2020 Mark Ryan Winery "The Dissident" Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  It's been cold an rainy today, so I confess I haven't done much outside of some laundry, but at least there's wine!  Tonight I am getting ready for a bit of Italian for dinner, and though I seriously thought about opening a nice bottle of Italian wine, I opted for a bottle of wine I just recently received from a special promotion by Mark Ryan Winery.  The 2020 Mark Ryan Winery "The Dissident" Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (72%), Merlot (24%), Malbec (3%) and Petit Verdot (1%) from 11 different vineyards in the Columbia Valley AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you might expect from a classic Washington Cabernet.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of ripe cherry, aged leather, currant and a hint of tarragon.  The first sip is a rush of sweet cherry, intermingled with charred oak, hints of tobacco and dark chocolate which transition easily to some mineral notes of dusty limestone and basalt midpalate.  The tannins are expertly structured, providing the ideal base for the long, smooth dry finish that lingers and beckons you to take another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a classic example of the new world meets old world character of Washington Bordeaux style blends.  This wine is an easy drinking, hearty Cabernet, that was also a terrific value (normally $45, there is a wine club special for just $32 through the end of the month). This wine would pair well with a big steak, hearty stews, or fall pasta dishes.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with some squid ink linguine tossed with some sautéed shrimp in some of my homemade sauce.  Cheers!

2019 Woodward Canyon Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 191

Happy Sunday!  I meant to do some yard work today, but by the time I went grocery shopping, went to Costco and finished all my other errands, there was just enough time left to do laundry and open up a nice bottle of wine.  Tonight's wine is a special one, the 2019 Woodward Canyon Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 191.  You may be familiar with Clone 191, as it's the same one that is featured in Seven Hills' Summit View Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, and it's one of the highest rated Bordeaux clones for Cabernet.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is an inky black at the center with bright ruby along the edges, just what you'd expect from the varietal.  Take a whiff and you'll note aromas of graphite, blackberry, cassis and rich leather that offer a prelude to a special wine.  The first sip starts with a rush of tart cherry that eases into ripe blueberry, black olive and cedar notes with a velvety mouthfeel that will set your mind racing.  The balanced tannin structure offers a perfect foundation for a velvety smooth dry finish that lingers on your palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, knowing that it's still early in its development, so I'd expect this wine to improve even further with a few years in the cellar.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty fall dishes, from braised short ribs to hearty pasta, beef stew to roasted lamb shank, but above all this wine wants a steak!  So, tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled porterhouse, grilled leeks, blistered cherry tomatoes and grilled asparagus.  Cheers!

2020 Stolen Horse Syrah

Happy Saturday!  It's certainly starting to feel like fall, in fact we are supposed to get some frost tomorrow night!  Thankfully I made a quick call to my sprinkler guy yesterday and we got everything winterized before the first freeze.  In any case, tonight it's time for a nice dinner that might be a last hurrah of summer, along with a wine that I've enjoyed for nearly a decade (see my previous reviews of the 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 vintages).  The 2020 Stolen Horse Syrah is a Syrah (97%), co-fermented with a bit of Viognier (3%) sourced from the Loess, Flying B, Kenny Hill and LeFore Vineyards in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting.

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, ideal for a nice Syrah.  A gentle swirl in the glass reveals aromas of smoked meat, blackberry jam, blueberry and hints of lavender.  Take a sip and you're treated to an evolving mix of black and blue fruit, charred oak, and a bit of tart cherry before easing into some notes of earthy tar and white pepper midpalate.  The tannins are silky smooth, a perfect base for the long dry finish that will have you contemplating the depth of flavor you just experienced.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a lovely example of the varietal with a cascade of terroirs from the Walla Walla Valley.  This wine would pair well with a variety of dishes, from cedar planked salmon to barbecue, fall pasta to risotto.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a last gasp of summer, some barbecued beef ribs, corn on the cob and sriracha slaw.  Cheers!

2021 Bledsoe Family Winery Cabernet Franc

Happy Sunday!  So the past two weekends have been raining so I haven't been able to mow and my grass desperately needs it.  But there is one small problem, this being autumn my grass was covered with leaves which need to be removed before I could mow.  So, I spent six hours on the only non-rainy day of the weekend to blow leaves and mow, making me tired and sore at this point.  What to do?  I know, I'll open up a nice bottle of wine and cook a good dinner to make me feel better!  Tonight, I've opened a recent wine club shipment from Bledsoe Family Winery, the 2021 Walla Walla Cabernet Franc.  This wine is a 100% Cabernet Franc from the McQueen, LeFore and Schafer Vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep, inky purple in the glass just as you'd expect from a nice Cabernet Franc.  Take a whiff and you're greeted by aromas of tart cherry, dusty limestone and a bit of tobacco that is more reminiscent of a nice Syrah.  The first sip is a rush of black fruit, plum, cherry and currant that dance around some nice minerality midpalate.  The tannins are still developing, but the finish is pleasant and smooth, with a bit of acidity at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine s solid 8.5, as it's a solid example of this Bordeaux varietal that will likely improve quite a bit with some time in the cellar.  This wine would pair well with hearty beef dishes, barbecue or risotto, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a pan seared Scottish black pearl salmon filet, steamed rice and some oven roasted broccolini.  Cheers!

