2023 Helix Petit Verdot

Happy Wine Wednesday!  Tonight, I've opened a bottle from my last wine club shipment from one of my favorite Washington producers, Chuck Reininger.  The 2023 Helix Petit Verdot is a 100% Petit Verdot sourced from the Stone Tree Vineyard in the Wahluke Slope AVA of Washington.  I've enjoyed Chuck's single blending varietals before, so let's see how this one is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass with nice clarity.  The nose presents aromas of lemongrass, bing cherry and blackberry amid undertones of cedar and spice.  The first sip is a rush of ripe black fruit, rich and luxurious that easily transitions to some notes of toasted oak and white pepper spice before cascading back to some tart cherry and hints of lilac at the end.  The tannins are well structured to provide the perfect backbone to the velvety smooth dry finish that will have you reaching for another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a really pleasant drinking example of this solitary varietal that is usually relegated to a supporting role.  This wine would pair well with a range of dishes, from pasta primavera to barbecued brisket, burgers and brats.  Tonight, I am taking a decidedly Northwest approach and enjoying this wine with some crispy skin salmon along with linguine tossed with asparagus and garlic scapes sautéed in olive oil.  Cheers!

2019 Beaulieu Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Valentines Day!  I hope you are enjoying the evening with the love of your life!  Tonight I am enjoying a fabulous dinner (as always) and have decided to open a wine that I recently purchased from a local market, from a big producer that I have not tried before.  The 2019 Beaulieu Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is the 119th year that this producer has been crafting fine Napa Valley wines, so let's see what this one has to offer.

The wine has the classic look of a big Napa Cabernet in the glass, bright ruby, with a dark brooding center.  The nose presents aromas of leather, sweet cherry, aged oak and hints of baking spice.  The first sip is a rush of ripe black fruit, with distinctly tawny elements, blackberry, cherry and cassis, amid undertones of oak and earthy minerals.  The first rush of fruit easily transitions to some classic earthy notes of tar, dusty limestone and peat, before some acidic notes at the finish.  The tannins are well structured providing for a long, voluptuous finish that lingers until your next sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a prime example of a classic Napa Valley Cabernet, without the big, punch-in-the-face tannins that you often see.  This wine would pair well with a range of hearty dishes, from braised lamb to grilled steak, hearty pasta to classic pot roast.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a classic surf and turf, a rare grilled bone-in ribeye along with a grilled lobster tail and some grilled asparagus (by the way, if your man didn't make you a dinner like this, it might be time for a conversation!).  Cheers!

2018 Château Fonréaud Listrac-Medoc

Well, it was a busy Saturday, working, then working in the yard, then running errands and now I am more than ready for dinner and a nice glass of wine.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle that I bought a month or so ago from Costco, the 2018 Château Fonréaud Listrac-Medoc.  I am a big fan of the Medoc in France, as this was one of the first wines I fell in love with on my first trip to France in 1995.  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, so what could go wrong?

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, a classic Bordeaux look.  A gentle swirl reveals aromas of ripe black fruit, leather, basalt and a classic Bordeaux funk.  The first sip is a rush of ripe black fruit at first, which instantly transitions to some notes of earthy peat and ripe plum, before transitioning to notes of black pepper spice, leather and dried herbs midpalate.  The tannins are supple yet firm, providing an ideal foundation for the long, smooth dry finish that is classically Bordeaux.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a wonderfully drinking classic red wine, that was a terrific value at under $20 (I don't recall exactly what I paid, but I think it was around $18).  This wine would pair well with classic steaks and chops, hearty pasta dishes, or braised short ribs.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a seared prime New York strip over a bed of sautéed peppers, onions and mushrooms with some oven roasted potatoes.  Cheers!

