2023 Bledsoe Family Winery Healy Rosé

Happy Sunday!  I spent yesterday trimming hedges and mowing, so today I needed a break!  I did some laundry and now I'm ready for a nice glass of wine and my Sunday dinner.  Given the recent heat and humidity, I thought it appropriate to once again celebrate rosé season!  Tonight, I've opened a bottle from a recent wine club shipment from the Bledsoe Family Winery, the 2023 Bledsoe Family Winery Healy Rosé.  This wine is a 100% Syrah from the Flying B Estate, Los Oidos and Kenny Hill Vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how summer is treating this wine!

The wine is a pale peach color in the glass, with a more solid color than some recent rosé vintages.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of peach, orange blossom and citrus that signal a bit of refreshment coming your way.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of sweet summer fruit with subtle acidity that practically begs you to enjoy this bottle fully engaged on your patio. The mild acidity and well integrated tannins create a finish that is lingering on the palate, much different from the acidic crush of most rosés.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as I think it's the best vintage yet of this fun summer wine.  This one would pair well with summer salads, particularly a nice caprese with aged balsamic, seared tuna or fun fish tacos.  Tonight, I am taking a decidedly Mediterranean route with this wine and enjoying it with some grilled octopus and fresh summer veggies grilled with herbs de Provence and flaky sea salt.  Cheers!

2018 Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Pinot Noir

Well, this is a post I've been anxious to write, since I recently became a shareholder in this winery!  There are very few publicly traded wineries, but Willamette Valley Vineyards is one of them.  I recently bought some of their preferred stock (and by no means is this to be considered investment advice, please consult your own investment professional!) which has a lot of benefits for being a shareholder, including wine discounts, special events at the wineries, and a bonus of you choose to receive your preferred stock dividend as a wine credit!  

So since I'm now a proud shareholder, I searched around and finally found a bottle of wine to taste tonigh, the 2018 Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Pinot Noir, so let's see if my investment is paying off!

The wine is a brilliant ruby color in the glass, with nice clarity, just as you would expect from a nice pinot noir from Oregon.  The nose is a pleasant rendering of lovely floral and herb notes, lavender, lilac and hints of orange blossom and mint with earthy undertones.  The taste is a rush of lovely red fruit, cherry, plum and lingonberry washing over your palate before transitioning to some wonderful earthy notes of tar and tobacco midpalate, with a bit of white pepper spice at the end.  The tannins are expertly structured to provide a wonderfully smooth, dry finish that lingers with w bit of fruit.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as this Pinot noir falls into the category that I like, lighter but full of great flavor (a Pinot that us Cabernet lovers can get behind!) and it was also a darn good value at just $22 here locally.  This wine would pair well with the classic Oregon fare, salmon, Dungeness crab and fantastic Thai food, and tonight I've gone one of those routes.  I'm enjoying this wine with a nice Alder planked wild Alaskan sockeye served with some mango, pineapple and jalapeno salsa and some black beans and rice.  Cheers! 

2017 Domaine Fontval Mediterranee Rose

Happy Saturday! Normally heading into the back half of June would be prime rose weather, but today it's been raining with a high of 65, so maybe not the summer warmth on the patio sort of day.  In any case, I've opened a bottle of rose to get me in the mood for summer, the 2017 Domaine Fontval Mediterranee Rose, a rose made with a blend of Grenach (70%) and Mourvedre (30%) for a classic rose of Rhone varietals.  So let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a pale peach color in the glass, almost looking more like a white wine than a rose.  The nose presents aromas of pink grapefruit, orange blossom and flint that invite you to take a sip.  The taste is a rush of wonderful citrus notes intermingled with some fresh raspberries, that transitions to some modest minerality midpalate.  The finish is crisp, with a reprise of citrus that lingers longer than you might expect from a nice rose.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's not the best rose, but it's solid and a terrific value for just $9 from Wines Till Sold Out!  This wine is perfect for summer and I can see myself sipping this one on the patio.  It would also pair well with a broad array of foods, from Caprese salad to light pasta to seafood.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some walleye baked with herbs and garlic scapes from the farmers market this morning along with some steamed sugar snap peas I also bought at the farmers market and some farro with porcini mushrooms.  Cheers!

2015 Forgeron Rose of Sangiovese

Happy Sunday!  Boy it sure feels like summer here now, I was mowing the grass today and was sweating like mad as it reached the upper-80s today!  Hot is the perfect weather for a summer favorite, rose!  Today I've decided to open a bottle of our office wine club selection for June, the 2015 Forgeron Rose of Sangiovese from the Walla Walla Valley of Washington!  I reviewed the 2014 vintage (you can see that here) so let's see how the 2015 stacks up!

The wine is a very light peach color, perfect for a dry rose for summer!  The nose is a lovely combination of grapefruit, strawberry and orange blossom notes, with just a bit of minerality in the background.  The taste is a lovely rush of sweet strawberry and tropical fruit up front that transitions to some wonderful floral notes midpalate.  The finish is crisp, with mild acidity and a smooth, very dry ending.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's one of my favorite roses for summer, perfect for sipping on the patio on a warm evening light tonight.  This wine would pair well with a variety of summer fare, from caprese salad to lighter fish dishes, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with some pan seared sea scallops along with some bucatini tossed with broccoli rabe sauteed with garlic and olive oil topped with a bit of shaved parmesan.  Sante!

