2017 Noirvana Pinot Noir

Happy Taco Tuesday (I bet you'll never guess what's for dinner tonight!) and let's have some wine!  Tonight I've opened a bottle of Michigan wine, and you know I'm not such a big fan of Michigan wines, but a friend of mine gave be this bottle for Christmas, and it's made by her boyfriend's family, so I had to give it a try.  The 2017 Noirvana Pinot Noir is from the Karma Vista Vineyards in Coloma, Michigan, so let's see how this wine is tasting.

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with nice clarity, just a touch darker than you might expect from the varietal.  A gentle swirl in the glass reveals aromas of cherry, currant, lavender and oak, with virtually none of the funk that's usually present with a Pinot Noir.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of ripe red fruit, cherry, strawberry and raspberry that transition to some classic earthy elements of tar and dusty limestone that are classically associated with the varietal.  The tannins are nicely developed and firm enough to support a supple dry finish that lingers on the palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's one of the better Michigan red wines I've tried, and likely would be a good comparison to many west coast Pinot Noirs.  This wine would pair well with a variety of more elegant dishes, from herb crusted rack of lamb, venison tenderloin or a classis risotto.  But, since it is Taco Tuesday, I am enjoying this wine with some steak fajita tacos, topped with cheese, sour cream and some fresh jalapeno.  Cheers!

2018 Domaine Deliance Givry 1er cru Clos Charle

Happy Wine Wednesday!  It's certainly been a while since I've posted on a Wednesday, so hopefully this is a good one.  Tonight I've opened up a bottle of Burgundy that I recently purchased from Wines Till Sold Out.  The 2018 Domaine Deliance Givry 1er cru Clos Charle is a pinot noir from the chalky limestone soils and cool climate of Givry.  I admit I've been on a bit of a pinot noir kick lately, so let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a beautiful garnet color in the glass, with great clarity, as you might expect from the varietal.  A gentle swirl in the glass releases ample aromas of strawberry, sweet cherry and earthy peat with just the faintest hints of the classic Burgundy tar.  Take a sip and you're treated to a rush of ripe berry fruit that eases gently to some earthy mineral notes of dusty limestone and smoke midpalate.  The tannins are at first gripping, but then they soften to support the dry, supple finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a lovely Burgundy at a value price of just $27.  This wine would also pair well with some more challenging fare, from duck, to pork, Indian cuisine to chili.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a sesame grilled pork tenderloin along with oven roasted sweet potatoes and asparagus with Hollandaise.  Cheers! 

2016 Famiglia Castellani Chianti Classico Riserva

Happy Saturday!  I basically spend the day working around the house and running errands, and with some cooler weather, I'm looking forward to a fire on the patio tonight.  But until then, it's time to open a bottle of wine and enjoy some dinner.  Tonight I've opened a recent purchase from Costco, the 2016 Famiglia Castellani Chianti Classico Riserva.  Who doesn't love a nice Sangiovese based wine, and this one should be just about to hit its stride, so let's have a taste!

The wine is a bright ruby color in the glass, with great clarity, just as you would expect from the varietal.  A gentle swirl in the glass releases aromas of cherry, strawberry, leather and oak with undertones of spicy peppery notes.  Take a sip and your greeted with plenty of ripe red fruit, cherry, strawberry and currant that lingers on the palate before transitioning to earthy notes of dusty limestone and a hint of anise midpalate.  The tannins are soft, creating a wonderfully supply, dry finish that will have you reaching for another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a really pleasant drinking example of a Chianti Classico at a value price of just $14 at Costco.  This wine practically begs to be paired with Italian food, and I would enjoy it with a classic bistecca Fiorentina to a risotto alla Milanese, hearty pasta with red sauce or my dinner tonight, some sweet Italian sausage sautéed with onions and peppers along with some linguine tossed with garlic and olive oil and broccoli rabe, topped with shaved Parmesan.  This is the type of dinner that reminds me of the great Italian fests, like for San Gennaro back when I lived in Hoboken in the 1990s.  Cheers!

