2022 DaMa Wines Walla Walla Merlot

It was a beautiful day here, with lots of sunshine, but unfortunately we didn't quote make it into the 60s so my hope that spring will arrive is still alive.  I am excited to go see a play at the Elkhart Civic Theatre tonight, but before that, I need to have dinner and a nice glass of wine.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle that just arrived in a wine club shipment yesterday.  The 2022 DaMa Wines Walla Walla Merlot is a 100% Merlot from the XL Vineyard in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  Let's see how this wine is shaping up!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you'd expect from the varietal.  The nose reveals aromas of bing cherry, with undertones of rose petals and a hint of mint.  The first sip is a rush of tart cherry that quickly mellows to some notes of caramel and dark chocolate midpalate, with a reprise of fruit, blueberry and blackberry.  The tannins are a bit in your face, which is all good when they take their place as the backbone of the smooth and exceedingly dry finish that reminds me of a nice right bank Bordeaux.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's drinking well now, but will likely be much more approachable with a few years in the cellar.  This wine would pair well with a variety of dishes, from classic steak to grilled veal chops, rack of lamb to hearty pasta.  Tonight, I am going a bit off the beaten path and enjoying this wine with some Italian sausage with onions and peppers and bucatini sautéed in garlic and olive oil and tossed with broccoli rabe and asparagus.  Cheers!

2020 Château Laurou 'Les Complices' Fronton

Well, I got a lot of chores done today, laundry, mowing, and I broke out the leaf vacuum, as I had some leaves come down in the front yard from a recent storm, but fall is rapidly approaching, so it's good practice!  At any rate, I'm now ready for a nice dinner on my labor day weekend, and a nice bottle of wine!  Tonight, I've opened a bottle of 2020 Château Laurou 'Les Complices' Fronton that I purchased a month or two ago from Wines Till Sold Out.  This wine has a new varietal for me, as it's a blend of Negrette and Syrah from the southwest of France.  So, let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with nice clarity.  The nose presents a wonderful fruity, floral presence, with aromas of blackberry intermingled with violet and rose petals the grab your attention.  The first sip is trip, with the floral notes continuing amid some tart cherry and earthy peat notes, amid robust tannins that coat your palate.  The finish is very dry, with a continuation of the floral notes resulting in an elegant complexity.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a wonderfully drinking wine, but the floral and earthy notes were a bit too much for me.  This wine would pair well with rich foods, much like the foods of France, with lots of heavy cream sauces, like a seafood Newburg, or filet mignon topped with Béarnaise.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a long tradition of Labor Day meals, steamed Maine lobster with drawn butter and corn on the cob.  This meal dates back to my sophomore year of college, when the Civil Air Patrol had their annual fall fundraiser selling lobsters for $5 each!  So, a bunch of my fraternity brothers would each pitch in $10 and we would have a feast!  I still have the lobster pot I bought to cook them in, and thus a tradition was born, though the price has changed a bit.  Cheers!

2011 Notre Vin Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Cuvée L'Étrier

Happy Saturday!  And of course, since this is the first Saturday of a new month, that make this Cellar Saturday, that magical time when I raid the cellar for something at least a decade in the making.  Tonight, I've selected a wine that has only been in my cellar for a few weeks, but it's been in someone's cellar since 2011 before I bought this bottle from Wines Till Sold Out.  The 2011 Notre Vin Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Cuvée L'Étrier is a Classic Napa Valley Cabernet blended with a bit of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is an inky black at the center, with bright ruby along the edges, just as you might expect from a big, bold Napa Cabernet.  Take a whiff and you are greeted with plum, graphite, aged leather and a touch of fig for good measure.  The first sip is a rush of black cherry that is at first sweet, then tart, then back to sweet, before easing into some earthy notes of dusty limestone and peat midpalate.  The tannins are still fairly robust, providing a pivotal backdrop for the long, smooth and very dry finish that lingers for a minute or more.  

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a classic big, bold Napa Valley Cabernet that fans will appreciate.  This wine would pair well with a wide range of dishes, but like most big Cabs, this one practically begs to be paired with a big, juicy steak.  And we're in luck!  I am enjoying this wine tonight with a rare grilled T-bone along with grilled hatch chiles, blistered cherry tomatoes and corn on the cob.  Cheers!

