2017 Noirvana Pinot Noir

Happy Taco Tuesday (I bet you'll never guess what's for dinner tonight!) and let's have some wine!  Tonight I've opened a bottle of Michigan wine, and you know I'm not such a big fan of Michigan wines, but a friend of mine gave be this bottle for Christmas, and it's made by her boyfriend's family, so I had to give it a try.  The 2017 Noirvana Pinot Noir is from the Karma Vista Vineyards in Coloma, Michigan, so let's see how this wine is tasting.

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with nice clarity, just a touch darker than you might expect from the varietal.  A gentle swirl in the glass reveals aromas of cherry, currant, lavender and oak, with virtually none of the funk that's usually present with a Pinot Noir.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of ripe red fruit, cherry, strawberry and raspberry that transition to some classic earthy elements of tar and dusty limestone that are classically associated with the varietal.  The tannins are nicely developed and firm enough to support a supple dry finish that lingers on the palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's one of the better Michigan red wines I've tried, and likely would be a good comparison to many west coast Pinot Noirs.  This wine would pair well with a variety of more elegant dishes, from herb crusted rack of lamb, venison tenderloin or a classis risotto.  But, since it is Taco Tuesday, I am enjoying this wine with some steak fajita tacos, topped with cheese, sour cream and some fresh jalapeno.  Cheers!

2019 Hillside Napa Valley Calistoga Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Merry Christmas!  I know it's only Christmas Eve, but I probably won't be posting tomorrow, so enjoy the greetings while you can!  I'm enjoying a relaxing Christmas Eve, listening to the broadcast of the play I was recently in, which will be played on our local public radio station tonight.  To help in that effort, I've opened a bottle of 2019 Hillside Napa Valley Calistoga Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon that I bought from Wines Till Sold Out.  This wine is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Calistoga district in Napa Valley.  I've heard good things about the 2019 Napa vintage, so let's see how this wine is shaping up.

The wine is a deep, inky black at the center with bright garnet along the edges, as you might expect from a nice quality Cabernet.  A gentle swirl in the glass releases aromas of blackberry, cherry and toffee aromas that are warm and inviting.  Take a sip and your greeted by a rush of ripe blueberry, blackberry and plum with just the faintest floral undertones of violets.  Midpalate, you have some wonderful earthy mineral notes that are expressive of the volcanic soil of this vineyard, before reaching the climax, with well integrated tannins providing for a velvety dry finish that lingers for a minute or more.  

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a wonderfully drinking Cabernet at release, but would likely benefit greatly from a few years in the cellar to mature.  This wine would pair well with steaks, lamb, venison or even braised short ribs, as the flavors would stand up to the richest fare.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a pan seared filet mignon, along with some mashed potatoes and bacon roasted Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2019 Pepper Bridge Merlot

Happy Wine Wednesday!  I admit it's been a while since my last post, but I've been so busy between work and the play I was in at our local civic theatre, but the last performance was a Sunday matinee and now I am officially done with work for the year, so expect more than a few postings between now and early January!  Tonight, I've opened a perennial favorite Merlot, the 2019 Pepper Bridge Walla Walla Valley Merlot.  This wine is a blend of Merlot (77%), Cabernet Franc (15%) and Malbec (8%) sourced from the Seven Hills, Waliser, Pepper Bridge and Octave Vineyards in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this wine is shaping up!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, somewhat lighter than the more boisterous Cabernets, but just as you'd expect from a nice Merlot.  A gentle swirl in the glass releases aromas of ripe black fruit, blackberry, cherry with an overlay of baking spice, cocoa powder and just a hint of green cedar.  At your first sip, you're greeted with a rush of ripe black fruit up front, blackberry, cherry and currant that transition easily to some warm spice notes, intermingled with some earthy minerality.  The tannins are supple and velvety, providing for a wonderfully smooth, dry finish that already has me reaching for another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's always a wonderfully build Merlot.  This wine would pair well with a range of hearty, comfort dishes so prominent in the winter months, from braised short ribs to Yankee pot roast, wild mushroom risotto to truffle mac and cheese.  Tonight though, I am enjoying this wine with a tomahawk ribeye grilled Pittsburgh rare, along with some oven roasted baby potatoes with rosemary and some bacon roasted Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2018 Nelms Road Cabernet Sauvignon

