2023 Seven Hills Winery McClellan Estate Petit Verdot

Happy Wine Wednesday!  It's been a few weeks since I posted on Wine Wednesday, so let's enjoy it!  Tonight, I've opened a bottle of 2023 Seven Hills Winery McClellan Estate Petit Verdot, a single varietal bottling of what is usually a blending varietal harvested from the McClellan Estate Vineyard in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  Let's see how this new vintage is shaping up!

The wine is deep ruby in the glass with nice clarity.  The nose presents an enticing blend of ripe plum, leather and oak, with subtle undertones of pipe tobacco.  The first sip is wonderfully fruit forward, with a rush of black cherry, marionberry and blueberry that ease into some notes of dark chocolate and mocha midpalate.  The tannins are well structured, with a rush of acidity towards the long, smooth dry finish.

I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a really pleasant drinking wine from an often overlooked varietal. This is also quote a versatile, food friendly wine, as I could see this pairing with a range of casual summer fare, from burgers and brats, to barbecue and steak.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with some spicy Cajun dirty rice with onions, peppers and andouille sausage.  Cheers! 

2022 Mount Veeder Winery Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, after a break of spring-like weather, we were back to shoveling snow today!  That's all right, at least now we get to enjoy some wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of wine from Mount Veeder Winery that I recently picked up at my local market on clearance sale for only $30!  I have enjoyed wines from this producer for a while (see my reviews of the 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2016 vintages), so I've been looking forward to this one.  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (82%) and Merlot (18%) from a number of Vineyards in Napa Valley.  Let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a deep, inky black at the center with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose presents aromas of ripe plum, cedar and baking spice with just a hint of floral undertones.  The first sip bursts forth with ample red fruit, cherry, currant and plum that ease into some smoky notes of charred oak and hints of dark chocolate midpalate. The tannins are rather supple, making for a delightfully smooth, dry finish that seems to linger for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a pleasant drinking wine that at the price is an ideal everyday sipper.  This wine would pair well with a range of hearty dishes, from lasagna to mushroom risotto, braised short ribs to classic steak.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with my Sunday dinner of a tomahawk ribeye grilled Pittsburgh rare, oven roasted purple potatoes and steamed sugar snap peas.  Cheers!

2015 Seven Hills Klipsun Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Cellar Saturday!  It's the first Saturday of a new month, which means it's time for me to raid the cellar and open a bottle at least a decade in the making!  Tonight it's a special selection from one of my favorite Walla Walla wine makers, the 2015 Seven Hills Klipsun Cabernet Sauvignon.  This wine is a perennial favorite harvested from some of the oldest vines in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this wine has matured!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you'd expect from a nice Cabernet.  The nose presents aromas of prune, leather and earthy basalt as it opens up.  The first sip is a blast of black fruit, ripe plum, cherry and currant, intermingled with earthy minerality and peppery spice that sings with mature notes.  The tannins are still vibrant with a strong backbone for the lingering dry finish that will have you pleasantly surprised at this mature wine.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it seems to be just hitting its stride.  This wine would pair perfectly with fall, as the hearty structure of this wine is ideal for chilly temperatures and hearty meals, like beef stew, braised short ribs or big steaks.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a big porterhouse grilled rare, with some steamed asparagus and a baked potato.  Cheers!

2021 Pepper Bridge Vineyard Red Wine

Happy Taco Tuesday!  Well I guess that ruined the surprise of what's for dinner this evening.  Of course, there are so many good red wines to enjoy with classic tacos, but tonight I've settled on a bottle of 2021 Pepper Bridge Vineyard red wine.  This wine is a classic Walla Walla red blend of Merlot (34%), Malbec (33%), Cabernet Sauvignon (24%) and Petit Verdot (9%), making this an ideal wine for steak tacos! This wine is composed of varietals exclusively sourced from the Pepper Bridge Vineyard in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington, so let's have a taste shall we?

