2004 Carmela Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, here's a new wine from my recent road trip out west, the 2004 Carmela Cabernet Sauvignon.  Now as I traveled, I learned that wine making has taken root in a variety of spots, from Missouri to Iowa, to Montana and Idaho.  It appears the Snake River Valley has become somewhat of an emerging wine region, perhaps comparable to Washington 30 or 40 years ago.  So as I was driving toward the Oregon border I saw a sign for a winery and decided to stop at Glenns Ferry, Idaho.

Now as you can see, this was a pretty little winery, not far from the Snake River, and they have about 40 acres of grapes that they grow themselves, but they also source from some other vineyards in the Snake River Valley.  I went into their tasting room and was surprised by the quality of the wines, though they weren't like Napa Valley, some of them were quite good, so I ended up leaving with a half case!

Tonight's wine is the 2004 Carmela Idaho Cabernet Sauvignon.  Now I let the wine open up a bit in the glass for about 45 minutes, but it's still a much lighter bodied Cab than might be typical of the big wines of Napa, but it's nice to see the way different terroirs express themselves through the grape and into the glass.  The wine present a nose of cedar, black pepper, an black currant, along with stronger notes of earth and musk.  The taste is somewhat fruit forward, with hints of blackberry and a peppery spice, the tannins are surprisingly mellow creating a very smooth, dry finish.

It's an interesting wine that really shows the dry climate and volcanic soils of the region, and although I had to drive 1,800 miles to get it, I'd rate this wine a solid 7.  From a region whose wines I hadn't tried before, this one was a nice surprise.  As for pairings, tonight I am having it with a typical Idaho dinner of rare Angus T-bone steak, along with some wonderful grilled veggies, including red onion, leeks, purple asparagus, red, orange and white peppers, yummy!

My Road Trip to Walla Walla Wine Country

So I just go back from my 2-week road trip driving cross country to visit my favorite wine region, Walla Walla! Now to be fair, I enjoyed wine on the way out and on the way back. I stopped in northwest Missouri to try some wines made from the Norton grape, which is the official grape of the state, as well as some wines in the Snake River Valley in Idaho, which is still an emerging wine region.

So back to Walla Walla, which was the point of this. It's been about 8 years since I last visited the valley, and more than a decade since my first visit in 2000 (I lived in Portland and then Seattle from 1999-2004). Back then, there were relatively few wineries, and Walla Walla was still a sleepy little region, but a good friend of mine from Santa Cruz who loved wine more than I do, convinced me to stop and pick up some wine on the way to visit her in Spokane. In fact, U.S. 12 was the main highway into town, and you would start at the western end at L'Ecole No. 41 and Woodward Canyon, then pass 3-Rivers and a couple others before the wine tour ended downtown at Seven Hills. The whole tasting tour could be done in an afternoon!

Today it seems like there are 150+ wineries, all over the city and surrounding areas, such that you could probably spend a week just to see a quarter of them! There is a new U.S. 12, which has been transformed into a 4-lane superhighway heading into downtown, but I felt a little bad for wineries like 3-Rivers, which was about 1/4 mile off the new highway and still on the old route 12. When I first visited, they had a nice new tasting room, and that was just left in the dust as progress rolled by them. In addition to so many new wineries, the other piece of good news was the addition of so many new restaurants to provide high quality food to enjoy with the wonderful wines (I had a lovely pan seared salmon salad at the Green Spoon, it was Copper River season!).

So, on my day of tasting (yes, unfortunately it was only a day since I was trying to cram so much into my 4,000 mile trip!) I started downtown at Seven Hills, which is probably my second favorite winery after L'Ecole. Enjoyed some of their Columbia Valley Merlot (it was surprisingly good), the Pentad and Ciel du Cheval, they were all quite wonderful, so I bought 5 or 6 bottles and asked for advice on where to go next (I got a new "wine guide" at the hotel, but since you have to pay to be in there, not all wineries are represented).

Based on their advice, I next went to visit Forgeron Cellars which has a tasting room downtown on 3rd street. The tasting room manager, Anne I think was her name, was such a wonderful host. We tasted through their current releases and I bought a bottle each of the wines that were only available in the tasting room, and of course I don't recall exactly which those were, I think it was the Petit Verdot and the Cab Franc, but I could easily be wrong! I also bought some other bottles, including a couple of the Walldeaux Smithie table wine, which was very nice!

Next stop was my favorite winery, L'Ecole No. 41. I've been in their wine club for quite some time and have ordered a bit of wine from them in the past. This was somewhat funny, since I had been communicating with them on Twitter that I was coming to visit on my wild road trip, and when I finally narrowed down the day to Tuesday, I let them know.