2018 San Pedro "1865" Carmenere

Happy Sunday!  It seems that summer is starting to calm down, we've seen hot and humid and rather chilly evenings on consecutive days, so I'm hoping for consistency!  As I get ready for Sunday dinner, I've decided to open a bottle of a recent Costco find, and one of my favorite varietals, Carmenere, the lost Bordeaux grape.  Carmenere was long thought extinct thanks to the phylloxera plague in 1867.  It was later discovered in Chile, having been cultivated since 1850 from French cuttings mistaken for Merlot.  The 2018 San Pedro "1865" Carmenere is named for the winemaker's founding year, and is sourced from a variety of vineyards in Chile's Del Maule Valley.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep, inky black at the center, with bright ruby along the edges, as you might expect from a pure Carmenere.  A quick swirl in the glass reveals aromas of blackberry, plum with some mineral notes of basalt and a hint of green cedar.  A taste reveals flavors of black cherry and currant that ease into notes of tobacco and black pepper spice midpalate.  The tannins are rather subdued, but still find time to support a supple, dry finish that lingers on the palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a pleasant drinking wine and a solid value at just $13.  This wine would pair well with a range of dishes, from tacos to pizza, pasta to steak.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with the latter two, a rare grilled New York Strip along with some garlic scapes and asparagus sautéed in olive and tossed with linguine and topped with shaved parmesan and a bit of purple basis.  Cheers!

2010 Stag's Leap Artemis

Happy Cellar Saturday!  It's that first Saturday of the month that prompts me to raid the cellar and find something at least a decade in the making to enjoy.  Tonight I am enjoying one of my favorite Napa Valley Cabernets, Stag's Leap Artemis, in this case the 2010 vintage which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (88%) and Merlot (12%).  This wine has certainly been in the cellar for a while, as it still has price stickers on the bottle from back when Michigan used to require price tags on everything.  At least I don't have to guess what I paid for this bottle!  So let's see how this wine has developed over the teens.

The wine is an inky black at the center, with bright garnet along the edges, just as you'd expect from a big Napa Cabernet.  The nose is a rush of sweet fruit aromas, black cherry, marionberry and blackberry intermingled with hints of nutmeg and dried flowers.  The taste is very old world in style, very reminiscent of a nice Pomerol, with ripe black fruit up front, blackberry, cherry and plum that transition easily to some notes of dried herbs and dusty limestone midpalate.  The fine grained tannins are still well built, providing for a smooth and supply dry finish.  

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just drinking beautifully now (and even though everyone has rated 2010 as a not so great vintage).  This wine would be ideal for a lot of hearty dishes, from lamb and beef tenderloin to mushroom risotto, but I think more than anything this wine begs to be enjoyed with a big steak.  And it just so happens I have a big, thick ribeye which I've grilled rare along with some bacon roasted Brussels sprouts and some baby red potatoes with butter and parsley.  Cheers!

2016 Reininger Malbec

Thank goodness it's Friday!  It's been a long week and I'm definitely in need of a weekend.  So to start things off right I've decided to open a bottle from one of my favorite Washington wine makers, Chuck Reininger.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of 2016 Reininger Malbec, a 100% Malbec from the Pepper Bridge Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley AVA.  So let's dive right in, the weekend is wasting away!

The wine is a deep, inky purple color in the glass with bright garnet along the edges, just as you'd expect from a nice Malbec.  The nose is a wonderful, warm cascade of ripe fruit intermingled with earthy notes of leather and cedar.  The taste is classic Malbec, with a rush of black fruit, blackberry, boysenberry and currant that envelops the palate befoer giving way to hints of mint, cedar and black pepper spice midpalate.  The finish is delightful, with the fine grain tannins providing for a soft and supple finish that is dry but not nearly as sharp as I've found on many Argentine interpretations of the varietal.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a really wonderful example of a Malbec with somewhat of a softer side.  This wine would pair very well with grilled steaks and chops, a smoked beef brisket, or barbecued beef ribs, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with pacific northwest steak, or a coho salmon steak as they call it here!  The salmon steak is served with a molasses bacon glaze along with some steamed wax beans and wild rice.  Cheers!