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, as you might expect from such a blend.  The nose presents an intriguing blend of aromas, blackberry, ripe plum with undertones of anise, baking spice and cocoa powder.  The first sip is a rush of ripe black fruit counterbalanced with tart cherry, that eases into notes of cedar and dusty limestone midpalate.  The tannins are well integrated, providing for a lush mouthfeel and a deliciously 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 solid example of the quality of red wine blends consistently produced in Walla Walla.  This wine would pair well with grilled steak, classic spaghetti and meatballs, rack of lamb, tacos or barbecue.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with my Taco Tuesday dinner of steak fajita tacos with all the trimmings.  Cheers!

2015 Anvil Dionysus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

It's been a long and busy week for me and I'm glad it's supposed to be a rainy weekend so I can finally get some stuff done around the house, in addition to blogging of course!  Tonight's post is hot off the presses as I am opening a bottle of a wine club shipment that the Fedex guy literally delivered several hours ago!  The 2015 Anvil Dionysus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (89%) and Petit Verdot (11%) from blocks 11 and 13, respectively, of the Dionysus Vineyard in the Columbia Valley AVA of Washington.  So let's see how this warm harvest Cabernet is shaping up!

The wine is a deep, inky purple at the center, with bright garnet along the edges.  The nose is very Bordeaux-esque with aromas of leather, oak, ripe plum and fennel.  The taste is rich and luxurious, with flavors of ripe blackberry and cherry up front, cascading to notes of baking spice and white pepper midpalate.  The tannins are velvety smooth and expertly integrated to provide for a wonderfully long and dry finish that seems to linger for several minutes.

Once again, I am impressed with Marie Eve and her team as their efforts on the Anvil Cabernet has consistently created rich wines with a distinctively old world style.  This wine would feel at home on the streets of Paris as easily as it would be fit in the tasting room in Walla Walla.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty fall dishes, from roasts and lamb to seared steaks.  Tonight I am going rustic Italian with some hot Italian sausage with onions and peppers and a bit of pasta on the side.  Cheers!

2008 Frog's Leap Napa Valley Merlot

Happy Cellar Saturday!  That magical first Saturday of a new month when I choose to raid the cellar for something interesting to open that's at least a decade in the making.  On this Cellar Saturday, I am pretty well spent after an afternoon of yard work, leaf vacuuming, then mowing then the winter fertilizer, boy I can use a good glass of wine!  Lucky for me I opened up a bottle of 2008 Frog's Leap Napa Valley Merlot from the Rutherford AVA in Napa.  So let's see what this wine has been up to for the past 11 years!

The wine is a lovely ruby color in the glass, with great clarity, a bit lighter than you might expect for a Merlot.  The wine has an incredible nose, exhibiting ripe plum, fig, leather and smoke, that just make you feel like you're about to sip some wine in a vintage library.  The taste is lush, as your palate is envloped in soft tannins that feel like a warm blanket on a chilly day.  The rush of blackberry, cocoa powder and cassis dance around your tongue as you enjoy a cascade of ripe fruit leading to a long, smooth and voluptuous dry finish that is just the right length.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just developed exceptionally well over the past decade, leading me to believe it may be just about peaking.  This wine would be perfect with a range of dishes, from barbecue to steak to pasta, just about anything that would make a nice autumnal dinner.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a grilled bacon wrapped sirloin filet, grilles asparagus and some pesto pasta.  Cheers!

2002 Young Ridge Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

It's the first Saturday of the new month, so of course that means it's Cellar Saturday!  It's that lovely day when I raid the cellar for some bottle that's been developing for a decade or more.  Tonight I've opened a bottle that's been developing for a while, but it just hasn't been in my cellar that long, the 2002 Young Ridge Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, which I recently bought on Wines Till Sold Out.  While not quite to the level of 2007 or 2012-14, the 2002 Napa vintage was characterized by a mild growing season and some late season warmth that pushed the ripening, resulting in concentrated fruit.  So let's see how this wine is tasting now that it's old enough to get a driver's license!

