2015 Pepper Bridge Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  I have to admit that I haven't been relaxing as much as I should today, as I've had a lot of work to catch up on (the price you pay for being your own boss I guess!) but now it's time to relax with a nice glass of wine and dinner.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2015 Pepper Bridge Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (82%), Malbec (8%), Cabernet Franc (8%) and Petit Verdot (2%) from the Seven Hills, Octave, Pepper Bridge and Yellow Jacket Vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley AVA.  I have to admit that I usually wait a few years before opening a bottle of Pepper Bridge Cabernet, but given how warm the 2015 vintage was, I am taking a risk that this wine might be somewhat more approachable in its youth, so let's see if I'm right!

The wine is a deep, inky purple at the center, with bright garnet along the edges, just as you'd expect from a nice Cabernet.  The nose presents warm aromas of black cherry and blackberry, with a bit of earthy iron and smoke underlying some light purple floral notes.  The taste is wonderfully fruit forward, with a rush of ripe black fruit that gives way to some wonderful warm cinnamon and mocha notes midpalate.  The tannins are wonderfully structured, and well integrated providing for a long, smooth and very dry finish that lingers.

Certainly this wine, like previous vintages shows some nice aging potential, but fortunately for tonight's dinner, the warmer vintage is very approachable in its youth.  Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5 with an opportunity to improve into the early 2020s.  This wine practically begs to be paired with a hearty beef dish, whether steak, roasts, prime rib or hearty stew, this wine would do well.  But tonight, I happen to have a prime New York strip I picked up at Costco yesterday, which I'm enjoying with some grilled Brussels sprouts and sauteed onions and peppers.  Cheers!

2010 Esprit de Pavie Bordeaux

What a chilly day!  I woke up this morning and it was 0 degrees outside, and despite working and shoveling snow and going to the gym, I'm happy to be home in the warmth with a nice glass of wine.  Tonight's wine was a gift from an old boss, who shares similar tastes in wine with me, the 2010 Esprit de Pavie Bordeaux.  Now this is a real Bordeaux as I had to exercise my high school French to read the label, which the easiest part to read was that this wine contains mainly Merlot (65%) along with Cabernet Franc (20%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (15%), so this is clearly a right bank Bordeaux.  So let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a deep, inky indigo with bright ruby along the edges as you'd expect from a Merlot dominant blend.  The nose is not so much a classic Bordeaux, but chock full of leather, light floral notes, blackberry and some lovely mineral notes.  The taste is somewhat subdued fruit up front, with some cherry and plum with a hint of mint that transition to some earthy notes of dusty limestone, iron and a classic hint of barnyard at the end.  The tannins are robust, providing for a wonderfully smooth and very dry finish that lasts a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a wonderfully drinking Bordeaux from a very strong vintage.  This wine would pair well with classic steaks and chops, but would also do well with aged cheeses and Mediterranean fare.  Tonight I am taking a bit of a departure and enjoying this wine with some seared sea scallops, couscous and some haricots verts almondine.  Cheers!

2013 Anvil Columbia Valley Chardonnay

Ok wine peeps, it's Sunday, time for a wonderful classic Sunday dinner, and given my menu this evening I've decided to go rogue!  Yes, not only am I reviewing a non-red wine, I'm reviewing a Chardonnay!  Well, even though it seems that this varietal has become pretty boring over the past decade or so, tonight's wine is anything but, as it's a special wine in many ways.  First, it was produced by one of the best Chardonnay producers in Walla Walla, Marie-Eve Gilla, founder of Forgeron Cellars, and in this case it was a bottle signed by her that was available this past Christmas (how fun!).  Second, it was sourced from the French Creek Vineyard, one of Washington's oldest Chardonnay vineyards, planted in 1981.  So this should be a treat even for the non-Chardonnay lovers among us!

The wine is a light gold color in the glass, while the nose presents aromas of fresh citrus, peach, green grass and floral notes.  The taste is quite unusual for a white wine, it has some lovely citrus fruit notes on the outset, but then there is a hearty mineral quality or iron and basalt that brings strength and rounded mouthfeel midpalate.  The dry finish brings a reprise of citrus and a hint of butter and smoke that just makes you want another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's just a wonderfully executed example of the varietal, and one that even a red wine fan like me can enjoy!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic Sunday dinner of oven roasted chicken with corn bread stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy and of course, green bean casserole!  This is a perfect wine for such a heady feast, almost makes me wish I had a bottle last Thanksgiving!  Cheers!