2012 Keiser Wine Company Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  I have to admit, I've been quite busy lately, and that's been cutting down my time for both food and wine but soon enough it will be over and I can get back to at least a bit of a routine.  Have I mentioned that I am in a play?  Yes, my acting debut is coming at the Elkhart Civic Theatre as we put on "It's a Wonderful Life" as a radio play.  It's been so much fun, but it's been eating into my evening wine and food time!  At any rate, tonight I've opened a bottle of wine I recently purchased from Wines Till Sold Out, the 2012 Keiser Wine Company Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  It was relatively inexpensive (maybe $20?) and I figured how can you go wrong with a Napa Cabernet from that vintage?  So let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a lovely bright ruby color in the glass, with great clarity, somewhat lighter than the typical big, bold Cabernets of Napa.  The nose is an elegant combination of leather, cardamom, tobacco and smoke, with an undercurrent of rich fruit.  The taste is rich, with a rush of ripe blackberry, plum and currant that envelop your palate before transitioning to some wonderful herb and mineral notes midpalate.  The tannins are well structured and positioned perfectly to provide nice backbone to support the long, supple and very dry finish that seems to linger for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a wonderful example of a nice Napa Cabernet that's not build to beat you in the face with a mallet.  This wine is still begging to be paired with a big piece of meat, and lucky for me I have some thick cut prime sirloin from Costco that's punching way beyond its weight class.  So rare prime sirloin, grilled asparagus and a big baked potato, what else could you ask for a perfect Sunday dinner?  Cheers!

2014 Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Saturday!  It's been and adventure the past couple days as we were totally walloped with snow, yesterday we had about 14 inches and after hours of shoveling, I think it's time for a break!  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of wine I found at my local supermarket today as they were having a 15% off sale on all their wines, so I picked up a few bottles of the 2014 Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  So let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a deep ruby color, just as you'd expect from a nice Columbia Valley Cabernet.  The nose is a pleasant combination of red fruit, green grass and light floral notes.  The taste is a pleasant rush of ripe red fruit up front, cherry, raspberry and currant that transitions nicely to some notes of cherry cola and pipe tobacco midpalate.  The tannins are somewhat soft, which gives rise to a smooth and supple dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, as it's nothing spectacular, but it is a solid and pleasant everyday Cabernet.  It was also a terrific value, as the regular price at my market was $8, but with the sale I bought these bottles for less than $7, making this an ideal everyday red.  The wine would pair nicely with a broad variety of dishes, from pizza to tacos to steak.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled New York strip with grilled leeks, mashed potatoes and gravy and steamed asparagus.  All in, a wonderful Saturday evening dinner, cheers!

2013 DaMa Wines Cowgirl Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Saturday!  It's been a lovely, lazy day of just watching college football and really not accomplishing much of anything, which is what Saturdays are supposed to be!   So tonight I have decided to open a bottle of wine I brought back from my recent trip to Walla Walla, one that I only seem to get every few years, the 2013 DaMa Wines Cowgirl Cabernet Sauvignon (you can see my review of the 2009 vintage here).  This particular vintage is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (80%) and Merlot (20%) from the Gamache and Stillwater Vineyards in the Columbia Valley of Washington.  So let's see what this girl has to offer!

The wine is a lovely deep purple color, classic of a Cabernet.  The nose is a rush of ripe purple fruit, cherries and plums overlaying some lovely notes of green grass and spice box.  The taste is classic Columbia Valley Cabernet, with a rusk of ripe plum and cherry that just dances around your palate before transitioning to some dark chocolate and mineral notes midpalate.   The finish is just wonderful, with firm tannins and just the right amount of acidity to support the long, supple and very dry finish, with just the faintest hint of Bordeaux-style funk at the very end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a really wonderful everyday Cabernet and a spectacular bargain at just $19 from the winery!  This wine would pair well with anything from pizza and pasta to baby back ribs, but tonight I am going with a Cowgirl classis of a cajun reasoned grilled Angus porterhouse, big baked potato with sour cream and chives and some grilled leeks and broccoli rabe.  Cheers!

