2020 Dablon Vineyards Tempranillo Tannat

Happy Sunday!  It's been a whirlwind of a day, went to church this morning, then to the airport to see a B-29 bomber, and then off to the Elkhart County Fair to see all the animals and tractors and now that I have a horrible sunburn, I am ready for a relaxing glass of wine and dinner.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle that a friend gave me a few weeks ago.  The 2020 Dablon Vineyards Tempranillo Tannat is a blend of Tempranillo (90%) and Tannat (10%) from the Dablon Estate Vineyard in Baroda, Michigan. I will admit, I am generally not a fan of Michigan red wines, though I have found a few gems over the years, let's see with this one is a gem.

The wine is a lighter bodied, ruby color in the glass and the nose presents aromas of green grass, dried herbs and cherry cola.  The first sip is a rather subdued combination of blackberry and tart cherry with quite a bit of acidity, which transitions to some dried herbs and smoke midpalalte.  The tannins are so subdued as to be unnoticable, yet the finish is tart and dry, but brief.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's interesting but typifies the challenge Michigan growers have with red varietals, though the lighter complexion would make this a plesant drinking summer red.  This wine would pair well with a range of summer fare, from barbecued ribs to burgers and brats.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a crispy skin Scottish black pearl salmon, steamed rice and some steamed Italian green beans.  Cheers!

2023 Precision Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  I spent the afternoon digging up my water meter (long story, don't ask!) and now I'm ready for a nice dinner and glass of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle I picked up at Costco a few weeks ago and I am hoping it is an under-the-radar wine that I can enjoy (but never find there again!).  The 2023 Precision Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a Napa Valley Cabernet and that's about all I know!  Let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is an inky black at the center with bright ruby along the edges, textbook for a Napa Cabernet.  The nose presents aromas of leather, smoke, dusty limestone and ripe black currant.  The first sip is a rush of ripe fruit, black cherry, currant and plum with a good bit of tart acidity before transitioning to some ripe plum and peppery spice notes midpalate.  The tannins are well behaved, providing for a wonderfully smooth dry finish that lingers until your next sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, not because it's a spectacular wine, but because it's a very good wine that was only $15!  This tremendous value wine will let you glimpse at how the other half lives as you sip a very solid wine on a random weeknight!  This wine would pair with a range of casual dinners, from pizza and tacos to burgers and brats.  Since it's Sunday, tonight I am enjoying this wine with something a bit more elevated, a grilled bone-in ribeye with oven roasted fingerling potatoes and cippolini onions and grilled asparagus.  Cheers!

2012 Firefly Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Cellar Saturday!  It's the first Saturday of a new month which means it's time to raid the cellar for something at least a decade in the making.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle that hasn't been in the cellar long, as I recently purchased it from Wines Till Sold Out.  The 2012 Firefly Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is from a stellar Napa vintage and sourced from vineyards in the Coombsville AVA of Napa Valley.  Let's see how this wine is performing after 14 years!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, without a hint of amber at the edges, looking quite fresh.  A gentle swirl of the glass and the nose reveals aromas of ripe blackberry and prune amid undertones of smoke and dusty limestone.  Take a sip and your palate is awash in ripe fruit, blackberry, cherry and plum that eases into some dried herbs and black pepper spice midpalate.  The acidity is still vibrant, offering some tartness on the smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it was a solid wine that still has plenty of life left in it.  This wine would pair well with hard cheeses, braised short ribs, steaks or grilled lamb chops.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a grilled ribeye with wild mushroom risotto and grilled asparagus.  The fruit and bright acidity of this wine is ideal to cut through a fatty ribeye.  Cheers!

