2021 Forgeron Cellars Grenache

Happy Sunday!  I had a chance to do a little relaxing today, went out to see a movie in addition to doing laundry and a little office work, so now it's time for a nice Sunday dinner and glass of wine.  For dinner, it's the last Sunday of the month, which means it's time for "Dinner in the Diner" when I try a recipe that was once features on one of the classic passenger trains of the 20th Century.  But first, the wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of 2021 Forgeron Cellars Grenache, which is a 100% Grenache from the Boushey Vineyard in the Yakima Valley AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is an easy garnet color in the glass, just as you might expect from this varietal.  A swirl of the glass reveals aromas of blackberry, currant and a hint of mint over the top.  Take a sip and you're in for a rush of ripe fruit, cherry, currant and plum, that transitions to some notes of cinnamon and spice midpalate. The tannins are well integrated, providing for a lovely dry finish with some lingering earthy notes at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a pleasant drinking, food friendly, lighter red wine ideal for the summer months (did I mention it was 82 degrees here today?).  Tonight, I am pairing this wine with a classic recipe from the dining cars on the Pennsylvania Railroad, Seafood Newburg!  It doesn't get much more classically 20th century than seafood in a sherry cream sauce!  I admit I took a few liberties with this recipe and added just scallops and shrimp, as that's what I had on hand, but I also added some peas to give it a little color as well.  The spice and tart fruit of this wine are a perfect foil to the richness of this dish.  Cheers!

2020 Pepper Bridge Winery Walla Walla Merlot

Happy Saturday!  This was a busy day for me as I had to find a new Christmas tree farm for my trees this year as my previous farm had run out of any trees over 6'/  So after driving to Fort Wayne, I bagged to wonderful spruce trees for my annual hunting trip for trees.  And now it's time for a little relaxation and dinner before the daylong decorating party tomorrow.  Tonight I've opened a bottle from the Pepper Bridge wine club shipment that literally arrived today, shortly after I got back from the tree farm!  The 2020 Pepper Bridge Walla Walla Merlot is a blend of Merlot (92%) and Malbec (8%) from the Seven Hills, Pepper Bridge and Waliser 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, classic for a nice Merlot.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of blackberry, raspberry and herb notes of thyme and cardamom with just a hint of cinnamon underneath.  Take a sip and you're treated to a rush of black fruit with prominent flavors of vanilla bean, cherry and a hint of mint that transition to some dark chocolate midpalate.  The soft tannins are a lovely set up for the wonderfully smooth, lingering dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's drinking nicely now, but could benefit from a few years in the cellar.  This wine would pair well with classic steaks, hearty pasta or a wonderful winter venison stew.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime ribcap, grilled leeks, bacon roasted Brussels sprouts and a big baked potato.  Cheers!

2018 Titan Octave Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Wine Wednesday!  I finished work early today and had a chance to play with a couple of new toys, my new Stihl backpack leaf blower and a set of radio equipped hearing protection, so I could clear leave while listening to Christmas music on the radio.  Two hours later and I can see the end of the 2021 leaf harvest in sight!  Now, ahead of the overeating that will occur tomorrow, I've decided to make a modest dinner and enjoy a bottle of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of 2018 Titan Octave Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a single-vineyard Cabernet from Rutherford area of the Napa Valley AVA.  This is a limited production wine (144 cases) that I found for a terrific price at Wines Till Sold Out, so let's see how this practically newborn wine is shaping up!

The wine is an inky indigo at the center, with bright ruby along the edges, just as you might expect from a nice Rutherford Cabernet.  A swirl of the glass releases aromas of ripe black fruit, blackberry, cherry and currant with some subtle floral undertones that transition easily to aromas of fig and candied plum.  A sip reveals flavors of leather, cedar and rich black currant and raspberry intermingled with Rutherford dust that presents as a combination of spice box, cinnamon and cedar.  The tannins are vibrant and well structured, providing for a lingering dry finish that will have you reaching for another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a pleasant drinking Napa Cabernet that presents an interesting pairing conundrum given it's evolving flavor profile.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty fall dishes, from grilled steaks and chops, to meaty lasagna or osso buco.  Speaking of veal, tonight I've taken a different route and am enjoying this wine with some Madras curry spiced veal chops along with some oven roasted baby carrots, beets and Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2017 Pepper Bridge Merlot

Well, the holiday season is progressing nicely, recently the city came by and picked up the last of the leaves, so it seems autumn is quickly fading as I prepare for my annual hunting trip to get my Christmas trees this weekend.  So as a little respite, I've opened a bottle of a recent wine club shipment from Pepper Bridge Winery, the 2017 Merlot.  This wine is a blend of Merlot (76%), Cabernet Franc (12%) and Malbec (12%) from the Seven Hills, Pepper Bridge and Octave Vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley AVA of Washington.  So let's see how this most recent vintage is shaping up!

