2019 Pepper Bridge Trine

Happy New Year!  Hard to believe we are in 2023 as time seems to be accelerating (or perhaps I'm just getting older).  So to celebrate the first day of the new year with a wonderful dinner, we need a wonderful wine as well.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of 2019 Pepper Bridge Trine, a classic example of a fine Bordeaux style blend from the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Franc (42%), Cabernet Sauvignon (30%), Merlot (16%), Malbec (8%) and Petit Verdot (4%) sourced from the Seven Hills, Waliser, Octave, and Pepper Bridge Vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley.  Having opened this wine about 90 minutes ago, let's see how it's tasting!

The wine is a lovely deep ruby color in the glass, and a gentle swirl reveals aromas of ripe red fruit, raspberry, cherry and currant, layers of fresh herbs and some mineral notes.  The first sip is a rush of ripe red fruit interwoven with layers of semi-sweet chocolate, light floral notes and consistent mineral notes that give the wine an interesting complexity.  The tannins are well structured providing for a wonderfully consistent dry finish that seems to linger for minutes. 

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's usually a house favorite when I have it on hand.  This wine would pair well with a range of hearty winter dishes, from prime steaks to braised short ribs, hearty beef stew to classic mushroom risotto.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with my new year's feast of a pan seared filet mignon topped with béarnaise along with a butter poached lobster risotto and some oven roasted carrots.  Cheers! 

2019 Willamette Valley Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir

Well, today was another day of work and errands, though I had time enough for a bike ride just before dinner, though I might have thought through that decision given temperatures in the upper 80s and 71% humidity! In any case, it's supposed to thunderstorm soon, so no patio dinner tonight, but there is still wine and dinner, and tonight I've opened a bottle that I picked up last week while in Grand Rapids, the 2019 Willamette Valley Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir.  This one is a special one, since I bought preferred stock in Willamette Valle Vineyards last year, which makes me a proud owner of the winemaker as well as the bottle!  So let's see how this wine is tasting.

The wine is a lovely, bright ruby color in the glass, with a decidedly gem-like character.  A gentle swirl of the glass releases aromas of blackberry, raspberry and currant intermingled with some earthy notes.  A sip reveals a cascade of dynamic fruit notes, with a rush of tart cherry that eases into some notes of marionberry with a hint of sweetness midpalate.  The tannins are supple, creating a velvety texture that makes the perfect base for the smooth finish, that's dry, but not abrupt.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a really pleasant Pinot Noir for folks like me that prefer a heartier version.  The depth and texture of this one really makes it a new favorite for the varietal.  This wine would pair well with a range of dishes, from lamb and duck, to an alder planked salmon.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled bison New York strip, topped with the very last of the season's garlic scapes and some blistered cherry tomatoes, along with an array of oven roasted root vegetables.  Cheers!

2014 Helix Syrah

Happy Sunday!  I've heard there's some sort of awards program on television tonight, but I can't be bothered with that when there is wonderful Washington wine to drink!  All day we've had these tremendous winds, so even though it's not nearly as cold as it was at the end of January, you just feel colder hearing the wind howling outside your windows.  So when it's cold, what could be better than a nice Syrah?  Tonight I've opened a bottle from a recent wine club shipment from Reininger, the 2014 Helix Syrah, a 100% Syrah from the Phinney Hill Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. So let's see if this wine can warm me up this evening!

The wine is a beautiful deep inky color, with a garnet hue along the edges.  The nose is a lovely combination of earthy peat, smoke and a bit of mushroom over some ripe black fruit and a touch of lilac.  The taste is just divine, with a rush of ripe blackberry and blueberry that rushes over your palate as the thick, chewy mouthfeel just washes over you.  This is the type of wine you just want to ruminate over for a while, as the ripe black fruit flavors subside, giving rise to some white pepper spice and a reprice of blueberry and cassis.  The tannins are expertly crafted to provide a thick and hearty feel of the wine as you enjoy the long, smooth finish that just lingers on your palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it has to be one of my favorite examples of the varietal, and in fact, might by my favorite Helix wine ever!  This wine is perfect for a wintry evening and would be ideal with a broad range of dishes, from pizza to barbecue to steaks, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic winter comfort dinner of tuna noodle casserole, just like my mom used to make.  Cheers!

