2021 Nathaniel J. Moore Zweigelt Rosé

Happy Sunday!  It was a more subdued day today as I did some work and finished my laundry before going for a bike ride just before the rain began.  Now I've opened a nice bottle of wine from my recent vacation which included a stop in the Finger Lakes wine region in New York State.  One of the wineries I visited was the Inspire Moore Winery, where I picked up a bottle of this wine.  The 2021 Zweigelt Rosé is bottled under the Nathaniel J. Moore label, which is the namesake of the current winemaker and the second generation of this family owned winery. Nathaniel succeeded his father who unfortunately passed away in 2019 just as Nathaniel graduated from a local Enology & Viticulture program.  

As head winemaker, Nathaniel has continued his father's passion for Austrian varietals, including this wine.  Zweigelt is a cross between Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent, and has become one of the most planted red varietals in Austria.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!  The wins is a bright pink color in the glass, somewhat deeper in color than the typical rosés of the past few years.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of green grass, tart cherry and a bit of minerality.  The first sip is a subdued blend of strawberry, candied cherry and some earthy peat that eases into some notes of cranberry toward the finish.  The tannins are well integrated, providing for a wonderfully crisp dry finish ideal for the closing days of summer.

Beyond the wines, I must admit, I was impressed with the cozy tasting room at the winery in Naples, as I had the chance to enjoy a tasting on the deck overlooking the vineyard, an idyllic place to sip wine!  And when you finish, there is a lovely restaurant next door that has some fantastic lunch fare.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a very interesting varietal with a great flavor profile less likely to overwhelm the food you pair it with.  This wine would be wonderful with light summer fare, a variety of seafood and salad.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a pan seared, sesame crusted tuna steak, steamed jasmine rice and sugar snap peas.  Cheers!

2020 Helix SoRho

Happy Sunday!  I have been hard at work in the yard all afternoon, having made an impulse buy of 11 flats of flowers at my local Menard's store, so I spend the afternoon planting impatients in the bed by my dining room and garage, before finishing the afternoon mowing just ahead of the rain! So, now I am ready for a nice glass of wine with my Sunday dinner and tonight I've opened a bottle of a recent wine club shipment from Reininger Winery.  The 220 Helix SoRho is a blend of Mourvèdre (47%), Grenache (28%) and Cinsault (25%) from the Stone Tree Vineyard in the Wahluke Slope AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this vintage is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby in the glass, with nice clarity as you might expect from Rhone style blend.   A swirl of the glass reveals an intriguing combination of aromas of cedar, cherry and raspberry with undertones of light floral notes.  The first sip presents a rush of ripe red fruit, cherry, raspberry and currant that dance on your tongue, with a hint of tartness and bitterness triggering thoughts of cranberry.  The tannins are mellow, offering a gentle back beat as the fruit sings in harmony on the wonderfully long, dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a pleasant drinking southern Rhone style blend that's ideal for summer sipping and enjoying with a broad range of dishes.  This wine would pair well with barbecue, lamb, pizza or tacos, almost universal for mid-week dinners!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with my Sunday dinner of garlic and olive oil marinated grilled pork tenderloin along with some steamed broccoli and grilled corn on the cob.  Cheers!

2019 Reininger Mr. Owl's Red

Happy Sunday!  It's been a rather miserable weekend, with snow and rain every day, so I could hardly get any work done on getting rid of all the leaves in my yard, but at least there is wine!  So, I've decided to cook a wonderful fall Sunday dinner and open a bottle of 2019 Reininger Mr. Owl's Red.  Affectionately named for Reininger assistant wine maker, Raul, this wine has become a labor of love as Raul takes some of his favorite grapes from each vintage to craft this wine.  The 2019 vintage is a blend of Malbec (38%), Merlot (24%), Cabernet Franc (19%), Cabernet Sauvignon (9%), Syrah (5%) and Petit Verdot (5%) from the Pepper Bridge, Seven Hills, StoneTree, Stone Valley and XL 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, with great clarity.  A gentle swirl in the glass releases aromas of blackberry, pomegranate and smoky oak, which combined reminds me of my time in the Reininger barrel room!  A sip will have wonderfully rustic black fruit washing over your palate, blackberry, plum and currant that transition to some notes of cranberry midpalate.  The fine grain tannins provide an ideal platform for the long, smooth dry finish that just lingers till your next sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a fantastic new world style Bordeaux blend that is inconceivably priced at just $25 (on sale now for just $22.50 here: Mr. Owl's Red!).  This wine would pair well with steaks, burgers, pasta, or a good movie on the couch!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with my Sunday dinner of roasted chicken breast with roasted root vegetables and some bacon maple Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2018 DaMa Walla Walla Valley Merlot

