2018 Gramercy Cellars Walla Walla Syrah

Happy Saturday!  I started the day running all sorts of errands, then I got home and worked all afternoon, so now I'm ready for a nice dinner and a glass of wine. Tonight, I've opened a bottle of wine I recently purchased from Wines Till Sold Out, who occasionally sources some outstanding Washington wines, and tonight's is no exception.  The 2018 Gramercy Cellars Walla Walla Syrah is a blend of Syrah from three different vineyards, Les Collines, which is a perennial strong source of Syrah, their own estate vineyard, Forgotten Hills and Holy Roller Vineyard, from the Rocks District, which has its own identity in the world of Syrah.  As a fan of Syrah, I can't wait to see how this wine has developed!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with a more medium body.  A swirl of the glass reveals aromas of boysenberry, lavender and a good bit of forest floor, revealing the earthy character of Walla Walla Syrah.  The first sip is a rush of tart cherry that backs off to reveal some blackberry and boysenberry fruit, easing into some umami and dusty limestone and black pepper spice midpalate that is classic for Rocks District Syrah.  The tannins are voluptuous, providing for a velvety, smooth dry finish with a bit of acidity that will have you reaching for another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a shining example of the Walla Walla terroir and its impact on producing great Syrah.  This wine was also a terrific value at just $25, one you could sip on the weeknights, or enjoy with friends at a nice dinner party.  Speaking of which, this wine would pair well with a range of dished, from rack of lamb and risotto, to classic salmon and steak.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a pan seared, crispy skin Scottish black pearl salmon filet, mushroom pasta and oven roasted broccoli rabe.  Cheers!

2021 Seven Hills the Rocks District Syrah

Happy Sunday!  I spent my afternoon at the county fair, looking at all the animals and tractors and of course eating a bit of fair food, but I didn't spoil my appetite.  Tonight I am having a bit of a different Sunday dinner, which calls for a little different wine, and nothing more different than the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater when it comes to Syrah!  The 2021 Seven Hills the Rocks District Syrah is the inaugural vintage of this 100% Syrah from Seven Hills, so let's see what this new wine has to offer!

The wine is a deep crimson in the glass, just as you'd expect from a nice Syrah.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of strawberry, currant and cherry with undertones of oak.  Take a sip and you experience a rush of ripe black fruit, cherry, blackberry and currant that carefully ease into the classic Rocks District earthy mineral funk that makes these wines such fun ones to imbibe.  The mineral notes intermingle with floral notes of violet and before you know it, you are experiencing the well structured tannins for a wonderfully lingering dry finish that will have you reaching for another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a wonderful young example of what a classic Rocks District Syrah should be.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty dishes, from steaks and chops to braised lamb shank or short ribs.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with some grilled Za'atar seasoned lamb rib chops along with roasted garlic mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy and steamed green beans.  Cheers!

2018 DaMa Stoney Vine Vineyard Syrah

 Merry Christmas!  This being Christmas Eve, I am pretty much done with all my shopping and preparations, presents have been delivered and I am getting ready for a lovely winter's nap in front of the fire with a cup of hot buttered rum, easy on the butter, listening to a rebroadcast of a radio play of "It's a Wonderful Life" that I did with the Elkhart Civic Theatre two years ago.  But before that can happen, it's time for a glass of wine and some dinner.  Tonight I've chosen to open a bottle of a recent wine club shipment from DaMa Wines, the 2018 Stoney Vine Vineyard Syrah.  This wine is the first that DaMa has produced from Syrah grown in the Rocks AVA, so I expect this 100% Syrah will be a bit more muscular and earthy, hence the image of Hercules on the label.  So, let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with great clarity.  The nose is an interesting combination of ripe black fruit, blackberry, plum and currant with strains of savory notes of black olive and umami.  The taste is a rush of black fruit that washes over your palate, with hints of anise and rose petals, that transitions effortlessly to some mineral notes of dusty limestone with this faintest hint of vanilla midpalate.  The tannins are soft and well integrated, providing a velvety smooth, and very dry finish that lingers.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's one of the more approachable Syrahs I've tried from the Rocks District, muscular but not brutish.  This wine would pair well with many classic Syrah pairings, from lamb to salmon, pasta to barbecue.  Tonight I am trying this wine with a new recipe I found on Instagram from a gentleman who goes by the moniker, "dontgobaconmyheart" for Boursin linguine.  I've modified the recipe slightly for such a special dinner as Christmas Eve and replaced the smoked sausage with Jonah crab claw meat.  In any event, the creamy, herb laden sauce on this pasta is ideal with the black fruit and minerality of this wine.  Cheers!

2018 Valdemar Estates Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Wine Wednesday!  So a few weeks ago, the Reveal Walla Walla Charity Auction was held.  I was last at this great event back in 2018 (you can see my post on the auction here) and although it was a lot of fun, I was not a winner.  This year the event was held virtually and the folks did a terrific job of organizing and running the auction, but without the chance to browse the event and meet the wine makers and sample the wines it wasn't quite the same.  I'll give the organizers credit though, as they were willing to send some samples out, depending on the winery, and I was fortunate enough to receive two samples of the 6 lots I bid on, and tonight I'm going to review the 2018 Valdemar Estates Cabernet Sauvignon from the Stone Valley Vineyard in the Rocks District AVA of the Walla Walla Valley.  I was interested in this wine as Marie-Eve Gilla, formerly of Forgeron Cellars, is now the winemaker at Valdemar.  So let's see how this young wine is shaping up!