2011 Brunelli Pa' Riondo Valpolicella Ripasso

Happy Thursday!  I had a fairly productive day today, got a lot done at work, got a haircut after work, then went to the gym, and then stopped at the store on the way home to get something for dinner.  And now that I'm cooking, it's time to open a nice bottle of wine to complement the food, so tonight it's the 2011 Brunelli Pa' Riondo Valpolicella Ripasso.  As a refresher, this is more of a poor man's Amarone, as it's the second pressing of the dried Valpolicella grapes that are used to make Amarone, so it gives you a lot of the concentrated flavor and punch of an Amarone but often for a third or less of the price!

The wine is a beautiful bright ruby color in the glass with great clarity.  The nose presents beautiful aromas of leather, plum, anise and dried herbs.  The taste is at first a bit tight, with some tart cherry at the outset that gives way to some smoother fruit flavors of ripe plum and cassis midpalate.  The tannins are still a bit young on this wine, but they still provide a nice base for the long, smooth and somewhat fruity finish.

Overall, I rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's not quite at the level of baby Amarone, but still a pleasant drinking wine in its own right, and it was a nice value at just $13 from Wines Till Sold Out.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a simple tortellini prima vera, we have such nice produce right now, it's just a pleasure to toss some red onions, green peppers, yellow squash and broccoli rabe in with a light cream sauce over some fresh cheese tortellini, delicious!  Salut!

2014 McCay Cellars Viognier

Well tonight is the big night, the Snooth.com virtual tastings of Lodi wines, we have two reds, a white and a rosato, just to prove that there's more to Lodi than old vine zinfandel!  First up will be the 2014 McCay Cellars Viognier, a classic full bodied white wine.

The wine is a pale amber in the glass while the nose is a rather subdued combination of pear and violets.  The taste is quite well developed, with lovely flavors of pear, violet and a good bit of minerality.  It's not as crisp and shocking to the palate like some white wines can be, but rather has more subdued acidity and a full mouthfeel that makes it almost seem more like a nice red wine.  This finish is quite nice with ripe fruit notes throughout, making this an ideal summer patio sipping wine.

Overall I would rate this one a solid 7.5, as it's a nice white wine that even I could enjoy!  Tonight I am pairing all of these lovely wines with thin crust pizza with roasted veggies, but it would be great with lighter fare, like a baked cod or lemon pepper chicken breast.  Salut!

2012 Helix Stone Tree SoRho

Happy Thursday!  So tonight I've come home at a reasonable hour and what the heck?  Why not open a bottle of wine?  For this evening, it's a recently delivered wine club selection from Reininger Winery in Walla Walla, the 2012 Helix Stone Tree SoRho, a southern Rhone style blend of Mourvedre (42%), Cinsault (31%) and Grenache (27%) that ends up being such a food friendly sort of wine!

The wine is a deep garnet color in the glass with great clarity.  The nose is a classic Rhone, with aromas of  black cherry, cassis and blueberry over some earthy notes of fresh cut grass, rose petals and leather.  The taste is just lovely, some fantastic fruit blasts forward, blueberries, black currant and boysenberry that effortlessly transitions to some notes of vanilla spice and toasted oak midpalate.  The finish is lovely, with a touch of anise and cassis that lend some complexity to young tannins, and making for a long, smooth finish that has you begging for more!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a great blend and the price is reasonable at $36 before any wine club discounts.  As I mentioned, this is a very food friendly wine, and tonight I'm pairing it with a nice panko crusted walleye filet, with some oven roasted fingerling potatoes and steamed asparagus, the fruit in this wine really accents the flavors of the walleye, a personal favorite when it comes to fresh water fish.  Cheers!

