2009 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  I know I was supposed to post my Cellar Saturday selection yesterday, but I forgot that I had made dinner plans with a friend, so I deferred it to a Cellar Sunday for this month.  And this one is a special one, as it's been sitting in the cellar for a good six years, the 2009 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Alexander Valley in Sonoma County.  Well, since I'm already a day late and a buck short, let's get to tasting this wine!

The wine is a deep, inky purple color in the glass, with bright ruby tint throughout, classic for a Sonoma Cabernet.  The nose presents aromas of leather, tobacco, blackberry and kirsch, beckoning you to take a sip.  The taste is somewhat subdued at the outset, with some mellow black fruit up front, blackberry, cherry and plum that break to some notes of caramel, graphite and dark chocolate midpalate.  The tannins are elegantly structured, providing for a long, smooth and very dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, it's certainly very age worthy and would likely improve even more over the next decade.  This wine is a classic big Cabernet, worthy of a nice thick steak, and I'm in luck!  Tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a rare grilled Prime ribcap along with some grilled asparagus and a big baked potato.  Cheers!

2009 Tero Estates Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Saturday!  It's been a long day of running errands and now it's finally time to relax for a little while before I head out for an evening at the Elkhart Civic Theater.  So I've decided to open a bottle that's been in my cellar for a few years, the 2009 Tero Estates Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Red Mountain AVA of the Columbia Valley.  This was a fairly limited run with just 120 cases produced, so let's see how this one has matured!

The wine is a deep, inky purple in the glass, with a subdued garnet tint along the edges.  The nose is just a dream, wonderful notes of leather, cedar, a hint of peat and some peppery spice notes, just the ideal combination of aromas that I've come to love in a good Washington wine.  The taste is a rush of rich fruit, sweet cherry, black plum and a hint of fig that transitions nicely to some mineral notes midpalate. The finish is soft and voluptuous but still quite dry as the tannins are elegant, not the big, brash, in your face tannins you see on so many Cabernets today.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a really solid example of a high-quality Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon.  And since it's a Cabernet, what better to enjoy it with than a nice steak, and tonight it's a marinaded New York strip, with some grilled asparagus and a big steak house baked potato.  Cheers!

2006 Renieri Brunello di Montalcino

Happy Saturday!  And of course this being the first Saturday of a new month and new year, it's Cellar Saturday, when I get to dig out a bottle to enjoy from the cellar that's at least a vintage 10 years ago!  Tonight, I've decided to finally open a bottle of Brunello that I've had in my cellar for a number of years (after all, you know you can't really enjoy a Brunello until it's at least 10 years old!), the 2006 Renieri Brunello di Montalcino.  So after decanting, let's see what this wine has to offer.

The wine is a beautiful purple garnet in the glass, with just the faintest hint of brown along the edges.  The nose is replete with aromas of leather, plum and violet, with just a hint of pepper spice.  The taste brings be back to late summer in Tuscany, with a bright rush of ripe plum and currant up front, that transitions nicely to some notes of dried herbs and just a hint of mint midpalate.  The finish is wonderful, with elegantly structured tannins that provide for a wonderfully long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it's a wonderful Brunello that's just starting to come into its own (it will no doubt improve and evolve with additional years in the cellar).  This wine would be a perfect complement to a variety of classic Tuscan dishes, from pasta fagioli to tagliatelle al tartufo to a classic bistecca fiorentina, and of course I'm going the latter route tonight, enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime ribcap and broccoli rabe sauteed with garlic and olive oil.  Salut!

2005 Font de Michelle Cuvée Etienne Gonnet Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Well, it's the first Saturday in December, which of course means it's Cellar Saturday, that one day a month that I try to dig deep in the cellar for something with a bit of maturity.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle that's only been in my cellar for a few months, but is certainly ready to try, the 2005 Font de Michelle Cuvée Etienne Gonnet Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  This wine is a blend of Grenache (70%), Syrah (15%) and Mourvedre (15%), that should just about be ready to drink (I personally believe these wines should wait at least a decade before they are mature enough to drink).  So let's see what this one has to offer!

The wine is a deep ruby in the glass, a bit darker than usual but in my view an ideal color.  The nose presents aromas of ripe fruit, plum, cherry and dates, overlaid with some wonderful dried floral and spice notes.  The taste is a nice rush of sweet fruit up front, a combination of berries and dried fruit that transition to some lovely spice notes midpalate.  The finish is quite nice, with a reprise of sweet fruit in the tannins, that play a perfect counter to the lingering dryness on the finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a truly lovely example of a French classic.  This wine would be perfect for the holidays, pairing well with turkey, ham or lamb, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a lovely sesame crusted seared ahi tuna filet with some steamed asparagus and jasmine rice.  Cheers!

1998 Fontanafredda Vigna La Delizia Barolo

Happy Saturday!  And of course this being the first Saturday of the new month, it's Cellar Saturday!  That magical day when I reach deep into the cellar and open a more mature bottle to enjoy.  Tonight I have a treat that's actually only been in my cellar for a day, but it's a mature wine I bought last week from Wines Till Sold Out, the 1998 Fontanafredda Vigna La Delizia Barolo!  Now Barolo is one of those prized Italian wines made from the Nebbiolo grape from the Piedmont region of northern Italy. My personal preference is that I really don't think you can appreciate a nice Barolo if it's less than 10 years old, and this one being 18 should be just about hitting its stride by now.  I've decanted this wine for about an hour and a half, so let's see what this one has to offer!

