2019 Yokayo Buteo Rockpile Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  I am exhausted, I spent seven hours working in the yard today, trimming hedges and cleaning up all the scraps and now I need to relax with a nice dinner and glass of wine!  Although I may find it a strain to lift a glass to my mouth, tonight I've opened a bottle that was an impulse add on to an order from Wines Till Sold Out.  The 2019 Yokayo Buteo Rockpile Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (75%), Malbec (16%) and Petit Verdot (9%) from the Rockpile appellation in Sonoma. So, let's see if I can lift this glass and taste this wine!

The wine is an inky black at the center with deep garnet along the edges, just as you'd expect from a big California Cabernet.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of strawberry, plum and green cedar.  The first sip is a rush of ripe fruit, cherry, strawberry and plum with undertones of earthy peat and cedar that transition to some notes of mocha and dark chocolate midpalate.  The tannins are firm and vibrant, providing an ideal foundation for a long, smooth dry finish that lingers for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a very pleasant drinking Cabernet that punches above its weight class, as this wine was available for the bargain price of $17!  This wine would pair well with a range of dishes, from crispy skin salmon to mushroom risotto, steak to grilled lamb chops.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled T-bone steak, oven roasted shishito peppers with flaky salt and grilled corn on the cob.  Cheers!

2014 Arbor Bench Meritage

Happy Saturday, of note, the first Saturday of the new month, which means it Cellar Saturday!  This is the magical day where I raid the cellar for something at least a decade in the making.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle that I bought a couple months ago from Wines Till Sold Out.  The 2014 Arbor Bench Meritage is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (38%), Merlot (32%) and Malbec (30%) from the Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma.  Let's see how this wine is shaping up!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you'd expect with these three varietals.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of blackberry, vanilla bean and dusty limestone with hints of violet undertones.  The first sip is rush of tart cherry that eases into some notes of blackberry jam, toasted oak and peppery spice midpalate.  The tannins are quote chewy, but still capable as the backbone for the lingering dry finish with a reprise of cherry at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a wonderfully satisfying blend that will no doubt pair well with a variety of dishes.  This wine would pair well with hearty braised short ribs, spicy barbecue or classic steaks.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a pan seared ribcap topped with sunflower sprouts, along with some broccoli rabe and asparagus sautéed in garlic and olive oil and tossed with linguine.  Cheers!

2018 Jigar Wines Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Saturday!  It's been a while since I've posted because I was away on my summer vacation road trip, this time to Maine with stops in the Finger Lakes of New York (stay tuned for a future post!), Vermont and New Hampshire.  And now that I'm back, I just made a giant pot of pasta sauce from a 25-lb box of tomatoes I brought back from the Finger Lakes, which I will be canning tomorrow.  But aside from all this activity today, I've opened a bottle of wine to enjoy before heading to the theatre tonight (man, I do lead a busy life!).  Tonight's wine is a 2018 Jigar Wines Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon that I recently bought from Wines Till Sold Out, a 100% Cabernet from vineyards in eastern Sonoma County.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is an inky black at the center with bright ruby along the edges.  A gentle swirl in the glass reveals aromas of leather, blackberry and dried herbs that bring images of subdued luxury to mind.  The first sip brings a rush of ripe berry flavors, blueberry, blackberry and sweet cherry that ease into some notes of dark chocolate and mocha midpalate.  The tannins are soft but well integrated, providing for a wonderfully smooth dry finish with a reprise of cherry at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a nicely drinking Cabernet that could be an everyday sipper at the value price of just $20.  This wine would pair with a variety of hearty dishes from steaks and roasts, pasta dishes (stay tuned for a sauce update!) or braised short ribs.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled ribeye steak, grilled hatch chilis and leeks, along with some linguine tossed with broccoli rabe sautéed in garlic and olive oil.  Cheers!

