2022 Seven Hills Founding Vineyard Merlot

Happy Sunday!  It's been a relaxing day, so I've decided to open a bottle of wine from one of my all-time favorite Walla Walla producers.  The 2022 Seven Hills Founding Vineyard Merlot is a classic Merlot from a region of the country with acute expertise in producing Bordeaux varietals, so let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you'd expect from a nice Merlot.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of classic leather, oak and gentle floral notes that will have you anxious to take a sip.  That first sip is a rush of ripe fruit, blackberry, cherry and plum that wash over your palate before transitioning to some wonderful earthy notes of dusty limestone and black pepper spice.  The tannins are somewhat subdued, but still supportive of the long, smooth dry finish that will have you easing back into your easy chair. 

Overall,. I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a perennial favorite Merlot that really treats this varietal with the respect it deserves.  This wine could be enjoyed as an easy sipping wine with friends or family, but it would also pair well with grilled steak, hearty baked pasta, beef stew or grilled lamb.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled bone-in ribeye on a bed of sautéed onions, peppers and mushrooms, grilled broccoli rabe and a big baked potato.  Cheers!

2022 Justin Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Saturday!  It's bitterly cold here today as I witnessed our high temp of the day of just 7 degrees mid-afternoon, and now we are headed back to zero!  This is a perfect day to stay indoors with a bottle of big Cabernet Sauvignon, and that's what I'm doing, with a bottle that I just picked up from my local market today.  The 2022 Justin Cabernet Sauvignon is a long-time favorite from Paso Robles (see my reviews of the 2013, 2015 and 2017), consistently a solid wine at a very reasonable price.  Let's see what this vintage has to offer.

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, perhaps a bit lighter bodied than you might expect.  The nose presents aromas of leather, oak and cassis that will have you imagining being transported to a nineteenth century library complete with smoking room.  The first sip is a rather surprising combination of earthy notes and ripe fruit, roasted hazelnuts, black cherry, dusty limestone and toasted oak that transition easily to some hints of green grass and peppery spice midpalate.  The tannins are rather subdued, but still supportive of the long, smooth dry finish that lingers with oak on your palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it's a lovely Cabernet, but perhaps a bit too heavy on the oak for some tastes (though I find it delightful when sitting by the fireplace).  This wine would pair well with a range of winter dishes, from hearty beef stew to baked lasagna, braised short ribs to Yankee pot roast.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a pan seared bone-in ribeye over a bed of sautéed onions and mushrooms, with a big baked potato.  Cheers!

2021 Le Quart du Roi Côtes-du-Rhône

Happy Sunday!  I confess I've sheltered in place today with the heat wave we've been having, 87 degrees and 78% humidity is not my cup of tea!  So, I did some laundry and a few other indoor chores and now it's time for Sunday dinner and a nice bottle of wine.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle of 2021 Le Quart du Roi Côtes-du-Rhône which I bought last year from Wines Till Sold Out.  This wine is a classic Rhône blend of Syrah (50%), Grenache (30%), Cinsault (10%) and Carignan (10%).  Let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a beautiful deep ruby color in the glass, with nice clarity.  The nose is chock full of ripe red fruit, cherry, plum and currant with hints of green pepper and dried herbs.  The first sip is a fruit forward affaire, with almost jammy red fruit, cherry, currant and strawberry that eases into some spicy notes of white pepper and a bit of rosemary.  Having tasted many French wines, I come to expect a bit of earthiness on the finish, but this wine is well balanced with firm tannings and a smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a wonderfully drinking and food friendly wine that was a terrific value at just $12.49!  This wine would be exceptionally well paired with unusual, hard-to-pair dishes, like Asian or Indian, which is a good thing, since tonight I am enjoying this wine with some chicken Tikka Masals with lots of veggies over basmati rice and a bit of naan to mop up the sauce.  Cheers!  