The wine is a deep garnet color in the glass, just as one might expect from a quality Merlot with a bit of Malbec in the blend.  The nose is a rather elegant affair, with some light floral notes over ripe plum and graphite with a touch of green cedar over the top.  The taste is a rush of black cherry that gives way to some spice notes of clove and cinnamon before easing into vanilla bean and a hint of white pepper.  The tannins are expertly structured, providing the base for a long, velvety dry finish that lingers on the palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's drinking wonderfully now, but is sure to improve with a bit of time in the cellar (I confess, I got three bottles and this is my second, so I'm not so sure on my ability to age this one!).  This wine would seem to be very food friendly and versatile, as I could enjoy this one with anything from steaks to pizza to tacos and barbecue, but tonight I've decided to take the road less traveled.  I am enjoying this wine with a citrus stuffed oven roasted rainbow trout, with thyme, blood orange and Meyer lemon along with some porcini mushroom farro and bacon roasted Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2015 Pepper Bridge Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  I have to admit that I haven't been relaxing as much as I should today, as I've had a lot of work to catch up on (the price you pay for being your own boss I guess!) but now it's time to relax with a nice glass of wine and dinner.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2015 Pepper Bridge Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (82%), Malbec (8%), Cabernet Franc (8%) and Petit Verdot (2%) from the Seven Hills, Octave, Pepper Bridge and Yellow Jacket Vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley AVA.  I have to admit that I usually wait a few years before opening a bottle of Pepper Bridge Cabernet, but given how warm the 2015 vintage was, I am taking a risk that this wine might be somewhat more approachable in its youth, so let's see if I'm right!

The wine is a deep, inky purple at the center, with bright garnet along the edges, just as you'd expect from a nice Cabernet.  The nose presents warm aromas of black cherry and blackberry, with a bit of earthy iron and smoke underlying some light purple floral notes.  The taste is wonderfully fruit forward, with a rush of ripe black fruit that gives way to some wonderful warm cinnamon and mocha notes midpalate.  The tannins are wonderfully structured, and well integrated providing for a long, smooth and very dry finish that lingers.

Certainly this wine, like previous vintages shows some nice aging potential, but fortunately for tonight's dinner, the warmer vintage is very approachable in its youth.  Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5 with an opportunity to improve into the early 2020s.  This wine practically begs to be paired with a hearty beef dish, whether steak, roasts, prime rib or hearty stew, this wine would do well.  But tonight, I happen to have a prime New York strip I picked up at Costco yesterday, which I'm enjoying with some grilled Brussels sprouts and sauteed onions and peppers.  Cheers!

2014 Peju "The Experiment" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  It was a bit of a lazy day for me today, I came back from church and then did a bit of laundry, caught up on the interwebs and just generally relaxed.  So what better way to cap off an afternoon of relaxing than with a nice bottle of wine!  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of wine the boss gave me, he's really swell that way, particularly since he does a lot more Napa visits than I ever do, the 2014 Peju "The Experiment" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  After reading the label, I did a little searching on the Peju website and found the story of this wine to be fascinating.  Apparently, Peju winemaker Sarah Fowler has an annual experiment where she try various methods for toasting and constructing the oak barrels and then shares the results with her fellow winemakers in a tasting.  For the 2014 vintage, she experimented with 33 different toasting styles and 20 coopers to make this wine, so let's see how it tastes!

The wine is a deep inky black at the center, with bright garnet along the edges, classic for a Napa Valley Cabernet.  The nose is a cascade of vanilla bean, white floral notes and a hint of white pepper that practically scream for you to take a deep sip.  The taste is a rush of sweet black fruit up front, black raspberry, plum surrounded by hints cinnamon that transition to some wonderful dark chocolate and white pepper notes midpalate.  On the finish, you have a distinct emergence of vanilla bean as the well integrated tannins provide for the long, smooth and very dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, it's just a classic big Napa Valley Cabernet, with a lot of flavor complexity that you seldom see on many of the Napa styled red wines today.  This wine would be great to enjoy with hearty Italian dishes, roasts, wild game or a classic steak, but I think it would be even better just to sip on the patio with some salted dark chocolate.  Tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime ribcap, topped with fresh rosemary and garlic scapes, along with a baked potato with sour cream and chives, and some fresh steamed green beans with red and yellow peppers.  Cheers!