2019 Trestle Glen Vineyards Sonoma Valley Zinfandel

Happy Sunday!  It was rainy and dreary today, so that means catching up on work and doing laundry!  At least there is still wine, and tonight's selection, which I bought from Wines Till Sold Out, combines two of my favorite things, wine and trains!  Trestle Glen Vineyards name and label pay homage to the Sonoma Valley Railway that ran between Sonoma Town and the village of Glen Ellen between 1882 and 1907.  The 2019 Trestle Glen Vineyards Sonoma Valley Zinfandel is a classic example of the varietal with the accompanying high alcohol (in this case 15.3% ABV).  So, let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a deep ruby in the glass, somewhat lighter than you might expect from a classic jammy Zinfandel.  The note presents aromas of blueberry, plum with undertones of nutmeg, cedar and peppery spice.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of jammy fruit that is intertwined with some earthy notes of cedar, tar and basalt before transitioning to some white pepper spice notes midpalate.  The tannins are soft, allowing for the acidity in the wine to bite a bit at the smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a pleasant drinking Zindandel that would be ideal for casual dinners, especially at the price of just $17!  This wine would pair well with everything from barbecue to tacos, pizza to steak.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a special steak fajita dinner.  This weekend I had the chance to buy a nice round steak at my local market that was harvested from our recent 4H county fair, so truly farm to table!  I grilled the steak with some spices then added sautéed onions and hatch chiles and topped them with all the accoutrements!  Cheers!

Eclipse Pinot Noir

Happy New Year!  It's been a rainy, sleet-filled day here, and now everything seems to have an eighth-inch coating of ice.  But things could be worse, we could be dealing with a pandemic, economic depression and deep social and political divisions, oh wait... In any case, to start the new year I've decided to open a bottle of wine that a friend of mine, Robert made.  There is no vintage, but he did make a pretty well designed label for his Eclipse wines (maybe this was during the eclipse, what year was that again?) and tonight I've opened a Pinot Noir that he crafted from grapes from Sonoma.  So, let's see if he should quit his day job!

The wine is a nice garnet color in the glass, with a lighter color and great clarity, as you might expect from a Pinot Noir.  After letting this one breathe for an hour or so, it's really opening up with aromas of black cherry, spice box and a hint of mint.  The taste is actually pretty good, with a rush of ripe black fruit up front, cherry, blueberry and plum that transitions to some flavors of caramel and oak midpalate.  The tannins are somewhat subdued, for a soft, dry finish with a reprise of mint at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's actually surprisingly good given that this wine was homemade (my last experience with homemade wine was from my high school friend Nick, who's uncle Vuyo made white wine from grapes he grew on the south side of Chicago, which we affectionately referred to as Vuyo fluid).  This wine would pair well with lamb or pasta, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic New Year's dinner of king crab legs with drawn butter.  Cheers!

2017 Peaks & Tides Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Monday!  I feel like I got more done today than I probably did, but we'll just go with it!  After working all day, I went to the gym and now I'm ready for dinner and a nice glass of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle that was a Christmas gift from a long time friend, and last year she gave me a bottle of the 2015 vintage and this year the 2017 Peaks & Tides Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  So let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is deep ruby color in the glass, with nice clarity.  The nose is a wonderful combination of earthy leather, green grass, blackberry and a hint of mint over the top.  The taste is a rush of tart cherry at the outset that eases into some ripe blackberry and plum.  Midpalate we have some lovely black pepper spice notes as the acidity takes the drivers seat with the dusty tannins along for the ride on the long, smooth and delightfully dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's just a nice everyday Cabernet for under $20 that would pair well with lamb, steaks or barbecue (or just about anything you might serve up for the big game this weekend).  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a boneless ribeye grilled rare with some grilled broccoli rabe and a big baked potato.  Cheers!

2014 Bordigioni Merlot

Happy Saturday!  I am back!  The past couple months have been a bit off on my wine blogging as I've been involved in a production of the Music Man at Elkhart Civic Theatre, and last weekend we did four performances and now my evenings are back to being my own.  So, you can expect at least a modest increase in my posts.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2014 Bordigioni Sonoma Valley Merlot which I recently purchased from Wines Till Sold Out.  This wine is primarily Merlot, with about 5% Cabernet Sauvignon blended in.  It's been a very hot day of yard work, so I am looking forward to some relaxation tonight!

