Happy Sunday! Tonight marks the end of my weekend of All-American meals, so let's make it a good one! What a fantastic semiqincentennial weekend, with great food, wine and fireworks to celebrate the greatest nation on earth! For the last celebratory night, I've opened a bottle from a perennial favorite Washington producer (see, we can't celebrate the founding without Washington!), Chuck Reininger. The 2023 Reininger Carmenere is a 100% Carmenere completely sourced from the Seven Hills Vineyard in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington. Let's see how this wine is tasting!
The wine is a deep ruby in the glass, sparking like a gem. The nose presents aromas of dusty limestone, black cherry, green grass and blackberry, beckoning you to take a sip. That first taste is a rush of ripe, rustic berries, black cherry, marionberry and currant, with a good bit of tartness before transitioning to some notes of vanilla bean and oak midpalate. The tannins are well integrated and subdued, bringing nice structure to the long, smooth dry finish.
Overall, I would rate this a solid 9, as Chuck has seemingly mastered the craft of this lost Bordreaux varietal. This wine would pair well with a range of summer favorites, from burgers and brats to steaks and tenderloin. Tonight, I am taking a classic approach and enjoying this wine with barbecue, but not just any barbecue. I am enjoying this with slow cooked barbecued baby back ribs with Yankee black strap molasses barbecue sauce, coleslaw and fresh corn on the cob. Cheers!
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