2012 Firefly Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Cellar Saturday!  It's the first Saturday of a new month which means it's time to raid the cellar for something at least a decade in the making.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle that hasn't been in the cellar long, as I recently purchased it from Wines Till Sold Out.  The 2012 Firefly Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is from a stellar Napa vintage and sourced from vineyards in the Coombsville AVA of Napa Valley.  Let's see how this wine is performing after 14 years!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, without a hint of amber at the edges, looking quite fresh.  A gentle swirl of the glass and the nose reveals aromas of ripe blackberry and prune amid undertones of smoke and dusty limestone.  Take a sip and your palate is awash in ripe fruit, blackberry, cherry and plum that eases into some dried herbs and black pepper spice midpalate.  The acidity is still vibrant, offering some tartness on the smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it was a solid wine that still has plenty of life left in it.  This wine would pair well with hard cheeses, braised short ribs, steaks or grilled lamb chops.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a grilled ribeye with wild mushroom risotto and grilled asparagus.  The fruit and bright acidity of this wine is ideal to cut through a fatty ribeye.  Cheers!

2020 Helix Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Today has been an extra work day as I try to catch up on a number of projects (I think I have a bad habit of allowing too much on my plate, and not just at dinner!), so now I've decided to open a bottle of wine that just arrived yesterday.  I think I ordered this around Father's day as Reininger was running a sale, but because of the heat of summer it didn't ship until last week.  The 2020 Helix Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend if Cabernet Sauvignon (89%), Tempranillo (7%) and Malbec (4%) from the Phinny Hill, Stone Tree and Stone Valley Vineyards in the Columbia Valley AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass with nice clarity.  The nose reveals and intriguing and complex layer of aromas, graphite, blackberry, leather, pipe tobacco, floral notes of violet amid hints of basalt, all of which have your mind racing in anticipation of the taste.  The first sip is a rush of ripe black fruit, blackberry, cherry and currant, surrounded by bright acidity that catapults you to some wonderful mineral notes midpalate.  The fine grain tannins provide for a lengthy dry finish amidst notes of toasty oak that make this wine a rustic champ.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a wonderfully complex, yet easy drinking wine that belies it's inexpensive price tag (I bought a half case for $160, and wish I'd bought more!).  This wine would pair well with a range of fall comfort dishes, from hearty beef stew or chili, pasta and risotto, or classic grilled steaks or lamb.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled, prime bone-in ribeye with sautéed onions, peppers and mushrooms with some steamed corn on the cob.  Cheers!

2021 Les Vignerons d'Aix en Provence L'Exception Méditerranée Rosé

Happy Sunday!  It's been a day of best laid plans, as I had originally planned to trim all my hedges, but as I started my hedge trimmer, the blades would not engage, and since I'm reticent to trouble shoot in situations where I might lose a finger, I decided to merely trim larger branches and dig up some pesty trees.  And now I am ready for wine and dinner on the patio.  Since we are in the the heart of rosé season, I thought it best to open something from Provence, which I recently purchased from Wines Till Sold Out, the 2021 Les Vignerons d'Aix en Provence L'Exception Méditerranée Rosé.  This wine is a blend of Grenache and Caladoc (a cross of Grenache and Malbec), so let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a pale peach color in the glass, in line with the current trend in rosé.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals a cascade of peach, melon and pineapple that just dares you to sip by the pool, a true summer day in the glass.  Take a sip and all the flavors of summer come to greet you, peach, melon, citrus and fresh cut grass with plenty of bright acidity and bits of honey and sunshine.  The finish is crisp and dry, perfect for sipping on the patio with friend.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a wonderfully classis rosé  ideal for the summer season.  Enjoy this wine with summer caprese salad, shrimp cocktail or gazpacho for a wonderful afternoon.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with some crispy skin Scottish pearl salmon with some dill cream, along with some risotto and asparagus with hollandaise.  Cheers!