The wine is a bright ruby color in the class, with a bit lighter body than you might expect from a Merlot.  The nose is quite fruity, with prominent aromas of blackberry, cherry and currant, with a hint of leather.  The taste is similarly fruit forward, with a rush of blackberry and currant that envelops your palate before transitioning to some notes of white pepper spice and a reprise of red currant.  The finish is quite refined, with well integrated tannins supporting the velvety smooth and very dry finish that lingers for several minutes.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, the looks can be deceiving with the lighter body, but this wine certainly delivers all I would expect from a nice Merlot.  This wine would pair well with a broad range of dishes, from summer barbecue, burgers and brats to pasta, steaks and chops.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a simple dinner of a rare grilled prime sirloin steak topped with bleu cheese and grilled garlic scapes with some oven roasted Brussels sprouts with artisan bacon and a loaded baked potato.  Cheers!

2016 Robert Storey Cellars Grand Reserve Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, it's been another busy week and after doing some work for the class I'm teaching at a local college, I figure it's time to relax with a nice bottle of wine with dinner.  Tonight I'm opening a bottle I purchased last month from Wines Till Sold Out, the 2016 Robert Storey Cellars Grand Reserve Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  This nice little Cabernet from the Sonoma Valley should be a nice wine to enjoy on a chilly evening, so let's see what it has to offer.

The wine is a deep garnet color in the glass, somewhat lighter than a typical big Cabernet.  The nose is chock full of earthy aromas of leather, peat and tobacco overlaying some subdued fruit notes of cherry and currant.  The taste is an interesting combination of smoke and fruit up front, with some underlying flavors of blackberry and cherry that transition to some caramel and white pepper spice midpalate.  The tannins are young and somewhat underdeveloped, though the finish is still smooth and dry, with a lingering presence.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a good quality everyday Cabernet at a good price of just under $19.  This wine would pair well with a broad range of everyday cuisine, from pizza and tacos to hearty beef dishes and barbecue.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with the king of steak, a rare grilled Prime ribcap, with some steamed asparagus and a big honkin' baked potato with sour cream and scallions.  Cheers!

2009 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  I know I was supposed to post my Cellar Saturday selection yesterday, but I forgot that I had made dinner plans with a friend, so I deferred it to a Cellar Sunday for this month.  And this one is a special one, as it's been sitting in the cellar for a good six years, the 2009 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Alexander Valley in Sonoma County.  Well, since I'm already a day late and a buck short, let's get to tasting this wine!

The wine is a deep, inky purple color in the glass, with bright ruby tint throughout, classic for a Sonoma Cabernet.  The nose presents aromas of leather, tobacco, blackberry and kirsch, beckoning you to take a sip.  The taste is somewhat subdued at the outset, with some mellow black fruit up front, blackberry, cherry and plum that break to some notes of caramel, graphite and dark chocolate midpalate.  The tannins are elegantly structured, providing for a long, smooth and very dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, it's certainly very age worthy and would likely improve even more over the next decade.  This wine is a classic big Cabernet, worthy of a nice thick steak, and I'm in luck!  Tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a rare grilled Prime ribcap along with some grilled asparagus and a big baked potato.  Cheers!

2015 Peaks & Tides Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, it's been a busy week and it doesn't look like next week will be much better, so I guess I'll have to enjoy whatever downtime I can get on the weekend!  I think for the weekend, I'll only open gift wines from the holidays, and tonight's wine was a Christmas gift from a friend of mine in Michigan, the 2015 Peaks & Tides Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon.  So let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is an inky consistency at the center, with bright garnet along the edges, just as you'd expect from a nice California Cabernet.  The nose is presents a nice array of black fruit, blackberry, plum and cherry intermingled with a bit of oak and just a hint if lilac.  The taste is wonderfully fruit forward, with a rush of black cherry, plum and cassis that yields to some notes of anise and black pepper spice midpalate.  The tannins are smooth, despite their youth, setting of the wonderfully long and smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a nice Cabernet that I could easily see being an everyday red wine.  This wine would pair well with a variety of dishes, from steaks and chops to pasta and pizza, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a Thai spiced New York strip grilled rare in my cast iron skillet (I wimped out on outdoor grilling as it's been snowing all afternoon!), along with sauteed Brussels sprouts and a big baked potato.  Cheers!

