2012 Hedges Family Estate Red Mountain

Happy black Friday, I mean red Friday!  After all, I'm drinking red!  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2012 Hedges Family Estate Red Mountain wine, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%),  Merlot (26%), Syrah (8%), Cabernet Franc (4%) and Malbec (2%) all from the Red Mountain AVA in Washington State.  So let's see what this one has to offer!

The wine is a deep inky indigo at the center with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose presents aromas of leather, oak, blackberry and mint, somewhat of an old school Bordeaux vibe.  The taste is much less intimidating than the nose might suggest, with a rush of cherry cola, licorice and dried herbs that transition nicely to some earthy notes of wild game and smoke midpalate.  The finish is somewhat subdued but very dry.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's actually a very nice Washington red blend and a fairly decent value in the $30 range.  Tonight I am enjoying this with another big dinner for Thanksgiving week, a shrimp cocktail appetizer, then a big bone-in ribeye grilled rare with some grilled leeks, rainbow carrots and asparagus and a baked potato.  Cheers!

2012 Louis Martini Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Saturday!  Well it was sure a hot one here today, it was about 90 degrees but with the humidity it felt like 100 easy.  I ran some errands this morning and then took it easy this afternoon, enjoying the air conditioning, but at least while I was out I managed to get a new bottle of wine to try this evening, the 2012 Louis Martini Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  I think the first time I tried their Napa Cabernet was the 2007 vintage which was outstanding, as well as a big bargain back then, I think it was about $15!  Today I bought this bottle and thought it a good value at $25!

The wine itself is a lovely deep ruby color along the edges, leading to some inky purple at the center, classic Napa Cabernet.  The nose exhibits aromas of leather, tobacco, some floral notes blanketing some rich ripe berry fruit notes.  The taste was outstanding, a brief rush of ripe blackberry and cherry notes that give way to some lovely mineral and spice notes midpalate.  The finish was full and voluptuous with fine tannins supporting the velvety mouthfeel and long, smooth, exceptionally dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it's still a bit young, but in my opinion represents an outstanding Napa Valley Cabernet for the price.  This wine is a classic from a great vintage that certainly rivals 2007 and like most Napa Cabernets, this wine is perfect for a big steak.  Tonight I'm pairing it with a rare, thick cut boneless Angus ribeye along with a baked potato and some haricot verts almondine.  So yummy!

2014 Uvaggio Rosato

With the Snooth.com virtual tasting, you have a really great experience tasting wines along with other users around the world, sharing thoughts and tasting notes.  Best of all, you get to watch a presentation and interact with Q&A with the wine makers that produced what you are enjoying!  So now our second wine of the evening, the 2014 Uvaggio Rosato a lovely rose made from Cinsault.

The wine is a lovely vivid pink color in the glass.  The nose expresses lovely notes of cherry, plum and rose petals.  The taste is quite unexpected, with some bright berry notes up front that yield to tart cherry and some mineral notes of iron midpalate.  The finish is quite nice but not particularly long, but quite dry.  I'll admit that based on the color I was expecting a much sweeter wine, but nothing could be further from the truth.  This wine is crisp, fruit forward, earthy and refreshing, ideal for summer drinking!

Overall I would rate this one a solid 7.5, it's a nice rosato, but for my tastes there are a number of lovely dry roses on the market right now that to me are superior.  Tonight I am enjoying all of these great Lodi wines with some thin crust pizza with roasted veggies, but this one would also be great on a sunny afternoon on the patio with a caprese salad of heirloom tomatoes and aged balsamic.  Cheers!

2010 Rotie Swordfight

Ok wine folks, I have to ask, how can anyone not like a wine called "Swordfight"?  Particularly when it's a blend of Syrah (75%) and Mourvedre (25%)?  Well, that's what I've decided to open tonight!  After a long day enjoying the local county fair, looking at animals and tractors and eating food that's just terrible for you, I've decided to come home to a nice bottle of wine and perhaps a healthy dinner (oh who am I kidding!).  The wine I've chosen tonight is one of just a few bottles that I brought back from my 2013 venture to Walla Walla when I stopped in at Rotie Cellars, a maker of fine Rhone style blends.

The wine has a deep, inky purple color in the glass, almost black at the center.  The nose is rich and jammy, with nice aromas of ripe plum, raisin and a bit of leather and toasted oak.  The taste is very fruit forward with a blast of dark fruit, black cherry and plum that transition nicely to some hints of mint, dark chocolate and fresh herbs.  The tannins are round and supple laying the foundations for a long, dry and velvety smooth finish that will leave you wanting more.  This is the type of wine that just makes a great companion, whether sipping it on the deck or enjoying it with a hearty dinner.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's truly a beautiful example of a great Rhone style blend half a world away from the Rhone Valley!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a healthy dinner of surf and turf, a petite T-bone grilled rare and some snow crab legs, along with some corn on the cob and sliced ripe tomatoes, a perfect summer dinner!  Salut!

