2022 Woodward Canyon Estate Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  I did some laundry and mowing today and now I am ready for Sunday dinner.  As for the wine, tonight I've opened a bottle of 2022 Woodward Canyon Estate Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon.  This wine is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon harvested from the oldest blocks of the Woodward Canyon Estate Vineyard in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  So let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby in the glass with the look of a high-caliber Cabernet.  The nose presents aromas of blackberry, cherry and prune amid toasted oak such that you could practically feel yourself in the barrel room of the winery.  The first sip is a rush of ripe black fruit, jammy plum, blackberry and currant that usher you into a warm spicy adventure midpalate.  The tannins are warm and subtle, providing a perfect launching pad 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 just a spectacular example of the upper echelons of Walla Walla Cabernets.  This wine would pair well with a range of dishes, from hard cheeses and charcuterie to braised short ribs or barbecue.  More than anything, this wine wants to be enjoyed with a big steak, and we are in luck as tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled tomahawk ribeye topped with some sauteed onions, peppers and mushrooms and served with grilled asparagus and corn on the cob.  Cheers!

2016 Rutherford Hill Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  It's been a busy weekend with my annual hunting trip to find Christmas trees, and I was successful in bagging a blue spruce and a Norway spruce, and today I spend much of the day decorating!  So, now I am ready for a nice dinner and a bottle of wine.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle of 2016 Rutherford Hill Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that I recently bought from Wines Till Sold Out.  Opening a 7-year-old Napa Cabernet is always a treat as this wine should just about be hitting its stride about now, so let's see what it has to offer!

The wine has the classic Napa Cab look, deep, inky black at the center and bright garnet along the edges.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of blackberry, currant and dried herbs.  The first sip is an interesting combination of black fruit, blackberry, currant and cherry with a bit of sweetness that transitions to some spicy notes with hints of tea midpalate.  The tannins are well structured, but the finish is dry and rather subdued.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a lovely, easy sipping Cabernet that has likely reached it's prime.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty fall and winter dishes, from roast beef to pasta casseroles, chili to rack of lamb.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a classic Cabernet pairing of a pan seared ribeye, steamed Brussels sprouts and oven roasted root vegetables.  Cheers!

2017 Spring Valley Vineyard Frederick Red Wine

Happy Thursday!  This day started on several sour notes as my coffee maker decided to cease functioning half way through the brew cycle, so I started the day with only a half a pot of coffee.  Then when I pulled out of the garage at 7:30 to go buy a new one, I realized I had a screw in my back tire and it was completely flat.  Add changing a tire into the mix and this was set to be an awful day until now!  It's supper time and I have a nice dinner coming and a nice bottle of wine opened.  The 2017 Spring Valley Vineyard Frederick Red Wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (93%), Syrah (5%) and Malbec (2%) all from the Spring Valley Vineyard in the Walla Walla AVA of Washtington.  So, let's see how this wine is making up for my sad start!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass with bright garnet along the edges, just as you might expect from such a Cabernet heavy blend.  Take a whiff and you are immersed in strawberry and raspberry aromas, with a bit of floral notes and some spicy undercurrents.  One sip and you are thrown into wonderland, bright red fruit intermingled with and acidity that has you first thinking of sweet tarts and then as you progress, you find yourself surrounded by wooded forest notes of cedar and peat, before the sturdy tannins usher in the very tight dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it has the earthy Bordeaux-esque character that I so love about Walla Walla wines.  This wine would pair well with a range of hearty dishes, from braised short ribs to hearty venison stew, thick steaks or mushroom risotto.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a prime, dry-aged bone-in ribeye grilled rare along with some grilled leeks and hatch chiles, wild mushroom farro and asparagus with hollandaise.  Cheers!

2011 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon

Well the weekend is here, I left work, went to the gym, picked up something for dinner and now I'm ready to relax with a bottle of 2011 Joseph Phelps Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  I bought this one from G.B. Russo's up in Grand Rapids, and here is what Dave Russo had to say about the wine:

"When I visited Napa Valley a couple of months ago to taste wines in advance of release, I was very impressed with how the 2011Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon tasted.  It reminded me of the elegant, classic style Phelps Cabs used to have twenty years ago, before the production of their top wine, Insignia, was expanded.  My guess is, like other Napa wineries, they made less of the flagship wine Insignia in the difficult 2011 vintage and put a lot of that juice into the standard Phelps Cab.  This wine is drinking beautifully now.  It has a silky black-fruit character and very polished tannins, and a gently earthy finish.  I like the fact that this is a more classic style, not the high octane – sharp tannin style that so many Napa Cabs seem to have these days."