2013 Murphy-Goode Red Wine

Happy Saturday!  It's been an odd day of running errands and not being able to do yard work as it can't seem to make up its mind whether it will rain or not.  Well maybe I'll have better luck tomorrow.  In the meantime, I've opened a bottle of wine to enjoy with dinner before heading out to enjoy a performance at the Elkhart Civic Theatre, tonight it's Disney's Beauty and the Beast.  So the wine, this is a bottle I picked up at my local market for only about $8, so I figured it was worth a try.  I think it's a blend of primarily Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah and some other red varietals from Sonoma, but I couldn't find the exact blend.  So let's see how it tastes. 

The wine is a nice garnet color in the glass and the nose exudes aromas of leather, cherries, oak and a hint of anise.  The taste is a rush of warm, ripe fruit, cherry, plum, blueberry and a bit of raspberry that transitions to some mineral notes and earthiness midpalate.  The finish is somewhat subdued, with mellow tannins providing for a silky mouthfeel on the smooth, dry finish. 

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, as it's a pleasant drinking everyday red wine and a terrific value if you can find it on sale for under $10.  This wine would pair very well with burgers, pizza or barbecue, but I'm enjoying it tonight with an alder planked wild sockeye filet, potato puree and some fresh green beans almondine that I bought fresh today.  The great cherry flavors of this wine make it ideal with a rich salmon.  Cheers!

2012 Orin Swift Abstract

Happy Saturday!  I spent much of my day at a Board meeting in Chicago, so of course that meant a quick stop at Eataly before heading home (more on that later on in this post!) and now I'm ready for a nice glass of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle that I found in the cellar recently, I remember buying it but don't remember drinking it, hence I've opened it tonight, the 2012 Orin Swift Abstract.  This wine is a Rhone style blend of primarily Grenache, Petite Sirah and Syrah from Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino Counties in California.  I find that Orin Swift produces some interesting blends, so let's see what this one has to offer.

The wine is a deep inky color at the center with bright ruby along the edges that reminds me more of a Cabernet than a Grenache heavy blend, no doubt a nod to the Petite Sirah in the blend.  The nose is chock full of blackberry, plum and some wonderful dried sage.  The taste is a rush of black cherry, plum and kirsch that transitions nicely to some notes of black tea and dark chocolate midpalate.  The tannins are soft but well structured, providing for a lingering and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a lovely blend that would resonate with anyone that appreciates the art of getting varietals to play well together.  It was also a very good value at just $30.  This wine would pair well with steaks and chops, barbecue or pasta, but tonight I've gone down south and am pairing this with a pan-seared, cajun spiced veal loin chop, some red beans and rice and steamed asparagus.  The wine is just a great combination with the spice and wonderful earthy flavor of the veal.  Cheers!

2014 Hanna Bismark Mountain Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Wine Wednesday!  Last night I had some of my neighbors over for a glass of wine or two and one of my neighbors brought me a bottle of 2014 Hanna Bismark Mountain Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from the Moon Mountain District of Sonoma County.  We didn't have a chance to open it last night, so I thought it would be good to enjoy tonight, so let's see how this one tastes.

The wine is a lovely ruby color in the glass, with classic dark center, just as you'd expect from a quality Cabernet.  The nose is an interesting combination of leather overlaid with subtle floral notes.  The taste is a rush of concentrated dark fruit, black cherry, plum and currant that transition effortlessly to some delicious notes of peppery spice intermingled with mocha and dark chocolate midpalate.  The tannins are velvety smooth and delightfully integrated, creating a wonderfully long and smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's about as solid as a California Cabernet can be.  I'd easily take this wine over more expensive and less interesting wines from Napa.  This wine is practically begging to be paired with a thick steak, but it would also pair well with a variety of Italian dishes, or as I'm enjoying it tonight, paired with mid-week pizza!  You have to have something to drink with your pizza, it may as well be a nicely crafted Cabernet.  Cheers!