The wine is a deep, inky purple at the center with garnet along the edges.  The nose is expressive of age and maturity, with notes of ripe plum, with blackberry and cassis along with some earthy aromas of leather and graphite.  The taste is remarkably fruit forward, with a blast of ripe cherry, blueberry and plum at the outset, that transition to some wonderful Asian spice and mineral notes midpalate that give the wine the character of a mature Bordeaux.  The tannins are quite smooth and well integrated, for a long, and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it is fully mature and drinking marvelously right now.  This wine would pair well with a nice steak, roasts and lamb, hearty pasta dishes or hard cheeses.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a grilled steak, along with a baked potato with sour cream and scallions, and grilled asparagus and broccoli rabe.  The rich fruit in the wine is nicely balanced with the bitterness of the broccoli rabe.  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!

2001 Resalte de Penafiel Gran Resalte Ribera del Duero

OK, I know I've been a total slacker lately, but the end of August was a big travel week for me at work, and Saturday I was driving to Chicago so I totally missed Cellar Saturday, but I'm making up for it tonight with a delayed Cellar Saturday, and for this one I have a special treat, something I rarely have a chance to enjoy, a mature Spanish wine!  In this case the 2001 Realte de Penafiel Gran Resalte Ribera del Duero, a 100% Tempranillo that was aged for 32 months in new French oak, and now I'm tasting it today!

The wine is rich ruby color in the glass with great clarity.  The nose presents pleasant aromas of blackberry, ripe plum, leather and tobacco.  The taste is simply breathtaking, a building crescendo of black fruit at the outset, blackberry, plum and cherry that transitions effortlessly to some meaty notes of mocha and dark chocolate midpalate.  The finish is punctuated by smoke, dried herbs and a subtle pepper spice even as the subdued tannins support the long, supple and very dry finish.  This wine is truly a pleasure to sip!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as I can't recall the last time I've opened a wine and enjoyed it this much.  I bought this one from Wines Till Sold Out, and although it was a bargain it was not inexpensive at $48.  Tonight I am pulling the classic move of pairing an expensive and wonderful wine with a cheap date of a dinner, after all it is Labor Day and what else could I eat but classic barbecue baby back ribs with some baked beans, mustard potato salad and Asian slaw?  The fruit and spice of this wine just pair beautifully with barbecue.  Cheers!

2013 Michel-Schlumberger Napa Valley Red Wine

Do you know what day it is? Oh yeah, it's hump day!  I just got back from the gym and now I'm ready for a carnivorous dinner, and what goes better with such a meal than a nice red wine?  Tonight I've opened a bottle of 2013 Michel-Schlumberger Napa Valley red wine, a blend of Syrah, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Malbec from a great Napa vintage from the Mt. Veeder and Atlas Peak appellations.

The wine is a lovely deep ruby color in the glass with great clarity.  The nose evokes aromas of ripe red berries, blackberry, red currant and plum overlaid with lovely notes of leather and oak,  The taste is just lovely, with a blast of fruit up front, blackberry, ripe plum and tart cherry that transition effortlessly to some cherry cola and mineral notes midpalate.  The finish is very nice with a reprise of ripe fruit along with some robust mineral flavors of limestone and basalt.  The tannins are firm and nicely structured, supporting the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, with great structure and wonderful fruit notes, and a great value (I bought this one from Wines Till Sold Out for just $17!).  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic pairing of rare grilled Angus New York Strip, topped with some grilled organic leeks along with grilled maroon carrots, baked potato with all the fixin's and some steamed broccoli.  What a way to celebrate hump day, cheers!

2010 Hacienda Lopez de Haro Rioja

It's Sunday, time for the best dinner of the week, since you have all afternoon to contemplate and prepare your meal.  Tonight I've decided on something that will warm me up since it's bitter cold out today, the temperature started this morning in the teens and now it's only 7!  So with the warmth of my Sunday dinner, I've decided to open a bottle of 2010 Hacienda Lopez de Haro Rioja, which I bought about a month ago at Costco.