 Needless to say, I bought some for me and my boss but tonight is the first I've opened a bottle so here goes nothing!

The wine has such a rich color, dark crimson in the center leading to a bright ruby along the edges, classic of a Napa Cabernet.  The nose is at first somewhat fruity and spicy, with notes of black cherry and anise, but then it transitions to some earthy notes of leather, iron and moss.  The taste is a quick blast of dark fruit, plum, blackberry and cassis, which then transitions to some lovely warm spice notes of white pepper, dried herbs and Asian spice.  The finish was quite nice, with velvety smooth tannins supporting a long, smooth, dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.  The wine is certainly drinking very well now, and I agree with Dave, this is much more of a classically styled Cabernet.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a beautiful Cabernet, but it's definitely not for your everyday table wine as I bought this one on sale for $65 a bottle.  Tonight I am enjoying it with a thick Hereford ribeye grilled rare and served with some grilled zucchini (thanks Emily!) and a giant Amish baked potato (you should see these things, there were 4 potatoes in a 5-pound bag!).  Salut!

Domaine Serene Rockblock SoNo Syrah

Once again the weekend is coming to a close, so why not make the best of it with a bottle of Northwest wine?  Tonight's selection is a little different, as it's a multi-vintage wine from Domaine Serene, produced from the best grapes and vintages from two vineyard sites in the Walla Walla region of Oregon.  And for those unfamiliar with the area, Walla Walla is just a few miles north of the Oregon border and fortunately good wine grapes don't stop growing once you reach Oregon!  The fruit for this wine was sourced from the Seven Hills and Stone Valley Vineyards in Oregon.  As a non-vintage wine, this one should be interesting.

The wine has a nice deep, inky purple color at the center, leading to a bright ruby along the edges.  The nose is at first a spicy sweetness, with black pepper and blueberries that ease into some hints of smoke, cocoa powder and a touch of lavender.  The taste is wonderfully complex, with some spice and floral notes up front that transitions smoothly to blueberries and black plum midpalate.  The tannins are somewhat rustic and smoky that suppose a silky finish that lingers on the palate.  Very pleasant to sip at the end of a long day!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a lovely example of Walla Walla Valley Syrah that shows a lot of complexity.  The only real negative I can see with this wine is the price, as I paid $33 for this bottle at my local wine merchant, G.B. Russo's, so it's clearly not an everyday wine if you're on a budget!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a simple Sunday dinner of salad, herb roasted chicken breast and some steamed fingerling potatoes with butter and parsley.  The rich blue fruit and spice of this wine make a nice foil to the more subdued flavors of chicken and potatoes.  Cheers!

2009 Wattle Creek "The Triple Play" Red Blend

It's officially day 3 of my staycation, that time near the end of May when I rush to use up my remaining vacation days before they are sacrificed on the alter of work-a-holism!  And for this vacation day, I have opened up a nice bottle from the Yorkville Highlands of Mendocino County, California, the 2009 Wattle Creek "The Triple Play" red wine blend. This blend is made in the Rhone style, with a combination of Syrah, Viognier and Petite Sirah, for what should make a very interesting wine.

The wine is a pleasant ruby color in the glass, and the nose exhibits notes of ripe red fruit, spicy pepper and a hint of mint over some very subtle oak.  The taste is somewhat fruit forward, with a bit of blackberry jam on the outset, which transitions to some fresh herbs and mint midpalate.  The tannins are very well structured, leading to a firm, dry finish that would complement a wide variety of grilled meats and savory dishes.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, as it's a pleasure to drink, but I honestly can't remember where I bought this wine, so I have no idea if it was a bargain or not!  Tonight I am pairing this wine with some Tuscan herb grilled lamb chops, a bit of pasta with creamy pesto, and a Caprese salad with 25-year balsamic, yum!

2008 Castello Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva

Yesterday I was talking with a colleague who is taking a trip to Italy over the holidays, and as a result of that conversation, I really had a hankering for a nice bottle of Italian wine.  Hence, tonight I've opened a bottle of 2008 Castello Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva!  Now a good Chianti is a classic Italian wine from Tuscany, made entirely from the Sangiovese grape, making it a lovely accompaniment to a variety of Italian dishes, from basic pastas, to risotto, to bistecca alla fiorentina, the classic Tuscan porterhouse!