2011 Alienor 'Le Troubadour' Lake County Red Wine

Happy Saturday!  It's the first Saturday of March, which make this Cellar Saturday, that magical time when I raid the cellar for something at least a decade in the making.  Tonight I've opened a bottle that hasn't actually been in my cellar very long, as I recently bought it from Wines Till Sold Out.  The 2011 Alienor 'Le Troubadour' Lake County Red Wine is a blend of  Merlot (41%), Syrah (32%) and  Cabernet Franc (27%) from the Lake County AVA of the North Coast of California.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you might expect from the heavy hand of these varietals.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of blueberries, prune, dried moss and undertones of mint and anise.  Take a sip and your tastebuds surprise you with a rush of fresh ripe fruit, cherry, blackberry and plum, that transition to notes of subtle spice and earthy gravel, intertwined with a dark espresso.  The tannings are still quite robust, leading you to the smooth, dusty dry finish that lingers through your next sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's drinking wonderfully right now, and at just $20, you could easily sip this throughout the week.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty, earthy dishes, from duck to wild mushroom risotto, grilled lamb to a smoked curry.  Tonight I am taking a completely different road and enjoying this wine with some quick tacos before my second to the last performance this evening.  Cheers!

2019 Château de l'Annonciation Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

Happy Saturday!  I spent a good portion of the day practicing lines for the upcoming play that I'm a part of, then I went to the thrift store and found a new addition to the thrift store art collection for only $7.50 and now I am ready to enjoy dinner with a nice bottle of wine.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle of 2019 Château de l'Annonciation Saint-Émilion Grand Cru that I recently bought from Wines Till Sold Out.  I'm  a big Bordeaux fan, so I couldn't resist this wine, which is a blend of Merlot (80%), Cabernet Sauvignon (15%) and Cabernet Franc (5%).  So, let's see how it's tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you might expect from the heavy Merlot concentration.  A swirl of the glass reveals aromas of lavender, black cherry and toasted oak.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of black fruit, cherry, blackberry and plum, which transition easily to some earthy notes of oak, vanilla bean and graphite midpalate.  The tannins are in your face, yet still provide for a smooth but exceptionally dry finish that lingers for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's still developing, but will likely improve a bit with some time in the cellar.  This wine was also a terrific value at just $18.  This would pair well with steaks, roasted game, braised short ribs, or hearty cheeses.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled New York strip, with some blistered cherry tomatoes and asparagus with hollandaise.  Cheers!

2011 Clarendon Hills Grenache

Happy Cellar Saturday! It's the first Saturday of the month, that wonderful time when I raid the cellar for something at least a decade in the making to enjoy.  Tonight I've open a bottle that's older, but hasn't been in my cellar very long, as it was a recent purchase from Wines Till Sold out.  The 2011 Clarendon Hills Grenache is a 100% Grenache from the McLaren Vale region of southern Australia.  Though this region is well known for Syrah, let's see what this fellow Rhone varietal has to offer.

The wine is a bright ruby in the glass, with a hint of amber along the edges.  Take a whiff and you're treated to aromas of strawberry, cherry and blackberry intermingled with earthy notes of peat and dusty loam.  Take a sip and your palate is awash in vibrant berry fruit flavors, with just a hint of sweetness, before transitioning to some wonderful earthy mineral notes and white pepper spice midpalate.  The tannins are robust, providing a solid backbone for the long, smooth dry finish that lingers until your next sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a real testament to the potential for this varietal under extended maturity.  This wine would pair well with a range of dishes, from steaks and chops to barbecue or classis paella.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a classic pairing of herb crusted rack of lamb, with a wine and berry cardamom reduction and oven roasted rainbow cauliflower.  Cheers!

2017 Cave Dog Napa Valley Red Wine

Happy Saturday!  It's been a busy day of cooking for a range of folks, but now it's time to relax a bit with a nice glass of wine and some hearty dinner.  Tonight I've opened a bottle that I recently purchased from Wines Till Sold Out.  The 2017 Cave Dog Napa Valley Red Wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (50%) and Merlot (50%) from a stellar vintage in the Napa Valley, so let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby red color in the glass, a testament to the blend.  A swirl of the glass reveals aromas of leather, earthy cedar, cardamom and peat that has a definite old world sort of vibe.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of cool black fruit that washes over your palate, transitioning easy to some earthy notes and spicy pepper midpalate.  The tannins are robust, creating a wonderfully vibrant dry finish that lingers as you reach for another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a pleasant drinking, quality wine at a value price of just $20.  This wine would pair well with steak, slow roasted pot roast, or vibrant Italian dishes.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a thick Angus, bone-in ribeye grilled Pittsburgh rare along with some bacon maple Brussels sprouts and oven roasted baby carrots.  Of course, I'll likely be finishing this bottle on the patio with a wonderful fall fire.  Cheers!

