2020 Doubleback Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Saturday!  Tonight, It's been exceptionally hot and humid here lately, but despite the heat, I am enjoying a special dinner, so I've decided to open a special bottle of wine to match.  The 2020 Doubleback Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is a very special wine, one that I think arrived at my door a couple years ago and I'm just now opening a bottle!  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (87%), Petit Verdor (10%) and Merlot (3%), from the McQueen and LeFore Vineyards in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  The wine has been patient, aging 22 months in barrel, and now I'm finally getting around to opening a bottle, so here goes nothing!

The wine is an inky black at the center, with bright ruby along the edges, and it seems like a monster of a wine.  A brief swirl of the glass releases a banquet of aromas, from ripe blueberry to green pepper, basalt to mocha.  The first sip is like a warm hug from your mom, blue fruit up front along with some earthy mineral notes that transition easily to some warm white pepper spice, vanilla bean and red currant midpalate.  The tannins are smooth and supple, providing the ideal backbone for the long, smooth dry finish that provides a reprise of acidity at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9.5, it's s pricy bottle, but worth every penny, as this is perennially one of the nicest Cabernets to come out of the Walla Walla Valley.  This wine would pair well with hard cheeses and charcuterie as an appetizer, braised short ribs or hearty salmon, or as it practically begs, a wonderful steak!  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a pan seared filet mignon from Snake River Farms (my local market just started carrying their steaks) along with some oven roasted beets and leeks and steamed broccoli.  Cheers!

2021 Inspire Moore Winery "Change" Blaufrankisch

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Of course having just a bit of Irish in my heritage, I still use this holiday as an excuse to stink up my house with aromas of corned beef and cabbage, because it's so delicious!  But what wine to serve with it?  I'll admit my usual go to is a nice dry rose, but I didn't have any available, this being technically still winter, so I've decided to open a wine I picked up in the Finger Lakes of New York on my summer vacation.  The 2021 Inspire Moore Winery "Change" Blaufrankisch is a pure example of the varietal, that they espouse as their go to wine for barbecue (and I don't disagree) but let's see how it stands up to corned beef!

The wine is a very light garnet color in the glass, edging ever so close to rose, but still distinctly red.  A gentle swirl reveals aromas of earthy tar, strawberry, sweet cherry and smoky oak.  Take a sip and you are treated to a rush of tart cherry, oak and a bit of funk that transitions easily to some notes of dusty limestone and earth midpalate.  The tannins are ever so smooth, aiding the soft dry finish with a reprise of acidity at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's an ideal light red wine for a St. Patrick's day dinner, that's also a pleasant departure from the standard fare of Pinot Noir.  This wine would be excellent with barbecue, burgers, tacos or pizza, the perfect midweek wine and it was a terrific value at just $20.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with my traditional corned beef, cabbage, red potatoes and carrots.  Cheers!

2018 Vallée des Aigles IGP Côtes Catalanes Carignan

Happy Saturday!  I was planning to do yard work today, but it was too windy to get the leaf blower out, so instead I decided to build my raised garden bed and dig around the foundation of the shed and fill it with river rock to help drainage.  So a productive day of hard work and now I'm ready for a nice meal and glass of wine.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle of 2018 Vallée des Aigles IGP Côtes Catalanes Carignan that I recently purchased from Wines Till Sold Out.  Carignan is mainly used as a blending grape with Southern Rhone blends, and I think this is the first time I've tried the single varietal.  This wine was made from fruit harvested from 60-100 year old vines in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in the south of France near the Spanish border and the Mediterranean.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting.

The wine is a deep ruby in the glass, somewhat reminiscent of a nice Cabernet.  A gentle swirl in the glass reveals aromas of sweet cherry, raspberry and aged leather, with soft floral undertones.  Take a sip and you're palate is awash in sweet fruit, cherry, raspberry and currant, that has acidity that at first blush makes you think of sweet-tarts candy, but then the taste evolves into some rich minerality and white pepper spice, before the smooth tannins kick in for added complexity on the long dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a surprisingly pleasant expression of a varietal that happily lives in the background.  This wine was also a terrific value at just $14 (I wish I'd bought more!).  This wine would pair well with hearty lamb dishes, beef stew or hearty pasta dishes.  Tonight, I am taking a bold departure and enjoying this wine with a sesame crusted tuna steak topped with sunflower sprouts, steamed rice and broccoli, with a citrus wasabi dipping sauce.  Cheers!

