2021 Anvil Chardonnay

I am very happy to have a long holiday weekend as I feel like I've been working too much and haven't had a vacation yet this year!  So at least I can enjoy some nice wine and food this weekend, and tonight I've opened a bottle of a recent wine club shipment from Forgeron Cellars.  The 2021 Anvil Chardonnay is an old-vine Chardonnay sourced from the French Creek Vineyard's "Old Wente Block" which was originally planted in 1981 in the Yakima Valley AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a very pale golden color in the glass, a bit lighter than I would have expected.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of pear, green apple, lemongrass and hints of white floral.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of persimmon, pineapple and citrus, with buttery undertones, that ease into notes of pear and gradient minerals midpalate.  The finish is crisp and inviting, providing for a subtle dryness that will leave you reaching for more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a very different sort of Chardonnay, that portrays the crispness of a lighter white varietal, with the depth of flavor that can only come from old vine Chardonnay.  This wine would pair exceptionally well with summer seafood dishes, from light white fish, to shrimp, to chilled oysters.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some seared sea scallops along with linguine tossed with garlic scapes and broccoli rabe.  Cheers!

2021 Reininger CPR Reserve Chardonnay

Happy Saturday!  I spent the afternoon trimming hedges and mowing, and since it was in the upper 80s and humid, I am now sweaty and tired and ready for a nice dinner and glass of wine.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle of a rare white wine, the 2021 Reininger CPR Reserve Chardonnay which was just released a few weeks ago.  I secured a couple bottles, and I thought it would pair well with my dinner this evening.  This wine is a 100% Chardonnay from the Stillwater Creek Vineyard in the Royal Slope AVA of Washington.  This wine was aged for nearly two years in a large French Oak barrel, so let's see how it's shaping up!

The wine is a pale golden color in the glass as you might expect.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of pear, lemongrass and oak with undertones of orange blossom.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of exotic flavors that have your mind doing summersaults with citrus, melon and mineral notes that exude refreshment and reserve.  The sur lie fermentation creates such a velvety mouthfeel you might find yourself at times thinking you were drinking a hearty red wine, before you come back to earth and enjoy the remaining moments of a buttery dry finish that lingers on your palate for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9.5, as it has to be my favorite Chardonnay and perhaps my favorite white wine.  This wine is ideal for summer, but could easily extend to fall, and would pair well with light fish or seafood, summer salads or crisp and light pasta dishes.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with some pan seared sea scallops on a bed of baby arugula, along with some roasted elote corn on the cob.  A taste of summer has arrived, cheers!

2022 Underground Wine Project Mr. Pink Rosé

Happy day after St. Patrick's Day!  Despite what a long week I've had, I've decided to open a new bottle of wine to enjoy with my traditional dinner.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of 2022 Underground Wine Project Mr. Pink Rosé.  The Underground Wine Project was a collaboration between Mark McNeilly (Mark Ryan Winery) and Trey Busch and Jerry Solomon (of Sleight of Hand Cellars) who began this collaboration in 2009.  And here we are.  The 2022 Underground Wine Project Mr. Pink Rosé is a blend of Sangiovese (58%) and Syrah (42%) from the Columbia Valley of Washington.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a lovely pale peach color in the glass, just as you'd hope for an ideal summer rosé.  Take a whiff and you're greeted with aromas of peach, strawberry and honeysuckle that might trick your brain into expecting a sweeter wine.  Take a sip and the tropical fruit notes come right to the forefront, but then ease back to let some subtle floral notes of  jasmine and honeysuckle come forward, even as you experience some buttery notes reminiscent of Chardonnay.  The flavors come together for a wonderfully crisp dry finish with a reprise of floral at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a super pleasant drinking rosé, ideal for sipping on the patio this summer.  This wine would pair exceptionally well with salmon, fresh summer salad, particularly caprese or just plain hanging out with friends.  Tonight, I've paired this wine with my traditional St. Patrick's Day dinner of slow cooked corned beef, cabbage, carrots and potatoes along with some buttered soda bread.  Cheers!

2017 DaMa Columbia Valley Chardonnay

Well, sometimes it just happens that my wine club peeps randomly send out a white wine, even though I really don't have much tolerance for them, and such is the case tonight.  You'll get a rare instance of me blogging about a white wine, which could be interesting.  Tonight's selection is a 2017 DaMa Wines Columbia Valley Chardonnay, and that's about all I know since there was no tech sheet in the shipment nor could I find any info on this wine on the DaMa website.  So tonight we are flying blind!

The wine is a light golden color in the glass, almost the color of pineapple juice.  The nose is chock full of green grass and floral notes that evolve into some mineral notes with a bit of pear.  The taste is a good bit of pineapple, pear and a bit of citrus up front that transitions to some mineral notes before the crisp, dry, buttery finish.

In a way, this is just a classic Chardonnay, crisp, refreshing and ideal for summer evenings on the patio, but for a die hard red wine guy, it's really somewhat lackluster.  So, I guess I would rate this wine a 7, only because it's just not my type of wine (there may be Chardonnay lovers out there that think this is the bomb, but as a big Cab guy, this leaves me flat).   I'm guessing this would pair well with some summer dishes like salads and cantaloupe, but tonight I'm enjoying it with a pan seared halibut filet, some couscous and steamed broccoli.  Cheers!