Thank heavens it's Friday!  It's been a long week and I am surely ready for a break.  Between work and rehearsals for an upcoming community theatre production I'm in, it seems like I was up at 5:30 each morning and then running non-stop until 11 pm!  But, no rehearsal tonight so I get to enjoy a bottle of wine and a dinner that does not consist of quickly reheated leftovers.  So, with that in mind, I've opened a bottle of 2018 Nelms Road Cabernet Sauvignon, a second label Columbia Valley Cabernet produced by Woodward Canyon Winery, a winery that I first visited over 20 years ago!  Let's see how this wine is shaping up.

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you might expect from a mellow Columbia Valley Cabernet.  A gentle swirl releases aromas of ripe black plum, currant and cherry, intermingled with notes of black pepper spice and a bit of green cedar.  A first sip reveals a rush of black fruit, dried herbs and a hint of leather, that just has a wonderfully velvety mouthfeel.  Midpalate provides a bit of vanilla bean wrapping up with some black pepper spice on the finish.  The tannins are well structured and approachable, for a lovely dry finish that will have you soon reaching for another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a solid everyday Cabernet at a value price of just $25.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty, winter comfort dishes, from braised short ribs to hearty pasta, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a mid-rare grilled bison New York strip along with some oven roasted potatoes and beets, and asparagus with hollandaise.  Cheers!

2017 Kevin O'Leary Wines Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

I'll admit I used to watch Shark Tank regularly, and I could never figure out whether I like Kevin O'Leary (aka Mr. Wonderful) or not.  Over the years I've seen him in the CNBC studio on the floor of the NYSE, and I recalled that he always had a thing for fine wines and even started making some on his own.  So, when I saw the 2017 Kevin O'Leary Wines Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon on Wines Till Sold Out, I couldn't resist buying a few bottles.  So, let's see if this wine is as wonderful as Mr. O'Leary thinks he is!

The wine is a deep inky black at the center with bright ruby, just as you might expect from a Napa Valley Cabernet.  A gentle swirl in the glass reveals aromas of blackberry, cherry and baking spice with undertones of cedar and cocoa.  The first sip presents a rush of blackberry and plum that transitions nicely to some earthy notes of earthy peat and red meat midpalate.  The tannins as a bit subdued but still provide a nice base for the long. smooth dry finish that lingers for a minute or two.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as I think it stands up well for a Napa Valley Cabernet from a somewhat lackluster vintage.  It may not have been such a value at the original price of $50, but for $20 from Wines Till Sold Out, this wine was a very good value.  This wine would pair well with steaks and chops, braised short ribs or hearty wild mushroom risotto.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a bone-in bison ribeye with some oven roasted root vegetables and some grilled baby cauliflower.  Cheers!

2016 Castelli del Grevepesa 'Castelgreve' Chianti Classico Riserva

Happy Wine Wednesday!  It's been a short while since I've posted, so I thought why not go for a mid-week treat?  Tonight I have decided to go Italian and open a recent bottle from Wines Till Sold Out, the 2016 Castelli del Grevepesa 'Castelgreve' Chianti Classico Riserva!  This Tuscan classis is a blend of Sangiovese (90%) and Merlot (10%) which lends to it's somewhat richer color than a typical Sangiovese based wine.  So, let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a lovely garnet color in the glass, with great clarity.  A swirl of the glass releases aromas of strawberry, cedar and floral aromas that are typical for a nice Chianti.  Take a sip and you're greeted with delightful flavors of black cherry, tobacco and vanilla bean, with undertones of earthy tar and leather.  The tannins are nicely structured providing for a velvety dry finish with a reprise of savory notes at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a wonderful example of a Chianti Classico, at a typically value price point for an Italian red.  This wine would pair well with grilled steaks, pastas or risotto, many of the Italian dishes that have become our favorites.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a classic Italian sausage with onions and peppers and some spaghetti tossed with garlic and olive oil.  Cheers!