2020 Woodward Canyon Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  It's been a weekend of yard work as I am nearing the end of leaf harvest, and soon all the trees will be bare and several metric tons of leaves will be hauled to the front of my house.  And now that it gets dark before suppertime, I suppose it's appropriate to open a nice bottle of wine in anticipation of dinner.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle of a perennial favorite, the 2020 Woodward Canyon Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon (you can see the many other vintages I've reviewed here).  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (76%), Petit Verdot (12%), Cabernet Franc (5%), Merlot (4%), and 1% each of Syrah, Barbera and Dolcetto.  So, let's see what this vintage has to offer!

The wine is a deep inky black at the center with bright garnet along the edges, just as you would expect from a nice Cabernet.  Take a whiff and you're greeted by aromas of black cherry, leather, anise and a hint of mint.  The first sip is rush of ripe black fruit that transitions to some notes of dried spice and earthy notes of tar and basalt.  The velvety mouthfeel and well integrated tannins offer and appropriate yin and yang to a Cabernet that really shines through the Bordeaux aspects of Washington state.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, and since it's still relatively young, there is plenty of opportunity to mature with some time in the cellar.  This wine would pair exceptionally well with hearty steaks, braised short ribs or hearty fall stews.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a rare American Wagyu strip from Snake River Farms, along with some oven roasted sweet potatoes, leeks and maple bacon Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

Woodward Canyon NV Red Wine

Well, it's finally starting to feel like fall, with highs in the 50s and lows in the 40s, and with that it seems that leaves and pumpkins and preparing for the winter will soon be upon us.  In the meantime, I'll enjoy the local high school football games and a whole lot of yard work, along with some wonderful big red wines.  Tonight is one such wine, a perennial favorite for and everyday drinking red wine, the Woodward Canyon non-vintage red wine.  This one is a combination of Cabernet Franc (46%), Merlot (18%), Barbera (16%), Petit Verdot (7%), Cabernet Sauvignon (5%), Chardonnay (4%!), Syrah (1%), Mourvedre (1%), Grenache (1%), and Dolcetto (1%). These wines were sourced from vintages including 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 from the Columbia Valley AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a beautiful deep ruby color in the glass with nice clarity, a testament to the two right bank Bordeaux varietals.  A quick swirl in the glass releases aromas of leather, oak, violet and undertones of black cherry.  Take a sip to have a rush of blackberry, black cherry and currant wash over your palate, with intermittent hints of earthy tar and spice box, before transitioning to some peppery spice notes midpalate.  The tannins are nicely integrated to support the smooth dry finish that is very old world in style.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5 as it's such a treat to drink and a wine you can enjoy often at just $25.  This wine would really pair well with just about anything, from steaks and chops, to barbecue and pizza.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a barbecued chicken breast along with some oven roasted root vegetables (see I told you fall was here!) and some steamed Italian green beans.  Cheers!

2017 Nelms Road Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  It's been raining most of the day, so I've just been taking it easy, at least until the sun came out for a while and I decided to go for a bike ride, at which point it started to rain again, but now I'm home and ready for Sunday dinner and wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of wine I ordered over the summer, but due to heat restrictions on ground shipping, I had them hold it until it was safe to ship and so it arrived last week.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of 2017 Nelms Road Cabernet Sauvignon, which is the second label from Woodward Canyon Winery in Lowden, Washington.  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (76%), Cabernet Franc (19%), Petit Verdot (2%), Mourvèdre (1%), Merlot (1%) and Dolcetto (1%) from the Champoux, Spring Creek and Woodward Canyon Estate Vineyards.  So let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with a modestly dark center.  The nose is a cluster of cherry, currant and earthy aromas of graphite and tobacco, with undertones of pleasant spice.  The taste is a rush of cool fruit, cherry, blackberry and currant that envelop the palate before transitioning to some notes of olive and black pepper spice midpalate.  The tannins are quite smooth for such a young wine, providing for a velvety dry finish with just a bit of sharpness on the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a pleasant drinking Cabernet at a very approachable price of just $25.  This wine would pair very well with a variety of grilled dishes, from steaks and lamb chops to weeknight pizza or pasta dinners.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a USDA Prime ribeye, grilled rare, with some grilled leeks, bacon roasted Brussels sprouts and a baked potato with sour cream and chives.  Cheers! 

2013 Woodward Canyon Estate Dolcetto

Happy Wine Wednesday!  Of course it's also Thanksgiving eve, so we can throw that in there too.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of wine from Woodward Canyon, one of the first wineries I visited on that fabled first visit to Walla Walla nearly two decades ago.  Tonight it's the 2013 Estate Dolcetto from the Walla Walla Valley.  I reviewed the 2012 vintage here, so let's see how this one is faring!