2022 Stag's Leap Artemis

Happy Sunday!  It's been very hot here today, though I did make it out for a bike ride for about an hour and just got cooled off.  In any case, now it's time to make dinner and open a nice bottle of wine.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle of wine that I recently bought from Wines Till Sold Out in one of their recent Mystery Selections which have featured two wines from this outstanding producer, this time it's the 2022 Stag's Leap Artemis.  I've been a fan of this wine for well over a decade having reviewed the 2010 vintage and the fabulous 2012 vintage previously.  Let's see how this wine is shaping up!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass with a brooding black center, just as you'd expect from a big Napa Cabernet.  A gentle swirl and your nose is treated to aromas of caramel, tar and lavender with undertones of leather and ripe black fruit.  The first sip is a rush of ripe black fruit having a throw down with tart cherry before easing up to notes of warm baking spice, earthy minerality and mocha midpalate.  The tannins are still a bit sharp, but ease right into the warm dry finish that lingers on the palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's drinking nicely now, but will likely improve handsomely with a few years in the cellar.  This wine would pair with a variety of hearty dishes from braised short ribs to rack of lamb, but more than anything, this wine begs for steak.  And it's a good thing my local market had a good variety yesterday, so tonight I can enjoy this wine with a rare grilled tomahawk ribeye topped with grilled garlic scapes and served with grilled asparagus and broccoli rabe.  Cheers!

2018 Nelms Road Cabernet Sauvignon

Thank heavens it's Friday!  It's been a long week and I am surely ready for a break.  Between work and rehearsals for an upcoming community theatre production I'm in, it seems like I was up at 5:30 each morning and then running non-stop until 11 pm!  But, no rehearsal tonight so I get to enjoy a bottle of wine and a dinner that does not consist of quickly reheated leftovers.  So, with that in mind, I've opened a bottle of 2018 Nelms Road Cabernet Sauvignon, a second label Columbia Valley Cabernet produced by Woodward Canyon Winery, a winery that I first visited over 20 years ago!  Let's see how this wine is shaping up.

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you might expect from a mellow Columbia Valley Cabernet.  A gentle swirl releases aromas of ripe black plum, currant and cherry, intermingled with notes of black pepper spice and a bit of green cedar.  A first sip reveals a rush of black fruit, dried herbs and a hint of leather, that just has a wonderfully velvety mouthfeel.  Midpalate provides a bit of vanilla bean wrapping up with some black pepper spice on the finish.  The tannins are well structured and approachable, for a lovely dry finish that will have you soon reaching for another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a solid everyday Cabernet at a value price of just $25.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty, winter comfort dishes, from braised short ribs to hearty pasta, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a mid-rare grilled bison New York strip along with some oven roasted potatoes and beets, and asparagus with hollandaise.  Cheers!

2018 L'Ecole No. 41 Perigee

Happy Sunday!  I did a little work this afternoon and then went for a bike ride given that the weather was sunny and nearly 80 degrees today.  So, to conclude my weekend I'm having a nice patio dinner and enjoying one of my favorite wines, the 2018 L'Ecole No. 41 Perigee.  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Merlot (16%), Cabernet Franc (16%), Petit Verdot (9%) and Malbec (9%) all sourced from the Seven Hills Vineyard in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  Let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is an inky black at the center of the glass, with bright garnet along the edges, just as you might expect from a heavy Cabernet blend.  A gentle swirl in the glass releases aromas of ripe black fruit, blackberry, cherry and marionberry intermingled with earthy notes of cedar and tobacco.  Take a sip and you are greeted by an amazingly complex and layered combinations of flavors, with blackberry and cherry undertones giving vibrancy to some violet, oak and herbs de Provence before your taste journey transitions to some anise and roast beef notes midpalate.  The tannins are expertly structured, bringing nice body and silkiness to the long, dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9.5, as it just reminds me of being in Walla Walla, barrel tasting some of the great Bordeaux style blends, and this wine just exemplifies that tradition (and it's also perhaps my favorite vintage to date of the Perigee!).  This wine would pair well with a broad range of hearty dishes, from steaks and chops, to rack of lamb or hearty pasta.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled New York strip topped with Béarnaise along with a bounty of oven roasted vegetables, including leeks, broccoli rabe, garlic scapes and blistered yellow cherry tomatoes.  Cheers!

