2023 Seven Hills Walla Walla Cabernet Franc

Happy Sunday!  It was another hot one here today, with temperatures in the 90s and high humidity, so I did just a little bit of yard work, then mowed, and then went for a bike ride, so now I need some air conditioning and a nice glass of wine!  Tonight, I've opened a bottle from a recent wine club shipment from Seven Hills Winery, the 2023 Walla Walla Cabernet Franc is a 100% Cabernet Franc sourced from the McClellan Estate and Summit View Vineyards in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  So, here goes nothing!

The wine is a little lighter in body, with great clarity and a lovely ruby color in the glass.  A gentle swirl reveals aromas of black currant, raspberry and tart cherry with hints of prune and white floral notes.  The first sip is fruity adventure, with a rush of ripe, jammy berry fruit that completely covers your palate with a rich velvety mouthfeel, and before you realize what's happening, you are introduced to some earthy tar and tobacco, before being slapped back with a spicy dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's one of the most fun and inviting examples of this often overlooked varietal.  This wine would pair well with a wide range of dished, from broiled trout to steak au poivre, barbecued ribs to street tacos.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a grilled porterhouse topped with garlic scapes, with roasted baby beets and steamed sugar snap peas.  Cheers! 

2016 L'Esprit De Chevalier Pessac-Léognan

Happy Sunday!  It's been a rainy afternoon, so I decided to dispense with the yard work and focus on some indoor projects, like replacing the backing on a new painting I bought at the thrift store, fixing my live trap to catch the second groundhog that roamed into my yard on Friday and other assorted household chores.  So, now I'm ready for a nice dinner and a glass or few of wine.  Tonight, I've opened a magnum of 2016 L'Esprit De Chevalier Pessac-Léognan that I bought a month or two ago during the Wines Till Sold Out magnum event.  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (45%), Merlot (45%) and Petit Verdot (10%), making this a classic Bordeaux blend.  I'm going to need some of this wine for the red wine demi that I'm making for my main course, so if there's enough extra for another glass or two that seems fine to me!  So, let's see how this wine is tasting.

The wine is an inky black at the center with just a touch of ruby along the edges.  The nose is a lovely presentation of leather, ripe black fruit and hints of anise and pepper.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of cool black fruit that's a bit tart at first, before transitioning into some blackberry and cherry sweetness.  The tannins are refined and well structured, which works well with the spicy dry finish with just a hint of acidity at the end. 

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a great example of the old world styling and craft of Bordeaux.  This wine would pair well with a range of dishes, from grilled steaks to braised short ribs, hearty beef stew to wild mushroom risotto.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a Sunday dinner of herb crusted rack of lamb with red wine demi, potato puree and some grilled asparagus.  Cheers!

2007 DaMa Walla Walla Sangiovese

Well, it's Memorial Day weekend, time for grilling out and why not enjoy a bit of wine as well?  Tonight's selection is almost a year in the making, as I first tasted this at the DaMa tasting room in Walla Walla in late June 2013 and I'll admit I fell in love with this wine at first taste!  It was really the best Sangiovese I found in Walla Walla (though to be fair this is an up and coming varietal that more producers are experimenting with even as I write this).  So after tasting the wine I bought 4 bottles (at only $25, I should have bought a case) and wanted to have it shipped to my home since I had no more room on the case to check on my return flight.  And that's where the story ends until a month or so ago, when I realized that I never received the wine, so I called but wasn't much help since I've moved since then, had no receipt and all I could track down was a nearly year-old credit card statement with a charge, but thanks to the wonderful folks at DaMa, that was enough for them to find it in their records and send me the long awaited wine!  HOORAY!!!

And now to the wine, it's a deep purple in the glass with ruby along the edges and a good bit of opacity at the center.  The nose is just how I remembered it, rich dark fruit, blackberry, plum and black currant with an overriding aroma of smoke, leather and spice, with just a hint of dark chocolate.  The taste is absolutely lovely, with a subdued rush of dark, ripe fruit at the outset that quickly transitions to some smoky, mineral notes midpalate.  The finish is wonderful, with some firm but sophisticated tannins that support a warm, spicy dry finish that seems to last a good 30 seconds. This is a Sangiovese that I am convinced would stand up quite well to some of the nicest Chianti in Tuscany!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a super example of the varietal and a terrific value at only $25.  Tonight I am enjoying this with a toned down version bistecca alla Fiorentina, a nicely seasoned and grilled T-bone with some grilled leeks and asparagus and a baked Yukon gold potato.  The spice and smokiness of this wine is the perfect accompaniment to a grilled steak while the fruit enhances the flavors of the veggies. If you can find this wine grab it and enjoy in with your grilling tomorrow, but it's sold out at the winery so it might be a challenge to find.  Cin cin!