2018 Mi Terruño Reserve Malbec

 Happy Saturday!  I can freely admit there was a time when I was just not a fan of Malbec, but I confess it's really grown on me over the past six or seven years, particularly when it's served with some high quality beef!  So, tonight as I am contemplating a nice T-bone, I've opened a bottle of 2018 Mi Terruño Reserve Malbec that I recently purchased from Wines Till Sold Out.  Let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep, inky purple in the glass, as you might expect from a Malbec from Mendoza.  Take a whiff and you're greeted with leather, green grass, and mineral notes blend with a variety of dark fruit, blueberries, blackberries and currant that just raise your expectation of the taste to come.  Take a sip and you're awash with ripe fruit and earthy flavors of tar, peat and graphite, even as you are drawn back to some wonderful oak and vanilla notes from the barrel aging.  The tannins are well structured and provide for a cascade of delightful earthy notes on the lingering, smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a very pleasant wine that is perfect for steak!  Which is a good thing, as tonight I am enjoying this wine with a Cajun coffee rubbed T-bone steak along with some oven roasted fingering potatoes and some steamed asparagus with Hollandaise.  Cheers!

2011 Reininger Walla Walla Valley Merlot

Ahhhh...it's autumn but it sure doesn't feel like it this week, it was sunny and 72 here today!  In any case, warm or cool, it's time for Merlot and tonight I've opened a bottle of 2011 Reininger Walla Walla Valley Merlot, which was part of my recent wine club shipment!  The one happens to be 100% Merlot from the Pepper Bridge Vineyard and just 387 cases produced.

The wine is a beautiful bright ruby color in the glass, with great clarity.  The nose exhibits aromas of rich, dark, ripe fruit, blackberries, plum, currant over some earthy elements of oak and leather.  The taste is quite nice, with a blast or ripe berries up front that transition nicely to some cherry cola and mocha notes midpalate.  The tannins are wonderfully smooth and well integrated, leading to a long, lush finish that dares you to ask for more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, with ample room to improve with some time in the cellar.  In fact this one reminds me a lot of a nice Bordeaux, which could be put down for your kids to enjoy!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic rare Angus T-bone, some home fries with onions and some steamed green beans (oh, the last of the fresh green beans!).  The wine provides a lovely fruit forward complement to such a savory meal.  Cheers!

2012 Forgeron Facon Rouge

Well it's time for Sunday dinner, and since it's been so hot and humid here lately I've opted to cook indoors in the comfort of the air conditioning!  Of course that also means it's a perfect temperature to enjoy a nice bottle of red wine, and tonight it's the 2012 Forgeron Cellars Facon Rouge, a blend of Grenache (35%), Syrah (35%) and Mourvedre (30%), aka GSM, from the Boushey Vineyard in Yakima Valley Washington.

The wine is a beautiful dark ruby color in the glass with nice clarity.  The nose is classic GSM with notes of leather, smoke and rich dark fruit.  The taste is at first an explosion of dark fruit, blackberry, plum, marionberry and black cherry, that subsides momentarily for the emergence of white pepper spice and earthy mineral notes midpalate.  The complex layers of fruit return for another round at the finish, with nicely integrated tannins providing for a voluptuous texture and long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall I would rate this one a solid 8, I'm a sucker for a good GSM blend, and in my judgement Marie Eve and the folks at Forgeron really do an outstanding job.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a lovely summer dinner of seared sea scallops on a bed of baby arugula along with some oven roasted rainbow carrots and asparagus.  The rich layered fruit in this wine offers a lovely contrast with the savory aspects of the veggies and the richness of the scallops.  Cheers!

2012 Shadowood Napa Valley Reserve Red Wine

Well 2014 is rapidly drawing to a close, so why not go out with a bang, or at least a few nice bottles of wine!  Having just returned from the gym and feeling mighty fine about myself, I've decided to open a bottle of 2012 Shadowood Napa Valley Reserve red wine that I got about a week or so ago from Wines Till Sold Out.  This wine is a blend that's heavy on Merlot (94%) with a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon (5%) and just a touch of Malbec (1%) to round it out.