2019 Seven Hills Walla Walla Cabernet Franc

Happy Fathers Day to all those fathers out there!  I have to admit today was a half relaxing and half working day, as I endeavored to rid my yard of poison ivy today (an annual event if you can believe it) followed by mowing and now a bit of relaxation with a nice bottle of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of 2019 Seven Hills Walla Walla Cabernet Franc a 100% Cabernet Franc from the Summit View Vineyard of Walla Walla (a personal favorite vineyard for Cabernet Sauvignon!).  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 of the glass reveals aromas of fresh oak, black currant, raspberry and hints of dried herbs.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a flood of semi-ripened black cherry, vanilla bean, dried herbs and a bit of white peppercorn before transitioning to some earthy notes of graphite and basalt midpalate.  The tannins are smooth and well integrated providing for a warm but very dry finish that lingers for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a wonderfully drinking Cabernet Franc that will no doubt advance with a bit of time in the cellar.  This wine would pair well with a variety of more challenging dishes, from barbecue to pork tenderloin, lamb to Thai curry.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with some barbecued baby back ribs along with some grilled corn on the cob, jalapeno bacon beans and fresh baked biscuits with butter and honey.  Cheers!

2017 Nelms Road Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  It's been raining most of the day, so I've just been taking it easy, at least until the sun came out for a while and I decided to go for a bike ride, at which point it started to rain again, but now I'm home and ready for Sunday dinner and wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of wine I ordered over the summer, but due to heat restrictions on ground shipping, I had them hold it until it was safe to ship and so it arrived last week.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of 2017 Nelms Road Cabernet Sauvignon, which is the second label from Woodward Canyon Winery in Lowden, Washington.  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (76%), Cabernet Franc (19%), Petit Verdot (2%), Mourvèdre (1%), Merlot (1%) and Dolcetto (1%) from the Champoux, Spring Creek and Woodward Canyon Estate Vineyards.  So let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with a modestly dark center.  The nose is a cluster of cherry, currant and earthy aromas of graphite and tobacco, with undertones of pleasant spice.  The taste is a rush of cool fruit, cherry, blackberry and currant that envelop the palate before transitioning to some notes of olive and black pepper spice midpalate.  The tannins are quite smooth for such a young wine, providing for a velvety dry finish with just a bit of sharpness on the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a pleasant drinking Cabernet at a very approachable price of just $25.  This wine would pair very well with a variety of grilled dishes, from steaks and lamb chops to weeknight pizza or pasta dinners.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a USDA Prime ribeye, grilled rare, with some grilled leeks, bacon roasted Brussels sprouts and a baked potato with sour cream and chives.  Cheers! 

2009 Helix Columbia Valley Syrah

 So this has been one of my classic days without even a smidge of organization whatsoever!  I thought I was doing well, taking advantage of the one non-rainy day this weekend to get my yard work done, and I thought I was doing well as I was putting the leaf blower away at 6:45, when my phone alarm went off, telling me I have theater tickets and the performance starts in 45 minutes!  So, instead of dinner and wine, I raced to the theater to enjoy a marvelous performance of Silent Sky and now I'm back for dinner and wine!  Sure, it's 10 pm, but there are still two hours left of Cellar Saturday, that first Saturday of the month where I open a bottle at least a decade in the making, and tonight it's a good one, the 2009 Helix Columbia Valley Syrah!  So let's see how this wine is shaping up.

The wine is a beautiful, deep ruby color in the glass, just as you might expect from a nice Syrah.  The nose is a cavalcade of lovely fruit aromas that seems to scream autumn, blackberry, currant, cherry with undertones of earthy tar, pepper and sage.  The taste is a rush of ripe, jammy blackberry, plum and mulberry, that transitions easily to some notes of dusty limestone and peat midpalate, with a reprise of vanilla bean.  The tannins are smooth and well integrated, providing for a wonderfully smooth dry finish that lingers on the palate for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it is likely at its peak, but still providing a food friendly approach that is full of fall flavors.  This wine would pair well with a variety of dished from lamb, to eggplant Parmesan to a wonderful slow cooked chili with cornbread.  Tonight I am enjoying this with a wild autumn meal of rare grilled elk strip steak, with a Blue Smoke Game Changer rub that is spiced with clove and juniper, along with some oven roasted fingerling sweet potatoes and grilled asparagus.  Cheers!