2016 Castellani Chianti Classico Riserva

Happy Saturday!  So today was the day that I took down all the Christmas decorations, so another holiday season is officially in the books (though I'll probably be encountering tinsel until March).  After all that work this afternoon, I've decided to open a bottle of wine that I recently bought from Wines Till Sold Out.  The 2016 Castellani Chianti Classico Riserva is a 100% Sangiovese for a classic Chianti, bringing the freshness of Tuscany to your table.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a bright ruby color in the glass, with great clarity as you'd expect from the varietal.  A gentle swirl in the glass reveals aromas of bright red berries, cherry, raspberry, currant and strawberry with undertones of floral and Tuscan herbs.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of red fruit, raspberry, tart cherry and currant that transitions to some earthy notes of tar, tobacco and limestone midpalate.  The tannins are well structured with some bright acidity to provide for a vibrant but very dry finish that will have you reaching for another sip. 

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a pleasant, easy drinking Classic Chianti, that was also a terrific value for just $13!  This wine would pair well with classic Tuscan dishes, from a Bistecca Fiorentina to a Tuscan toast with fava beans.  Tonight I am going more of a traditional Italian pairing, enjoying this wine with some porcini mushroom and truffle ravioli with some Italian sausage marinara.  Cheers!

2017 Anvil Dionysus Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, today was just a marathon of yard work, collecting leaves, mowing and trimming hydrangeas, I am ready to relax!  So it's a good thing that I have a nice dinner to enjoy and a wonderful bottle of wine to help me enjoy the evening.  Tonight I've opened a perennial favorite Cabernet, but a new vintage that I received this week, the 2017 Anvil Dionysus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from the Columbia Valley AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this latest vintage is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you'd expect from a vineyard known for it's Cabernet.  A gentle swirl releases aromas of ripe red fruit, cherry, raspberry and currant with wonderful earthy aromas of cedar and oak that just take me back to the barrel room at Forgeron.  Take a sip and deep flavors of black cherry cola, anise and oak wash over your palate before transitioning to some earthy notes of dusty limestone midpalate.  The tannins are youthful and vibrant, which combine with the bright acidity to provide a wonderfully smooth dry finish that will leave you reaching for another sip. 

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a perennial favorite for Columbia Valley Cabernet that stacks up with the best of the Walla Walla Valley or Napa.  This wine would pair well with a range of dishes, from hearty fall stews to steaks and wild mushroom risotto.  Forgeron is always kind enough to provide a pairing recipe, and with this wine they offered a pan roasted duck breast with wild mushrooms, which is sure to please.  But tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a prime ribeye grilled rare with some grilled leeks, bacon roasted Brussels sprouts and a big baked potato.  Cheers!

2014 Raymond Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  It's been a hot, humid day of working around the house, completing a few random projects, including cleaning all the patio furniture and getting them out, now that my new roof is done.  And now I'm about ready for a nice glass of wine and a bit of relaxation.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of wine from a favorite Napa producer, the 2014 Raymond Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, part of their district collection.  This wine is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from a single vineyard in the district.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep, inky black at the center, with deep ruby along the edges, just as you'd expect from a nice Napa Cabernet.  After letting this one breathe for an hour or so, a quick swirl in the glass reveals aromas of blackberry, tart cherry and currant, intermingled with some floral notes of lilac and violet.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of ripe black fruit, blackberry, cherry and plum, with some bright acidity, which is somewhat unexpected.  The tannins are extremely smooth, and well structured, providing for a wonderfully long, dry finish that's reminiscent of a quality Bordeaux.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a wonderful example of a lovely Napa Cabernet from a single district that punches well above it's weight class, particularly at a price of $43 from Wines Till Sold Out.  This wine practically begs to be paired with a big steak, and it just so happens I picked up some enormous prime tomahawk ribeyes from Costco yesterday.  I'm enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime tomahawk ribeye along with some bacon roasted Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2019 Forgeron Cellars Estate Cabernet Franc

Happy Sunday!  I spend a good portion of the afternoon volunteering to package meals for food insecure youth in the three counties surrounding where I live at Cultivate Culinary Food Rescue.  It was two hours of hard work to pack over a thousand meals, so at least there is that!  So now I'm ready for Sunday dinner and a bottle of wine, and I guess I'll make it a complete weekend of wines from Forgeron Cellars, as tonight I've opened the second wine from the recent wine club shipment, the 2019 Estate Cabernet Franc, which is sourced from the Equinox Ridge Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley.  This is the first wine I've had from this vineyard, so let's see what it has to offer!