2007 Stag's Leap Napa Valley Petite Syrah

 Happy Cellar Saturday!  It's the first Saturday of the new month and that means it's time to raid the cellar for something at least a decade in the making and tonight I've opened a special wine from a stellar Napa Valley Vintage, the 2007 Stag's Leap Napa Valley Petite Syrah.  I am a fan of Petite Syrah as I find that it's generally neither petite nor very Syrah like, as it tends to be a much bigger, bolder wine.  I've decanted this wine and let it open up a bit so let's see how it's shaping up!

The wine is a deep, inky black at the center, with bright garnet along the edges, much more reminiscent of a Cabernet.  The nose is an interesting combination of ripe black fruit intermingled with a bit of mint, green herbs and earthy notes of tar and basalt.  The taste is exactly what you might expect from the aromas, with a rush of jammy fruit that quickly subsides to reveal flavors of green olives, white pepper and a bit of earthy funk midpalate.  The tannins are quite subdued revealing a soft, voluptuous dry finish that lingers on the palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's an excellent sipping wine that might be a year or two past it's prime.  This wine would pair well with just about any Labor Day fare, from grilled steak to barbecued ribs.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled Angus New York Strip, along with some grilled leeks, fire roasted peppers and grilled corn on the cob.  Cheers!

2012 Doubleback Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon

Well this weekend just flew by!  The weather was near perfect for early spring, so I had a chance to do a little yard work and a few projects around the hours and now it's time to wind down before starting the work week tomorrow.  And tonight I've decided to go big as we near the end of Walla Walla Valley Wine Month, and open up a bottle of 2012 Doubleback Cabernet Sauvignon.  This wine has really become a favorite for the more old-world style of Washington Cabernet, produced by Drew  and Maura Bledsoe and their chief winemaker Josh McDaniels, which I had the chance to taste on a trip to Walla Walla back in 2015 (see Tasting at Doubleback) before they moved their tasting room out to their new and fancier digs.  So let's see how this stellar vintage has evolved over the five years since I first tasted it.

The wine is a brooding, inky black affair at the center, with bright ruby along the edges, suggestive of a bigger wine.  The nose is classically old world, with aromas of blackberry, prune, leather, lavender and just a hint of Bordeaux-style funk.  The taste is just magical, with a rush of ripe black fruit dancing with hints of floral, before transitioning to some notes of dark chocolate and sage midpalate.  The tannins are velvety smooth, supporting a long and luxurious dry finish with a reprise of sweet cherry at the back end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9.5, as it's probably one of the finest examples of this stellar vintage of Walla Walla Cabernet that I could imagine.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty dishes, but let's be serious, this wine screams to be sipped with a big steak!  And as luck would have it, I have one available!  Tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a prime New York strip grilled rare, along with grilled asparagus and cipollini onions (man those are a pain to peel!) and a big baked potato.  Cheers!

2017 Seven Hills Pentad

The holiday season can be such a busy time I hardly even have time to enjoy a bottle of wine!  Today was a whirlwind of activity as I completed my Christmas decorations, including decorating three trees, hanging up the Edison lights and setting up the big train set around the big Christmas tree in the family room (I haven't done that in at least four years!) and now I'm ready for dinner and then tacking the Christmas card list!  So tonight I've opened up a bottle of a recent wine club shipment from Seven Hills Winery and normally I wait at least a year or two to open a Pentad, but I recently had a conversation with my friend Jacque at Seven Hills and she told me that a local wine professional gave her a hint to open the wine in the morning and just leave it all day and then decant it about an hour before you plan to drink it.  So, I've used this trick for the 2017 Seven Hills Pentad I've opened tonight, though since this is the first time I've tried this wine I'll have no way of knowing if it worked!  At any rate, the Pentad for 2017 is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (55%) with the balance divided nearly equally between Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carmenere, so now off to the wine!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you'd expect from such a blend.  The nose is chock full of leather, oak, ripe black fruit, spicy pepper and a hint of tobacco, that signals your brain it's in for a treat.  The taste is a rush of blackberry, cherry and plum that easily give way to some wonderful spice notes of white pepper.  The tannins are gracefully smooth providing nice balance and structure for the long, smooth and very dry finish that lingers with a reprise of cherry cola.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a pleasure to drink now but will surely mature and really shine over the coming decade.  This wine is perfect for the holidays as it would pair well with everything from Christmas ham to prime rib.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a New York strip grilled rare on top of some grilled leeks
along with a big baked potato with all the trimmings and some bacon roasted purple Brussels sprouts.  Cheers and now it's time to make out Christmas Cards!