2018 Reininger Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Saturday!  Last week was spring break and though it started out promising, we are ending the week with a clear reminder that mother nature rules the calendar!  In any event, tonight I have opened a bottle that has regretfully been in my cellar too long so it's well past time to open this one.  The 2018 Reininger Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (91%), Merlot (6%) and Petit Verdot (3%) from the XL, Seven Hills and Pepper Bridge Vineyards in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington. So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with an inky black center, just as you'd expect from a high-quality Cabernet.  A gentle swirl reveals aromas of ripe black fruit, lavender, smoke and candied plum that will have you hankering for a sip.  Oh, that first sip is worth the wait, with a rush of ripe blueberry, blackberry and currant that wash over your palate before transitioning to some earthy mineral notes of dusty limestone and graphite midpalate.  The tannins are expertly integrated and well structured to provide the perfect base for a lingering dry finish that will have you reaching for another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a perfect representation of the earthy pinnacle of a great Walla Walla Cabernet.  This wine would pair well with a range of hearty dishes, from roasted lamb to hearty beef stew, braised short ribs to mushroom risotto.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a classic pairing of a grilled bone-in ribeye, blistered cocktail tomatoes and a big baked potato with butter, sour cream and scallions.  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!

2012 Angwin Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy New Year!  And it's also the first Saturday of the new year, which means it's Cellar Saturday, that special day where I raid the cellar for something at least a decade in the making.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle that I've not had in the cellar very long, but it's still mature, as I bought this one a few months back from Wines Till Sold Out.  The 2012 Angwin Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from the Howell Mountain appellation in Napa Valley, and hails from one of the stronger vintages for Napa Valley.  Let's see what this wine has been doing for the past 13 years or so!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, and after a gentle swirl it presents aromas of blackberry, olive and smoke.  Take a sip and you're greeted with some mulberry, tart cherry and currant that eases into some earthy notes of dusty limestone and oak midpalate.  The wine has a lot of acidity which amplifies the earthy notes and overpowers the fruit notes.  The tannins are subdued, making for a rather brief, dry finish. 

Overall, I would rate this wine an 8.5, as it's rather one dimensional, with a bit too much acidity for my taste.  I can see the winemaker's attempt to make this into more of an old-world style Cabernet, but I think they fell a bit short.  This wine would pair well with a range of hearty dishes, particularly steak, where the acidity might cut through some of the natural fattiness of a cut like ribeye.  And I'm in luck as tonight I am enjoying this wine with a big ribeye grilled Pittsburgh rare over sautéed mushrooms, onions and peppers and some grilled asparagus.  Cheers!

2021 Mark Ryan Winery Crazy Mary Mourvèdre

Happy Wine Wednesday!  It's been a while since I've had a midweek post, but it's the holiday season and I don't have to work tomorrow so why not?  Tonight I am enjoying a new fall dish, so why not open a wine that is perfect for fall?  In this case, the 2021 Mark Ryan Winery Crazy Mary Mourvèdre, sourced from the Red Mountain AVA of Washington.  Let's see how it's shaping up!

The wine is a dark, brooding ruby color in the glass, much more characteristic of a Cabernet, than a Rhone varietal.  The nose presents aromas of lavender, baking spice, prune and smoke, classic for a Mourvèdre.  The first sip is a cleansing rush of ripe black fruit, blackberry, currant and plum with plenty of acidity to provide a nice backbone for this wine's structure.  The acidity seems to pause a moment midpalate to let some pepper spice and vanilla bean make a cameo appearance before the dry, sultry finish.  

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just an interesting take on a single Rhone varietal that is just perfect for Fall.  This wine would pair well with aged cheese, hearty braised short ribs, or classic Yankee pot roast.  Tonight, I am veering off into a different autumnal highway and enjoying this wine with a roasted acorn squash risotto topped with a bit of crème fraiche and chopped parsley.  Cheers!