1999 Teldeschi Dry Creek Valley Petite Sirah

Happy Saturday!  Well, it's the first Saturday of November which means it's time to raid the stash for something a bit more mature to celebrate "Cellar Saturday"!  Tonight I've opened a bottle that I bought a little while ago that I've really been looking forward to, the 1999 Teldeschi Dry Creek Valley Petite Sirah.  I love Petite Sirah, because it's neither petite nor syrah, so I'm anxious to taste this one.  I'm also fascinated by the history of this winery, founded by Frank Teldeschi who emigrated to California from Italy, like so many other great California wine makers.  Frank's 70 acres in the Dry Creek Valley were planted primarily with Zinfandel (another favorite) and through that connection, he had a hand in helping Ravenswood (another favorite winery) establish itself as a premier Zin producer back in the 1980s.  But enough history, let's get to the wine!

I opened the bottle carefully (cork and age can be fickle friends) and then decanted it for about an hour.  The wine is a rich, inky black at the center with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose presents aromas of blackberry, plum and kisch, that just reminds me of many of the wonderful local Italian places in New York.  The wine is an explosion of rich fruit, blackberry, cherry and plum that exhibits a bit of sweetness, only to transition nicely to some mocha and black pepper spice midpalate.  The tannins are wonderfully integrated, leading to a wonderfully smooth and long dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a great example of the varietal and it was a terrific value from Wines Til Sold Out at just $18!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a last gasp of summer before the time change tonight, with a rare grilled prime porterhouse, baked potato and grilled Brussels sprouts.  The fruit in this wine is a perfect foil for a nice grilled steak.  Salute!

2013 Masterpiece Vineyards Russian River Valley Zinfandel

Do you know what day it is?  That's right, it's hump day, a perfect time to open a nice bottle of wine to celebrate the week being half over,  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of this month's office wine selection that I bought last month from Wines Till Sold Out, the 2013 Masterpiece Vineyards Russian River Valley Zinfandel!  You know I love Zin, and I'm a sucker for classic paintings on wine labels (this one is Manet's The Plum) so let's see what this one has to offer.

The wine is a lighter ruby color in the glass with great clarity.  The nose presents aromas of of leather, oak, blackberry and a hint of white floral notes.  The flavor is somewhat more elevated for a typical Zinfandel, with some lovely red fruit notes, blackberry, strawberry and plum that transition to some lovely mineral notes and black pepper spice midpalate.  The finish is quite nice, with young but firm tannins supporting the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's still a little young but drinking quite nicely, and it was a great bargain at just $13.  This wine would pair well with a variety of dishes, from steaks and chops, to barbecue and pasta.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a panko crusted baked chicken breast along with some broccoli tossed with linguine, garlic and olive oil.  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!

2010 Liquid Sky Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Saturday!  Today I had a wonderful adventure to South Haven, Michigan where I stopped at the Dutch Farm Market to get a very berry pie, then I was able to do some wine tasting (more on that in a future post) and restock my olive oil and balsamic supply from my favorite oil retailer, the Olive Cart and I got a quart of ice cream from Captain Nemo's (I clearly didn't think that one through with an hour and a half drive home!  And to make matters worse for the poor ice cream I stopped at Costco on the way home and they happened to have something spectacular for dinner tonight (more on that in a bit).  So to match the fantastic dinner, I've decided to open a bottle of 2010 Liquid Sky Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon from the Moon Mountain AVA in Sonoma, so let's see how it is!

The wine is an inky black color at the center, with bright ruby along the edges, just what you'd expect from a nice Cabernet.  The nose presents aromas of blackberry, blueberry, kirsch and smoke that really gets you prepared for something good.  The taste is a rush of jammy black fruit up front that transitions nicely to some warm spice notes, leather and smoke midpalate.  The tannins are firm and well integrated into the long, smooth and exceptionally dry finish.  This is a big Cabernet for folks who really enjoy the big wines from California.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, it really is a delicious Cabernet and it was a good value at just $25 from Wines Till Sold Out.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime ribeye cap steak (yes, Costco had ribcaps!!!) along with a baked potato and some grilled Brussels sprouts, and of course a nice piece of very berry pie for dessert.  This is a perfect wine for a big, rich steak like a ribcap.  Cheers!

