2023 Seven Hills Walla Walla Carmenere

Happy Saturday!  I spent the afternoon in the yard, pulling a lot of weed and inadvertently transplanting some irises that I pulled up with some of the weeds.  But now it's time to relax in the air conditioning and maybe stop sweating for a while, and of course enjoy dinner and a nice bottle of wine.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle of 2023 Seven Hills Walla Walla Carmenere, a wine made from the "lost" Bordeaux varietal that's made a come back over the past few decades.  So let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby in the glass and the nose presents aromas of ripe berries, raspberries, blackberries and currant, that give way to notes of leather, dark chocolate and tobacco.  The first sip is an interesting combination of ripe red fruit with hints of mint, that transitions to some notes of earthy peat and dried herbs midpalate.  The tannins are smooth and supple providing just the right base for a lovely warm, dry finish. 

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it strikes me as easy drinking and food friendly.  And speaking of food, I have a pronounced habit of enjoying a nice Carmenere with tacos, as this strikes me as a perfect taco wine.  To be sure, it would also pair well with pasta, steaks, barbecue or pizza, but tonight it's steak fajita tacos with all the trimmings!  Cheers!

2015 Cinco Reserva Red Blend

Happy Saturday!  Yesterday I stopped at my local wine store and went into the "back room" where they have all the better and more expensive wines and I found the wine I've opened tonight.  The odd thing was that this wine was only $12.97, so I'm not even sure why it was in the pricy wine room.  In any case, I was intrigues by this wine, "Cinco" as it's a blend of five different varietals from Chile: Carmenere (38%), Cabernet Sauvignon (30%), Syrah (20%), Merlot (7%) and Carignan (5%).  So. let's see how this Cinco blend is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, a testament to the impact of the Cabernet on the blend.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of leather, blackberry and cherry with hints of peppery spice undertones.  The first sip is a rush of ripe plum, cherry and blackberry that transitions easily to some earthy notes of dusty limestone midpalate.  The tannins are nicely structured, providing for a velvety smooth and exceptionally dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5 as it's a wonderfully easy drinking red that could be an everyday wine at this price.  This wine would pair well with a variety of dishes, from steaks and lamb to barbecue or tacos.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with some mustard barbecued chicken thighs, oven roasted sweet potatoes and steamed broccoli.  Cheers!

2020 Helix Columbia Valley Tempranillo

Happy Saturday!  Today was a bit of a relaxing day, though I may be the only one that finds running errands relaxing.  So, after the farmer's market, the supermarket and visiting with some friends, I am now back home and ready for a relaxing dinner and a nice bottle of wine.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle of a recent wine club shipment from Reininger Winery, the 2020 Helix Columbia Valley Tempranillo.  This wine is a blend of Tempranillo (76%), Syrah (19%) and Malbec (5%) from the Stone Tree, Phinney Hill and Stone Valley Vineyards in the Columbia Valley AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a beautiful deep ruby color in the glass, with nice clarity.  After a gentle swirl, you're greeted with all manner of fruit and funk, blackberry, chalk, vanilla bean, peat and dusty limestone with just a bit of twang at the end.  Take a sip and the funk evaporates like a distant memory as you are treated to all manner of blackberry, from fresh to jam to compote, before easing into some notes of pipe tobacco and a hint of dusty limestone midpalate.  The tannins are chewy, providing for a wonderfully full, velvety dry finish that lingers for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a pleasure to sip, but I just wish there was a bit more in the center.  This wine would pair well with a broad range of dishes, from classic risotto and pasta, to hearty stews and robust fish dishes.  Tonight I am taking a different tack, and enjoying this wine with a dinner that should not be paired, a wonderful pretzel crusted chicken with mashed potatoes, gravy and steamed asparagus.  Cheers!

2015 Manu Propria Ex Animo

First let me say it’s been a couple weeks since I last posted and that’s because I had eye surgery to address a vitreous hemorrhage.  Now this eye surgery prevented me from looking at screens, or reading or watching television, or doing a lot of the normal everyday things that we're used to, including publishing blog posts. So with that out of the way, I am back officially or at least partially since I’m limited to about two hours a day of screen time in total, in 30-minute increments. So tonight I’ve decided to open a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from a new producer that came to me from Mark Ryan Winery. the 2015 Manu Propria Ex Animo Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (89%), Merlot (7%) and Cabernet Franc (4%) from the Red Willow vineyard in the Yakima Valley AVA of Washington. So let’s see how this wine tastes.

