2022 Seven Hills McClellan Estate Petit Verdot

Happy Sunday!  Now that the holiday rush has largely subsided, we can once again focus on the importance of balancing work with wonderful food and wine.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle of wine from one of my favorite Walla Walla producers, Seven Hills Winery.  The 2022 Seven Hills Petit Verdot was sourced entirely from the McClellan Estate Vineyard in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington. Let's see how this new vintage is shaping up!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with a heavier body more reminiscent of a nice Merlot.  The nose presents aromas of blackberry and plum, intertwined with some light floral aromas of violet and lilac that have you anxious to take a sip.  That first sip is a concert of flavors that come at you fast, blackberry and plum that east into some tart cherry before blasting some earthy limestone from the quarry walls, just before you head for a picnic lunch with smoked meat and olive tapenade on the forest floor.  At the end of the concert, the tannins sweep up for the long, smooth dry finish that will have you reaching for more.

Overall, I rate this wine a solid 9 as it's a perennial favorite for a single bottling of a typical blending Bordeaux varietal.  This wine also seems to be a perfect food-friendly wine that would pair with a broad range of dishes, from barbecue to pizza, steak to pasta, Indian to Asian cuisine.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a chicken and vegetable Thai inspired curry noodle dish.  The fruit and acidity are an ideal complement to the rich spice of the curry rice noodles.  Cheers!

2020 Helix Cabernet Sauvignon XM

Happy Sunday!  I made the critical error of pulling weeds and then mowing in the current heatwave, and now that I've been indoors for 4 hours I think I may have finally recovered from the heat!  In any case, it's time for a nice dinner and a nice bottle of wine.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle of 2020 Helix Cabernet Sauvignon XM, which is one of the latest trends pioneered by Chuck Reininger in allowing wine to age in barrel for an extended period of time, hence the XM for extended maturation.  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (89%), Tempranillo (7%) and Malbec (4%) from the Phinny Hill, StoneTree, and Stone Valley Vineyards in the Columbia Valley AVA of Washington.  Let's see if this wine was worth the wait!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with nice clarity, but a bit lighter than your typical Cabernet.  The nose presents aromas of leather, oak amid hints of black pepper, umami and black olive.  The first sip is a rush of ripe cherry, blueberry and currant that transitions easily to notes of charred meat, tobacco and dried herbs midpalate.  The tannins are smartly structured, providing a velvety, smooth dry finish that lingers until your next sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's an interesting departure from your typical big, bold Cabernet.  This wine would pair well with summer dishes, from grilled burgers and brats to steaks and barbecued ribs.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with an eclectic Sunday dinner of a grilled porterhouse with garlic scapes, steamed purple broccoli and risotto alla milanese.  Cheers!

2019 Reininger Syrah

Happy Sunday!  As you know, I've been cast in a local production of "Murder on the Orient Express" and we just finished our first weekend of performances, which is why I've been so slack in my posts. But since today was a matinee, I've had a chance to come home to cook a nice Sunday dinner and open a nice bottle of wine.  Today, I've opened a bottle of 2019 Reininger Syrah, which was a wine club shipment from a few months back.  This wine is a 100% Syrah sourced from the Pepper Bridge and Seven Hills Vineyards in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you'd expect from a nice Syrah.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of ripe black fruit, blackberry, cherry, boysenberry and plum, along with notes of toasted oak and blackened spice.  Take a sip and you are greeted with a rush or tart cherry at the outset, which transitions to some floral notes and a bit of charred meat midpalate.  The tannins are well structured, providing for a wonderfully long, smooth dry finish that lingers on the palate with notes of peppery spice and a hint of smoke. 

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's an incredibly easy-drinking Syrah that could be enjoyed with a variety of dishes, or simply sipping with friends.  This wine would pair well with a variety of dishes, from hearty pastas and risotto, to a rare charbroiled steak.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a more Rhone-esque dinner of an herb crusted rack of lamb with Yukon gold potato puree and some maple bacon roasted Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2005 Helix Stillwater Creek Merlot

 Happy Cellar Saturday!  It's the first Saturday of a new month and time to dig in the cellar for something at least a decade in the making, and tonight I have opened a bottle from a recent library tasting done by Chuck Reininger and the gang at Reininger Winery.  In this case it was a tasting of library Merlots from the Helix label and tonight I've opened a bottle of the 2005 Helix Stillwater Creek Merlot.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep, inky color at the center, with bright ruby along the edges, characteristic of the varietal, but still bright for the age of this wine.  A quick swirl in the glass releases aromas of charred meat, white pepper spice and faint hints of white floral notes, that just exclaim the rustic nature of this wine.  A quick sip reveals flavors of black cherry, currant and umami, that transitions nicely to some smoky oak and earthy tar notes midpalate.  The tannins are well integrated, but the acidity is rather abrupt at the long, very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a very interesting, mature Merlot that's a real treat to drink.  This wine would pair very well with charred meat, steaks, chops, grilled pork tenderloin or even some earthy dishes like a wild mushroom risotto.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some friends that came over for some grilled picanha, along with oven roasted Yukon gold potatoes and some grilled asparagus.  Cheers!