The wine has a deep inky center with deep ruby along the edges, as you might expect from the varietal.  A swirl of the glass releases aromas of blackberry and leather, with floral undertones of rose petals and lavender.  Take a sip and blackberry, plum, black cherry and currant wash over your palate, a scintillating combination of black fruit sweetness, that gives way to notes of charred oak and bright acidity midpalate.  The tannins are well structured to the long, smooth dry finish that will have you reaching for another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a really well executed expression of this often overlooked varietal.  This wine would pair well with a broad range of hearty dishes, from lamb chops to steaks, roast beef to hearty vegetable stew.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled bone-in ribeye with some bacon roasted Brussels sprouts.  Cheers! 

2019 DaMa Wines Columbia Valley GSM

Happy Wine Wednesday!  I just finished mowing since I couldn't do it on Sunday since it was raining, and now I'm ready for a nice glass of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of a recent wine club shipment from DaMa Wines, the 2019 Columbia Valley GSM, because who doesn't like a nice GSM?  This wine is a blend of Grenache (46%), Syrah (39%) and Mourvèdre (15%) from the Columbia Valley of Washington.  So, let's see how this wine is shaping up!

The wine is a beautiful garnet color in the glass, with a somewhat lighter weight and great clarity.  Swirl the glass and take a whiff and you're greeted by classic aromas of strawberry, red currant and hibiscus with undertones of earthy minerals.  Take a sip and the rush of red fruit washed over your palate, with flavors of raspberry, strawberry and sweet cherry that transition nicely to some earthy mineral notes midpalate.  The tannins are soft, but just the right base for a long dry finish, with some bright acidity right at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as this is a really fruit forward, easy drinking blend, just what makes a GSM so great.  Casual sipping or enjoying with dinner, this food friendly wine would pair well with a broad range of dishes, from wild mushroom risotto, to steaks, to barbecued ribs.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled Bison New York Strip along with oven roasted baby potatoes and asparagus with hollandaise.  Cheers!

2017 Pepper Bridge Winery Seven Hills Vineyard Blend

Happy Monday!  Yeah, I feel the same way, I rarely get excited by Mondays unless they are coming to an end, which this one is!  And to cap it off I've decided to open up a bottle of a recent wine club shipment from the Pepper Bridge Winery in Walla Walla, the 2017 Seven Hills Blend!  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (55%), Cabernet Franc (19%), Merlot (11%), Malbec (11%) and Petit Verdot (4%) all sourced from the Seven Hills Vineyard in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington. So let's see how this vintage is shaping up!

The wine is a vibrant garnet color in the glass, somewhat lighter than a full Cabernet.  As you raise your glass, you're greeted by an array of earthy aromas, sage, tobacco and dusty limestone underlying aromas of cassis, raspberry and a hint of dark chocolate.  The first taste is a rush of raspberry, currant and cranberry that transition almost unnoticed to notes of dark chocolate and a hint of white pepper spice midpalate.  The bright acidity and balanced tannins make for a lovely combination on the long, and wonderfully dry finish that lingers on the tongue.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it seems to be a bit of a step up from the 2016 vintage (see here).  This is a classic Bordeaux style blend that would pair well with a variety of hearty fall dishes, from shepherd's pie to lamb chops to alder planked salmon.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a grass fed New York strip grilled rare with some grilled romanesco and steamed red potatoes with butter and parsley.  Cheers!