2011 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Syrah

TGIF!  Man I am ready for the weekend and a nice glass of wine, lucky for me I have plenty of nice wine available for me to try and tonight is no exception, as I've decided to open a bottle of 2011 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Valley Syrah!  So let's get right to it!

The wine is a rich, inky purple color in the glass, almost more reminiscent of a Cabernet than a Syrah.  The nose is perfumed with leather, blackberry and a hint of cinnamon.  The taste is a rush of rich, ripe black fruit, blackberry, cherry and currant that transitions into some dusty limestone, mocha and green acidity midpalate.  The finish is quite nice, with rounded tannins supporting the long, smooth and very dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a fine example of the varietal and a food friendly wine.  I could see pairing this wine with a variety of dishes from barbecue to steak, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with some alder planked wild Alaskan sockeye with lemon pepper spice along with some linguine tossed with sauteed garlic scapes and broccoli rabe topped with shaved Parmesan.  The nice acidity in this wine is a perfect complement to the rich fattiness of the salmon.  Cheers!

2013 Edge Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Ahh...Hump Day,,,what a beautiful day!  We're on the downward slope toward the weekend, so let's enjoy a nice glass of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of wine that some friends bought me for Christmas, the 2013 Edge Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  The wine is a blend of grapes from a number of vineyards with the goal of being a more value priced Napa offering, so let's see how it tastes!

The wine is a deep, inky purple at the center with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose is classic Napa Cabernet, with aromas of leather, cedar and anise with wonderful notes of ripe black fruit.  The taste is wonderfully fruit forward with a rush of blackberry, cherry and plum that transitions nicely to some spice notes of cinnamon and mocha midpalate.  The tannins are firm but well stuctured, an ideal foundation to the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, for a value priced Napa Cabernet (online I found this for under $20) this could be a very nice everyday wine.  It would be great with a variety of red meat and tonight I'm enjoying this one with a rare grilled prime sirloin with some linguine tossed with broccoli rabe sauteed in garlic and olive oil.  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!

2013 Helix Stone Tree SoRho

Happy Sunday!  It's time to get some Sunday dinner and a great glass of wine!  It's been snowy and then rainy all weekend here, so alas I got nothing done in the yard, so I tried to do some indoor projects.  Needless to say, I am the only person on earth that could possibly turn changing out the hinge on a toilet seat into a half-day project!  So tonight I need me a good glass of wine, and where else could I turn than the Columbia Valley of Washington.  I'm a big fan of Rhone blends, so I've opened a bottle of the most recent wine club selection from Reininger, the 2013 Helix Stone Tree SoRho, a southern Rhone style blend of Mourvedre (40%), Grenache (33%) and Cinsault (27%).  So let's see how this one stacks up!

The wine is a bright ruby in the glass with great clarity.  The nose presents aromas of blueberry, cherries, pomegranate and some lovely dried herb notes.  The taste is surprisingly isn't a rush of fruit I was expecting, but instead there were some delicate notes of blueberry and cherry cola that transitioned nicely to some notes of tobacco, black pepper, dried cherry and cinnamon midpalate.  The finish was quite nice, as the tannins pull you in for the crescendo of cherries and herbs that seem to linger on till you take your next sip.

I must admit, I've reviewed the 2010 vintage (see here) and the 2012 vintage (see here) and this has to be the best one yet!  I think this one ranks a solid 8.5, as it's such a pleasant drinking and food friendly wine.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some grilled pork tenderloin along with some steamed asparagus and grilled leeks.  This wine is ideal for savory meat dishes, whether port, beef or chicken, as the notes of fruit coupled with lively spice notes make this a sure Sunday dinner crowd pleaser!

2006 Laurona Montsant

Happy Sunday!  Time for a homemade Sunday dinner of comfort food, but always a question on what wine to serve with it.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2006 Laurona Montsant red blend from Spain.  This is a new wine for me, as Montsant is a region in Catalonia that produces red blends with many of the traditional Spanish varietals.  This particular wine is primarily Garnacha and Carinena with a bit of Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon to balance things out.

The wine is a lovely bright ruby color in the glass, with nice clarity.  The nose presents lovely aromas of black currant, anise and black cherry along with some Asian spice notes.  The taste is very fruit forward, with a rush of black cherry, currant and some blackberry that transitions nicely to some lovely notes of vanilla and cinnamon midpalate.  The finish is very nice, much bigger than your typical Spanish wine based on Garnacha or Tempranillo, as the tannins are robust, offering a lingering dry finish that evolves as the wine opens up.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a lovely, well structures wine and a solid value (I bought this one from Wines Till Sold Out for just $19).  It's ideal for rustic dishes from the Mediterranean (think paella) or some classic American comfort food.  Tonight I'm enjoying this wine with my Sunday dinner of stuffed cabbage!  The fruit and spice notes really pair well with the richness of the meat stuffing and spice of the tomato reduction.  Cheers!