2013 Maison Bleue Voyageur Syrah

Happy Saturday!  I have to admit, this was a day that started easy enough, with a trip to the farm stand for some fresh sweet corn, but then I returned home to about 6 hours of yard work and now I really need to relax!  Well tonight I've dug up a bottle from the cellar that I haven't reviewed before, the 2013 Maison Bleue Voyageur Syrah from the Yellow Jacket Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley of Washington.  So let's see how this wine has matured over the past few years!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, classic for a nice Syrah.  The nose expresses aromas of ripe blackberry, currant and plum over hints of violet and baking spice.  The taste is a tawny rush of ripe black fruit, layered flavors of blackberry, plum, cherry and currant that give way to some notes of white pepper spice, smoke and charred meat midpalate. The tannins are still wonderfully firm and structured, filling the mouth and providing an ideal foundation for the long, smooth dry finish that lingers on the palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a pleasurable Syrah to sip on the patio or enjoy with a variety of foods.  This wine would pair well with a variety of dishes, from grilled steak to lamb chops, braised short ribs to salmon, but tonight I am taking the road less traveled and enjoying this wine with a modified seafood boil.  I am enjoying this wine with steamed snow crab legs, buttered red potatoes with parsley and the aforementioned corn on the cob.  Cheers!

2014 Reininger CPR Carmenere

So tonight I have the pleasure of enjoying another virtual wine tasting with Chuck Reininger (aka the CPR on this wine's label) and we will be tasting the 2014 CPR Carmenere.  Of course what's not to love about tasting a wine with the person that created it, I just wish I wasn't on eastern time!  Chuck will be joined by Sadie Drury, the vineyard manager at the Seven Hills Vineyard in Walla Walla, where the grapes for this wine originated.  This wine was very limited production, just 42 cases of 100% Carmenere from the Seven Hills Vineyard in Walla Walla, so let's see how it's shaping up!

The wine is a deep garnet color in the glass with nice clarity.  The nose is at first a delicate affair with aromas of cedar, lavender and white pepper spice which opens up to some wild blackberry and currant.  The taste is a rush of black cherry, pomegranate and plum that transitions easily to hints of charred meat and olive tapenade midpalate.  The soft tannins usher in a nice bit of acidity and peppery spice amid the long, smooth dry finish that lingers on the palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just starting to come into its own after aging more than five years in barrel.  This wine would be excellent with grilled lamb, filet mignon or sesame crusted pork tenderloin, but tonight, since it's raining, I am staying indoors with and enjoying this wine with a classic linguine carbonara.  Cheers!

2005 Kunde Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

So tonight I was perusing my cellar in an effort to find a bottle of wine to give to a colleague of mine who got a new job.  His girlfriend was looking through my cellar listing and came up with a choice, but I thought maybe I could find something that would be a good choice for a new job celebration, but I struck out on that front.  But what I didn't strike out on was finding a bottle I forgot I had that I could open and enjoy this evening, the 2005 Kunde Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon!  Now I like almost any Cabernet, but this one I always loved for the label, a representation of the California State Seal, which just looked to me like something from a nineteenth century stock certificate, great engraving and lovely allegorical figures.  So why not enjoy it tonight?

The color was pure Cabernet loveliness, a deep inky purple at the center and bright ruby along the edges. The nose is pure joy, lovely notes of leather and cassis, with a pure meatiness to it, accented by hints of anise and wonderful dark chocolate notes over the top.  The taste was just beautiful, with some dark fruit notes at the outset, ripe plum and black cherry, that gracefully transition to some black licorice, green tea and rich dark chocolate notes midpalate.  The mouthfeel is just all around lush, rich and velvety.  The finish is just perfect, well structured tannins supporting a long, exceptionally dry finish that seems to last for a minute or more.  The kind of wine that you don't give a second thought to sipping all evening long!

Overall I would rate this one a solid 8.5, as it's just a wonderful example of a Cabernet from Sonoma Valley.  I can't recall where I got this wine or how much I paid for it, so whether it was a good value is anyone's guess, I just know it was a really good wine!  Tonight I am enjoying it with some grilled steak fajitas with homemade guacamole, as the richness of the wine just melds perfectly with the strength of the steak and creaminess of the avocado!  So yummy!  Oh, and back to my original purpose in perusing my cellar, what bottle did my colleague Brad opt for?  The 2007 Stags Leap Artemis, a pretty darn nice bottle to help him celebrate, so cheers Brad and good luck on your new job!

2008 Stonehead Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, it's Friday so I have no excuse for not opening up a bottle of wine with my dinner!  And tonight I've decided to open up a bottle I picked up last Friday at John Russo's in Grand Rapids, not to be confused with G.B. Russo's which is also a great wine seller here in Grand Rapids.  I'd never been there before, but as I was waiting for my fuel injectors to be cleaned I figured I'd have the shuttle from the dealer drop me off to do a little wine shopping, and the shuttle driver suggested I try John Russo instead.  So why not?  I ended up buying about 8 bottles of wine, including the one I opened tonight, the 2008 Stonehead Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile.

The color is a deep purple in the glass, just as you might expect from a Cabernet, and the nose has some strong notes of prune, blackberry and just the faintest bit of leather and mint.  There's also a bit of earthiness, and some aromas that remind me of charred meat.  The taste is fairly subdued, with some nice dark fruit up front that transitions to some stronger mint notes midpalate, but the finish was pretty disappointing as the taste just seemed to end abruptly.

Despite the lackluster finish, the wine was ok and I'd rate it a 7 simply because it was an outstanding bargain at only $4.99!  I've had a lot worse for under $5, so how can I complain?  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some Thai green curry with chicken and veggies over rice, as the spice of the food makes up for the short finish on the wine.