2011 Tikveš Vranec Red Wine

Happy Sunday!  It was exceedingly hot today, so I spent much of the day indoors, doing some chores and some online work, including a wine blog post!  As for the wine, tonight I'm enjoying a bottle that's been in the cellar for a number of years, the 2011 Tikveš Vranec red wine.  Vranec is one of the most popular varietals in Macedonia, where this wine was produced, and interestingly, the name means "strong, black and powerful horse (black stallion)" which I found interesting as the glass I poured certainly did this imagery justice.  So let's see how it tastes!

The wine is really a black stallion in the glass, with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose presents aromas of prune, blackberry, peppery spice and wild game, very stallion-esque.  The taste is a rush of ripe black fruit, blackberry, currant and plum that transition nicely to some notes of cocoa powder and green grass midpalate.  The tannins are robust, providing for a very dry finish that lingers for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a very interesting wine that was also fairly inexpensive if I recall.  This wine would pair marvelously with venison or duck, with the fruit and earthy character accenting the game character.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a plain Jane Sunday dinner of grilled ribeye, along with some mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli.  Cheers!

2016 DaMa Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, it's been a crazy busy Saturday, as I spent the entire day in the yard doing my best to recreate the giant pile of leaves that filled two dump trucks yesterday when the city came to pick them up and now the pile is back!  And the worst part is I didn't finish by dark, so now I'll have to do it again tomorrow!  Well at least there is wine before I head out to the theater tonight (see I told you this was a crazy busy day!), so I've opened a bottle of the latest wine club shipment from DaMa Wines, the 2016 DaMa Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon, a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Walla Walla Valley of Washington.  So let's see how this wine is shaping up!

The wine is an inky black at the center with bright ruby along the edges, just as you'd expect from a pure Cabernet.  The nose exudes class with notes of dark chocolate, cassis, ripe black fruit and rich leather and spice.  The taste is a rush of ripe blackberry, plum and cherry that transition nicely to notes of cocoa powder and a hint of white pepper spice.  The robust tannins are the ideal foundation for a smooth and voluptuous finish that lingers on the palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as Mary and crew have done a fine job crafting this Cabernet that's just perfect for fall.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty dishes, from roast prime rib to chili to lamb, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime New York strip with some red beet farrow and grilled leeks and romanesco.  Cheers!

2016 Seven Hills Klipsun Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Wine Wednesday!  The last of Washington Wine Month, so tonight I've decided to open a bottle from one of my favorite Walla Walla producers.  Of course it helped that I happened to stumble upon this wine this afternoon as I was looking for something to have with dinner, the 2016 Seven Hills Klipsun Cabernet Sauvignon, a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Klipsun Vineyard in the Red Mountain AVA.  So let's see how this one is shaping up after being opened for an hour or so.

The wine is a deep inky black at the center with bright garnet around the edges, just as you'd expect from a nice Cabernet.  The nose is chock full of ripe black fruit, blackberry, cherry and currant over earthy elements of leather and dusty granite.  The taste is a rush of jammy black fruit that washes over your palate as notes of blackberry and cherry dance with dried fig before pressing on to some notes of cocoa and sage.  The tannins are robust and prime for a velvety mouthfeel cascading to the smooth and exceptionally dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a terrific Cabernet and a fine illustration of the Red Mountain terroir.  This wine would pair very nicely with steaks, smoked beef brisket or summer barbecue, but tonight I'm going in a completely different direction for a weeknight dinner.  I am enjoying this wine with some bucatini with andouille sausage prima vera.  Cheers!

2016 Mount Veeder Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

It's Thursday and the week is starting to feel like it's winding down!  Tonight, I've decided to open a bottle of wine I received as a gift from a fellow cast member in the Elkhart Civic Theatre production of the Music Man last month, the 2016 Mount Veeder Winery Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  My friend did a wonderful job selecting this wine as I've been a fan of Mount Veeder Cabernet since the 2008 Vintage (you can see that review here).  So 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, just as you'd expect from a nice Napa Cabernet.  The nose is a luxurious basket of leather, blackberry and plum with just a hint of smoke.  The taste is classic big Napa Cabernet, with a rush of black fruit and cherry cola that transitions nicely to some notes of white pepper spice and anise midpalate.  The tannins are robust in their youth, providing for an exceptionally smooth and dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a wonderfully fresh example of the varietal, but would likely benefit from a few years in the cellar.  This wine is screaming to be paired with a big juicy steak, and thankfully I can oblige.  Tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime New York Strip, grilled asparagus and some smashed purple potatoes with parsley and white truffle butter.  Cheers!

