2014 Titan Wine Company Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

It's the first Saturday of the new month, which means it's Cellar Saturday!  It's the magical day when I raid the cellar to find a bottle of wine at least a decade in the making to open and enjoy.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle that hasn't been in my cellar very long as I purchased it from Wine Till Sold Out a month or so ago.  The 2014 Titan Wine Company Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Spring Mountain District of Napa Valley and from a very strong vintage.  So, let's see how this wine has performed over the past decade!

The wine is an inky black at the center with bright ruby along the edges, just as you might expect from a big Napa Cabernet.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals tempting aromas of blackberry, aged leather and baking spice that is reminiscent of an old library, perfect for relaxing on a chilly winter evening.  The first sip is an intriguing adventure, with an introduction of peppery spice and green herbs that transitions easily to some blackberry and plum notes midpalate.  The tannins are well structured, supporting a long, smooth dry finish with a reprise of exotic spices at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just an adventurous wine that belies the normal, boring big Napa Cabernet.  This wine would pair well with rustic dished, from hearty stews to wild mushroom risotto.  Tonight I have taken a traditional route, enjoying this wine with a big Angus ribeye grilled Pittsburgh rare along with some grilled broccolini and oven roasted sweet potatoes with herbs de Provence.  Cheers! 

  

2012 Reininger Tahoma

Happy Tuesday!  Tonight is set to be a wonderful evening, as I will be participating in a virtual wine tasting hosted by Chuck Reininger, the founder and genius behind some of the most creative wines coming out of the Walla Walla Valley today.  So among the wines featured in tonight's virtual event is the 2012 Tahoma, named for Mt. Rainier and a nod to Chuck's mountaineering days, this wine is a blend of Sangiovese (47%), Merlot (24%), Cabernet Sauvignon (21%), Malbec (5%) and Petit Verdot (3%) from the Seven Hills, Pepper Bridge and XL Vineyards in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  This wine is interesting in that was aged in barrel for eight years before bottling and release this year!  So let's see what the extra time did for this wine.

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass with nice clarity.  Aromas of blackberry, currant and cherry intermingle with earthy notes of leather and hints of floral elements that exude a luxurious vibe.  The taste is a rush of the ripe fruit so prominent in the nose, with some exotic spice notes amid bright acidity that ties it all together.  The tannins are wonderfully soft, but elegantly structured to provide for a long, voluptuous finish that lingers on for what seems like several minutes.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a pleasant sipping wine and a wonderfully creative example of the style of winemaking that Chuck is known for.  This wine would pair well with a broad range of fall and winter dishes, from Christmas ham to prime rib, rack of lamb to hearty beef stew.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with the last of my picanha, served with grilled leeks, béarnaise sauce, steamed Brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes.  Cheers!

2018 Pepper Bridge Winery Seven Hills Red Wine

Happy Thursday!  It's been a busy week and it seems things are finally getting under control in my life, well at least as good as can be expected.  It was unusually mild here today, so I had the chance to go for a quick bike ride in the 45 minutes between when I finished work just after 5:00 and when it got dark, so at least I feel like I accomplished something healthy today.  And now for the remainder of my healthy efforts, I've decided to open a bottle of 2018 Pepper Bridge Vineyards Seven Hills red wine.  The blend on this wine changes with each vintage, but all the fruit is sourced from the Seven Hills Vineyard to highlight what this long-standing Walla Walla Vineyard has to offer.  The 2018 vintage is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (56%), Cabernet Franc (17%), Merlot (9%), Malbec (9%) and Petit Verdot (9%).  So let's see how this wine is shaping up!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with deep indigo at the center, a sure indication of the heavy hand of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend.  The nose is a mesmerizing combination of blackberry, cherry and cassis intermingled with hints of cedar and exotic spices and a mild undertone of citrus.  The taste is a cool rush of cherry and blackberry that washes over your palate before easing into some mineral notes of dusty limestone.  The tannins are vibrant and supportive of a velvety mouthfeel amid the long, smooth and exceptionally try finish that lingers on the palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a classic, high quality Bordeaux style blend from a premier Walla Walla producer.  This wine is ideal for fall, sipping on the sofa in front of the fire, but it would also pair well with a range of hearty dishes, from pasta to lamb, steaks to roast beef.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled porterhouse with some grilled leeks and asparagus.  Cheers!

2014 Pepper Bridge Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Friday!  It's been a busy week, and in case you haven't heard, we've had some flooding issues here in Elkhart over the past week, with all the two feet of snow melting, combined with another few inches of rain.  Tomorrow I am heading over to a friend's to help him start the clean up efforts on his house, which still has 6" of water in the basement, but tonight there's time for wine!  I've opened a bottle of 2014 Pepper Bridge Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (83%), Merlot (9%), Malbec (4%), Cabernet Franc (2%) and Petit Verdot (2%), all from the Seven Hills, Octave, Pepper Bridge and Waliser Vineyards.  So let's see how this one tastes!

In color, the wine is a deep, inky consistency with garnet along the edges.  The nose is a rush of ripe black fruit, cassis and hints of strawberry and mint.  The taste envelops the palate with blueberry, blackberry and tart cherry that eases into some subtle exotic spice notes midpalate.  The tannins are nicely integrated, providing for a luxurious and very dry finish that seem to last a minute or more.  This is a wonderfully structured, old-world style of Cabernet that's just perfect for a relaxing evening.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, it's one of the best Cabernets of 2018 so far (yes, I know it's still early).  This is a wine that would pair well with a nice steak, venison or a hearty winter stew, but also would go well with a wild salmon.  Tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a rare grilled porterhouse, grilled asparagus and a big baked potato.  Cheers!

2003 Bodega Matarredonda Libranza Toro

Well tonight is Cellar Saturday, even thought it's a week late!  As I mentioned earlier in the week, I had my high school reunion last Saturday so I had to travel to Chicago for that and missed the first Saturday of the month, hence I missed Cellar Saturday.  Well tonight we are catching up with a nice decade old Tempranillo, the 2003 Bodega Matarredonda Libranza Toro!

The wine itself is a beautiful deep indigo, almost an inky color at the center transitioning to garnet along the edges.  The nose is classic Tempranillo, with lovely ripe fruit notes, blueberry, black cherry and cassis, overlaid with some lovely notes of leather, oak, dried herbs and floral notes.  The taste is very interesting, with some muted fruit notes at the outset, accented by some dried flowers which rather smoothly transitions to some exotic spice notes and dusty limestone midpalate.  The finish is quite nice, with flavors of dark chocolate and cherry cola over the nicely structured tannins that provide for a long, exceptionally dry finish.  What a lovely example of the wines Spain has to offer!

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it's a lovely Tempranillo and it was a great value as I bought this one from Wines Till Sold Out for only $16!  Tonight I am pairing this with my first ever attempt at a grilled Angus porterhouse with homemade chimichurri, to pair some Argentine flavors with a Spanish wine, new world meets old world!  Along with the steak I have a variety of grilled root vegetables, including heirloom carrots, golden and candy striped beets and some lemon herb couscous, yum!