2017 Forgeron Anvil Chardonnay

Happy Wine Wednesday!  This time we have a special treat, one of those rare events when I taste a white wine (dun dun dun!).  Yes, I am really just a red wine drinker, but my friends at Forgeron keep trying to convert me with the annual Anvil Chardonnay shipment.  So tonight I've opened a bottle of 2017 Anvil Chardonnay, a 100% Chardonnay from the old Wente Block in the Yakima Valley of Washington.  As our friends at Forgeron have told me, this block "was planted in 1981 on a south facing plateau just above the Yakima River. The chalky, stony soil, drains well and warms easily, producing a full-bodied, layered wine, of great balance and complexity."  So let's see how it tastes!

The wine is a pale golden color in the glass and the nose is a cascade of bright fruit, pineapple, pear and citrus with a hint of white floral aromatics at the back end.  The taste is mildly fruit forward with some notes of citrus and apple that transitions effortlessly to some faint mineral notes before the wonderfully rich and classic buttery finish of a finely structured Chardonnay.  Admitting I am not a white wine drinker, I can say that when I opened a bottle for some guests the other night, it was a big hit!

I am not going to rate this wine, since I really don't consider myself qualified, but I think I can safely say this wine would be a solid choice to please a diverse crowd of wine drinkers.  As for pairings, I think this wine would be ideal with the classic white wine dishes like chicken, fish and seafood.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some seared sea scallops along with some four cheese risotto and steamed asparagus.  Cheers!

2015 Mark Ryan "Little Sister" Columbia Valley Merlot

Happy Wine Wednesday!  Tonight I have multiple special treats from what I'm drinking to what I'm eating, but let's start with the important business of what I'm drinking, after all, this is a wine blog!  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle that came with a recent wine club shipment from Mark Ryan Winery, the 2015 "Little Sister" Columbia Valley Merlot, a blend of Merlot (97%) with just a touch of Cabernet Franc (3%) to mellow things out.  You know how I love me some Merlot, so let's check out the Little Sister!

The wine is a deep, inky purple with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose is an intriguing blend of leather, tart cherry, cardamom and baking spice.  The taste is classic, old school Merlot with a rush of ripe fruit up front, cherry, currant and plum, that transitions to some interesting notes of buttered popcorn jelly belly midpalate.  The finish is smooth, with young tannins providing a bit of punch to the long, smooth and dry finish.  This wine is such a pleasure to drink!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's one of the nicest Merlots I've had in quite some time.  Although I'm happy as a clam just sipping this wine, it would be ideal with a variety of dishes, from lobster bisque, to steak, to hearty pasta.  Tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a 28-day dry aged Prime New York strip, with grilled asparagus and a baked potato.  The sweet to dry fruit of this wine is ideal for a hearty steak, 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!

2013 Anvil Columbia Valley Chardonnay

Ok wine peeps, it's Sunday, time for a wonderful classic Sunday dinner, and given my menu this evening I've decided to go rogue!  Yes, not only am I reviewing a non-red wine, I'm reviewing a Chardonnay!  Well, even though it seems that this varietal has become pretty boring over the past decade or so, tonight's wine is anything but, as it's a special wine in many ways.  First, it was produced by one of the best Chardonnay producers in Walla Walla, Marie-Eve Gilla, founder of Forgeron Cellars, and in this case it was a bottle signed by her that was available this past Christmas (how fun!).  Second, it was sourced from the French Creek Vineyard, one of Washington's oldest Chardonnay vineyards, planted in 1981.  So this should be a treat even for the non-Chardonnay lovers among us!

The wine is a light gold color in the glass, while the nose presents aromas of fresh citrus, peach, green grass and floral notes.  The taste is quite unusual for a white wine, it has some lovely citrus fruit notes on the outset, but then there is a hearty mineral quality or iron and basalt that brings strength and rounded mouthfeel midpalate.  The dry finish brings a reprise of citrus and a hint of butter and smoke that just makes you want another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's just a wonderfully executed example of the varietal, and one that even a red wine fan like me can enjoy!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic Sunday dinner of oven roasted chicken with corn bread stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy and of course, green bean casserole!  This is a perfect wine for such a heady feast, almost makes me wish I had a bottle last Thanksgiving!  Cheers!

2012 La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay

So tonight I am enjoying another wonderful Snooth virtual tasting, this time featuring the wines of La Crema, a wonderful producer out of California.  Now this is a bit unusual as I am doing this virtual tasting from my office of all places as my home internet is still not up and running (moving to a new home can be such a joy!) So the first wine of the virtual tasting that I am trying is the 2012 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay.

Now as a complete novice to white wines, I can only say what I've heard in the past, particularly that Chardonnay may be a more popular wine, perhaps a bit overdone, but heck I'll try anything once!  The wine itself has lovely aromas of green grass, ample citrus, honey and just a hint of caramel.  The taste is ripe and crisp, with very little of the tart fruit I so often encounter when I venture into the world of white wine.  I would characterize this wine as a classic, buttery sort of Chardonnay, with many rich flavors that would be perfect with a varierty of fall and winter dishes.  The finish is somewhat soft with some metallic notes, but ultimately a very nice wine.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, as it's a very nice example of a very food friendly white wine, particularly for fall and winter dishes.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some thick cut oven roasted pork loin chops, mashed potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts, a perfect dish on a cold winter evening!