2014 The Vincent Columbia Valley Rose

Summer is apparently having its revenge in the last few weeks it will be around, as it's just been incredibly hot and humid this week.  I sure am glad I had the foresight to bring back ample bottles of nice Washington rose wine to help combat the heat!  Tonight I have opened a bottle of 2014 "The Vincent" Columbia Valley Rose wine from Mark Ryan Winery's Board Track Racer label.  Back in 2013, I reviewed the 2012 vintage which you can see here: Link, so let's see how this one stacks up!

The color strikes me as a bit more orange-pink, but quite deep and vibrant.  I don't have the technical specifications, but my sense is that this one is still a GSM blend, but likely with a bit more emphasis on the Syrah.  The nose presents lovely, earthy aromas of cut grass and iron, intermingled with some floral and citrus notes.  The taste is a vibrant rush of strawberry, grapefruit and lime that eases into some nice mineral notes midpalate.  The finish is just bone dry, a perfect summer refresher for my palate!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, the flavor is all there and the structure is very pleasant, and to top it off, this was a terrific value at about $15!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some maple glazed wild Alaskan Coho on a bed of baby kale and arugula, some steamed wild rice and green beans, a perfect summer dinner.  Cheers!

2014 Lindeman's Bin 85 Pinot Grigio

Happy Tuesday!  We have a truly rare occasion tonight in that I am reviewing a white wine!  Yes, I am a super red wine fan, but I happened to have this wine in the house and opened it for a friend who was visiting last week and decided to taste it myself, the 2014 Lindeman's Bin 85 Pinot Grigio from southeastern Australia.  So here goes nothing!

The wine is a classic, very light coloration so typical of a Pinot Grigio.  The nose exhibits lovely aromas of pear, rose petals and a bit of apple blossom.  The taste is quite refreshing, with lovely crisp fruit up front, pear, apple and white grapefruit that transition to some nice earthy elements of iron, peat and granite.  The finish is quite refreshing, with a crispness of fresh citrus that's not sweet but rather dry, perfect for a red wine guy like me.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's not perfect, but really what white wine could be?  In any case, it's easy drinking and food friendly and a terrific value at about $6!  Tonight I am enjoying this with a classic dinner that begs for a white wine, a gunflint walleye (I got the recipe from a Minnesota fishing website here, but needless to say, garlic lemon butter combined with a bread crumb and romano crust makes this a fish to make your midweek, perfect with a crisp refreshing Pinot Grigio!), some pesto linguine and steamed Brussels sprouts.  What a fantastic combination!

2012 Protocolo Tinto Tempranillo

TGIF!!!  We are now on summer hours so we get to leave an hour early on Friday and I got a lot accomplished.  I went to the gym and worked out, then came home and mowed the yard before it starts raining again and now I've finally settled down for a nice glass of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of our June office wine club selection, the 2012 Protocolo Tinto tempranillo from Spain.

The wine is a nice bright ruby color in the glass with nice clarity.  The nose is classic tempranillo, with aromas of ripe berries, plum and leather and just a hint of mint.  The taste is not as laden with jammy fruit as the nose would suggest, instead the fruit was subdued and quickly transitioned to some notes of iron and toasted oak midpalate.  The finish was rather brief, with some hints of vanilla on the back end, still an easy drinking wine.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7, it's a pleasant, easy drinking wine that was a great value at less than $7!  I picked this one up at G.B. Russo's in Grand Rapids and could be a nice mid-week wine.  Tonight I am enjoying this with some fresh proscuitto perline pasta from Trader Joe's along with some rosa prima vera, a nice easy Friday night meal.  Cheers!

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!

1998 I Balzini Super Tuscan Blend

Here we are, the first Saturday of October, which of course means it's Cellar Saturday!  And thank goodness for that, since over the past 24 hours it seems like we've gone from summer right into the depths of fall!  It was about 75 and rainy with a lot of humidity, and right now it's 43 and raining, heading to a low of 37 tonight!  Perfect weather for a hearty super Tuscan blend of Sangiovese (50%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (50%)!  This bottle was a part of a vertical that I bought from Wines Till Sold Out that included the 1997 (you can see my review of this one here), 1998, 1999 and 2001.

I opened this bottle a few hours ago and let it breathe a bit rather than decanting.  The wine is a lovely deep ruby color in the glass.  The nose is somewhat rustic, with some aromas of barnyard, leather and cedar intermingled with some ripe berry and plum notes.  The taste is quite nice, with some lovely mint and fruit, blackberry, cherry and raisin, up front that transitions to some iron, mineral and spice notes midpalate.  The finish is rather subdued, with mellow tannins supporting a smooth, very dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, as it just doesn't seem as nice as the '97.  Tonight I am enjoying this one with a wonderful grilled New York strip on a bed of baby kale with an aged white balsamic, a baked potato and some steamed green beans, a perfect fall dinner, with some big flavors that play very nicely with a more mature wine like this one.  Cheers!

