2022 Mark Ryan Winery Lucia Rose Red Wine

Happy Sunday! Forgive my lack of posts but with the end of semester and getting ready for Christmas, time has been at a premium for me!  But tonight I submitted grades and my first semester is officially in the books, so it's time for a nice Sunday dinner and a bottle of wine.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle of 2022 Mark Ryan Winery Lucia Rose Red Wine,  This wine is a blend of Petit Verdot (35% from the Ciel du Cheval Vineyard), Cabernet Sauvignon (30% from block 16 of the Quintessence Vineyard), Merlot (25% from the Red Willow Vineyard) and Malbec (10% from the Henry Earl Vineyard).  So, let's see how this wine is shaping up!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, a testament to the heavy hand of these Bordeaux varietals.  The nose is chock full of ripe black fruit aromas, blackberry, currant and plum, with undertones of charred oak and meaty spice.  Take a sip and you're awash in black fruit, with a hint of sweetness that easily moves into some earthy notes of oak and peat, with anise and herbal notes.  The tannins are balanced, providing for long, smooth dry finish that lingers to you next sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a wonderful expression of a classic Bordeaux style blend from the Columbia Valley of Washington.  This wine would pair well with the holidays, just sipping on a cold winter evening in front of the fireplace.  Thinking of Christmas dinner, this would be ideal with a prime rib and all the trimmings, but tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a grilled T-bone steak, baked potato and steamed broccoli.  Cheers!

2021 Yokayo Frost Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, this Saturday was a busy one trying to get caught up with work around the yard and house, but I think I made it and now it's time for a nice dinner and glass of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of 2021 Yokayo Frost Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon that I bought recently from Wines Till Sold Out.  This wine is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Frost Vineyard in the Mendocino County AVA of California.  Let's see how this wine is shaping up!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass with nice clarity, perhaps a bit more subdued than some of the bigger California Cabernets.  The nose is a pleasant affaire with notes of leather, ripe cherry and herbal notes.  Take a sip and you'd be forgiven for mistaking this wine for a Zinfandel with a rush of jammy fruit, cherry, blackberry and plum with a pronounced peppery spice throughout. The tannins are subdued providing for a sharp dry finish with lingering spice.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a very nice everyday wine, that is a good value at just $12,50.  This wine would pair well with steak, tacos, barbecue or hearty pasta, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with some grilled beef kabobs with zucchini, onions, red peppers, yellow squash and shitake mushrooms, and fresh corn on the cob, and ideal Midwestern summer dinner.  Cheers!

2018 Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Pinot Noir

Well, this is a post I've been anxious to write, since I recently became a shareholder in this winery!  There are very few publicly traded wineries, but Willamette Valley Vineyards is one of them.  I recently bought some of their preferred stock (and by no means is this to be considered investment advice, please consult your own investment professional!) which has a lot of benefits for being a shareholder, including wine discounts, special events at the wineries, and a bonus of you choose to receive your preferred stock dividend as a wine credit!  

So since I'm now a proud shareholder, I searched around and finally found a bottle of wine to taste tonigh, the 2018 Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Pinot Noir, so let's see if my investment is paying off!

The wine is a brilliant ruby color in the glass, with nice clarity, just as you would expect from a nice pinot noir from Oregon.  The nose is a pleasant rendering of lovely floral and herb notes, lavender, lilac and hints of orange blossom and mint with earthy undertones.  The taste is a rush of lovely red fruit, cherry, plum and lingonberry washing over your palate before transitioning to some wonderful earthy notes of tar and tobacco midpalate, with a bit of white pepper spice at the end.  The tannins are expertly structured to provide a wonderfully smooth, dry finish that lingers with w bit of fruit.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as this Pinot noir falls into the category that I like, lighter but full of great flavor (a Pinot that us Cabernet lovers can get behind!) and it was also a darn good value at just $22 here locally.  This wine would pair well with the classic Oregon fare, salmon, Dungeness crab and fantastic Thai food, and tonight I've gone one of those routes.  I'm enjoying this wine with a nice Alder planked wild Alaskan sockeye served with some mango, pineapple and jalapeno salsa and some black beans and rice.  Cheers! 

2006 Mancuso Vino de la Tierra Valdejalon

Hooray, it's the first Saturday of August, and we know that means it's Cellar Saturday, that lovely day when I open a bottle of wine that's at least a decade removed from its vintage.  Tonight I am opening a rather recent addition to the cellar, one which was last month's office wine club selection, the 2006 Mancuso Vino de la Tierra Valdejalon, a wonderful old vine Garnacha from Spain!  I've decanted this wine for about 90 minutes, so it should be ready to enjoy!

The wine is a bright garnet color in the glass, classic for the varietal.  The nose is wonderfully herbal, with notes of fresh cut grass and a hint of mint over blackberry and currant aromas.  The taste is fruit forward, with flavors of black cherry, plum and cassis that transitions nicely to some mineral notes of dusty limestone and basalt midpalate.  The tannins are mature and nicely structured, providing a nice backbone for the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, it's a great example of a fine Spanish Garnacha and it was a terrific bargain as I bought this from Wines Till Sold Out for $20!  This wine practically screams to be paired with paella, but alas I'm stuck with a rare grilled Angus bone-in ribeye along with some haricots verts almondine and a baked potato with sour cream and chives.  The lovely fruit and acidity of this wine cut perfectly through the fat of the ribeye, cheers!