2016 Seven Hills Klipsun Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Wine Wednesday!  The last of Washington Wine Month, so tonight I've decided to open a bottle from one of my favorite Walla Walla producers.  Of course it helped that I happened to stumble upon this wine this afternoon as I was looking for something to have with dinner, the 2016 Seven Hills Klipsun Cabernet Sauvignon, a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Klipsun Vineyard in the Red Mountain AVA.  So let's see how this one is shaping up after being opened for an hour or so.

The wine is a deep inky black at the center with bright garnet around the edges, just as you'd expect from a nice Cabernet.  The nose is chock full of ripe black fruit, blackberry, cherry and currant over earthy elements of leather and dusty granite.  The taste is a rush of jammy black fruit that washes over your palate as notes of blackberry and cherry dance with dried fig before pressing on to some notes of cocoa and sage.  The tannins are robust and prime for a velvety mouthfeel cascading to the smooth and exceptionally dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a terrific Cabernet and a fine illustration of the Red Mountain terroir.  This wine would pair very nicely with steaks, smoked beef brisket or summer barbecue, but tonight I'm going in a completely different direction for a weeknight dinner.  I am enjoying this wine with some bucatini with andouille sausage prima vera.  Cheers!

2012 Tobias Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Friday!  It's been a busy week and I am so ready for the weekend!  And since we are starting the weekend, it may as well be with a nice bottle of wine.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of Napa Valley Cabernet that I got in the Wines Till Sold Out Napa Valley marathon a month or two ago, the 2012  Tobias Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a 100% Cabernet from the Howell Mountain AVA.  So let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a deep, inky purple at the center, with bright ruby along the edges, classic for a Napa Cabernet.  The nose presents aromas of cherry, oak and a bit of dried fig.  The taste is a rush of ripe cherry up front that blankets your palate.  The cherry transitions nicely to some notes of vanilla and a bit of oak midpalate.  The finish is rather subdued, with some nicely structured tannins providing for a very smooth, dry finish that's a refreshing departure from many of the in-your-face Cabernets on the market today.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it's very nice quality, but not a terrific value at $29.  This is a classic big steak wine, though I think it would pair quite nicely with a variety of pasta dishes, smoked brisket or classic barbecue as well.  Tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a Thai chili rubbed New York strip along with some grilled baby bok choy and couscous.  Cheers!

2012 Villa Pozzi Nero D'Avola

So tonight I've decided on a recent wine club selection to open with my dinner, the 2012 Villa Pozzi Nero D'Avola from Sicily.  I know it's still a bit young, but I think this is one of the red varietals of Italy that can be enjoyed relatively young as opposed to something more ageworthy like a Brunello or Super Tuscan.

The wine itself is somewhat lighter in color than many heavier red wines, but it presents a lovely nose of blackberry, tart cherry, rich leather, dried spices and an interesting twang.  The taste was surprising, I was expecting it to be rather tart based on the nose, but rather it was very smooth with tastes of sweet berries, plum and a bit of fig that transitioned into some candied apricots and dusty limestone midpalate.  The tannins were somewhat mellow, lending to the round, supple finish that really capped off the fruit.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's a bit young, but it was also a good value as I bought this one from wineshopper.com for $9!  Tonight I am enjoying this with a rare marinated T-bone steak topped with caramelized red onions and served with some fresh steamed brussels sprouts and some linguine tossed with garlic and olive oil.  The fruit of the wine offered a wonderful foil to the heartiness of the charred steak and lightness of the pasta.  Cheers!

2009 Famiglia Pasqua Passimento Veneto

So tonight I feel like having a little Italian, so why not open a bottle of our October wine club selection?  The 2009 Famiglia Pasqua Passimento Veneto, a wine from the far north of Italy, where the cuisine tends more toward rich risotto and polenta dishes.  Now, for those of you familiar with Amarone, this wine is very similar to the Valpolicella Ripasso, which is the second pressing of the dried Corvina grapes used to make Amarone.  The Pasqua family named this wine "Passimento" as they first dry the Corvina grapes before pressing them, creating a much more concentrated and rich flavor.  Then, unlike Amarone or Valpolicella Ripasso, they blend the first pressing of the dried Corvina grapes with Croatina, Merlot and several other local varieties of grapes from Verona that are not dried, resulting in a unique blend that has the richness of an Amarone, but is much more approachable for everyday drinking.

The color of this wine is a deep ruby in the glass, and the nose portrays a richness, with concentrated scents of blackberry and dried figs, leather and rose petals.  There's a sweetness in the nose that's somewhat deceiving, as this is by no means a sweet wine.  The taste starts with some strong fruit notes, ripe red berries and plums, transitioning to a gravelly taste reminiscent of some wonderful Bordeaux, along with dry herbs and just the faintest hint of mint.  The finish is somewhat tight, as the tannins are still developing, yet still providing for a smooth, dry finish.

As for pairings, this wine would pair well with a variety of rich, northern Italian dishes, and tonight I enjoyed it with some penne alla vodka, and the tightness of the tannins played against the richness of the cream in the sauce, while the rich fruit flavor of the wine balanced out the spice of the tomatoes in the sauce.  Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's really a lovely everyday version of Amarone, maybe an Amarone light, but at a price that won't make you cringe.  I found this one at my local wine merchant for a tasting for only $14!  So if you have the opportunity, pick some up and enjoy it with a mushroom risotto!