When I walked into the tasting room, of course no one recognized me, and how could they really being a nondescript internet wine buyer. So they asked me if I was familiar with their wines (of course) and we started through the basic tasting when I tweeted to them "I'm here!" and within 30 seconds Jaime came into the tasting room and introduced herself! We tasted a bunch and then she gave me a wonderful tour of the cellar and told me about some recent wonderful wines she'd opened, including a bottle of '99 Walla Walla Merlot.

So in line with my desire to get wines I could not get at home or online, I raided the library! I ended up with a bottle of the '99 Merlot, a couple bottles of the Ferguson blend from the 2004 vintage, a magnum of '01 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon, and double magnum of the '09 Walla Walla Cabernet, which I think will turn out at least as good as the '08 which received such high ratings and quickly sold out. I also considered buying a 6-liter bottle, but where could I display such a work of vintner art? At any rate it was a lovely visit with some wonderful people and great wines!

My next stop was a walk across the parking lot to Woodward Canyon. They have a lovely tasting room in a farmhouse, and have produced wonderful wines under their Woodward Canyon and Nelm's Road labels. I tasted some wonderful Cabernets and ended up buying a couple bottles of their house red, a Nelm's Road Cabernet and a bottle of the latest "Artist Series" Cabernet.

The next stop was just up route 12 to Cougar Crest. I hadn't stopped so much based on a recommendation, but more for the name! Knowing some of the ladies I work with, and who are part of our office wine club, I could not resist stopping! The tasting room was quite nice, and they have a number of wonderful reds I tasted under their two labels, Cougar Crest and Walla Walla River Estate. I ended up with a couple bottles of their "Dedication Five" red wine, which is produced in honor of the doctors and nurses at the Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland, who saved the winemaker's daughter back in 2005. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the wine are donated to the hospital, which I view as a wonderful gesture.

The last stop on my wine tour was to Reininger, which was a little further along on route 12. I walked in and there was a full house! Apparently a group of about 10 friends were doing a tasting tour and we crossed paths in the tasting room at Reininger. Like many other wineries, they have two labels as well, the Reininger label and the Helix Label. I tried about all of their reds, it seemed like at least a dozen! I ended up buying a few bottles, including "Mr. Owl's Red" (named fir their winemaker Raul, who apparently the owners' children had trouble pronouncing when they were small, so they called him Mr. Owl) and a Helix Sangiovese which was delightful!

Alas, the wine tasting done, I raced back across the border to Pendleton to buy a few blankets before they closed (my old blanket bought there in 1991 is really starting to wear out!). Then it was off to Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks before heading back east across Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana and home to Michigan. It was a super fun trip that I would do again in a heartbeat, so for those of you who live in the Northwest, you should appreciate the Walla Walla Valley even more!

2009 Seven Hills Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

What a busy day!  I started this morning at the farmer's market to get some fresh veggies, they had a wonderful selection of fresh asparagus, broccoli, tomatoes, sugar snap peas, lettuce and wonderful fresh ripe strawberries.  Then off to the World Market to pick up a few items, then to the fish market to get tonight's dinner (more on that later on), then the meat market to get some wonderful Angus T-bones (I've had a craving for a T-bone since hearing the "beef it's what's for dinner commercials on the radio all through Idaho and Wyoming!) and some thick juicy ribeyes.

And so now that the chores are done, I can relax with a nice glass of wine that I brought back from my recent trip to Walla Walla.  Tonight I am having a nice bottle of 2009 Seven Hills Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  Now there are many differences between the Columbia Valley and Walla Walla Valley wines beyond the price, and one of the most basic differences is that the Columbia Valley wines tend to drink quite well when they are younger, as they tend to be somewhat less harsh and tannic.  Of course you also miss the wonderful, dark chocolate hints that Walla Walla is famous for, but in a pinch, I suppose we can make do!

This wine is a wonderfully dark, inky sort of color with bright ruby around the edges.  The nose presents a hint of sweet cherry, cedar and a bit of licorice.  The taste is a rush of fruit, with ripe berries that gives way to fresh herbs, while the more subtle tannins provide for a smooth, dry finish.  It's not a big "in your face" sort of Cabernet, but a more refined, structured wine that would really accentuate a food pairing.  And speaking of pairing, tonight I am enjoying this with a perfect meal that screams Northwest cuisine, a wonderful cedar planked wild Copper River salmon fillet, with some grilled purple asparagus and some wild rice.  And of course for dessert, I'll have some of those wonderful strawberries and vanilla ice cream!

I would rate this one a solid 8.5, and I know I have a bias for this being my second favorite winery from Walla Walla, but there's a bonus reason for my high rating.  You see, I was at G.B. Russo's last weekend and he had another Columbia Valley wine on sale, but I was not a fan of that one, but I seemed to be the only one that noticed that he had marked down this wine from the normal $29 price to just $15!!!  Needless to say I got a case and this will be one of our future office wine club selections!  Cheers!