2015 Seven Hills Elephant Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Saturday!  In between the hailstorms, snow, sleet and rain today, I managed to get quite a few errands run, from grocery shopping to getting my pumpkins for Halloween.  So now it's time to relax a bit and open a nice bottle of wine which arrived yesterday from Seven Hills Winery, the 2015 Elephant Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon.  This wine is a limited production wine (not even sure how many cases were produced) from fruit sourced from the Elephant Mountain Vineyard in the Yakima Valley (in the Rattlesnake Hills AVA), resulting in a Columbia Valley designation for this wine.  I've heard good things and since I trust Julie at Seven Hills implicitly for wine recommendations, I bought a case of this wine, so let's see how it tastes!

The wine is a deep, inky purple at the center, with bright garnet along the edges.  The nose is a layered affair, with aromas of smoke, intermingled with earthy notes of dusty limestone, interwoven with black currant and blueberry fruit, overlaid with light floral aromas.  There is a lot going on there!  The taste is not at all what I was expecting, that being a rush of ripe fruit similar to many big, bold Cabs.  Instead, there were so many earthy flavors, green grass, cedar and smoke that danced around flavors of caramel, black currant and anise.  The tannins are quote robust, offering a solid base for the long, smooth and exceptionally dry finish, which seems to go on and on for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, with room to get even better with some time in the bottle.  It's such a different Cabernet, and pleasantly so that it really makes you want to sip all afternoon.  But alas, I also need some dinner, and this wine would be ideal with a broad variety of dishes, from pasta and stews to a classic steak.  Tonight I am of course enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime New York Strip with grilled Brussels sprouts and a baked potato with butter and sour cream.  This wine just holds up exceedingly well with steak, cheers!

2012 Pulchrum Crespiello

Happy Friday!  I am ready for the weekend, though my tree guy came by today to review the branches that will need to be cut back this fall and he was nice enough to point out some patches of poison ivy that I'll now need to address this weekend...ugh.  But before that fiasco commences, I figure I have time for a nice bottle of wine with dinner, and tonight it's a new wine and a new varietal.  I got an e-mail from Wines Till Sold Out a month or so ago highlighting a wine made from a a nearly extinct varietal and they had me!  The 2012 Pulchrum Crespiello (aka Vidadillo) is a wine from Carinena in northwest Spain grown on vines planted in 1900 (so this is old vine for sure!).  This varietal was well known in the 12th century, but not always known for quality (comparisons to vinegar are common) thought winemaking techniques have advanced in the past 900 years.  Vidadillo is somewhat similar to Garnacha, but with larger darker berries with thicker skins, the wines from this varietal are often darker and more tannic than a typical Garnacha.  So let's see how this wine tastes!

The wine is certainly darker than a Garnacha, appearing more like a Cabernet or Merlot in the glass.  The nose is a pleasant combination of black currant, floral notes and a hint of balsamic (hello vinegar!) that doesn't give you brain much to go on for taste expectations.  The taste thought is quite an experience, with a brief rush of ripe blackberry and currant that transitions nicely to some wonderful caramel and spice notes midpalate before an edge of balsamic just before the finish.  The tannins are robust but well structured, providing for a long, smooth and very dry finish that lingers.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a really interesting wine from a varietal I've not tried before.  This is the sort of wine that would pair well with a variety of hard to pair dishes, like Indian or Moroccan food, but it would also pair well with pasta, roasts or game and of course, steak.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a grilled chuckeye steak along with some glazed baby carrots and potato puree.  Cheers!

2014 Gilbert Cellars Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Saturday!  I know I missed national wine day, well I guess I was alive yesterday so I didn't actually miss the day, I just didn't have a blog post to celebrate.  Today was one of those Murphy's Law sort of days, so after that, I'm ready for a nice dinner and a nice glass of wine, and tonight I've opened a bottle of wine from the Columbia Valley, a little west of where I normally imbibe, this being a wine from Yakima!  The 2014 Gilbert Cellars Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, I found at the House of Pure Vin in Detroit (the folks there were wonderful and they had a surprisingly robust selection of Washington wines.  So, back to the wine, let's see how this one tastes!