2013 Seven Hills McClellan Estate Malbec

Happy Labor Day!  So I've been working in the yard all day, after delivering a half ton of watermelons for my Church to hand out at the local parade, so now I am ready for dinner and a nice glass of wine.  I stumbled upon tonight's wine as I was perusing the cellar and the stained labels on this wine reminded me that I bought this on my great motorhome trip to Walla Walla in 2015, and on the way home as I was driving through a very smoky Hell's Canyon, a case of wine fell off the dinette seat and one bottle broke, staining the labels on the rest of the bottles in that case.  So I present a stained bottle of 2013 Seven Hills McClellan Estate Malbec!

The wine is deep and brooding, just as you'd expect from a nice Malbec.  The nose is an elegant combination of leather, smoke and ripe black fruit, with just a hint of lavender over the top.  The taste is classic Malbec, with a rush of blackberry, cherry and plum up front that transition nicely to some mineral notes of dusty limestone midpalate, with a nice bit of black peppery spice.  The tannins are very well integrated, for the long, smooth and velvety dry finish that seems to linger for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a Malbec that a Cabernet lover like me finds eminently enjoyable.  This wine practically screams to be paired with a steak (or any sword of beef from a Brazilian steakhouse), but it would also pair well with hearty braised short ribs, or even a classic lamb chop.  Tonight I am obliging the gauchos and enjoying this wine with a rare grilled Snake River Farms Wagyu Kansas City strip along with bacon roasted brussels sprouts and a big baked potato.  Cheers!

2012 Reininger Cima

TGIF!  Man it's been a long week and I'm glad the weekend is here, though I'll probably be busy all weekend catching up on chores around the house.  But at least it's now wine o'clock and I am opening a good bottle tonight, the 2012 Reininger Cima, Chuck's interpretation of a Super Tuscan blend.  The 2012 vintage was barrel aged for six years before release (see this wine is actually new!) and is a blend of Sangiovese (50%), Merlot (25%), Cabernet Sauvignon (22%) and Petit Verdot (3%) from the Pepper Bridge, Seven Hills and XL Vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley AVA of Washington.  So let's see how this wine is tasting so early in its life!

The wine is a lovely deep garnet color in the glass, a bit fuller bodied than your typical Sanviovese heavy blend.  The nose is a mellow combination of vanilla bean, sandalwood, lilac and a hint of Asian spice intermingle to bring your taste buds to attention.  The taste shifts you 180 degrees, as your mind was expecting something spicy and you are hit with a rush of ripe black fruit, currant, cherry, plum that subsides into some soft notes of vanilla and cassis midpalate.  The tannins are soft, juxtaposed against some nice acidity to balance the long, smooth and pleasingly dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a wine you can explore for hours as you sip - a wine that goes against the stereotypes for the main varietal.  This wine is a great sipper, but could also pair well with anything from seared tuna to hearty pasta, to steaks and chops.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime ribcap topped with grilled garlic scapes, some oven roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon and an big baked potato with all the fixin's.  Cheers!