2015 Reininger Walla Walla Valley Merlot

Happy Friday!  It's been a long week and I am surely ready for the weekend, and what better way to kick it off than with a bottle of wine from one of my favorite Washington wine makers, Chuck Reininger.  Tonight I've opened a bottle that came in a recent shipment, the 2015 Reininger Walla Walla Valley Merlot, a blend of Merlot (96%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (4%) from the Pepper Bridge, Seven Hills and XL Vineyards.  I was in Walla Walla in August 2015, just as harvest was starting - one of the earliest harvests on record, so it's nice to finally taste the product I saw being harvested a little over three years ago.  Let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a lovely, deep ruby color in the glass, classic for a nice Merlot.  The nose presents wonderful aromas of ripe dark fruit intermingled with leather, oak and a touch of floral undertones.  The taste is a rush of fruit, to say this is fruit forward is an understatement as notes of black plum, boysenberry and cassis envelop your palate before transitioning gracefully to flavors of cocoa powder and sandalwood midpalate.  The round tannins and bright acidity make for a vibrant foundation for a long, smooth and very dry finish that seems to linger for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as this is a perennial favorite Merlot, and this vintage is a bright one.  This wine would be perfect with a big grilled steak, pasta, pizza or nearly anything grilled, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a simple dinner of linguine tossed with some broccoli rabe sauteed in garlic and olive oil.  Cheers!

DaMa Cowgirl Blanc

Happy Sunday!  It's been a good day to stay indoors and watch old movies, as it's been cold and snowing/sleeting all afternoon.  And given the melancholy weather, it also seems appropriate to enjoy a little comfort food for dinner, which is what I plan for tonight.  But what wine to enjoy with this particular comfort food was a challenge, but one that I was up to when I got out a bottle of a recent wine club shipment from DaMa Wines, the non-vintage Cowgirl Blanc.  This wine is a blend of Chardonnay (65%) and Viognier (35%) from both the Mill Creek and Sagemoor Vineyards in the Columbia and Walla Walla Valley AVAs of Washington.  So let's see how this unusual evening of white wine progresses!

The wine has pleasant aromas of rich tropical fruit, mango, passion fruit and some apricot notes with some mineral notes over the top.  The taste is more subdued tropical fruit on the outset, which seems more dominated by citrus notes and bright acidity, which easily transitions into some earthy mineral notes midpalate.  The tropical fruit makes another appearance on the crisp refreshing finish, which is surprisingly long for a white wine.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as you know, white wines are really not my thing, but I could easily see this wine as a Thanksgiving favorite.  Tonight I am enjoying this one with my Mom's recipe for classic tuna noodle casserole, creamy goodness that of course is topped with crumbled potato chips, it doesn't get more comfortable than that.  Cheers!

2015 Stolen Horse Walla Walla Valley Syrah

Happy Friday!  For those who've had a long week, the weekend is here, for others, it's still a reason to celebrate.  Today I have a special reason to celebrate as the Fedex man delivered my Fall wine club shipment from the Bledsoe Family Winery, the first such shipment from this new, more approachable spin-off from Doubleback, Drew Bledsoe's first effort in Walla Walla.  So tonight I've decided to open a bottle of the 2015 Stolen Horse Walla Walla Valley Syrah, a blend of fruit from the Loess (60%) and Les Collines Vineyards (40%) made from Syrah (95%) co-fermented with Viognier (5%).  The wine is from an interesting vintage, 2015 being quite warm, and as I recall from my vacation to Walla Walla that year, quite smoky from the many forest fires that were going on around the state.  So I'm interested to see how these wines developed.

The wine is a lovely, deep purple color in the glass.  The nose is a wonderful combination of green grass, with hints of smoke, mint and red berries.  The taste is just lovely with a subdued array of raspberry, cherry and red currant up front that transitions to some some heart smoked meat and tobacco notes midpalate.  The finish is marked by youth, with the lush tannins providing for a lovely and long, dry finish that's countered by a bit of bright acidity to bring some balance.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5 as I think it will mature a bit with some age to be more in line with the 2013 vintage I've tried in the past (see here).  This is one of those very versatile, food friendly red wines that I could see pairing with anything from barbecue to hearty steaks, to roasted beet salad, but tonight I am enoying it with some classic comfort food of stuffed peppers topped with aged parmesan and asiago cheese.  Cheers!