2006 Eagles Trace Napa Valley Merlot

So tonight I just got back home from visiting my uncle just south of Chicago and now it's time to relax as I begin to cook my Sunday dinner.  And to accompany my cooking exploits I've decided to open a bottle of 2006 Eagles Trace Napa Valley Merlot. As you know by now, I am an ardent fan Merlot and Napa produces some very nice ones. 

This wine is a lovely bright ruby in the glass with great clarity. The nose is a lovely combination of black currant, dark chocolate and ripe plum.  The taste is wonderfully complex with blackberry, wild herbs, and oak swirling around a base of delicate minerality. The tannins are well integrated creating a wonderfully opulent mouthfeel and a long, smooth finish. 

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a great example of a lovely Merlot at a wonderful value as I bought a 4-pack vertical of the 2006 and 2007 vintages from Wines Till Sold Out for just $90!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine as I make one of my favorite winter dishes, seafood Newburg, with fresh clams, mussels, shrimp and bay scallops in a rich sherry cream sauce served over flaky pastry puffs.  The complex flavors of this wine really provide a nice counterbalance to the richness of the dish.  So yummy!!!

2010 Seven Hills Ciel du Cheval

Happy Boxing Day!  What fun there is to be had around the holidays, and for the day after Christmas, traditionally known as Boxing Day in the British Commonwealth I've decided to open a bottle of 2010 Seven Hills Ciel du Cheval!  The wine is one of my favorite blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot from one of my favorite producers, Seven Hills out of Walla Walla. 

The wine is a lovely deep purple color in the glass with limited opacity. The nose is a lovely blend of green grass, balsamic, cedar and cocoa powder. The taste is quite lovely, with some subtle fruit up front that's enveloped with some complex flavors of anise, lavender and minerality. The finish is long, smooth and with a velvety mouthfeel that just lasts for a minute or more. 

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a great example of a classic Walla Walla Bordeaux style blend but at a terrific value, as I found three bottles of this at my local wine merchant for only $28 after my 15% case discount!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a lovely dinner of baked Christmas ham, baked potato, grilled Brussels sprouts and a Mediterranean salad. The wine is the perfect balance to the sweet smoky flavor of the ham and the richness of the grilled Brussels sprouts. Cheers!

2009 Bergevin Lane Vineyards Moonspell Cabernet Sauvignon

So once again I am blogging from my phone since I still don't have my phone or Internet installed, but such are the joys of new home ownership!  But tonight I have a new favorite Washington wine that I discovered right here in Elkhart, Indiana!  I had dinner at a local restaurant in town about a month or so ago and discovered this wine, the 2009 Bergevin Lane Moonspell Cabernet Sauvignon from the Columbia Valley.  I really liked the wine so I asked the manager where I could find this wine and he hooked me up with a case!

The wine is a deep ruby in the glass and the nose is a rich combination of ripe red fruit, black cherry, plum and cassis along with a pleasant aroma of rich leather and forest floor.  The taste is rich and complex with some modest fruit up front, that transitions to some dusty limestone and tart cherry mid palate. The finish is smooth and exceptionally dry, and seems to last for 30 seconds or more!  

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a great drinking wine and a prime example of a great Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a lovely dinner of linguine and spicy marinara with a nice Mediterranean salad, a perfect combination!

 

1997 L'Ecole No. 41 Seven Hills Vineyard Merlot

So it's Cellar Saturday, time to reach back in time to enjoy a wine that's had a bit of life behind it, and of course as an added bonus, this is also a Washington Wine Weekend, so we know tonight's selection will be coming from my favorite wine region.  Tonight we are going back 16 years for this vintage, though I'll admit this wine has only been in my cellar since last Friday as I bought two bottles of this library selection at the L'Ecole 30th Anniversary celebration back in June when I visited Walla Walla.  I tried it then and ordered a couple bottles and they were just delivered last Friday, so how fortunate!  This particular vintage would have been just a couple years out of date when I first visited Walla Walla back in 2001 so it sure brings back some memories.