The wine is a lovely deep ruby color in the glass.  The nose is chock full of leather, green grass and blackberry fruit that just beckons you to take a sip.  And the taste is just lovely, with a rush of cherry cola, blackberry and plum flavors that envelope the palate, while lush mineral notes combine with dark chocolate and prune midpalate.  The tannins are wonderfully structured providing a nice foundation to the long, lush and very dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just another wonderful example of the great quality of Dolcetto being produced in the Walla Walla Valley.  This is an exceptionally food friendly wine as I could see this pairing well with holiday turkey or ham, wonderful salmon dishes or a beautiful cheese course, but tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a rare grilled New York strip with sauteed onions and peppers and a big baked potato with sour cream and chives.  Cheers!

2009 Viansa Reserve Red Wine

Happy Tuesday!  We had an immense amount of rain yesterday (anywhere from 7 to 10 inches!) and tonight I want to celebrate since I can grill again.  So I've decided to open a bottle I recently received from Wines Till Sold Out, the 2009 Viansa Reserve Red Wine from Sonoma County.  This wine is a blend of Merlot (47%), Sangiovese (29%), Cabernet Franc (14%), Dolcetto (8%), Tinta Cao (1%) and Tempranillo (1%), so let's see how this blend stacks up!

The wine is a somewhat lighter, ruby color in the glass with great clarity, reflecting the impact of the Sangiovese and Dolcetto.  The nose presents aromas of leather, blackberry, fig and earthy minerals with just a hint of red floral notes over the top.  The taste is quite nice, with a rush of cherry and plum up front that transitions nicely to some notes of anise, leather and dusty limestone midpalate.  Although my first impression was that this is a remarkably Tuscan style blend, I was surprised that each of the varietals add their own imprint to the complexity of the wine, pepper spice from the Sangiovese, ripe red fruit from the Merlot, wonderful minerality from the Cabernet Franc and a bit of sweet black fruit from the Dolcetto.  The tannins are nicely integrated, forming the backbone of the long, smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a pleasant drinking wine and a terrific value at just $14!  Despite the complexity, it's also a food friendly wine that would pair well with anything from pizza and pasta to roasts and steaks.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime ribcap along with roasted fingerling potatoes and grilled Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2014 Seven Hills "Along for the Ride" Dolcetto

Happy Pi Day!  It was a banner day today, we had free burritos at Qdoba's soft opening here in Elkhart (this will definitely be long-term trouble!) and now I've come home from the gym ready to relax with a glass of wine.  Tonight's is a fun one, a wine I just received from a wine club shipment last week and I immediately fell in love with the label, the 2014 Seven Hills "Along for the Ride" Dolcetto, which is 100% Dolcetto from the Lonesome Springs Vineyard and meant to be enjoyed young!  So here goes nothing!

The wine is a lovely deep garnet color in the glass.  The nose presents a lovely variety of black fruit aromas, blackberry, black cherry and plum overlaying a bit of floral and spice notes.  The taste is wonderfully fruit forward with a blast of ripe berries and cherry cola that transition effortlessly to some wonderful white pepper spice notes midpalate.  The tannins are young and firm, supporting a wonderfully smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5 as it's a perfect everyday drinking wine that I wish I ordered more of!  It would pair well with pizza, a variety of Italian pasta dishes, or even barbecue.  But tonight I am enjoying this wine with some tacos!  The fruit marries so well with a bit of chorizo in the tacos, yum!  And how could you not love that label?

2011 Dolianum Dogliani San Mate

Well, here's another Italian wine the I bought from Wines Till Sold Out a while back, the 2011 Dolianum Dogliani San Mate, a dolcetto based wine from Piedmont.  The San Mate designation originates from a document found in the Dogliani City archives from the late 16th century which specifies that grapes from this vineyard cannot be picked before San Matteo's Day, which is September 21.

Well now that we've dispensed with the trivia, let's get to the wine!  The wine has a lovely deep ruby color in the glass with nice clarity.  The nose is very interesting, with some sweet notes of plum and blackberry and some earthy, meaty aromas as well as a subtle floral undertone.  The taste is very nice, a rush of cherry cola and black plum transitions nicely to some tea leaves and black pepper spice midpalate.  The finish is very smooth and very dry, but the tannins are quite subdued, making this one a pleasure to sip all afternoon.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's very easy drinking and a solid value at just $13.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a simple midweek dinner of butternut squash ravioli with a creamy mushroom alfredo sauce, but this wine would pair well with a nice steak, hearty Italian pasta dishes, or a simple pizza.  Cheers!