The wine itself has a lovely deep ruby color in the glass and presents a nose of leather, licorice and some floral notes that almost feel chewy as you breath them in.  The taste is somewhat fruit forward, with flavors or ripe plum and tart cherry at the front end, transitioning to some wonderful earthy, spicy notes midpalate.  The well structured tannins and bright acidity make for a lovely smooth, long finish.  It's exactly what you would expect from a nice Chianti Classico.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a great example of a classic Italian red wine, and I found it for a decent price of only $22 at my local wine merchant, G.B. Russo's.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a very simple dinner of linguine with some sausage and arrabiata sauce, as the spice of the sauce really plays well against the fruit and spice notes in this wine.

2009 Mount Veeder Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Over the past couple years, I've really grown to like the wines of the Mount Veeder Winery, particularly their Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons (you can see my review of the 2008 vintage here).  In any case, a week or two ago I ordered a case of the 2009 vintage and have decided to give it a whirl.

The wine is like many good Napa cabs, very deep ruby color, almost inky in the glass.  The nose is a wonderfully rich blend of leather, blackberry, cherry and anise that speaks to the richness of the wine, and feel free to let it open up a bit in the glass, my hint is to have a glass or two while I am making dinner, so it's perfect by the time I sit down to eat.  The taste is a lovely fruit forward blend of ripe berries, plum and fresh herbs, giving way to some spicy notes midpalate, as the flavors play against each other and add a bit of complexity.  The nicely structured tannins provide for a long, dry, velvety finish that makes this wine a treat by itself.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5 as it's a lovely example of a classic Napa cab at a super price, since I bought this from wineshopper.com for only $20!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled New York strip, baked potato and steamed asparagus, as the wine has just enough bite to really accent a nice juicy steak.  So it you find this one at your local wine merchant, pick up a bottle, you're in for a nice treat!

2008 Forgeron Barbera

Here we are at the forth wine of the "Taste My Vacation" wine tasting event, and this one is from a winery that I got to know and really like on my trip last May, the 2008 Forgeron Barbera.  Now I really liked what I found at Forgeron, and Marie-Eve Gilla is making some wonderfully sophisticated, yet food friendly wines, including the Walldeaux Smithie I reviewed back in June.  The second thing to like about this wine is the fact that it's a Barbera, a varietal I've enjoyed since I first tried Woodward Canyon's offering back in the 2002 vintage.  Barberas have such a wonderful flair that make them a delight for pairing with a variety of dishes, which likely explains why I am so enamored with them.

The 2008 Forgeron Barbera has a lovely deep ruby color in the glass, but with an opacity that really reminds me of many of the lovely wines of Tuscany, somewhat lighter than a typical Cabernet.  The nose is lovely, with notes of leather, blackberry and anise.  The taste is somewhat fruit forward, with flavors of ripe plum dominating, but then we transition to some serious spice notes that often come from a wonderful Barbera, before yielding to a wonderfully smooth, dry finish.

This wine would be a perfect complement to a wide variety of Italian dishes, from basic pasta with red sauce, to a lovely mushroom risotto, or buccotini carbonara, but it would also pair quite nicely with a number of French dishes, and here I'm thinking chicken Provencal, or a number of other dishes from Provence, as the spice of the wine can really hold up nicely to the richness and creaminess of these dishes.  Among the group at the tasting, the consensus was that this was our second favorite wine, which is saying a lot since there was some pretty significant competition!  Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a lovely, food friendly wine that can serve as the star of the show or a great supporting cast member!

2008 Cougar Crest Dedication Five Columbia Valley Red Wine

Another day, another wine from Walla Walla!  Tonight I am enjoying a bottle of 2008 Cougar Crest Dedication Five Columbia Valley Red Wine that I picked up from my summer vacation adventure to Walla Walla!  Cougar Crest (come on now seriously, with the friends I have, how could I not stop at a place with "cougar" in the name?) has a tasting room just a mile or so up U.S. 12 from L'Ecole No. 41, so it was an easy stop as I was making my way back to Oregon on my wine tasting adventure. 