The wine itself still has some nice ruby color, with just the faintest hint of opacity.  The nose is very reminiscent of Bordeaux, with some funk initially followed by some lovely notes of leather, cedar and hint of lavender and plum (keep in mind I only opened this about an hour ago, so it's early in the process of opening up!).  The taste is quite complex, with some lovely floral notes up front that draw you in to a combination of rich dark fruit, blackberries, plum and black cherry that are still very vibrant.  The fruit transitions to some lovely dried herbs and mint, balanced by some musty forest floor.  The finish is long, dry and exceptionally smooth, the type of finish that makes you question why you've been wasting your time with such young wines barely 5 years old!

Overall I would rate this wine an easy 9.5, as it's simply outstanding and in my opinion just passing it's peak, and I think I bought this wine for about $35 which to me is a screaming bargain!  Tonight I am pairing this with something a little different, a lightly grilled tuna filet with some grilled leeks, red pepper and purple asparagus along with some steamed heirloom fingerling potatoes I bought at the farmers market today.  So delicious and an entire evening to enjoy this bottle, cheers!

2010 Plumb Cellars Estate Sangiovese Walla Walla Valley

Well another weekend has slipped by me and I didn't get nearly as much done as I had wanted to!  But I guess that's life in many ways, no matter how much we toil there's always more to do, and that's why God made wine!  So we can enjoy a rest from all the toil of life and take a moment and breathe a little easier.  Tonight I am breathing easier with a bottle of wine I picked up on my last trip to Walla Walla, the 2010 Plumb Cellars Walla Walla Valley Sangiovese.  I know normally I love the Cabernets and Bordeaux blends from Walla Walla, but I have to admit I tasted a lot of very nice Sangiovese while I was there last summer!

The wine itself is a beautiful ruby color in the glass, with great clarity as you might see on a classic Chianti.  The nose is wonderfully Sangiovese, with ripe black fruit notes of cherry, ripe berries and plum overlaid with leather, dried spice and some forest floor.  The taste is very nice, with good fruit up front, a blast of black cherry and cassis that transitions effortlessly to some wonderful spice, dark chocolate and dusty limestone notes midpalate.  The finish is long and dry, but very smooth as the tannins do the heavy lifting, but don't get all up in your face about it.  A wine you can just sip and enjoy on an early autumn afternoon like today!

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's such a nice example of the varietal and a super value as I think I paid under $20 for this bottle!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a vegetable pizza, my own creation of red and purple peppers, portabello mushroom and zucchini topped with mozzarella, asiago, parmesan and provalone, yum!  An American version of an Italian wine with an American version of Italian cuisine, how appropriate!  Cin cin!

2011 Conundrum Red Blend

My first week at the new job was busy and very satisfying, so you know what that means...it's time to celebrate with a glass of wine!  And tonight's selection is the 2011 Conundrum California Red Blend, a proprietary blend (hence we don't know the exact breakdown of the varietals used) produced by the makers of Caymus (and I just got a bottle of 2011 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon today!).

The wine is a lovely rich and deep ruby color in the glass that just exudes a feel of quality California wine.  The nose is a wonderful combination of ripe berries, lavender and chocolate, with just a hint of leather, one of the more complex aromas I've experienced in a while.  The taste is a burst of ripe fruit and floral notes, with rich blackberries and plum.  Midpalate there is a good bit of tannins, mixed with some floral notes and cocoa powder that works so well with velvety texture of this wine.  The finish is long, but not overly dry as the fruit makes another appearance at the end, practically daring you to take another sip.