The wine is a deep, dark ruby color in the glass which combined with the nose makes you immediately think of a high-quality Merlot.  The nose is a lovely combination of dark fruit, blackberry, cassis and plum with a lovely layer of leather and toasted oak.  The taste is such a treat, with blast of great fruit up front that remains crisp, not syrupy which transitions nicely to some vanilla and mocha flavors midpalate.  The finish is quite nice, with lovely rounded tannins supporting a long, supple and exceptionally dry finish, just as you might expect from a nice quality Merlot.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a solid wine from a great vintage at an incredible value of just $13!  You know as I was sipping this wine earlier, I got to thinking how much press has been devoted to the spectacular 2012 Napa Valley vintage, and I have to admit that for Cabernets, I haven't been impressed with the 2012 Napa vintage, but every Merlot I've tried from the same vintage has been phenomenal!  As for pairing, I know everyone says to drink this with charred meat or some such thing, which I'm not opposed to by any mean, but tonight I'm in the mood for some comfort food, so I'm enjoying this wine with some lovely baked truffle mac & cheese made with a recipe I found on Epicurious (see this Mac & Cheese Recipe Link, though I added about 2 tbs of white truffle oil to the recipe).  The dark fruit and dryness of this wine is perfect with the richness of the truffle mac & cheese!  Cheers!

2012 Encantado Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Do you know what day it is?  Do you...know what day it is?  That's right, it's hump day, and for me it was an exceedingly long hump day as I didn't leave the office until nearly 7 pm, and although I was supposed to go to the gym tonight, I was just too tired, so I decided to make it a wine Wednesday instead!  And tonight's wine is one that just arrived from Wines Till Sold Out today, the 2012 Encantado Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a cabernet blend from several select blocks in Napa produced by Pine Ridge Vineyards in a 200-acre estate that spans five appellations: Stags Leap, Rutherford, Oakville, Carneros and Howell Mountain.

The wine is a deep, inky purple color in the glass edging toward some lighter ruby.  The nose is rather oak laden with a hint of green cedar, with some dark fruit notes mixed in.  The taste is really quite nice, with a veritable explosion of dark, jammy fruit up front, plum, blackberries and a hint of cocoa that transitions nicely to some dusty limestone midpalate.  The tannins are remarkably mellow for such a young wine, and the velvety, rounded mouthfeel makes for a long, dry and quite pleasant finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8 with room to improve with age, and best of all it was an absolutely spectacular bargain at just $19!  Tonight I am pairing this with a rather low maintenance dinner of heirloom tomato and basil ravioli with some creamy pesto sauce (I highly recommend the Three Bridges Refrigerated Pasta for quick, easy but delicious midweek meals where you really don't feel like cooking, like wine Wednesday!

2011 Sueno Tempranillo

Do you know what day it is? Oh yeah!  It's hump day!  Time to open up a new bottle of wine and celebrate getting through to the downward slope of the work week (even though the next two days are going to be crazy busy for me).  So tonight I've opened up a bottle of our Office Wine Club's June selection, the 2011 Sueno Tempranillo!  You know how much I appreciate the quality and value of Spanish wines for everyday drinking, so hopefully this one will be true to form as it's 100% Tempranillo from the Ribera del Jucar.

The wine is a little darker than I might have expected, with a deep ruby color throughout that brightens along the edges.  The nose is classic Tempranillo with lots of dark ripe fruit, blackberry, plum and cassis intermingled with some dark chocolate and dried flower notes, that transitions to just a hint of black pepper and spice.  Despite the dark fruit nose, the taste is very light, with some lovely berry notes on the outset that transitions to some rustic flavors of anise, dusty limestone and barnyard.  The tannins are somewhat soft but very well integrated giving a nice structure to the wine and supporting a smooth, dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5 as it does what most Spanish wines do, pair well with a variety of dishes at a value price - I bought this one from Wines Till Sold Out for just $11!  And tonight I am enjoying it with a classic mid-week dinner of pizza, a perfect pairing as the rustic flavors just mesh so nicely with the spicy sauce and pepperoni.  Cheers!

2007 DaMa Walla Walla Sangiovese

Well, it's Memorial Day weekend, time for grilling out and why not enjoy a bit of wine as well?  Tonight's selection is almost a year in the making, as I first tasted this at the DaMa tasting room in Walla Walla in late June 2013 and I'll admit I fell in love with this wine at first taste!  It was really the best Sangiovese I found in Walla Walla (though to be fair this is an up and coming varietal that more producers are experimenting with even as I write this).  So after tasting the wine I bought 4 bottles (at only $25, I should have bought a case) and wanted to have it shipped to my home since I had no more room on the case to check on my return flight.  And that's where the story ends until a month or so ago, when I realized that I never received the wine, so I called but wasn't much help since I've moved since then, had no receipt and all I could track down was a nearly year-old credit card statement with a charge, but thanks to the wonderful folks at DaMa, that was enough for them to find it in their records and send me the long awaited wine!  HOORAY!!!

