2022 DaMa Wines GSM

Happy Monday!  Back-to-back posts, though this one is a bit later than usual, only because I had a long day of work.  At any rate, it's time for wine, and tonight I've opened a bottle from the recent wine club shipment from DaMa Wines, the 2022 GSM.  This wine is a blend of Grenache (52%), Syrah (30%) and Mourvèdre (18%) from the Yakima Valley AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this one is tasting!

The wine is a somewhat lighter body, with bright ruby color, just as you'd expect from a good GSM blend.  The nose presents aromas of lilac, strawberry and a bit of rustic earth.  Take a sip and you're greeted by a rush of vibrant red fruit, cherry, plum, strawberry and currant that completely envelop your palate before transitioning to some lively notes of white pepper spice midpalate.  The tannins are well integrated, providing an ideal foundation for the long, smooth dry finish.

I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a fine example of the quality GSM blends emanating from Washington, and it's just a pleasant wine to drink.  This wine would pair well with a variety of holiday dishes, including a very popular bird that's likely on many of your menus this coming Thursday!  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a sesame crusted Ahi tuna steak, with steamed rice and sugar snap peas.  Cheers!

2021 Inspire Moore Winery "Change" Blaufrankisch

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Of course having just a bit of Irish in my heritage, I still use this holiday as an excuse to stink up my house with aromas of corned beef and cabbage, because it's so delicious!  But what wine to serve with it?  I'll admit my usual go to is a nice dry rose, but I didn't have any available, this being technically still winter, so I've decided to open a wine I picked up in the Finger Lakes of New York on my summer vacation.  The 2021 Inspire Moore Winery "Change" Blaufrankisch is a pure example of the varietal, that they espouse as their go to wine for barbecue (and I don't disagree) but let's see how it stands up to corned beef!

The wine is a very light garnet color in the glass, edging ever so close to rose, but still distinctly red.  A gentle swirl reveals aromas of earthy tar, strawberry, sweet cherry and smoky oak.  Take a sip and you are treated to a rush of tart cherry, oak and a bit of funk that transitions easily to some notes of dusty limestone and earth midpalate.  The tannins are ever so smooth, aiding the soft dry finish with a reprise of acidity at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's an ideal light red wine for a St. Patrick's day dinner, that's also a pleasant departure from the standard fare of Pinot Noir.  This wine would be excellent with barbecue, burgers, tacos or pizza, the perfect midweek wine and it was a terrific value at just $20.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with my traditional corned beef, cabbage, red potatoes and carrots.  Cheers!

2015 Seven Hills Ciel du Cheval

Happy Saturday!  It's been somewhat rainy here today, so I've been stuck indoors, reading and doing some work on the computer.  But now it's time to make some dinner and have a nice glass of wine.  For this evening, I've opened a bottle of 2015 Seven Hills Ciel du Cheval, a classic Bordeaux style blend from the Ciel du Cheval Vineyard in the Red Mountain AVA of Washington.  I visited Walla Walla in August of 2015, and I can attest that it was a remarkably warm vintage with harvest beginning earlier than any year in recent memory.  We'll see what impact that heat had on the wine, which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (41%), Merlot (36%), Petit Verdot (13%) and Cabernet Franc (10%).  So let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with an inky center, reflecting the character of its two main varietals.  The nose is an interesting combination of ripe blackberry and cherry intermingled with some floral notes of lilac, with undertones of earth.  The taste is a rush of ripe blackberry and cherry, with notes of fig and black pepper midpalate.  The tannins are well structured, providing nice body to the long, smooth dry finish that lingers on the palate with a reprise of black pepper spice.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a classically styled Washington red blend that marries new world fruit with old world style.  This wine would pair well with lamb, steaks, pasta or risotto, or even just sipping on it's own on a warm late summer evening.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled Prime New York strip, with some grilled leeks and peppers, along with some steamed purple cauliflower.  Cheers!

2016 Reininger Walla Walla Carmenere

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! This is one of those tough wine pairing holidays as I always have trouble trying to figure out what wine to pair with corn beef and cabbage.  So I guess the cats out of the bag and that’s what I’m having for dinner tonight, so don’t rush to the last paragraph to see what I’m eating! As for what to pair with a challenging dish like corned beef and cabbage tonight I’ve decided on the 2016 Reininger Carmenere. This wine is 100% Carmenere from the Seven Hills Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley AVA of Washington. So let’s see how this wine tastes.