2012 L'Ecole No. 41 Grenache

Happy Wine Wednesday!  It's been a rather odd weather day here, with sun and calm, gusty wind and pouring rain, all this afternoon!  So after enduring all that, I thought it might be nice to open a bottle of wine and relax this evening.  After digging a bit in the cellar, I found a bottle of 2012 L'Ecole No. 41 Grenache, from the Stone Tree Vineyard in the Wahluke Slope AVA of Washington.  Over the years I've become familiar with this vineyard and it produces some wonderful Grenache and Syrah, so let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a bright ruby color in the glass, with a lighter weight and great clarity.  The nose a warm rush of red fruit and floral notes, with aromas of strawberry, tart cherry and kirsch, intermingled with violet and undertones of tar.  The taste is just beautifully fruit forward, with a rush of cherry, raspberry and strawberry that illuminate your tastebuds, before transitioning to some some earthy notes of tar and dusty limestone midpalate.  The earthy minerality of this wine shines through a wave of peppery spice notes at the finish.  The tannins are smooth and well integrated, providing for a pleasant, long dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a beautiful example of the varietal and a pleasant, food friendly wine.  This wine would be ideal for summer (as fall chill is in full swing!) and would pair well with burgers and brats, barbecue, or summer roasted beet and feta salad.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some spicy chicken fajita tacos, along with all the trimmings.  Cheers!

2012 Forgeron Columbia Valley Merlot

Today was a bit of a lazy day, running a few errands, going to the farmer's market (I bought way too many tomatoes!), hanging out with some friends and going for a bike ride before settling in for the evening.  There were some thunderstorms that came through last night, so it cooled off quite a bit today and I'm hoping to have a fire on the patio later on.  But for now it's time to enjoy a glass of wine, and in my last-minute effort to live up to Sean Sullivan's Washington Merlot Challenge, I've opened a bottle of 2012 Forgeron Cellars Columbia Valley Merlot, so let's see how this one has matured!

The wine exudes aromas that brings me back to the barrel room, cool air and musty aromas of French and American oak intermingled with jammy fruit, blackberry, cherry and plum.  The taste is complex continuum of smoke, black fruit and dusty minerality that circle your palate.  The tannins are exceptionally smooth and well integrated to bring forth a delightfully dry finish that practically begs to be paired with food.  I think I can accommodate, but first I am going to enjoy the remaining sips in this glass as I cook.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's just a wonderful Merlot that has matured to the point where it would be hard for it not to be a great drinking wine.  This wine would pair well with a broad range of dishes, from steaks and chops to pasta and risotto, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with some steak tacos topped with some of the aforementioned tomatoes, fire roasted peppers, baby lettuce and avocado.  Cheers!

2013 Helix Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Saturday!  I had the chance to go to the farmers market this morning and picked up some basil plants (purple, Thai and Tuscan) and found out that they should have some garlic scapes next week, so watch out!  Then I spend much of the afternoon doing yard work, mowing, weeding, and I finally got the patio furniture and fire pit out so I'm ready for outdoor dining.  I find something cathartic about yard work, where the cares of the world and everyday life just seem to fade away as I'm digging up dandelions or trimming branches.  So tonight I've opened a bottle of wine I've apparently had in the cupboard for a while, the 2013 Helix Cabernet Sauvignon, from the Phinney Hill Vineyard in the Columbia Valley of Washington.  So let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is an inky black at the center with bright ruby along the edges as you might expect for a Cabernet.  The nose is rich with black fruit, blackberry, plum, cherry and currant, overlaid with hints of prune and rose petal.  The taste takes a very different path, with some distinct floral notes up front before transitioning to some ripe black fruit and black pepper spice midpalate.  The tannins are ever so smooth, providing for a wonderfully dry, lingering finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, I'm not sure whether its the extra couple years in the cellar or something else, but this Columbia Valley Cabernet is punching well above it's weight class!  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty meat dishes, from venison and lamb to classic steaks.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a smoke grilled filet mignon, baked potato with sour cream and chives and some steamed sugar snap peas.  Cheers!