And now to the wine, it's a deep purple in the glass with ruby along the edges and a good bit of opacity at the center.  The nose is just how I remembered it, rich dark fruit, blackberry, plum and black currant with an overriding aroma of smoke, leather and spice, with just a hint of dark chocolate.  The taste is absolutely lovely, with a subdued rush of dark, ripe fruit at the outset that quickly transitions to some smoky, mineral notes midpalate.  The finish is wonderful, with some firm but sophisticated tannins that support a warm, spicy dry finish that seems to last a good 30 seconds. This is a Sangiovese that I am convinced would stand up quite well to some of the nicest Chianti in Tuscany!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a super example of the varietal and a terrific value at only $25.  Tonight I am enjoying this with a toned down version bistecca alla Fiorentina, a nicely seasoned and grilled T-bone with some grilled leeks and asparagus and a baked Yukon gold potato.  The spice and smokiness of this wine is the perfect accompaniment to a grilled steak while the fruit enhances the flavors of the veggies. If you can find this wine grab it and enjoy in with your grilling tomorrow, but it's sold out at the winery so it might be a challenge to find.  Cin cin!

2010 Mirror Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Well here we are at the beginning of a long weekend, and what better thing to do than open a nice bottle of wine!  Tonight I've opened a bottle of wine that my boss gave me, as he recently discovered this winery run by a fellow football player with roots in our area who is making great wine and giving a portion of his sales to a charitable foundation focused on children's charities tied to health and education.  The football star turned wine maker is Rick Mirer, a former Notre Dame quarterback who was born in Goshen, Indiana and eventually played in the NFL (of course my boss played football at Purdue, so there is a natural connection).  And the wine?  It's the 2010 Mirror Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon!

The wine is a deep purple color in the glass with a bit of opacity.  The nose is a pleasant blend of dark fruit, black currant, plum and cherry with a layer of earthy notes, cedar, forest floor, dark chocolate and spice over the top.  The taste is a bit tightly wound at first, but if you let it breathe for 45 minutes or so, it really opens up with concentrated black fruit flavor and a richness that really presents a nice counterbalance to the intensity of the tannins, resulting in a warm, but smooth, dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it's drinking very nicely now but I think it has a lot of potential to age very nicely over the next 5-10 years.  Tonight I am enjoying this with a rare grilled T-bone steak along with some steamed fingerling potatoes and some fresh grilled asparagus.  This is the type of Napa Cabernet that really plays well with a sizable piece of rare beef, I highly recommend it!

2011 Ca' Momi Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

So, this afternoon I was talking to some friends at work and they were complaining to me about how my Facebook posts with photos of my dinners was making them hungry, (really? I can't say I was heartbroken for them).  So tonight I decided to make a simple pasta dinner that almost anyone could replicate in an effort to boost their culinary egos!  So I made some bucatini (if you don't have that try linguine) with some Italian sausage and Trader Joe's Arrabiata sauce (if there isn't a Trader Joe's near you Barilla makes a nice version as does Classico with their spicy tomato and basil) along with an arugula salad (they have bunch arugula at the local market for $1.69) tossed with EVO and balsamic.  So of course with a simple meal full of flavor you need a nice wine, like the 2011 Ca' Momi Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. 

The wine is a deep purple in the glass, typical of a nice NV Cabernet. The nose is spectacular, with rich dark fruit, blackberries, cassis and plum over a rich base of leather and Asian spice. The taste is lovely, with a quick blast of fruit followed by some earthy notes of green herbs, leather, cedar and forest floor. The tannins are nicely structured leading to a very long, lush and dry finish. 

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it has a taste and structure of a wine costing twice as much, as I found this at a local wine store for only $21!  The wine matches perfectly with the Italian meal with the dryness, structure and fruit as the perfect foil to the spice in my dinner.  Tutti a tavola a mangiare!

2009 Owen Roe Abbot's Table Red Wine

So tonight I needed a nice wine to relax, I've been a bit stressed lately, so I need something that I could enjoy with a relaxing dinner, and tonight it's a bottle of 2009 Owen Roe Abbot's Table Red Wine!  This is a classic Northwest red blend from a solid Washington producer, so it should make a good complement to my evening activities and of course my dinner!  This wine in particular is an interesting blend, one that I like to call the kitchen sink blend as it seems to have a bit of everything: Zinfandel (25%), Sangiovese (20%), Cabernet Sauvignon (20%), Grenache (13%), Syrah (10%), Blaufrankish (7%), Cabernet Franc (2%), Malbec (2%) and Merlot (1%), wow!