2008 Cougar Crest Dedication Five Columbia Valley Red Wine

Another day, another wine from Walla Walla!  Tonight I am enjoying a bottle of 2008 Cougar Crest Dedication Five Columbia Valley Red Wine that I picked up from my summer vacation adventure to Walla Walla!  Cougar Crest (come on now seriously, with the friends I have, how could I not stop at a place with "cougar" in the name?) has a tasting room just a mile or so up U.S. 12 from L'Ecole No. 41, so it was an easy stop as I was making my way back to Oregon on my wine tasting adventure. 

A bit about the "Dedication" part, it's an interesting story.  The winemakers dedicated this wine to the Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland, Ore. as their doctors and nurses saved the life of the winemakers' daughter in 2005, and ever since they've dedicated their wine and donated a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the "Dedication Five" to the hospital each year as a sign of their gratitude.  It's really a neat story and great symbol for what these folks stand for.

As for the wine, Cougar Crest has received some pretty nice accolades over the last few years, and after tasting some of their red wines it wasn't hard to figure out why!  The Dedication Five is their basic table wine, and it is a little different than many of the basic red wines I tasted in Walla Walla.  This wine is a blend of four varietals: Merlot (43%), Syrah (33%), Cabernet Sauvignon (15%) and Cabernet Franc (9%).  This wine is a little lighter in color and the body matches the lighter color.  The nose still has that sharp aroma of leather and spice which suggests a nice bit of that Columbia Valley quality.  The taste is quite dry, but that quickly gives way to some nice ripe fruit flavors mid-palate.  The nicely structured tannins provide for a smooth finish without the harshness that so often accompanies a house red like this one.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, as it's a wonderful wine, but the $20 price is a little steep for an everyday sort of wine.  Tonight I am enjoying a bottle with a grilled tenderloin, but I think it would pair nicely with grilled or smoked meats, and especially a nice barbecue (that reminds me I need to get some ribs!).  So if you happen to be in Walla Walla, or if your local store carries the line, pick up a bottle today and enjoy!

Forgeron Walldeaux Smithie

So I have arrived safe and sound from my grand adventure to the west!  I traveled from my home in Michigan to Missouri, then across the Oregon Trail (in general terms) to Pendleton, Oregon and Walla Walla, Washington, home to some of the most wonderful wines around today in my opinion.  Of course I stopped for wine all along the way, so we will have much to discuss over the coming months as we explore wines ranging from the classics of the Columbia Valley, to the emerging Snake River Valley of Idaho, even to the unusual Norton grapes of Missouri.  But enough forward-looking thoughts, let's get down to tonight's wine!

Forgeron Cellars was the third winery I visited on my day of tasting around Walla Walla, and it was a very nice surprise.  Marie-Eve Gilla is the part owner and winemaker at Forgeron, and she employs her background in French wines to make complex, food-friendly wines that really exemplify the wine potential of Washington state.  Using grapes sourced not only from the Walla Walla Valley, but also from the Columbia and Yakima Valleys, she crafts some wonderful wines that really reflect the tradition of Bordeaux style blends that made Walla Walla famous, but she also employs grape varieties like Barbera and Primitivo that many others have yet to try.

The Walldeaux Smithie is the non-vintage, everyday red blend offered by Forgeron, and what makes this wine interesting is that it is not only a blend of different grape varieties, but also different vintages (in this case 2007, 2008 an 2009) to provide a most interesting everyday table wine.  This current release is a blend of Merlot (25%), Cabernet Sauvignon (25%), Syrah (16%), Zinfandel (16%), Petit Verdot (8%), Cabernet Franc (4%), Primitivo (4%) and Pinot Noir (2%), so you can see this is just about a kitchen sink sort of blend!  The color in the glass is a deep ruby, and the nose carries aromas of leather, licorice, cherry that are practically begging you to take a deep sip!  The wine itself is very fruit forward, with rich bright flavors of red berry, which gives way to notes of spice and fresh herbs midpalate, while the nicely structured tannins lend a smooth, dry finish. 

This is the perfect sort of wine to enjoy with a meal, or simply enjoy on a summer evening as I'm doing tonight.  Of course these are food friendly wines, so I'm also having a glass with my dinner of wasabi marinaded grilled pork tenderloin and steamed asparagus, as the spice of the wasabi plays well against the fruit of the wine.  Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, a wonderful everyday wine for $18 (since I bought it from the winery, I'm not sure how widely available it is outside the Northwest, but you can order it here: http://forgeroncellars.com/wines/walldeaux-smithie). Santé!

2008 Amavi Cellars Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, it feels like summer is finally here, as we've had a few days in the 90s, but the humidity isn't too bad yet, so the evenings have been nice and cool...perfect for enjoying a nice glass of wine on the patio!  And for tonight's glass, we have the 2008 Amavi Cellars Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a classic varietal from the Columbia Valley of Washington State.

