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!
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