2021 Les Vignerons d'Aix en Provence L'Exception Méditerranée Rosé

Happy Sunday!  It's been a day of best laid plans, as I had originally planned to trim all my hedges, but as I started my hedge trimmer, the blades would not engage, and since I'm reticent to trouble shoot in situations where I might lose a finger, I decided to merely trim larger branches and dig up some pesty trees.  And now I am ready for wine and dinner on the patio.  Since we are in the the heart of rosé season, I thought it best to open something from Provence, which I recently purchased from Wines Till Sold Out, the 2021 Les Vignerons d'Aix en Provence L'Exception Méditerranée Rosé.  This wine is a blend of Grenache and Caladoc (a cross of Grenache and Malbec), so let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a pale peach color in the glass, in line with the current trend in rosé.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals a cascade of peach, melon and pineapple that just dares you to sip by the pool, a true summer day in the glass.  Take a sip and all the flavors of summer come to greet you, peach, melon, citrus and fresh cut grass with plenty of bright acidity and bits of honey and sunshine.  The finish is crisp and dry, perfect for sipping on the patio with friend.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a wonderfully classis rosé  ideal for the summer season.  Enjoy this wine with summer caprese salad, shrimp cocktail or gazpacho for a wonderful afternoon.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with some crispy skin Scottish pearl salmon with some dill cream, along with some risotto and asparagus with hollandaise.  Cheers!

2017 Seven Hills Summit View Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  It's been a busy weekend and I had the opportunity to go to our County Fair for the first time since the pandemic, which was so nice.  Today was a rainy Sunday, so what else could I do but laundry and opening a bottle of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of one of my perennial favorite Cabernets from Seven Hills, the 2017 Seven Hills Summit View Cabernet Sauvignon.  The Summit View Vineyard was planted with Clone 191 Cabernet, and the terroir is ideal for this grape, creating a truly special wine year after year.  So, let's see what this vintage has to offer!

The wine is a deep, inky black at the center with bright ruby along the edges.  Give it a swirl and take a deep breath and you're transported to the tobacco smoke infused leather furniture of an Ivy League club as resist the urge to take a healthy sip.  Once you do, your mouth is coated with a velvety rich wine, that has a wide array of black fruit and a healthy zing of acidity at the back end.  Earthy, rich, velvety smooth, this is the kind wine you can sip over conversations with old friends for hours.

Overall, I'd rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a pleasure to drink and a wine that has yet to disappoint.  This wine would be great with hearty steaks, lamb, or even summer fare like barbecued ribs or hearty brats.  Tonight, I'm enjoying this wine with a rare grilled Angus porterhouse along with grilled garlic scapes and asparagus, and some oven roasted fingerling sweet potatoes.  Cheers!

2020 Hampton Water Languedoc Rosé

Well, it's certainly feeling a lot more like summer, highs today in the upper 80s (with mid-90s predicted for tomorrow!) and humidity of 85% it seems perfect for a nice bottle of rosé!  Tonight I've opened a bottle that I recently bought from Wines Till Sold Out, the 2020 Hampton Water Languedoc Rosé.  This wine is another collaboration between fame and wine, as it's the result of a collaboration between Jon Bon Jovi and his son Jesse, along with Gerard Bertrand to create a unique rosé from the Languedoc region in the south of France.  This wine is a blend of Grenache(60%), Cinsault (15%), Mourvedre (15%) and Syrah (10%).  So, let's see how refreshing this wine can be on a hot, humid evening!

The wine is a pale peach color in the glass, which seems to be the trend among rosé the past couple years.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of peach, strawberry and a bit of citrus that invites you to imbibe.  Take a sip and you're transported to the beach, with a rush of wonderful fresh fruit dancing on your palate, intermingled with some earthy notes of basalt.  The finish is wonderfully crisp and dry with just a hint of acidity at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's an ideal everyday rosé and a good value at just $19.  This wine would pair well with a variety of summer dishes, though it practically begs to be consumed with seafood.  Which comes in handy as tonight I am enjoying this wine with a bit of low country boil as I picked up some crawfish over the weekend, along with corn and potatoes and some creole and Old Bay seasoning makes for a perfect summer patio meal.  Cheers!

2021 Réserve de l'Abbé Côtes du Rhône Rosé

Happy Sunday!  It's been an incredibly busy week with work, so I'm afraid I haven't had much time for blogging or drinking wine, but at least tonight I have a small break.  Since we are now in the heart of rosé season, and because today has been incredibly warm and humid, I've decided to open a bottle I recently purchased from Wines Till Sold Out.  The 2021 Réserve de l'Abbé Côtes du Rhône Rosé is a blend of Grenache and Syrah from the left bank of the Rhone in the Enclave des Papes region of France.  So, let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a very pale peach color in the glass, nearly bordering on the look of a white wine.  A swirl of the glass reveals aromas of ripe red berry fruit, strawberry, currant and raspberry with just a hint of citrus undertones.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of ripe red fruit, as this is a very fruit forward wine, with notes of cherry and raspberry up front that transitions to hints of lemongrass and watermelon midpalate, creating a lively crispness on the palate.  The finish is crisp and dry, making this a refreshing and food friendly rosé for summer.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a pleasant drinking rosé for summer and it was also a terrific value at just $10.  This wine would pair well with summer salads, such as caprese or a roasted beet and feta over arugula, as well as spicy dishes, including fajitas or even a rich curry.  Tonight I am enjoying this with a comfort food favorite as I made some fresh eggplant parmesan with a couple of eggplants I bought at the farmers market yesterday.  Cheers!