The wine has a deep inky purple color in the glass, classic for Cabernet. The wine has wonderful earthy aromas of smoke, leather and peat that beckon you to take a sip. The taste is a rush of warm ripe fruit blackberries, blueberries and cherries at the outset that gives way to some mellow earthy notes midpalate.  The tannins are wonderfully structured and well integrated providing nice foundation for a smooth, warm and exceptionally dry finish.

Overall I would wake this wine a solid 9 as it seems to be a really great example of the quality Cabernet that’s coming from Yakima valley AVA.  This wine would pair exceptionally well with a variety of big beefy dinners like a nice big steak or roast lamb chops or even some wonderful Italian dishes. Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a big thick prime sirloin steak grilled rare, along with some bacon roasted asparagus and a big baked potato with sour cream and scallions.  Cheers!

2013 Forgeron Barbera

It's almost hump day and I can start to feel the weekend approaching...how sad is that?!?  At any rate, it's been a busy week already and I've been fighting a cold, so why not open up a nice bottle of wine?  This time its from one of my favorite Washington producers, Forgeron Cellars, and their 2013 Barbera!  Who doesn't love an easy sipping, food friendly Barbera?  I sure do!

The wine is a nice rich ruby color in the glass.  The nose presents nice aromas of leather, blackberry, raspberry jam and a hint of rose petals.  The taste is simply wonderful, with a rush of ripe black fruit, with a hint of sweetness on the outset, blackberry, cherry and currant, that transitions to some lovely black pepper spice midpalate, that hints at a bit of butter at the end.  The finish is quite nice, with youthful tannins providing the base for a long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a great example of the varietal and a wonderfully food friendly wine.  This would pair well with hearty Italian dishes, nice grilled steaks, or even seafood, which is a good thing, since tonight I'm enjoying this one with some sesame seared sea scallops (say that five times fast!) on a bed of spring greens, some linguine with garlic and olive oil and some steamed rainbow carrots.  Cheers!

2011 Andrew Will Ciel du Cheval

Happy Tuesday!  Well, this continues to be a busy time for me, so I'll try to make blog posts when I can, and tonight is one such time!  I've opened a bottle of 2011 Andrew Will Ciel du Cheval, a blend of Cabernet Franc (52%) and Merlot (48%) from the Columbia Valley of Washington. I happened to get this wine from Wines Till Sold Out at a decent price below retail, but not necessarily cheap!  I've often seen Andrew Will wines, but this may be the first that I've tried one, so here goes nothing!

The wine is an inky indigo at the center with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose presents tantalizing aromas of ripe berries, blackberry, blueberry intermingled with leather and tobacco.  The taste is very nice, with subtle fruit that gives way quickly to vanilla spice and cocoa powder, with a bit of cardamom and the faintest hint of cinnamon.  The tannins are very mellow, leading to a softer, more complex but very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it was much more complex than your standard Cabernet Sauvignon based blend, so it would take some effort to truly appreciate.  The wine was a relative bargain at $35 compared to the usual $45-plus I've seen locally, but not the least expensive.  I think this would be a more food friendly wine, a little more versatile, with the flexibility to be Zin-like with barbecue or Merlot-like with steak.  Of course, tonight I'm enjoying this bottle with a rare grilled Angus ribeye along with grilled corn and Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2011 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Cabernet Savignon

A weeknight and I get to enjoy a wine from one of my favorite Washington wineries, L'Ecole No. 41!  Tonight I've opened a bottle of the 2011 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon, usually an easy choice for what's sure to be a nice bottle.

The wine is a beautiful ruby color in the glass with just a bit of opacity.  The nose is quite nice, with a combination of ripe plums, blackberries and tart cherry intermingled with some green herb notes. The taste is quite nice, with a bit of cherry compote and smoke at the outset, transitioning to some tobacco and earthy peat notes midpalate.  The tannins are well integrated and nicely structured to support the long, supple and very dry finish.  This wine reminds me a lot of the more classic Cabernets that you found 20 years ago, with a lot more finesse than many wine you find today.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a great bottle with the classic Cabernet characteristics that I've really come to appreciate over the years, and it comes at a descent price of just $39!  Tonight I am enjoying this with a classic Cabernet dinner pairing of rare grilled Angus ribeye with a baked potato and grilled leeks and Brussels sprouts, so yummy!  Cheers!