2012 Maxwell Creek Napa Valley Rose

Happy Independence Day Eve!  Here we are on the evening before the 4th of July and I decided to stop at the supermarket after work and they were having a big seafood sale, so what wine should I open knowing that I'll be eating seafood for dinner?  Well it just so happens that I stopped by the World Market yesterday and picked up a couple bottles of rose, so why not open a bottle of the 2012 Maxwell Creek Napa Valley Rose?

The wine is a lovely orange-pink color in the glass, sort of the color of ripe grapefruit at the center, leading to a white translucence around the edges of the glass.  The nose is very different from what I was expecting, with lovely notes of strawberry and citrus, but it also had some interesting floral notes as well as a nice bit of vanilla bean.  The taste was crisp and refreshing with flavors of citrus and green grass at the outset which transitioned to some interesting notes of flowers and tea leaves midpalate.  The finish was quite nice, with a distinct dryness, but also a burst of honey flavor at the very end which I found quite endearing.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, as it was a pleasure to sip and very versatile in pairing with a variety of dishes.  It was also a solid value at only $10 at the World Market.  Tonight I paired this wine with a lovely dinner of sea scallops seared in toasted sesame oil and served on a bed of baby greens with some spicy curried couscous on the side.  The wine is really a perfect match for seafood as the crispness really played well with the richness of the scallops, while the honey finish was a nice foil to some of the bitterness of the baby greens.  Cheers and have a lovely Independence Day!

2012 La Crema Monterey Pinot Noir

Here we are at the second wine of the Snooth virtual tasting of the wines of La Crema, a quality producer of wine from Santa Rosa, Calif.  The next wine is the 2012 Monterey Pinot Noir, now of course having lived for a while in Portland, you know my bias towards Oregon Pinot Noir, particularly those from the Willamette Valley, but I'll still keep an open mind on this effort from California!

The wine is a lighter color in the glass, quite typical of pinot noir.  The nose is classic pinot, tart fruit notes, cherry and blackberry, and a hint of leather and tar.  The taste is warm and pleasant, makes me feel like I'm enjoying a nice summer evening on the patio.  Very nice fruit, blueberry and strawberry notes with some nice minerality midpalate.  The finish is quite nice with some tartness but very smooth and dry, very creamy and quite reminiscent of many Oregon pinots. 

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, as it's a really nice example of a fine pinot noir, very light, warm and smooth.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some oven roasted pork loin chops, mashed potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts, but I could see this one being lovely with some poached salmon with wild mushroom risotto as well.  Cheers!

 

2012 The Prisoner

Well it's December already and I am now moved into my new house, but there are still some open items like my internet access!  But never one to sweat the details, I decided to put in my first blog post via mobile device!  And for tonight's selection I've opened up a bottle of 2012 The Prisoner, a red blend from Napa Valley. 

The nose is a pleasant blend of red fruit, strawberries, plum, green grass and tar. The taste is very jammy up front, with rich fruit, plum, blackberry and strawberry that transitioned to some dusty limestone and smoke midpalate.  The finish was smooth and very dry, with a smoky accent that lingered for a good while. 

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a solid Napa Valley blend but it's a little pricey for an everyday wine at $41. Tonight I'm enjoying this one with some slow cooked beef ribs, mashed potatoes and steamed asparagus tips. The fruit of the wine really plays well against the flavors of the beef ribs and the smooth starch of the taters, delicious!  

2007 Sullivan Vineyards Rutherford Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

So tonight between packing for my upcoming move I am enjoying a nice Sullivan Vineyards Rutherford Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from the outstanding 2007 vintage.  Speaking of my upcoming move, I closed on my new home yesterday, I guess I was feeling a little underleveraged, so financing this should make me feel a lot better!