The wine is a lighter ruby color in the glass with nice clarity.  The nose exhibits some lovely fruit and floral notes with some lovely white pepper spice.  The taste is quite nice, with some subdued fruit up front, ripe plum and cassis, that transitions nicely to some dried herb and spice notes midpalate.  The finish is pleasant though a bit short, with a reprise of jammy fruit amid the smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's nothing spectacular, even though it was a phenomenal bargain at just $5!  I regret only buying a single bottle, I should have bough a case!  And to warm up this evening, I am pairing this with some ghost pepper curry with chicken and vegetables served over steamed basmati rice.  It's so hard to pair a red wine with ghost peppers, but this one does well, with some subdued earthy flavors that actually complement the spice.  Here's to warming up with hearty winter food!

2009 Chateau Grand Tayac Margaux

Well, it's Saturday night, time for a nice bottle of Bordeaux, and tonight its the king of Bordeaux, a Margaux from the stellar 2009 vintage, the 2009 Chateau Grand Tayac Margaux.  I recently bought a few bottles of this wine from Wines Till Sold Out, so why not try it?  This Margaux is a blend of classic Bordeaux varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon (70%), Merlot (27%) and Petit Verdot (3%).

The wine is a lovely deep garnet color in the glass, with an almost inky black center.  The nose presents aromas of blackberry, cassis and mint with just a hint of earthy overtones.  The taste is a lovely fruit forward blast of ripe cherry and plum that transitions effortlessly to some earthy flavors of oak and limestone midpalate.  The tannins are still a bit tightly wound, but the finish is just lovely, earthy, long and dry, just as a nice Margaux should be!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it's drinking well now, but could use a few more years in the cellar.  It was also an excellent value at about $30!  Tonight I am enjoying this classic French wine with a quintessential American meal of a rare grilled Angus ribeye, baked potato and steamed broccoli, yum!  A nice Bordeaux is always a pleasure to drink with steak, but this one would also pair well with some aged cheeses or charcuterie.  Sante!

2010 Spalletti Chianti Classico Riserva

Happy Monday!  I just got back from the gym and now I'm cooking dinner, and what goes better with cooking than a nice glass of wine?  Tonight I've opened a bottle of 2010 Spalletti Chianti Classico Riserva that I bought recently during the Wines Till Sold Out "Cheapskate Marathon" which is always a favorite event!

The wine is a bright garnet color in the glass with great clarity as is typical with a nice Chianti.  The nose is pure Tuscan Sangiovese, with earthy aromas of leather, smoke and peat over a fruit foundation of ripe plum and blackberry.  The taste takes be back to a lunch of Tuscan Toast I had in Florence back in 1995, with some ripe blackberry and plum at the outset that transitions effortlessly to some notes of peat and nearly Bordeaux style funk midpalate.  The finish is very nice, as many mass produced Chianti have a very lackluster finish, but the tannins on this wine are well developed, providing for a long, smooth and exceptionally dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a very nice example of a quality Chianti at a value price of just $15!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some Parmesan crusted walleye with lemon garlic butter, wild rice and some haricots verts almondine!  What could be better with a nice Tuscan red than a mild fish married with butter, garlic and Parmesan?  Cheers!

2013 Kirkland Signature Columbia Valley Merlot

I made it through hump day and once I got home that's when the chaos started.  It was 90 here today and although my house was still a comfortable 71 degrees (thank you shade trees!) I decided to turn on the air conditioner.  But before I did that I wanted to go check and make sure there were no branches, vines or bird nests in the unit.  That's when apparently I upset a bee and it stung me square on the nose!  That's when I gave up, went to the gym and then came home to open a nice bottle of 2013 Kirkland Signature Columbia Valley Merlot that I recently picked up at Costco.

The wine is a brooding ruby color in the glass with nice clarity.  The nose is a pleasant combination of ripe plum, blackberry and leather with just a hint of dusty limestone, a classic CV merlot nose.  The taste was a rush of warm ripe fruit intermingled with a bit of anise and baking spice which transitioned nicely to some notes of mocha and violets midpalate.  The finish was very nice, firm but youthful tannins providing for a long, smooth dry finish that seemed to last a good 30 seconds.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's not very exceptional but a very good everyday wine, particularly at the $9 price point at Costco.  Tonight I am enjoying this with a rare grilled Angus ribeye, big baked potato and some grilled leeks and Brussels sprouts.  A great steak wine! 