Overall I would rate this one a solid 8, as it's a beautifully drinking wine that you'd never be embarrassed to share with guests, and it's a terrific value too, as I paid about $19 for this one at Wines Till Sold Out!  Tonight I am enjoying this with a simple dinner of penne with some grilled veggies and a garlic cream sauce, as the fruit really makes a nice counterbalance to the light cream.  It would also pair well with a variety of casual dishes, from barbecue to pizza, as the structure makes is a great foil to heartier dishes.  Cheers!

2010 J. Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon

Well tonight just felt like a Cabernet night, it's been a bit cooler in the evenings, almost like fall except it's August!  So I've decided to open a bottle of 2010 J. Lohr Seven Oaks Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon to enjoy with my dinner.

The wine is a very classic deep purple Cabernet color, with a lighter ruby along the edges of the glass.  The nose is classic Cabernet, with aromas of blueberry and cherry layered with a bit of vanilla and leather.  The taste is a big bold Cabernet from California, with a burst of blueberry and plum at the outset, giving way to some dried herbs and dusty limestone midpalate.  The firm tannins are supportive of a long, smooth finish that begs you to take another sip.

Overall I must admit I'm pretty impressed by this wine!  I'd rate this one a solid 8, it might age well for a few years, but it's drinking quite nicely now, and it was a terrific bargain as I bought this bottle at Trader Joe's and I think it was about $12!  Tonight I am enjoying this with a rather nontraditional pairing (imagine that!) with some bourbon glazed grilled port tenderloin, some steamed jasmine rice and veggies, delicious!

2009 Glen Carlou Grand Classique

So tonight I am opening a bottle of wine that I bought last weekend from my favorite local wine purveyor, G.B. Russo's, and since they had a tasting of this wine on Saturday I had a sneak preview before I even decided to open this bottle, the 2009 Glen Carlou Grand Classique.  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (43%), Petit Verdot (20%), Merlot (16%), Malbec (16%) and Cabernet Franc (5%), produced in South Africa and imported by the Hess Family Collection.  Now some of you might be looking at the blend and wondering if I liked it given the amount of Malbec in the blend, and surprisingly I really liked this one!

The wine is a lovely deep, inky purple color in the glass and the nose provides a combination of leather, blackberry, tart cherry, toasted oak and just a hint of baking spice.  The taste is quite nice, with some tart cherry and plum up front that transitions to some lovely notes of tobacco and dark chocolate midpalate.  The tannins are somewhat young, but they are nicely structured, leading to a long, supple finish that's really very pleasant.

Overall I would rate this one a solid 8.5, not because it's a spectacular wine, thought it's quite nice, but because it was such a wonderful bargain at only $11!  I've tasted many $20 bottles that were not as pleasing as this one, so that says a lot about the steadily improving quality of the wines from South Africa.  Tonight I am pairing this with a rare Angus T-bone served with some sweet potato fries and steamed Italian flat beans, as this wine really stands up to the boldest of grilled meats. Cheers!

2011 Erath Oregon Pinot Noir

Tonight I've decided to go a little lighter for the summer fare that will be on my plate this evening, so I've decided to open a bottle of 2011 Erath Oregon Pinot Noir that I bought today at my favorite local wine purveyor, G.B. Russo's!  I figured it would be somewhat lighter, though with the cool weather we've had lately I could have gone with the heaviest of Cabs and felt wine with my choice!

The wine is light in color, and somewhat translucent, like many of the quality Pinot Noirs from the Willamette Valley of Oregon.  The nose has some lovely fruit, blackberry and strawberry, with some lovely earthy notes, cedar and sagebrush, just like you might smell if you were walking through the valley.  The taste is very pleasant, with berries and cherry notes teasing you at the outset, gradually transitioning to some wonderfully earthy spice notes, cracked pepper.  The lovely, rather mild tannins lead you to some nice vanilla notes at the end, for a lovely, long and smooth finish that beckons you to take another sip!