But back to the wine, I figured with so much to celebrate I should open a good bottle of wine right?  And this one certainly fits the bill.  It definitely needed to breathe a bit, so I poured mine through an aerator and let it rest for a while.  It has a lovely deep purple color in the glass, with edges of garnet.  The nose of very full of jammy black fruit, plum, black cherry and raspberry, overlaid with hints of leather, Asian spice and mint.  The taste is lovely, with some modest ripe fruit up front that isn't even close to being jammy as the nose would suggest.  The fruit gives way so a wonderful minerality of dusty limestone and sage midpalate.  The firm yet structured tannins support a beautiful, dry and velvety finish that has real staying power.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a wonderful big bold cabernet with complex flavors at a fairly good value.  I bought this one from Wines Till Sold Out for only $30.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a nice Angus T-bone grilled rare with some steamed green, yellow and purple beans and some sun dried tomato risotto.  The rustic flavors of the wine really complement the risotto, while the big bold cabernet aspects are perfect for a hearty steak, delicious!

2009 Mayne Durege Bordeaux

So tonight I've decided to have dinner in as I've been walking all around Prague today, from the Vysehrad to the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, then up to Patrin Park, all the way up the hill to the gardens and the observatory, so after walking miles and up and down about 500 feet of elevation, I figured I needed a night in with a bottle of Bordeaux.  And for this my final Prague blog post, I've opened a bottle of 2009 Mayne Durege Bordeaux, let's hope it's good!

The color seems somewhat light, but then again it's now quite dark out, so who knows?  The nose is actually quote nice, with hints of cherries and ripe berries overlaid with a aromas of leather and smoke.  The taste is nice, but it didn't quite live up to the expectations brought about by the pleasant nose.  It had some nice ripe fruit on the outset that transitioned to some strong minerality midpalate.  The tannins were somewhat subdued leading to a more abbreviated and lackluster, but still very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a 7, it was a nice effort, and another incredible value at 90 Kc, or about $5.  Tonight I am pairing this with the ultimate standby for carry out, Chinese food!  Tonight I have some stir fried noodles with chicken and a Thai spicy sauce.  The wine actually pairs well with this, as the more subdued fruit notes tend to balance the spice, while the dry finish counteracts the heaviness of the dish.  Na zdraví!

2006 Sawtooth Skyline Red Wine

So tonight I've decided to open up a bottle of wine that I bought about a year ago at a KOA campground in Twin Falls, Idaho of all places!  In my cross country drive, I decided to stop and camp at this KOA, and it was a real first class operation, you could buy firewood and they'd deliver it to your site, and the camp store had a lot of grocery items and a selection of local wines.  I picked up a bottle of the 2006 Sawtooth Skyline Red Wine to have with my dinner cooked out in the moonlight and decided I liked it so much I bought another bottle the next morning to bring back.  The wine is from the Snake River Valley, a still developing wine region that has a lot of hidden gems I've discovered.  This particular wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (62%), Syrah (29%), Merlot (8%) and Cabernet Franc (1%).

The wine itself is a nice ruby color in the glass and the nose has some sweet, tangy notes, along with some leather, smoke and green herb aromas.  The taste is modestly fruit forward, with some flavors of ripe plum and blueberry that transitions to some smoky, woody flavors midpalate.  The finish is very dry, with some flavors of limestone as the rather brusque tannins leave it a bit short.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a very pleasant drinking wine from an unexpected place, and it was a good value at only $13 (even at a campground store that likely has higher markups!).  Tonight I paired this wine with a nice northwest dinner of cedar planked salmon, whole grain shells with four-cheese sauce and some haricots verts almandine.  The smoky notes in the wine along with the acid and fruit played really nicely against the smoky richness of the salmon, so yummy!

2008 Naisi Nero D'Avola Tannat

Tonight I've decided to open an little red blend from Sicily, the 2008 Naisi, a blend of Nero D'Avola (75%) and Tannat (25%), which should make a nice wine to stand up to my seemingly daily steak intake!  I bought this wine a few weeks ago at John Russo's in Grand Rapids, which has a really nice selection of interesting wines, particularly from areas of Italy that you don't see as often, like Sicily.

This wine is a deep purple in the glass, with a good bit of opacity near the center and graduating toward a brighter ruby along the edges.  The nose is an interesting combination of ripe cherry, dark chocolate and leather, with a good bit of smokiness as well.  The taste is nicely fruit forward, with a blast of tart cherry and prune up front, which sounds awful, but actually works quite well.  The fruit transitions to some bitter herbs and gravel midpalate, before the rather tightly wound tannins bring it all together for a smooth, dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's a very nice wine that's a bit off the beaten path of your everyday red, with a more rustic quality that pairs nicely with red meat and game.  And the cost wasn't outrageous either, I think I bought this bottle on sale for $14.  Tonight I am enjoying this with a rare grilled New York strip and some grilled veggies and steak fries, which offer a perfect balance to the wine.  Cheers!