2003 Reininger Desiderata

Well, it's the first Saturday of the month so that must mean it's Cellar Saturday!  That great time when I open a bottle of more mature wine just for the heck of it, and tonight I have a really special one for you, one that hasn't been in my cellar very long, but was reserved quite some time before release.  I'm talking about the 2003 Reininger Desiderata, a fine blend of six varietals including Malbec (44%), Cabernet Sauvignon (21%), Petit Verdot (13%), Carmenere (10%), Cabernet Franc (8%) and Merlot (4%) from some of Walla Walla's best vineyards.  The wine is also unusual in that it was barrel aged for nearly 5 years and then aged in the bottle for another 2 1/2 years!  Reininger made a wonderful short video on the making of this wine that appears on their website here: 2003 Desiderata that really does a nice job explaining the wine.  So let's get tasting!

I decanted the wine and let it breathe for an hour or so before pouring.  The wine is a lovely deep purple color in the glass with bright ruby along the edges.  It has a nose that reminds you of the great Bordeaux blends from France, but there is also a level of earthy tones that no doubt is an expression of the Malbec.  The nose has a great aroma of ripe plum, pomegranate and just a hint of tobacco.  The taste is just marvelous, great fruit up front, cherry, black plum and cassis that transitions effortlessly to some dark chocolate and mocha notes midpalate.  The tannins are just so graceful and well integrated that you don't even notice that you've finished a sip, yet you're still enjoying the long, smooth and elegantly dry finish.  Every bit of this wine is like watching the performance of a graceful dancer, every move has it's purpose and adds a layer to the story unfolding before your eyes, and when you're finished you have to marvel at the experience.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9.5, it's one of the greatest wines I've had from Walla Walla, though it's not cheap, I think it's worth every penny of the $85 I spent on it!  Tonight I am enjoying it with a nice grilled porterhouse, baked potato and some fresh steamed asparagus, but really, I could just have this wine for dinner and enjoy it just as much!  What a testament to the vision of a great winemaker.  Cheers!

2012 Havens Bourriquot Oakville Napa Valley Red Blend

Happy Friday!  It's been a very long week, but I managed to get most of my work done, get to the gym and now I'm home and definitely ready for a glass of wine!  Tonight I've opened a bottle that I just received in the mail at the office today from my "Cheapskate Marathon" orders from Wines Till Sold Out.  This one is a 2012 Havens Bourriquot, a red blend from Havens Winery in Napa Valley.  I couldn't find the spec sheet on this vintage, but based on the 2009 notes, this is likely a blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, which should make for a pleasant glass on a Friday evening!

The wine is a bright ruby in the glass with great clarity, suggesting a weighting toward the Cabernet Franc side.  The nose is is quite complex with some big notes of ripe plum, fig and toasted oak that gives way to some lovely light floral notes of rose and jasmine.  The taste is quite nice with some candied fruit notes up front, plum, cherry and fig that transition to some earthy oak and mineral notes midpalate.  The finish is subtle, with well balanced tannins supporting an exceptionally smooth, long and dry finish.  This is a wine that might surprise you by how quickly and easily the bottle empties!

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5 as it's a very pleasant drinking wine at a price that is a value.  I bought this from Wines Till Sold Out for $17, so I'd have no problem drinking this one everyday!  This wine would be ideal with hearty meat dishes, like braised short ribs or a nicely grilled New York strip, but tonight I'm enjoying it with some baked cod, sweet potato fries and a baby arugula salad with aged balsamic.  The lovely fruit on this wine makes it ideal for dished with more subtle flavors like the cod, but can also stand up to the spicy sweetness of the arugula and balsamic salad.  Cheers!

Bledsoe Family Red Wine

Happy Friday!  I just got back from the gym and I'm ready for a nice glass of wine!  Today I received a shipment of wine that I ordered from Doubleback Winery in Walla Walla.  For those of you unfamiliar, this is the winery that was started a number of years ago (I believe they just released their 6th vintage of Cabernet, the 2012 which was in the shipment I received today) by former NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe and his wife Maura.  The Cabernet is the signature wine, but they also produce an intriguing table wine, the non-vintage Bledsoe Family Wine, which is sold in very interesting clear 1-liter bottles with a stopper similar to the ones Grolsch uses on their beer bottles (you can see it in the photos below).

