2020 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Soda Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Saturday!  It's been a day full of yard work as I cleared out a pile of invasive bushes and trees and then trimmed the hedges in the front yard.  And now that I'm exhausted, I need to make dinner and get to the theater for a performance of "Dear Even Hansen" tonight!  Well, at least there's wine and tonight is a really good one I bought trom Wines Till Sold Out a month or two ago. The 2020 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Soda Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon is part of their Distinguished Vineyard Series, this time celebrating Soda Canyon Vineyard from the Atlas Peak AVA of Napa Valley.  Let's see how this wine is tasting a little over five years in.

The wine has the classic inky black and bright ruby complexion you'd expect from a high-quality Napa Cabernet.  The nose presents aromas of ripe blackberry, tart cherry, macerated plum and the charactheristic leather and oak you might expect at the Cornell Club.  The first sip is a surprisingly sweet rush of ripe black fruit that evolved into some wonderful mineral notes midpalate, before careening into some acidity in the warm, dry finish that lingers on your palate..

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's an excellent Napa Caberenet, with a bit more earhiness than you might typically find in such a wine, making this one a bit of a different animal.  As for pairing, this wine would pair well with hearty steak, classic Bolognese or earthy mushroom risotto.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a pan seared ribeye finished with a bit of truffle butter over a bed of sauteed onions and mushrooms along with some fresh corn on the cob.  Cheers!

2012 Maison Bleue "Voyageur" Syrah

Wow, it's been while since I've posted on my blog!  And no, it's not because I've been exceptionally lazy, but because I've been so darn busy at work!  I was out of the office for the last 10 days of March traveling to Houston, Dallas, Austin, Boston and New York, I think I was home less than I was gone during the month!  So let's get back to business, time to open a great bottle of wine, and tonight't should be a good one, from one of my favorite producers of Grenache and Syrah, Maison Bleue!  Tonight I've opened a wine club selection that arrived in my office when I wasn't even there, the 2012 Maison Bleue "Voyager" Syrah!  This wine was made from 100% Syrah, with a limited production of just 192 cases.

The wine is a lovely bright ruby color in the glass with great clarity.  The nose is lovely, with aromas of green herbs, macerated plums, black pepper and tobacco, it's the kind of wine that makes you feel good just inhaling the aromas surrounding it.  The taste is so rich and sophisticated, not your average Syrah by any stretch.  This one has a lovely bit (emphasis on bit) of fruit at the outset, cherry, blackberry and cassis, that transitions effortlessly to some wonderful spice and mineral notes of black pepper and just a hint of anise.  The tannins are well rounded, offering a foundation for an exceptionally smooth, dry finish (not the mouth-puckeringly dry of so many wines today, much more like the fine dry reds of France).

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a great wine, but the price prevents it from being your everyday Syrah at $55 ($46.75 with the wine club discount).  This wine would be great with a variety of rustic beef dishes, pizza, or tonight's dinner, homemade tacos!  The rich fruit and hearty minerality are perfect foils to a hearty steak taco with crisp veggies and homemade guacamole.  Cheers!