2013 Seven Hills McClellan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Monday!  I know Mondays can be hard, so let's lighten things up a bit with a nice glass of wine!  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of one of my favorites, the 2013 Seven Hills McClellan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon from the Walla Walla Valley AVA in Washington!  I reviewed the 2012 vintage way back in 2014 (wow how time flies!) which you can see here. So let's see how this one stacks up!

The wine is a deep purple color at the center with a bright ruby along the edges, just what you'd expect from a high-quality Cabernet.  The nose is just a breath of ripe berries and earthy leather and oak, that just brings back memories of autumn (lucky it's still spring, I just checked!).  The taste is a rush of ripe berries, blackberry, marionberry and black cherry that linger on the tongue before transitioning to some wonderful mineral notes of basalt and limestone midpalate.  The finish is divine, with a reprise of black cherry as the wonderfully integrated tannins set up the supple and very dry finish that seems to last several minutes.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's drinking wonderfully now, but could still improve with some time in the cellar.  This would be a great wine with grilled steak or braised short ribs, but tonight I'm enjoying it with a light dinner of bucatini tossed with some broccoli rabe sauteed with garlic and olive oil topped with some shaved parmesan.  Cheers!

2014 Stonehedge Grand Reserve Napa Valley Meritage

Happy Sunday!  I won't say which "Sunday" it is since I don't want to pay a royalty, but rumor has it there's some sort of big game on tonight!  Well in honor of the big game, I've decided to open up a big wine, the 2014 Stonehedge Grand Reserve Napa Valley Meritage, a Bordeaux style blend of Merlot (50%), Cabernet Franc (20%), Petit Verdot (20%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%).  This wine was our office wine club selection last month, and I got it from Wines Till Sold Out, so you know it was a good value, so let's see how it tastes!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, classic for a blend that is heavy on Merlot.  The nose is a breath of smoky, mineral goodness, with hints of leather, blackberry and toasted oak.  The taste is really nice, with a rush of ripe fruit up front, cherry, red currant and raspberry that transition nicely to some cherry cola and black pepper spice midpalate.  The tannins are young, but surprisingly mellow, perfect to support the long, supple and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's drinking very nicely now but will likely improve with a few years in the cellar, and it was a solid value for just $20.  This wine would be great with a variety of meaty dishes, from hearty Italian pasta to Yankee pot roast, but tonight I'm enjoying it with a grilled prime sirloin steak with some roasted Brussels sprouts and a baked potato with all the trimmings, classic Sunday dinner...you might even call it super!

2010 Seven Hills Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, it's time to at last bid a fine farewell to 2016, and I must admit I have no idea where the last 12 months have gone!  But at least to help celebrate what was a pretty good year (now that it's over), I've decided to open up a nice bottle of wine that I found while updating my cellar list this past week, the 2010 Seven Hills Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon!  This wine is a special, limited production (only 82 cases) wine from the old vines at the Seven Hills Vineyard and the Fire Ridge Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley.  So let's see if it was worth the wait!

The wine is an intense ruby color along the edges with a center of inky indigo.  The nose offers some stunning aromas of leather and rich black fruit, blackberries, cherries and cassis with a residual of green olive that lingers at the end.  The taste is absolutely stunning, with rich black fruit intermingled with some wonderful notes of cherry cola, anise and dark chocolate, which transition elegantly to some fantastic notes of olive spice that brings back images of a local Italian grocery in New York.  The finish is divine, with robust tannins providing a velvety mouthfeel and a supple, dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.

What a great wine, that is not surprising to be given reserve status by the winemaker.  I would rate this one as an easy 9.5, as it's arguably the best Cabernet I've had in all of 2016 (good to end on a high note)!  This is an ideal big steak wine, which is a good thing since my New Year's Eve dinner consists of a prime dry aged Angus Porterhouse that I bought at Eataly yesterday in Chicago, along with a big baked potato with sour cream and chives and some steamed orange cauliflower.  Cheers and best wishes for the New Year!