2007 Stag's Leap Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

So it's Sunday evening, time for my traditional Sunday dinner, and tonight for the wine selection I added a twist.  I requested from my Facebook and Twitter friends to look in My Cellar and make suggestions as to which wine I should open with the marinading New York strips I am planning on grilling.  So if you don't follow me on Twitter, you should or you'll miss out on fun stuff like this!  And the result, as me opening a 2007 Stag's Leap Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, from a stellar recent vintage!

The color of the wine is a deep, opaque purple at the center, transitioning to a bright garnet around the edges.  The nose is a subdued combination of blackberry, anise, dark chocolate and a touch of oak.  The taste is complex and brooding, with just a hint of dark fruit at the outset, transitioning into some pepper and spice and a bit of limestone midpalate.  The finish is exceptionally dry, supported by some nice structure in the tannins making it last a good 30 seconds.  It's just surprising how dry this wine is, so often today Cabernet Sauvignons are jammy fruitbombs, but this one is subtle, quite reminiscent of the exceedingly dry Bordeaux I've enjoyed in Paris nearly two decades ago.

Overall, I would rate this one a solid 8.5, as it's just a great example of an old school, classic Napa Valley Cab, and although this one probably cost me upwards of $40, it's certainly worthy of a special occasion like a Sunday dinner!  Tonight, as I mentioned earlier, I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled New York strip, which I marinaded with a bit of port instead of the usual red wine (that made for a much more woodsy, rustic flavor), some wonderful grilled asparagus and purple carrots, and a baked potato, what a classic steakhouse meal at home (I must say, the service wasn't as good!).  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!

2009 Powers Coyote Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Another day, another bottle of wine to try!  Tonight I am going back to one of my favorite regions, Washington State, specifically, the Wahluke Slope for the 2009 Powers Coyote Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon!  Now from what I've heard, the 2008 vintage of this wine was outstanding, but this one takes a bit more TLC to bring out the great aromas and tastes that the last vintage just seemed to bring out effortlessly.  So, for this wine, I poured it through my aerator, and then let it breathe a bit, and though this wine could probably use a couple more years in the bottle, it sure did open up very nicely!

The color of this wine is a deep, opaque purple color that eases into some bright ruby along the edges.  The nose is a lovely combination of cedar, dark chocolate, anise and fresh ground black pepper.  The taste is a veritable explosion of ripe black fruit up front, ripe plum, blackberries and cherry, but not nearly as sweet as some of the more "jammy" wines you might have had.  The rich fruit transitions smoothly to some nice minerality midpalate, along with wonderful notes of dark chocolate and Asian spice.  The finish is just stunning, as the well structured tannins support a rich dry finish that seems to go on for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this one a solid 8.5, as it might not be as matured as the 2008 vintage was out of the gate, this is a super nice wine at a terrific price, as I bought this one at my local wine merchant, G.B. Russo's yesterday for only $15!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled Angus porterhouse, some grilled asparagus with olive oil, and a baked potato with all the trimmings, yum!  And yeah, I know this is my third steak in a row, but give me a break, they were on sale!

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!

2010 L'Ecole No. 41 Candy Mountain Vineyard Columbia Valley Red Wine

So tonight I had a chance to talk on the phone with Jaime, one of the fine folks that work at L'Ecole No. 41, one of my all time favorite wineries in Walla Walla, and as the conversation went, she suggested that after the gym, I pick up a steak and then open up a bottle of the new wine club selection I received last week, the 2010 Candy Mountain Vineyard Red Wine, so I figured why not?  Now for background, Candy Mountain Vineyard is right next to the Red Mountain AVA, which is the source of many fine, big, bold wines in the Columbia Valley, and although Candy Mountain is not part of the AVA, the soil is very similar as well as the climate, making their wines very similar. In fact, Jaime shared that L'Ecole purchases a lot of the grapes produced at the Candy Mountain Vineyard to blend in their Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  So let's give it a try!

Although this wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (53%) and Merlot (47%), the wine has the color of a big bold Cabernet in the glass.  The nose is very pleasant, with notes of leather, rich dark fruit and some dusty limestone.  The taste is immediately full of fruit, rich blackberries, cherries and cassis that effortlessly transitions to musty earth, a hint of green grass and chocolate midpalate.  The tannins are very pronounced, yet well structured, leading to a long, smooth, very dry finish.  Although the finish is a bit tight at this young age, I suspect this wine will age quite well and become more complex with a few years of maturity.

Overall I would rate this one a solid 8.5, as it's a wine that exudes quality that belies the $39 price tag (don't get me wrong, it's not an everyday drinking wine on my budget, but in my view the value far exceeds the price!).  Tonight I am enjoying it with a nice rare Angus ribeye, a baked potato and some steamed broccoli, a perfect match for this bold red wine.  And with only 345 cases produced, it looks like I need to order a few more bottles before they are sold out!  Cheers!