This was one of those wines where just opening it you get a solid whiff of something delicious and you can sense right away that this is going to be good.  The nose is a wonderful combination of leather, black cherry, cassis, layered with some light floral notes.  The taste was a rush of ripe fruit that was bright at first, but left me somewhat flat in the end.  Midpalate, there are some lingering fruit notes intermingled with earthy elements of peat and dusty limestone.  The tannins are somewhat robust, bringing you back a bit for the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it was a good cabernet, but honestly I thought there was going to be a bit more to this.  Still, it would be a very good steak wine, and tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime ribcap topped with a fried egg and sriracha (because I said so!), with grilled leeks and asparagus.  And of course, after dinner, I'll be sure to enjoy another glass on the patio, cheers!

2008 Le Mura Saracene Montefalco Rosso

Happy Cellar Saturday!  It's the first Saturday of the month, and time to raid the cellar for a wine that's at least a decade in the making.  Tonight I've opened a wine that I fully admit was a victim of my lack of short, or even medium term memory.  I bought a couple bottles of the 2008 Le Mura Saracene Montefalco Rosso at G.B. Russo's in Grand Rapids back in 2012 or 2013, and I remember Dave Russo telling me that this wine would benefit from a couple more years in the cellar, and five years later I found it!  At any rate, for those unfamiliar with Montefalco Rosso, it's a wine from a region in central Umbria and is a blend primarily of Sangiovese (60-70%) along with Sagrantino (10-15%), which is a varietal that's very tannic.  The remainder of the blend is up to the wine maker, with many now employing more traditional varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  So let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a deep, inky black at the center with bright garnet along the edges, a testament to the impact of the Sagrantino and other blending grapes on the otherwise lighter bodied Sangiovese.  The nose is a bounty of ripe red and black fruit, plum, cherry, currant along with earthy aromas of peat and olive.  The taste is at first a wave of earthy mineral and olive, that transitions to some more mellow hints of cherry and prune, before circling back to some rustic hints of cinnamon and mocha.  The tannins are quite robust despite their age, lending to a long, smooth and exceptionally dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a wonderfully drinking wine, but I think it may be somewhat of an acquired taste that's quite different than a Chianti or Brunello.  This wine would pair well with roasts, wild game, and of course hearty Italian dishes.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some squid ink tagliatelle tossed with shrimp in a tomato basil cream sauce.  Cheers!

2010 L'Ecole No. 41 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Saturday!  Today was a fun day as I went to Chicago for a board meeting and then stopped at Eataly to get some steaks and pasta and other sundry items, before heading home.  When I got back to Elkhart, I stopped at the local wine store and found a nice bottle of 2010 L'Ecole No. 41 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon which I decided to open with dinner tonight.  So let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a lovely deep, inky indigo, just what you'd expect from a nice Cabernet.  The nose is full of ripe aromas of blackberry and plum, over some earthy notes of leather.  The taste is a rush of cherry cola along with some floral notes which transition nicely to some earthy mineral notes as well as tobacco leaf midpalate.  The finish is quite nice, with robust tannins lending nice structure to the long, smooth and velvety dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a very pleasant drinking Cabernet.  This wine would be ideal with a number of the steaks and chops I bought today, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic Pacific Northwest dinner of cedar planked steelhead along with some couscous and steamed broccoli and cauliflower.  Cabernet just always seems right with a nice piece of salmon, cheers!

2010 Esprit de Pavie Bordeaux

What a chilly day!  I woke up this morning and it was 0 degrees outside, and despite working and shoveling snow and going to the gym, I'm happy to be home in the warmth with a nice glass of wine.  Tonight's wine was a gift from an old boss, who shares similar tastes in wine with me, the 2010 Esprit de Pavie Bordeaux.  Now this is a real Bordeaux as I had to exercise my high school French to read the label, which the easiest part to read was that this wine contains mainly Merlot (65%) along with Cabernet Franc (20%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (15%), so this is clearly a right bank Bordeaux.  So let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a deep, inky indigo with bright ruby along the edges as you'd expect from a Merlot dominant blend.  The nose is not so much a classic Bordeaux, but chock full of leather, light floral notes, blackberry and some lovely mineral notes.  The taste is somewhat subdued fruit up front, with some cherry and plum with a hint of mint that transition to some earthy notes of dusty limestone, iron and a classic hint of barnyard at the end.  The tannins are robust, providing for a wonderfully smooth and very dry finish that lasts a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a wonderfully drinking Bordeaux from a very strong vintage.  This wine would pair well with classic steaks and chops, but would also do well with aged cheeses and Mediterranean fare.  Tonight I am taking a bit of a departure and enjoying this wine with some seared sea scallops, couscous and some haricots verts almondine.  Cheers!

