Merry Christmas! I'm preparing a wonderful Christmas dinner that is far from my usual fare, so this calls for a special wine as well. Tonight I've opened a bottle of 2019 Seven Hills Pentad, the most recent vintage of this special blend of five varietals from the Walla Walla Valley AVA of Washington. This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Carmenere, Malbec and Merlot creating a real taste of some of the best varietals Washington state has to offer. So, let's see how this wine is shaping up
The wine is an inky black at the center with bright garnet along the edges, a testament to the heavy hands of Cabernet and Malbec in the blend. Take a whiff and you're greeted with aromas of tobacco, anise, dark chocolate and dusty limestone, quite a departure from many more fruit laden Cabernet blends. The first sip reveals wonderful black cherry and raspberry notes that ease into some flavors of vanilla bean and cardamom midpalate. The tannins are quite subdued making for a delightfully pleasant, smooth dry finish that is reminiscent of a fine Bordeaux.
Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it certainly lives up to previous vintages that take the best of what the harvest offers to make a truly special wine. And as I mentioned, I am enjoying this wine with a special Christmas dinner of a mid rare rack of venison, with potato puree, wine pepper sauce and shaved Brussels sprouts with maple, bacon and pomegranate. Overall, a wonderfully earthy dinner on this traditional holiday. Cheers!
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