2015 Chateau Vieux Robin Medoc

Happy Saturday!  I have to admit, I've been battling a cold all week long, so I've been hesitant to taste any new wines figuring if I can't smell that might impact my view of the wines.  But I'm now well on the road to recovery, so I've decided to open a bottle of 2015 Chateau Vieux Robin Medoc.  I am a big fan of Medoc, and I found this one at Costco for under $15 (so this could well be a future wine club selection for my office mates).  So let's see how this one tastes.

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass just as you'd expect from a nice left bank Bordeaux with heavy concentrations of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  The nose is classic Bordeaux, with wonderfully earthy notes of leather and peat intermingled with ripe black fruit, plum, fig and just a hint of floral overtones.  The taste is fruit forward, with some notes of black plum, blackberry and currant that shift to a bit of tart cherry and caramel midpalate.  The tannins are still a bit tight, providing a nice base for the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a very nice example of a quality Medoc at a very attractive price point.  This wine would pair well with a lot of hearty fall dishes, from braised short ribs to beef stew.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime cowboy cut ribeye (also from Costco) over a bed of grilled leeks with some grilled broccoli rabe and a baked potato with all the fixin's.  Cheers!

2008 Saviez Private Reserve Cabernet Franc

Happy Saturday!  It's the first Saturday in June and that means it's cellar Saturday, that magical time when I open a bottle at least 10 years in the making!  Tonight I've opened a bottle of wine I literally found in my cellar a few weeks ago, as I didn't ever remember buying it!  I have a number of Saviez wines, mostly their Zinfandels, but this is a 2008 Private Reserve Cabernet Franc produced from their estate vineyard in Napa Valley.  I've let this wine get some air for about an hour, and I am a big fan of Cabernet Franc, so let's see what this one has to offer.

The wine is a deep, inky purple at the center, with garnet along the edges, very reminiscent of a Cabernet Sauvignon.  The nose is an interesting combination of ripe black fruit, dried Italian spices intermingled with notes of leather and butterscotch.  The taste is remarkably smooth, with lovely cool fruit notes up front, blueberry, cherry and raspberry that dance around some notes of green herbs and rose petals.  The tannins are remarkably vibrant and well structured after a decade, supporting a long, smooth and very dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a fine example of the varietal and it's proven that it's ageworthy.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty dishes, from steak to barbecued ribs to hearty pasta dishes.  But tonight I am enjoying this wine with some classic tacos, with spicy sauce, tomatoes, avacado, baby greens and sour cream on corn tortillas.  Cheers!

2015 Seven Hills Summit View Vineyard Clone 191 Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Saturday!  It's been an eventful couple of days, but I won't bore you with the details.  The important thing is the weekend is in full swing and I need a glass of wine!  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of the second vintage of a wine that I've been liking more and more, you might say it's grown on me, the 2015 Seven Hills Summit View Vineyard Clone 191 Cabernet Sauvignon.  You see, when the 2014 vintage of this wine was first released (you can see my review of that wine here), Seven Hills also released a limited production Cabernet from the Pepper Bridge Vineyard, which I really took a shine to.  But I have to admit, a couple years on and the Summit View is quickly becoming one of my favorite Cabernets, so let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a deep inky consistency at the center with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose is a wonderful combination of earthy aromas, leather, graphite, over some subtle notes of ripe black fruit.  The taste is a rush of blackberry and kirsch that envelop the palate before smoothly transitioning to some wonderful warm black pepper spice notes midpalate.  The tannins are nicely structured and incredibly well integrated, providing the ideal foundation for the long, smooth and velvety dry finish, that leaves you with just a hint of warm spice on the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, I am having trouble deciding whether I like the first vintage or this one better, so I guess that makes it a tie.  Again, like the 2014 vintage, I plan to lay most of this down for a few years, as it will surely get even better with a few years in the cellar.  As for pairings, like it's older siblings, this wine is a perfect big steak wine, as the spice and fruit are ideal in complementing a rich prime steak.  And tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a rare prime ribcap, big baked potato and some fresh grilled asparagus.  A perfect weekend dinner, cheers!