2010 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Syrah

Happy Cellar Saturday!  It's the first Saturday of the month and time to raid the cellar for something at least a decade in the making.  Tonight I've opened a bottle from one of the earliest wine producers in the Walla Walla Valley AVA of Washington.  The 2010 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Syrah is harvested from the Seven Hills Vineyard in the heart of Walla Walla.  So, let's see how this wine has matured!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, and a gentle swirl reveals aromas of leather, candied cherries and mild undertones of mint.  Take a sip and your palate is awash is ripe fruit, cherry, blackberry and plum that transition to some earthy notes of peat and dusty limestone with an added measure of Bordeaux-esque funk midpalate.  The tannins are still very well structured, providing for a smooth dry finish with a bit of acidity at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's proven to be a great age-worthy Syrah that has stood up for 15 years and is drinking remarkably well.  This wine would pair well with a range of dishes, from alder planked salmon to cold Thai noodle salad, grilled chicken kabobs to steak.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a grilled Angus T-bone, with grilled leeks and asparagus.  Cheers!

2012 Anana Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Cellar Saturday!  It's that wonderful time, the first Saturday of the month where I raid the cellar for something at least a decade in the making.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle of a recent purchase from Wines Till Sold Out (so it hasn't been in my cellar long) but one that's been aging for a while and it's from a stellar Napa vintage.  The 2012 Anana Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a 100% Cabernet from the Coombsville and Oakville AVAs of Napa Valley, so let's see how this wine has developed.

The wine is a rich, inky color, as you'd expect from a big Napa Cabernet.  Take a whiff, and you are treated to an explosion of jamminess with lots of ripe fruit over earthy undertones, like eating a blackberry cobbler at a remote forest campsite.  Take a sip and you quickly learn this wine isn't nearly as rustic as you thought, with bright fruit giving way to some tar and smoke that will have you thinking of Bordeaux.  This finish is exceptionally dry, again a nod to the best of the old world Bordeaux style.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's drinking beautifully now, but will likely reach it's peak within the next few years.  This wine would pair well with steaks, lamb or even hearty salmon dishes.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with something a bit more wild, a bison chuckeye steak grilled mid-rare with some steamed asparagus and hollandaise.  Cheers!

2019 Chacabuco Malbec

 Happy New Year's Eve!  It's been a lackluster one to say the least and I along with many others are bidding a bon voyage to 2020 and desperately hoping that 2021 brings better tidings!  To help bid the old year nigh with a fond goodbye, I've decided to open another bottle of wine from the recent Wines Till Sold Out case sale.  The 2019 Chacabuco Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina was produced with grapes from the Lujan de Cuyo and Uco Valley, where some of the best and most affordable Malbec hails from.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting.

The wine is a deep, inky purple in the glass, with garnet at the edges, just as you might expect from the varietal.  The nose is basket of ripe red fruit, cherry, currant and plum that exude a sweetness.  The taste is a rush of ripe cherry, currant and raspberry that eases into some notes of vanilla bean and toasted oak midpalate.  The tannins are somewhat soft at first, with a turn to sharpness for the long, dry finish that lingers on the palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a pleasant example of an Argentine Malbec at a price ($10) that makes this wine easy to sip.  This wine, like most Malbec would pair well with beef, steaks, roasts, chops, as well as hearty, earthy dishes like a wild mushroom risotto.  Tonight I am going the traditional route and enjoying this wine with some braised short ribs over mashed potatoes and some bacon roasted Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2015 Seven Hills Walla Walla Cabernet Franc

Happy Monday!  It finally cooled off a bit here today, so I think I might actually have my dinner out on the patio tonight.  To celebrate I've opened a bottle of wine from one of my all-time favorite Washington wineries, Seven Hills.  Tonight it's the 2015 Seven Hills Walla Walla Cabernet Franc, a very limited production from fruit at the southern end of the Walla Walla Valley.  So let's see how this one tastes.

The wine has a deep, almost inky color with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose is wonderfully complex, with subtle notes of green herbs over earthy notes of leather and graphite intertwined with some wonderful fruit notes.  The taste is a rush of ripe fruit, raspberry and blueberry that is intertwined with some lovely floral notes and a hint of mint.  The early fruit transitions nicely to some notes of black pepper spice midpalate.  The tannins are robust but well integrated into the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as I think this is one of my favorite Cabernet Francs I've tasted this year.  This wine would be ideal with a variety of dishes, from steaks and chops to barbecue or hearty Italian dishes.  But tonight I'm going off script and enjoying this wine with some seared sea scallops on a bed of baby arugula and some pasta with creamy pesto sauce.  The bright fruit and acidity of this wine are a perfect balance for the richness of the scallops and pasta.  Cheers!