2013 Michel-Schlumberger La Revolution Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  I mowed the lawn and did some other chores around the house this afternoon, and now it's time to relax with Sunday dinner, which of course means I need to pick out a nice bottle of wine to enjoy with it.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2013 Michel-Schlumberger La Revolution Cabernet Sauvignon from the Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma.  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (80%), Syrah (7%), Merlot (5%), Petit Verdot (5%) and Malbec (3%).

The wine is a deep inky purple color in the glass with a bit of garnet around the edges.  The nose presents aromas of leather, pipe tobacco, black cherry and a bit of black plum, just as you'd expect from a nice Cabernet.  The taste is just lovely, with a blast of fruit up front, blackberry, cherry and plum that transitions nicely to some wonderful spice notes of black pepper and anise with a bit of mocha and dark chocolate notes midpalate.  The finish is quite nice with supple tannins supporting the long, smooth and very dry finish that seems to go on for a minute or more.  This is a great example of some of the fine, yet underappreciated wines coming out of Sonoma today.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, I've become a fan of this producer, with very nice wines at a terrific value (I bought this one from Wines Till Sold Out for just $18!).  This wine would be ideal with almost any sort of beef dish, but tonight I've gone a familiar route, with a nice prime sirloin grilled rare served with a baked potato with sour cream and some grilled asparagus and organic rainbow carrots.  Cheers!

2013 Castlebank "Vivian's Vineyard" Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

It's Sunday afternoon, and of course I didn't get nearly what I wanted to accomplish around the house done today, but at least I did laundry and prepped for dinner...it's the little things!  So since I'm already disappointed in my weekend accomplishments, why not open a bottle of wine and enjoy my evening?  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2013 Castlebank "Vivian's Vineyard" Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that I got a couple weeks ago from Wines Till Sold Out.  Now a little over a year ago I tasted the 2012 vintage (which you can see here), so let's see how the new one stacks up.

The wine is a lovely deep ruby color in the glass, with a dark indigo at the center.  The nose presents aromas of leather, blackberry and plum, with just a hint of smoke.  The taste is just what you'd expect from a nice Cabernet, blended with just enough Bordeaux varietals to take the edge off.  At first you have a rush of ripe fruit, that transitions effortlessly to some mineral notes, mocha and dark chocolate midpalate.  The tannins are refined and well integrated, providing the foundation for the long, smooth and very dry finish.

This is a very nice Cabernet that I would rate a solid 8, and it's a terrific value as well at just $14!  Tonight I am pairing this with a rare Angus porterhouse along with some oven roasted fingerling potatoes with cajun spices and some steamed broccoli.  The dark fruit and minerality of this wine make it perfect for steak.  Cheers!

2012 Mockingbird Hill Reserve Red Wine

So the long holiday weekend has commenced, along with the unofficial start of summer on this Memorial Day weekend, so why not start out with a nice bottle of wine?  Tonight I've opened a bottle of 2012 Mockingbird  Hill Reserve Red Wine, a nice blend from Sonoma County that I recently picked up on Wines Till Sold Out.

The wine is a nice deep ruby color in the glass with nice clarity.  The nose presents pleasant aromas of cherry, boysenberry and plum along with some earthy notes of peat and fresh cut cedar.  The taste is a nice combination of ripe fruit up front, with some blackberry and cassis presenting a bit of jammy fruit which transitions to some nice notes of tobacco and toasted oak.  The tannins were somewhat young and tight, but they created a nice foundation for a smooth, dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's drinking well now as a very approachable red blend, but at about $13, it's a value that would make this an easy choice for an everyday wine.  Tonight I am enjoying this one on the patio with an heirloom tomato caprese salad with 25-year balsamic, Tuscan herb olive oil and freshly cut basil, what could be better on such a gorgeous day?  It would also pair well with a nice steak or a hearty pasta with red sauce.  Cheers!