2019 Trestle Glen Vineyards Sonoma Valley Zinfandel

Happy Sunday!  It was rainy and dreary today, so that means catching up on work and doing laundry!  At least there is still wine, and tonight's selection, which I bought from Wines Till Sold Out, combines two of my favorite things, wine and trains!  Trestle Glen Vineyards name and label pay homage to the Sonoma Valley Railway that ran between Sonoma Town and the village of Glen Ellen between 1882 and 1907.  The 2019 Trestle Glen Vineyards Sonoma Valley Zinfandel is a classic example of the varietal with the accompanying high alcohol (in this case 15.3% ABV).  So, let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a deep ruby in the glass, somewhat lighter than you might expect from a classic jammy Zinfandel.  The note presents aromas of blueberry, plum with undertones of nutmeg, cedar and peppery spice.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of jammy fruit that is intertwined with some earthy notes of cedar, tar and basalt before transitioning to some white pepper spice notes midpalate.  The tannins are soft, allowing for the acidity in the wine to bite a bit at the smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a pleasant drinking Zindandel that would be ideal for casual dinners, especially at the price of just $17!  This wine would pair well with everything from barbecue to tacos, pizza to steak.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a special steak fajita dinner.  This weekend I had the chance to buy a nice round steak at my local market that was harvested from our recent 4H county fair, so truly farm to table!  I grilled the steak with some spices then added sautéed onions and hatch chiles and topped them with all the accoutrements!  Cheers!

2013 Secco-Bertani Original Vintage Edition

Happy New Year!  It's been a relaxing day and I've done some reading and watching of the "Twilight Zone" marathon and now it's time for a New Year's dinner and tonight I am going totally Italian given my recent day trip to Chicago and Eataly!  My wine for the evening is a 2013 Secco-Bertani Original Vintage edition red wine from the Veneto region of Italy (this is in Northern Italy) that I picked up on the recent trip.  This wine is primarily made from Corvina grapes (80%), Sangiovese Grosso (10%), Cabernet Sauvignon (5%) and Syrah (5%), according to a blend from an original recipe from 1888, so let's see what it has to offer!

The wine is a bright ruby color in the glass with great clarity, somewhat lighter, in the style of a nice Sangiovese.  The nose is a wonderful blend of earthy leather, lavender and a combination of herbs that reminds me of many of the small grocers in Little Italy.  The taste is a rush of ripe fruit, cherry, blackberry and plum that transitions effortlessly to some notes of spice box, nutmeg and tea midpalate.  The tannins are very fine, providing a nice backdrop for the long, dry finish as the acidity kicks in to provide notes of tart cherry at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a pleasant drinking Italian red wine that would pair exceedingly well with a broad range of Italian cuisine, from Tuscan toast to risotto to classic pasta.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with an old Italian favorite comfort dish of braciole served over a plate of bucatini with plenty of fresh basil.  The fruit and spice of this wine just complements the hearty beef and spice of the braciole so well.  Cheers!

2015 DaMa Columbia Valley Tempranillo

Happy Friday!  In a holiday shortened week, it's such a pleasure to get to the weekend so much sooner than normal!  To kick things off, I've decided to open a bottle of a recent wine club shipment from DaMa Wines in Walla Walla, the 2015 DaMa Columbia Valley Tempranillo.  This wine is a 100% Tempranillo from the Chene de Mille vineyard in the Columbia Valley.  So let's see how this one stacks up!

The wine is a lighter ruby color with great clarity, which is classic for the varietal.  The nose is chock full of spice, cardamom, nutmeg and lavender over lovely ripe fruit notes of strawberry and raspberry.  The taste is warm and inviting, with a vapor of fruit flavor at the outset that transitions to some lovely earthy mineral notes midpalate.  The tannins are smooth and well structured, though young, providing for a lovely, warm and dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it really reminds me of some of the best Tempranillos of Spain, smooth fruit with a bit of a spicy edge.  This wine would pair well with a variety of summer dishes, from caprese salad to grilled salmon, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with some barbecued baby back ribs, corn on the cob and potato salad, it doesn't get more summery than that!  Cheers!