2011 Domaine du Grand Montmirail Gigondas

For tonight I've decided on a nice GSM blend to enjoy in the evening, and which I think will pair well with a rather challenging dinner.  So I've opened a bottle of 2011 Domaine du Grand Montmirail Gigondas, a classic Rhone Valley blend of Grenache (60%), Syrah (30%) and Mourvedre (10%), produced with fruit from vines about 40 years old, so hopefully that will add to the depth of flavor in the wine.

The wine is a deep ruby in the glass, with nice clarity.  The nose is wonderful,with great fruit notes of black cherry and plum overlaid with some lovely spice notes of black pepper and lavender, with just a hint of leather.  The taste is a blast of ripe red fruit, cherries, raspberries and plum, with some pronounced floral notes, that transitions to some wonderful minerality midpalate, notes of limestone and oak, iron and spice. Though young, this wine shows some nice finesse with fine tannins supporting a long, smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, with potential to improve with age, and it was a terrific value as I bought this one from Wines Till Sold Out for only $20!  And for the pairing, ahhh...the pairing, tonight I am enjoying this with a nice chicken Korma, a rich and very fragrant Indian curry dish with a variety of root vegetables over some steamed basmati rice.  The fruit and mineral notes in this wine make it a perfect foil to the aromatic and fragrant spice of the curry.  Cheers!

2012 La Chosa Joven Rioja

Ahhh...hump day of a holiday-shortened week, what could be better?  How about a bottle of Rioja?  You know how I love the tempranillo, so tonight I've opened a bottle of 2012 La Chosa Joven Rioja, a wine I got a month or so ago from Wines Till Sold Out, so I figure what the heck, I'll give it a try.

The wine is a lighter ruby color in the glass, with nice clarity.  The nose is quite aromatic, with aromas of red fruit, cherry, strawberry and currant overlaid with some floral and spice notes, black pepper, hints of anise, as well as some earthy notes of grass and cedar.  The taste is very fruit forward, with a blast of cherry and strawberry that quickly transitions to some mineral notes of iron and graphite midpalate.  The finish is quite warm, with some spice notes intermingled with the subdued tannins providing a bit of structure for the moderately dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7, it was a nice example of the varietal at a terrific bargain price of just $10!  Tonight I am pairing this wine with some chicken, baked potato and some grilled vegetables, but it would also pair nicely with a variety of soft cheeses and olives for a pleasant appetizer, as the fruit and spice notes practically cry out for something smooth and creamy to pair with.  Cheers!

2011 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon

Well the weekend is here, I left work, went to the gym, picked up something for dinner and now I'm ready to relax with a bottle of 2011 Joseph Phelps Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  I bought this one from G.B. Russo's up in Grand Rapids, and here is what Dave Russo had to say about the wine:

"When I visited Napa Valley a couple of months ago to taste wines in advance of release, I was very impressed with how the 2011Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon tasted.  It reminded me of the elegant, classic style Phelps Cabs used to have twenty years ago, before the production of their top wine, Insignia, was expanded.  My guess is, like other Napa wineries, they made less of the flagship wine Insignia in the difficult 2011 vintage and put a lot of that juice into the standard Phelps Cab.  This wine is drinking beautifully now.  It has a silky black-fruit character and very polished tannins, and a gently earthy finish.  I like the fact that this is a more classic style, not the high octane – sharp tannin style that so many Napa Cabs seem to have these days."

 Needless to say, I bought some for me and my boss but tonight is the first I've opened a bottle so here goes nothing!

The wine has such a rich color, dark crimson in the center leading to a bright ruby along the edges, classic of a Napa Cabernet.  The nose is at first somewhat fruity and spicy, with notes of black cherry and anise, but then it transitions to some earthy notes of leather, iron and moss.  The taste is a quick blast of dark fruit, plum, blackberry and cassis, which then transitions to some lovely warm spice notes of white pepper, dried herbs and Asian spice.  The finish was quite nice, with velvety smooth tannins supporting a long, smooth, dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.  The wine is certainly drinking very well now, and I agree with Dave, this is much more of a classically styled Cabernet.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a beautiful Cabernet, but it's definitely not for your everyday table wine as I bought this one on sale for $65 a bottle.  Tonight I am enjoying it with a thick Hereford ribeye grilled rare and served with some grilled zucchini (thanks Emily!) and a giant Amish baked potato (you should see these things, there were 4 potatoes in a 5-pound bag!).  Salut!