2001 Resalte de Penafiel Gran Resalte Ribera del Duero

OK, I know I've been a total slacker lately, but the end of August was a big travel week for me at work, and Saturday I was driving to Chicago so I totally missed Cellar Saturday, but I'm making up for it tonight with a delayed Cellar Saturday, and for this one I have a special treat, something I rarely have a chance to enjoy, a mature Spanish wine!  In this case the 2001 Realte de Penafiel Gran Resalte Ribera del Duero, a 100% Tempranillo that was aged for 32 months in new French oak, and now I'm tasting it today!

The wine is rich ruby color in the glass with great clarity.  The nose presents pleasant aromas of blackberry, ripe plum, leather and tobacco.  The taste is simply breathtaking, a building crescendo of black fruit at the outset, blackberry, plum and cherry that transitions effortlessly to some meaty notes of mocha and dark chocolate midpalate.  The finish is punctuated by smoke, dried herbs and a subtle pepper spice even as the subdued tannins support the long, supple and very dry finish.  This wine is truly a pleasure to sip!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as I can't recall the last time I've opened a wine and enjoyed it this much.  I bought this one from Wines Till Sold Out, and although it was a bargain it was not inexpensive at $48.  Tonight I am pulling the classic move of pairing an expensive and wonderful wine with a cheap date of a dinner, after all it is Labor Day and what else could I eat but classic barbecue baby back ribs with some baked beans, mustard potato salad and Asian slaw?  The fruit and spice of this wine just pair beautifully with barbecue.  Cheers!

2005 Bodegas Estefania Tilenus Mencia

Happy Saturday!  Of course, this being the first Saturday of August, it's also Cellar Saturday, that one day per month where I raid the cellar for a bottle that's attained an appropriate level of maturity.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2005 Bodegas Estefania Tilenus Mencia that I recently bought from Wines Till Sold Out.  The wine is made from 100% Mencia grapes, which have experienced a bit of a revival with winemakers utilizing grapes from higher elevations and older vines, yielding much more age worthy wines.  This bottle was somewhat disappointing as the cork disintegrated when I tried to open it, so I decanted and then had to run the wine through some filter paper to get rid of the cork fragments (not sure what impact that will have on the wine).  So after a rough start, let's see what this wine has to offer.

The wine is a deep, inky black at the center, with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose presents pleasant aromas of blackberry, cherry, anise, green grass and tar, that suggests this will be a serious wine.  The taste is surprising as there is a rush of ripe fruit up front, blackberry, cherry and ripe plum that just overwhelm your senses.  The rich fruit transitions to some lovely mineral notes midpalate, with dusty limestone and granite that persist into the finish.  The tannins are nicely structured for a velvety mouthfeel and a long, supple dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, it's a very pleasant drinking wine that is just starting to reach its prime.  I would recommend decanting for at least an hour and letting the wine breathe as well, as this one definitely opens up to reveal even more complexity among the fruit.  This wine would pair well with a nice grilled steak, paella of some more robust Mediterranean dishes, but tonight I am going a bit off script and enjoying this one with a grilled swordfish steak along with some oven roasted fingerling potatoes and some grilled organic rainbow carrots.  The fruit in the wine really offers a nice contrast for the flavor of the swordfish.  Cheers!

2011 Chateau de Portets Graves

What a wonderful Saturday, the last day of winter!  I was doing a lot of yard work this afternoon and now I'm ready for some relaxation and of course a glass of wine!  Tonight I've decided to go back to France, since it's been so long since I've had a nice Bordeaux, so I've opened a bottle of 2011 Chateau de Portets Graves.  For those unfamiliar with Bordeaux, the Graves appellation is on the left bank of the Garonne, upstream from the Gironde (where so many famous appellations like Margaux and Medoc come from) and the city of Bordeaux.  This particular wine comes from one of the oldest vineyards in Graves, originally planted by the Romans about 2,000 years ago, and it is a blend of Merlot (55%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (45%).