A bit about the "Dedication" part, it's an interesting story.  The winemakers dedicated this wine to the Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland, Ore. as their doctors and nurses saved the life of the winemakers' daughter in 2005, and ever since they've dedicated their wine and donated a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the "Dedication Five" to the hospital each year as a sign of their gratitude.  It's really a neat story and great symbol for what these folks stand for.

As for the wine, Cougar Crest has received some pretty nice accolades over the last few years, and after tasting some of their red wines it wasn't hard to figure out why!  The Dedication Five is their basic table wine, and it is a little different than many of the basic red wines I tasted in Walla Walla.  This wine is a blend of four varietals: Merlot (43%), Syrah (33%), Cabernet Sauvignon (15%) and Cabernet Franc (9%).  This wine is a little lighter in color and the body matches the lighter color.  The nose still has that sharp aroma of leather and spice which suggests a nice bit of that Columbia Valley quality.  The taste is quite dry, but that quickly gives way to some nice ripe fruit flavors mid-palate.  The nicely structured tannins provide for a smooth finish without the harshness that so often accompanies a house red like this one.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, as it's a wonderful wine, but the $20 price is a little steep for an everyday sort of wine.  Tonight I am enjoying a bottle with a grilled tenderloin, but I think it would pair nicely with grilled or smoked meats, and especially a nice barbecue (that reminds me I need to get some ribs!).  So if you happen to be in Walla Walla, or if your local store carries the line, pick up a bottle today and enjoy!

2008 Palazzo Della Torre Veronese

So tonight being the 100th anniversary of the last dinner aboard the RMS Titanic, I thought it might be interesting to honor the tragedy with a dinner and bottle of wine that hearkens back to those days when technology and industry seemed to hold all the answers for mankind (where have I heard that before?).  So I thought about recreating the menu, but I have to admit I had neither the desire nor inclination toward creating a 12-course dinner for myself tonight, so that seems out, though you know whatever I have will be good. 

Then I searched the web trying to find a list of wines served on Titanic, and perhaps I might have a current vintage, or even a similar wine, like a Bordeaux or Burgundy, but alas there is very little detail on the wines served on board.  It seems they had more than their fair share of Champagne, but little else was detailed in the documents I surveyed.  So strike two for my last dinner evening, though I did learn an interesting tidbit, that apparently on ocean liners like Titanic, they seldom carried a great selection of aged red wines for fear that the rumbling of the massive reciprocating steam engines might somehow shake loose the sediment in old wine rendering them undrinkable.  Here's some information I could use, if I can't find a wine list, I can enjoy a rather young wine with my dinner.

So with my dinner I've chosen a bottle of 2008 Palazzo Della Torre Veronese.  For those familiar, this wine is a distant cousin to Amarone, and a closer cousin to the Valpolicella Ripasso, or the "second pressing" of the Amarone.  The main differences are the grapes used in making this wine, Corvina and Rondinella  which are often blended to make Bardolino and Valpolicella.  Unlike Amarone, this wine takes a slightly different approach, with the majority of grapes pressed at harvest to make wine with the remainder are dried or "raisined" during the period from harvest to January when they are pressed and the resulting wine blended with the wine pressed at harvest.  The result is a very similar wine to Amarone or Valpolicella Ripasso.

This particular wine is a deep red color in the glass.  The nose is quite fruity, with hints of dried cherries, plums, anise and oak.  The taste is somewhat concentrated, with initial flavors of red fruit and spice, followed by a real raisin sort of flavor mid palate.  The tannins are softer than I was expecting, creating a very smooth, dry finish.  Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8 with the chance to improve with a little time in the cellar (I'll also note this was #60 on the Wine Spectator list of the top 100 wines of 2011).  And what about my pairings?  Did I come even close to 12 courses?  Not really, but I did enjoy this wine with a very rich meal that would have been quite acceptable during the early 20th Century.  I had a nice grilled ribeye served with Béarnaise sauce along with some linguine tossed with a bit of garlic and olive oil and some steamed broccoli rabe.  And for dessert, what else but a cannoli!  Salute!

1999 LaMarque Haut Mèdoc

Tonight I'm going back to the future!  That's the lovely thing about wine, it ages much better than most of us do, and it allows us to travel back in time.  Imagine, tonight I get to go back to Bordeaux in 1999, back when the franc was still in use, the euro was a dream, the internet bubble was going strong, and airport security was a breeze...and I was enjoying the last year of graduate school, those were the days!  And to remember, I'm enjoying the 1999 LaMarque Haut Mèdoc!

