Happy Sunday! It's been another inordinately hot weekend, with highs in the mid- to upper-80s with high humidity, so working out in the yard today was just exhausting as I think I must have sweat through a gallon of water. Now, I am tired and sore and ready for dinner and a nice glass of wine. Tonight, I've opened a bottle that I picked up at Costco a few months back, the 2020 Browne Family Vineyards Bitner Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is a classic Columbia Valley Cabernet with fruit sourced from the Browne Estate Vineyard (30%), Shaw (25%), Quintessence (17%), Red Mountain Vineyard (9%), Blackwood Canyon (9%), Pepper Bridge (5%), and Aqualini (5%). Let's see how this wine is shaping up!
The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, a classic look for a Columbia Valley Cabernet. The nose is a rush of leather and oak, with support from ripe blackberry, candied plum and hints of violet. The first sip is a surprisingly fruit forward affaire, with blackberry, blueberry and plum that give way to a bit of tart cherry before heading to some toasted oak and earthy minerality midpalate. The tannins are graceful yet firm, providing just the right foundation for the long, smooth dry finish.
Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it punches way above it's weight class (I think I bought this at Costco for around $20, but even the full retail price online is only $35). This wine would pair well with grilled steaks and chops, roasted vegetables, cedar planked salmon or barbecue. Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a pan seared New York strip with butter and rosemary, mashed potatoes and steamed asparagus. Cheers!
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