2019 Poggio Badiola

Happy Sunday!  Well, last week I was traveling, and last night I had a dozen people over for a practice run of hot dogs and hamburgers ahead of Labor Day, so tonight is the first chance I've had to post in a while!  Tonight I've opened a bottle of wine that I picked up at Costco yesterday, the 2019 Poggio Badiola.  This wine is an interesting "super Tuscan" as it's primarily Sangiovese (65%) and Merlot (30%) along with some Petit Verdot (5%).  So, let's see what this wine has to offer.  

The wine is a light ruby color in the glass, with great clarity, a nod to the heavy hand of Sangiovese in the blend.  A gentle swirl reveals a funky little wine, with notes of tar, strawberry, anise and dried spices.  One sip and you are immersed in a wild ride that starts with a bit of red meat which then zigs to some fresh strawberry before taking a zag to some white pepper spice at the finish.  The tannins are well structured, offering a pleasing dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a pleasant drinking everyday wine at a value price of just $13.  This wine would pair well with pasta, steak, or even hearty fish like salmon or branzino.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a grilled veal rib chop along with some squid ink linguine tossed with cherry tomatoes roasted with garlic, olive oil, balsamic and pancetta.  Cheers! 

2017 Seven Hills Summit View Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Saturday!  Today has been a mixed bag of weather, so rather then working out in the yard, I spend some time running errands and cooking!  The weather held out, so I suppose I could have done work in the yard, but there's no sense in crying over spilled grass clippings.  So, tonight I've opened a bottle of a perennial favorite, the Seven Hills Summit View Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon which is a single varietal wine from Clone 191 grown at this vineyard, in this case the 2017 vintage of which I was able to snag a few bottle recently thanks to my friends at Seven Hills.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a classic deep ruby color as you would expect for a quality Cabernet.  A gentle swirl in the glass reveals aromas of leather, blackberry, cherry and currant with undertones of black pepper spice and green grass.  Take a sip and you're greeted by a rush of ripe black fruit intermingled with rustic dried herbs, and earthy notes of peat and basalt that create a real sense of place in the Walla Walla Valley.  The tannins are wonderfully structured, providing a solid backbone for a long, smooth and exceptionally dry finish that lingers on the palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, which I think is about the average rating for every vintage of Summit View Cabernet as it's just always a great wine to sip.  This wine would pair well with a broad range of hearty dishes, from summer barbecue, burgers and brats, to prime steaks and chops.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic steak and a new dish that I learned from Don't Go Bacon My Heart on Instagram, Caprese burrata pasta (you can find the recipe here) which is rich, zesty and fun, as well as some roast hatch chilis, because I can!  Cheers!

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

Happy Sunday!  I haven't posted in a bit since between fighting a cold and an incredibly busy time at work, I just haven't had the opportunity.  But tonight that changes as I've opened a bottle from a rosé four-pack that I bought from Wines Till Sold Out, what better way to enjoy some nice summer wines from Provence?  The 2021 Belles d'Eguilles Coteaux d'Aix en Provence Rosé is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Carignan from Provence in the south of France.  So, let's see what the Mediterranean rosé has to offer!

The wine is a very pale peach color in the glass, as has been the trend with recent rosé vintages.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of peach, honeydew, tart grapefruit and a bit of lemon zest.  Take a sip and out comes the sun (despite the cool, rainy weather here today) with bright citrus, strawberry and hints of melon, intermingled with some mineral notes that characterize the region.  The finish is somewhat crisp, but very dry, making this wine ideal for outdoor summer dining.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a solid rosé at a good value, but it's not as impressive as others I've enjoyed this summer.  This wine would pair well with summer salads, barbecue, burgers and brats as well as hearty fish dishes.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with some crispy skin salmon done mid-rare, some wild rice and haricots verts almondine.  Cheers!

2012 Anana Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Cellar Saturday!  It's that wonderful time, the first Saturday of the month where I raid the cellar for something at least a decade in the making.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle of a recent purchase from Wines Till Sold Out (so it hasn't been in my cellar long) but one that's been aging for a while and it's from a stellar Napa vintage.  The 2012 Anana Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a 100% Cabernet from the Coombsville and Oakville AVAs of Napa Valley, so let's see how this wine has developed.

The wine is a rich, inky color, as you'd expect from a big Napa Cabernet.  Take a whiff, and you are treated to an explosion of jamminess with lots of ripe fruit over earthy undertones, like eating a blackberry cobbler at a remote forest campsite.  Take a sip and you quickly learn this wine isn't nearly as rustic as you thought, with bright fruit giving way to some tar and smoke that will have you thinking of Bordeaux.  This finish is exceptionally dry, again a nod to the best of the old world Bordeaux style.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's drinking beautifully now, but will likely reach it's peak within the next few years.  This wine would pair well with steaks, lamb or even hearty salmon dishes.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with something a bit more wild, a bison chuckeye steak grilled mid-rare with some steamed asparagus and hollandaise.  Cheers!