As I enjoy a bottle of nice Bordeaux from the last of the 20th Century, it brings back memories, but it also provides much pleasure on its own.  I recall falling in love with Haut Medoc when I was working in Paris in 1995, and I brought back 3 bottles to enjoy, all from the 1990 vintage if I recall correctly, wonderful vibrant, dry red Bordeaux that immediately brought back memories of enjoying a glass of wine at a sidewalk cafe a few block from the Eiffel Tower, with the warm breeze...printemps à Paris, c'est le meilleur!

This wine is very interesting, particularly in how it's aged over the last decade.  The color is a bright ruby with a hint of rust around the edges.  The nose is an experience in oak, leather, Asian spice, and a bit of sour cherry.  The taste is mildly fruit forward, giving way to a good bit of earthy Asian spice mid palate, and then finishing very dry, with remarkable tannic structure.  What a wonderful wine that 13 years on is still not past it's prime!  I'm enjoying this one tonight with some aged cheeses, gruyère, parmesan and gouda, all of which complement this wine exceptionally.  I don't recall where I bought this one, but I think it was just a couple years ago on a close out of some kind.  In any case, I would rate this one a solid 8.5, a great aged Bordeaux that has certainly reached it's prime.  I'm not sure you'd be able to find this wine anywhere, but even so, this should be an encouragement to open a bottle of older vintage wine tonight and relive the wonders of the past with a glass of great wine!  Salut!

2008 Conte di Bregonzo Amarone

So for tonight's dining pleasure I've cracked open a bottle of 2008 Conte di Bregonzo Amarone, and for those of you with any wine knowledge or a functioning understanding of how to use Google, this is the (in)famous Trader Joe's version of Amarone.  To say the least, when I did a cursory review on the web, this one is definitely a love it or hate it wine from Trader Joe's, but hey, I guess you can't win them all, even if you are the retailer that brought Two-Buck Chuck to the wine world.

Now I'll try not to let the negative comments sway me, after all some folks thought this wine would ruin the perception of Amarone to an entire generation of wine drinkers, which I consider a little hyperbole.  After all, this wine has been coming out of Valpolicella since the Romans were running things, so I seriously doubt offering a bottle at a great price could ruin what took millennia to build.  In fact, I'd put greater odds on the wine makers themselves shooting the golden goose before TJ's could (2004 Brunello scandal anyone?).

Back to the wine.  For those unfamiliar, Amarone is an interesting wine made from a blend of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara grapes, but before the grapes are made into wine, they are partially dried for about four months in a process called appassimento.  This results in a much more concentrated wine in terms of sugars and flavors, and much higher in alcohol content (the required minimum is 14%, but it can easily surpass 15%).  After the partially dried grapes are pressed to make Amarone, the leftovers are used for a second pressing to make Valpolicella Ripasso (also a kick butt wine!). 

So on to tonight's wine, which is also our office wine club selection for February (Happy Valentines Day wine club peeps!). Now it's generally good to let a bottle breathe a bit before serving, so this one's been open about 30 minutes or so.  In the glass, the wine has aromas of cedar, spice, and a sweet cherry or berry and a faint hint of anise.  The taste is concentrated fruit at the outset, with a touch of bitterness mid-palate, and somewhat concentrated tannins creating a smooth, dry finish.  Some have complained that this wine is one dimensional, and I could see that being the case, but I think they miss the beauty of what this wine is, a representation of a larger than life wine, with concentrated fruit that is to Italy what a big bold Cabernet is to Napa Valley.

Now considering that most Amarone's are tough to find in the sub$50 range, and that this one came from Trader Joe's at just under $20 makes this a considerable bargain.  If you're an Amarone expert, this one might not be for you, but if you enjoy a good glass of wine with a meal, this is your ticket!  Oh, and speaking of meals, what am I enjoying this bottle with tonight?  Glad you asked, I am having this with St. Louis style barbecue pork steaks, with my own variations (like adding a little habanero pineapple salsa to the barbecue sauce that the meat has been braising in for the last 3 hours), along with some homemade corn bread, and green beans with butter and slivered almonds, a real southern treat!  The bold spice of this wine should play nicely with the sweetness of the pork and sauce, I can't wait to dig in!  For the wine itself, I'd rate this one a solid 8, but given the bargain price, I'd boost that up to an 8.5 easily!  Enjoy!