2014 V. Sattui Napa Valley Malbec

Happy Wine Wednesday!  I have to admit, tonight I'm merging Wine Wednesday with Taco Tuesday based on my dinner.  So since the cat's out of the bag, what would be a good wine to enjoy with tacos?  How about a nice Malbec?  Tonight I've opened a bottle of 2014 V. Sattui Napa Valley Malbec that I brought back with me from my last trip to Napa, so let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a deep, inky black at the center, with bright ruby along the edges, typical of a Malbec.  The nose is somewhat subdued with notes of prune, cassis, and floral notes of violets.  The taste is a rush of ripe black fruit up front that transitions to some earthy notes of dusty limestone overlaid with smoke.  The chewy tannins make a nice foundation for the long, smooth and very dry finish.

I have to admit, this wine is somewhat more domesticated that the typical Argentine Malbec, but it's quite pleasant.  So, I'd rate this one a solid 8.  It would pair well with steak, chili, tacos or pizza quite well, and tonight I'm enjoying this wine with some wonderful chipotle steak tacos, topped with a sriracha taco sauce, sour cream and avocado.  Cheers!

2010 Alienor Cellars Grand Vin

Happy Superbowl Sunday!  It's been snowing most of the day here, so I really haven't ventured out, opting instead to stay indoors and do laundry.  So now with the last load in the dryer, I figured it was time to prepare dinner and open a bottle of wine.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle that I bought recently from Wines Till Sold Out, the 2010 Alienor Cellars Grand Vin, a tribute to the classic Bordeaux blend, this one containing Merlot (51%), Cabernet Franc (48%) and Petit Verdot (1%) all from Lake County, in the North Coast AVA of California.  So let's see what this wine has to offer.

The wine has a wonderful deep ruby color in the glass, classic for a right bank Bordeaux style blend.  The nose evokes a sense of luxurious richness, with notes of leather, ripe black fruit and a hint of violets perfumed in the background.  The taste is a rush of decadent fruit, with ripe plum, blackberry and fig that transition quite effortlessly to notes of dark chocolate and licorice midpalate.  The finish is just lovely, with integrated tannins for backbone on the long, velevety smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a very pleasant drinking right bank style blend, and it was a terrific value as this wine was just $18 at Wines Till Sold Out (I should have bought more!).  This wine would pair well with a variety of cheeses, roasts, chops and wild game, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prim ribcap over a bed of grilled leeks, with some grilled asparagus and romanesco and a big ol' baked potato.  Cheers!

2015 Justin Cabernet Sauvignon

When I first visited Napa Valley on the Napa Valley Wine Train back in 2015, I met some folks on the train that shared a bottle of Justin Isosceles with me and I've been a fan of Justin ever since.  It was just about two years ago that I reviewed the 2013 vintage of the Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon (you can see that post here) and tonight I've opened a bottle of the 2015 vintage that I recently picked up at my local Meijer store.  So let's see how this one is shaping up.

The wine is a deep, ruby color in the glass, classic Cabernet.  The nose is a rush of leather, black stone fruit and a hint of mint that just call out to you to take a sip.  The taste is a rush of ripe black fruit, plum, cherry and currant with undertones of smoke and dried flowers that transitions to some mild notes of pipe tobacco and a hint of black pepper.  The tannins are firm and well integrated, creating a wonderfully long, smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a very pleasant drinking Cabernet and a terrific value at just $22.  This wine would pair well with steaks, braised short ribs or pasta, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a pan seared veal loin chop along with some roasted baby bok choy and a baked potato with sour cream and chives.  Cheers!

2015 Gran Passione Veneto Rosso

Happy Wine Wednesday!  When I was growing up, there was no "Wine Wednesday" but Wednesday was well know for something else - in  Chicago, Wednesday was Prince Spaghetti Day!  Although I haven't seen Prince spaghetti in the supermarket in years, I thought it would be fun to relive those old spaghetti Wednesdays, which of course calls for a nice Italian wine to go with it, this being the modern Wine Wednesday!  So tonight I've opened a bottle that I picked up at Costco a few months back, the 2015 Gran Passione Veneto Rosso.  This wine is made with a similar method to Amarone, with sun drying the grapes so the dried raisins ferment and provide a much more concentrated flavor.  So let's see what this one has to offer.