2009 Mansion Creek Cellars Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon

Well it's a bit of a rainy Saturday in October, perfect weather for football and a big red wine like a Cabernet!  Today I ran a lot of errands ahead of a short trip to Canada, so I figure I deserve to open something nice for dinner.  So tonight I've opened a bottle that I picked up on my last trip to Walla Walla about 18 months ago, the 2009 Mansion Creek Cellars Waldheim Cabernet Sauvignon!

The wine is a beautiful inky black and ruby color in the glass.  The nose is quite nice, a bit of ripe fruit, blackberries and plum, with some lovely herb notes, that make for a very interesting combination of sweet and tart aromas.  The taste is quite nice, we get a blast of fruit and tart, it really does remind me of SweeTARTS candy, which transitions nicely to some smoky mineral notes midpalate.  The tannins are very nicely structured, providing a velvety, long dry finish that seems to last more than a minute.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's really a very nice example of a Walla Walla Cabernet at a modest price (I think this one was about $32 when I bought it).  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with the monster cowboy cut ribeye you see above, along with some wild rice and fresh steamed asparagus.  This is a great wine with a big ol' steak, the fruit and mineral notes just make a great balance with charred beef.  Cheers!

2012 Encantado Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Do you know what day it is?  Do you...know what day it is?  That's right, it's hump day, and for me it was an exceedingly long hump day as I didn't leave the office until nearly 7 pm, and although I was supposed to go to the gym tonight, I was just too tired, so I decided to make it a wine Wednesday instead!  And tonight's wine is one that just arrived from Wines Till Sold Out today, the 2012 Encantado Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a cabernet blend from several select blocks in Napa produced by Pine Ridge Vineyards in a 200-acre estate that spans five appellations: Stags Leap, Rutherford, Oakville, Carneros and Howell Mountain.

The wine is a deep, inky purple color in the glass edging toward some lighter ruby.  The nose is rather oak laden with a hint of green cedar, with some dark fruit notes mixed in.  The taste is really quite nice, with a veritable explosion of dark, jammy fruit up front, plum, blackberries and a hint of cocoa that transitions nicely to some dusty limestone midpalate.  The tannins are remarkably mellow for such a young wine, and the velvety, rounded mouthfeel makes for a long, dry and quite pleasant finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8 with room to improve with age, and best of all it was an absolutely spectacular bargain at just $19!  Tonight I am pairing this with a rather low maintenance dinner of heirloom tomato and basil ravioli with some creamy pesto sauce (I highly recommend the Three Bridges Refrigerated Pasta for quick, easy but delicious midweek meals where you really don't feel like cooking, like wine Wednesday!

2012 Woodward Canyon Estate Dolcetto

Well, it's a thunder stormy Saturday, but at least I finished the yard work and mowing before the rain started falling!  So now it's time to relax with a glass of wine, and tonight it's the 2012 Woodward Canyon Estate Dolcetto, a northern Italian varietal from one of my favorite wineries in Walla Walla, Washington.  Now I'll admit this wine is harder to come by now that I'm in Indiana, but thankfully despite the shipping restrictions I can have this wine shipped to a friend in Michigan so I can still enjoy it!

The wine is a deep ruby in the glass, with great color and legs.  The nose is just terrific, with rich aromas of leather, ripe berries and mineral notes.  The taste is lovely, with a blast of fresh fruit at the outset, strawberries, blackberries and cherries, which effortlessly transition to some notes of dusty limestone, cocoa powder and warm spice notes.  The finish is lovely, with a second round of ripe fruit notes to accompany the long, dry, velvety finish.  A very pleasant wine that seems to have me begging for more!

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5 with opportunity to improve with a little time in the cellar.  This would be a great wine to sip on the patio (as I was doing earlier), or to pair with a broad variety of dishes. For tonight's pairing I'm going a little off the reservation and enjoying this one with some snow crab legs, a baked potato and some haricots verts almondine.  The fruit and tartness of this wine is a perfect foil for the richness of the crab, even though it's not customary to pair a red wine with seafood!  Cheers!

2012 Castlebank "Vivian's Vineyard" Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Friday everyone!  And of course to start the weekend we should enjoy a nice bottle of wine, and tonight I'm having a bottle of 2012 Castlebank "Vivian's Vineyard" Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a bottle that I just received today from the fine folks at Wines Till Sold Out.