The wine itself is a little lighter bodied than I was expecting, but that really does nothing to detract from the overall quality of this wine.  The nose is a lovely expression of ripe dark fruit, blackberries, cherries, plum accented by notes of dark chocolate and baking spice. The taste is surprisingly pleasant, with an initial blast of fruit quickly followed by some black licorice and spice notes.  Midpalate we have ample fruit and cocoa powder, with a dusty limestone overtone.  The finish is very nice, with well structured tannins supporting a long, exceptionally dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.  Very nice!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a great example of the best of Northwest red blends, but I can't remember what I bought this for, so if it was under $25 as I suspect, it was a great value as well.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a lovely dinner of crabcakes, a bit of steamed jasmine rice and a light green salad, the perfect dinner for a hot summer evening, Cheers!

2006 E. Guigal Gigondas

What a lovely Sunday afternoon, I finally had some time to relax and take a nap, then I went to the gym for a bit and now I'm ready to ease into Sunday dinner.  And to go with that dinner, I've opened a bottle of 2006 E. Guigal Gigondas, a nice little Rhone blend (Grenache 60%, Mourvedre 30% and Syrah 10%) that I find to be food friendly, and more importantly, a pleasant drinking wine for nice spring afternoons like I'm enjoying today.

The wine is a deep violet color in the glass, edging toward some nice ruby color.  This wine can be a bit tightly wound, so you might find it more approachable letting it decant or pouring it through an aerator.  I did the latter and still let it breathe a bit in the glass before drinking it.  The nose presents some lovely dark fruit aromas of ripe plum, blackberry and cassis, along with some lovely earthy notes of cedar, anise and forest floor.  The taste has some nice fruit at the outset, that effortlessly transitions to some lovely black pepper and spice notes midpalate.  The tannins are well structured throughout, leading to a smooth, dry finish that is ideal for sipping on the patio on a spring afternoon.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, and it was a pretty good value that I bought from wineshopper.com for $25.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some steak and black bean tacos, something a little off the beaten path for a typical Rhone blend, but what the heck?  The wine pairs well with beef, and it really compliments the spice of the marinade and rustic flavors of the black beans, illustrating how versatile these wines of the southern Rhone and Languedoc can be.  Cheers!

2003 Scala Dei Priorat

Another fine "Cellar Saturday" and today I've opened a 2003 Scala Dei Priorat, a lovely decade old blend from Spain, made from Grenache (69%), Cabernet Sauvignon (24%) and Syrah (11%), and a blend that I've chosen specifically for the lovely dinner I have planned for this evening!

The wine is absolutely lovely in the glass, with deep purple colors, and a nose that just exudes dark fruit, with ample aromas of ripe plum, blackberry and cassis overlaying a hint of leather and cedar.  The taste is wonderfully complex, with a burst of fruit up front, lovely ripe plum, black cherry, and sweet blackberry that transition to some wonderful herb notes, along with some earthy notes of limestone and forest floor.  The finish is just wonderful, as the refined tannins support a long, lush and dry finish (I know those seem like contradictory terms, but really they aren't!).

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's just a great example of this Spanish blend, and one which really supports a variety of dishes. Tonight I have prepared a dinner which I believe perfectly compliments the beauty of this wine, some lovely grilled lamb chops marinated in chipotle olive oil, some linguine in pesto sauce and a wonderful spinach salad with bleu cheese, cranberries and white balsamic vinaigrette, so delicious!  Cheers!

2002 Tenuta Col D'Orcia Brunello di Montalcino Riserva

Here we are, at another "Cellar Saturday" and I'll have to confess that although I've selected a wine for this day that's over a decade old, and is at an ideal age for drinking, it hasn't really been in my cellar that long!  In fact, I bought two bottles of this one a month ago and have been excited to try it, the 2002 Tenuta Col D'Orcia Brunello di Montalcino Riserva!  Of course, the 2002 vintage for Brunello has been widely panned in the wine press, so my expectations were already somewhat depressed going into this, but what can I do, this is the oldest vintage I have, so it's on!