The wine is a lovely deep ruby color in the glass, with an inky purple toward the center.  The nose presents aromas of ripe red fruit, raspberries and red currant, along with some leather and lovely mineral notes.  The taste is a blast of red fruit up front, with cherry and raspberry that transitions almost subliminally to some lovely spice and mineral notes of basalt and dusty limestone midpalate.  The finish is just gorgeous, with some firm tannins from the Cabernet supporting the long, supple and exceptionally dry finish, with just a hint of classic Bordeaux funk at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's still a bit young but is drinking very nicely now, and like so many Bordeaux, this one was a terrific value at just $17 from Wines Till Sold Out.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic French bistro dinner of steak frites!  A grilled petite ribeye with some fresh cut fries and Bearnaise!  Bon appetit!

2012 Chimney Rock Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon

So today as I was doing my regular grocery shopping, I decided to check out the wine section at my local Meijer to see if they had any good wines on sale, and I was in luck!  They had the 2012 Chimney Rock Stags Leap District Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon on sales for $20 off, so needless to say I stocked up!  And since I like new things, I thought it appropriate to open up my newest wine for dinner tonight!

The wine is a beautiful deep ruby color at the edges, almost an inky black at the center just as you'd expect on a high quality Cabernet.  The nose presents aromas of smoke, dried flowers, blackberries and cherries, with just the faintest hint of mint.  The taste is soft and supple at the outset, so different from so many of the big Cabernets on the market today.  Black fruit flavors of blackberry, plum and cassis transition effortlessly to some lovely mineral and spice notes midpalate.  Though young, the tannins as beautifully integrated, creating a long, lush and very dry finish that leaves you asking for more.  It strikes me that whenever someone talks about a great Napa Valley Cabernet, this is what they mean.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 9, it's drinking beautifully right now (maybe because I'm thirsty!) but it will no doubt improve with a few years in the cellar.  Tonight I am enjoying this with an ideal Napa Cabernet dinner, a rare prime Filet Mignon that I recently received from Allen Brothers in Chicago, a baked potato with butter and sour cream and some fresh steamed broccoli I bought from my Amish farmer neighbors this morning.  Could there be anything better?

2001 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Merlot

Well, it's the first Saturday of April, which means that it's Cellar Saturday, a time to open a bottle that's been maturing in the cellar for a while simply to enjoy.  And on this Cellar Saturday, we are also excited for bud break, a time when I get to hear about the initial buds of grape vines breaking forth for spring, and I am having a bit of a bud break of my own, only with my hydrangeas!  I'm particularly excited about the ones that I planted last year, they have survived the winter and hopefully will flower this year.  But back to the wine, this isn't a gardening blog after all, and tonight's wine is a real treat, the 2001 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Merlot!

Now bear in mind, I decanted this bottle for about an hour before tasting.  The color is a lighter ruby, with just the faintest hint of auburn along the edges.  The nose is a combination of sweet ripe fruit, blackberry, plum and a hint of raisin, along with some floral notes and tobacco.  The taste is remarkably fruit forward, with some lovely strawberry, cherry and blackberry notes that transition nicely to some earthy notes of mint and basalt midpalate.  The finish is warm and very dry, with soft tannins supporting the supple finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a terrific example of the varietal that's aged very nicely over the past 14 years.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with my classic Merlot meal of a thick cut grilled Angus ribeye with a big baked potato and a variety of grilled veggies, including leeks, purple carrots and Brussels sprouts, a perfect celebration of Spring!  Cheers!

2012 Shadowood Napa Valley Reserve Red Wine

Well 2014 is rapidly drawing to a close, so why not go out with a bang, or at least a few nice bottles of wine!  Having just returned from the gym and feeling mighty fine about myself, I've decided to open a bottle of 2012 Shadowood Napa Valley Reserve red wine that I got about a week or so ago from Wines Till Sold Out.  This wine is a blend that's heavy on Merlot (94%) with a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon (5%) and just a touch of Malbec (1%) to round it out.