Some of my absolute favorite producers are from the Walla Walla Valley, but this is a producer that I hadn't heard of before being introduced to it by Dave Russo, of my favorite local wine merchant, G.B. Russo's.  This wine is a classic Washington Cab, with a deep ruby color that looks almost black in the glass.  The nose has hints of blackberry, leather and tobacco, and just the slightest hint of mint.  The taste is remarkably fruit forward, with red berry, plum and Rainier cherry, followed by a bit of earthy spice mid-palate.  The tannins are well structured, giving a nice dry finish.  This is a nice big, bold Cab that would stand up well to those of Napa Valley, but at a much more attractive price!

Overall, I would rate this one a solid 8.5, as it has everything a good Cab should have, and at only $15 I don't know what else you could ask.  Tonight I'm enjoying this with a little linguine and spicy red sauce, but it would go well with a grilled steak or nearly anything you could cook on the patio as you're drinking a glass!

2008 L'Ecole No. 41 Columbia Valley Merlot

Well, it has been a long day and I need to relax, so what better way than to enjoy a glass of wine from my favorite winery, L'Ecole No. 41!  To celebrate the end of the day, I've decided to open a bottle of the 2008 Columbia Valley Merlot, a nice wine that is really a more basic wine made from some of the best grapes of the region, but done in a way that maintains the character of the wine as a purely "L'Ecole" wine.  This is also appropriate given that I just received my spring wine club selection from the winery last week (can't wait to open those eventually, but you know I'm patient when it comes to wine).

Now L'Ecole is a great producer of Bordeaux style blends, so naturally this wine is not a pure Merlot (only 82%), but has been blended with some wonderful Bordeaux grapes, Cabernet Franc (12%), Petit Verdot (4%) and Malbec (2%).  The blend creates a far more interesting wine than many Merlots on the market today.  This one has deep red hues and a a nose of leather, spice and a hint of cherry.  The wine is nicely structured with a subtle taste of berry and ripe black cherry on the front end, which gives way to a wonderful smoky, mocha flavor mid-palate followed by a smooth dry finish supported by very nice tannins. 

Overall the wine tastes like what you might expect for a much more expensive wine, which is probably why I really do like L'Ecole's Columbia Valley reds for everyday drinking wine.  This one I would rate a solid 8, which gets bumped up to an 8.5 since I found it on sale at a local supermarket wine department for only $18!  Can you believe that?  As for pairings, this wine would go very well with a grilled steak, or rich pasta dish, but tonight, I am relaxing with wine and a pizza!  Enjoy!

2008 L'Ecole No. 41 Seven Hills Estate Walla Walla Merlot

All right!  I am ending Washington wine month with a bang!  Tonight I am enjoying a bottle of wine from one of my absolute favorite winemakers, L'Ecole No. 41, this being the 2008 Seven Hills Estate Merlot.  I recently ordered half a case of this wine with the idea of cellaring a few bottles for a few years, as I expect this one will age well, but what's the fun in that?  I at least have to try a bottle!

This vintage is a blend of 80% Merlot along with 10% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc to provide a little something extra.  The wine is a bright garnet in the glass and exhibits a nose of cedar, leather, red currant and the faintest hint of ginger spice.  The aromas just give you a sense that you're about to experience something wonderful and rich.  The fruit is wonderfully balanced with a layered taste of rich black cherry, blackberry and plum, with a wonderful mineral flavor that strikes you like a breath of fresh fall air on a hillside in Walla Walla.  The tannins are not overbearing, but rather are quite complimentary of the red fruit, allowing for a long, smooth finish.

Overall, this wine is still very young and likely to evolve over the next decade, but still I would give this one a solid 8.5, with potential to go much higher.  The wine is not cheap by any means, but I bought it for about $30, and it certainly compares to many Napa wines selling for quite a bit more.  As for pairings, I think it would go quite well with a nice grilled ribeye, but tonight I am enjoying it with some panko breaded chile lime chicken breast with black beans and rice, as I think it would balance the spicy citrus of the chicken quite well.  So I hope you enjoyed Washington Wine Month, it's always a fun time for me, but now we'll have to see where my thirst takes us next!

2007 GraEagle Estate Red Wing - Walla Walla Valley

So little time left to celebrate Washington Wine Month, so I figured I had to open a bottle from the Walla Walla Valley today!  And this one I just picked up at my favorite local wine merchant, G.B. Russo's, on the recommendation of the proprietor.

