2015 Buty Conner Lee Vineyard Merlot-Cabernet Franc

Happy Monday!  I came home today to find my garage door not working, and then realized that it wasn't working because the power was out all over the neighborhood.  So, I did what anyone would do, yard work!  As I finished mowing, the power was restored and you all got to have this wonderful wine blog post.  Tonight I've opened up a bottle of a future wine club selection, the 2015 Buty Winery Conner Lee Vineyard Merlot-Cabernet Franc. This is my first wine from Buty, and this one is a classic Columbia Valley Bordeaux style blend of Merlot (67%) and Cabernet Franc (33%).  So let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, as you'd expect from Merlot and Cabernet Franc.  The nose is a wonderfully earthy combination of dusty limestone, leather, musk and candied cherries that has a distinctly Tuscan sort of vibe.  The taste is a rush of ripe blackberry, cherry and boysenberry that completely envelops the palate before transitioning to some notes of white pepper spice and a hint of lavender.  The silky tannins are well integrated for a wonderfully complex, long dry finish that lingers.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a wonderful example of some of the great blending in the Columbia Valley.  This wine would be great paired with a big steak, but it would also sing with some pizza or barbecue.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some braised beef short ribs, mashed potatoes and some bacon roasted broccoli rabe.  Cheers!

2010 Casalforno Chianti Classico Riserva

Happy Friday!  I've been enjoying my staycation and went and did a little shopping today, but when I came home it started raining, so I altered my dinner plans from something grilled to something pasta and what's better with pasta than a little Italian red?  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2010 Casalforno Chianti Classico Riserva, the office wine club selection that I bought from Wines Till Sold Out, a 100% Sangiovese from Tuscany, so let's see what she has to offer!

The wine is a deep ruby in the glass, and I've let it breathe for about an hour or so.  The nose presents aromas of tart cherry, cedar and a bit of earthy musk.  The taste is quite nice with a blast of ripe black fruit up front that transitions to some dusty limestone and a bit of "twang" midpalate.  The finish is dry and very smooth, not as abrupt as some dry red wines.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, as it is a very pleasant Chianti and a terrific value at just $13! This wine would pair well with a variety of roasts and game, but tonight I am going Southern Italian and enjoying this wine with a classic spaghetti and meatballs!  The earth and fruit notes are a perfect foil to the spicy Italian sausage in the meatballs while the dry finish is perfect against the red sauce and parmesan, Tutti a tavola a mangare!

2008 Waters Interlude Columbia Valley Red Wine

How sad, I've been away for a week and suddenly Washington Wine Month is almost at an end! Fear not fellow Washington Winos, I mean Wine Fans, I have at least two more to share with you, including tonight's feature, the 2008 Waters Interlude Columbia Valley Red Wine.  Now I'll admit, I bought this a year or two ago, and I can't even remember where I bought it from, but it's from Washington, so I'm going to enjoy it tonight!

For a Columbia Valley wine, this one really throws you off, since it has a nose that is so reminiscent of the lovely Walla Walla blends, which suggests for a CV designation, this one is likely under-appreciated,  The nose is a lovely combination of leather, ripe red fruit and a bit of spice, all surrounded by a hint of musky earth.  The taste is just lovely, with some ripe berries up front, along with some tart cherry, which makes for an interesting combination, followed by some green grass and cedar midpalate.  The finish is perfectly dry, as the well developed tannins support a long, lush, dry finish.

As I mentioned earlier, I can't remember where I bought this one, so I have no idea whether it was a bargain or appropriately priced, but I can certainly have no hesitation rating this one a solid 8.5 as it's just a terrific example of a Columbia Valley blend that is at the top of its game.  Tonight I am enjoying it with a rare angus ribeye, a big baked potato and some lovely veggies (purple carrots, asparagus, zucchini, red onion and green pepper) grilled in a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper.  What a lovely pairing as this wine supports the big red meat, but also plays nicely with the rich aromatics of the grilled veggies.  So delicious!

2004 Carmela Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, here's a new wine from my recent road trip out west, the 2004 Carmela Cabernet Sauvignon.  Now as I traveled, I learned that wine making has taken root in a variety of spots, from Missouri to Iowa, to Montana and Idaho.  It appears the Snake River Valley has become somewhat of an emerging wine region, perhaps comparable to Washington 30 or 40 years ago.  So as I was driving toward the Oregon border I saw a sign for a winery and decided to stop at Glenns Ferry, Idaho.

Now as you can see, this was a pretty little winery, not far from the Snake River, and they have about 40 acres of grapes that they grow themselves, but they also source from some other vineyards in the Snake River Valley.  I went into their tasting room and was surprised by the quality of the wines, though they weren't like Napa Valley, some of them were quite good, so I ended up leaving with a half case!

Tonight's wine is the 2004 Carmela Idaho Cabernet Sauvignon.  Now I let the wine open up a bit in the glass for about 45 minutes, but it's still a much lighter bodied Cab than might be typical of the big wines of Napa, but it's nice to see the way different terroirs express themselves through the grape and into the glass.  The wine present a nose of cedar, black pepper, an black currant, along with stronger notes of earth and musk.  The taste is somewhat fruit forward, with hints of blackberry and a peppery spice, the tannins are surprisingly mellow creating a very smooth, dry finish.

It's an interesting wine that really shows the dry climate and volcanic soils of the region, and although I had to drive 1,800 miles to get it, I'd rate this wine a solid 7.  From a region whose wines I hadn't tried before, this one was a nice surprise.  As for pairings, tonight I am having it with a typical Idaho dinner of rare Angus T-bone steak, along with some wonderful grilled veggies, including red onion, leeks, purple asparagus, red, orange and white peppers, yummy!

2007 Ravenswood Pickberry Vineyards Red Wine

Another wine evening, I mean fine evening, but I repeat myself!  Tonight I am enjoying a wonderful bottle of 2007 Ravenswood Pickberry Vineyards red wine.  It was 2000 when I was introduced to Ravenswood, and the single vineyard wines were always at the top of their offerings, and the Pickberry Bordeaux blend was always at the top of the top.  To the fact that I was able to get a few bottles in a recent order from Wineshopper.com is fortunate so I can see if the wine still lives up to its reputation a decade on.

Well, to give away the surprise, it certainly does!  This is a classic Bordeaux style blend of Merlot (58%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (42%) from Sonoma Valley.  This wine is a bright ruby color in the glass, and the nose is a fragrant blend of red fruit, tobacco, licorice and musk.  The taste is surprisingly fruit forward, with hints of cherry and red currant at the front end, giving way to some complex mineral flavors mid-palate.  The finish is wonderfully dry with the tangyness of the tannins providing a nice firm finish.  The wine is still a little young, and will likely age quite well over the next decade or two.

Overall, I can't find much of anything negative to say about this wine, which is somewhat rare in itself!  I would rate this one a solid 9, with the only thing holding it back from an everyday drinking wine being the price, which at $30 is a bit of a stretch in these budget conscious times.  I am enjoying this one with tonight with a grilled ribeye and some roasted asparagus and corn on the cob, a traditional Memorial Day feast, but I've got a hunch I'll enjoy it just as much after dinner relaxing on the patio!