2015 Château La Tour De Mons Margaux

Happy Cellar Saturday!  It's the first Saturday of the new month, so time to raid the cellar for something at least a decade in the making.  Tonight, I've opened a classic Bordeaux, the 2015 Château La Tour De Mons Margaux, which I think I bought perhaps five years ago, though I don't recall where I bought it.  This wine is a classic Cabernet focused Bordeaux blend from the left bank of Gironde, so let's see how it's tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you'd expect from a classic Bordeaux.  The nose presents aromas of leather, tar, lilac and cherry, the classic earthy funk of Bordeaux.  Take a sip and your palate is awash in ripe black fruit, blackberry, cherry and plum that transition easily to some earthy notes of smoke, oak, dusty limestone and tar midpalate.  The tannins are expertly crafted, providing a classic Bordeaux dry finish that will have you forgetting you were even drinking wine.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a classic Margaux and such a pleasure to enjoy with a great meal or just sipping with friends.  This wine would pair well with braised lamb shank or beef short ribs, classic steak au poivre or hearty stew.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a pan seared, grass fed New York strip with sautéed onions and peppers, oven roasted purple potatoes and bacon roasted Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2023 Seven Hills McClellan Estate Malbec

Happy Saturday!  It was a long week, and it's not even over yet!  At least I got to sleep in today before working some more, but now it's time for a relaxing dinner and a nice bottle of wine before the time change which will have me groggy for the next week.  Tonight I've opened a bottle from a wine club shipment from Seven Hills Winery that I got yesterday.  The 2023 Seven Hills Walla Walla Malbec is sourced from fruit grown on the McClellan Estate Vineyard in Walla Walla, so let's see how this wine is starting out!

The wine has a dark center and bright ruby along the edges, just as you'd expect for a classic Malbec.  The nose presents a an intriguing combination of smoke, blackberry and leather, with undertones of earthy peat.  The first sip is jarring rush of tart cherry that eventually subsides, evolving into some notes of blackberry, olive tapenade and dried herbs midpalate.  The tannins are well structured, providing for a long, smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a wonderfully drinking Malbec, but is still quite young.  I expect this wine will age gracefully and be quite a stunner with a few years in the cellar.  This wine would pair well with a variety of dishes, from hearty pasta, lamb or Sunday pot roast, but like any great Malbec, this wine yearns for a nice steak.  We wouldn't you know it, tonight I just to happen to have a pan seared Za'atar seasoned New York Strip over sautéed onions, peppers and mushrooms with some steamed asparagus with hollandaise.  Cheers!

2022 Seven Hills McClellan Estate Malbec

Well, happy Saturday!  It seems that since I reviewed the last vintage of tonight's wine last Father's day, I might be a couple months behind schedule! Oh well, it's been a hot summer and being a winter baby, I will excuse my lack of motivation in the heat and humidity (today it hit 90 degrees with 70% humidity today!).  In any case, tonight's wine is the 2022 Seven Hills McClellan Estate Malbec, which if Malbec is involved surely means there is a hunk of beef waiting for me, so let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you'd expect from a nice Malbec.  A swirl of the glass reveals aromas of leather, black cherry, smoke and vanilla bean that beckon you to take your first sip.  That sip is a rush of ripe berry and earthy complexity washing over your palate, starting with some dark cherry and blueberry intermingled with some vanilla bean and smoky oak that transition easily into some mineral notes of dusty limestone and hints of white pepper midpalate.  The tannins are well structured but definitely background players in the long, smooth dry finish with just a hint of acidity at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a wonderful example of what Washington can do with a varietal like Malbec.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty dishes, from a wild mushroom risotto to braised lamb shank, grilled steak to fajitas.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled ribeye, along with some roasted hatch chiles, steamed Italian green beans and fresh corn on the cob.  Cheers!

2020 Mark Ryan "Crazy Mary" Mourvèdre

Happy Sunday!  It was the first full day of leaf activity, with the blower, the vacuum and lots of tiring labor!  But, at least I've caught up for a week and am ready to enjoy Sunday dinner and a glass of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle that I recently received from Mark Ryan Winery, the 2020 Crazy Mary Mourvèdre, which is a blend of Mourvèdre (78%) and Syrah (22%) from the Ciel du Cheval and Red Willow Vineyards in the Columbia Valley AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this vintage is shaping up!