2007 La Mannella Brunello di Montalcino

Happy Cellar Saturday!  It's the first Saturday of January and the first Saturday of 2018, so it must be time for me to raid the cellar and explore a wine that's just been sitting around being lazy for a number of years, not unlike their owner.  Tonight I've decided for a number of reasons to go full on Mediterranean, and I've opened up a bottle of 2007 La Mannella Brunello di Montalino, the undisputed king of Italian vino!  Now, I feel the same about Brunello as Barolo (though I'm much less likely to make exceptions with Barolo) that these wines really don't start coming into their own for a good decade after harvest, so it's far more likely that you'd see these on a Cellar Saturday than any other time.  So here goes nothing!

The wine is a lovely bright ruby color in the glass, with great clarity.  And although I've let this wine have a good bit of air already, the aromas are just exploding from the glass, with notes of dried spices, olive and dried floral notes, all amid aromas of blackberry and tart cherry fruit.  Classic Brunello aromas all around.  The taste is at first a rush of black fruit flavors, currant, cherry and plum that transition to some flatter notes of dried herbs midpalate.  The tannins are still quite robust, and you're treated to a reprise of sweet cherry on the long, voluptuous and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just starting to come into it's own, but it's still a classic example of what a good Brunello should be.  This wine would pair well with a variety of Italian and Mediterranean dishes, from the classic bistecca Fiorentina to hearty pasta.  Tonight I am enjoying this one with a wonderful grilled octopus with Tuscan herbs and grilled vegetables along with some linguine tossed with cherry tomatoes, lemon and capers.  This is the type of dinner that makes you feel like you're at a seaside restaurant in Sicily rather than a 10-degree ice castle in Indiana!  Cheers!

2014 Starmont Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Monday!  I got a lot of work done today and even managed to get to the gym, so let's celebrate!  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle I recently found at Costco, the 2014 Starmont Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  It was a really good price, so let's see what it has to offer!

The wine looks like a classic Napa Cabernet in the glass, with an inky black center and bright ruby along the edges.  The nose presents aromas of leather, graphite, blackberry and blueberry that just beckon you to take a sip.  The taste is really quite nice, with a rush of black fruit, blackberry, black cherry and some cherry cola that evolve into notes of dusty limestone and white pepper midpalate.  The tannins are robust, providing for the long, smooth and exceptionally dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it's a solid Napa Cabernet and the price was a real value at just $20!  This wine would pair well with hard cheeses, pasta with red sauce, and of course a big steak!  Which is what I'm having tonight, a rare grilled prime sirloin with grilled leeks and Brussels sprouts along with a big baked potato with all the fixin's!  Cheers!

2006 Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino

Happy Sunday!  I have to admit, I've been a total slacker when it comes to Cellar Saturday, I totally missed in last month, and I totally forgot about it yesterday too!  So I'll make up for it today, as I have a delayed Cellar Saturday blamed entirely on Daylight Savings Time!  So instead of yesterday, tonight I've decided to raid the cellar for a bottle that's been at least a decade in the making, and tonight it's the 2006 Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino!  I am a big fan of Brunello, and like a good Barolo, I remain convinced they need at least a decade to show their true potential, so tonight this one has a chance to shine.  Keep in mind, I've decanted this wine and let if breathe for about an hour, so let's see how it tastes!

The wine is a lovely bright garnet color in the glass, with great clarity, just as you'd expect from a nice Sangiovese.  The nose is classic Brunello, with strong notes of smoke, leather, dried Italian herbs and some floral notes of lavender and rose.  The tastes is a rush of ripe fruit, strawberry, raspberry and cherry that transitions nicely to some notes of dried herbs, cardamom and peat midpalate.  The finish is quite nice, as the tannins are robust and support the long, smooth and very dry finish that treats to a reprise of red fruit at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's not the best Brunello I've had, but it's quite good, particularly 11 years on in its life.  This wine would pair well with bistecca alla fiorentina or a variety of Italian dishes, but tonight I've gone rogue and I'm enjoying this wine with some pan seared lake perch topped with pineapple jalapeno salsa, roasted baby potatoes and grilled baby bok choy.  The bright red fruit of this wine really compliment the lighter flavor of the fish.  Cheers!