2009 Lost Weekend STB

Ok, get your minds out of the gutter, the wine is an STB, for Super Tuscan Blend, even though it's from California.  I got three bottles of this wine last week, thanks to a thoughtful wine gift certificate from my friends Carter and Kellyn (thanks guys!).  Now I decided on this wine because of course I like Tuscan blends, but also for the story behind this wine.  Apparently, "The Lost Weekend Saloon" was a hangout of forward thinking members of the coastal mountain community of Bonny Doon, Calif. since the early 1900s, but now it's the tasting room for Beauregard Vineyards, which produces this wine.

Now I will certainly give kudos straight off for the natural cork and the painted label on the bottle, very cool indeed, but we all know it's what's inside the bottle that counts!  Well inside this one is a blend of Sangiovese (80%), Cabernet Sauvignon (16%) and Durif (aka Petite Sirah, 4%).  As I uncorked a bottle, I was greeted with the aroma of a nice Italian red wine, with strong aromas of sweet fruit, plum, cherry and blackberry.  I poured a glass, and the color is lighter, very typical of the wines of Tuscany, and after letting the wine breathe a bit in the glass, the nose revealed less sweet fruit, and more spice, leather and earthy aromas.  The taste is quite fruit forward, with hints of cherry and ripe strawberry, but the finish is somewhat unremarkable.

This wine is a medium bodied blend, so if you are looking for a big, bold California cab like wine, you'll be disappointed, but it's a nice wine for what it is, somewhat fruity with a smooth finish that is unlikely to overpower the dish that it's paired with.  In fact, tonight I am taking a different approach and having this wine with some Indian curry, as I think the fruit will really complement the spice and earthy richness of the curry.  Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7, it's a very nice everyday blend that I probably never would have encountered without the help of an online Christmas gift, and it is encouraging all the more that we are producing such nice Sangiovese blends domestically!  So if you find yourself in Santa Cruz with an extra $20 burning a hole in your pocket, pick up a bottle and have a picnic along the coast, or if you're like the rest of us snowbound in the middle of the country, considering ordering a bottle or two off the web!

2004 Casanuova delle Cerbaie Brunello di Montalcino

Another fine wine from our "Best of" wine tasting, and I can think of no better wine to post about on Christmas Eve.  After all, Christmas itself seems to go so well with Italian food and red wine, so what's better than the classic heart of Italian wine, the greatest wine in Tuscany, and arguably the greatest wine of Italy, Brunello di Montalcino!  This wine, the 2004 Casanuova delle Cerbaie Brunello di Montalcino is a very nice example of this classic Tuscan great, and I can tell you I was not disappointed in the least!

The wine has a garnet color in the glass with a hint of rust color along the edges.  The nose was somewhat "woodsy" which I guess is my technical term for a combination of moss, oak, cedar, earth and tobacco all swirling around.  The taste had some tart cherry, and mild acidity and a subtle spiciness that made for quite a backbone on this wine.  I found the wine itself quite dry, but the mild tannins made for a very smooth finish.  As the wine for the heart of Tuscany, this wine would pair well with many hearty Italian dishes, or if you're bold enough, Bistecca alla Fiorentina!  For those of you unfamiliar, Bistecca alla Fiorentina is a Tuscan style steak about as big as your torso (I exaggerate, but these are big thick steaks) grilled over a wood fire, but if you don't have any 4-inch thick steaks handy, a nice 2-inch thick Porterhouse will do nicely!

This wine was simply delightful, and I would rate it a solid 9, perhaps higher but for the price (this one will set you back in the $30-40 range).  Even so, if you happen to find some online or at your local wine merchant, I suggest buying a bottle or two to enjoy with family and friends.  Tutti a tavola a mangiare!

2008 Nine Hats Columbia Valley Red Wine

This is another of our wines from our "Best of" wine tasting, the 2008 Nine Hats Columbia Valley Red Wine.  Washington is great at producing wonderful Bordeaux-style blends, and this is an interesting use of excess grapes from other blends in the Walla Walla/Columbia Valley region.  A product of Long Shadows Winery in Walla Walla, this wine is a blend of excess wines used in their signature wine blends from nine winemakers, hence "Nine Hats."