2007 Sparkman Stella Mae

Almost done with Washington Wine Month, and what a month it's been!  Tonight I've decided to open another bottle that's been in the cellar for a couple years, but I thought at age 6, this one might be worth opening, the 2007 Sparkman Stella Mae Columbia Valley Bordeaux style blend, made with Cabernet Sauvignon (62%), Merlot (21%) and Petit Verdot (17%).

The wine is a deep purple color in the glass, and the nose is an interesting combination of prune, ripe cherry, Asian spices and smoke.  The taste is not at all what I expected given the nose, but there were lush flavors of ripe berries on the outset, followed by some lovely notes of mocha and cocoa powder midpalate, followed by a very smooth, very dry finish that seemed to last a good 30 seconds.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's just a really nice Columbia Valley blend that would pair nicely with a broad variety of dishes.  Tonight I am enjoying it with some chicken breast stir fried with some fresh vegetables and then simmered in a Thai green curry sauce over jasmine rice, and the dryness of this wine really compliments the richness and spice of the curry.  Cheers!

2009 Reininger Walla Walla Malbec

Well, this one is a bit off the beaten path for me, as most who know me realize that I am just not a huge Malbec fan, as often these wines are just too rustic for my taste.  But the kind folks at Reininger were kind enough to send me two bottles of the 2009 Malbec for my wine club selection, so I figured I should at least try them right?

The wine was a deep garnet, edging toward purple in the glass.  The nose was quite rustic, almost woodsy, you know, that somewhat barnyard type aroma that some wines seem prone to, but this one wasn't as woodsy as some I've tried.  The taste however was a dramatic step in the right direction, with lovely tastes of dried fruit, some wonderful floral notes and a hint of leather.  The tannins were somewhat subdued, however the finish was still quite dry.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, mainly because it's a Malbec, and even though I thought this wine was fine, it did not convert me to a fan.  We had this wine with some wonderful Lucques olives from the Languedoc region of France and some Manchego cheese from Spain, and the spice of the cheese and richness of the olives really complemented the earthiness of this wine.  Cheers!

2010 Gerard Bertrand Corbieres

It's a Sunday night, and I am getting ready for dinner, so why not open up a nice bottle of wine from the south of France?  Tonight it's the 2010 Gerard Bertrand Corbieres, a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France, the perfect match for a relaxing Sunday afternoon.

The wine is richly colored with deep garnet hues, and the nose is a pleasant combination of ripe berries, and something of a "twang" to it, perhaps some tart fruit to counterbalance the jammy sweetness that is also present.  The taste is very fruit forward, with lovely notes of blackberry, ripe plum and vanilla that is just offset with a bit of tartness as well.  Midpalate the fruit gives way to some tar and spice, a bit of black pepper notes.  The finish is quite nice, very long and dry, supported by some supple tannins.  I've found on this one that as you let it breathe, it really opens up quite nicely, so give it an hour or so if you can't decant it.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, as it's a great example of the Mediterranean influences on the wines of the Languedoc, and a terrific value.  I bought a couple bottles of this wine at the World Market for only $9!  I couldn't afford not to get them!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a nice winter meal, some lovely baked chicken breasts on the bone, some garlic mashed potatoes and some fresh steamed asparagus, as the fruit in the wine really brings out the best in poultry, making it feel like Thanksgiving.  Cheers!

2005 Burgess Napa Valley Syrah

Tonight I've decided to crack open a bottle that I've had sitting in the cellar for a while, not sure what I was saving it for other than a Wednesday night, so here we are, the 2005 Burgess Napa Valley Syrah!

The wine is a nice ruby color in the glass, and the nose presents a nice combination of anise, leather, oak and some chocolate notes, with just the faintest hint of mint.  The taste is quite mellow overall, with some dark fruit at the outset, ripe berries and black cherry, which transitions to notes of leather and tobacco midpalate.  The finish is quite bright at first, but then becomes more subdued, as you let it breathe, ultimately transitioning to a smooth, dry finish with some lovely spice around the edges.

I don't recall where I bought this one or how much I paid, but it's a nice little wine that I would rate a solid 7.5.  Tonight I am pairing this with some wonderful prosciutto stuffed perline pasta that I picked up at Trader Joe's, along with some lovely creamy pesto.  The wine really makes the earthy notes of the prosciutto stand out, which is a pleasant surprise, but it would also be very nice with a variety of grilled meats.  Cheers!