2014 Sleight of Hand Cellars "The Psychedelic Syrah"

So a few weeks ago I happened to be speaking with Julie Titus at Seven Hills Winery, making sure I had the wines that I thought I had (after my hard drive crash, it seems there are wineries that have a better idea of what's in my cellar than I do!) and she mentioned that she had recently enjoyed "one of the best Syrah's" she had ever had.  Of course I was intrigued, and she was kind enough to give me the contact information for the kind folks at Sleight of Hand Cellars so that I could get a few bottles of their 2014 "The Psychedelic Syrah"!!!  Now I do love me some Syrah, and this one is crafted from fruit of the Stoney Vine  Estate Vineyard in the Walla Walla AVA.  The folks at Sleight of Hand bill their wines as "Serious wines without the serious attitudes" so I think I could definitely get along with these guys!  I encourage you to check out their website (here: http://www.sofhcellars.com/) and see some of the interesting wines they are producing, but now let's get on with the show!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass.  The nose is just an explosion of everything that's great about Syrah, green grass, lavender, green olives, smoke and minerals with lovely undertones of ripe purple fruit.  The taste is like nothing I've experienced before, it just takes me right back to the many lovely tasting rooms in Walla Walla, with wild earthy flavors, bursts of ripe cherry, blackberry and blueberry, earthy limestone, licorice and smoke that just give you such a sense of the place that produced this wine.  The tannins are elegant, creating a velvety mouthfeel than envelops you creating a long, dry finish that's silky and very memorable.  This is appropriately names, as this was a psychedelic experience!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9.5, as it's one of the best examples of the varietal that I've ever had the pleasure to drink.  I could tell you about pairings, but why ruin the experience?  Just sip this wine on the patio with a group of friends and you'll forget all about dinner.  Of course I'm hungry though, so tonight I am pairing this with a lovely grilled lemon herb halibut filet with some grilled organic rainbow carrots, earth meet sea!  Cheers!

2014 Maison Bleue Coureur des Bois

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  No green beer for me thanks, but I can still open a nice bottle of wine to enjoy with my traditional meal.  Tonight I've decided to open a wine club selection that I just received today, the 2014 Maison Bleue Courer des Bois, a classic Columbia Valley blend of Mourvedre (40%), Syrah (40%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (20%), which provides a bit more heft than the standard GSM blend.  So let's see how she tastes!

The wine is a bit darker in color than your typical GSM blend, but still vibrant garnet.  The nose is a wonderful blend of leather, tart cherry and green cedar.  The taste is quite nice, with a more subdued bit of ripe fruit up front, that transitions to some lovely earthy mineral notes midpalate.  The tannins are well integrated and smooth, providing an excellent foundation for the long, luxurious dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as I think it's drinking nicely now, but could certainly improve with a few years in the cellar.  As for the pairing, it would be wonderful with a variety of hearty meat dishes, from roasts to lamb chops, but today is St. Patrick's Day, so I'm enjoying this wine with a traditional dinner of corned beef and cabbage with some oven roasted red potatoes and  carrots and some traditional soda bread.  Cheers!

2005 Font de Michelle Cuvée Etienne Gonnet Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Well, it's the first Saturday in December, which of course means it's Cellar Saturday, that one day a month that I try to dig deep in the cellar for something with a bit of maturity.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle that's only been in my cellar for a few months, but is certainly ready to try, the 2005 Font de Michelle Cuvée Etienne Gonnet Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  This wine is a blend of Grenache (70%), Syrah (15%) and Mourvedre (15%), that should just about be ready to drink (I personally believe these wines should wait at least a decade before they are mature enough to drink).  So let's see what this one has to offer!

The wine is a deep ruby in the glass, a bit darker than usual but in my view an ideal color.  The nose presents aromas of ripe fruit, plum, cherry and dates, overlaid with some wonderful dried floral and spice notes.  The taste is a nice rush of sweet fruit up front, a combination of berries and dried fruit that transition to some lovely spice notes midpalate.  The finish is quite nice, with a reprise of sweet fruit in the tannins, that play a perfect counter to the lingering dryness on the finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a truly lovely example of a French classic.  This wine would be perfect for the holidays, pairing well with turkey, ham or lamb, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a lovely sesame crusted seared ahi tuna filet with some steamed asparagus and jasmine rice.  Cheers!