2017 Seven Hills Ciel du Cheval Red Wine

Well, the weekend is almost over, and we even lost an hour during the course of the 48, but at least being leap year we're still ahead by 23 hours for the year so far.  I got a few things done that were on my to do list today, but it seems no matter how hard I try that list never gets any smaller.  But at least there's wine, and tonight I've opened a bottle from one of my favorite Washington producers, the 2017 Seven Hills Ciel du Cheval Red Wine from the Red Mountain AVA of Washington.  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (48%), Merlot (31%), Cabernet Franc (11%) and Petit Verdot (10%).  So let's see how this wine is shaping up!

The wine is a deep indigo at the center with bright ruby along the edges, as you might expect from this blend.  The nose is a classic for a Bordeaux style blend with aromas of rich leather, cherry, blackberry and a hint of tobacco and black pepper.  The taste is a voluptuous affair with smooth dark fruit, intermingled with anise, black tea and a bit of dark chocolate all dancing in time.  The tannins are smooth and well structured, providing just the right backbone for the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it just ticks all the right boxes for a great red blend.  This wine would pair well with a broad range of dishes, from steaks to soups, tacos to pizze and pasta, or my favorite just for sipping on its own.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled porterhouse along with some bacon roasted purple carrots and Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2016 Forgeron Cellars Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Tuesday!  It's been a bit since I've posted (usually weekends are prime blog posting times) but I had a medical test yesterday that prevented my normal eating and drinking over the weekend, but now I'm back in the saddle!  Tonight I'm celebrating with a wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon from Forgeron Cellars in Walla Walla.  The 2016 Forgeron Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon is a 100% Cabernet from the Birch Creek, Minnick Hills and Seven Hills Vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley AVA.  So let's see how this one is developing!

The wine is a deep, inky black at the center with bright ruby along the edges, classic for Cabernet.  The nose is chock full of black cherry, currant and spice box, with a hint of strawberry over the top.  The taste is a rush of candied fruit, cherries, currant and plum that rush over your palate before transitioning easily to some warm spice and white pepper notes midpalate.  The tannins are quite smooth and well integrated, providing for a velvety smooth and lingering dry finish. 

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a delightful and pleasant drinking wine.  This wine would pair well with a broad range of dishes from prime rib to barbecue, lamb to grilled pork tenderloin.  Tonight I am pairing this with a classic, rare grilled prime New York strip, grilled asparagus and oven-roasted fingerling potatoes.  The ample fruit and peppery spice of this wine are ideal to complement a big hearty steak.  Cheers!

2015 Peaks & Tides Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, it's been a busy week and it doesn't look like next week will be much better, so I guess I'll have to enjoy whatever downtime I can get on the weekend!  I think for the weekend, I'll only open gift wines from the holidays, and tonight's wine was a Christmas gift from a friend of mine in Michigan, the 2015 Peaks & Tides Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon.  So let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is an inky consistency at the center, with bright garnet along the edges, just as you'd expect from a nice California Cabernet.  The nose is presents a nice array of black fruit, blackberry, plum and cherry intermingled with a bit of oak and just a hint if lilac.  The taste is wonderfully fruit forward, with a rush of black cherry, plum and cassis that yields to some notes of anise and black pepper spice midpalate.  The tannins are smooth, despite their youth, setting of the wonderfully long and smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a nice Cabernet that I could easily see being an everyday red wine.  This wine would pair well with a variety of dishes, from steaks and chops to pasta and pizza, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a Thai spiced New York strip grilled rare in my cast iron skillet (I wimped out on outdoor grilling as it's been snowing all afternoon!), along with sauteed Brussels sprouts and a big baked potato.  Cheers!

2016 DaMaNation

Happy Saturday!  Have you ever had one of those projects around the house that should have been quite simple but suddenly it completely spun out of control?  That happens to me a lot, which probably says a lot about my home improvement skills.  Today it was a fence post that rotted and needed to be replaced, but it was more complicated since it was also the post where the gate was attached.  No problem I thought, I got a post, bought some new screws for the hinge, this should be easy.  Then I found the concrete that the old post was mounted in, and I proceeded to break it up with a sledge hammer and a wedge.  I made it down about two feed and couldn't swing anymore, so I borrowed a 30-pound hexagonal bar that my friend had, apparently it was once used on the railroad for laying track.  So another quick job that will last until tomorrow, but tonight I really could use a glass of wine.  I've decided to open a bottle of 2016 DaMaNation, a wonderful blend of Grenache (48%), Syrah (36%) and Mourvedre (16%) from the Lonesome Spring Vineyard in the Columbia Valley of Washington.  So let's see if this one will provide some relaxation after a frustrating day in the yard!