The wine is a bright ruby color in the glass, which is characteristic of the varietals.  A gentle swirl of the glass unlocks aromas of strawberry, red currant and hints of smoke and pipe tobacco.  Take a sip and you know you're in for a ride with crazy Mary in the driver's seat, a rush of strawberry and sweet red berry fruit up front veers into some spicy pepper notes before spinning right back to some earthy tar, tobacco and black tea notes before heading right off the cliff for some salty mineral notes on the finish.  The tannins are supple and unobtrusive, making a parting gift for the long, smooth dry finish that beckons you to take another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's one of the better vintages I've tried, with wonderfully intriguing characteristics that would be wonderful to enjoy with friends.  This wine would pair well with a variety of fall dishes, from venison to roasted rack of lamb, hearty beef stew or braised short ribs, but tonight I am going the Pacific Northwest route and am enjoying this wine with salmon!  Specifically, I am enjoying this wine with my Sunday dinner of crispy skin black pearl Scottish salmon, steamed brown rice and some oven roasted baby carrots and beets.  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!

2017 Seven Hills Summit View Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  It's been a busy weekend and I had the opportunity to go to our County Fair for the first time since the pandemic, which was so nice.  Today was a rainy Sunday, so what else could I do but laundry and opening a bottle of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of one of my perennial favorite Cabernets from Seven Hills, the 2017 Seven Hills Summit View Cabernet Sauvignon.  The Summit View Vineyard was planted with Clone 191 Cabernet, and the terroir is ideal for this grape, creating a truly special wine year after year.  So, let's see what this vintage has to offer!

The wine is a deep, inky black at the center with bright ruby along the edges.  Give it a swirl and take a deep breath and you're transported to the tobacco smoke infused leather furniture of an Ivy League club as resist the urge to take a healthy sip.  Once you do, your mouth is coated with a velvety rich wine, that has a wide array of black fruit and a healthy zing of acidity at the back end.  Earthy, rich, velvety smooth, this is the kind wine you can sip over conversations with old friends for hours.

Overall, I'd rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a pleasure to drink and a wine that has yet to disappoint.  This wine would be great with hearty steaks, lamb, or even summer fare like barbecued ribs or hearty brats.  Tonight, I'm enjoying this wine with a rare grilled Angus porterhouse along with grilled garlic scapes and asparagus, and some oven roasted fingerling sweet potatoes.  Cheers!

2017 Heart of the Valley Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

The weekend is rapidly approaching, so I thought I might get a head start with a nice bottle of wine with my dinner this evening.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of a recent find on Wines Till Sold Out, the 2017 Heart of the Valley Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  This wine is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, though from a less than stellar vintage, so let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you might expect from a Cabernet, though it's a bit lighter in weight than the standard Napa fare.  A gentle swirl in the glass reveals aromas of leather, blackberry and sage, intermingles with some subdued spice notes.  Take a sip and you're greeted by a rush of ripe black fruit, blackberry, currant and a bit of prune, that transitions easily to some notes of smoke and cocoa powder midpalate.  The tannins are somewhat subdued, but there is a good bit of acidity on the long, dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's not a "knock your socks off" Napa Cabernet, but it's an easy everyday wine for just $20.  This wine would pair well with steaks and chops as well as barbecue or even tacos.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a tomahawk and tots, a rare grilled bison tomahawk ribeye topped with melted bleu cheese, along with some tater tots!  An ideal Thursday dinner!  Cheers!

