2012 Angwin Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy New Year!  And it's also the first Saturday of the new year, which means it's Cellar Saturday, that special day where I raid the cellar for something at least a decade in the making.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle that I've not had in the cellar very long, but it's still mature, as I bought this one a few months back from Wines Till Sold Out.  The 2012 Angwin Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from the Howell Mountain appellation in Napa Valley, and hails from one of the stronger vintages for Napa Valley.  Let's see what this wine has been doing for the past 13 years or so!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, and after a gentle swirl it presents aromas of blackberry, olive and smoke.  Take a sip and you're greeted with some mulberry, tart cherry and currant that eases into some earthy notes of dusty limestone and oak midpalate.  The wine has a lot of acidity which amplifies the earthy notes and overpowers the fruit notes.  The tannins are subdued, making for a rather brief, dry finish. 

Overall, I would rate this wine an 8.5, as it's rather one dimensional, with a bit too much acidity for my taste.  I can see the winemaker's attempt to make this into more of an old-world style Cabernet, but I think they fell a bit short.  This wine would pair well with a range of hearty dishes, particularly steak, where the acidity might cut through some of the natural fattiness of a cut like ribeye.  And I'm in luck as tonight I am enjoying this wine with a big ribeye grilled Pittsburgh rare over sautéed mushrooms, onions and peppers and some grilled asparagus.  Cheers!

2019 Famiglia Castellani Chianti

Well it's Sunday and I am ready to turn my attention to cooking and sipping a nice glass of wine.  As I've had in mind what I am making for dinner, since it has an Italian flair, I thought it appropriate to open a nice bottle of Chianti.  Tonight, I've selected a bottle of 2019 Famiglia Castellani Chianti that I recently picked up from Wines Till Sold Out and their case sale, so you know it was a good value.  This wine is made to the more historical blending standards for Chianti, including the addition of some white grapes, and is a blend of Sangiovese (85%), Canaiolo (10%) and Ciliegiolo (5%).  So, let's see how this classic from Tuscany is tasting!

The wine is a lighter ruby color in the glass with great clarity, as you might expect from a Sangiovese heavy blend.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of strawberry, light floral notes of violet, tar and a bit of sweet cherry.  The first sip is a rush of tart cherry that eases a bit as it transitions to some notes of dried herbs and earthy peat midpalate.  The fine grain tannins are still a bit tightly wound, providing for a rather brief dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a pleasant example of a nice, easy drinking Chianti, which was also a solid value at just $12.50!  This wine would pair well with a wide range of Italian dishes, from hearty pasta and risotto to baked Branzino.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with some Italian herb crusted chicken breast along with some fusilli primavera.  Cheers!

2015 Kivelstadt Cellars Father's Watch Red Blend

Tonight has been a remarkably warm evening, and since I just got back from the gym, I feel as though I need a glass of wine and a nice dinner.  For the wine, I've decided to open a bottle of 2015 Kivelstadt Cellars Father's Watch Red Blend, a blend of Syrah (35%), Carignan (30%), Grenache (35%) and Mourvedre (10%) from the North Coast of California.  Given that I'm having a little Asian inspired seafood for dinner, I thought a lighter red blend might be appropriate, so let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a bright ruby color in the glass, with great clarity.  The nose is a wonderful combination of spring floral aromas intermingled with ripe cherry and plum over some mild note of fresh cut grass.  The taste is a rush of tart cherry and blackberry that transitions easily to come earthy mineral and notes of peat midpalate.  The finish is quite dry, with rather tight tannins that seem to cut the finish a bit short.

Overall, I would rare this wine a solid 7.5, as it's pleasant drinking and food friendly, but it somewhat lacks that wow factor.  This wine would pair well with a variety of Mediterranean dishes, seafood or even summer fare of barbecue or hamburgers.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a sesame crusted Ahi tuna filet along with sauteed baby bok choy and steamed jasmine rice.  Cheers!

2012 Dietro LaPorta Blu

Well, it's Sunday night after a long holiday weekend, so I've decided to open up something a little different tonight, a bottle of wine that was produced by my Aunt Jan and Uncle Rick out in Las Vegas, the 2012 Dietro LaPorta Blu.  Now before you start thinking they drip irrigate a vineyard in the desert, they source the grapes from California, in this case Cabernet Sauvignon (43%), Nebbiolo (19%), Cabernet Franc (19%) and Black Malvasia (19%).

The wine is a deep garnet color in the glass with nice clarity.  The nose is rather subdued, with notes of blackberry, plum, leather and a bit of lavender.  The taste is surprisingly good for home brew, some mellow notes of blackberry and cassis up front transition to some nice warm spice notes midpalate.  There is a bit of cherry on the finish, with some rather subdued tannins supporting a pleasant but brief dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7, it's a very good effort for folks who are not winemakers by trade.  I don't know whether it would improve with age, particularly since my aunt told me about a year ago that I should drink this wine soon!  Tonight I am enjoying this casual wine with a nice piece of cedar planked wild Alaskan sockeye, some steamed Brussels sprouts and a big baked potato, yum!

2012 Dixie Flyer Vineyards "The Brakeman" Cabernet Sauvignon

Could you imagine my astonishment when I was walking through the Costco wine department and saw this label, the 2012 Dixie Flyer Vineyards "The Brakeman" Cabernet Sauvignon, combining two of my favorite things, wine and trains!  It's a rare occurrence, and this one was even more special as the Dixie Flyer was one of the named passenger trains operated by the Chicago & Eastern Illinois railroad which ran behind my house when I was growing up!  The train and railroad are long gone, but the wine is still here, so let's taste!

The Cabernet is from Paso Robles, which in my experience usually has somewhat lighter color and body, with a somewhat more approachable fruit forward taste than your typical big, bold Cabernets.  This characteristic is certainly true of this wine, with a lighter, garnet color with great clarity.  The nose is a playful combination of green grass, blackberry and cotton candy.  The taste is quite nice, some black fruit up front, blackberry and candied plum, that transitions nicely to some mocha and dark chocolate notes midpalate.  The finish is brief, with some very mellow tannins supporting a last bit of fruit that rounds out to be quite dry in the end.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's a pleasant, easy drinking everyday wine at a value price (I think I paid around $12 for this at Costco).  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a very un-Cabernet sort of pairing, some baked cod with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed asparagus!  With all the fish on sale for lent, I've suddenly found the urge to eat more fish, at least the fruit in this wine really doesn't overpower the more subtle flavors of white fish.  Cheers!