The wine is a lighter ruby color in the glass with nice clarity, classic for a quality GSM blend.  The nose presents inviting floral aromas of rose petals and lavender with undertones of ripe black fruit and basalt.  The taste is a rush of cool fruit, black plum and blueberry with a bit of tart cherry that transitions almost unnoticed to earthy flavors of olive, white pepper spice and a hint of rosemary.  The tannins are quite smooth, providing a great start to the velvety smooth and very dry finish that seems to linger.  This wine is to my mind very comparable in old world style to the many high quality GSM blends from the Southern Rhone Valley of France.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's an approachable and easy drinking wine that's quite versatile from a food pairing perspective.  I actually brought a bottle of this to Thanksgiving dinner and we enjoyed it with classic turkey dinner (something that's a challenge to pair with a red wine), but it would also pair well with hearty stews, lamb or risotto.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some panko crusted center cut pork chops, cheese risotto and steamed broccoli and red peppers.  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!

2015 Reininger Walla Walla Malbec

Oh the weekend, so far it's been not incredibly hot, but boy has it been humid!  That said, I've opted against hanging out on the patio tonight (of course we might also be expecting a thunderstorm or two, so instead I'm enjoying the air conditioning and a nice glass of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of my latest wine club shipment from one of my favorite Walla Walla wineries, Reininger!  Chuck Reininger and his team do such a wonderful job with their wines, exploring different varietals and producing exceptional wines that really express the character of the Walla Walla AVA.  So I've opened up a bottle of the 2015 Reininger Walla Walla Malbec, a 100% Malbec from the Pepper Bridge Vineyard, so let's see how this one tastes!

The wines is a deep inky color in the glass, just as you'd expect from a quality Malbec.  The nose is a lovely combination of green grass, vanilla bean, leather and dried herbs, that beckons you to take a sip.  The taste is just a treat, with voluminous black fruit up front, blackberry, plum and currant that just envelop the palate before transitioning to some dusty mineral notes midpalate.  The tannins are velvety smooth, providing the foundation for a wonderfully long, smooth dry finish with a brief reprise of some peppery spice at the end.

Of course you'll recall that I'm not the biggest Malbec fan, but I am a huge fan of this wine!  Chuck really does a fine job with the varietal that could easily make the stoutest Argentine jealous, so I gladly rate this wine a solid 9.  This wine would be perfect with a big steak, roast game, or even barbecue, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with some simple tacos!  The dark fruit and great mineral notes are perfect paired with a bit of spice, cheers!

2015 Josh Cellars North Coast Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Friday!  It's been a busy week and definitely time for a glass of wine!  Tonight I've opened a bottle that I picked up at my local market when I went grocery shopping last week.  I've had wine from this producer before, so I figured I'd try a bottle of the 2015 Josh Cellars North Coast Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, so let's see how it tastes!

The wine is a deep, inky black at the center, with bright ruby along the edges, just as you'd expect from a Cabernet.  The nose is chock full of ripe black fruit, with some interesting green grass and floral notes mixed in that give this one an interesting vibe.  The taste is a rush of sweet ripe berries, blackberries, currant and cherries, that give way to some notes of cocoa powder and green herbs midpalate.  The tannins are fairly smooth, providing nice structure to the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a very pleasant drinking wine, and for $16 it makes a nice everyday wine as well.  This wine would pair well with the Cabernet classics, steaks, chops, roasts, but tonight I'm enjoying it with a simple linguine with spicy marinara and a baby arugula salad.  The spiciness of the sauce and the arugula really pairs well with the sweetness of the fruit in this wine.  Cheers!

2014 Hanna Bismark Mountain Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Wine Wednesday!  Last night I had some of my neighbors over for a glass of wine or two and one of my neighbors brought me a bottle of 2014 Hanna Bismark Mountain Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from the Moon Mountain District of Sonoma County.  We didn't have a chance to open it last night, so I thought it would be good to enjoy tonight, so let's see how this one tastes.