The wine is a nice deep ruby in the glass and the nose is a rich, jammy combination of raspberries, blackberries and cherry cola with some interesting floral notes and vanilla over the top.  The taste is quite nice, but somewhat surprising as the nose tricked my brain into expecting somewhat more of a jammy sort of Zinfandel type wine but this was nothing of the sort.  There was good fruit at the outset but it quickly transitioned into some wonderful mineral and spice notes, dusty limestone and smoky oak with a hint of white pepper.  The finish was sublime, as some wonderful cherry cola notes mingled with the firm but well integrated tannins to provide for a long smooth and very dry finish that had me wanting more.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a very solid Cabernet at an absolutely fantastic value at about $14!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rather non-traditional pairing, but still a classic summer supper of jalapeno brats with some fresh grilled corn on the cob and fresh sliced tomatoes.  The wine stands up nicely to the rich spiciness of the sausage but brings out the freshness of the vegetables.  It would also be great with a big ol' steak or some hearty pasta dishes.  Cheers!

2011 Ravenswood Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel

Tonight I've decided to have an old fashioned cookout, and what's better with a cookout than a fabulous Zinfandel?  And of course we know the best Zins come from Lodi, and specifically from old vines and that's what I've opened tonight, the 2011 Ravenswood Old Vine Zinfandel from Lodi!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass with very nice clarity.  The nose is classic Lodi Zin, rich ripe black fruit, blackberries, black cherry, blueberries and plum over a smoky layer of leather and cedar intertwined with some green grass and herbs.  The taste is just a pleasure from the first sip, with rich jammy fruit bursting forward that transitions effortlessly to some black pepper and Asian spice notes midpalate.  The finish is warm, smooth and very dry with well structured tannins that give this wine a backbone that's ideal for summer barbecue fare.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a great example of a classic Lodi Zinfandel, and at a spectacular price of only $12 at my local wine merchant, G.B. Russo's.  Tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a classic midwest cookout of grilled brats on pretzel buns accented with spicy brown mustard, horseradish, sweet pickled red cabbage, and some egg and mustard potato salad on the side.  Summer is such a great time for food!

2012 Nelms Road Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, it finally feels like spring, even though I woke up to a covering of an inch of snow last week, today it's sunny and warm and I feel like grilling a steak!  And what's better with steak than a lovely Cabernet Sauvignon?  That was a rhetorical question, as tonight I've opened up a bottle of 2012 Nelms Road Cabernet Sauvignon, which is the second label from Woodward Canyon winery in Lowden, Washington.  Now Woodward Canyon makes some truly beautiful wines, like their Artist Series Cabernet, which I've enjoyed from Walla Walla to Tampa Bay, but thankfully they also produce great wine under their more affordable Nelms Road label, so I can enjoy a bottle with less financial guilt!

The color of this wine is a gorgeous ruby red with a lovely brightness along the edges.  The nose is sublime, with notes of ripe dark fruit throughout, blackberries and currant over hints of dark chocolate and cherry cola.  The taste is wonderful, warm and bright, it almost feels like your tasting a late summer day just before harvest.  The lovely berry fruit lingers through the midpalate until you begin to taste some coarse minerality of dusty limestone.  The finish is long and lush, as the elegantly structured tannins provide a foundation for a finish that seems to last a minute or more.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a great everyday drinking Cabernet at a price that makes it affordable for everyday.  The regular price is $25, but since I ordered this with a case I received an extra 10% discount, so I'd be hard pressed to find a nicer Cabernet for only $22.50!  Tonight I'll be enjoying this wine with a lovely rare grilled ribeye, along with some oven roasted red potatoes and some grilled leeks, baby candy stripe beets and asparagus.  The wine will be perfect with a nicely charred steak, but first, I think I might enjoy the early evening on the patio finishing this glass!

2010 Salvatore Principe Blue Groove Zinfandel

So tonight I'm having my Easter dinner a week early, so what goes better with glazed ham than a nice Lodi Zinfandel?  I can't think of anything, so tonight I've opened a bottle of 2010 Salvatore Principe Blue Groove Signature Series Zinfandel that I bought yesterday at one of my old time favorite wine stores, G.B. Russo's in Grand Rapids.