The wine is a deep inky indigo color of the center with bright Garnet along the edges. The nose presents a variety of fresh floral notes of violet as well as some sharp notes of smoke, leather, savory herbs and a bit of "twang." The taste is classic Reininger Carmenere with the rush of black fruit up front the transitions nicely and just some notes of earth, peat and savory herbs that transitions to some white pepper spice midpalate. The tannins are smooth and expertly integrated, providing a great base for the long smooth and very dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wind a solid 8.5 as it is really great example but just not quite as good as the 2015 vintage (you can see that review here). This wine would pair well with a wide variety of dishes, from pizza and burgers to steaks, chops and barbecue ribs.  But of course tonight I am pairing this wine with classic St. Patrick’s Day dinner of corned beef and cabbage, along with some red potatoes, carrots and soda bread. The spice and fruit in this wine pair really well with such a salty dish. Cheers!

2014 Seven Hills Ciel du Cheval

Happy Wine Wednesday!  I just returned from the gym and am rewarding myself with a nice glass of wine and some dinner of course.  Tonight I've decided to dig into the cellar as I had a bottle of the 2015 vintage in the dining room, but realized I haven't yet tried the 2014 Seven Hills Ciel du Cheval red wine, so tonight is the night!  This is a wonderful Bordeaux style blend from fruit grown in the Ciel du Cheval Vineyard in the Red Mountain AVA.  The 2014 vintage is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (46%), Merlot (30%), Petit Verdot (17%) and Cabernet Franc (7%).  So let's see how this vintage tastes!

The wine is a deep, inky black color at the center with bright ruby along the edges, classic for a Cabernet-centric blend.  The nose is wonderfully layered combination of blackberry, white floral and earth that just expresses the vineyard.  The taste is complex and beautifully structured, with layer upon layer of flavor building up to a crescendo, ripe blackberry and plum build into notes of dark chocolate and tobacco which layer on top of earthy notes of dusty limestone and oak.  The chewy tannins provide the perfect backbone for the long, lush and very dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine an easy 9, as it surpasses the 2013 vintage, and is arguably my favorite since the 2009 and 2010 vintages.  This wine would be perfect with nice big steaks, chops, roasts, hearty Italian dishes or wonderful wild salmon.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled Angus New York strip on a bed of baby arugula along with some fresh grilled local corn on the cob.  Cheers!

2012 DaMaNation Red Wine

Happy Tuesday!  I just got home from the gym now it's time for a bit of wine and dinner.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2012 DaMaNation Red wine, a lovely GSM blend from DaMa Wines of Walla Walla.  This particular vintage is a blend of Grenache (55%), Mourvedre (23%) and Syrah (22%) from the Columbia Valley of Washington.  So let's see how she tastes!

The wine is a bright ruby in the glass with great clarity.  The nose presents aromas of cherry, blackberry and plum with some floral notes over the top.  The taste is very nice, with a rush of luscious ripe fruit at the outset that transitions nicely to some notes of earth and olive midpalate.  The Mourvedre provides some lovely structure to the tannins that form a base for the long, smooth, very dry finish, with a reprise of cherry cola at the very end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a consistent, quality GSM effort that doesn't disappoint from year to year.  The wine would pair well with a variety of Mediterranean dishes or a great steak, which is a good thing since tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled dry aged prime shell steak, baked potato with sour cream and chives and steamed Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2013 Are You Game? Shiraz

Happy Sunday, another day another million leaves gathered from the lawn (this makes me thankful that it gets dark so early!) but at least there's wine.  Tonight I've opened another bottle that came from my boss' excess wine club selections, the 2013 Are You Game Shiraz!  This interesting wine was blended with a bit of viognier for a bit of enhanced fruit, and comes from the Strathbogie Ranges region of Victoria, the southernmost state in mainland Australia.  So let's see what this "real wine for real food" has to offer.

The wine is an inky indigo at the center with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose is a pleasant combination of green grass, earth and sweet blackberry.  The taste is a sweet jammy rush of fruit up front, with flavors of blackberry and black currant that transition gradually to a brief moment of black pepper spice midpalate.  The finish is smooth and very dry, but a bit to brief in my view.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a very fruit forward and food friendly wine that's also easy to sip on a Sunday afternoon.  And it's definitely food friendly, as it would pair nicely with a variety of dishes, from steaks to lamb to roasts, but tonight I've taken a different route and am enjoying this wine with some barbecued chicken, made with a dry rub from Jack Stack Barbecue in Kansas City, along with some cajun roasted fingerling potatoes and steamed broccoli.  Cheers!

2013 Boyd Big Ranch Vineyard Syrah

Happy Sunday!  I have to admit this was a rather uneventful day.  After church I came home and started the laundry then went out to buy a leaf vacuum and then grocery shopping.  It was a crazy day as it seemed everyone was out of at least one thing I needed (I went to 4 stores to find leeks!), but finally made it home in time to finish laundry and start dinner.  And with dinner I've decided to open a bottle that my boss gave me, the 2013 Boyd Big Ranch Vineyard Syrah from the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley.