This wine is a little different than the wonderful Bordeaux style blends that Walla Walla is known for, since this one has some decidedly non-Bordeaux grapes in the blend.  The 2007 vintage has Merlot (34%), Cabernet Franc (33%), Syrah (22%), Sangiovese (7%) and Petit Verdot (4%).  Now I bought this one on closeout since as I understand it, Nicholas Cole Cellars has closed and this wine is no longer being produced, which is always sad to hear!

As for the wine, this one is very nice once it's had a few minutes to catch its breath.  When I poured my first glass I was somewhat concerned as it seemed like a very light wine, which was definitely not what I was expecting, but as it opened up, my fears were allayed.  The nose is somewhat heavy, with a somewhat musty aroma, followed by leather, licorice and just a hint of ripe berry. The initial taste has hints of mocha, while mid-palate gives me a charge of smoked meat (and no, I haven't started even cooking dinner yet!).  The tannins are very subtle, which unfortunately for me leaves the finish just a little flat (it's still very smooth though).

This wine would be a wonderful food wine, suddenly I'm hungry for a grilled pork tenderloin, but that could just be me!  Overall I would rate this one a solid 8, particularly given the closeout price of just $15, which is about half the original price.  It's just sad that there will be not more after this one is gone, so enjoy this one and Washington Wine Month while they're around!

2010 14 Hands Hot to Trot Columbia Valley Red

So yes, I know it's March Madness, and the day before St. Patrick's Day (not a stellar wine holiday I must say), but you know what?  It's still March and that means it's still Washington Wine Month!  So I went out today to a local merchant near my office called Grand Central Market to find an interesting bottle, as I recall last year they had a nice selection of Washington Wines.  Well in the last year, they've remodeled the store and drastically cut down the size of their wine selection, but fortunately they still had a selection of 6 or 7 Washington reds, so I wasn't disappointed.

There was a nice bottle of Powers Cabernet, and some Columbia Crest which I've never been all that impressed with.  In the end it came down to two, one was a red blend from the Mt. Rainier area, which I'm not as familiar with, and it had a screw cap (you know how I am not a fan of screw caps!). Then there was a familiar label of the 14 Hands Winery, I've had their Cabernet a few times and it always was a nice everyday drinking wine, at a very good price.  This bottle was a red blend that I wasn't familiar with, but I trust the winery, and I do love nice red blends, so what the heck, give it a try.

The wine is a blend, primarily of Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, with a few other varietals added for good measure.  The wine itself has a garnet color with very little opacity, suggesting a lighter style wine, which is perfect on what ended up being a record 80-degree day!  The nose had hints of leather, vanilla and candied apple, with a bit of a smoky edge to it.  The taste is very fruit forward, with plenty of ripe cherries, plums and blackberry, and a bit of sweetness that gets right to the edge of too sweet, but then pulls you back with the mellow tannins that are just enough to give you that twang back from the brink of sweet preserves.  The tannins are also just enough to give the wine a clean, crisp finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a 7, given that it's still pretty young and likely to develop further over the next year or two, and the price isn't bad either, I found this bottle for $11.  I had a glass tonight with some simple pasta and red sauce, but I don't really envision this to be a food wine, rather it's an ideal wine for enjoying a glass or three on the patio on a mild spring or summer evening, watching the sun set and putting a relaxing finish on a hard day.  Speaking of which, it's time for me to relax and watch some hoops!

2009 L'Ecole No. 41 Columbia Valley Red Wine

WOO HOO!!!  It's March and you know what that means, it's Washington Wine Month!!!  That time of year when we get to celebrate the wonderful wines of the great state of Washington, from the Puget Sound to the Yakima Valley, from the Columbia Gorge to Walla Walla!  The wonder of Washington is the exquisite climate for growing both Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which gives rise to some of the greatest Bordeaux style blends produced outside of France today.

Which brings us to tonight's wine, a bottle from one of my favorite producers, and Wine & Spirits Winery of the Year for 2011, L'Ecole No. 41!  The 2009 Columbia Valley Red Wine for those of you familiar, is what used to be know as "Recess Red" and which used to be known before that as "School House Red" which is a blend of select Columbia Valley vineyards.  In 2011, L'Ecole underwent a re-branding exercise and developed a new, more classic label that highlighted the school and presented a more sophisticated look to their wines.  The good news is that despite the new label, the wine is as delicious as ever!

The 2009 Columbia Valley Red is a classic Bordeaux style blend of Merlot (55%), Cabernet Sauvignon (21%), Syrah(13%), Malbec (5%), Petit Verdot (3%) and Cabernet Franc (3%), aged 8 months in French and American oak barrels.  This wine is typically viewed as the everyday, table wine for L'Ecole, and perhaps one of the best values relative to its quality.