The wine is a lovely deep purple color in the glass, classic Zin.  The nose is a marvelous, jammy combination of black plums, raisins and a hint of leather and limestone.  The taste is a wonderful  blast of fruit, plums, raisins, blackberries and cassis that lasts for a few seconds and then transitions to some herb notes of black pepper, thyme and cocoa powder.  The finish is lovely, with some bold tannins supporting a long, silky finish that seems to last a minute or more.  A classic Lodi Zinfandel, rich, fruity and somewhat rustic.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, as it's a very nice example of a quality Zinfandel, but it was also a terrific value at just $7!  I wanted to buy a case, but there were only three bottles left, so I bought those.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with my early Easter dinner, of glazed ham, some red hasselback potatoes (thanks for the recipe Epicurious! Red Hasselback Potato Recipe at Epicurious) and the ubiquitous green bean casserole!  The wine makes such a great compliment to meats like ham, but it would also be great with a steak or pizza.  Cheers!

2011 Owen Roe Ex Umbris Syrah

Alas, Washington Wine Month is quickly winding down and it seems like I've hardly had time for a single glass much less many blog posts!  Well my travel schedule at work is winding down (at least until next month), so perhaps I'll have some time to do some nice posts this week, as heaven know's I have plenty of Washington wine to open!  Tonight's bottle is the 2011 Owen Roe Ex Umbris Syrah, a lovely offering from the Columbia Valley that I found at my local wine merchant yesterday.

The wine is a lovely, inky indigo in the glass with rich brooding darkness that makes me recall the wonderful angst ridden culture of the Northwest back in the glory days of Grunge, but I digress.  The nose is beautifully fruity, with hints of warm berries, leather and smoke.  The taste is just divine, with an explosion of very bright fruit, blackberries, cherries and currant that subsides almost as quickly as it came, transitioning to some spicy notes of black pepper and toasted oak.  The finish is lovely, as the young tannins hold a firm grip on the long, smooth, dry finish that makes you want to sip this wine all afternoon.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's one of my favorite Syrah's I've tried from the Northwest, and I picked it up here in Indiana for only $29, so not wildly expensive.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with my delayed traditional St. Patrick's day dinner of corned beef, cabbage, red potatoes and carrots, as the lovely fruit of this wine makes a perfect contrast to a salt and fat laden dinner!  Cheers!

2001 L'Ecole No. 41 Columbia Valley Merlot

Hooray!  It's March, which means that Spring is right around the corner, right?  Well it doesn't feel like it today at least, but at least we have two other things to celebrate on this first day of March, one it's Cellar Saturday, which means I get to go deep into my cellar and open a wine that's been waiting years for its chance to shine.  The second thing to celebrate is that it's March, which is Washington Wine Month!  That means all the wines I will profile this month will be from the great state of Washington, my favorite wine region!  And tonight's treat is the 2001 L'Ecole No. 41 Columbia Valley Merlot, a wine that's been in my cellar since one of my very early trips to Walla Walla back in 2003 or 2004.

I opened this bottle about an hour ago to let it get used to this wintry air, so hopefully it's opened up a bit.  The color is a nice ruby with a hint of opacity at the center, but not the usual tinge of brown that you sometimes see on a wine more than a decade old.  The nose is fantastic, with a blast of tart cherry, rich oak, green grass, Asian spice and a hint of mint that is very reminiscent of a great mature Bordeaux.  The taste is somewhat fruit forward, with nice blackberries and plum up front that transitions gradually to mint and green grass midpalate.  The finish is quite nice, with some classic Bordeaux "funk" of barnyard and oak, with some still vibrant tannins supporting a long, smooth and exceptionally dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 9, it's just such a pleasure to drink that if it wasn't 12 degrees outside I would be sipping this wine all evening on my deck!  But instead I'm indoors, enjoying this wine with a nice chopped Asian salad with wasabi ginger dressing and some stuffed red and yellow peppers that I made using my mom's recipe with a mild twist of incorporating some Italian sausage into the ground beef and rice stuffing.  Such a nice pairing with the fruit and rustic flavors of the wine against the spice of wasabi and richness of the tomato sauce over the stuffed peppers.  Delicious!

2011 Poggio Al Lupo Morellino di Scansano

Tonight I am trying a new Italian wine that I haven't had the opportunity to experience before, the 2011 Poggio Al Lupo Morellino di Scansano.  Now I've learned that Morellino di Scansano is a wine made in the hilly regions of coastal Tuscany in the Maremma region (in the past I've even reviewed a couple of wines from Maremma).  Now unlike Chianti or Brunello, the Morellino di Scansano only needs to be made with 85% Sangiovese grapes, and there is no minimum aging requirement, so these wines can be released as soon as 8 months after harvest.  As a result, these wines are often more young and crisp than many similar but aged wines.