2016 Seven Hills Dry Rose

Happy Wine Wednesday!  Today it was unseasonably warm, 83 degrees, which felt remarkably summer like, which means it was a perfect day to chill some rose!  And tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2016 Seven Hills Dry Rose, a bottle I got a few months ago and I've been hankering to try once the weather warmed up.  Well tonight's the night!

The wine is a lovely peach color in the glass.  The nose presents aromas of peach, orange blossom and a hint of basalt.  The taste is crisp and refreshing, with some interesting Chardonnay like notes of buttery fruit, peach, grapefruit and papaya that transition nicely to some lovely mineral notes midpalate.  A rose like this, made primarily from Cabernet Franc has somewhat mellow acidity and a smooth, bone dry finish, similar to the classic dry rose wines of France.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it's an ideal wine for summer, perfect for salads, lighter meals or just sipping on the deck.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a wonderful dinner of bucatini tossed with broccoli rabe sauteed in olive oil and garlic and topped with a bit of shaved parmesan.  And after dinner I'll finish enjoying this lovely rose on the deck as it should be!  Cheers!

2015 L'Ecole No. 41 Grenache Rose

Happy Monday!  I know it's unusual for my to post on Mondays, but what the heck!  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2015 L'Ecole No. 41 Grenache Rose, since it seems summer has decided to come early this year - it's been in the upper 80s today and expected to stay hot all week long.  And since this is the summer of rose, why not go back to the pioneer of roses in Walla Walla, since I think they started the trend back with their 2009 vintage.  So let's see how this rose will get us through the summer!

The wine is a pale pinkish hue, almost a peach color in the glass.  The nose presents aromas of pink grapefruit and melon, accented by some floral notes of orange blossom and white roses.  The taste is just lovely, with some soft fruit notes up front, melon, strawberry and a hint of citrus that transition to some pomegranate and a bit of minerality midpalate.  The finish is crisp and very dry, just as a fine rose should be.

Overall, I would give this rose a solid 8.5, as I've been a fan of this one for quite a while.  This would be ideal for just sipping on the patio in the evening, or enjoying with a variety of picnic fare.  Tonight I'm enjoying this one with grilled hot dogs served Chicago style, a perfect day at the beach.  Cheers!

2015 DaMa Wines Rose of Cabernet Franc

Happy Memorial Day!  I always have mixed feelings about this holiday, as I like to honor those who've served our country in the military, but this also represents the first holiday of the summer, and hence the start of Rose season!  So today I've decided to open a bottle of 2015 DaMa Wines Rose of Cabernet Franc, an interesting little Rosa from the Walla Walla Valley of Washington.

The wine is a pale peach color in the glass, somewhat lighter than other roses I've had so far this year.  The nose presents aromas of cool citrus, grapefruit and a hint of strawberry and orange blossom.  The taste is quite soft, not the bright citrus acidity I was expecting, but rather some notes of honeysuckle, strawberry and a bit of olive.  The finish is quite nice, very dry and refreshing, just a bit of summer in a glass.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's a very pleasant rose that is perfect for summer.  This wine would be great with a light summer salad for lunch, or as I'm enjoying it this first holiday of barbecue season, with some barbecued ribs, fresh cole slaw and corn on the cob!  Whooo hooo this summer is going to be awesome!

2015 Healy Rose

Happy Hump Day!  It's been a busy week already as I was in Montreal and Toronto for work (but at least I was able to score a bottle of Niagara wine at the duty free shop, more on that in a future post) and now I'm home for a couple weeks.  Tonight I went to the gym and now I'm ready to relax with a great bottle of wine, the 2015 Healy Rose, the latest signature wine from Doubleback, Drew and Maura Bledsoe's winery in Walla Walla.  So let's see how this rose from the Columbia Valley stacks up!

The wine is a beautiful salmon color, with some orange tints.  The nose presents aromas of strawberry, honeydew and some fresh spring floral notes.  The taste is just wonderfully refreshing, with some lovely crisp fruit notes up front, strawberry and honeydew again, but then there is a lovely reprise of apricot on the finish that just makes this wine a treat, perfect for the summer that's barreling towards us!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it's one of my favorites of the current crop of Roses from Washington, but unfortunately I only have one more bottle!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some classic summer food, some fried chicken and biscuit with a bit of cole slaw, and of course once dinner is over, I'll be enjoying this one on the patio as the sun goes down.  Cheers!

2015 Seven Hills Dry Rose of Cabernet Franc

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  I know this is traditionally a holiday marked by corned beef and cabbage and green beer, but I'm not much of a beer drinker, so what to pair with my lovely dinner that's been simmering all day long?  Thankfully I received a case of 2015 Seven Hills Dry Rose of Cabernet Franc with my wine club shipment last week and that should be perfect!

The wine is a lovely, light peach color in the glass, and at certain angles it almost appears to be a white wine.  The nose presents aromas of peach, mango and a hint of orange blossom.  The taste is just wonderful, with a blast of floral notes up front that transition nicely to some flavors of grapefruit, watermelon and a hint of spice midpalate.  The finish is crisp and refreshing as I am not imagining how this wine will be on the patio during a pleasant July evening.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it one of the nicest roses I've had from Washington, and they keep getting better every year.  As mentioned earlier, I am enjoying this wine with my traditional corned beef and cabbage with red potatoes and cabbage, as the fresh fruit and acidity cuts nicely through the richness of the corned beef.  Cheers!