2021 Reininger Sangiovese Grosso

Happy Sunday!  I think I had a productive day, mainly because I feel like I'm about to collapse on the couch!  I went to church, then rehearsal this afternoon, then I pulled two gallon buckets of dandelions (I think it's getting better since it's one less bucket than last weekend!) and then I mowed for the first time this year before starting dinner.  Which brings me to the wine for this evening, the 2021 Reininger Sangiovese Grosso from the Seven Hills Vineyard in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  Let's see how this wine is tasting and whether I made the right choice for my Sunday dinner!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass with great clarity, just what you'd like to see in a Sangiovese Grosso.  The nose presents enticing aromas of candied cherry, strawberry with some hints of lilac.  The first sip is a blast of ripe red fruit, cherry, strawberry and currant, but with none of the sweetness the nose was projecting.  Midpalate, you have some notes of pipe tobacco and white pepper spice, before a reprise of warm berry cobbler.  The tannins are silky smooth, providing a perfect base for the long, dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a classic tasting Italian varietal that pays homage to the European heritage.  This wine would pair well with a variety of dishes, but it really needs to be paired with the food of Italy, from hearty Florentine steak, to classic pasta, from baked lasagna, stuffed shells to a hearty Bolognese.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a long-time favorite, bucatini with mussels fra diavalo, topped with fresh basil and shaved parmesan.  Cheers!

2019 Reininger Sangiovese Grosso

Happy Sunday!  It's been a busy day as went to the Elkhart County 4H Fair all afternoon, so now that I've gotten enough sun it's time to relax a bit with a nice bottle of wine.  It's interesting how sometimes the wine choice influences the menu, and other times like today, the menu influenced my decision to open a bottle of 2019 Reininger Sangiovese Grosso.  Crafted in the style of Brunello, this wine is a 100% Sangiovese from the Seven Hills Vineyard in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a lighter bodied, bright ruby color in the glass, just as you'd expect from the varietal.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of strawberry, bing cherry, leather and hints of pipe tobacco.  The first sip is a rush of ripe red fruit, cherry, currant and strawberry intermingled with vanilla bean that transition easily to some smoky notes midpalate along with a bit of peppery spice.  The tannins are well structured, providing for a wonderfully smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, which is just what I rated the 2017 Vintage when I reviewed it back in 2020.  This wine would pair well with a variety of grilled steaks, but it practically begs to be enjoyed with a nice Italian dinner, which is why I picked it!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some squid ink shells tossed with some shrimp simmered in some Trader Joe's Manzanino tomatoes, garlic, basil and olive oil, finished with some fresh basil and shredded Parmesan.  Cheers!

2012 Molino della Suga Brunello di Montalcino Riserva

Well, it's the first Saturday of a new month, which means it's Cellar Saturday!  It's that magical time when I raid the cellar for something at least a decade in the making to see how it's developed along it's journey. Tonight I've taken a couple of cheats on my decade, first I've selected a Brunello, which by Italian law must be aged in barrel for six years, and then in bottle a further six months before release.  So, such a wine is already 65% of the way to a decade on release day!  Second, I recently bought some of this wine from Wines Till Sold Out, so I let them do a little of the aging for me!  The 2012 Molino della Suga Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is a 100% Sangiovese Grosso (another requirement of Italian law), and Brunellos are usually just hitting their stride at the 10-year mark, so let's see how this one is tasting!

The wine is a bright ruby in the glass, with nice clarity, just as you might expect from the varietal.  Take a whiff and you're greeted with aromas of dried flowers, ripe cherry and plum, with hints of vanilla and anise.  Take a sip and you're immediately transported to the Tuscan countryside, with layers of dried herbs, ripe cherry and some earthy notes of tobacco and graphite, which ease into some black pepper spice and a hint of thyme midpalate.  The tannins are a bit tight at first, but gradually open up for a velvety mouthfeel leading into a smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a very pleasant and easy drinking Brunello that is just hitting its stride. This wine would pair well with classic Tuscan dishes, such as Bistecca Alla Fiorentina, pappardelle with a traditional ragu, ribollita, or a simple platter of salami and cheeses.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some Trader Joe's Cacio e Pepe ravioli with carpaccio truffle cream sauce, the spice of this wine is a perfect foil for the richness of the truffles.  Cheers!

2017 Reininger Sangiovese Grosso

Happy Sunday!  It's been thunderstoming and raining off and on all day today, which is good since I've spend much of it cooking (more on that in a bit).  In light of my dinner choices and since I just received a new shipment of this wine from Reininger Winery, my decision on what to drink tonight was fairly obvious.  I've decided to open a bottle of the 2017 Reininger Sangiovese Grosso, a 100% Sangiovese Grosso from the Seven Hills Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley AVA of Washington.  Unlike a traditional Sangiovese, this wine is made from a clone of the varietal from Montalcino that is used to make Brunello.  As a big Brunello fan, I was tempted to let this one age for 10 years, and I have a few bottles for that, but I couldn't help opening up one tonight, so let's see how it tastes!

The wine is a bright ruby color in the glass with just a tinge of amber along the edges, just as you might expect from it's Italian cousins.  The nose presents aromas of ripe cherry, strawberry overlaid with hints of anise and tobacco.  The taste is a rush of ripe red fruit, cherry, currant and mulberry that transitions easily to some notes of dark chocolate and spice box midpalate.  The tannins are soft which combined with a kick of acidty, provides for a vibrant and voluptuous dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's one of the best Sangiovese wines I've tasted from Washington.  This wine would pair well with a broad range of dishes, from classic Italian pasta with marinara, to Bisteca Fiorentina.  Tonight I've taken a completely different route, as my local supermarket had lamb rack on sale, so I decided to look up how to make the classic Hell's Kitchen herb crusted rack of lamb recipe (hat tip to the helpful video from Chef Christina Wilson here) along with potato puree, ratatouille with bravas puree and of course the lamb sauce, of a red wine and olive reduction.  And unlike my steaks, I prefer my lamb well done, so cheers!

2013 Secco-Bertani Original Vintage Edition

Happy New Year!  It's been a relaxing day and I've done some reading and watching of the "Twilight Zone" marathon and now it's time for a New Year's dinner and tonight I am going totally Italian given my recent day trip to Chicago and Eataly!  My wine for the evening is a 2013 Secco-Bertani Original Vintage edition red wine from the Veneto region of Italy (this is in Northern Italy) that I picked up on the recent trip.  This wine is primarily made from Corvina grapes (80%), Sangiovese Grosso (10%), Cabernet Sauvignon (5%) and Syrah (5%), according to a blend from an original recipe from 1888, so let's see what it has to offer!

The wine is a bright ruby color in the glass with great clarity, somewhat lighter, in the style of a nice Sangiovese.  The nose is a wonderful blend of earthy leather, lavender and a combination of herbs that reminds me of many of the small grocers in Little Italy.  The taste is a rush of ripe fruit, cherry, blackberry and plum that transitions effortlessly to some notes of spice box, nutmeg and tea midpalate.  The tannins are very fine, providing a nice backdrop for the long, dry finish as the acidity kicks in to provide notes of tart cherry at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a pleasant drinking Italian red wine that would pair exceedingly well with a broad range of Italian cuisine, from Tuscan toast to risotto to classic pasta.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with an old Italian favorite comfort dish of braciole served over a plate of bucatini with plenty of fresh basil.  The fruit and spice of this wine just complements the hearty beef and spice of the braciole so well.  Cheers!