2016 Century Oak Winery Judy's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  I'll admit, I was tempted to nap the day away, but ended up being far more productive than I expected, doing two loads of laundry, some minor repairs around the house and I even made it to the gym!  So, with all that, I'd say I am quite deserving of a nice dinner and a glass of wine.  Tonight's wine is one I recently bought from an outfit called "Wine Slash" who sends me e-mails every so often, and this one intrigued me enough to purchase, the 2016 Century Oak Winery Judy's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Lodi.  What intrigued me was that the wine maker, Heather Pyle and her husband, have previous connections to Robert Mondavi, where Heather was a wine maker at Mondavi in their Cabernet and Merlot programs and also involved in the Opus One team in 1996, where she met her future husband.  Although semi-retired, they still have a passion for wine makeing and have crafted this wine.  So let's see what it has to offer!

The wine is a deep inky black at the center, with bright ruby along the edges, just as you might expect from a classic Cabernet.  The nose is a somewhat tawny combination of green grass, violets, vanilla beans, and spice notes that reflect a more casual style.  The taste is almost the exact opposite of what I was expecting based on the nose.  I was expecting warm fruit and spice to dominate, but what emerged was a rush of cool black cherry, blueberry and plum that would fit right in with a classic Napa Cabernet.  The black fruit transitions effortlessly to some notes of cedar, pipe tobacco, violet and black pepper spice midpalate.  The tannins are expertly structured and well integrated for the long, smooth and velvety dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's punching way above its weight class, as I only paid $17 for this wine!  This would pair well with a broad range of dishes that you'd pair with a classic Napa Cabernet, steaks and chops, roast game, lamb and classic Italian dishes.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime ribcap topped with some horseradish, grilled asparagus and a big baked potato with all the trimmings.  Cheers!

2015 Forgeron Barbera

Happy Tuesday!  It's been a busy week so far and it doesn't look like it will let up any before the holiday weekend, so I may as well enjoy a bottle of good wine.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of the recent wine club shipment from Forgeron Cellars, the 2015 Forgeron Barbera, a 100% Barbera from the Sagemoor Vineyard in the Columbia Valley of Washington.  I picked this wine for an easy pairing with dinner, so let's see how I did!

The wine is a deep, inky purple in the glass, with bright ruby along the edges, somewhat more reminiscent of a Cabernet than a Barbera.  The nose exudes quality, with rich leather, clove and ripe black fruit, with just a bit of floral undertones.  The taste is a rush of cool, ripe blackberry and cherry up front that transitions nicely to some subtle white pepper spice notes midpalate.  The tannins on this wine are almost not to be found, leading to a lush finish that's dry, yet not as abrupt as you might find in a Cabernet.

I decided to take a photo as I was cooking tonight, just to show that I do actually cook!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's just a pleasant, easy drinking and food friendly wine.  This wine would pair well with a broad array of dishes, as it's just easy to please.  I would enjoy this wine with anything from steak to pizza to barbecue, but tonight I've decided to go Italian, with some chicken Italian sausage with onions and peppers and some pasta tossed with garlic and olive oil.  The fruit and low acidity in this wine are perfect with some spicy sausage.  Cheers!

2008 Helix Stillwater Creek Vineyard Sangiovese

Well, it's been a long week and it's time to relax with a nice bottle of wine from one of my favorite producers!  Tonight it's the 2008 Helix Stillwater Creek Vineyard Sangiovese, which is produced by Reininger out of Walla Walla.  I was impressed with their Sangiovese when I visited last year, and fortunately for my, this was the Spring wine club selection so I just received a couple bottles a week or so ago.

The wine is a bright ruby color in the glass, and not nearly as opaque as some varietals, and perhaps a little darker than your standard Tuscan version of Sangiovese.  The nose is a luscious combination of rich Corinthian leather (nod to Ricardo Montalban, RIP), ripe berries, layered with a bit of dried spice.  The taste is somewhat unexpected for what is billed as a more acidic red wine.  There is some cool fruit up front, but not the sweet jammy fruit the nose might lead you to expect.  The fruit transitions effortlessly to some dried herbs and a some earthy flavors midpalate, before giving way to a lovely smooth, exceedingly dry finish. Given the dryness, the acidity and the well balanced tannins, this wine would be a very approachable one with a wide variety of dishes.

Overall, I would rate this one a solid 8, it's a pure pleasure to sip, though it's not your everyday wine with at $29, though it's a bit less with your wine club discount.  Tonight I am enjoying this one with a nice rare grilled Angus T-bone, a baked potato and some steamed broccoli, a lovely well balanced dinner!  It would also pair very well with a variety of tomato based Italian dishes, or a variety of hard aged cheeses.  A fun Italian varietal produced right in the heart of Washington's wine country, cheers!