The wine is a lovely ruby color in the glass, with classic dark center, just as you'd expect from a quality Cabernet.  The nose is an interesting combination of leather overlaid with subtle floral notes.  The taste is a rush of concentrated dark fruit, black cherry, plum and currant that transition effortlessly to some delicious notes of peppery spice intermingled with mocha and dark chocolate midpalate.  The tannins are velvety smooth and delightfully integrated, creating a wonderfully long and smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's about as solid as a California Cabernet can be.  I'd easily take this wine over more expensive and less interesting wines from Napa.  This wine is practically begging to be paired with a thick steak, but it would also pair well with a variety of Italian dishes, or as I'm enjoying it tonight, paired with mid-week pizza!  You have to have something to drink with your pizza, it may as well be a nicely crafted Cabernet.  Cheers!

2006 Hendry Napa Valley Pinot Noir

Happy Saturday!  Well it's the first Saturday of February, which of course means it's "Cellar Saturday" when I get to raid the cellar for a bottle of wine that's had a bit more time to mature, a decade at least.  So tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2006 Hendry Napa Valley Pinot Noir that my boss gave me last year.  Now Napa is known more for Cabernet than Pinot, so let's see what this wine has to offer.

The wine is a lighter garnet color, somewhat darker and with a bit more of a brownish tint than your typical Pinot,  The nose is classic Pinot, with a rush of ripe strawberries and plums overlaid with some mineral notes and a bit of smoke.  The taste is actually quite nice, with a rush of ripe fruit up front, strawberries, cherries, and currant, that transition to some notes of green cedar and basalt midpalate.  The finish was quite nice, with smooth tannins and a very nice, long dry finish that has nice acidity but doesn't have the harshness that some Pinots can exhibit.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a very enjoyable Pinot Noir from a region that's really not known for the varietal.  This wine would pair with a variety of dishes, from lamb to seafood, but tonight I'm enjoying it with an old school seafood Newberg, a wonderful combination of scallops, shrimp, mussels and crab in a decadent sherry cream sauce served over puff pastry.  The acidity in this wine is perfect to counter the richness of the sauce.  Cheers!

2013 DaMa Wines Columbia Valley Grenache

Happy Friday!  I'm so glad it's the weekend!  It's been a long week and tonight I got to leave work a little after 4:00 so I had an hour and a half of daylight to blow leaves before the thunderstorms started.  I made progress and got the patio and deck done, so I'm seeing some light at the end of the tunnel, I just hope it's not an oncoming train!  So once it got dark I had to go to Mishawaka to get a gift for my friend's son who's third birthday party is tomorrow, and since I was out there I decided to stop at Costco (oh what fun!).  More on that later, but since I picked up something good for dinner I've decided to open a bottle of a recent wine club shipment, the 2013 DaMa Wines Columbia Valley Grenache, a 100% Grenache from the Lonesome Spring Vineyard in the Columbia Valley appellation!

The wine is very light, with a bright ruby color in the glass, classic Grenache. The nose presents aromas of dried cherries and raspberries along with hints of leather and tobacco. The taste is just wonderful with subdued red fruit notes at the outset, raspberry and cherry that transition easily to some lovely mineral notes along with some vanilla bean midpalate.  The finish is wonderfully dry and long, with a level of smoothness in the tannins that belies the youth of this wine.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5 as it's just a gorgeous example of the varietal.  And of course, since I visited Costco on a Friday evening, the seafood booth was ready for me and I picked up a big bag of fresh mussels, which of course means moules frites for dinner!  I simmered the mussels with some olive oil, garlic and shallots and a bit of dry white wine and then served them with some classic fries seasoned with sea salt, pepper and parmesan.  What a way to end the week!

2013 Gravel Bar Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Hump Day!  I have to admit since I'm on staycation this week, I hardly noticed hump day at all.  But at the very least I've decided to open a nice bottle of wine to celebrate the middle of the week and tonight it's the 2013 Gravel Bar Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (91%) and Malbec (9%) primarily from the Wahluke Slope in the Columbia Valley.  So let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a deep, inky black color at the center, with bright ruby along the edges, just as you would expect from a nice Cabernet.  The nose presents aromas of blackberry, currant, leather and some mineral notes of graphite and limestone.  The taste is quite nice, with a rush of ripe black fruit up front, that transitions nicely to some notes of mocha, dark chocolate and cassis midpalate.  The tannins are smooth and well integrated for a long, smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a very nicely drinking wine right now, and it was a terrific bargain as I found this at my local wine store for just $16!  This wine would pair nicely with some hearty grilled steaks, braised short ribs or rustic Italian dishes.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled farm to table sirloin steak that came from one of the cows at the recent Elkhart County 4-H Fair, some garlic mashed potatoes and steamed Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!