The wine itself is a deep ruby color with a nose of oak, licorice, leather and dried herbs.  The taste is well balanced with great fruit character of ripe cherry, blackberry and currant, with a nice earthy spice mid palate, and nice tannins for a pleasant, dry finish.  At every taste, this wine is at once friendly and inviting, yet you still get a strong feeling for the quality that went into the bottle.  The wine would pair well with a wide variety of foods, and it's not pretentious, as I feel it would be at home with a thick juicy burger just as much as with a filet mignon, and in both cases it would complement rather than overpower the food (which would be hard tonight with Thai food!).  Overall I would rate this one a solid 8.5, it's a great, food friendly wine, and at only $18 it's a fraction of what you might expect to pay for similar quality wines.  So let's get started with Washington Wine month!

2008 Nine Hats Columbia Valley Red Wine

This is another of our wines from our "Best of" wine tasting, the 2008 Nine Hats Columbia Valley Red Wine.  Washington is great at producing wonderful Bordeaux-style blends, and this is an interesting use of excess grapes from other blends in the Walla Walla/Columbia Valley region.  A product of Long Shadows Winery in Walla Walla, this wine is a blend of excess wines used in their signature wine blends from nine winemakers, hence "Nine Hats."

The wine itself is a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec, creating an interesting and smooth wine.  The wine exhibits a deep purple color in the glass with a good structure.  On the nose, it exhibits aromas of the forest, dominated by cedar, moss and tobacco with just the slightest floral hint.  The taste is somewhat abrupt when compared to some of the more mature wines like the Margaux or Brunello we tasted, but on it's own, this wine holds its own.  It's very fruit forward, with flavors of blackberry and cherry, with a mild acidity that holds any sweetness in check.  There is a spicy undertone of pepper and herbs.  The velvety tannins make for a luscious mouthfeel and a long, smooth finish.

For pairings, this wine would be ideal with a grilled steak, or perhaps a classic pot roast with all the classic roasted veggies.  Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, with room for improvement as the wine matures.  The 2008 Nine Hats Columbia Valley Red Wine would make a great everyday wine, particularly given the price under $20.  I bought this one in a variety pack of wines from my friends at Esquin Wine Sellers out of Seattle, so it might not be available where you live.  If you have an opportunity to buy a bottle, you should certainly try it!

2007 Seven Hills McClellan Estate Vineyard Walla Walla Valley Petit Verdot

Another fine wine from our "Best of" wine club tasting, this one from one of my favorite wine regions, the Columbia Valley of Washington State, in particular, Walla Walla!  The 2007 Seven Hills McClellan Estate Vineyard Walla Walla Valley Petit Verdot is a really interesting wine for so many reasons, not the least being a rare single bottling of a varietal that is normally reserved for blending with many of the find Bordeaux style blends the Columbia Valley has become known for.

I'll admit I had my doubts, after all, what can I expect from a full bottle of wine based on a grape that normally doesn't exceed 20% of a blend?  Well, this wine was delicious and interesting in so many unexpected ways!  The color of this wine was a deep purple, almost inky in appearance, suggesting a wine packed with flavors, and it was.  The nose was somewhat floral, with hints of rose, along with an earthy character denoted by aromas of oak, cedar, tobacco and leather.  On my tasting notes I wrote "evolving" but I don't think this wine is evolving in a traditional sense (i.e. this will mature over the next few years), but rather than it was evolving and changing even as it was in my mouth!  At one moment, tart cherry and licorice, then a spicy smoky flavor, then a little sweetness of plum and cassis, amazing how the flavors can exhibit such complexity.  The tannins provided for a velvety mouthfeel and a long, smooth finish.

For pairings, this wine would be perfect with beef or pork tenderloin or a variety of Mediterranean dishes.  I bought this one from Wineshopper.com, and as I recall it was around $20, so not a super bargain, but certainly well worth a double sawbuck.  Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it's still a little young so there's time for it to mature a little more before I open my next bottle.

2008 Buried Cane Merlot

Man, one stupid movie, and a whole broad array of wines get trashed!  I'm talking about the unfortunate Merlot, the object of abuse and brunt of jokes since that sad sack movie Sideways of nearly a decade ago.  What a depressing movie that was, not because I am approaching the age of the two main characters, but because the two main characters led such depressing lives even a Chardonnay would have made me happy if I were either one of them!  Let's be serious, the character "Miles" elevates pinot noir to vaunted status, even though they are traveling through "Santa Barbara wine country" even though anyone worth their salt would freely admit that any decent pinot comes from much further north, ummm anyone?  How about Oregon!  And then he denigrates Merlot throughout, and what did Merlot ever do to him?  Maybe get that sad lonely film an Oscar?  Oh, but I digress, I must leave discussion of the idiotic tastes of the Academy for another time!

In any case, just because an idiot character in a movie praises or denigrates a varietal, doesn't mean we should listen!  That would make us even more numbskulled than the imaginary person we listened to.  For me, I love a good big bold Cabernet, but I also am a huge fan of exceptionally dry red wines, after all, I learned to like red wines in Paris!  So a nice Merlot will always have a place in my cellar and a glass to be filled.  Which brings me to tonight's selection, the 2008 Buried Cane Merlot from Washington State.