2009 Scopone Brunello di Montalcino

Happy Sunday!  Today was another afternoon of raking leaves, but since they will be picked up this week, I'm almost done!  Just a few more scattered areas to address and then it's over till next year!  Who knew shade was so expensive?  So to celebrate, tonight I've decided to open a nice bottle of wine, the 2009 Scopone Brunello di Montalcino.  I bought this wine from Wines Till Sold Out and it's had some mixed professional reviews, so let's see what it has to offer.

The wine is a nice deep ruby red color in the glass, perhaps a little darker than I was expecting.  The nose presents aromas of ripe black fruit, oak and baking spice, with a hint of smoke.  The taste is interestng, as it starts out with a bit of cherry cola, mocha and dark chocolate, that transition to a bit of anise and dried herbs.  The tannins are big and in your face, and as Wine Enthusiast noted, it has "an excruciatingly dry finish" and I couldn't agree more, this is perhaps the driest wine I've ever tasted.  The saving grace is that the finish is rather short.

Overall, I would rate this wine a 7.5, it's nice but nothing spectacular and it definitely needs food as drinking this by itself might cause headaches!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a more traditional southern Italian dish of linguine with mussels, tomatoes and basil.  Thankfully the acidity of the San Marzano tomatoes really cuts through the tannins and dryness of the wine.  Cheers!

2012 Stella Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Friday!  Yes, this has been a crazy month with me traveling a lot and crazy and unpredictable schedule, but I've made some time to enjoy a nice dinner at home tonight, so what shall I do?  I know, I'll open a bottle of wine!  Tonight I've decided to open a recent purchase from Wines Till Sold Out, the 2012 Stella Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon!  And yes, I know it's unbearably hot out, but I'm in the air conditioning so a Cabernet seems like an ideal choice!

The wine is a lovely deep purple color at the center with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose presents lovely aromas of ripe fruit, blueberries, cherries and blackberries, with an overlay of rich leather.  The taste is classic Napa Cabernet, with come lovely fruit up front that transitions to some wonderful notes of vanilla and green tea intermingled with some nice mineral notes midpalate.  The finish is exceptional, with some fine tannins supporting a long, dry and voluptuous finish that seems to last a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as this is a wonderful Napa Cabernet from a strong vintage, and it was a great value at just $20!  Tonight I am enjoying this wonderful wine with a wonderful dinner of rare grilled prime filet mignon with grilled leeks, oven roasted fingerling potatoes and haricots verts almondine.  This is a great steak wine, with rich fruit and balanced mineral notes that are perfect for big meat!  Cheers!

2012 Raymond Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

What a fantastic day trip through Napa Valley I had last weekend.  The lovely food and wine on the Napa Valley Wine Train was fantastic, and the opportunity to visit two wineries along the Silverado Trail as awesome as well.  So tonight I've opened a bottle of 2012 Raymond Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvigon, a wine from the second vineyard we visited, one which has some definite character involved! 

It was certainly a fun visit, mannequins and all!  Of course the wine was quite nice as well, from the 2013 Frenchie Napoleon Cabernet Sauvignon to the 2012 District Collection St. Helena Cabernet, the wines were all quite nice.  This particular wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (96%) and Petit Verdot (4%).  Now they talked a lot about their organic and biodynamic techniques, but when they got to the part about burying cow horns with compost on the winter solstice they really just lost me completely.

Back to the wine, it's actually a very nice, classic Napa Cabernet, with deep inky black color with ruby along the edges.  The nose presents aromas of ripe black fruit, blackberry, plum and cherry with hints of rose and leather.  The taste is classic Cabernet, with rich ripe fruit that transitions effortlessly to some flavors of tobacco and dusty limestone midpalate.  The tannins are nicely structured, offering a great foundation for the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a very nice wine and a good value at $45.  Tonight I am just sipping this wine with a bit of dark chocolate after dinner.   This wine would certainly pair well with a classic big steak, or a hearty pasta dish.  Cheers!

2013 Castlebank "Vivian's Vineyard" Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

It's Sunday afternoon, and of course I didn't get nearly what I wanted to accomplish around the house done today, but at least I did laundry and prepped for dinner...it's the little things!  So since I'm already disappointed in my weekend accomplishments, why not open a bottle of wine and enjoy my evening?  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2013 Castlebank "Vivian's Vineyard" Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that I got a couple weeks ago from Wines Till Sold Out.  Now a little over a year ago I tasted the 2012 vintage (which you can see here), so let's see how the new one stacks up.