The wine is a deep, inky color at the center with bright ruby along the edges, just as a classic Cabernet should look.  The nose is am old-world style layered affair, with some hints of violet and black plum intermingled with some mineral notes graphite and undertones of sage and mint.  The taste is a rush of black fruit, with some cherry, blackberry and fig, that transitions nicely to some cocoa powder midpalate.  The tannins are expertly structured, making for a very Bordeaux-esque exceptionally dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a pleasant Cabernet that is a real example of the best of the old world and the new.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty dishes, from steaks and roasts, to earthy mushroom risotto.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some zhatar seasoned lamb loin chops served with bucatini tossed in a mint and basil pesto with peas.  Cheers!

2015 Sleight of Hands "The Psychedelic Syrah"

Happy Friday!  Hopefully you got all your black Friday mojo out of your system, I know I did and now it's time for a nice bottle of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle that I bought when I was visiting Walla Walla last Spring and had a chance to meet Trey Busch and the team at Sleight of Hands Cellars, the 2015 Psychedelic Syrah, from the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater, Oregon.  This wine is a 100% Syrah, from the Stoney Vine Vineyard, which is an ancient riverbed characterized by softball size rocks (which Trey is so proud to show off!).  This vintage follows the 2014 which was my 2017 wine of the year (see here), so it has some big shoes to fill, let's see how it tastes!

The wine is a wonderful garnet color in the glass with great clarity.  The nose is a wonderfully earthy cascade of olive tapenade, smoke, leather, earthy mineral notes overlaid with ripe black fruit, blackberry and currant with an undertone of mint.  The taste is a psychedelic combination of ripe black fruit, heavy earth tones, a hint of lavender and some green olive that just swirl in your mouth and in your mind.  The tannins are thick and chewy, enveloping your palate and setting the perfect stage for the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, it's likely one of the best examples of Syrah I've enjoyed this year, and I think it's grown on me since i tasted it back in April, but I still prefer the 2014 vintage.  This wine would be ideal with a lot of hearty fall dishes from lamb chops and shepherds pie to mushroom risotto or prime rib, (even Turkey, though we're a day late and a buck short for that).  Tonight I am going a little off the beaten track, as I bought a nice piece or prime brisket at Costco and decided to slow roast it today and make brisket tacos for dinner.  The earthiness of the wine is a perfect accompaniment to the richness of the brisket.  Cheers!

2013 Result of a Crush

Merry Christmas!  It's been a remarkably relaxing Christmas Eve, as it's been snowing all day so I just decided to spend the afternoon lounging around the house, until it was time to get up and open a bottle of wine!  And tonight it's a special bottle that I brought back from my trip to Walla Walla last August, and a wine that ironically I didn't taste until I sat at the VinoVolo in Sea-Tac airport on the way home, the 2013 Result of a Crush Red Wine!  This wine is from a project by two sisters, Amanda and Angela of the Reynvaan Family Vineyards of Walla Walla, who in 2011 decided to focus on wines that are "distinctive, affordable, consistent in quality and showcase the owners' sometimes whimsical attitude toward wine."  So let's see what this one has to offer!

The wine is a lovely garnet color in the glass, very consistent with the predominance of Syrah in the blend.  The nose is an interesting array of earthy and savory aromas, with some vibrant green herbs along with earthy notes of dusty limestone and tar over undertones of ripe black fruit.  The taste is just a real treat, with some wonderful stone fruit notes up front, which transition to some stark mineral notes midpalate.  The flavors of the Rocks of Walla Walla really come through nicely on this wine.  The tannins as very well structured, providing just enough backbone for the velvety and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9 as it's just a pleasant drinking wine and a solid value (I believe this one was around $28).  This wine would pair well with a broad array of dished, from steaks and chops to hearty Italian dishes, but tonight it's Christmas Eve, which means it's time for a more special dinner.  So tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a giant cold water lobster tail along with some fusilli Napoletani sauteed with olive oil, garlic and broccoli rabe.  The wonderful fruit and mineral notes of this wine are a perfect foil to the richness of the lobster.  Merry Christmas!

2014 Maison Bleue Frontiere Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  Today I've opened a bottle of wine from Maison Bleue, a wonderful producer of great quality Grenache and Syrah from Walla Walla.  But this time I've gone a different route and opened a new bottle of their 2014 Frontiere Cabernet Sauvignon, a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Waliser Vineyard in the Rocks AVA in the Walla Walla Valley.  Given my dinner choice tonight, I needed a good Cabernet, so let's see how this one stacks up.

This is my first wine from the Rocks, and I've been hearing positive things about this AVA.  The area is mainly alluvial material washed down the Blue Mountains by the Walla Walla River, resulting in soil dominated by large cobblestones.  This enhances drainage prompting roots to go deeper, and more heat deeper in the soil, which comes through in this wine.  The wine is an inky black color at the center with lovely garnet hues along the edges.   The nose is quite interesting, with a soothing combination of coarse mineral notes, cassis and mint that are somewhat unexpected.  The taste is a real departure for a Cabernet, with some lovely notes of red and black currant up front that transition nicely to some mineral notes of dusty granite over notes of tobacco and black tea leaves.  The tannins are firm and provide for a velvety, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a wonderfully structured and pleasant drinking Cabernet that would pair well with anything from steak, to pasta to hearty stews.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a USDA Prime cowboy ribeye, along with a big ol' baked potato and some grilled broccoli rabe.  The wine really holds up well to the steak, as the acidity nicely cuts through the richness of the steak.  Cheers!