2020 Reininger Walla Walla Valley Syrah

Well, after a long holiday weekend of planting flowers, cleaning off the patio furniture and grilling hamburgers and hot dogs for a dozen guests, it's nice to be back to normal.  It's funny how holidays tend to be so much more work than actual working!  So, tonight I've opened a bottle of a recent wine club shipment from one of my long-time favorite Walla Walla producers.  The 2020 Reininger Walla Walla Valley Syrah is a 100% Syrah sourced from the Pepper Bridge (69%) and Seven Hills (31%) vineyards in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep, reddish purple in the glass, with bright ruby at the edges, just as you might expect from a nice Syrah.  After some time to breathe, the nose presents a lovely cascade of aromas ranging from ripe blackberry, plum and kirsch, intermingled with leather and lilac amid undertones of earthy loam and meat.  Take a sip and your palate is awash in fruit, boysenberry, black raspberry and lingonberry that transition easily to some earthy mineral notes of dusty limestone midpalate.  The fine grain tannins are expertly integrated to support the velvety smooth, dry finish that lingers for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a fabulous example of the lovely Syrah being produced in the Walla Walla Valley.  This wine would pair well with a variety of summer dishes, from grilled pork tenderloin to barbecued ribs, steaks to caprese salad.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a grilled veal loin chop with herbs de Provence along with Portobello mushroom farro and grilled asparagus.  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!