Snooth Vouvray Virtual Tasting

Tonight is a fun night since it's another Snooth Virtual Tasting!  Tonight we are tasting the Vouvray wines of the Loire Valley of France.  Tonight at my house we are tasting two lovely Vouvray wines, the first is the Brut Champalou Sparkling Vouvray and the second is the 2012 Domaine Vigneau-Chevreau Vouvray Sec, a dry still wine based on chenin blanc.

The first wine we tried was the Brut Champalou Sparkling Vouvray, very interesting nose, a little floral aromas, and a bit of iron and graphite.  The taste is remarkably bright and crisp with some nice fruit and honey notes at the outset.  The finish is really nice, and super dry, without the aftertaste that so often accompanies a sparkling wine.  Overall I would rate this one a solid 8, as it's a wine that's a good value at $24 as it tastes like a much more expensive sparkler.  I'd be very pleased to offer this to my guests as I did tonight!

The second wine was the 2012 Domaine Vigneau-Chevreau Vouvray Sec, a more traditional dry white wine based on the chenin blanc.  This wine has some nice fruit up front some citrus and melon aromas, along with a bit of green grass and herbs.  The taste is so interesting, with a great silky mouthfeel and so much flavor that it keeps evolving in your mouth.  There is a good bit of minerality, it's so smooth and complex rather than crisp like the sparkler, a truly wonderful white wine that would go beautifully with a lovely mushroom risotto or some rich buttery cheeses.  Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5 and a terrific bottle for just $21!

So there you have it, our Snooth.com Virtual Tasting of Vouvray, a big shout out and thank you to Snooth and the wines of the Loire Valley!  Cheers!

2010 L'Ecole No. 41 Apogee

Have you ever had one of those days that just seemed to totally get away from you?  Like today, I've been busy all day long running errands, going to the gym, doing chores around the house, and suddenly it's after 8 o'clock and I haven't even started cooking dinner much less opened a bottle of wine!  Well this has to stop now!  So I'm opening a bottle of 2010 L'Ecole No. 41 Apogee, a great blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Merlot (33%), Malbec (7%) and Cabernet Franc (4%) all from the Pepper Bridge Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley.  Of the two top blends from L'Ecole, Perigee and Apogee, this one is my second favorite, but we won't hold that against it!

The wine is a lovely deep ruby color in the glass.  The nose has some lovely aromas of blackberry, cherry and plum with some rustic notes of leather, cedar, dark chocolate and spice.  The taste is quite smooth, with some subdued fruit up front and nice earthy notes of dusty limestone and iron midpalate.  The tannins are very well integrated, giving this wine some fantastic structure and a smooth, long and supple finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a classic Bordeaux style blend for which Walla Walla is now well known.  Tonight, once I get off my lazy butt and start cooking, I plan to enjoy this wine with some cedar planked wild Alaskan sockeye served on a bed of baby greens with some aged white balsamic, some grilled golden beets and some linguine tossed with garlic and olive oil.  The earth and spice of this wine will be such a great foil to the richness of the salmon, I can't wait to eat!  Salut!

1997 I Balzini White Label Super Tuscan Blend

All right!  It's the first Saturday of the month, and you know what that means, Cellar Saturday!  That day of the month where I raid the cellar for something a little more mature or out of the ordinary to taste and share with all of you.  Tonight it's a relatively recent acquisition, as I just bought a 4-year vertical of this wine from Wines Till Sold Out, and tonight I've opened the oldest, the 1997 I Balzini White Label Super Tuscan, a blend of Sangiovese (50%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), two varietals that I know age quite well.  Given its age, I opened this wine and decanted it about an hour before tasting, so here goes nothing!

The wine is an inky, deep purple color in the glass with some ruby around the edges.  The nose is very earthy, with quite a bit of smoke, oak and cedar over a layer of leather and black pepper.  The taste is surprisingly fruit forward with rich flavors of blackberry and plum at the outset that quickly transitions to some stark mineral notes of limestone and iron midpalate.  The tannins are quite mellow after nearly two decades but they still give nice structure to the smooth and very dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's drinking quite nicely, but I believe it's somewhat on the downhill side of its life.  As for pairings, it would be very nice with a wide variety of steaks or spicy Italian dishes, but tonight I've gone the other direction and am enjoying it with a grilled wild Alaskan salmon steak served over a bed of baby greens with all sorts of picnic sides, including corn on the cob, cole slaw and potato salad with a bit of fresh dill.  The fruit of the wine and mild acidity offer a great complement to the rich fattiness of the salmon, the perfect summer fare!  Salut!