The wine has a classic look of Syrah, dark and brooding in the glass.  The nose presents aromas of earth, ripe black fruit and peppery spice.  The taste is just lovely, with a gradual building of fruit, blackberry, plum and cherry that reaches a crescendo as the fruit transitions to some lovely mineral and spice notes midpalate.  The tannins are somewhat youthful, but firm, lending a solid foundation for the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5 as it's a great example of the varietal with wonderful complexity.  It's also a beautiful wine for fall as the flavors just scream autumn harvest.  And it's a good thing as I'm enjoying this wine with a fall dinner of pan seared duck breast, along with roasted fingerling potatoes, golden beets and leeks.  Autumn on a plate and in the glass, cheers!

2013 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Merlot

Ok, tonight I fully admit I am about to pass out!  I started this morning stacking logs from the trees I had trimmed yesterday, then my neighbor was kind enough to let me try out his lawn vacuum for leaves (I'm getting one!) and the rest of the afternoon was spent raking and piling up leaves, so now I am so tired and sore it wouldn't surprise me if I was asleep by 9:00!  But before that happens, I've decided to open up a nice bottle of wine to celebrate the tail end of Merlot Month, the 2013 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Merlot, a blend of Merlot from the Seven Hills and Ferguson Vineyards.  So let's see how awesome this wine is!

The wine is a lovely garnet color in the glass.   The nose presents aromas of blackberry, cherry and leather, with a good bit of minerality.  The taste is just lovely, with a lovely combination of ripe red fruit up front, cherry, currant and raspberry that transition effortlessly to wonderful earthy notes of cedar, earth and dark chocolate midpalate.  The finish is divine, with the mineral complexity so prevalent with the Ferguson vineyard shining through as you savor the long, smooth and exceptionally dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, I am a big fan of Merlot, and this one really sings despite its youth.  This is a great fall wine that would pair with a variety of hearty dishes, from stews, to heart chili to roast beef or lamb.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime filet mignon, with a baked potato and grilled rainbow carrots.  Cheers!

2013 Seven Hills Reserve Petit Verdot

Happy Sunday!  I've been crazy busy today, getting the last of the leaves raked, doing laundry and making a vat of mashed potatoes for my office Thanksgiving carry in tomorrow, so now it's time to relax with a glass of wine and tonight it's a special one, the 2013 Seven Hills Reserve Petit Verdot.  Now I really like Seven Hills Petit Verdot, and like the regular version, this one is from the McClellan Estate, but the reserve was made from the fruit of some fan-trained blocks of the vineyard, resulting in a limited production of about 75 cases.  So let's see how special this one is!

The color is a deep inky black in the glass with garnet around the edges.  The nose presents aromas of ripe black fruit, blackberry, earth and tobacco with just a hint of rose petal.  The taste is wow, just WOW!   I don't think I've had a Petit Verdot like this before.  The fruit explodes on your palate, with flavors of blackberry, plum and cherry that gradually transition to some lovely notes of anise, vanilla and mocha midpalate.  The finish is divine, the tannins though young are exceptionally smooth, giving a nice balance to the long, smooth and very dry finish.  This is the kind of wine where you don't just wait for flavors to develop, it's really just a complete symphony of flavors that present a remarkable harmony with every sip.

Overall, I would rate this a solid 9.5, as it's by far the best example of a pure Petit Verdot varietal that I've ever tasted.  As I mentioned, this one is extremely limited, so if you want some you'd better call the winery and order because I can't imagine a wine like this lasting very long in inventory.  For pairings, who cares?  This is the kind of wine you could just sip all evening long, but if you must know I've opened this wine for taco night!  I'm sure it will be great with chorizo and frijoles, though I'm sure I'll be sipping this one long after my meal is done.  Cheers!

2008 Tero Estates Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon

Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of wine from a producer I discovered on my last trip to Walla Walla this past June, Tero Estates.  They had a lovely little tasting room on the corner of Second and Rose, right in the Marcus Whitman Hotel, and there were a few others that recommended I stop by and I wasn't disappointed.  Since that visit, they've expanded with the acquisition of Waters Winery, which produces some very nice wines as well.  But tonight it's the 2008 Tero Estates Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon.

The wine is a deep, inky purple color in the glass, and it even left some deep indigo on the cork as well.  The nose is very rich, with some sweet fruit, plum, blackberry and cassis, overlaid with some leather and black pepper.  The taste is very nice and a classic Walla Walla style Cabernet, rich black fruit up front, blackberries, black cherry and plum that transition gracefully to some notes of dark chocolate and earth.  The finish is quite nice, as the firm tannins and rounded mouthfeel make for a long, lush and exceptionally dry finish that last until you take your next sip.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it's a super quality Cabernet, but it has a price to match at $42.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some grilled lamb chops, steamed asparagus and oven roasted Klondike fingerling potatoes, as the rich fruit and lovely finish make a great foil to the earthiness of the lamb, so yummy!  Salut!