2019 Reininger Mr. Owl's Red

Happy Sunday!  It's been a rather miserable weekend, with snow and rain every day, so I could hardly get any work done on getting rid of all the leaves in my yard, but at least there is wine!  So, I've decided to cook a wonderful fall Sunday dinner and open a bottle of 2019 Reininger Mr. Owl's Red.  Affectionately named for Reininger assistant wine maker, Raul, this wine has become a labor of love as Raul takes some of his favorite grapes from each vintage to craft this wine.  The 2019 vintage is a blend of Malbec (38%), Merlot (24%), Cabernet Franc (19%), Cabernet Sauvignon (9%), Syrah (5%) and Petit Verdot (5%) from the Pepper Bridge, Seven Hills, StoneTree, Stone Valley and XL vineyards in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with great clarity.  A gentle swirl in the glass releases aromas of blackberry, pomegranate and smoky oak, which combined reminds me of my time in the Reininger barrel room!  A sip will have wonderfully rustic black fruit washing over your palate, blackberry, plum and currant that transition to some notes of cranberry midpalate.  The fine grain tannins provide an ideal platform for the long, smooth dry finish that just lingers till your next sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a fantastic new world style Bordeaux blend that is inconceivably priced at just $25 (on sale now for just $22.50 here: Mr. Owl's Red!).  This wine would pair well with steaks, burgers, pasta, or a good movie on the couch!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with my Sunday dinner of roasted chicken breast with roasted root vegetables and some bacon maple Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2018 Forgeron Malbec

Happy Friday!  I've been waiting for the weekend, though not to relax as I have a lot of leaf gathering yard work to accomplish over the next two days.  So, since it's dark by the time I'm done with work, I can't start early, so I may as well enjoy a bottle of wine before the hard work begins.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle from a wine club shipment I received today, the 2018 Forgeron Malbec, a 100% Malbec from the StoneTree Vineyard in the Wahluke Slope AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this wine is shaping up!

The wine is a deep, inky purple in the glass, with bright ruby along the edges, just as you'd expect from a nice Malbec.  A gentle swirl reveals aromas of smoke, ripe blueberry and currant, with undertones of leather and earthy limestone.  Take a sip and a wash of ripe fruit overruns your senses, blueberry, blackberry and currant that transition easily to some earthy mineral notes intermingled with espresso and white pepper, for an intriguing combination midpalate.  The tannins are supple and fully comfortable in a supporting role for the long, smooth dry finish that lingers for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a Malbec that tastes and feels like something more than a Malbec.  This wine would pair well with a variety of rich and hearty fall dishes, from braised short ribs to linguine carbonara, as well as midweek easy dinners like pizza or burgers.  Tonight I am going with the latter and enjoying this wine with some chorizo and black bean tacos on corn tortillas and topped with lettuce, cheese, sour cream, avocado and fresh sliced jalapenos.  Cheers!

2019 In Sheep's Clothing Cabernet Sauvignon

So today I ventured out to Costco to pick up some steaks and I was a bit stunned by the prices, which are up on average 25% over just the past few months.  But what can you do, I'm clearly not a typical consumer as viewed by the Federal Reserve Board or any other number of idiot economists, so I'm not going to substitute prime steaks for hot dogs or chicken, but I digress.  At least I found an interesting wine there from the Columbia Valley of Washington, the 2019 In Sheep's Clothing Cabernet Sauvignon, which was only $14.  So let's see what this wine has to offer.

The wine is an inky black at the center, with deep ruby along the edges, just as you might expect from a nice Cabernet.  A swirl of the glass releases aromas of blackberry, blueberry and currant with hints of thyme and lavender beneath the surface.  A first sip reveals an unpretentious everyday drinking Cabernet with a rush of ripe black fruit intermingled with caramel that easily transitions to some notes of smoke and dried herbs midpalate.  The tannins are well structured, with a bit of acidity at the finish that makes this wine an easy dinner wine during the week.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's nothing spectacular, but you might be well served with a case of this wine to reach for during the week when your glamorous instragram food gives way to days of leftovers.  This wine would pair well with everything from burgers and pizza to pasta and steaks.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with one of the aforementioned expensive steaks, in this case a prime ribcap grilled rare with grilled leeks and roasted peppers, smashed purple potatoes with parsley (aka Joker potatoes) and some steamed asparagus with Hollandaise. Cheers!