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a lovely example of a classic Oregon pinot noir, but it was also a relative bargain at only $16!  Tonight I am trying this one with a new recipe for poached wild Alaskan sockeye salmon, with some wild mushrooms and fresh green beans in a white wine cream sauce over some al dente buccatini, so delicious and the pinot just pairs so well with the earthy notes of the wild mushroom cream sauce, Cheers!

2010 Noble Vines 337 Cabernet Sauvignon

It's a hot summer day and a perfect time for grilling out, and where there's steak, there's Cabernet Sauvignon!  For tonight's adventure, I've decided to open a bottle of 2010 Noble Vines 337 Cabernet Sauvignon from Lodi, California.  Now you know I've always been a big fan of Lodi Zinfandels as I think there is just something magical about what they do with Zins out there, but the Cabs are more of an open question for me.

The wine is a bit lighter in color than I expected, with a bright ruby color throughout.  The nose exhibits notes of leather, oak and rich ripe fruit, blackberries, cherries and plums.  The taste is somewhat fruit forward, with a blast of sweet ripe fruit at the outset, eerily similar to many Lodi Zins, which then transitions to some earthy limestone notes midpalate.  The tannins are somewhat subdued, even though this wine has a very nice, long and modestly dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's a little young and might improve a bit with age, but I believe this wine is better consumed now rather than waiting.  It was also a good value, as I recall buying this at Trader Joe's and I seriously doubt I paid more than $10 for it!  Tonight I am pairing it with a classic summer dinner of rare grilled Angus ribeye with some grilled corn on the cob and some steamed asparagus, so yummy!  The rich fruit presents a nice counterbalance to the heavy flavors of the steak, which is ideal in my view.  Cheers!

2007 Labastide Dauzac Margaux

It's sunny and rather warm and humid here today, so it just struck me that this seems like a Margaux sort of afternoon, so I've decided to open a bottle of 2007 Labastide Dauzac Margaux to enjoy.  Now this is a rather young Margaux, though it does modestly exceed my minumum 5-year age requirement to even try a Margaux so we shall see how this goes!  The wine is a classic blend of Merlot (59%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (41%) which should provide some nice structure and backbone to this wine.

When I first opened this wine I was really thirsty, so I couldn't resist trying a bit and the Bordeaux "funk" that is so often present with great wines from the region was quite present, but if you are not a fan of the funk it subsides with a bit of breathing. Now it's been a couple hours, and the color is a generous ruby and the nose is a lovely combination of oak, earthy gravel, and a hint of hard cheese (perhaps the last gasp of funk!).  The taste is a lovely combination of subtle fruit flavors up front, with some blueberry and floral notes that transitions effortlessly to some earthy notes of forest floor (barnyard anyone?) and gravelly notes.  The finish is just pure Bordeaux, with an exceptionally smooth and dry finish that seems to last several minutes.

Overall, I would rate this one a solid 9, as it's a great example of Margaux that's drinking well now, but could easily improve over the next two decades!  I was trying my best to figure out where I got this wine, and then I remembered it was from a tasting we did at Bar Divani in Grand Rapids, and I liked it there and bought a couple bottles for $38, which isn't a steal, but certainly for a good Margaux it's not a bad price!  Tonight I am pairing it with some tacos (come on, who else do you know that would pair Margaux with tacos?), though these are made with some smoked chorizo, roasted poblano peppers and some machego cheese, very simple, but the flavor combinations really bring out the beauty of this wine!  Salut!

2008 Matarromera Ribera del Duero Crianza

Last Wednesday there was a fun virtual tasting at Snooth.com which is something that I always enjoy, but unfortunately I was traveling and couldn't taste all four wines on the menu.  The tasting was focused on the Ribera del Duero wines of Spain and included four different wines: 2009 Malleolus Ribera del Duero, 2011 Ferratus A0 Ribera del Duero, 2008 Matarromera Ribera del Duero Crianza and the 2012 Monte Castrillo Ribera del Duero Rosado.  Now tonight I am tasting the third wine of the group, the 2008 Matarromera Ribera del Duero Crianza, the last of the reds we tried.