2011 Poggio Al Lupo Morellino di Scansano

Tonight I am trying a new Italian wine that I haven't had the opportunity to experience before, the 2011 Poggio Al Lupo Morellino di Scansano.  Now I've learned that Morellino di Scansano is a wine made in the hilly regions of coastal Tuscany in the Maremma region (in the past I've even reviewed a couple of wines from Maremma).  Now unlike Chianti or Brunello, the Morellino di Scansano only needs to be made with 85% Sangiovese grapes, and there is no minimum aging requirement, so these wines can be released as soon as 8 months after harvest.  As a result, these wines are often more young and crisp than many similar but aged wines.

The wine is a lighter color in the glass, but still consistent with a primarily Sangiovese based wine, with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose is a complex bouquet of rich black fruit, ripe plum, blackberries and cassis along with some earthy notes of leather and oak.  The taste is quite nice, with a blast of fruit up front that easily transitions to some dried herbs, black pepper and cocoa powder midpalate, over the faintest hint of iron and granite.  The tannins are crisp but well structured leading to a very smooth, long and dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, as it's a lovely example of a Sangiovese based wine that I've not had before, and it was a solid value.  I bought this from Wines Till Sold Out for just $15.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some barbecued chicken, a backed Yukon gold potato and some steamed broccoli, a nice Midwest Sunday dinner.  The fruit of this wine really makes a nice accent to barbecue, not as jammy as a Zinfandel, but very nice nonetheless.  Cheers!

2007 Shining Hill Columbia Valley Red Wine

So tonight is hopefully the last night without internet in my house, so the last of the mobile blog posts for a while!  To celebrate I've opened up a bottle of 2007 Shining Hill Columbia Valley Red Wine, a product of the Col Solare Winery - a collaboration between Marchesi Antinori of Tuscany and Chateau Ste. Michelle of Washington state.

The wine is a lovely deep ruby in the glass with good clarity. The nose is a nice combination of leather, oak, ripe plum, and cocoa lower that washes over a base of fresh herbs and green grass. The taste is quite nice with a blast of ripe plum, blackberries and cassis up front that transitions to some mineral notes mid palate, iron, limestone and black pepper. The finish is quite nice, well structured tannins supporting a long smooth dry finish that lingers for 30 seconds or more. 

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, as it's a solid example of a nice Columbia Valley Bordeaux style blend at a good value as I found this one at G. B. Russo's  in Grand Rapids for only $19. Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a lovely tuna steak baked with Parmesan paprika crust, grilled asparagus and a baked potato. The mineral notes of the wine pairs so nicely with the flavor of the tuna and the spice. Cheers!

2010 Blacksmith Merlot

Tonight it's a little cool here in west Michigan, so I've decided to open up a wine that's a bit more hearty for the unseasonable weather, the 2010 Blacksmith Merlot, a second label from Forgeron Cellars, one of my newer favorites from the Walla Walla Valley.  Although I was just at the Forgeron tasting room last month, this was a bottle that I ordered and was delivered during the spring I think, so it's a little less exciting than you might think at first.

The wine itself is a deep purple color in the glass, and the nose is just a beautiful combination of ripe berries and cassis, leather, dried herbs and just the faintest hint of mint.  The taste is just Merlot joy!  I know it has a bad reputation thanks to that idiot movie, but for those of us who appreciate a nice Merlot, it can be such a pleasure to sip on a cold rainy night!  This one has some very mellow fruit notes at the outset, some blackberry and plum, that transitions quickly to some really nice minerality midpalate, with flavors of dusty limestone and iron.  The finish is quite nice with nicely structured tannins supporting a very dry, long finish, which is a bit surprising for such a young wine.

Overall I would rate this one a solid 8, as it's a very pleasant Merlot that's drinking quite nicely right now, and it's just a spectacular bargain at regular retail price of only $18!  No wonder it's already sold out!  Tonight I am pairing this with my usual unconventional flair, enjoying it with a potato crusted flounder filet, a backed potato with sour cream and chives, and a nice salad, sounds odd, but the hearty flavors really work well together.  If you can find the Blacksmith label at your local retailer or wine bar, I highly recommend picking some up, in fact I'm now kicking myself for not ordering more when I had the chance!