2021 Sieur d'Eguilles Coteaux d'Aix en Provence Rosé

Happy Sunday!  It's been a busy weekend, so it figures that right at the end of it, I finally have some time to sit down and enjoy a nice glass of wine.  Since we are in the heart of rosé season, I figured it would be nice to open a bottle and enjoy it with dinner and out on the patio, perhaps with a fire tonight.  So, I've opened a bottle of 2021 Sieur d'Eguilles Coteaux d'Aix en Provence Rosé that I bought in a recent $10 case sale from Wines Till Sold Out (and no, it wasn't $10 a case, but $10 per bottle in the case!).  The wine is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Cabernet Sauvignon, so, let's see how it's tasting.

The wine is a very pale peach color in the glass, as you might expect from the region.  A swirl of the glass reveals aromas of citrus, peach and honeydew with hints of mineral undertones.  Take a sip and your nose and taste buds part ways as you're treated to a rush of red berry fruit, strawberry, raspberry and currant, with just a touch of citrus at the finish, which is crisp and dry.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a classic rosé from Provence and a terrific value for just $10!  This wine would pair with a broad range of summer dishes, from barbecue to a wide range of salads, burgers to light fish dishes.  Tonight, I have gone completely the opposite direction and am enjoying this wine with some comfort food, of classic tuna noodle casserole topped with crushed potato chips!  Cheers!

2018 Ratified & Repealed California Red Wine

Happy Independence Day!  Let me first say, as you may already know, I am a sucker for interesting packaging, particularly when it involves art deco styling, which leads me to tonight's wine.  The 2018 Ratified & Repealed California Red Wine checks all the boxes, with a bottle reminiscent of a liquor bottle along with art deco lettering and design.  I picked this wine up at Trader Joe's a few weeks ago, and I don't recall that it was expensive, so let's hope the wine is as attractive as the bottle!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass with nice clarity.  A swirl of the glass reveals aromas of blackberry, currant and hints of graphite.  A sip reveals a rush of ripe fruit, black currant, cherry and plum that transition to some notes of warm spice and vanilla bean midpalate.  The tannins are well structured, providing for a smooth dry finish with a good bit of acidity at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a very pleasant drinking red wine that would pair well with a range of weeknight dinners, or just sipping on the patio with friends.   This wine would be wonderful with grilled steaks, barbecue or tacos, or even a weeknight burger.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with my 4th of July dinner of a prime tomahawk ribeye grilled Pittsburgh rare along with some grilled garlic scapes, broccoli rabe and corn on the cob.  Cheers!

2016 Spring Valley Uriah

Happy Sunday! It's a holiday weekend and I am in full relaxation mode!  I just spent the afternoon trimming some branches and then it was off to the patio for some Limoncello martinis before dinner.  So, for the wine tonight, I've opened a bottle of wine that was from a favorite producer in Walla Walla, but was just delivered from Wines Till Sold Out today!  The Uriah is a blend of Merlot (59%), Cabernet Franc (39%) Petit Verdor (1%) and Malbec (1%) from the Spring Valley Estate Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley of Washington.  So, let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a deep inky black at the center with bright garnet along the edges as you might expect from a Merlot dominant blend.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of blackberry, cherry and a bit of Bordeaux funk over the top.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of black plum, cherry and blackberry that transition to to some warm notes of backing spice and vanilla bean midpalate.  The tannins are nicely structured, providing a good backbone for the velvety, long dry finish that lingers on your palate for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a great example of a right bank style Bordeaux blend that is being produced in the Walla Walla Valley today.  This wine would pair well with steak, lamb, braised short ribs or a wonderful mushroom risotto.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine on the patio with a rare grilled bone-in ribeye along with some gilled asparagus and garlic scapes and some grilled corn on the cob.  Cheers!

2010 Château la Tour de Bessan Margaux

Happy Independence Day weekend!  It's also the first Saturday of a new month, which makes this Cellar Saturday. that magical time when I raid the cellar for something at least a decade in the making to enjoy.  Tonight I've opened a special bottle, one that's been in my cellar for more than a decade and one which longevity makes a masterful difference.  The 2010 Château la Tour de Bessan Margaux is a classic example of a high quality Bordeaux that need ample time in the cellar to fully develop.  So, let's see how this wine has developed over the past decade!

Thw wine is a deep ruby color at the center, in what could also be taken for black when looking down in the glass.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of black cherry, cardamom and oak with undertones of black plum and star anise, giving you a hint of the old world classic flavors you're about to imbibe.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of ripe, candied fruit up front, cherries, blackberries and currant that transition to some wonderful mineral notes of basalt, dusty limestone and classic Bordeaux funk midpalate.  The tannins are classically structured in an old word style creating a long, smooth dry finish that makes you hardly think you've been drinking wine at all!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9.5, as this classic old world Margaux is just now reaching its peak.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty dished and hard cheeses, from lamb chops to wild mushroom risotto. hearty steaks to hearty pasta dishes.  Tonight, I am  enjoying this wine with a class spring dinner of a rare grilled prime ribcap along with some linguine tossed with garlic, olive oil, broccoli rabe and asparagus topped with shaved parmesan.  Cheers!