2020 Pepper Bridge Winery Seven Hills Vineyard Red Wine

Happy Saturday!  It's been a solid day of leaf patrol, and after 8 hours I only finished the roof and front yard!  So more to do tomorrow, but at least for now I can relax with a nice meal and a glass of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle from a recent wine club shipment from Pepper Bridge Winery, the 2020 Seven Hills Vineyard Blend.  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Merlot (25%) ,  Cabernet Franc (10%), Malbec (10%) and Petit Verdot (5%) all from the Seven Hills Vineyard in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this wonderful Autumn wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby taste of cooling temperatures, falling leaves and gourds, with aromas of leather, blackberry, cocoa powder and cedar on the nose.  One sip reveals a rush of black raspberry, pomegranate and hints of mulling spice that make this wine ideal for the season,  Midpalate, the character evolves to some basalt and mineral notes so characteristic of the vineyard.  The tannins are well structured, providing for a long, smooth dry finish with a kick of acidity at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a perennial favorite from Pepper Bridge.  This wine would pair well with classic steaks, but would also pair well with lamb, game or some hearty fall favorites like a sausage and sweet potato hash.  Tonight I am taking a more traditional route and enjoying this wine with some pan seared lamb loin chops with some herbs de Provence, along with oven roasted beets and asparagus with hollandaise.  Cheers!

2020 DaMa Wines Chardonnay

Happy Sunday!  It's fall, so that means every weekend that it doesn't rain I'm spending at least one afternoon gathering leaves and putting them out in the street for pickup, and so that's how I spent my afternoon today.  But at least the weather was gorgeous, with lots of sun and highs in the upper 70s, I got one last chance to work in the yard in shorts.  And now that I'm done, I'm ready to sit down for Sunday dinner, which has been roasting as I was working.  And to go with it, I've opened a bottle of a recent wine club shipment from DaMa Wines, the 2020 Chardonnay, which is sourced from the Conner Lee Vineyard in the Columbia Valley AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this unusual white wine for me to review is tasting!

The wine is a pale gold color in the glass, and a gentle swirl reveals aromas of faint lemon citrus, hints of pear and pineapple, suggesting a much more fruit forward Chardonnay than the classic butter bombs.  Take a sip and it's like you've washed ashore on a tropical island, with a rush of pineapple, mango and hibiscus that capture your imagination as you follow the flavor adventure to some vanilla cream notes on the finish, which is crisp and dry.

I am not a but white wine fan, and many Chardonnays I find very one dimensional, but this one is really a pleasant drinking wine that's sure to please a wide crowd of wine drinkers.  For that, I would happily rate this wine a solid 9, perhaps the highest rating I've ever given a white wine.  This wine would pair well with a wide range of dishes, from halibut to classic fish tacos, moules frites or Thai curry, but tonight I am enjoying this with a classic Sunday dinner of roasted chicken with mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy, along with some asparagus with Hollandaise.  Cheers!

2020 Mark Ryan "Crazy Mary" Mourvèdre

Happy Sunday!  It was the first full day of leaf activity, with the blower, the vacuum and lots of tiring labor!  But, at least I've caught up for a week and am ready to enjoy Sunday dinner and a glass of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle that I recently received from Mark Ryan Winery, the 2020 Crazy Mary Mourvèdre, which is a blend of Mourvèdre (78%) and Syrah (22%) from the Ciel du Cheval and Red Willow Vineyards in the Columbia Valley AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this vintage is shaping up!

The wine is a bright ruby color in the glass, which is characteristic of the varietals.  A gentle swirl of the glass unlocks aromas of strawberry, red currant and hints of smoke and pipe tobacco.  Take a sip and you know you're in for a ride with crazy Mary in the driver's seat, a rush of strawberry and sweet red berry fruit up front veers into some spicy pepper notes before spinning right back to some earthy tar, tobacco and black tea notes before heading right off the cliff for some salty mineral notes on the finish.  The tannins are supple and unobtrusive, making a parting gift for the long, smooth dry finish that beckons you to take another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's one of the better vintages I've tried, with wonderfully intriguing characteristics that would be wonderful to enjoy with friends.  This wine would pair well with a variety of fall dishes, from venison to roasted rack of lamb, hearty beef stew or braised short ribs, but tonight I am going the Pacific Northwest route and am enjoying this wine with salmon!  Specifically, I am enjoying this wine with my Sunday dinner of crispy skin black pearl Scottish salmon, steamed brown rice and some oven roasted baby carrots and beets.  Cheers!