This wine has a lovely deep ruby color in the glass.  I've let this one breathe a bit, it's now been opened for a few hours, and the nose presents some lovely aromas of leather, oak, ripe berries and some licorice and vanilla notes.  The taste is quite nice, with some wonderful ripe fruit up front, blackberries, plum, and some nice toasted oak and coffee flavors midpalate.  The finish is quote nice, with some smoky, earthy notes with a good bit of minerality, almost a limestone quality.  The tannins are well polished making for a long, smooth, dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, and it's probably my second favorite of the group we tasted and it's a pretty good value in the mid-$20 range.  Tonight I am pairing this with a big steak, specifically a thick Angus ribeye that I've grilled rare and topped with a bit of bernaise, as I find the structure of this wine really matches well with the richness of the sauce, and some mashed potatoes and steamed purple asparagus.  Such a delicious meal!

2009 Malleolus Ribera del Duero

Tonight is a fun virtual tasting at Snooth.com which is something that I always enjoy.  For tonight's tasting, we are focused on the Ribera del Duero wines of Spain and I am set to taste four different wines: 2009 Malleolus Ribera del Duero, 2011 Ferratus A0 Ribera del Duero, 2008 Matarromera Crianza Ribera del Duero and the 2012 Monte Castrillo Ribera del Duero Rosado.  Now considering that I am traveling right now, I won't be able to taste all four wines during the virtual tasting, so instead I will focus on the first two wines tonight, and then taste the last two this weekend.  So stay tuned for the rest of my tasting notes!

 

For the 2009 Malleolus Ribera del Duero, the wine is 100% Tempranillo that is a nice deep purple color in the glass.  The nose is somewhat fruity, with notes of blackberry and plum, with some notes of green grass, some toasted oak and a hint of minerality.  The taste has some lovely tart cherry up front that quickly transitions to some lovely leather notes and flavors of green grass, as the wonderfully structured tannins lead to a long, smooth and delicious finish.  This wine is just incredibly well structured, it makes me want to drink this wine all night long!

 Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, even though it's not a stellar bargain at about $50, but I remain convinced that it's well worth the price.  This wine would pair well with a big grilled steak, but it would also be perfect with a nice spicy dish, like a smoked chorizo with some rice and grilled veggies.  Again, just a fabulous wine and a great example of the best of Spain and the Ribera del Duero.  Cheers!

2006 E. Guigal Gigondas

What a lovely Sunday afternoon, I finally had some time to relax and take a nap, then I went to the gym for a bit and now I'm ready to ease into Sunday dinner.  And to go with that dinner, I've opened a bottle of 2006 E. Guigal Gigondas, a nice little Rhone blend (Grenache 60%, Mourvedre 30% and Syrah 10%) that I find to be food friendly, and more importantly, a pleasant drinking wine for nice spring afternoons like I'm enjoying today.

The wine is a deep violet color in the glass, edging toward some nice ruby color.  This wine can be a bit tightly wound, so you might find it more approachable letting it decant or pouring it through an aerator.  I did the latter and still let it breathe a bit in the glass before drinking it.  The nose presents some lovely dark fruit aromas of ripe plum, blackberry and cassis, along with some lovely earthy notes of cedar, anise and forest floor.  The taste has some nice fruit at the outset, that effortlessly transitions to some lovely black pepper and spice notes midpalate.  The tannins are well structured throughout, leading to a smooth, dry finish that is ideal for sipping on the patio on a spring afternoon.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, and it was a pretty good value that I bought from wineshopper.com for $25.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some steak and black bean tacos, something a little off the beaten path for a typical Rhone blend, but what the heck?  The wine pairs well with beef, and it really compliments the spice of the marinade and rustic flavors of the black beans, illustrating how versatile these wines of the southern Rhone and Languedoc can be.  Cheers!