2016 L'Esprit De Chevalier Pessac-Léognan

Happy Sunday!  It's been a rainy afternoon, so I decided to dispense with the yard work and focus on some indoor projects, like replacing the backing on a new painting I bought at the thrift store, fixing my live trap to catch the second groundhog that roamed into my yard on Friday and other assorted household chores.  So, now I'm ready for a nice dinner and a glass or few of wine.  Tonight, I've opened a magnum of 2016 L'Esprit De Chevalier Pessac-Léognan that I bought a month or two ago during the Wines Till Sold Out magnum event.  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (45%), Merlot (45%) and Petit Verdot (10%), making this a classic Bordeaux blend.  I'm going to need some of this wine for the red wine demi that I'm making for my main course, so if there's enough extra for another glass or two that seems fine to me!  So, let's see how this wine is tasting.

The wine is an inky black at the center with just a touch of ruby along the edges.  The nose is a lovely presentation of leather, ripe black fruit and hints of anise and pepper.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of cool black fruit that's a bit tart at first, before transitioning into some blackberry and cherry sweetness.  The tannins are refined and well structured, which works well with the spicy dry finish with just a hint of acidity at the end. 

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a great example of the old world styling and craft of Bordeaux.  This wine would pair well with a range of dishes, from grilled steaks to braised short ribs, hearty beef stew to wild mushroom risotto.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a Sunday dinner of herb crusted rack of lamb with red wine demi, potato puree and some grilled asparagus.  Cheers!

2007 Silverado Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, it's the first Saturday of a new month, which makes this Cellar Saturday!  This month I went deep into the cellar to find a bottle that I've had squirreled away for more than a decade, from one of the most stellar vintages of Napa Valley.  The 2007 Silverado Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is one of those classic wines from a classic vintage, so let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is an inky black at the center, and a bright ruby along the edges, without any hint of amber, you'd be hard pressed to tell this 16-year-old from a current vintage.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of blackberry, anise, tar and just a hint of lilac.  Take a sip and you're greeted with ripe black cherry, blackberry and plum intermingled with some black pepper spice before transitioning to some notes of tarragon and pipe tobacco midpalate.  The tannins are still vibrant and well structured to ease into a wonderfully smooth, dry finish that will have you appreciating this mature wine.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9.5, as it's truly lived up to the hype of this vintage, and maintained its structure and drinkability edging toward two decades on.  This wine would be fantastic just sipping with friends, but it's still hearty enough to pair with a big steak, braised short ribs or a hearty pasta.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled New York strip topped with alderwood smoked salt, grilled asparagus and oven roasted baby potatoes with herbs de Provence.  Cheers!

2021 Mas de la Baronne Coteaux d'Aix en Provence Rosé

Happy Sunday!  Today I did some actual work as well as some chores around the house, went for a bike ride and was run off the path by an idiot pedestrian that didn't want to move, so now that I've stopped the bleeding on my shin I am really ready for a glass of wine!  And since it's still 82 degrees, it must still be rosé season despite the face that it's October!  So, tonight I've opened a bottle of 2021 Mas de la Baronne Coteaux d'Aix en Provence Rosé that I bought from Wines Till Sold Out over the summer.  This wine is  blend of Grenache and Syrah, so, let's see how it's tasting!

The wine is a pale peach color in the glass, very light as seems to be the recent popular trend in rosé.  After a gentle swirl, the wine offers aromas of peach, lemongrass and strawberry.  The first sip is a surprising rush of ripe berry, raspberry, strawberry and currant, that transition to some earthy mineral notes midpalate.  The finish is crisp and very dry with some mild acidity at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a classic rosé from Provence that would be an ideal summer sipper, especially at a value price of just $10.  This wine would pair well with a variety of fish, from pan fried lake perch to a nice salmon filet, summer salads or a cold pasta salad.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with some roasted chicken breasts that I coated in bread crumbs mixed with a bit of Nashville hot spice powder I recently bought, along with some pasta and sugar snap peas.  Cheers!