2013 19 Crimes Red Wine

Well tonight I've selected a wine on a whim, hmm...that seems like an ideal title for a wine blog, or maybe a selection for a blog...have to think on that one some more.  In any case, tonight's selection was totally purchased based on the packaging, both the label and the bottle wrap was very cool looking as I was pushing my cart through the grocery store, so I bought a bottle and am not trying the 2013 19 Crimes Red Wine from where else, Southeastern Australia!  This wine, a blend of Shiraz and Durif (aka Petit Sirah in the USA), which should be ideal for my dinner tonight.

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, while the nose is classic Syrah/Petit Sirah, bursting with jammy fruit, blackberry, cherry and a bit of strawberry along with some lovely spice notes, cinnamon, baking spice and cocoa powder.  The taste is lovely and classic in the sense of an Australian Shiraz, with a burst of jammy fruit, blackberry, plum and cherry that shifts to some warm spice notes mid palate.  The finish has some classic Shiraz twang as the soft tannins provide for a smooth warm finish that ideal for summer cooking.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, making it an ideal everyday table wine, particularly with the $10 price tag (not to mention it's got a pretty cool bottle and label, did I mention that?).  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some grilled dyngus sausage with carmelized onions and peppers on a pretzle bun along with some creamy potato salad, a perfect late summer supper!  Cheers, and try not to commit any of the "19 crimes" that will get you sent to Botany Bay!

2009 Reininger Carmenere

So last night I got back from my wine tasting adventure to Walla Walla, so wouldn't it make sense to immediately taste more wine from there?  Yeah, but whoever accused me of making sense!  Tonight I've decided to taste a wine from one of the few producers that I didn't have an opportunity to visit on my recent trip, Reininger and specifically their 2009 Walla Walla Carmenere.

Well, needless to say, I'm still sort of jet lagged and am fully prepared to eat dinner at 11 pm, so this was an interesting evening.  I came home at about 7:30 and began cooking by first opening a bottle of this wine!  It's a beautiful deep purple color in the glass, and the nose evokes great aromas of anise, sharp spice, cinnamon, and cocoa.  The taste is very fruit forward with some notes of black cherry, plum and cassis that evolves into some lovely baking spice and earthy notes midpalate, including some cedar and limestone.  The finish is quite refined, with ample tannins creating a tight yet well structured long, dry finish that makes this wine excellent for food or for drinking while cooking (I speak from experience!).

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5 with a great change for improvement with a bit of time in the cellar, it was drinking very well now though!  Tonight I paired this wine with a lovely thick cut Angus T-Bone grilled rare, along with some wonderful grilled veggies, including some Walla Walla sweet onions, asparagus and golden beets (which I just learned are good for the body's natural detoxification process, nudge nudge, poke poke!) and a great baked potato.  The wine stood up well to the beef and would be a great pairing to a variety of big dishes like that. Another day of Walla-Yum!

2006 Bernardus Marinus Red Wine

Well, it's a good time to enjoy a lovely Bordeaux blend from the Carmel Valley in California!  The 2006 Bernardus Winery red wine from the Marinus Estate in upper Carmel Valley in California, this wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec grapes, making it a very interesting blend.

The wine is a lovely deep purple color in the glass, and the nose exhibits a notes of red fruit, raspberries, cherries and blackberries along with some earthy elements of tobacco, leather and anise.  The taste is very fruit forward, with flavors of ripe cherry and plum, transitioning to dry spices and cinnamon.  The tannins are quite supple, leading to long, smooth finish with notes of dark chocolate and smoke, which is often characteristic of blends with Malbec.

This wine is a very nice wine that stands well on its own, but would pair nicely with a variety of grilled meats or hearty winter dishes, though tonight I am pairing it with pizza!  Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7, but with a price tag of $20 it seems as though it should rate a bit higher.  Even so, I am certainly pleased to be sipping on a glass or two of this one tonight, cheers!

2008 Reininger Mr. Owl's Red Wine

And now we have another great Walla Walla wine from the "Taste My Vacation" wine tasting, the 2008 Reininger Mr. Owl's Red wine! Now you might wonder about the funny name, and when you hear the story, you'll probably fall in love with the winery and the family that owns it, as it's quite endearing.  This wine is named for Reininger's cellar master Raul, but unfortunately when the winery owners' children were young, that had a difficult time pronouncing his name, so they ended up calling him "Mr. Owl"!  And thus when they wanted to craft a wine and name it after him, they choice of "Mr. Owl's Red" was perfectly logical!

