  So, now that I have some time to sip some wine and make dinner, I've decided to open a bottle of 2020 Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Pinot Noir, which is a wine that I'm pleased to be an owner of, but also one that I think will go well with my classic Labor Day dinner.  So, let's see how this wine tastes!

The wine is a wonderfully bright ruby color in the glass, with great clarity to create such a gem like appearance.  A quick swirl in the glass releases aromas of strawberry, a bit of tart cherry and the faintest hint of rose petals.  Take a sip and you have a rush of tart cherry up front that eases into some earthy mineral notes with a bit of tar midpalate.  The tannins are supple, creating a base for a wonderfully smooth, dry finish with a reprise of acidity at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a classic Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley of Oregon.  This wine would pair well with a range of dished, from lamb to salmon, barbecue to asada beef tacos.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with my classic Labor Day dinner, of steamed lobster and corn on the cob.  Back in my sophomore year of college, the Civil Air Patrol would sell live Maine lobsters for $5 each for a fundraiser, so our first weekend back on campus was always a lobster fest in our fraternity house.  Since my local market had live lobsters on sale today, I've recreated my Labor Day lobster dinner.  Cheers!

2018 Seven Hills Winery Pepper Bridge Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, it's been a busy week, and after a bike ride it's time to open a nice bottle of wine and enjoy a wonderful dinner.  Tonight I've opened a classic Walla Walla Cabernet from one of my favorite wine makers and vineyards.  The 2018 Seven Hills Winery Pepper Bridge Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is a classis Cabernet from a section of the Pepper Bridge Vineyard that exemplifies the best of what Walla Walla Cabernet can be.

The wine is a deep, brooding color at the center, with bright ruby along the edges.  A gentle swirl releases aromas of violets, blackberry and cherry intermingled with dusty loam.  Take a sip and you are treated to a rush of ripe fruit as cherry, blackberry and currant cascade to earthy notes of dusty limestone, mint and peppery spice midpalate.  The tannins are expertly structured to form the base of the long, lush and wonderfully dry finish that will have you asking for more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a perennial favorite and a great example of what the Walla Walla Valley and this classic vineyard can produce in a Cabernet.  This wine is easy to sip on it's own, but would also pair well with lamb, classic steaks and chops, as well as hearty fall pasta dishes.  Tonight, inspired by last night's episode of Masterchef with French dishes inspired by Chef Ludo Lefebvre, I am enjoying this wine with a steak frites, a classic French bistro dish of rare New York strip topped with béarnaise and some purple potato fries.  Cheers!