Well, it was a relaxing Sunday, as I finished most of the yard work yesterday, so I had the chance to lounge around and go for a bike ride this afternoon before it got dark at what seemed like 4 pm, tell me why we still do daylight savings time?  In any case, I've been cooking my Sunday dinner as a taste of fall, so what better wine to open than a fall release from DaMa Wines?  Tonight I've opened a bottle of 2018 DaMa Walla Walla Valley Merlot, a 100% Merlot from the Seven Hills Vineyard.  So, let's see what this wine has to offer.

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you'd expect from a nice Merlot.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of tart cherry, cranberry and dried herbs with just a hint of violet.  Take a sip and your palate is enveloped in sweet candied fruit notes, cherry, currant and raspberry that transition effortlessly to some earthy notes of dusty limestone and spice box midpalate.  The tannins are well structured providing for a lengthy and enjoyable dry finish that will have you reaching to take another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a classic example of the varietal with a definite old world flair.  This wine would pair well with a range of red meat, from steaks and chops, to venison or a classic prime rib.  Tonight I am taking a definite fall approach with this wine and enjoying with with a blackened spice grilled veal loin chop along with some oven roasted root vegetables that I picked up at the farmer's market.  Cheers!

2017 DaMa Walla Walla Merlot

Happy Sunday!  It's been cold and thunderstormy here today, so I've spent much of the day indoors doing some work as well as some work around the house.  So now it's time for some Sunday dinner and a glass of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of 2017 DaMa Wines Walla Walla Merlot, a 100% Merlot from the Seven Hills Vineyard.  This bottle was part of my wine club shipment last week, so let see what this wine has to offer.

The wine is a lighter color in the glass, with lots of bright ruby and great clarity.  The nose is an elegant combination of Bing cherry, smoke and a hint of dried herbs.  The taste is a rush of tart cherry, cranberry and pomegranate that gracefully evolves into notes of earthy oak and lavender midpalate.  The gripping tannins provide for an ideal base for a long, smooth and very dry finish that lingers on the palate. 

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a pleasant drinking wine, but a bit lighter than I would prefer in a Merlot.  This wine would pair well with a range of dishes, from pasta and burgers to steaks and barbecue.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare filet mignon, seared rare and basted with butter, garlic and fresh thyme, along with some linguine tossed with garlic, olive oil and broccoli rabe (I confess I made way too much pasta so at least I have lunch for tomorrow).  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!

2011 Helix Stone Tree SoRho

It's been a crazy busy week, so nothing could be better than opening a bottle of nice Washington wine to continue the celebration of Washington Wine Month!  And tonight's feature is the 2011 Helix Stone Tree SoRho, a southern Rhone style blend of Mourvedre (52%), Grencache (31%) and Cinsault (17%) produced for Reininger's second label.  I can't wait to try it out!

The wine is a lighter style and color in the glass, typical of many Rhone blends.  The nose is just warm, with lots of sweet fruit aromas of strawberry, cassis and cranberry, a perfect match for our first true spring-like day (did I mention we broke past 50 degrees today?).  The taste is warm and inviting, with rich black fruit up front, strawberry, pomegranate and blackberry that gracefully transitions to some earthy notes of mushroom and peat midpalate.  The finish is warm, smooth and dry, as the tannins are nicely structured to balance the rather sharp acidity on the finish.  This is a perfect spring wine after our long, bitter winter!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a great drinking wine, ideal for a meal of small plates, olives, soft cheese and cured meats.  Tonight I am enjoying this with some lovely portobello torteloni and rich Italian sausage marinara topped with shaved parmesan.  The warmth of the wine reminds me of the beaches of the Cote d'Azure and a perfect accompaniment to classic Italian fare.  Salut!