2018 Mi Terruño Reserve Malbec

 Happy Saturday!  I can freely admit there was a time when I was just not a fan of Malbec, but I confess it's really grown on me over the past six or seven years, particularly when it's served with some high quality beef!  So, tonight as I am contemplating a nice T-bone, I've opened a bottle of 2018 Mi Terruño Reserve Malbec that I recently purchased from Wines Till Sold Out.  Let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep, inky purple in the glass, as you might expect from a Malbec from Mendoza.  Take a whiff and you're greeted with leather, green grass, and mineral notes blend with a variety of dark fruit, blueberries, blackberries and currant that just raise your expectation of the taste to come.  Take a sip and you're awash with ripe fruit and earthy flavors of tar, peat and graphite, even as you are drawn back to some wonderful oak and vanilla notes from the barrel aging.  The tannins are well structured and provide for a cascade of delightful earthy notes on the lingering, smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a very pleasant wine that is perfect for steak!  Which is a good thing, as tonight I am enjoying this wine with a Cajun coffee rubbed T-bone steak along with some oven roasted fingering potatoes and some steamed asparagus with Hollandaise.  Cheers!

2016 Reininger Cima

Happy Sunday!  It's been an interesting weekend full of a lot of cooking, and apparently I've now taken up canning as well!  As I'll explain, my Sunday dinner has been two days in the making, as yesterday I went to the farmer's market and picked up a bushel of the last of this season's tomatoes, determined to make my first marinara sauce since 1998!  So, yesterday I made about 9 quarts of sauce, which then drove me down the rabbit hole of how can I store all this sauce for future use, and about $50 in jars and equipment later, I am now a canner!  At any rate, I also picked up some other items from the farmer's market, which requires me to open some sort of Italian-esque wine this evening, and so I've opened a bottle of 2016 Reininger Cima.  This wine is one of my perennial favorite blends from the Walla Walla Valley, and this vintage is a blend of Sangiovese (50%), Merlot (25%) Cabernet Sauvignon (22%) and Petit Verdot (3%), primarily from the Seven Hills Vineyard, with a bit from the Pepper Bridge and XL Vineyards.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a lovely deep ruby color in the glass, with great clarity, no doubt a testament to the Sangiovese in the blend.  A gentle swirl and you lift you glass to enjoy aromas of strawberry, currant, cedar and a bit of peat that shows the character of this Tuscan style blend.  A sip reveals flavors of cherry and ripe red fruit that develop gradually before hitting a crescendo of peppery spice midpalate.  The tannins are subtle yet provide a nice backbone for the smooth dry finish that lingers on your palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it just isn't quite at the level of the 2015 Vintage, but still a very nice wine.  This would pair well with steaks, braised short ribs or a variety of Italian dishes.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some homemade eggplant parmesan, with sauce made yesterday and fresh eggplant from the farmers market.  Cheers!

2017 Napa Underground Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  Today was day of a lot of random chores, from yard work to laundry to making an apple pie, I was all over the place today.  but at least it's time now to relax with a nice Sunday dinner and a bottle of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle I recently purchased from Wines Till Sold Out, the 2017 Napa Underground Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, which is a product of Girard wine maker Glenn Hugo (I opened a bottle of 2007 Girard Artistry on a Cellar Saturday a few years ago and needless to say, I'm a fan.  So, let's see how this more recent wine is faring!

The wine is a deep, inky black in the glass, with bright ruby along the edges, just as you might expect from a big Napa Cabernet.  A gentle swirl reveals aromas of blackberry, currant and a bit of allspice, with a slight undertone of leather.  Take a sip and you have a rush of black fruit, blackberry, currant and cherry, with a hint of mint under the surface.  The rich fruit transitions to some wonderful black pepper spice midpalate, as the tannins take command for a wonderfully complex, dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it seems to punch well above its weight class for this $20 Cabernet!  This wine would pair well with a variety of dishes, from summer barbecue, to pizza and tacos, but it's also ideal for fall, and I could see this wine paring with roasts, beef stew or chili.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a transitional summer to fall dinner, a rare grilled prime ribcap, along with some oven roasted leeks and white asparagus, along with some mashed sweet potatoes.  Cheers!

1992 Seven Hills Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Saturday!  And of course, it's the first one of a new month, which makes this Cellar Saturday!  It's a magical time when I raid the cellar for something at least a decade in the making, which I must say is getting easier as time goes on and I have a cellar full of teenagers (wait, that didn't sound right).  In any case, tonight we are going way back, to perhaps the second oldest bottle in my cellar, and from one of my favorite Walla Walla producers.  The 1992 Seven Hills Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon was Founder Casey McClellan's fourth vintage, and the label notes this was still when the winery was located in Milton-Freewater, Oregon!  So, let's see how this wine is tasting three decades later!

The wine is a deep ruby in the glass, with just the faintest hint of amber along the edges, showing how well this wine has stood up over time.  A swirl of the glass reveals classic aromas of prune, cedar and lavender with undertones of basalt, just what you might expect from a mature Bordeaux.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of tart cherry and rustic mineral notes of dusty limestone and basalt.  The tannins are somewhat fading, but still provide for a nice dry finish that's reminiscent of a fine, well aged Bordeaux.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's probably a few years past its peak but still drinking very nicely for a 30-year old.  This wine would be ideal with a variety of fall comfort foods, from mushroom risotto, to hearty beef stew or Yankee pot roast, but as a former Pacific Northwest resident, I'm a big fan of Cabernet with salmon, which is my choice for dinner tonight.  I'm enjoying this wine with some crispy skin salmon, steamed rice and oven roasted white asparagus.  Cheers!