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!

2010 Helix Stone Tree SoRho

Well, we are almost 2/3 of the way through Washington Wine Month, and what better time to try one of the many eclectic blends produced in the Columbia Valley.  While the producers of Walla Walla have done exceptionally well at creating lovely and age worthy Bordeaux style blends, tonight I've opted for a blend modeled after the southern Rhone, the 2010 Helix Stone Tree SoRho, a classic blend of Mourvedre (50%), Grenache (32%) and Cinsault (18%).

The wine itself is a somewhat lighter bodied wine, with bright ruby color.  The nose is a lovely combination of   strawberries, lavender, a hint of black pepper and earth.  The taste is a real treat, with a strong smoky taste up front, along with a variety of dried herbs that slowly transitions to some notes of tart cherry and pomegranate   The finish is quite nice as the firm tannins support a wonderfully long and tight finish, with flavors of spice and a hint of floral notes that linger on and on.  This wine has a lot going on, with the addition of Cinsault making some really sophisticated interactions with the Grenache and Mourvedre that you just don't see in your typical GSM blends.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's such a fun drinking wine that can match well with a broad variety of foods.  Unfortunately it's a little pricey for an everyday red at $33, but perfect for a special occasion or just sharing with some friends.  Tonight I am pairing this with leftover corned beef and cabbage from yesterday's St. Patrick's Day celebration (did I mention this wine pairs with a wide variety of dishes?) as the lighter body and more subtle flavors really make things interesting.  Cheers!

2009 Chateau des Karantes Coteaux du Languedoc La Clape

Tonight I am relaxing with a bottle of lovely wine from the south of France from one of my favorite chateau in the Languedoc region, the 2009 Chateaux des Karantes Coteaux du Languedoc La Clape.  This particular producer was one that I first encountered a few years ago at a charity wine tasting, and having met the winemaker, I fell in love with the product!  From the gorgeous vineyard right along the Mediterranean coast to the spicy bold wine, this is certainly my favorite French wine outside of Bordeaux.  Now the wine itself is a blend of Syrah (60%), Mourvedre (30%) and Grenache (10%) that is a classic style of the south of France.

The wine itself is a lovely deep ruby in the glass, and the nose is a wonderful combination of intriguing aromas, from some lovely toasted oak, faint floral notes, anise, cocoa powder and a bit of earth.  The taste is delightfully subdued at first, which is surprising given how fruit forward so many GSM blends can be.  Instead, this one opens with some lovely notes of ripe berries and plum, which transitions to some baking spice and dark chocolate midpalate.  The tannins are nicely structured, supporting a long, smooth, dry finish that makes you immediately crave another sip.

Overall, I would rate this one a solid 8.5, it's still pretty young but drinking beautifully now, with some good aging potential as well.  I bought this from my local wine merchant, G.B. Russo, and I think it was around $20, so a pretty good value for a wine of this quality.  Tonight I am enjoying this with some crab cakes and sweet potato fries, as the richness of the starch and spice of the crab cakes really balance the richness of this wine.  The perfect end to a long week, bon appetit!

2005 E. Guigal Châteauneuf-du-Pape - a celebration!

So today was a very good day, worthy of a celebration!  Today at work I received a promotion to "senior director" and I know that might not mean that much to those outside my profession, but to me it means a lot!  So to celebrate, I decided to open up a really good bottle of wine tonight, and the one I picked was the 2005 E. Guigal Châteauneuf-du-Pape!

As many of you know, the Châteauneuf-du-Pape is at or near the top of the food chain (I would say at) for Rhône wines of southern France, and is typically a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre (GSM).  Now this particular vintage from E. Guigal is a blend of 85% Grenache, 5% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre and 5% other grapes. 

The color of this wine is a bright ruby in the glass.  The nose presents a wonderful of blackberry, spice, black pepper and licorice.  The taste is wonderfully fruit forward, with flavors of ripe plum, rich red berries coupled with lovely spices that give way to a taste of smoky grilled herbs, chocolate and earth midpalate.  The lovely rounded tannins provide for a well structured, long, floral finish that just reminds me of the time I spent in France.

This is an absolutely lovely bottle that I could easily sip for days, though I have serious doubts it would last that long!  Overall I would rate this one a solid 9, no question one of the nicest examples of a Châteauneuf-du-Pape that Ive had the pleasure to enjoy.  It would pair wonderfully with a variety of grilled meats, and particularly well with a rare beef tenderloin, or perhaps a lovely choucroute as I recall some of the more memorable dinners from my time in Paris!  But really, why would you let a full meal detract from this wine?  Just enjoy it with a few olives and a bit of cheese and what more could you ask?