You must know that wines of the Northwest, and particularly the Columbia Valley have a special place in my heart.  This wine was a WTSO Cheapskate Wednesday selection, so you know it's a value.  The wine has a wonderful nose of ripe berry, leather and spice.  The taste is exceptionally dry, with subtle fruit flavors and a smooth finish.  Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, and it was a great bargain at only $8!  I'll be enjoying a glass or two with some linguine and marinara sauce (sorry, no time for a fancy dinner on a work night!), but it would pair well with a nice baked salmon as well!  Salut!

2008 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon

Today is the autumnal equinox, half day, half night and the first official day of Fall, so what better way to celebrate fall than to go back to school!  In this case we'll be going back to school at one of my absolute favorite wineries of all time, L'Ecole No. 41 in Lowden, Wash.  You see, today I was fortunate in that a long awaited order (blast you summer head!) arrived at my office, along with the L'Ecole red wine club selection for fall!

So to celebrate this banner day, I am enjoying a bottle of the 2008 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon!  Now wines from Washington are exceptional in many ways, and those from Walla Walla represent the cream of the crop in my view.  Having lived in Washington and Oregon for five years, I had more than my fair share of opportunities to travel in the Columbia Valley, visiting the fine folks at L'Ecole as well as the many other fine vineyards along U.S. 12.  The wines are exceptional Bordeaux blends that can stand up to the best wines anywhere in the world, and many are such small vineyards with limited production that having a bottle is sure to be a special treat to share with friends and family.

Tonight I am enjoying a new vintage, the 2008 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon, which is likely still a bit young, but sure to mature quite nicely in the years to come.  I must have at least two or three cases of L'Ecole wines with vintages going back to 2000, and it's really interesting to see how the wines have evolved and matured over the years (unfortunately your author hasn't evolved and matured nearly as much!).

The wine itself is a beautiful ruby red color, and the nose is a blend of plum and black cherry mingling with rich leather and earth, suggesting your about to get your wine drinking butt kicked by a really solid red!  The taste is a surprisingly delicate and sophisticated array of fruit, with plums, blackberry, yet an elegant tannic structure that provides a fabulously dry finish that's quite unexpected from a wine with such fruit.  After a long day of work, I am so happy to relax with a glass of such a nice wine that brings back memories of warm summers in the high desert of eastern Washtington...Ahhh... As for my rating, this wine is not inexpensive, but it's worth every penny of the $36 asking price (by the way, if you are a wine club member like me, you get all sorts of exclusive bottlings and other fun stuff, 3 special shipments a year, and 15% off the price of this wine!), so overall I would rate this one a solid 9 with plenty of room to advance as it matures.  So if you have access, pick up a bottle for yourself today, and enjoy it with a rare ribeye and some grilled veggies like I'm doing tonight!

Finally, a note for my friends at L'Ecole No. 41: I know you've spend a lot of effort on the new labels and marketing, and I think it's fabulous.  The embossed white labels of the Walla Walla wines and special wines is sophisticated and projects a solid image for the winery.  However, some of us have enjoyed the Recess Red over the last few years, and before that the School House Red, they were fun and whimsical, and fit well with the old labels, so I can understand how they might not make it with the refreshed 2009 vintage.  That said, the new "Red Wine" that replaces the recess red has to be renamed.  I mean really, we go from whimsical "Recess Red" to "Red Wine"?  You may as well save the printing fees and stencil it on the bottle with white paint!  Here's a suggestion, how about a contest to name the replacement?  Get your fans involved, offer a nice prize, maybe a free bottle of the newly named wine in their honor?  I'll get you started, here is my suggestion, let's go back to School House Red, but with a French twist, "l'école maison rouge."  Now set loose the creativity of your rabid fans to honor the best red table wine on the planet under $20 (in my opinion anyway) with a name that fits the great product that it is!

Washington Wine Month, a last Hurrah! 2007 Januik Columbia Valley Red

Wow!  This week has been one right from the crapper as far as work goes!  It's 8:43 and I just got home from work (you know I just mistyped "for work" and I think that's more than a Freudian slip!).  So I don't know if I'll even have time for dinner tonight, so I better open some wine!  And to celebrate the last day of Washington Wine Month, I opened one of my 6-pack from Madwine.com, this one is the 2007 Januik Columbia Valley Red, what a treat!  Unbeknownst to me, Mike Januik is a very consistent winemaker who according to Robert Parker "does is make good wine, year after year, without a lot of fanfare or glitz."  This wine is a blend of 62% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Syrah, 6% Cabernet Franc 6% Petit Verdot, and 2% Malbec (but I won't hold that against it).  And the grapes are sourced from some of Washington's great vineyards, including Klipsun, Stillwater Creek, Alder Ridge, Seven Hills, Lewis, Ciel du Cheval and Weinbau vineyards.