The wine itself is a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec, creating an interesting and smooth wine.  The wine exhibits a deep purple color in the glass with a good structure.  On the nose, it exhibits aromas of the forest, dominated by cedar, moss and tobacco with just the slightest floral hint.  The taste is somewhat abrupt when compared to some of the more mature wines like the Margaux or Brunello we tasted, but on it's own, this wine holds its own.  It's very fruit forward, with flavors of blackberry and cherry, with a mild acidity that holds any sweetness in check.  There is a spicy undertone of pepper and herbs.  The velvety tannins make for a luscious mouthfeel and a long, smooth finish.

For pairings, this wine would be ideal with a grilled steak, or perhaps a classic pot roast with all the classic roasted veggies.  Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, with room for improvement as the wine matures.  The 2008 Nine Hats Columbia Valley Red Wine would make a great everyday wine, particularly given the price under $20.  I bought this one in a variety pack of wines from my friends at Esquin Wine Sellers out of Seattle, so it might not be available where you live.  If you have an opportunity to buy a bottle, you should certainly try it!

2007 Seven Hills McClellan Estate Vineyard Walla Walla Valley Petit Verdot

Another fine wine from our "Best of" wine club tasting, this one from one of my favorite wine regions, the Columbia Valley of Washington State, in particular, Walla Walla!  The 2007 Seven Hills McClellan Estate Vineyard Walla Walla Valley Petit Verdot is a really interesting wine for so many reasons, not the least being a rare single bottling of a varietal that is normally reserved for blending with many of the find Bordeaux style blends the Columbia Valley has become known for.

I'll admit I had my doubts, after all, what can I expect from a full bottle of wine based on a grape that normally doesn't exceed 20% of a blend?  Well, this wine was delicious and interesting in so many unexpected ways!  The color of this wine was a deep purple, almost inky in appearance, suggesting a wine packed with flavors, and it was.  The nose was somewhat floral, with hints of rose, along with an earthy character denoted by aromas of oak, cedar, tobacco and leather.  On my tasting notes I wrote "evolving" but I don't think this wine is evolving in a traditional sense (i.e. this will mature over the next few years), but rather than it was evolving and changing even as it was in my mouth!  At one moment, tart cherry and licorice, then a spicy smoky flavor, then a little sweetness of plum and cassis, amazing how the flavors can exhibit such complexity.  The tannins provided for a velvety mouthfeel and a long, smooth finish.

For pairings, this wine would be perfect with beef or pork tenderloin or a variety of Mediterranean dishes.  I bought this one from Wineshopper.com, and as I recall it was around $20, so not a super bargain, but certainly well worth a double sawbuck.  Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it's still a little young so there's time for it to mature a little more before I open my next bottle.

2007 Moulin de Vissandre Domaine de Fabrègues Coteaux du Languedoc

Happy #LanguedocDay!  A new holiday from Rick Bakas, who has done past fun events like #CabernetDay among others, is a celebration of the wonderful wines of the Languedoc in the south of France.  Wines of the Languedoc contain many familiar grape varieties, including Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Viognier, which to my mind bring out the warmth and flavor of the region.

To celebrate #LanguedocDay, I am enjoying a bottle of 2007 Moulin de Vissandre Domaine de Fabrègues Coteaux du Languedoc, which I got a couple weeks ago during WTSO's "Cheapskate Wednesday" so what more could I ask, a new wine from an interesting region for a bargain price?  The 2007 Moulin de Vissandre is a classic blend of 50% Grenache and 50% Carignan, which is a red wine grape believed to have originated from the Aragon region of Spain.  Interestingly, most of the Carignan used in French wine used to be imported from Algeria until its independence in 1962, when the French began to plant the variety near the Mediterranean coast.

The wine itself is a classic Languedoc, which is certainly different than your standard Cabernet or Merlot from Bordeaux.  I've read some pretty negative reviews of these types of wines, but most I think were from people who were unfamiliar with the varietals and hence did not appreciate what these wines have to offer.  This wine is quite pleasant, with a nose of leather, blackberry and tobacco with a hint of spice.  The taste is fruit forward, with flavors of ripe berry and plum, with a smooth, subtle finish, that leaves you feeling as though a warm breeze was blowing off the Mediterranean as you relax at the end of a hard day of leisure.  This is an especially good feeling for me today since it's been snowing off and on since this morning!  As for pairings, this wine would go very well with some soft cheese, a variety of roast poultry or seafood.  But for tonight, I am having it with a classic northern European dinner of Kielbasa, saur kraut and pierogis!  How's that for an interesting choice?