The wine is a nice garnet color with a bit of brownish tint along the edges.  The nose presents aromas of leather, anise, blackberry and spice box that makes you feel like you've just walked into and old school Italian deli in New York, just what you would expect from a mature Barolo.  The taste is just wonderful, a brief blast of ripe fruit up front, blackberry and prune that transitions to some lovely mineral and spice notes midpalate, mint and a bit of dried thyme with a hint of dried flowers.  The tannins are still alive and well, leading this fine lady to a long, smooth and exceptionally dry finish that goes on and on.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, it's just perfect for drinking right now, but definitely as a number of years left.  This wine was not inexpensive at $50, but a considerable discount to the $190 retail price, so I can't complain too much.  This wine would be perfect with almost anything Italian, but it would be ideal with risotto or a pasta with a nice red sauce.  Tonight I've gone a little off the beaten path and am enjoying this wine with some herb roasted chicken, fresh asparagus and a bit of linguine tossed with fresh garlic and olive oil.  Tutti a tavola a mangiare!

2012 Charles Krug Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Oh Mondays...such an abused day of the week!  Well despite all the complaints about Mondays, I am celebrating them tonight by opening a bottle of 2012 Charles Krug Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  I had a great visit to this winery back on my trip to Napa Valley in October of 2015 and I was very impressed with the winery and the wines (you can see that post here), particularly the history as this winery dates back to 1861.  This particular wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (90%), Merlot (5%) and Petit Verdot (5%) and as I recall from my tasting at the winery I liked this one!

The color is classic Napa Cabernet, with an inky, almost black color at the center with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose is very inviting, with aromas of leather, black plum, black currant and a hint of vanilla.  The taste is a blast of ripe black fruit, blackberry and currant and a hint of cherry cola that transition nicely to some rustic notes of cocoa powder, baking spice and oak midpalate.  The tannins are youthful and elegant, providing for a lovely smooth and long dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as this is a great example of the stellar 2012 Napa vintage, and it was a good value as I found this one on sale at my local market for $23, not including the 10% discount for buying 4 or more bottles!  Tonight I am enjoying this one with a classic pairing of a rare grilled Angus Kansas City bone-in New York Strip, baked potato and steamed broccoli. What a delightful steak wine!  Cheers!

2012 Pedroncelli Barrel Select Red Wine

One more day until the weekend and I am sure ready to unwind a bit!  Tonight I got home from work at a decent hour, no gym, no cooking, just some time to relax.  So I've opened a bottle of wine I recently bought from Wines Till Sold Out, the 2012 Pedroncelli Barrel Select Red Wine from Sonoma, a blend of Merlot, Zinfandel and Syrah, that should be very approachable on such a casual evening!

The wine is a beautiful deep ruby color in the glass, with great clarity.  The nose is a lovely combination of tart cherry, blackberries and a hint of smoke.  The taste is very fruit forward, with nice flavors of blackberry and cherry cola up front that transitions effortlessly to some mint and fresh herb notes midpalate.  The elegant tannins provide for a very smooth, mellow and very dry finish.  The wine seems to start off with a definite Zinfandel bent, but then finishes like a great Merlot.  A very easy going mid-week wine!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a pleasure to drink even so young, and it was a great value at just $13!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with what else, pizza!  I told you I wasn't cooking tonight, so I've decided to order a thin crust classic pizza with sausage and roasted veggies.  A nice Zinfandel blend like this is really great to pair with pizza, you have the great fruit to balance out the spice of the sauce and sausage, but the dry herb notes are a perfect foil to the roasted veggies.  Cheers!

2010 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon

Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of one of my favorite varietals from one of my all time favorite Walla Walla wineries, L'Ecole No. 41.  Specifically, I've opened a bottle of the 2010 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon, inspired by my finding a bottle of the 2009 vintage at my local wine store last weekend.

The wine is a deep purple at the center, with a bright ruby along the edges.  The nose is classic combination of rich leather, cocoa powder, a touch of green grass and some ripe cherry.  The taste is a blast of cherry cola which transitions to some lovely mineral notes of basalt and limestone along with some green herbs midpalate.  The finish is lovely, as the elegant tannins provide for a velvety mouthfeel and the basis for a long, sultry and exceptionally dry finish that just begs you to ask for more.

Overall I would rate this as a solid 9, as this is by far one of my favorite Cabernet Sauvignons!  Tonight I am enjoying this with a classic pairing, a nice prime New York Strip grilled rare with a big baked potato with all the trimmings and some steamed cauliflower.  The great tannins and solid backbone of this wine makes it just perfect for steaks!  Cheers!

2000 Tenuta Greppone Mazzi Brunello di Montalcino

Well, it's the first "Cellar Saturday" of 2014 and tonight we are going back 14 years to a wonderful wine from Tuscany, the king of Italian wines, the 2000 Tenuta Greppone Mazzi Brunello do Montalcino! This particular wine hasn't been in my cellar very long, as I bought it from my new local wine merchant a month or two ago. And as an added bonus, today I bought a new aerator and decantor set that I got to try out on this wine!

The wine is a lovely ruby color in the glass with a tinge of brown around the edges, as is typical of mature Brunello. The nose is a lovely combination of floral notes, lavender, and spice along with rich leather and black licorice so typical of a nice Brunello. The taste brings me right back to Florence, with great fruit flavors up front, blackberry, currant and cherry cola that transitions to some lovely mineral notes of dusty limestone and a sweetness that goes beyond the fruit. The tannins are elegant and well structured leading to a long, smooth dry finish. 

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5 as it's simply delicious and although it was $51 it wasn't much more that a newly released Brunello, but it's ready to drink today!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with my own version of Bistecca Florentine, with a big cowboy cut ribeye grilled rare along with some asparagus, leeks and Brussels sprouts grilled in olive oil and a simple arugula salad. So yummy!