2000 L'Ecole No. 41 Apogee

Happy Cellar Saturday!  It's the first Saturday of the new month and new year, and that means it's time to raid the cellar for something interesting to open!  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2000 L'Ecole No. 41 Apogee, a blend of Merlot (60%), Cabernet Sauvignon (34%) and Cabernet Franc (6%) from the Pepper Bridge Vineyard in Walla Walla.  Now I haven't had this one in the cellar for too long, as I think I picked it up when I was in Walla Walla last summer, but in any case here goes nothing!

I let the wine decant for about 90 minutes before pouring.  The wine is a nice ruby color in the glass, with just a bit of opacity.  The nose presents aromas of leather, blackberry, plum and a hint of forest floor.  The taste presents surprising flavors of cherry cola up front that transitions nicely to some notes of mocha, nutmeg and baking spice midpalate.  The finish if beautiful, with mellow tannins and a reprise of some earthy spice for the long, smooth and exceptionally dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, it's just a beautiful and mature expression of the lovely Bordeaux-style blends the Walla Walla Valley is famous for.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic pairing of a rare grilled Angus New York Strip with grilled leeks, a loaded backed potato and some steamed broccoli.  The richness of the fruit and spice in this wine are a perfect complement to such a hearty meal.  Cheers!

2011 Three Rivers Winery Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

TGIF!  The is a great Friday as it marks the end of the two busiest weeks of the year for me at work!  Whew!  So tonight I think I deserve a break, with a big ol' steak and a nice bottle of vino, so tonight I've selected a Cabernet from a familiar Washington producer that was a very popular wine club selection this month at work, the 2011 Three Rivers Winery Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon!

The wine is a beautiful rich ruby color in the glass with a bit of opacity at the center.  The nose is a lovely combination of vanilla bean, leather, blackberry and a hint of graphite.  The taste is a modest bit of fruit up front, some blackberry and plum, but very subtle, which transitions to some lovely winter spice notes midpalate, a bit of nutmeg and vanilla which brings my mind right to Christmas time.  The finish is very nice, with a strong minerality, dusty limestone and some basalt that intermingle with some very well integrated tannins, providing for a long, smooth and exceptionally dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's solid and a great value at $17!  This is definitely not the fruit bomb sort of Cabernet that seems so prevalent today, but is wonderfully structured and complex.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled porterhouse, baked potato and some steamed green beans that I bought fresh from an Amish family.  Cheers!

2011 Forgeron Sagemoor Barbera

Is it just me, or is home ownership the biggest racket in the world?  Now that I am a proud homeowner it seems I never have the weekends to just lounge around, sipping wine and enjoying the finer things in life.  No, every weekend it seems like I'm inundated with little projects around the house.  Today it was trimming some dead branches, then planting some flowers and fixing my broken skylight on the eve over my dining room!  Well at least when it's all done, I can relax on my deck, enjoy my yard and trees and sip a delightful glass of wine, like the 2011 Forgeron Sagemoor Barbera!  For those of you who have known me any length of time, you must know that one of my favorite wines is a good Barbera primarily because it's a very nice, food friendly wine that drinks exceptionally well when it's young, like the wine I've opened this evening.

The color of this wine is a deep purple at the center, leading to some bright ruby along the edges with fairly solid clarity.  The nose is a sweet combination of ripe fruit, licorice and a bit of smokiness.  The taste is a blast of fruit, strawberries, cherries and blackberries, along with some lovely spice notes of nutmeg and baking spice.  Midpalate the taste shifts to some mineral notes with a lingering presence of rich black fruit.  The tannins are well behaved creating a velvety and full mouthfeel and a long, smooth dry finish.  The lightness and fruit make this an ideal summer red!

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, as I think it's just a great example of a Barbera, a fruit forward and food friendly wine that should be on everyone's list as we get to summer grilling!  This wine is very limited production of just 131 cases, yet it's still reasonably priced at just $30.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a preview of summer dinner of "surf & turf" with a grilled ribeye along with some steamed snow crab legs, a baked Yukon gold potato and some fresh grilled corn on the cob!  It's only May but man I am looking forward to so many fine summer dinners, cheers!