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7, as a good example of the types of wine from the Languedoc, and for value you can add another half point as this one came delivered for only $7!  Can you believe it?  So whether it's this bottle or another, I'd encourage you to try a new wine from the Languedoc!

2007 Taverna II Lagarino Di Dionisio Basilicata IGT

Ahhh...Cheapskate Wednesday, what a wonderful holiday!  For those of you who are unaware, Cheapskate Wednesday is an event by Wines Till Sold Out (WTSO.com) where they go though all their leftover stock and put them up every 15 minutes (or till sold out) throughout the day on a Wednesday.  Well, this past Wednesday was of the Cheapskate variety, so I ended up buying 12 different wines to share among friends and the office wine club, and shockingly, the first 7 arrived at my door today!  As such, I am enjoying the first of my fruits tonight, the 2007 Taverna Il Lagarino Di Dionisio Basilicata!

If you're unfamiliar with this Italian wine, you're not alone, as I've never heard of it either, but what the heck, I'll try anything once.  The wine hails from the Basilicata region of Italy, which if you think of the "boot" it's right between the heel and the toe, so it has the interesting position of touching two seas, the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west and the Ionian Sea (Gulf of Taranto) to the southeast.  Being so far south from the more famous Italian wine regions, the Basilicata has some very interesting history.  The region is only known for one kind of grape, Aglianico del Vulture, which derives its name from a bastardization of the word "Hellenic" or Greek, and Mount Volture.  Interestingly enough, there are no grapes native to the region, but the variety so prominent here were planted by the Greeks when they settled the area in pre-Roman times, so these grapes have been made into wine long before the native varieties to the north!

Il Lagarino di Dionisio is primarily a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which certainly shows up in the color and flavor of the wine.  It is during the second fermentation that Aglianico del Vulture grapes are added to the blend, giving it a unique character compared to similar blends.  The wine is a deep ruby color with a nose of soft berries, chocolate and tobacco.  The taste is dry, yet has a rather complex, nuanced flavors throughout, with rising fruit flavors intermingled with a spicy earthiness.  The delicate tannins create a lush mouthfeel and smooth finish.  This wine is not your typical Italian red, but I think it would go with a variety of Mediterranean cuisine, though tonight I think I'll enjoy it with some penne alla vodka, as the spiciness of the wine might be the perfect compliment for a sweet creamy sauce.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.0, which would have easily been higher, but for the price at $14.  So look for this one on WTSO, or at your local wine merchant and try a different taste of Italian wine!

2007 Rumpus Syrah

Ok, seriously, how can you not just love a wine called "Rumpus"?!?!?  I saw this one on the WTSO cheapskate Wednesday a couple weeks back and couldn't resist, after all even if the wine was terrible, it's called RUMPUS!!!

Well, lucky for me and several friends who shared this purchase, it's not a terrible wine.  Quite the opposite, this is really an exceptional Syrah from California's Sonoma Valley.  No often times we see a syrah or "shiraz" and expect it to be lighter and a great pairing for lighter summer fare, or just sitting on the patio enjoying a glass of wine on an August evening, but this one is much more like a petite syrah, which is such a misnomer...

The Rumpus syrah is a blend of 86% syrah with the balance of Cabernet Franc, which is a blending grape that is so underappreciated in my opinion.  So in this instance you end up with a wine that is a deep ruby, almost inky color in the glass, so you get the sense that this is not the lighter side of syrah.  The nose is ripped with scents of cedar, leather and pepper, which merely whets your appetite for the wine that's to come.  The taste has an infusion of berries, with spice and delicate tannins that scream fine age worthy wine from the south of France!  But this is from California, showing that our friends outside Napa can compete just as effectively on the world wine stage.

I've been sipping this wine all evening as I've been cooking dinner, and thankfully I have a full glass left to enjoy with my summertime dinner of barbecued chicken breast, sweet potato fries and steamed asparagus.  Such a wonderful evening!  As for my rating, I would put this wine at a solid 8.5, and it was a WTSO cheapskate Wednesday selection for only $13!