The wine is a lighter color in the glass, but still consistent with a primarily Sangiovese based wine, with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose is a complex bouquet of rich black fruit, ripe plum, blackberries and cassis along with some earthy notes of leather and oak.  The taste is quite nice, with a blast of fruit up front that easily transitions to some dried herbs, black pepper and cocoa powder midpalate, over the faintest hint of iron and granite.  The tannins are crisp but well structured leading to a very smooth, long and dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, as it's a lovely example of a Sangiovese based wine that I've not had before, and it was a solid value.  I bought this from Wines Till Sold Out for just $15.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some barbecued chicken, a backed Yukon gold potato and some steamed broccoli, a nice Midwest Sunday dinner.  The fruit of this wine really makes a nice accent to barbecue, not as jammy as a Zinfandel, but very nice nonetheless.  Cheers!

2005 Rio Bom Douro Colheita

Tonight I've decided to try some new things, from the food I'm making for dinner to the wine I've decided to open!  I've seldom had the chance to enjoy a wine from Portugal, but tonight I've opened a bottle of 2005 Rio Bom Douro Colheita, a recent purchase from the Wines Till Sold Out cheapskate event.

The wine is a very nice ruby color in the glass, about the same color as a nice Spanish wine, like a Tempranillo.  The nose is very interesting, with a lot of bright fruit at first, blackberries, plum, black cherry, but as it opens up, it displays more rustic and earthy notes, forest floor and a classic barnyard.  The taste is fruit forward with some notes of cherry cola and some cocoa powder, which transitions to some fresh herbs, tarragon and green tea midpalate.  The finish is quite nice, with rather mild tannins supporting a rather abrupt finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, as it's a solid wine that could complement a variety of dishes and it was a good value at around $14.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a wonderful dinner of fresh rainbow trout stuffed with oranges and fresh thyme along with some pesto linguine and steamed asparagus.  The earthy notes and fruit flavors of the wine really strike a nice note with the richness of the trout, but I could see this going very well with a variety of dishes from grilled steak to a nice braised beef stew.  Cheers!

2007 Shining Hill Columbia Valley Red Wine

So tonight is hopefully the last night without internet in my house, so the last of the mobile blog posts for a while!  To celebrate I've opened up a bottle of 2007 Shining Hill Columbia Valley Red Wine, a product of the Col Solare Winery - a collaboration between Marchesi Antinori of Tuscany and Chateau Ste. Michelle of Washington state.

The wine is a lovely deep ruby in the glass with good clarity. The nose is a nice combination of leather, oak, ripe plum, and cocoa lower that washes over a base of fresh herbs and green grass. The taste is quite nice with a blast of ripe plum, blackberries and cassis up front that transitions to some mineral notes mid palate, iron, limestone and black pepper. The finish is quite nice, well structured tannins supporting a long smooth dry finish that lingers for 30 seconds or more. 

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, as it's a solid example of a nice Columbia Valley Bordeaux style blend at a good value as I found this one at G. B. Russo's  in Grand Rapids for only $19. Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a lovely tuna steak baked with Parmesan paprika crust, grilled asparagus and a baked potato. The mineral notes of the wine pairs so nicely with the flavor of the tuna and the spice. Cheers!

2009 Chateau La Tour de Bessan Margaux

Well, a year or so ago I had a blog post on this wine, but it was just a tease, as when I took delivery of my futures order the wine was much too young to enjoy, but now that we are nearly five years along, it's time to open up a bottle and see how the wine as developed!  The 2009 Chateau La Tour de Bessan Margaux is a lovely blend of Cabernet Saivignon (54%) and Merlot (46%) by esteemed winemaker Marie Laure Lurton.

The wine is a lovely bright ruby color in the glass with great clarity. The nose is very earthy with great fruit, an array of cherries, blackberries and cassis envelope a base of oak, leather, Asian spice and just a hint of smokiness. The taste is still rather tightly wound, with a burst of tart cherry that transitions to some wonderful earthy mineral notes of dusty limestone and forest floor. The tannins are still a bit young, but supportive of a long, smooth, exceptionally dry finish. 

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8 with ample potential to improve with a little time in the cellar. I'm enjoying Thai first glass with a bit of aged Italian cheese and some olives as I prepared my dinner of wild Alaskan coho salmon baked with shallots and capers with a lemon dill cream sauce on the side, along with a baked potato and some steamed asparagus. Bon appetit!