I thought about pouring this one through the aerator, but instead just let it breathe for an hour before tasting.  The nose is quite complex, with a lot of different aromas going on that it almost makes you dizzy, there is a lovely smoky aroma that pervades the nose, with hints of dark fruit, leather and oak, and then there is a sudden twang of tart cherry that sort of hits you from behind.  You really don't know what to expect from the nose, but on your first sip, it hits you with lovely ripe fruit up front, blackberry and plum, and then a bit of tart cherry as you transition to some floral notes, rose petals and a bit of anise midpalate.  The tannins are very well structured, supporting a long, lush and very dry finish that seems to go on for a minute or more.  I know it was a terrible vintage and I'm not supposed to like it, but this one just brought me straight back the the last time I was in Florence, enjoying some fava beans on Tuscan toast at a little cafe down the street from Il Duomo.  If a wine can do that, it can't be all bad!

Overall, I would rate this one a solid 8.5 as it's just drinking wonderfully right now, and it was a relative bargain as I bought this a month ago from Wines Till Sold Out for only $39.99!  Tonight I am enjoying this with one of my favorite Italian dishes, some sweet Italian sausage sauteed in olive oil with onions and peppers, a bit of homemade garlic bread and some linguine tossed with garlic and olive oil, delizioso!

2005 Fattoria Casabianca Chianti Colli Senesi Riserva

Well, I've been out of it for a little while and everyone's getting delusions of grandeur...if you know where that quote comes from then +1 for you as a dedicated Star Wars fan!  But I digress...yes it's been a little bit since my last post, but fear not, I will have at least three posts over the next three days, the last of which is tax day and you know I'll need a bottle of wine to get through that day!  But for tonight, I have a Chianti Colli Senesi, which is a bit different than your traditional Chianti, and one while I really like much better.  So tonight's subject is the 2005 Fattoria Casabianca Chianti Colli Senesi Riserva!

The color is a bit darker than your traditional Chianti, but somewhat lighter than your typical big bold cabs that have been pouring out of California the last decade or so.  The nose is very interesting, with notes of rich, dark fruit, a good bit of licorice and some lovely dried herbs.  The taste was a complete divergence from the nose, as you expect some ripe fruit up front, but instead you are treated to some wonderful tart cherry notes that transitions effortlessly to some lovely dried herbs, leather and anise midpalate.  The finish is quite nice, as the structured tannins support a long, dry finish that seems to last until you're ready to take your next sip!

Overall I would rate this one a solid 8, as it's a great example of the wine, but it's a bit on the pricey side, as I bought this one on sale for $19 (which was a lot better than the $34 original price!).  Tonight I am pairing this with a rather unconventional meal since it's taco night!  I am enjoying it with some traditional tacos, with spicy beef and fresh cilantro, tomatos and jalapenos, drizzled with shredded cheddar and sour cream, wrapped in a warm soft tortilla, oh I love taco night!

2006 Reininger Cima

HOORAY!  It's March 1st, and you know what that means, it's the first official day of Washington Wine Month!  In celebration of my favorite wine month, I've committed to drinking only wines from Washington this month, and to start things off I've decided to go with a bottle of 2006 Reininger Cima, a super Tuscan (or in this case a super Wallan) blend of Sangiovese (50%), Cabernet Sauvignon (25%) and Petit Verdot (25%) sourced from the Seven Hills and Pepper Bridge vineyards.  The wine was aged for five years in 100% French oak, and as you'll see in a moment, it was worth the wait.

I like great wines from Tuscany, but this blend is like nothing I've ever experienced from Tuscany, and that's a good thing!  The color is a rich ruby in the glass, and the nose is just a pleasure to drink in.  There are lovely notes of rich dark fruit, some faint floral notes, and a hint of leather (perhaps it's rich, Corinthian leather, RIP Ricardo Montalban).  My word, the taste of this wine is simply unbelievable, you start on your journey with a bit of tart cherry, and rich ripe berries that effortlessly transitions to rich mocha and dark chocolate notes midpalate.  The finish is just pure pleasure, with rich notes of cedar, tobacco and lush fruit, accented by a peppery spice that supports a finish that lasts and lasts.  It's one of those wines that has you practically begging for more, even though you're still enjoying the finish from your last sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, and I can't even remember how much I paid for it!  Tonight I am pairing this with some grilled chicken linguine along with a lovely arugula salad with crumbled bleu cheese, and topped with Tuscan herb olive oil and some local Cabernet vinegar I got for Christmas.  Though this sounds good, quite frankly you could pair this wine with a bowl of wet shredded cardboard and I don't think you'd even notice!  An auspicious start to Washington Wine Month, I can't wait to see where we go from here!