The wine itself is a blend of mainly Merlot (88%), Syrah (7%) and Sangiovese (5%), and it's that latter that I believe provides some lovely differentiation to this wine.  The color is a lovely deep purple in the glass, and the nose exudes leather, oak and plum.  The taste is fruit forward as you might expect with a blend dominated by Merlot, but the initial burst of red berries and plum, give way to a spiciness, of cinnamon and anise, which is not surprising with the addition of some Sangiovese into the blend.  I found the tannins to be somewhat subtle and earthy, which gave this wine a long, mellow finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it was a really lovely wine, but the only thing holding it back was the price, which at $30 might preclude this from everyday drinking, but perfect for a special occasion.  The wine paired very nicely with some of the soft cheeses we had at the tasting as well as the green olives, but it would also pair well with a rare grilled steak as well!  Salut!

2009 Seven Hills Winery Ciel du Cheval

Ahh...here we are, the third wine from the "Taste My Vacation" wine tasting, a wine from one of my favorite wineries in Walla Walla, the 2009 Seven Hills Ciel du Cheval Vineyard red wine.  This wine is a wonderful example of the best of Washington wine in my opinion, hand picked, low-yield varietals based mainly on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, along with some Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot to make for a wonderful red blend that is so characteristic of the wines in Walla Walla.

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, as you would expect from such a blend.  The nose presents some lovely black cherry and plum, along with some cinnamon and floral notes.  There is also a sweetness in the nose, almost candy-like, which is offset by the aroma of licorice and just a hint of cedar.  The taste is a true delight, with a lovely balance of ripe berry and plum at the outset, giving way to fresh herbs and a certain earthy quality.  The flavors are very sophisticated in the way they play off each other and bring real balance to the overall taste of the wine.  The tannins are still a bit tight for this younger wine, but they work well for a long, smooth finish.

This was one of our favorites at the tasting, and believe me, the competition was pretty stiff!  Overall I would rate this one a solid 9, with much potential for aging.  This wine would pair nicely with a variety of wonderful dishes, from rich Italian dishes, to grilled steak, to Indian curry dishes, as it has the strength to stand up to bolder dishes, but the sophistication to bring out the layers of flavor in more complex cuisines.  If you can find this wine I would recommend buying a few bottles, and if you can't find it, contact the folks at Seven Hills Winery, as I'm sure they'll do all they can to help you get some!

2001 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon

Time flies when you're having fun!  Here we are, already at my third Cellar Saturday, the first Saturday of the month where I open up a bottle of wine that's been waiting patiently in the cellar for me to finally open up and enjoy.  And this month we have a really special treat more than a decade in the making, and a wine from my all time favorite winery, L'Ecole No. 41 in Walla Walla!

What a wonderful wine, I can tell already!  The color is a rich, deep ruby color, and the nose is a wonderful blend of earthiness, oak, offsetting a sweet spiciness, that's a blend of cassis, cherry and blackberry, balancing out the spice of cinnamon and dark chocolate.  The taste is remarkable, with flavors of ripe fruit coming through despite the age, which are quickly overtaken by notes of cocoa powder and cherry cola, leading to a wonderful bit of mint and cedar with a hint of earthiness, and a classic flavor of rich, dark chocolate that is so characteristic of Walla Walla wines.  The finish is very long, dry and smooth, and after a decade, the tannins are still very well structured and vibrant, which is a perfect complement to the overall lush mouthfeel of this wine.

Given this is such a wonderful, classic wine, I better have something besides Taco Bell to enjoy this with, and yes, you know me better than that!  So I've paired this wine with a dinner that is a marriage of summer and fall, with the last bits of summer coming together with the very best of what fall has to offer.  I've started with the summer, a simple salad of sliced heirloom tomatoes with a bit of fresh basil, drizzled with 25-year balsamic vinegar.  And once that gets your tastebuds moving, the main course is a rare grilled angus ribeye, with sweet potato fries and grilled white, yellow and orange carrots, bringing in the classic root vegetables of fall.  And after all that, I'm ready for a nap!

Oh, but before I doze off in the La-Z-Boy, my rating!  I am totally biased, but I would have to rate this one a solid 9, as it's a stellar example of the wine, the terroir and the vintage, I just have no idea of the value since I bought this back in 2004!  In any case, I'll be enjoying this one again someday, as I still have another magnum left in the cellar!