The wine is a deep inky purple color in the glass, with bright ruby around the edges.  The nose is an interesting combination of ripe plum, green herbs and a bit of mocha.  The wine is really nice, with a blast of fruit up front, plum, tart cherry and raspberry, that transitions nicely to some mineral notes of dusty limestone.  The tannins are a bit chewy, but supportive of the long, velvety and exceptionally dry finish.  For a red table wine, it reminds me a lot of a good quality northern Rhone blend.  Keep in mind, I didn't decant this wine, but it opens up very nicely with a couple hours of air.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, I really like it, and though not inexpensive at $38, it's certainly reasonable for an everyday wine.  Now this may sound kitschy, but when I first saw the bottle, it reminded me of the big clear jugs of table wine my Italian neighbor Lidio used to drink when I was growing up.  Granted it's not a gallon jug, but it still made me think this would be perfect with a classic spaghetti and meatballs, which is what I'm pairing it with tonight.  It would also be ideal with a grilled steak or braised short ribs, almost any classic comfort food you could think of.  Cheers!

2011 Forgeron Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Thursday!  Today I received a wonderful surprise from the Fedex guy at my office, my latest wine club delivery from Forgeron Cellars!  This club selection was the 2012 Primitivo and the 2011 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon which I decided to open for tonight's dinner (this Cabernet is actually a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (84%), Cabernet Franc (8%) and Petit Verdot (8%)).  Given that Seattle is playing in the big game on Sunday, I thought tonight would be a good night for a classic Pacific Northwest dinner to celebrate what I hope will be another Seahawks Lombardi trophy!

The wine is a lovely deep garnet color in the glass.  The nose is just dynamite, a rich earthy combination of leather, toasted oak and ripe plum bordering on prune.  The taste was quite a surprise, as you open with a lovely bit of floral presence, some lavender and rose petals that quickly transitions to some ripe plum and blackberry flavors midpalate.  The tannins are nicely structured, lending to the velvety mouthfeel and supprorting the long, smooth and very dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, one of my favorite Cabernets in quite a while, and one that's likely to improve with some time in the cellar.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic Northwest dinner of cedar planked Coho salmon filet served over a bed of baby kale tossed with a bit of aged white balsamic, some oven roasted potatoes and steamed cauliflower.  Yeah, I know, Cabernet is for steak, but isn't Coho just the steak of the fish world?  Sante!

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!

2004 Bussola Ca' del Laito Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso

Well, it's the first Saturday in December, which of course means it's Cellar Saturday, that special day when I dig deep into the cellar and find a nice bottle a bit more mature just for the heck of it.  Tonight I go back a decade and open a bottle of 2004 Bussola Ca' del Laito Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso.  For those who have read any of my past posts on Amarone, know that the Valpolicella Ripasso is the second pressing of the grapes used to produce Amarone, which themselves are dried before pressing, creating a much more concentrated flavor that is just a joy to drink.  The only problem with Amarone is the price, hence the ripasso is a more value oriented offering which we are enjoying tonight!

The wine is a bright ruby color in the glass, with just the faintest hint of amber along the edges.  The nose is quite nice, with earthy notes of cedar, leather and fresh herbs over concentrated fruit notes of ripe plum and raisin.  The taste is sublime, with a burst of sweet cherry and anise at the outset, which transitions to some espresso and white pepper notes midpalate.  The tannins are well integrated and nicely structured, supporting a long, velvety dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid  8.5, it's drinking exceedingly well after it's first decade, and it was a great value at just $25, or about a third of the cost of a comparable Amarone.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic big dinner to go with the big wine, a rare grilled prime New York strip, a big baked potato with butter and sour cream and some steamed broccoli.  The fruit and spice in this wine just play remarkably well with a charred steak, tutti a tavola a mangiare!