The wine is a deep, dark ruby color in the glass which combined with the nose makes you immediately think of a high-quality Merlot.  The nose is a lovely combination of dark fruit, blackberry, cassis and plum with a lovely layer of leather and toasted oak.  The taste is such a treat, with blast of great fruit up front that remains crisp, not syrupy which transitions nicely to some vanilla and mocha flavors midpalate.  The finish is quite nice, with lovely rounded tannins supporting a long, supple and exceptionally dry finish, just as you might expect from a nice quality Merlot.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a solid wine from a great vintage at an incredible value of just $13!  You know as I was sipping this wine earlier, I got to thinking how much press has been devoted to the spectacular 2012 Napa Valley vintage, and I have to admit that for Cabernets, I haven't been impressed with the 2012 Napa vintage, but every Merlot I've tried from the same vintage has been phenomenal!  As for pairing, I know everyone says to drink this with charred meat or some such thing, which I'm not opposed to by any mean, but tonight I'm in the mood for some comfort food, so I'm enjoying this wine with some lovely baked truffle mac & cheese made with a recipe I found on Epicurious (see this Mac & Cheese Recipe Link, though I added about 2 tbs of white truffle oil to the recipe).  The dark fruit and dryness of this wine is perfect with the richness of the truffle mac & cheese!  Cheers!

2011 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Cabernet Savignon

A weeknight and I get to enjoy a wine from one of my favorite Washington wineries, L'Ecole No. 41!  Tonight I've opened a bottle of the 2011 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon, usually an easy choice for what's sure to be a nice bottle.

The wine is a beautiful ruby color in the glass with just a bit of opacity.  The nose is quite nice, with a combination of ripe plums, blackberries and tart cherry intermingled with some green herb notes. The taste is quite nice, with a bit of cherry compote and smoke at the outset, transitioning to some tobacco and earthy peat notes midpalate.  The tannins are well integrated and nicely structured to support the long, supple and very dry finish.  This wine reminds me a lot of the more classic Cabernets that you found 20 years ago, with a lot more finesse than many wine you find today.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a great bottle with the classic Cabernet characteristics that I've really come to appreciate over the years, and it comes at a descent price of just $39!  Tonight I am enjoying this with a classic Cabernet dinner pairing of rare grilled Angus ribeye with a baked potato and grilled leeks and Brussels sprouts, so yummy!  Cheers!

2011 Forgeron Malbec StoneTree Vineyard

Well happy Saturday!  Today I slept late, ran errands, then bought some fresh pine and cedar garland to start decorating for the holidays, so tonight I've earned a little break.  And what's better with a break than a nice bottle of wine?  Tonight's selection is one that I recently received from one of my wine club shipments, the 2011 Forgeron Cellars Malbec from the StoneTree Vineyard on the Wahluke Slope.  Now had I realized when I grabbed my corkscrew how limited the production of this wine was (just 95 cases!) I might have held onto it for a while, but what the heck!

The wine is a deep dark brooding ruby color in the glass, that is almost black at the center leading to brighter color along the edges.  The nose is just fantastic, some bright fruit notes, blackberries, plums, with a lovely smokiness overlaying some toasted oak and spice notes that just brings to mind all that is best about the holidays, the wonderful foods, fires in the hearth, pine boughs hung and trees decorated, fresh fruit, the smell of pies and cookies wafting from the kitchen, this wine just smells like Christmas to me!  The taste is just as much of a treat, with some rich fruit flavors up front, cherry cola, blackberries, currants, all cooked down to a lovely glaze, which transitions to some wonderful spice notes mixed with smoke midpalate.  The finish is just lovely, with some coarse mineral notes, dusty limestone along with the well structured tannins supporting a long, supple and sublimely dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5 as it's probably my favorite Malbec (of course you all know I'm not a huge fan of Malbec, but I could drink this one all day long).  The price was a little steep at $46, but given the limited production it's perfectly understandable and worth it.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a little unusual comfort food, some steamed snow crab legs along with oven roasted fingerling potatoes and some grilled asparagus, but it would be perfect with any hearty winter meal, from rich stews to braised short ribs or lamb, the sweet fruit and spice makes this one a perfect Christmas wine for all!  Sante!