The wine itself is quite pleasing, with a deep ruby color and a nose exhibiting aromas of leather and cedar.  The wine is nice and dry, with flavors of black currant and berries that really holds up remarkably well.  With some initial spice, at the end, this wine has a wonderfully smooth finish.  Although I appear to be drinking this one for dinner, I could imagine it holding up quite well to grilled steaks, but also going quite well with salmon or a nice dry rubbed pork tenderloin.  I have no idea what this one cost me, since it was a 6-pack for $160, which averages out to $26.67 per bottle, so at that average cost it's not a great value, but still a solid red that I would rate an 8.0! 

2008 14 Hands Cabernet Sauvignon

Ok, so it's been a rough day and a rough week or so filled with a lot of work, so now I am going to relax a bit and celebrate Washington Wine month, since there's only 1 day left!  Today I am enjoying a bottle of 14 Hands Cabernet Sauvignon, from Washington's Columbia Valley, an area known for wonderful cabs.  This wine is a very nice, easy drinking red that would be wonderful to enjoy all evening, though I will enjoy this one with dinner too.

The wine is fairly dry, with a very smooth taste.  It has a dark ruby color and exhibits flavors of dark cherry and currant, that finishes very nicely.  The aroma offers a hint of fruit, leather and earth that perfectly sets your expectations before your first sip.  I am enjoying it with a dinner of crab cake, rice and fresh asparagus, and it really matches well with the spicy seasoning in the crab cake.  And perhaps the best part is the value!  This wine is a nice drinking red, available in most areas for around $10, making this one a solid 7.5 in my book!  Cheers!

2007 Snoqualmie Whistle Stop Red

Happy wine day!!!

So today was one of those weird but good days, with a whole lot going on!  I started early this morning helping an older lady from church to move, and since there were so many of us it look a lot less time than I expected, not bad.  Then I had to stop by Russo's in Grand Rapids to pick up a case of Sangiovese that I had put aside for my office wine club (less than $7 per bottle!  they will love that!), but when I got there, the wine guy got my order and there was a problem and a surprise. The problem was that when I e-mailed them to put aside a case of the Sangiovese, they mistakenly put aside a case of the Malbec they were also offering in the same e-mail (oh, let me tell you I am NOT a fan of Malbec!).  No problem, they had plenty of the wine I wanted so we just swapped out cases.  But at the same time, the wine guy brought out 3 more bottles, and said, "this has been sitting back there with your name on it for a couple months, would you like to pick this up too?"  Well he showed me 3 bottles of a wonderful 2005 Margeaux that I had reserved months ago, but I had already picked up!  I told him I already picked it up, but if they had 3 more I would be happy to take them off his hands!  So a hidden surprise treasure, a nice margeaux from the super 2005 vintage that I got to buy more of when I thought it was completely sold out!  I love surprises!

Ok, so then I went back home, put the wine away (and yet, my closet cellar is over capacity now, so I really must start drinking and blogging, in case you haven't noticed), so after getting some work done this afternoon, I finally had a chance to celebrate Washington Wine Month and opened the 2007 Snoqualmie Whistle Stop Red I bought a week or so ago!  Well if you're just getting to know me, I just love trains, and I volunteered on the crew of the Spokane, Portland and Seattle #700 locomotive when I lived out in the Northwest, just to show you how committed I am (or maybe that should say "should be committed"!).  For those of you who are not familiar with train trivia, a whistle stop is a stop between main stops/stations on a train line, where the train does not always stop, but sort of stops whenever someone needs to catch the train.  Far more common in rural locations, but a fun bit of trivia nonetheless.  So this wine combines two of my loves, wine (duh) and trains!  The bottle has a wonderful image of a crossing signal too:

The wine itself is a wonderful example of a nice Washington red table wine, nothing fancy, but a nice easy drinking red.  I am enjoying a glass as I type this, with a couple pieces of aged parmesan and asiago cheese (whoever thought of combining wine and cheese is a super genius!). The wine itself has a nice dark purple color, but it's not opaque, and a nice aroma of leather and cherries.  The taste is very dry, like so many of the high-quality reds coming from the Columbia Valley in Washington, and it paired so well with the cheese, I could spend all evening doing this!  But alas, I have a friend celebrating a birthday today, so we are off to dinner downtown.  Overall, this is a solid red table wine, nothing too outrageous, but considering I bought this bottle for less than $10, it is an outstanding value!  Overall, I would rate this one a 7.5, and will be heading back to Grand Central Market (ohhh, just caught the train connection there!) to get some more!