The wine is a lovely deep ruby color in the glass, with a dark indigo at the center.  The nose presents aromas of leather, blackberry and plum, with just a hint of smoke.  The taste is just what you'd expect from a nice Cabernet, blended with just enough Bordeaux varietals to take the edge off.  At first you have a rush of ripe fruit, that transitions effortlessly to some mineral notes, mocha and dark chocolate midpalate.  The tannins are refined and well integrated, providing the foundation for the long, smooth and very dry finish.

This is a very nice Cabernet that I would rate a solid 8, and it's a terrific value as well at just $14!  Tonight I am pairing this with a rare Angus porterhouse along with some oven roasted fingerling potatoes with cajun spices and some steamed broccoli.  The dark fruit and minerality of this wine make it perfect for steak.  Cheers!

2012 Mount Veeder Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, it's Friday evening and I've been to the gym and had my first martini of the weekend, so now it's time to get serious!  It's time to crack open a nice bottle of wine!  Tonight I've decided to open up a recent purchase from Wineshopper.com, the 2012 Mount Veeder Winery Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, the latest from that stellar vintage!

The wine is a deep brooding, inky color that's so classic of a great Napa Cabernet.  The nose is a lovely combination of leather, cassis, baking spice and just a hint of mint.  The taste is just classic, a rush of ripe black fruit, blackberry, plum and a bit of coriander that transition effortlessly to some spice notes of vanilla bean and anise midpalate.  The finish is ideal, with some young tannins providing nice backbone for the long, smooth and exceptionally dry finish.  Just a classic Napa Cabernet!

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5 with room for definite improvement with some time in the cellar.  This is a vintage that will continue to evolve over time and it's still so new I'm anxious to see how it will progress over the next decade.  The wine was also a solid value for about $27 at Wineshopper.com.  Tonight I am enjoying this with a classic pairing of a rare grilled Hereford beef porterhouse along with a big baked potato and some grilled Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2010 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Wine Wednesday!  Though I'll admit I started a little early with a bottle of Cabernet I opened last night, but it's a new day!  And for this new day I've opened a bottle of 2010 Freemark Abbey Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, which I recently scored from a local wine shop on sale!

The wine is a deep ruby along the edges leading to an inky purple at the center, just what you like to see in a quality Cabernet.  The nose is a lovely bouquet of ripe dark fruit, blackberries, plum and cassis that just exude quality.  The taste is much more refined than the typical big Napa Cab, it reminds me more of the great blends of Bordeaux, exemplifying refined flavor and complexity.  The initial ripe fruit subsides and presents lovely flavors of dark chocolate and mocha midpalate while the supple tannins support a smooth, dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.

This is a really nice Cabernet that I would rate a solid 8.5, and certainly worth the bargain price of $28 I paid for it on sale (I really need to head back there tomorrow!).  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic pairing of rare grilled prime filet, garnished with grilled leeks and Brussels sprouts and a loaded baked potato.  Really an ideal wine for steak, as the fruit and subtle mineral flavors just enhance the entire meal.  Cheers!

2012 Primus The Blend

Happy Saturday!  I actually got a lot done today, laundry, cleaning up the yard, washing my truck and later this evening I'll be going to a play!  So why not pause for a nice glass of wine, and tonight it's one I recently picked up at Costco at a very nice price, the 2012 Primus "The Blend" an intriguing blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (25%), Carmenere (25%), Syrah (25%), Merlot (15%), Cabernet Franc (5%) and Petit Verdot (5%) produced in the Colchagua Valley of Chile.

The wine is a deep indigo in the glass, with brighter garnet along the edges.  The nose is a lovely combination of smoke, ripe black fruit, rosemary and clove.  The flavor is quite nice, with some sweet fruit notes of strawberry and plum up front that transition nicely to some earthy notes of toasted oak and blackberry midpalate.  The tannins are nicely rounded providing for a velvety mouthfeel, balanced acidity and a long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's drinking very well now, but is likely a wine that's meant to be enjoyed while young.  It was also a solid value at around $14 at Costco.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rather unorthodox dinner of butternut squash ravioli with a fresh vegetable Alfredo sauce, the acidity of this wine is the perfect balance to the richness of the sauce.  This wine would also go very well with a nice steak or barbecue.  Cheers!