2018 DaMa Wines Walla Walla Tempranillo

Happy Friday!  It's been a busy week and I could use a nice glass of wine.  Thankfully, the UPS man was good to me today and delivered my wine lot from the Reveal Walla Walla wine auction last fall!  So that means we all get a treat tonight as I get to preview this wine before its formally released (this fall?).  The 2018 DaMa Wines Walla Walla Tempranillo is exciting for me for a number of reasons, first because I am a big fan of the wines that Founder and Winemaker, Mary Derby produces every year.  Second, because this wine is the first 100% Tempranillo that Mary has produced from Les Collines Vineyard in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  For those unfamiliar, Les Collines Vineyard consists of about 290 acres situated in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, right on the Oregon border.  So, let's get to the fun part, the wine!

The wine is a beautiful, deep ruby color in the glass, with lovely clarity just as you might expect from the varietal.  A brief swirl in the glass releases aromas of earthy peat, smoke and sage intertwined with faint notes of blackberry and cherry suggesting deeper levels of complexity.  A sip reveals a rush of strawberry, cherry and red currant, which subside to reveal wonderfully earthy notes of graphite and dusty limestone midpalate.  The gripping tannins are a force to be reckoned with in this young wine, but they provide an ideal foundation for the long, smooth dry finish that will have you reaching for another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's one of the nicest Tempranillos I've had in a while, and certainly one of the best I've had from Washington.  This wine would pair exceedingly well with hearty dishes, from a charcuterie board to a wild mushroom risotto, a prime rib roast to oven roasted lamb.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled New York strip along with some wild mushroom farro and bacon roasted Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2017 Forgeron Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvigon

Happy Sunday!  It's been raining much of the afternoon, so I had the chance to get some work done for an early start on the coming week and somehow that doesn't seem as impressive now that I see it in print.  In any case, it's time for a nice Sunday dinner and a glass of wine, and tonight I've opened a bottle of a recent wine club shipment from Forgeron Cellars, the 2017 Forgeron Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon.  This wine is a 100% Cabernet from the Seven Hills and Minnick Hills Vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine displays a bit of inky color at the center, with tons of deep ruby color, just as you'd expect from the varietal.  A swirl in the glass and a quick whiff reveals aromas of leather, sage and dark red fruit, intermingled with earthy graphite.  Take a sip and you're greeted by vibrant strawberry and raspberry flavors right up front, before transitioning to some notes of smoke and oak, with light mineral notes midpalate.  The tannins are tight and grippy, providing for a wonderfully long, dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a very pleasant drinking example of the varietal.  This wine would pair well with a broad range of dishes, from hearty pasta to steak, pizza to barbecue.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with my Sunday dinner of a rare grilled Angus New York strip with some blistered cherry tomatoes, cheesy potato casserole and bacon roasted Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2006 Helix Columbia Valley Merlot

I had such high aspirations for how this day would progress, the yard work and errands that I would accomplish, and I pretty much got nothing done except spreading some GrubX on the lawn and going for a bike ride.  At least it's the first Saturday of the month, which means it's 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 of 2006 Helix Columbia Valley Merlot, from Chuck Reininger's second label, so let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, classic for a nice Merlot.  A quick swirl in the glass and you can drink in aromas of candied plum, black currant, toasted oak and an array of spice notes reminiscent of an old Italian grocery.  A long sip reveals a rush of blackberry, cherry and currant that washes over you before transitioning to some wonderful earthy notes, smoke and peppery spice midpalate.  The tannins are well behaved, providing for a wonderfully smooth, dry finish with a kick of acidity at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a beautifully old-world style Merlot that is meant for sipping with friends.  This wine would pair well with a variety of dishes, from steaks and lamb to risotto or seared tuna steak.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a big honkin' Angus ribeye that was grilled rare, along with some bacon roasted Brussels sprouts and horseradish to round it out.  Cheers!