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, comparable in color to a nice Merlot.  The nose is vaguely reminiscent of a Valpolicella Ripasso, with leather, ripe black fruit, blackberry, currant and cherry with undertones of dried Italian herbs.  The taste is rich at the outset, with blackberry and cherry rushing to the forefront, only to be displaced by some pleasant earthy notes of tobacco and fig.  The tannins are soft, but still provide nice structure to the very smooth and dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a very pleasant drinking Italian wine from the northern part of the country, a nice departure from Tuscany.  This wine was also a terrific value at just $9 at Costco (I should have bought more!) and it would pair well with roasts, game, aged cheeses, or hearty classic Italian dishes.  Tonight I'm enjoying this wine with not quite Prince spaghetti, but some Barilla linguine along with marinara with some hot Italian sausage.  Cheers!

2013 Result of a Crush

Merry Christmas!  It's been a remarkably relaxing Christmas Eve, as it's been snowing all day so I just decided to spend the afternoon lounging around the house, until it was time to get up and open a bottle of wine!  And tonight it's a special bottle that I brought back from my trip to Walla Walla last August, and a wine that ironically I didn't taste until I sat at the VinoVolo in Sea-Tac airport on the way home, the 2013 Result of a Crush Red Wine!  This wine is from a project by two sisters, Amanda and Angela of the Reynvaan Family Vineyards of Walla Walla, who in 2011 decided to focus on wines that are "distinctive, affordable, consistent in quality and showcase the owners' sometimes whimsical attitude toward wine."  So let's see what this one has to offer!

The wine is a lovely garnet color in the glass, very consistent with the predominance of Syrah in the blend.  The nose is an interesting array of earthy and savory aromas, with some vibrant green herbs along with earthy notes of dusty limestone and tar over undertones of ripe black fruit.  The taste is just a real treat, with some wonderful stone fruit notes up front, which transition to some stark mineral notes midpalate.  The flavors of the Rocks of Walla Walla really come through nicely on this wine.  The tannins as very well structured, providing just enough backbone for the velvety and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9 as it's just a pleasant drinking wine and a solid value (I believe this one was around $28).  This wine would pair well with a broad array of dished, from steaks and chops to hearty Italian dishes, but tonight it's Christmas Eve, which means it's time for a more special dinner.  So tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a giant cold water lobster tail along with some fusilli Napoletani sauteed with olive oil, garlic and broccoli rabe.  The wonderful fruit and mineral notes of this wine are a perfect foil to the richness of the lobster.  Merry Christmas!

2013 DaMa Walla Walla Valley Merlot

Happy Saturday!  I hope it's been a pleasant one for you, I was at a conference today and now I'm home and ready to relax with a nice dinner.  For wine, I've decided to open a bottle of a recent wine club shipment from Walla Walla that arrived last week, the 2013 DaMa Walla Walla Valley Merlot! This wine is 100% Merlot from the Golden Ridge Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley.  It turned cooler here recently, so perfect weather for a nice Merlot, and you know how I love me some Merlot!

The wine is a wonderful bright ruby color with great clarity, reminiscent of some great old world Merlot.  The nose is a great combination of green grass and ripe black fruit, for a perfect springtime red wine.  The taste is quite nice, with some nice blackberry and raspberry flavors up front that transitions to some lovely green spice notes of tarragon midpalate (if only I'd made some Bearnaise for my steak tonight!).  The tannins are still pretty tight, but the finish is long and very dry, with a bit of crispness at the end, an ideal spring Merlot!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a lovely and refreshingly different Merlot.  This wine would be great with a variety of meat and pasta dishes, but tonight I'm enjoying this with a rare grilled New York strip along with grilled purple carrots and leeks and a baked potato with sour cream and chives.  Cheers!