2008 Reininger Cima

Happy Friday!  The work week is over, and I just got home from the gym, so it's seems a perfect time to open up a bottle of wine!  Tonight I've opened a lovely bottle of 2008 Reininger Cima, a "Super Wallan" blend of Walla Walla wine modeled after the super Tuscan blends of Italy.  This wine is a blend of Sangiovese (50%), Cabernet Sauvignon (14%), Merlot (14%), Petit Verdot (14%) and Cabernet Franc (8%), blended and barrel aged for five years.  I've previously reviewed the 2006 vintage (click here) and the 2007 vintage (click here) so let's see if the latest vintage can live up to its predecessors!

The wine is a beautiful bright ruby color in the glass, with great clarity.  The nose is a sophisticated and layered presentation of ripe black fruit over some smoke which plays nicely off some mineral notes and a hint of leather, very reminiscent of a nice Tuscan blend.  The taste a brief flash of ripe plum and tart cherry that subsides into some flavors of fresh herbs and just a hint of coriander and white pepper spice midpalate.  The finish is very nice, with understated tannins providing a nice base for a long, mineral finish that is just daring you to take another sip.

Overall, I would rate this one a solid 8.5, it's a fine effort, but it just didn't blow me away like the '06 and '07 vintages (good think I have a bottle or two left of those!).  Tonight I am pairing this with a nice winter comfort food dinner of stuffed cabbage, or Galumpkis as my Polish friends used to say (I make mine very simple, blanched cabbage leaves stuffed with rice and ground beef, topped with some San Marzano tomatoes, a touch of basil and some freshly grated cheese.  The fruit and spice of this wine along with the earthy notes are a lovely complement to the sweet and spicy aspects of the stuffed cabbage, but this wine would also pair nicely with about any traditional Italian dish or a nice grilled steak.  Cheers!

2012 Seven Hills Carmenere

Happy Friday!  I am done with the first week of the two busiest weeks of my year, so I think it's time for a little celebration and what better way than with a bottle of nice red wine from the Walla Walla Valley?  Tonight I've opened a bottle of 2012 Seven Hills Carmenere, their fourth release of the varietal in the past decade.

The wine is a deep garnet color in the glass, rich and vibrant.  The nose is quite nice, with a nice presence of ripe red fruit, raspberries and red currant intermingled with some nice herb notes and a hint of earthiness.  The taste is quite nice, with some ripe berries up front than linger for a bit, transitioning to some nice spice notes of white pepper and just a hint of Provencal herbs.  The finish is vibrant, with somewhat mellow tannins offering a lovely bridge between the fruit and herb notes amid the smooth, dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, a very food friendly offering at a good value, this one was $30 before my wine club discount.  Tonight I'm pairing this with a rather unorthodox dinner of king crab legs, with some herb roasted purple fingerling potatoes and steamed Brussels sprouts.  The pronounced fruit and spice in this wine is a perfect balance to the richness of the crab.  Salut!

2011 Reininger Malbec

Well, it was a busy day of leaf collection, thankfully it seems we are nearing the end of it, or perhaps just entering the middle of it, oh forget it, I just confused myself!  At any rate, after a long day of raking and leaf blowing, I figure it's time for a nice glass of wine and a nice dinner before I head out to the Elkhart Civic Theater to see Young Frankenstein this evening!  And tonight's wine is the 2011 Reininger Malbec, and for those who know, I'm not the biggest Malbec fan but in the case of Reininger's limited production (only 56 cases!) I always make an exception!

The wine is a beautiful garnet color in the glass leading to an almost inky hue at the center.  The nose is quite nice, ripe black fruit, rich blackberry, plum and currant easing into notes of leather, graphite and a hint of rose petal.  The taste is quite refined, with a rush of ripe fruit that quickly subsides, leaving you with some woody notes and a hint of spice midpalate.  The tannins are quite smooth, lending a nice foundation to the long, smooth, sultry finish that leaves you practically begging for another sip.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, and at $45 with my wine club discount this is a premium bottle but well worth it!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic dinner that hearkens back the the Andean origins of modern Malbec, a thick rare Angus ribeye along with a big baked potato and some grilled leeks and Brussels sprouts, really a last gasp of summer before the Autumn really kicks in!  Cheers!