2013 Carel Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Taco Tuesday!  And what's better to enjoy with some nice beef tacos than some wine?  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of Cabernet that I bought a few months ago from Wines Till Sold Out, the 2013 Carel Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, so let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a deep, inky purple color at the center, with brighter garnet along the edges.  The nose presents aromas of leather, smoke and blackberry over a hint of black pepper spice.  The taste somewhat of a classic, big bold Napa Cab, with a rush of ripe black fruit up front that transitions nicely to some notes of black cherry cola and dark chocolate midpalate.  The finish is pleasant, with youthful tannins and bright acidity accenting the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a good everyday red wine and it was a good value at just $20 from Wines Till Sold Out.  This wine would be good with steak, beef brisket, or tacos, which I'm enjoying on this Taco Tuesday.  The fruit and acidity pair nicely with the spice and richness of the beef in the tacos.  Cheers!

2016 Healy Rose

Happy Sunday and Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there!  So today, was a day of modest accomplishments, after church I went grocery shopping then did laundry and then decided to try my hand at assembling the bike that I recently exchanged United miles for.  Needless to say, I'm not super mechanically talented, and I've gotten as far as it looking a lot like a bike, but I still need to attend to the details, like the brake assemblies!  So perhaps next weekend I'll have my chance to finish it. At any rate, it's time for wine!  And tonight it's a nice 2016 Healy Rose, from Drew Bledsoe's Doubleback winery in Walla Walla, after all, it's now rose season, and what mom doesn't like a good rose?

The wine is a pleasant pink color in the glass, with hints of orange.  The nose is layered with rose petals, honeydew and a hint of grapefruit, a perfect affirmation of rose.  The taste is just summer in a glass, with some nice sweet fruit notes up front, strawberry and melon that transitions nicely to some lovely mineral notes midpalate.  The finish is loaded with bright acidity and ephemeral dryness, perfect for sipping on a summer evening.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5 as it's a perennial favorite for rose season, and it's a good value at $28 for the limited production of just 411 cases.  This wine would be perfect for the patio, as well as pairing with a wide variety of summer dishes, from caprese salad to burgers and barbecue.  Tonight I am enjoying this one with a Santa Fe marinaded grilled chicken breast, with some grilled baby bok choy and some wild rice.  Cheers!

2015 Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc

Happy Sunday!  It's been a somewhat more relaxing weekend, with the normal errand running and chores with a bit of work tossed in, but now it's time for a nice relaxing Sunday dinner.  Tonight I am doing something a little unusual, in that I've opened a bottle of white wine!  Tonight it's a bottle of 2015 Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough New Zealand.  To be fair, this is a bottle of wine that's been in my fridge since my Christmas party, and since no one ever drank it, I thought it would go very well with my dinner tonight.  So here goes nothing!

The wine is rather light in color, with a nose full of  tropical fruit, mango, Meyer lemon, and a bit of pineapple over some hints of green grass.  The taste is rather nice, with a good bit of fruit up front, but with a nice tart acidity throughout, leaving you quite refreshed by the time you enjoy the crisp, dry finish.

Overall, as a dry red wine lover, this wine is actually pretty nice, so I'd rate it a solid 7.5,  I'm sure I didn't pay anywhere near $10 for this wine, so it was also a good value.  The main reason I opened this bottle was to go with my dinner tonight, which is a classic Midwestern Sunday dinner of oven roasted chicken with stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy and some steamed asparagus.  The tart acidity in this wine is perfect to cut through the richness of my chicken dinner, cheers!

2011 Alamos Malbec Seleccion

Happy Tuesday!  Today I had a most pleasant surprise when I arrived at the office, as my boss left me a case of wine!  Now granted it was his "reject" wines, various bottles that he's purchased and didn't really like, so I will happily be his waste bin!  Tonight I've opened one of the bottles he gave me, the 2011 Alamos Malbec Seleccion, a 100% Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina, so let's see how this reject wine does!

The wine has a classic Malbec look, with a deep inky center and bright ruby along the edges.  The nose presents pleasant aromas of black plum and accents of leather and tar.  The taste is a rather subdued Argentine Malbec with just a bit if black fruit up front that transitions to some earthy mineral notes midpalate, only to have a reprise of ripe black fruit at the finish.  The wine expresses some bright acidity and relatively mellow tannins supporting a long, smooth, dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a pleasant drinking wine that would be ideal for a hearty steak.  And it just so happens I have one of those lying around, so tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a rare grilled filet mignon with some grilled corn and steamed sugar snap peas that I picked up at a farmers market last week.  Cheers!